Author: Grievous

Photos – Urban Decay: Margaret Drive

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It has been a stormy Sunday morning. The rain started around 6am in the morning and intensified around 10am. In fact, the skies didn’t let up until the afternoon. The morning torrential rains have brought flash floods again which added much misery to those going to church and the market in the morning and in specific the tenants at the basement of Tanglin Mall. In several places, unfortunate souls waded through knee-deep waters while some roads become only partially passable.

However, it brought me some joy as it has created a cooling afternoon. I took the opportunity to take the MRT down to Queenstown station in the late afternoon and take a slow walk to Margaret Drive, where 2 blocks of HDB flats and its surrounding area were left desolate. I had wanted to go there for a long time to snap some photos, but the hot weather and my laziness have prevented me from doing so. Thus, I decided that if I don’t do it today, I’ll never bring myself to do it… ever.

I am surprised to see just how fast nature has started to creep in and stake its claim in some places. It was a little sad looking at the dreary state of one of the places I grew up in…

Movie “Marathon” – Kungfu Panda 2 + Pirates of the Caribbeans 4

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Watched Kungfu Panda 2 and Pirates of the Caribbeans 4 on Saturday evening almost back to back and this is my view.


A scene from Kungfu Panda 2

In this sequel, Po the Panda is now the acclaimed Dragon Warrior, maintaining the order and peace around the Valley of Peace. Yet his life will soon face a drastic change when he was sent across China along with his companion kungfu masters, the Furious Five, to save a city from a villain who has created an unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kungfu. In the process he will also discover his origins, and how he became the son of a goose. We will also discover a softer side of Tigress.

To advance to a higher level of kungfu mastery, Po will need to discover his inner peace. It is something that Po will need to discover on his own and cannot be taught. Po will come to face with a tragic part of his life before he can defeat the new villain and this weapon. There are also new kungfu masters, though these were resigned to defeat and did not participate in the action until the end.

Kungfu Panda 2 is a more action packed than the prequel and in my opinion is worth every minute of it, though however I would have preferred a more vicious and dark villain. The ending however, makes it almost certain that there will be a sequel.

Anyway, I would still recommend it for laughter and to loosen up.

~ * ~


A scene from
Pirates of the Caribbeans 4

Pirates of the Caribbeans: On Stranger Tides is the fourth installment of the series, and perhaps this franchise has reached the end of its usefulness and the producers have made one sequel too many. It has nothing to do with the storyline or the new cast, but I am sick of watching Captain Jack Sparrow making one narrow escape after another just like Jacky Chan in his own movies.

In this story, three groups of people were competing to find the Fountain of Youth. They are the Spaniards, the British under Captain Barbossa and the much fear pirate Blackbeard, who has a strange ship – the Queen Anne’s Revenge – that responds to the power of his sword. Jack Sparrow was a hostage on the ship as a result of his old flame Angelica Malon and Captain Barbossa was after Blackbeard to seek revenge for his lost leg.

Some of the mermaids (in particular Gemma Ward, the first mermaid which appeared) are great eye candies. Though I would say the part where the Mermaids showed their true colors could have been better done, because for a brief moment it reminded me of the “Blade” or “Underworld” movies. Why the hell does everyone think of evil beings to all come with elongated canines (or fangs) like werewolves or vampires? On top of which, I do not really understand the ending for the Priest Phillip. He seems to be in love with one of the mermaids he saved and at the end I could not tell whether she took him out of her own nature or to save him.

However, the Spaniards in the movie made up the best twist! Right from the beginning everyone was given the impression of them as competitors looking to gain the rejuvenating power of the fountain for their liege. Their intention wasn’t obvious until they made their way into the fountain site. I wouldn’t elaborate on that as it would be a terrible spoiler.

Unfortunately, in spite of all the action, the editing left much to be desired. Some parts were so draggy that is almost boring but perhaps that maybe the result of me watching this back to back with Kungfu Panda 2. Either way, it still gives the general feel that the movie makers were rushing through the entire movie and the ending seems rather abrupt. I personally don’t think this is a must watch on the big screen. Unless one is a big fan of Johnny Depp, I suggest getting this on a DVD when it becomes available.

Security Alert – MacDefender [Malware]

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A screen shot of “MacDefender”

It is with mixed feelings when I read the news of a rogue malware plaguing the Macintosh Operating System. Since I am not pro-Mac person, I was a little disappointed that the MacOS has finally reached enough critical mass to attract the attention of malware writers. While I’ll admit grudgingly that in many cases the Mac does some things better than a Windows PC, I am in the opinion that the reason why Apple computers have gone almost virus free all these while is because there simply isn’t any reason for malware writers to do so. After all, releasing a worm like SQL Slammer or Conficker would make a bigger splash since there are simply more Windows PC users in the world, not to mention Microsoft’s dominance in the enterprise. (There is of course also the conspiracy theory that computer virus and malware are released by anti-virus companies, and the reason that a Mac specific anti-virus program will not achieve a return on investment is the reason why there never was any real threat back then.)

However, the fact that a myth (that Macs are impervious to computers virus or malware) is now dispelled made me felt a little smug. In fact, I had really burst out in roaring laughter when I read that Apple allegedly refused to offer support to affected (or ‘infected’) users. I practically felt that I was vindicated for my long time opinion that Apple is even more unscrupulous in business practices than Microsoft.

While Apple has finally posted removal information and announced that it will release a patch to deal with the malware, it pleases me a great deal that there is finally no more safe haven for those computer morons thinking they are L337 elite or superior to PC users. As long as malware continue to evolve to attack the MacOS, computer morons with bad computer usage habits can longer carry on with life without repercussions. I am hoping that this will not be a one time incident, but a recurring problem that will teach some technically deficient people a hard lesson.

I have installed the free Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition on my older generation MacBook Air for precaution, and I was quite surprised that while I was surfing for images for “wedgies” (don’t ask me why I was looking for those), I came across a site containing such an image which automatically start downloading “MacDefender” (also known as “MacProtector”, and “MacSecurity”). Sophos caught it handily once the download has completed but unfortunately it doesn’t remove it automatically. It prompted me to remove the infected file manually and I was fortunate that all I need to do was delete the zip file from the download folder.

Of course, for good measure I search on Google the removal procedures and ensure that I missed nothing. However, no matter how much I wanted to gloat, I must say that the removal procedure was far simpler than doing the same on a Windows PC since there is no registry in a Macintosh. But then again, Windows has come a long way fighting this old scourge and depends on who you ask, it is no longer true that MacOS is more secure than Windows.

Then again, that doesn’t mean a Windows user should be gloating. The fact is, no computer is invulnerable… unless it is not networked, in a secured underground bunker with reinforced concrete under lock and guard, and switched off.

Even then, I will still have my doubts.

Photos – Singapore River

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Took these on the way from Clarke Quay to Funan Center yesterday. I didn’t have the intention of taking photos when I started, until I saw the iconic Marina Bay Sands right in front of me while I was walking towards Coleman Bridge.

So I took out my FZ-8, and make a slight detour around the old City Hall and Supreme Court buildings. Here, is a display of my terrible photography skills.

Random Discourse – It is over

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It is over. The General Elections, that is.

Am I happy with the results? Partly, because the years of hard work of the Workers’ Party [WP] has paid off. Hougang voted for Mr Low Thia Khiang’s successor Mr Yaw Shin Leong with a even greater margin, and the WP A-Team also won in Ajunied. In all the other contests, the WP also won more votes than the national average, a clear sign that the people believed in the WP’s vision.

What I wrote several years ago (except for the Singapore Democratic Party [SDP]) has more or less been proven. The Workers’ Party has silently build itself up and even planned for its own internal renewal while the rest has more or less fallen by the sidelines. The Singapore People’s Party’s [SPP] lack of a clear successor has proven to be fatal, though I hope they start grooming a new one right now. Perhaps Mr Chiam See Tong loved all his protégés like his own sons, but he must make the unpleasant choice of making one the first among equals. The National Solidarity Party [NSP] would have suffered the same fate as the Singapore Democratic Alliance [SDA] and the Reform Party [RP] if not for Nicole Seah – the fiery little Nonya with a desire for help disadvantaged Singaporeans.

Yet, I am more unhappy than happy. I am unhappy, because I felt that Singaporeans has chosen not to make people like Vivian Balakrishnan, Wong Kan Seng and Mah Bow Tan accountable for their failures or incompetence. I am unhappy that elitists like Charles Chong was elected when he considered some of us “lesser mortals”. I am unhappy because people has forgotten that after losing millions, Teo Ho Pin has told the people to be grateful his town council invested that money and if not, they will have to pay more. Whither, is justice?

I felt no remorse that George Yeo, Lim Hwee Hua and Zainul Abidin Rasheed are out. It might cause some resentment for me to say this: I am glad we aren’t paying anymore to keep these people millionaires.

And frankly, I don’t care. Some new millionaires will be created out of this anyway.

I am greatly distressed to see an old warrior of our democracy, Mr Chiam See Tong, go. This is man who has the heart of a kind father and a vision for a less elitist Singapore. My eyes always watered when I think of him. He has my full respect, much more than one who is the so-called father of this nation. Incidentally, his vision is almost similar to what the SDP with its fresh image is trying to offer the electorate – “Heart Ware”, the vision of a more caring country. It is a fresh image and one that has given them more clout and credibility. But the SDP must take note that its best team at Bukit Timah-Holland got not many more votes above the national average, which showed that without the talents it has failed to even ride on the resentment of the people. The SDP may perhaps learn a lesson or two from the WP, for e.g. work the ground in the west side of this island and they will have the potential to be another WP. They will of course also need to tone down a little on their activism, since some of those things does not win much support from the population at large even though it may have received resounding response on social media.

I am also distressed that Potong Pasir is lost to the People’s Action Party [PAP]. Lina Chiam fought a good fight. She lost by a slim margin of 114 votes and my initial reaction was resentment towards the voters in Potong Pasir. I took me a while to come to terms with that, until I remembered that for more than a quarter of a century they have kept the tiny flame of democracy alive. It has been hard on Potong Pasir for the past 27 years and they deserved a rest and to stand down. Like a relay, the heavy burden that Potong Pasir has carried has been taken up by those at Aljunied. Sadly, Potong Pasir may cease to exist like Anson after this, absorbed into a Group Representation Constituency [GRC] and their collective voices drowned out. Alas, when will we awaken to the fact that we cannot be so irresponsible as to expect other Singaporeans carry this heavy cross, while we sit back and watch? When?

The elections are over and again we have a PAP government with the power to do anything they like. Are you prepared, my fellow Singaporeans? Are you prepared for even more expensive housing, even more foreigners, even more packed trains and fare raises without any corresponding improvements in services? Are you prepared with more honest mistakes and lack of accountability where we just moved on from? Are you prepared to pay more for some of these ministers, and also to see more of your employment and education opportunities of our future generations threatened by foreigners? Are you prepared for more tinkering with the CPF system, where you may never live to see all of that money again?

I hope you fully understand the consequences of the choice and decision you have made. Good luck to all of you. Me? I’ll ask God to deliver me from this.

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