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...
Sunday, April 23, 2006
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.
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)