Sunday, December 17, 2006

ethical living


offthebeatenpath has caught the green bug. Ethical living seems to be so right for everyone. Where does one begin? For me, it starts with reducing the number of plastic bags I use. The bakery that I frequent normally uses one clear plastic bag for the hotdog I buy, and then puts it in another plastic bag carrier so that I can take it away. I now have the habit of skipping the plastic carrier bag. But the issue is normally not so simple. For example, is it more environmentally friendly to use disposable plates and utensils, or use conventional plates and utensils, but wash them with detergent and water? Anyway, see Guardian's own ethical living section for tips on how to live more ethically...

Saturday, December 16, 2006

France 24 - news channel

World

Google Toolbar for Firefox


Google Toolbar for Firefox
The new firefox version of the Google Toolbar finally matches the functions of the IE version, and goes one up with seamless Google Docs capability when you click a Word or Excel document online...cool.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Plain English Campaign


Plain English Campaign | Homepage
offthebeatenpath has often championed for simple English, the type that people can easily understand. The above is a cool UK website with tips.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

While you were waiting, I went ahead with the idea...



Approximately what Cagiva will say to Aprilia, the title above that is. Since Aprilia mentioned the possibility of putting its 450 V-twin into a RS125 or RS250 chassis, fans have been waiting for the 4 stroke successor to the 2 stroke RS250. But Cagiva has stolen ahead by showing this prototype at the recent Milan Show. A 500cc scrambler single engine isn't exactly the same, but the concept is close enough anyway. The Mito 500 will have no natural competitors...at least for now.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Less is More

Motorcycle Daily
This article "Suzuki MotoGP: What a Difference 190cc Makes", coupled with the January 2006 comparison article I read in BIKE magazine on various MotoGP bikes (+points for Suzuki - "Useable chassis, midcorner speed"), confirm that the next season of MotoGP could be one of great change in the pecking order...

Monday, November 13, 2006

Circle Line MRT

Notwithstanding the weird orientation, this map shows the proposed stations on the upcoming Circle Line MRT. Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

and then there were 3...oops, 4...no, 5

Tekkeon's ET3000 ezTalker, Helium Digital's HD-880, and LG's HBM-500 make for crowded competition in the Caller ID enabled bluetooth headset market. These 3 join the first 2 that cropped up, Jabra's BT800 and Sony Ericsson's HBH-660/HBH-662. Now to check out their specs and compare...

where do i start?

really need to get my life in sync. life is all over the place.

fitness test dateline coming up in less than 2 months. failing the test means several weeks of remedial training 3 times a week, not funny.

working my ass off, yet still struggling to complete my work. definite signs of serious time mismanagement...

weekends going by without much relaxing or leisure activities being done...definitely not making full use of my free time.

where do i start?

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Ethical living

More on ethical living | Ethical living | Guardian Unlimited Environment
2 referrals in quick succession, offthebeatenpath must be falling for the Guardian Unlimited website. i'm still currently doing the rounds, fishing out the nice bits...the link above is one of them

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Saturday, October 28, 2006

G24


Guardian Unlimited | G24 | G24

A concept that brings the humble printed newspaper into the internet age. G24 features constantly updated news formatted in PDF format to print. The PDF includes the time last updated.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Hayden faces Rossi challenge

BBC SPORT | Motorsport | Motorbikes
Steve Parrish, BBC reporter predicted the future when he wrote in this column,

"I hope we don't have the same outcome as what happened when Schumacher virtually handed the title to Alonso when his engine failed last weekend.

I've a horrible suspicion something like that might happen this weekend in Portugal. "


Well, it happened again. Nicky Hayden was knocked off the track and out of the race by his team-mate, Dani Pedrosa, on lap 2.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

traxx rock it

90.3 in the Klang Valley
finally, another rock show on the airwaves, hope this one lasts longer than the rest...thursdays and fridays, 1015pm

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Your post-lunch-lag is only natural: scientists - Discovery Reports Canada

Discovery Reports Canada
Its always good to see scientific research back up something that almost everyone experiences on a daily basis, in this case, the usual lethargy after lunch.

---------------------------

Updated Thu. Jun. 1 2006 3:41 PM ET

Valerie Iancovich, DiscoveryChannel.ca

Sugar slows the brain

Scientists have long-known that people and animals get tired after eating, but this University of Manchester study is the first to shed some light on how certain brain cells simply turn off after we eat.

When you need sustenance, you're more alert: this is a basic survival mechanism that helps keep you spry until you get proper nourishment. The neurons that normally work to keep you alert when you're hungry are blocked after you've consumed the glucose (sugar) in your meal, the researchers found.

How blocked cells = less gusto

Conducting tests on mice, the team found that glucose interferes and 'blocks' the neurons that make the proteins that help regulate consciousness (orexins).

These orexins respond to "finely orchestrated changes in arousal, food seeking, hormone release and metabolic rate to ensure that the brain always has adequate glucose," lead researcher Denis Burdakov, says.

Other applications

Pinpointing the role of the orexin cells could help scientists to better understand conditions like narcolepsy and obesity as well as how the cells affect learning, reward-seeking, and addiction, the researchers say.

Alternatives to shut-eye

Regardless of the science, chances are your workplace won't be installing cots or passing-out pillows anytime soon. But, you may want to consider what you're eating to dodge the dreariness, the "study provides neurophysiological rationale for existing studies that show that foods that are more effective in elevating blood glucose (carbohydrate-rich foods) would make you more sleepy, than, say, salads or protein meals," Dr Burdakov tells DiscoveryChannel.ca

The study is published in the journal Neuron.

Friday, August 18, 2006

core 2 duo matx motherboard


ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

With the new Intel Core 2 Duo receiving much accolades, offthbeatenpath looks at the Micro-ATX motherboards available for the processor. Seems like the only enthusiast board around is the ASUS P5B-VM. Now to check out how good is the Intel GMA X3000 integrated graphics...

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Achieve Healthy Weight

Health Promotion Board (HPB)
offthebeatenpath has finally found an article on how to gain weight. Looks like the HPB website has more "juicy" info to uncover...

"According to a recent National Health Survey, about 9% of Singaporeans aged 18 - 69 years are underweight. Are you one of those having trouble trying to gain weight and yet worry that you might overdo it?

Weight gain occurs when you consume more food (that is energy) than your body uses. If you want to gain weight, here are some steps to help you gain weight the healthy way:
1. Increase your energy/food intake by eating more servings from the different food groups. Remember, you should not focus on eating high fat and high sugar food to gain weight!
2. Eat more frequently if your appetite is small.
3. Choose food with concentrated calories like yoghurt, milkshakes, fruit smoothies and sandwiches in between meals.
4. Avoid drinking fluids with meals to allow more room for food.
5. Try eating with your friends. This can be a way to boost your appetite.

Weight gain should be gradual, about ? to 1 kg per week. Make use of the Healthy Diet Pyramid to assist you in planning nutritionally balanced meals. To ensure you have achieved your weight within the normal range, check your BMI to see that it falls between 18.5 and less than 25. BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square value of your height in meters.

And don't forget! It's important to engage in regular physical activity to help maintain weight and keep you fit.

If you need more information on how to achieve a healthy weight, please call HealthLine at 1800 223 1313 during office hours for advice."

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Japan vetoes suits in summer heat

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Japan vetoes suits in summer heat
this is a 2005 article, the 2006 BBC article was a TV clip. Found out that not only do they have a "Cool Biz" campaign, they now also have a "Cool Asia" campaign...cool

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

mercurial vapor 365






based on nike's mercurial vapor football boots, this version is meant for the street rather than on the football pitch. haven't seen it in singapore yet though. but offthebeatenpath has seen a indoor version of nike's tiempo legend ltd, which looks rather nice too. a S$68.25 price doesn't hurt too. time to make a trip down to queensway shopping centre...

Friday, June 16, 2006

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

PENTAX K100D


PENTAX NEWS release 2006 : PENTAX K100D
and then there were 2. after konica minolta comes this new pentax that uses a built in anti-shake sensor...now to whip out a comparo of specs on paper...here

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Sony VAIO - UX Series


Sony VAIO - UX Series
another cool looking micro PC, this time from Sony. amazingly, it runs Windows XP and has a 30GB hard drive.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

voting must be seen to be secret

TODAYonline
offthebeatenpath personally feels that the heading should be, "voting must not only be secret, it must be seen to be secret"...

------------------------------------------

voting must be seen to be secret

Review current voting practices to ensure that the objective of a secret vote is always achieved

Tuesday • May 16, 2006

Siew Kum Hong

YOUR polling card states which voting lane you must use. The serial number of the ballot slip issued to you is recorded against your name. "They" can trace you, and "they" will blacklist or even "get" you, if you vote for the Opposition.

This is the urban legend that never dies, is raised and dismissed every election. It surfaced before and during the recent campaign, and continues to be talked about even days after Polling Day. It has a longevity surpassing the campaign and the issues raised.

Yes, credit must be given where it is due. I have voted twice, and voting was a breeze on both occasions: Fast, simple and efficient, a bit of an anti-climax even. That is no mean feat, and the Elections Department deserves fulsome praise for it.

But people do fear that voting is not secret, and it is not limited to the uneducated, the paranoid or virgin voters.

On Polling Day, a civil servant in her mid-30s told me how proud she was of herself, and how adult she felt — because she had finally overcame her fears and voted according to her conscience, something she had not been able to do in past elections.

It is worrisome when even professionals and repeat voters are afraid. It would be a mistake to simply dismiss these fears as being irrational and unjustified, without taking concrete steps to address them.

The main grouses surround the serialised ballot slips, the recording of serial numbers, and the allocated voting lanes.

The Elections Department has stated that the reasons are to deter ballot stuffing, prevent voter impersonation, and make voting smoother ("Why your vote is secret", May 10). But have they accomplished those objectives?

The serialisation of ballot slips neither prevents nor deters ballot stuffing. It only makes obvious any attempt to do so.

But even without this, any discrepancy between the number of voters and ballots would still be obvious — given how strictly the identities of voters are tracked. In any case, the only way to prevent ballot stuffing is to ensure the presence and vigilance of election officers and candidates' agents at all points of the process — which is already done.

The recording of serial numbers is to prevent impersonation. But a voter must produce both his identity card (IC) and polling card before voting. This is known as the two-factor authentication, whereby there are two criteria to be fulfilled before a person's identity is authenticated. It is more secure than the single-factor authentication used for online governmental transactions (SingPass) and Internet banking (password).

If a person loses or misplaces his IC, the polling card would have been sent to his address and would not have been lost. If a person changes his address, whoever received the polling card would not have the IC. Only persons close to someone would have access to both his IC and polling card — a situation that is hardly conducive to electoral fraud.

And if a person's identity is impersonated, then the problem lies in a failure by the voting officer to match the photograph in the IC with the person presenting it. The recording of serial numbers does not prevent this risk at all.

Furthermore, what happens if someone does allege that a third party had impersonated him to cast a vote? Will the Elections Department search through every ballot to identify the ballot corresponding to the complainant? But what would this achieve? And without CCTV footage of every single vote cast, how would the authorities ascertain that the complainant had not, in fact, cast the vote which is now being challenged?

Finally, I am not convinced that allocation of voting lanes is necessary for smooth voting. Why can't allocation of voting lanes be done on the spot? After all, that is how Changi Airport manages its taxi queues, and it does a wonderful job of channelling masses of people to different stations.

Just as justice must be done and seen to be done, voting must be secret and seen to be secret. The reality is that some voters are unconvinced that their votes are secret. Therefore, the onus is on the authorities to review the practices in question and determine whether they are needed and whether they actually achieve their stated objectives.

Otherwise, say what we will about the integrity of the electoral process and the need to defend it, some people will always view the process as flawed and suspect, and that is not an ideal situation to have in an otherwise efficient system.

The writer is a lawyer commenting in his personal capacity.

Saturday, May 13, 2006

2006 Parliamentary Election Results

Singapore Elections
Constituency (Electorate) Name of Candidates
Party
Votes Polled
% of Votes Polled
Aljunied (145,141) Goh Meng Seng
James Gomez
Lim Swee Lian Sylvia
Mohd Rahizan B Yaacob
Tan Wui-Hua
Lim Hwee Hua
Phua Siok Gek Cynthia
Yeo Guat Kwang
George Yong-Boon Yeo
Zainul Abidin Rasheed
WP





PAP
58,593





74,843
43.91





56.09
Ang Mo Kio (159,872) Abdul Salim Bin Harun
Gopal Krishnan
Han Su May
Lee Wai Leng
Tan Kian Hwee Melvin
Yaw Shin Leong

Inderjit Singh
Lam Pin Min
Lee Bee Wah
Lee Hsien Loong
Sadasivan Balaji
Wee Siew Kim
WP






PAP
49,479






96,636
33.86






66.14
Bishan - Toa Payoh (115,323) Hri Kumar Sangaran
Ng Eng Hen
Josephine Teo
Wong Kan Seng
Zainudin Bin Nordin
PAP




Uncontested

Bukit Panjang (30,452) Ling How Doong
Teo Ho Pin
SDP
PAP
6,400

21,652
22.81

77.19
Chua Chu Kang (24,975) Steve Chia Kiah Hong
Gan Kim Yong
SDA
PAP
9,292

14,156
39.63

60.37
East Coast (116,653) Abdul Rahim B Abdul R
Chia Ti Lik
Siow Wei-Min Brandon
Tan Heng Chong Eric
Tong Tzee Kwang Perry

Abdullah Tarmugi
Lee Yi Shyan
Lim Siang Keat Raymond
S Jayakumar
Tan Soon Neo Jessica
WP





PAP
37,873





66,931
36.14





63.86
Holland-Bukit Timah (118,155) Christopher De Souza
Foo Yee Shoon
Liang Eng Hwa
Lim Swee Say
Vivian Balakrishnan
PAP
Uncontested

Hong Kah (144,677) Ang Mong Seng
Khor Lean Suan Amy
Yeo Cheow Tong
Yeo Khirn Hai Alvin
Zaqy B Mohamad
PAP
Uncontested

Hougang (23,759) Eric Low Siak Meng

Low Thia Khiang
PAP

WP
8,308

13,989
37.26

62.74
Jalan Besar (93,025) Cheo Chai Chen
Fong Chin Leong
Muhamad Ali Aman
Teo Kway Huang Sebastian
Yeo Boon Keng Vincent

Heng Chee How
Lee Boon Yang
Lily Tirtasana Neo
Phua Lay Peng Denise
Yaacob Ibrahim
SDA





PAP
26,151





58,913
30.74





69.26
Joo Chiat (21,858) Chan Soo Sen

Tan Bin Seng
PAP

WP
12,226

6,580
65.01

34.99
Jurong (116,636) Fu Hai Yien Grace
Halimah Bt Yacob
Lim Boon Heng
Ong Chit Chung
Tharman Shanmugaratnam
PAP
Uncontested

MacPherson (21,041) Sin Kek Tong

Matthias Yao Chih
SDA

PAP
6,067

13,184
31.52

68.48
Marine Parade (155,149) Goh Chok Tong
Fatimah Bt Abdul Lateef
Lim Biow Chuan
Muhammad Faishal bin Ibrahim Khan Surattee
Ong Seh Hong
Seah Kian Peng
PAP
Uncontested

Nee Soon Central (23,152) Lian Chin Way

Ong Ah Heng
WP

PAP
7,529

14,211
34.63

65.37
Nee Soon East (32,586) Ho Peng Kee

Poh Lee Guan
PAP

WP
20,949

9,535
68.72

31.28
Pasir Ris-Punggol (178,443) Ahmad Magad
Chong You Fook Charles
Low Penny
Palmer Michael Anthony
Teo Chee Hean
Teo Ser Luck

Ishak B Haroun
Lineker Lee Hock Huat
Lim Bak Chuan
Mohamad Hamim Aliyas
Ong Beng Soon Elvin
Yen Kim Khooi
PAP






SDA
113,322






51,618
68.70






31.30
Potong Pasir (15,888) Chiam See Tong
Sitoh Yih Pin
SDA

PAP
8,245

6,527
55.82

44.18
Sembawang (184,804) Chee Siok Chin
Mohamed Isa B Abdul Aziz
Narayanasamy Gogelavany
Neo Ting Wei Christopher
Sng Choon Guan
Yong Chu Leong

Hawazi Daipi
Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam
Khaw Boon Wan
Ellen Lee Geck Hoon
Lim Wee Kiak
Mohd Maliki Osman
SDP






PAP
39,537






130,170
23.30






76.70
Tampines (126,163) Abdul Rahman B Mohamad
Lim Tung Hee Arthero
Ng Say Eng
Ong Hock Siong
Tan Lead Shake

Mah Bow Tan
Masagos Zulkifli B M M
Ng Phek Hoong Irene
Ong Kian Min
Sin Boon Ann
SDA





PAP
36,948





80,376
31.49





68.51
Tanjong Pagar (148,141) Baey Yam Keng
Indranee Thurai Rajah
Koo Tsai Kee
Lee Kuan Yew
Lui Tuck Yew
Tan Chin Siong
PAP
Uncontested

West Coast (137,739) Fong Jen Arthur
Foo Chee Keng Cedric
Ho Geok Choo Madeleine
Lim Hng Kiang
Iswaran S
PAP
Uncontested

Yio Chu Kang (25,072) Seng Han Thong

Yip Yew Weng
PAP

SDA
15,726

7,307
68,28

31.72

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Media holds its own in trust poll

BBC NEWS
This discovery doesn't bode well for our world. Not that offthebeatenpath feel that people should trust their governments more. People should not simply trust something without checking, regardless of the source.

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Antec NSK2400 Media PC Case


silentpcreview.com
finally, a review of a PC case which offthebeatenpath thinks, is going to be a success story. Seems like SPCR had a hand in the design. Good news then, as the Antec P180 [their first collaboration] was a very good effort.

Friday, April 28, 2006

Ground Zero construction begins

BBC NEWS | Americas | Ground Zero construction begins: "Mr Silverstein signed a 99-year lease on the World Trade Center less than two months before the 11 September 2001 attacks." This was the sentence that stood out in the article. The conspiracy theorist in my basically kicked into high gear...more research needed.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Fringe Schedule: 19th Singapore International Film Festival '06

Fringe Schedule: 19th Singapore International Film Festival '06
Friday, 7th April

7.00pm

Speaking Up

Since the end of the ‘80s, Hong Kong has been through tremendous changes - re-unification with China, economic downturn, political reform, etc, have all greatly affected the way of life. In the film, about 60 people are invited to talk about their views on several major socio-economic and political issues.
Director: Tammy Cheung
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 60min
Year: 2005
Rating: PG
Quite good for the first 15 minutes, it then becomes a bore, as its non-stop talking heads. The people talking are placed in the middle of the frame, with a bare white background. I was interesting to see the different ordinary faces of Hongkongers [not like the movie stars we see], but the faces start repeating. I feel that it could have been shorter. but the fact that it made me consider repackaging what I always wanted to do, a human rights film, into one talking about transparency, is a good result.

Sound of Footsteps on the Pavement (PG)

About a bunch of guys trying to save the imminent takeover of their favorite coffee shop by an apparel company. A strange scenario to showcase non-violent action, but quite different.

9.00pm

Coffee and Milk (PG)

Milk is a 6th grader who takes pictures with a camera every day, training to someday be like ARAKI, the Japanese photographer. He is in love with a woman 12 years older than him named Coffee, who is deaf from birth. He tries to imagine what kind of world Coffee lives in, and at first, attempts to fill in what he thinks is lacking there, and fails. Next, the thinks about what his world and hers have in common. He grows by experiencing love, not because Coffee is older than he is, but because she mercilessly hurls her pain in Milk’s direction. Her seriousness is moving, and so when Milk tries to build a bridge again without giving up, his efforts are moving, too.
Director: Izuru Kumasaka
Country: Japan
Duration: 30min
Year: 2004
Rating: N.A
The usual heartwarming kid story. At first, it doesn't seem clear what the kid is photographing, a sleeping passenger, an old lady, plates being broken, aha. He's trying to photograph sound. The keyword here is trying. He also tries to experience what the lady feels, but putting on earplugs. When the lady gets all worked up because what he shows here makes her even more depressed, he sort of gets lost. Acting by the deaf lady could be better, but still a nice watch.

Lonely Planet (PG)

Traveling from one city to another, everyone is searching for something. Back and forth, we are only looking for a chance to start over again.
Director: Tsang Tsui Shan
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 25min
Year: 2005
Rating: N.A
2 close friends, talking about what they should do with their lives. One of those "lets laze around and think about life" films...

She3 (PG)

The director continues her fascination with the relationships between females, this time in the form of a personal documentary of the everyday lives of her mother and grandmother, capturing the different views of life from women of three different ages.
Director: Tsang Tsui Shan
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 25min
Year: 2005
Rating: N.A
Same director, better film. This documentary is natural, with the director filming her own mum & grandmum. You can see them going about their lives, zhi4 de2 qi2 le4. Nice look at rural Hong Kong.

Saturday, 8th April
2.00pm

Girni (PG)

10-year-old Samir lives in a chawl in a metropolis in India with his widowed mother and grandfather. An easily available means to earn money is a grinding machine which brings with it a horrible, incessant and oppressive sound that not only takes away the physical but the mental space of the whole family. Samir’s innocent mind is alert to this oppression and rebels against it.
Director: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni
Country: India
Duration: 22min
Year: 2005
Rating: N.A
Rage against the machine, literally. Well shot, but the story is a bit, shall we say, "commercial".

Terlena (PG)

Documentary about a nation that still believes the propaganda created by one general and his army. This film gives voice to those silenced during the dictatorship of Soeharto, and takes an in-depth look both on a cultural and personal level.
Director: Andre Vltchek
Country: Indonesia
Duration: 89min
Year: 2004
Rating: N.A
A powerful documentary, about how true events can be manipulated through propaganda.

4.00pm

The Three Dots (PG)
Abortion, Corruption & Cops (PG)
7.00pm
Indonesian Shorts 1
• A Very Boring Conversation
• Mail
• We are the Children of Indonesia too (PG)
• Lukas' Moment (PG)
9.00pm
The Fish (PG)
One Shot
Replay Revenge
Sunday, 9th April
2.00pm
Indonesian Shorts 2
• Bomb'n
• 60 Years
• To Die For
• Live Under the Same Sun
• Part II: Hell (PG)
• R.I 1 (PG)
• A Moment In and Out of Time (PG)
• Already the Evening Sun (PG)
4.00pm
Putek (PG)
Haus of Sing
7.00pm
Migrant Workers are not Terrorists (PG)
Tehran Taxi (PG)
Undo (PG)
Monkey Dance
Prayers from Kawthoolei (PG)
9.00pm
Skein (PG)
Al-Anfal (PG)
Waking Up a Nation (PG)
Monday, 10th April
7.00pm
Short Films of Ma Chun Fu (M18)
Tears (PG)
House of Sleeping Beauty (R21)
9.00pm
Indian Shorts by Sainath Choudhury
• Village Football (PG)
• The Stranger (PG)
• Cataract (PG)
Electric Purgatory: The Fate of the Black Rocker
Tuesday, 11th April
7.00pm
Tale of Carpet Flower (G)
Puppy (NC16)
9.00pm
What I'm looking For
Parajanov
Wednesday, 12th April
7.00pm
Blank page (PG)
Contrast (PG)
Beijing Bubbles
9.00pm
Looking for the Lost Voice
Musicians
Friday, 14th April
11am—10pm
Heremias
Saturday, 15th April
11am—1pm
Singapore Short Films: Finalists
2pm—6pm
Singapore Short Films: Non-Finalists
7pm—9pm
Singapore Short Films: Finalists (Repeat Screening)
9pm—11pm
Singapore Short Films: Non-Finalists
Download Singapore Short Films screening schedule.
Sunday, 16th April
11am
The Visit (PG)
On The North Diversion Road
1pm—8pm
Singapore Short Films: Non-Finalists
Saturday, 22nd April
4pm
Short & Sweet II - Short Films from Germany
Program I - YOU AND ME
• My Parents
• Transposed Bodies
• Annaottoanna
• Stay Like This
• Got to Go
7.00pm
Short & Sweet II - Short Films from Germany
Program II - CLOSE TO HOME AND FAR AWAY
• Finow
• Educational Film About State Security Files
• Inside Outside Mongolia
• Notes for the Head
• Howrah Howrah
• On a Wednesday Night in Tokyo
• Sky Film
• Free Choice
Sunday, 23rd April
4pm
Short & Sweet II - Short Films from Germany
Program III - YOUNG AND OLD
• Gregor's Greatest Invention
• Fragile
• The Schoolboy
• The Tell-tale Heart
• Talks
• Dead, At the Moment
• Heavy Pregnant
7pm
Short & Sweet II - Short Films from Germany
Program IV - SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO
• Bjorn - The Hurdles of Bureaucracy
• Small Change
• Great
• Escape!
• Rabbit in the Hole
• Business as Usual
• The Day Winston Ngakambe Came to Kiel

新加坡新闻

新加坡新闻
The speech by the new Chief Justice was very clear, and this article makes it even clearer. Things are going to be different now, as the new CJ is more concerned about providing a fair trial, then simply clearing the backlog of cases. This is a very good sign for the legal environment in Singapore. Lets hope that this will be seen on the ground.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

ThinkFree Office Online

ThinkFree Office Online
a new idea, to me at least. having an online office suite, i think google will be quite interested in what this company is doing...

Monday, April 17, 2006

can you see where I'M coming from, Mr Lee?

TODAYonline
can you see where I'M coming from, Mr Lee?

I Say

Friday • April 14, 2006

Lee Ching Wern
chingwern@newstoday.com.sg

WHEN I walked away from the recording of the television forum with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on Monday night, I couldn't help thinking that a lot of what he said was true.

As we bombarded him non-stop with questions about an unfair political playing field, the lack of a strong Opposition and the issue of apolitical Singaporeans, he addressed our frustrations one by one with such clarity that you had to wonder for a minute whether your arguments held any water to begin with.

Young Singaporeans rant about a tilted political playing field, he said, but whoever said that politics was fair?

You lament the lack of a strong Opposition, but are you prepared to leave your comfort zone and join one?

Mr Lee's point was, because we are well taken care of, there is no motivation for most people to make such a sacrifice; those with the ability to step up to the political plate would rather make more money.

And should the party whites be tainted one day, the People's Action Party (PAP) will naturally be displaced, said Mr Lee. Because then, competent people will inevitably feel the impetus to come together and fight the PAP for the sake of better lives.

Above all, politics is not about elections or voting. Politics is about life, the Minister Mentor said.

I can see where Mr Lee is coming from.

But even as I try to look at things from his perspective, I wonder if he is doing the same to understand where we are coming from — that what young Singaporeans like me want, does not necessarily clash with what the PAP Government wants.

As a young Singaporean, I want an opposition — not to bring the PAP down, but to provide an alternative. A healthy dose of competition always benefits consumers.

I want checks and balances — not because the PAP is not doing a good job, but because I'd rather not get to the point-of-no-return before a group of people rise up against a rogue Government.

I want to talk about party politics freely without having to join a party — not because I want to slander the PAP, but because I yearn for a lively discourse that can lead to a greater political and social consciousness.

And surely our Government, which has the best candidates available in Singapore and an impeccable track record, can withstand a few biased comments?

I resent the restriction on podcasting — not because we are all avid fans of Dr Chee Soon Juan; most of us probably haven't even listened to his recordings offered on the Singapore Democratic Party website — but because I think we should not be deprived of the right to judge for ourselves what's gibberish or not.

I accept the fact that there is no such thing as a completely level playing field anywhere in the world, but surely there exists varying degrees of fairness?

Politics is about life and bread-and- butter issues, but surely having fewer unnecessary restrictions adds to this quality of life?

I do not think the pursuit of intangible wants such as more political breathing space necessarily has to be at the expense of tangible needs such as my job, my Medisave and my children's future.

Do a good job, and I will vote for you whether I watch Martyn See's Singapore Rebel or not.

What we need is for the PAP to have more confidence in its own merit and record, and to understand that what we young Singaporeans want, really, is not so sinister.

Otherwise, even if we go through another 10 candid forums, we will still be running along parallel lines that will never converge.



The writer is a journalist with Today. She was one of 10 Singaporeans under the age of 30 who participated in the forum, "Why my vote matters — A dialogue with the Minister Mentor", broadcast on Channel NewsAsia on Wednesday. The repeat telecast is at 6.30pm today on MediaCorp Channel 5.

Friday, April 07, 2006

Day 01 - SIFF Free Programme

7.00pm
Speaking Up
A documentary on the state of democracy in Hong Kong, its basically a simple formula of sitting people in front of a camera, and asking them questions. Cue the candid moments and the contrast between answers provided. Presentation could be improved, like changing the background, or changing the shot angle etc. But the basic premise is good, and Singaporean viewers could easily relate to what is happening in Singapore. Very similar to my 'UDHR' shot last year.

Sound of Footsteps on the Pavement
A documentary that tries to parallel revolutions in history (e.g. Tiananmen) with the things done by a group of students trying to prevent their favorite coffeshop from being closed down. The comparison does not really stick, but I like the scenes with ordinary people reading quotations off books, articles, etc. Much nicer than voiceovers...

9.00pm
Coffee and Milk
A boy who falls in love with a woman about 12 years his senior. She is deaf, and to impress her, he uses a camera to capture sounds, but makes her angry instead. Sound like a sypnosis that is plugged to producers? I think it sounds a bit too drama, but the idea could work for a drama serial, except that it could be censored due to its "jia-di lian" (big sister-little brother love relationship) theme.

Lonely Planet
A story about a woman returning to Hong Kong from Belgium, to visit her best friend. Think it is a film about deciding where to live, in the borderless world that we now live in.

She3
A lady trains her video camera on her mother and grandmother, and capture them in their daily actitivites. Very heartwarming story, as one can feel the real emtotions appear at certain parts of the documentary. It feels very natural, which is a style which I like.

Pocket LOOX T Series - Fujitsu Siemens Computers


Pocket LOOX T Series - Fujitsu Siemens Computers

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Aprilia RS 125


Aprilia World Network
finally, after so many years, a new RS 125 emerges. however, it doesn't look as nice as its predecessor...

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Antec NSK2400


Antec.com - New Solution Series
while it may look quite dull, its clear that this htpc case has been well thought out. hot components are separated into zones, and the prescence of two 120mm fans should enable quiet cooling.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

iriver u10



iriver Global Home

finally got it. couldn't really wait for the 4GB or 8GB version to surface. its really small.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Google Page Creator


About Google Page Creator
another new product from google's labs. this is a website creation service. by the looks of things, its quite popular, as they currently cannot accept new users. think they are swamped by the response from google fans.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Suzuki Confirms FIA WRC entry


World Rally | News | WRC | Suzuki Confirms FIA WRC entry
good that suzuki is joining the WRC. it was beginning to look bad, with manufacturers leaving the championship for 2006.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Polar RS200sd


Polar | RS200sd Running Computer
recently started running again [to prepare for ippt]. was using the garmin forerunner 201 to pace myself. i chose a route with minimum overhead obstructions, to reduce the chances of losing the gps signal. but sometimes, the pacing shown did not feel right.

there are 2 types of pacing devices on the market. one type uses gps to measure pace, while the other uses inertial sensors. some older devices use a pedometer, which rely on the runner maintaining a constant stride length. as stride lengths easily vary, it is not an accurate way of measuring pace, and we will skip them here.

polar just came out with a cheaper version of its s625x model, which still includes the heart rate monitor and the inertial sensor.

garmin also recently launched watch-sized gps models, the forerunner 205 & 305, but they look quite bulky compared to the RS200sd.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

micro ATX computers

seems like there isn't a website dedicated to micro ATX computers... the nearest that i could find was SFFTECH. offthebeatenpath feels that this is one big unexplored market... lets start here

case
  • antec aria
  • aspire x-qpack
  • silverstone sg01
motherboard chipset
  • ati rs482
  • nvidia geforce 6150
p.s. just remembered that amd will be switching to it socket m2 design, which will not be compatible with current socket 939 motherboards, so it looks like i won't be changing my 2nd pc so soon...

Saturday, February 18, 2006

michelin tweel


a concept tyre by michelin that does not need air. visually, it looks strange, as one can now see through a tyre. but it does mean that punctures will become a thing of the past. one to watch.

Friday, February 17, 2006

Sleep on it, decision-makers told

BBC NEWS | Health | Sleep on it, decision-makers told
looks like we needed a scientific experiment to tell us that better decision making comes when u don't overthink it. cool research though.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Yahoo! Desktop Search

Yahoo! Desktop Search
while everyone is talking about version 3 of google's desktop search software, i still find yahoo's desktop search more useful for me. search while u type is now available on both software, but i like yahoo's preview function

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

IPPT Preparation

IPPT
A quick guide to preparing for IPPT. Pretty useful, I must say.

Bluecasting Four Docs

Channel4.com
I've been following what four docs have been doing, with its interesting concept of self-uploaded 4-minute documentaries and its useful guides. Now they have a new idea. They are bluecasting [I assume it means transferring via bluetooth] documentaries to handphones at various UK train stations.

Mitac Mio A701 GPS PDA phone

A GPS capable PDA phone, looks cooler than the HP HW6515 with similar capabilities. A pity then that it has no wi-fi. Think a wi-fi SD card will solve that problem.