Author: Grievous

Random Discourse – Credit Card Fraud

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This is the only indication that something was awry on a Saturday afternoon more than a month ago (see picture). I was a little puzzled why I am getting these SMS when I am not making any online purchases. After all, I only receive similar SMS when making online purchases with my HSBC card.

Anyway, I logged in to my account and found no transactions so I ignored them. However, I start getting calls from ‘Unknown Number’ for the next 2 hours. As such calls (or those showing up as ‘Private’ on my phone) are normally from agents trying to introduce fund transfers, new insurance policies or a new credit card / credit line, I generally just ignore them. I was thinking to myself that these companies are getting so desperate they even work on Saturday afternoon. In fact, I even received one such call on Sunday.

When I was at work on Monday, these calls continued and I finally decided to answer one of them during lunch with the most hostile tone I can imagine. I had enough of these incessant calls and was ready to ‘reward’ the hapless soul on the other end for his persistence with a chewing out.

When the guy identified himself to be from HSBC (and not ‘on behalf of HSBC’), I was a little alarmed since the banks typically do not do sales calls on their own. All the more so when he further identified himself to be from the security department in charge of credit card fraud. It is not just because of the SMS I have received over the weekend but also because con men are also known to impersonate bank staff. I made a mental note not to give to this person my card security code or any codes if more SMS were received. I am certain that if they were con men, they would want some of these information to complete the transaction.

The guy (I can no longer remember his name) then asked me whether I had made 2 Internet purchases made a few days ago with my card. The purchases are over US$250 and over US$450 respectively and in fact were made to purchase very different items (including female handbags). That’s almost US$1000! When I confirmed that I haven’t made any of these purchases, he then asked whether my last transaction was to a certain gaming company in Germany (which I did make). By then I decided that the guy is probably genuine because he has not asked me any personal information yet and in fact, he was actively providing me information that is confidential. If he wasn’t genuine, then he must be a very sophisticated hacker / con men trying to lure me into a false sense of security.

In the end he told me that my card will be canceled and no funds will be released for these two transaction. He informed me that a new card will be sent to me in a few days and only then did he do the usual identity verification (IC number & date of birth).

This must be the season of Internet credit card fraud because a few of my friends also recently report fraudulent transactions and they only detected them after checking their statement. They had a pretty hard time convincing the bank that they didn’t make those transactions and to get those charges waived. Fortunately for me, this is the second time HSBC has caught fraudulent transactions on my card and I thanked the bank for its proactive action. Perhaps I should really do fewer purchases online…

Random Discourse – Steve Jobs

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Steve Jobs passed away a few days ago at the age of 56. I abhor and am immune to idol worship so originally, I don’t really care. In most cases, I ignore the comments and the outpour of grief. I didn’t care when Michael Jackson or Elizabeth Taylor died so what’s the big deal, really? And I certainly agreed with the part that says – “One die, Thousand cry. Thousands die, no one cry.” on Robert’s blog post.

On Twitter, I put “Steve Jobs” into the exclusions on Twitterfall so I can be spared of the “echo chamber” – i.e. the ‘1 tweet repeated a gazillion times’ phenomenon. On Facebook, I began to appreciate the new Facebook improvements because it automatically lumps posts with similar content together and so Steve Jobs related posts won’t flood my entire page and pushed my friends’ updates off the screen.

Even though I try to isolate myself from this, some comments did get through and they reminded me why I really detest Apple fanbois. I had originally refrained from writing anything, but after a long struggle I gave in to my urge because I have to respond to comments I completely disagree with. For e.g.:

Steve Jobs will always be a bigger man than Bill Gates can ever be.

Interesting. I read that Steve Jobs refused to participate in ‘The Giving Pledge’ to give the majority of their wealth to philanthropy. He also shut down all of Apple’s corporate charity donation programs. Now consider the work of the Gates Foundation, many which will bring a change to the lives of people who didn’t have the Internet or never even seen or heard about any of the i-Devices. In short, the Gates Foundation possibly brings life changes to some people for an entire lifetime (like Polio vaccination) while all the i-Devices are forgotten and replaced at the most in 3 years. I won’t say Steve Jobs didn’t give to charity since I don’t know. But I doubt it wouldn’t be anywhere comparable.

I am also quite amused that the fanbois would be giving thanks to Steve Jobs for giving them all those ‘life changing’ i-Devices even though technically they had paid for the products and so in reality he had really gave them nothing. To put it in an analogy, I appreciate life giving water but I will not think very much of the bottle that contained it. In fact, a friend showed me a comment where someone said if he hears anyone criticising Steve Jobs, he will ‘punch that person in the face’. Well, I hope whoever got punched will punch back harder, and with more blows to wake him up since I wondered whether he would have done the same for his own father.

It is also amusing that some had taken the news of Steve Jobs death as if God Himself has died. Well, the God I believe in rose from the dead and the appeared to many people and rose to heaven before their eyes. Make that comparison when Jobs come back from the dead and do something more original than iResurrect, alright?

Now, there’s another group of people who are equally irritating. Even when I detest Apple fanbois I think there is no need to rub it in. If one felt Steve Job’s death was of no relevance at all – comments like “it is amusing to watch the reactions of the iDiots over the iCon who did an iDie” is as distasteful as those like the hypocrites of Westboro (see below).

Personally, I would have felt elated if people like Mah Boh Tan kicked the bucket since he has screwed my life directly in more ways than one. Yet, I don’t feel the about Steve Jobs even though I disliked Apple – primarily due to Apple’s fascist, mindless, unthinking and dogmatic fanbois, and also what I considered to be unscrupulous, anti-competition business practices. As this New York Times article put it: Today there is no tech company that looks more like the Big Brother from Apple’s iconic 1984 commercial than Apple itself, a testament to how quickly power can corrupt.

This is where iTunes comes to mind. While I have told some people that I had to admit that iPod and iTunes changed the way that people consumed music, because consumers are no longer ripped off by record companies producing CDs. Indeed, paying US$0.99 for a song is way better than paying US$10 or more for a CD. However, I disliked how the Digital Rights Management [DRM] in iTunes limit where and how I can listen to music which were already paid for. Whatever the reasons for DRM, I really don’t give a flying damn about the argument how piracy would kill creativity etc when I looked at how some artists waste their lives away while living in extravagance.

Regardless of the above, I am reminded that the Apple ][ was the door of my entry into the computer world. I remembered the days when I played Taipan, Autoduel and even Ultima IV on an Apple ][ compatible that kept me company for years. I even learn my first programming with Basic on it, and actually wrote a small program that stored all my contacts – complete with sorting and editing feature! Sadly, the only Apple product that has made the greatest impact in my life was a creation of Steve Wozniak, not Jobs.

In spite of my dislike of Apple, I also have to admit that the iPhone brought new life to touch screen phones / PDAs because before that, touchscreen phones are far less responsive and very much lemons. Today, we don’t even need a stylus to use a touchscreen phone and Internet on the move has become more or less a reality as long as there’s cellular or a WIFI connection.

None of these would make me respect Steve Jobs though. In fact, his apparently lack of participation in charity and philanthropic efforts does not endear him to me at all. Surprisingly, I found a reason to respect him and let me quote from this article:

In the name of protecting children from the evils of erotica – “freedom from porn” — and adults from one another, Jobs has banned from being installed on his devices gay art, gay travel guides, political cartoons, sexy pictures, Congressional candidate pamphlets, political caricature, Vogue fashion spreads, systems invented by the opposition, and other things considered morally suspect.

From the perspective of IT support and administration, I can understand why he wants to keep opposing systems off his systems. It’s the same as why I want to stop users from installing anything they used at home onto the PCs in the office. And as someone who is against promoting and celebrating homosexuality, I can most certainly appreciate his stand on sexual morality. After all, it has always been my stand that while I can accept as a friend anyone who has decided to be homosexual, it doesn’t mean I have to endorse that choice or decision.

For all that’s worth and though I didn’t think so originally, I’ll give credit to Steve Jobs for the Apple he created and the marks it has continually made in consumer electronics and personal computing, and for being uncompromising in his stand on how the devices are used.

Rest in Peace, sir. The world may probably not see someone like you again for a long time.

Recommended Reads:
Chillycraps : An apple that changed the world

Random Discourse – A Case of Idiocy

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A case for repealing 377A

I refer to last Tuesday’s article (‘Study looks at sexual behaviour of gay men’).

The effort to glean information for the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections is admirable. But I am not surprised that the study has fallen far short of its target of 1,000 participants and has managed only a meagre 40.

With Section 377A of the Penal Code still in place, sex between men remains illegal in Singapore.

No matter how much confidentiality is promised, there will be understandable reluctance from potential participants. For, in effect, the study asks that gay men make the admission of having committed a criminal act.

Section 377A not only hinders important studies from being conducted, but also ties the hands of educators who should be teaching young ones the proper way to regard safe sex, irrespective of one’s sexual orientation.

In short, 377A is detrimental to the fields of medical research and education.

It should be repealed (just as Section 377 of the Penal Code outlawing oral and anal sex between men and women has been repealed), so that studies such as the above can be conducted without impediment.

Pamela Oei (Ms)

This was an forum letter published only on the online version of the Straits Times forum. The research in question was to determine the prevalence of syphilis and HIV infection among homosexuals. Tan Tock Seng Hospital consultant Mark Chen, explained that this was done because it has not been proven conclusive here even though overseas data has shown that homosexual men are more at risk of syphilis and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

To justify something in the name of research reminds me of Japan, which says it is killing whales for ‘scientific research’. While I do not always agree with environmentalists or animal- rights activists, I would like Japan to actually explain what research are they doing by killing those animals, and why do they have to kill so many every year to do such research. Would they not be able to do the same without killing those magnificent creatures? In fact, I had often considered Japan to be shameless to use research to justify the killing. Thus, I can’t help but also consider it shameless when after failing to repeal Section 377A by arguing that it discriminates against a specific group of people, the argument now is that it is detrimental to the field of medical research and sex education.

To refresh everyone, Section 377A states that: “Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years.“

I take that to mean that any form of sexual intercourse between two male persons is a criminal act. Pamela Oei’s premise is that anyone who submit to this study would be admitting to having committed a criminal act and she believe that is the sole reason why there is a low number of participants. Have she considered that one of the reasons could be a lack of interest in such studies? Anyone who argues that homosexuality is related to a higher risk to STDs / VDs is often called a ‘homophobe’. So why would homosexual men participate in a study to determine something which they have always believed to be false? Sadly, Pamela Oei could only think of Section 377A as the only reason why there are few takers to this study.

Next, Pamela Oei’s argued Section 377A ‘ties the hands of educators who should be teaching young ones the proper way to regard safe sex. I would like to ask her, how would that be true? My limited knowledge on safe sex revolves around two very basic principles, they are: (in the words of the Sammyboy forummers) ‘raw is war’ – meaning you should never have unprotected sex; and it is best to be loyal / have only one sex partner. I believe these simple principles would apply to both heterosexuals and homosexuals. The other important knowledge about safe sex would include rudimentary knowledge about the kind of nasties that can be transmitted either orally or via the genitals, how fatal they are and the damage they do to one’s life. In summary, safe sex would be about the risk of unprotected sex, the seriousness and consequences of catching any of these diseases and the prevention. How would Section 377A be an obstacle for educators to impart such knowledge?

Pamela Oei should really understand how utterly lame and ludicrous she is. At times I wondered why some of the people who aren’t homosexual themselves seems more interested in homosexual activism than the homosexuals themselves. Perhaps they simply have nothing better to do and participation in such activities makes them look hip, cool or inclusive and even make them appear enlightened.

Addendum:
I believe some people will want to ask does that mean only a slave can speak up against slavery and I suggest you save the effort.

Two reasons. First, slavery is often forced upon another person and the same cannot be said about homosexuality – where the homosexual lobby often claims that it either a choice or a matter of genes. Second, I will not fall into the trap and elevate something which I consider as wrong to the same level as freedom.

I’ll tolerate any person who decides to be a homosexual, but just don’t expect me to celebrate or endorse that decision. Nor expect me to roll over and shut up in the face of any attempt to celebrate or endorse it.

Random Discourse – Pulau Bukom Fire

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I knew from my colleague that a fire has broken out at Pulau Bukom at around 3:30pm on Wednesday (28-Sep-2011). He saw the news on STOMP and showed it to me. Since Bukom was just right in front of the window, I rolled up the blind and it seems to be under control at that point of time. But this shocking view greeted me around 7pm in the evening as I was winding down the blinds to call it a day.

Apparently, it has gotten worse and the fire went on for another 26 hours after that (according to the news). It wasn’t until 9:18pm on Thursday that the hundred over firefighters managed to put the fire out.

The first thing on my mind was, with a such a fire raging some people may have been hurt or killed. I am happy that Shell accounted for all its personnel. While some of my friends grumbled about the minimal media coverage, I subsequently discovered that access to Pulau Bukom is restricted to personnel working on the island only and that explains why there was no real time coverage on the island itself. A colleague who was in the Navy during National Service [NS] told me that the Police Coast Guard also maintained some picket ships around the island to prevent unauthorized vessels from approaching.

Anyway, some of the other things that were immediately on my mind was whether this fire was just a mere industrial accident, sabotage or more ominously, a terror attack. Whatever it was, there would certainly be some impact on global supply since Shell has its largest refinery on Pulau Bukom. I also wondered whether a sabotage or an industrial accident would have any impact of investor confidence and the position of Singapore as a major petrochemical center in the world. Simply put, with the economy confirmed to be heading south the year after, our little red dot does not need any more harm to its fragile economy.

As for terror attacks, Pulau Bukom has been attacked before in 31-Jan-1974 by 4 terrorists – 2 each from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and the Japanese Red Army. The perpetrators of this incident gained notoriety as the ‘Bukom Bombers’ or the ‘Laju Hijackers’.

I wouldn’t know of this when it happened since I was a toddler. I only knew about it because I read it on the papers as a teenager. Personally speaking, even though I thought Jurong Island is a larger and more tempting target, Pulau Bukom would have been a more logical target due to its isolation from the main island of Singapore. Regardless of the tactical difficulties in pulling off such an attack, Pulau Bukom is simply more difficult to support logistically (in terms of civil defense personnel and fire fighting equipment) and to reinforce militarily. Being much smaller than Jurong Island, a small force attacking the island would have the tactical advantage of having lesser ground to defend, not to mention restricting the ability of the Singapore Armed Force [SAF] to project its technological superiority as a result of the multi-billion facilities and investments on the island itself. It doesn’t take much imagination to understand that if you fire on the facility itself, you would risk its complete destruction. I can only hope that the defense planners of this country understand the strategic importance of this little island and have put in enough preventive measures to prevent that from happening.

Meantime, the government said it will be investigating the cause of this fire. Some news report that the Shell refinery could shut the facility down up to a month. I wonder what would the impact be to the employees of the facilities and whether they would have to take no-pay leave to stay home for the entire duration. I personally hoped that the investigations would be made public since it is in the interest of the citizens of this country to know the facts behind this incident which could have significant impact on the well being of our country.

Recommended Reads:
Senang Diri: Fire at 1 Pulau Bukom underlines need to protect vulnerable economic infrastructure

Random Discourse – Skills Upgrading for Foreign Workers

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‘Foreign workers should get training too’, says MP Yeo Guat Kwang
Sep 19, 2011 (Straits Times)

Foreign workers should get skills upgrading similar to what Singaporeans go through, suggested labour MP Yeo Guat Kwang.

Noting that this would ‘create a level playing field’ for all workers, he said training and certification for work permit and S Pass holders should be done within the first two years of their employment.

Successful certification should then be used as a condition for work pass renewal, he said.

Mr Yeo, speaking to The Straits Times in his capacity as chairman of the Migrant Workers Centre (MWC), said training could be done in two ways – either through in-house courses conducted by employers, or via the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) programme.

I was hit by a Tin Pei Ling moment after reading this – I don’t know what to say. (I am also glad I wasn’t eating when I read this, because I would have choked.)

It wasn’t because I can’t think of what to say, but because there’s a few things going through my mind then and I needed to organise them. However, my mei Audrey beat me to it and she pointed out that if the skill set of these workers are obsolete, what we really need to do is not renew / extend their work permit when it expires. In her opinion, the policies should be concurrently tightened in such a way that the new intake will be qualified enough. (On further thoughts, I believe this would be a little difficult to implement even though I agree with this in principle. The reason being, what are employers who can’t find a better qualified staff going to do when the permit of his current employees expire?)

Frankly speaking, I consider the above suggestion to be completely ridiculous and hare-brained. The first first thing that came to my mind was: “Who is going to pay for it?” (The PAP has taught us too well to always ask this question, and that actually came before “Are you out of your fucking mind?!“)

If employers are expected to pay for these training on their own without any government assistance, it is then only logical to expect them to raise the price of their services – which ultimately will be paid for by consumers like me. That simply means my cost of living will increase and how is that going to be of any good to me while the threat of a double dip recession looms? How does Mr Yeo expect me to accept these ‘extra hardships’ while I am expecting a few more years of stagnant wages if I employed?

As to the WSQ programs, are these programs partly paid by the government? If so, shouldn’t priority be given to upgrade Singaporean workers to be more productive so we can reduce our reliance on foreign workers? It would be preposterous for the government to fund the training of foreign workers from taxes levied upon the citizens when the government has always been stingy prudent when spending money. It seems to me that Mr Yeo is so confused he can’t get his priorities right. Perhaps he is tired and if that is the case voters in his ward should help him along with his retirement from politics in 2016. After all, he has certainly given me the impression that he – if not the so-called labour movement that he is a part of – does not take the interests of Singaporeans to heart at all.

In fact, I would like to see more priority given in ensuring that all of these foreign workers are really qualified in the first place. The Ministry of Manpower [MOM] should do do more verifying the qualifications of all foreigners seeking employment in Singapore, especially after the case where 18 Chinese nationals were jailed over with forged degrees. I was recently told that even maids now have to take an English exam before they can be employed here, and I certainly like to see some foreigners taking up Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians [PMET] positions in Singapore go through the same English test as well because I have very often come across emails which are almost intelligible.

These days, I have seen foreigners with dazzling qualifications from universities I have never heard of taking up IT positions of other roles in the department. Unfortunately, their performance made some of us wonder whether they are actually capable of what they are employed to do. That’s not mentioning that we have never heard of those universities in the first place. Perhaps I am just an ignoramus but one of my colleague had tried to look up their rankings and none of these universities even ranked anywhere near NUS or NTU.

That is why I actually hoped that the MOM would set up some kind of central examination center where foreigners applying for professional and technical positions in Singapore should be tested, just like how IT professionals obtain their Microsoft Certified Professional [MCP] certification. They should be made to pay for the test, and until they have pass that test they should not be given employment in Singapore at all! If they failed this ‘verification test’ they can be allowed to retake as often as they like as long as their visa remain valid and they can pay for it (but not more than once every two weeks). That would give some charlatans second thoughts if they try to push their luck, not to mention generate some revenue out of these foreigners for our country as well.

If the government is concerned that this might drive the talents away, let’s stop kidding ourselves. I am sure even the government acknowledged that many of these are not even the best countries like China or India has to offer. A lot of those really talented ones either stay in their home country to make a name for themselves or head off to the United States. Since those who are coming here are almost certain not to be the best, why are we even sucking up to them at all? If they feel humiliated by a simple test then it is clear their characters are flawed. So, good riddance to bad rubbish!

As I mentioned earlier, we should get our priorities right and our priority should be to ensure that these people at least measure up to our standards of talent while the weeds are rooted out. So, just why the hell are we even talking about upgrading the skills of foreign workers in the first place?

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