DC Universe Online: Legends #11- One of the things I enjoyed most about this series was how the series bounced back and forth between present day and the apocalyptic Brainiac-controlled future. However for a number of issues now, writers Marv Wolfman and Tony Bedard had decided to focus strictly on the present day aspect of the conflict. This issue showed the downside of the decision. Although Lex Luthor has his time in the sun this issue, he really didn’t do anything special here. He formed his own super-powered team…so what? With his money, Lex had formed dozens of superteams over the years, what’s another one? The closing scene of this issue was much better, showing off the plans that would be put in motion, but this issue was a waste.
Secret Six #35– With next issue being the finale, writer Gail Simone seem to be setting up a big tragic finish for the Six. Bane decided to get back his fighting spirit by attacking Batman’s extended family. Most of the time, this plot would be insane but Simone could get away with it because the Secret Six has always been that kind of crazy book! In typical Gail Simone fashion, this issue was full of great witty moments and showed once again why the upcoming DC revamp is a travesty. Hopefully some of the new series will get cancel quickly and the Secret Six will be back soon.
X-23 #12- The introduction of Jubilee continued to be a pleasant surprise by writer Marjorie Liu. With Jubilee struggling with her vampirism, it made sense that these 2 outcasts bonded with each other. However there was a lot wrong with this issue. The confusing subway fight just didn’t work and I found the scenes between Wolverine and Gambit to be boring. Considering its Wolverine and Gambit; that’s not easy.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Private Education Act
Over the past few years, a number of private schools in Singapore had closed suddenly stranding students midway through their studies. Worse, the owners of these schools refused to pay back the school fees paid by the students.
Under pressure to maintain Singapore’s reputation as an education hub, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Council for Private Education (CPE) enacted the Private Education Act to monitor and control private schools in Singapore. After 2 fruitless years, the Act has finally had some affect.
Stricter rules under the Act have currently caused over 600 private schools in Singapore to shut their doors. This is almost two-thirds of the private schools in Singapore! Now there will be some people who say the CPE has went overboard with cleaning up the bad schools but I’m not one of them.
I fully approve the tough actions of the CPE and believe it should be maintained. In recent years, there had been many schools run by people whose sole motivation has been money. When two-thirds of the private schools in Singapore had to close because they were unable to meet the criteria of the Private Education Act, it tell me a lot about how well-run these schools are and how many bad schools there are in Singapore.
To people who feel sorry for the operators; please note that the CPE had given the private schools 18 months to meet the new requirements of the Private Education Act. They were given a chance, but they either fail or could not be bothered. No blame can be attached to the CPE or MOE on this. No one can say they don’t have enough time to meet the requirements.
Under pressure to maintain Singapore’s reputation as an education hub, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Council for Private Education (CPE) enacted the Private Education Act to monitor and control private schools in Singapore. After 2 fruitless years, the Act has finally had some affect.
Stricter rules under the Act have currently caused over 600 private schools in Singapore to shut their doors. This is almost two-thirds of the private schools in Singapore! Now there will be some people who say the CPE has went overboard with cleaning up the bad schools but I’m not one of them.
I fully approve the tough actions of the CPE and believe it should be maintained. In recent years, there had been many schools run by people whose sole motivation has been money. When two-thirds of the private schools in Singapore had to close because they were unable to meet the criteria of the Private Education Act, it tell me a lot about how well-run these schools are and how many bad schools there are in Singapore.
To people who feel sorry for the operators; please note that the CPE had given the private schools 18 months to meet the new requirements of the Private Education Act. They were given a chance, but they either fail or could not be bothered. No blame can be attached to the CPE or MOE on this. No one can say they don’t have enough time to meet the requirements.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Questions About Tiger Airways' Grounding
On 2 July, Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) grounded Tiger Airways due to safety concerns. At first, this seems like a minor hiccup as Tiger Airways was confident that the suspension would be a short one. However the CASA has now extended the grounding of Tiger Airways flights till 1 August and the grounding has become a major problem for Tiger Airways.
It has also become a PR problem for Singapore Airlines (SIA), the main backer of Tiger Airways. SIA is the pride of Singapore due to its position as the top airline in the world and yet Tiger was grounded due to "safety"?
The CASA first stepped in after Tiger flights flew too low on an approach to Avalon airport near Melbourne last week and they say this was not the first time it happened. The question I have is, “What actions were taken the other times it happened?” and "Did SIA even know about the problems at Tiger Airways?"
Thus far, there has been very very little info about what kind of concerns the CASA has about Tiger Airways. If the Avalon incident was not the first time it happened, as the CASA says, what other red flags were raised before and did Tiger or SIA do anything about them?
Like I said earlier, Singapore Airlines is the pride of Singapore and our country is linked to the airline. Now I’m not trying to defend Tiger Airways because Tiger Airways has not appeal against the grounding and the chief executive of its Australia operations, Crawford Rix, had “resigned” for his post due to this incident. So there must be a fire under all these smoke and as a Singaporean, I would like to know just how big the fire is?
It has also become a PR problem for Singapore Airlines (SIA), the main backer of Tiger Airways. SIA is the pride of Singapore due to its position as the top airline in the world and yet Tiger was grounded due to "safety"?
The CASA first stepped in after Tiger flights flew too low on an approach to Avalon airport near Melbourne last week and they say this was not the first time it happened. The question I have is, “What actions were taken the other times it happened?” and "Did SIA even know about the problems at Tiger Airways?"
Thus far, there has been very very little info about what kind of concerns the CASA has about Tiger Airways. If the Avalon incident was not the first time it happened, as the CASA says, what other red flags were raised before and did Tiger or SIA do anything about them?
Like I said earlier, Singapore Airlines is the pride of Singapore and our country is linked to the airline. Now I’m not trying to defend Tiger Airways because Tiger Airways has not appeal against the grounding and the chief executive of its Australia operations, Crawford Rix, had “resigned” for his post due to this incident. So there must be a fire under all these smoke and as a Singaporean, I would like to know just how big the fire is?
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Is this the worst-ever NDP song?
Every year when Singapore’s National Day Parade (NDP) comes along, there will be a new Singapore song written for the event. Over the years, the new songs have been kind of hit-and-miss. This year’s song is called the "Fun Pack Song", and it is so bad even the Strait Times is asking if this is the worst NDP ever?
The answer is “Yes”.
Usually, I couldn’t care less about the NDP song. I mean there’s one every year, so who cares? However this song changed my mind. It is bad not only because of the nonsensical lyrics (I want Newater and I want a cold drink; You and me, let's share a bit) but also because the song is a rip-off of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance".
Seriously, what were the organizers thinking? Even if you want to copy someone, surely there are better songwriters out there than Lady Gaga! I mean Singaporeans exactly prefer JJ Lin's Youth Olympic Games anthem "You are the One" to this song!
Yes, it’s that bad.
The answer is “Yes”.
Usually, I couldn’t care less about the NDP song. I mean there’s one every year, so who cares? However this song changed my mind. It is bad not only because of the nonsensical lyrics (I want Newater and I want a cold drink; You and me, let's share a bit) but also because the song is a rip-off of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance".
Seriously, what were the organizers thinking? Even if you want to copy someone, surely there are better songwriters out there than Lady Gaga! I mean Singaporeans exactly prefer JJ Lin's Youth Olympic Games anthem "You are the One" to this song!
Yes, it’s that bad.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Bye-bye Pacific Ocean!
Last year, China caused a minor international incident when they announced that China will be severely decreasing the exports of rare earth minerals. This caused terror in the international scene as China account for about 90% of the rare earth minerals in the world market. Great pressure was exerted on China and an annoyed Chinese government basically told the world that if they are not happy with the decision, they can extract rare earths from their own countries.
Countries like the U.S. and Japan have been trying to get other countries like Mongolia to set up a rare earth mining industry but so far, there have been no takers. It seems that rare earths minerals aren’t actually rare but few countries mined it because the industry cause great pollution to the environment. It says a lot when even the China government, not a lover of the environment by any standard, are so worried about pollution that they intend to cut production of the minerals.
Well, the U.S. and Japan now have a lifeline as vast deposits of rare earth minerals have been found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Japanese scientists who found the site says that the world can readily extracted the minerals as the deposits sits in international waters. He can say that because as the deposits sits in international waters, no one will give a damn about pollution in the area!
And there goes the sea life of the Pacific Ocean.
Countries like the U.S. and Japan have been trying to get other countries like Mongolia to set up a rare earth mining industry but so far, there have been no takers. It seems that rare earths minerals aren’t actually rare but few countries mined it because the industry cause great pollution to the environment. It says a lot when even the China government, not a lover of the environment by any standard, are so worried about pollution that they intend to cut production of the minerals.
Well, the U.S. and Japan now have a lifeline as vast deposits of rare earth minerals have been found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Japanese scientists who found the site says that the world can readily extracted the minerals as the deposits sits in international waters. He can say that because as the deposits sits in international waters, no one will give a damn about pollution in the area!
And there goes the sea life of the Pacific Ocean.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Mr. Tan Kin Lian’s Candidacy
With the Presidential Election due in August, there are now 3 serious candidates for the election. Former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tony Tan, former Member of Parliament (MP) Tan Cheng Bock and former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian, have all said they will run in the election.
Of the 3, Mr. Tan Kin Lian’s candidacy is the one which has intrigued Singaporeans the most. He is the only candidate who is not a (former) MP of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and the closest thing we have to an opposition candidate in this election. However I was never fully convinced of his candidacy and unfortunately recent events have proved that my doubts are right.
Mr. Tan is famous in Singapore for his fight on the behalf of small investors who lost money in the Lehman Brothers collapse a few years ago. In fact, you could argue that without him, the small investors might not had gotten any money back at all. Mr. Tan was the one who gathered the investors together and made it a political and social issue for Singaporeans.
Despite his great work in the Lehman Brothers affair, I had thought the Presidential Election was not for him. Mr. Tan is not a politician. In fact, I do not believe he had ever held a political post outside NTUC. (Yes, I know NTUC is a labor union not a political party but anyone who thinks there is no politics in NTUC don’t know Singapore politics very well.)
Simply put; I wonder about how Mr. Tan is going to handle the rough and tumble of the political world. The answer; he’s not handling it very well.
Recently, Mr. Tan has come out to rebut accusations made against him on the internet. Mr. Tan said that some have posted lies about him online and even said that he is “considering legal action”.
And the Presidential Election has even officially started yet!
The thing is this; the moment he threw his hat into the ring, Mr. Tan should have expected this. Every candidate will be bad-mouthed by someone; that is just a fact. Mr. Tan need to accept this and handle it with grace. I mean Tin Pei Ling had a much worse time than he had so far and I didn’t hear her threatening to sue anyone.
Personally I think Mr. Tan would make a good President. He is positive and courageous but that doesn’t change the fact he will be the underdog in the polls. He is already the underdog, there’s no need to make his position worse by threatening to sue people. Basically, Mr. Tan need to go above that and handle the situation with more grace. If he managed to do that, he might have a chance.
Of the 3, Mr. Tan Kin Lian’s candidacy is the one which has intrigued Singaporeans the most. He is the only candidate who is not a (former) MP of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and the closest thing we have to an opposition candidate in this election. However I was never fully convinced of his candidacy and unfortunately recent events have proved that my doubts are right.
Mr. Tan is famous in Singapore for his fight on the behalf of small investors who lost money in the Lehman Brothers collapse a few years ago. In fact, you could argue that without him, the small investors might not had gotten any money back at all. Mr. Tan was the one who gathered the investors together and made it a political and social issue for Singaporeans.
Despite his great work in the Lehman Brothers affair, I had thought the Presidential Election was not for him. Mr. Tan is not a politician. In fact, I do not believe he had ever held a political post outside NTUC. (Yes, I know NTUC is a labor union not a political party but anyone who thinks there is no politics in NTUC don’t know Singapore politics very well.)
Simply put; I wonder about how Mr. Tan is going to handle the rough and tumble of the political world. The answer; he’s not handling it very well.
Recently, Mr. Tan has come out to rebut accusations made against him on the internet. Mr. Tan said that some have posted lies about him online and even said that he is “considering legal action”.
And the Presidential Election has even officially started yet!
The thing is this; the moment he threw his hat into the ring, Mr. Tan should have expected this. Every candidate will be bad-mouthed by someone; that is just a fact. Mr. Tan need to accept this and handle it with grace. I mean Tin Pei Ling had a much worse time than he had so far and I didn’t hear her threatening to sue anyone.
Personally I think Mr. Tan would make a good President. He is positive and courageous but that doesn’t change the fact he will be the underdog in the polls. He is already the underdog, there’s no need to make his position worse by threatening to sue people. Basically, Mr. Tan need to go above that and handle the situation with more grace. If he managed to do that, he might have a chance.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Comics this week
Artifacts #8- Artifacts #8 closes the second part of the series. At the end of this issue, our heroes are down and out, scattered to the winds with only a small chance of a fight back. Say what you want about the series but you have to hand it to writer Ron Marz for coming up with a 13 issues series that spilt the story into 3 parts. And you have to give it to Top Cow for allowing him the freedom to do it. Count me in for the whole ride!
Batman Incorporated #7- As Bruce Wayne goes around the world to recruit heroes for his Batman Inc.; the various heroes he selects had been sort of hit-and-miss with readers. Man-of-Bats and his son/sidekick, Raven, are clearly in the hit category. Man-of-Bats and Raven aren’t just superheroes who fight crime; they are their community’s heroes because they help out in the citizen’s daily life. Right from the front page, writer Grant Morrison's took a different tack with these two characters by showing off their community work and it work beautifully. Easily the best issue of Batman Inc. so far.
FF #5- The issue starts off with the first real fight we had in this series. I know, after 5 issues, and only now do we get a fight? Not only that but a fight where the heroes got their ass handed to them. That in short is what’s great about Jonathan Hickman's work in Future Foundation. Not only is it the best sci-fi series on the market, it is also highly unpredictable. The only part I do not like is The Thing’s visit with Alicia Master. I know they are boyfriend and girlfriend but this is the first time Alicia Master had showed up in FF and diving headfirst into a conversation between the two without any narration is confusing for readers who never read The Fantastic Four…readers like me! Overall however, this is another solid issue in the series.
Batman Incorporated #7- As Bruce Wayne goes around the world to recruit heroes for his Batman Inc.; the various heroes he selects had been sort of hit-and-miss with readers. Man-of-Bats and his son/sidekick, Raven, are clearly in the hit category. Man-of-Bats and Raven aren’t just superheroes who fight crime; they are their community’s heroes because they help out in the citizen’s daily life. Right from the front page, writer Grant Morrison's took a different tack with these two characters by showing off their community work and it work beautifully. Easily the best issue of Batman Inc. so far.
FF #5- The issue starts off with the first real fight we had in this series. I know, after 5 issues, and only now do we get a fight? Not only that but a fight where the heroes got their ass handed to them. That in short is what’s great about Jonathan Hickman's work in Future Foundation. Not only is it the best sci-fi series on the market, it is also highly unpredictable. The only part I do not like is The Thing’s visit with Alicia Master. I know they are boyfriend and girlfriend but this is the first time Alicia Master had showed up in FF and diving headfirst into a conversation between the two without any narration is confusing for readers who never read The Fantastic Four…readers like me! Overall however, this is another solid issue in the series.
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