Just Report Sick Stupid

As a gamer myself, I can understand the need gamers have to just keep on playing. Ignoring food, sleep and work, we all just want to continue. I’ve once played till 5am in the morning so believe men when I say I understand.

However, there are some things you just should not do (even for gaming). On the top of that (short) list is…reporting your own kidnapping! As insane, crazy and ridiculous as it sounds, that’s what happened in China.

A recent Chinese college graduate named Liu was tired after a night spent gaming with his girlfriend in an internet café. As he didn’t want to work, he showed up at work looking shaken and wearing only his underwear. He told his co-workers an incredible story; he had been grabbed outside his apartment, shoved into a van, robbed, and eventually dumped into a ditch.

Needless to say, his coworkers immediately reported the fake robbery and kidnapping to police who quickly uncovered the truth. Liu was promptly arrested and is currently being detained on charges of filing a false police report.

So let this be a lesson to all gamers out there; next time you want to escape going to work…just report sick. 

P.S; this goes for the upcoming World Cup as well. 

The Main Problem With The CPF

As an estimated 6,000 Singaporeans gathered at Hong Lim Park to attend the “Return Our CPF” protest, I am going to say something that might cause some offence to the speakers at the protest; "They are missing the plot!" As the many speakers at the event raised many valid questions on the CPF, one thing has not changed; Singaporeans still don't know what is happening to our CPF money.

To me, that's the big question of our CPF.

The speakers at the protest, organised by blogger and activist Han Hui Hui, seem more interested to question the low interest on the CPF, the inability to opt out of the Minimum Sum requirement, and the age citizens are allowed to withdraw their CPF money; however many are skipping on the problem of what is the CPF investing in. To me, that's a mistake.

No one knows where our CPF money is being invested in, and for me personally, that's more important than the "low" interest of the CPF. I mean if the investment is not panning out, then there's a reason for the "low" interest". Singaporeans will not be happy but the majority will understand. The problem is the question of what and where the CPF is being invested in and how well (or not) the investments are doing. To me, that's the big problem of the CPF.

In some countries, they are very clear on what and where their retirement funds are being invested in. In Singapore, this is a black hole. That's the main problem with the CPF. 

World Cup Predications

With just 1 week till the World Cup, these are my predications for the top 4 favorites of the tournament.

Spain- Don’t be surprise if coach Vicente Del Bosque become the second coach in history to win successive World Cups because for me, the Spanish are the team to beat. The players may be older, but between Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets, and Fabregas, Spain still have the best midfield in the world. Add in Diego Costa, and Spain’s attack look very impressive. I know a lot of people have written them off but they won the 2010 World Cup and the European championship in both 2008 & 2012. This is a team that knows how to win!

Brazil- I’m going to say something crazy here; I don’t think Brazil is going to win the World Cup. Yes, I know they are the hosts; they have an 11-year unbeaten record on home soil; and are everyone’s favorite; but I am just not convinced by this team. Brazil may have talented players but their attack is based around Neymer and to me, that’s a problem. Brilliant on his day, Neymer is unfortunately one of those players that run hot-and cold. Basically Brazil is trying to win the World Cup with an attack based around an inconsistent player. Add that to the pressure of playing on home soil, and you get an implosion just waiting to happen.  

Germany- You have to give Joachim Low credit; he is not a coach who shy away from making gutsy call. He is taking his team to Brazil with only one striker; 36 year old Miroslav Klose. Even for a team that plays with the “false nine” formation, that takes balls. Yes, they have an incredible array of attacking midfielders but Ozil had a bad season in England, Khedira just came back from a long injury and I think Marco Reus need someone upfront to play off. The Germans will do well but I think they will come out short again.

Argentina- Argentina’s fortune will depend solely on Lionel Messi. Their bold 4-3-3 formation depends on Messi finding space between the opponent’s defense and midfield and strikers Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain finishing off whatever Messi managed to create. However the defense and goalkeeping departments are huge problems and a good attacking team will have a chance against them.

Comics this week

Hinterland #8- Writer Ian Edginton’s idea of an apocalypse caused by fantasy creatures is finally given full voice as he expands his story beyond being just a survival story. We see ogres, fairies, trolls, centaurs, satyrs, vampires, Sidhe, humans, and god know what else, all trying to crave out a place in the world and as the pieces of the world fits and clicks together, we can clearly see that Edginton has a grand plan for everything. Together with the art of Francesco Trifogli, Hinterkind stands unique in both story and artwork. In fact, you can argue that it is almost too unique to be a hit but that doesn’t change what Hinterkind is; it is a great series!

Original Sin #3- Deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole we go as writer Jason Aaron’s murder mystery kick into high gear. As we see the fallout, and power, of the Watcher’s eye, I must say it's great to finally see all those team-ups finally doing something instead of just sitting around going somewhere. What’s even better is that all the teams are going something important as we see how the various threads converge. Special mention must also be given to Mike Deodato Jr. His art here is superb (corpse of a dead planet; WOW) and that last scene; if it sticks, this is one Marvel event book that WILL make a difference for years to come.

Sinestro #2- Well, that didn’t take long. After the debut issue where Sinestro meet up with his Corps, everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Sinestro take control of the Yellow Lanterns and clean house. I just didn’t think it will happen in #2! In a way, it’s good that writer Cullen Bunn get the obvious plotlines out of the way to concentrate on new things; but I can’t help but wonder whether Bunn has been too quick on the trigger. The complex relationship Sinestro has with the Yellow Lanterns is something Bunn could have mined and having him come in and kill everyone who could oppose him seen to throw that out the window. The series still has great potential but throwing potentially good storylines seem a strange way to start a series.

The Roy Ngerng Problem

When Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong initiated legal action against Roy Ngerng over remarks the blogger posted alleging that CPF monies held in member accounts had been criminally misappropriated, it seems like another classic case of the Singapore government using the courts to silence their critics.

However, to everyone’s surprise, the PM's defamation suit has quickly become a PR disaster for the Singapore government!

Faced with a lawsuit in the High Court, where the typical minimum value of claims for damages is $250,000, Ngerng decided to raise money through crowd-funding in order to fight the case. In this “David and Goliath” matchup, Singaporeans has responded to his plea to the tune of $72,000.

Just to prove this was no joke; Ngerng published the transaction history of his bank account on his crowd-funding platform and it showed that thus far, 1,104 people had contributed more than $72,000 to Ngerng. This has exceeded his target of $70,000, but the thing that caught everyone’s attention is the fact that Ngerng has managed to get the sum in just 4 days!

Ouch! That sum has lay to rest any idea the Singapore government has of the lawsuit shutting Ngerng up. In fact, the show of support from Singaporeans has given the issue new life; something the lawsuit was designed to avoid in the first place. In short, the defamation suit has boomerang on the government and the longer the suit is there, the more publicity Ngerng’s stance on the CPF will get.

So I think PM Lee needs to quickly decide if the lawsuit is worth the trouble. I don’t think it is and if the PM agrees with me on that, it would be better if he just cancel the lawsuit. Let’s be serious; Roy Ngerng is just a no-name blogger. There’s no need to make a hero out of him.

No Defense Of China

At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, China is getting hot under the collar as it come under criticism from both U.S and Japan. At the security forum, U.S Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has been quoted as saying Beijing’s "destabilizing actions" in the South China Sea region has a negative effect on the peace of the region. This is a sentiment echoed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

China has responded by accusing U.S and Japan of ganging up on China. They are right. U.S and Japan are ganging up on China but they are doing so because China is just such an easy target it would be stupid for them not to do so.

I mean you just have to look at the number of territorial disputes China has with its neighbors to know why. Almost every country on this side of the Pacific has a territorial dispute with China and this include China’s one-time potential ally, Vietnam. It escaped no one that no country at the Shangri-La Dialogue has come out to either defend China or criticized the U.S and Japan on this matter.

The logic for that is simple. If any country defends China, they may get into the good books of China but they will also get into the bad books of the U.S, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and others. As powerful as China is, they are just not worth that much trouble. 

Prisoner Exchange Is Normal

It should have been an easy case where everyone can rally around. U.S Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, 28, was released by the Taliban on Saturday in exchange for five senior Afghan detainees held in Guantanamo Bay.

This should have been a simple case of 2 sides in a war who decided it’s time to exchange prisoners. It happens all the time throughout history in almost every war ever fought by mankind. It’s normal.

Except it seems in America! U.S President Barack Obama is being criticized for exchanging prisoners by his Republican opponents. They are claiming the president is “soft on terrorism” for making a deal to release 5 prisoners for one.

I don’t get it.

First off; it’s not terrorism because the Taliban is fighting American forces who invaded Afghanistan in 2001. Yes, they have their reasons but an invasion is an invasion. Secondly, the U.S forces are pulling out. Thirdly, the alternative to prisoner exchange is to leave Sgt Bergdahl behind in Afghanistan.

So I cannot understand how President Obama can be criticized for this deal. It is grossly unfair to him, to Sgt Bergdahl, and to all U.S servicemen currently serving their country throughout the world. President Obama’s opponents are openly saying it is okay to leave a solider behind just to score political points.

They should be taken to task for this. Prisoners of war should NOT be a topic to score political points on.