The Stupid Shitty-Porean Award

– that a 35-year-old Singaporean travelled to Johor Bahru on Jan 15 to consult a bomoh – or traditional healer – to get rid of a hex she felt had been put on her several years ago by a woman with whom her husband was having an affair. The bomoh made her swallow five glass pieces and a ‘diamond-like’ stone, and insisted she fork out RM1,470 of her savings as payment. Two days later, she experienced sharp stomach pains and went to a polyclinic in Jurong East. The clinic doctor took an X-ray of her abdomen and referred her to the emergency department of the NUH. (Maybe she should just stick her head in the microwave and hope that the hex gets fried along with it.)

The World This Week

– that Kofi Annan has said the world must remember the unique tragedy of the Holocaust and reject all attempts by ‘bigots’ to deny the extermination of the Jews during World War II. “It must be remembered, with shame and horror, for as long as human memory continues,” Annan said in a statement released to mark the first international day commemorating the victims of the Holocaust. “Holocaust denial is the work of bigots,” he said. (There are many of them around. Especially those with a political agenda.)

– that a majority of Americans are more likely to vote for a candidate in November’s congressional elections who opposes Warmonger Bush, and 58% consider his second term a failure so far, according to a poll released. (Tell me something I don’t already know. He spoke on TV and for the entire duration he was speaking, I was down USD500 in paper losses in the NYSE. The moment he shut up… I was up USD250. USD750 all in a matter of 1 hour.)

– that fewer people consider Warmonger to be honest and trustworthy now than did a year ago, and 53% said they believe his regime deliberately misled the public about Iraq’s purported weapons program before the U.S. invasion in 2003, the CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found. (He is doing it for all of you Americans. So stop whining already.)

– that Canada last year became only the fourth nation in the world to allow same-sex marriages, but that right could be scrapped after the new Conservative gover-min takes power. Conservative lea-duh Stephen Harper, who campaigned on the promise that he would allow Parliament to vote on whether to reopen the issue, said last week he “would prefer to do it sooner rather than later, but not immediately”. (Vox Populi Vox Dei in action.)

– that Jacques Chirac took a call from Canada’s newly elected prime minister, Stephen Harper, only to find he had been fooled by a pair of Montreal radio pranksters known as the ‘Masked Avengers’. But after swapping diplomatic niceties during a lengthy chat, Marc-Antoine Audette of CKOI radio let the 73-year-old Chirac in on the joke. Chirac did not react once to Audette’s outrageously thick French-Canadian accent. The two discussed Canada’s new ambassador to France using the wrong name – Richard Z Sirois – who unbeknownst to Chirac is a well-known French Canadian humorist. (This evil frog deserved this prank for all that talk about using nukes on others.)

– that the EU will not fund the ‘Palestinian’ Authority under Hamas if it does not renounce violence against Israel, Germany’s chancellor has said. Angela Merkel’s comments came after talks with interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem. (It won’t work. The enemies of peace will simply ensure that it is their supporters who wouldn’t starve.)

– that Venezuela’s vice-president said that the U.S. senator John McCain ‘can go to hell’ for suggesting that ‘wackos’ run the South American country. (Between one ‘W’ – Warmonger – and another ‘W’ – Wacko – they should just kiss and make up.)

– that Hugo Chavez urged activists around the world to protest against U.S. dominance and the war in Iraq, saying: “Down with the U.S. empire!” Chavez made the sharp remarks while speaking to activists invited to his weekly broadcast on the final day of the World Social Forum. “Enough already with the imperialist aggression!” Chavez said, referring to U.S. military involvement in places from Iraq to Panama. “Down with the U.S. empire! It must be said, in the entire world: Down with the empire!” (* Star Wars Theme – The Imperial March plays in the background. *)

– that the Kenyan gover-min responded with outrage to an offer of modified dog food mix from a New Zealand company to help feed four million starving people. It dismissed an offer from Christine Drummond, founder of Mighty Mix, of 42 tons of the meat and seed mix. (Drummond, you can eat all the doggie food yourself.)

– that Australian soldiers are being forced to buy their own combat gear because of sub-standard issued equipment.
Leaked RODUM (Reporting on Defective or Unsatisfactory Material) reports show soldiers at the Townsville-based 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, buy their own combat vests and other equipment. (And one of these days they might just decide to be their own private army.)

– that Iran will cease cooperating with the IAEA watchdog if it refers the country’s nuclear dossier to the UN Security Council, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said. The crisis over Iran’s nuclear ambitions deepened as Tehran signalled it would end cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and the U.S. warned of a miscalculation. (They are already done with
Babylon. Now it’s time to deal with Persia.)

– that Iran’s hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad labelled Warmonger Bush a warmonger who should be dragged before a ‘people’s tribunal’, a day after the Warmonger called for a ‘free and democratic Iran’. “God willing, in the near future we will judge you in a people’s tribunal,” Ahmadinejad said in a speech carried live on state television. “You who support the Zionist puppet regime, you who support the destruction of Palestinian homes, you have no right to talk about liberty or human rights,” Ahmadinejad said in comments directed at Warmonger. (These two arseholes should just get in a ring and fight it out and spare us all these troubles.)

– that the Iraqi cleric who once led two uprisings against U.S. forces said Sunday that his militia would help to defend Iran if it is attacked, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Muqtada al-Sadr, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with the top Iranian nuclear negotiator, said his Mahdi Army was formed to defend Islam. “If neighboring Islamic countries, including Iran, become the target of attacks, we will support them,” al-Sadr was quoted as saying. “The Mahdi Army is beyond the Iraqi army. It was established to defend Islam.” (And he obviously never thought he will be grovelling at the feet of the Iranians when Iran dominate the region.)

– that Iraqi military officials said that they had intelligence indicating that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the militant lea-duh behind some of the bloodiest attacks in Iraq, is in Diyala province near Baghdad. The news came amid reports that Zarqawi, lea-duh of al-Qaeda in Iraq, was constantly prepared to be captured. (Just put the money where the mouth is and punch this beast’s ticket for good.)

– that Israel’s acting prime minister ruled out contacts with a ‘Palestinian’ gover-min led by Hamas unless the terrorist group renounces violence, and the defense minister threatened to ‘liquidate’ militants if they attack Israelis. (Contact with cobras and serpents is unwise.)

– that Hamas joins those who ask to release American citizen Jill Carroll. Hamas is against the kidnapping of innocent people, of foreigners who are guests in the Arab countries, and those who introduce humanitarian services and help for the Arab people – and for any people in general – especially when they are not interfering in internal Arab affairs. We have declared many times we are totally against kidnapping civilians.’ (The ultimate in crocodile tears. I would sooner trust a cobra.)

– that terrorist Hamas’ landslide victory in ‘Palestinian’ elections unnerved the world, darkening prospects for Mideast peace and ending four decades of rule by the corruption-riddled Fatah Party. The parliamentary victory stunned even Hamas lea-duhs, who mounted a well-organized campaign but have no experience in gover-min. (The Middle-East political equivalent of ‘the shit just hit the fan’. But the U.S. and the likes of Warmonger need such an example to let them understand why DemocraZy is really just a bad idea in some parts of the world.)

– that Hamas was under mounting pressure to renounce violence after its shock election win as Mahmud Abbas prepared to task the radical group with forming a new gover-min. The sensational victory for the terrorists has thrown prospects for Middle East peacemaking into turmoil and triggered alarm in Israel and across the world. (It’s unlikely they would give a flying damn and just bomb away.)

– that Mahmoud al-Zahar, a lea-duh of Hamas, the terrorist group that became the controlling force in ‘Palestinian’ politics, laid out a series of conditions that he said could lead to years of co-existence alongside Israel. The conditions included Israel’s retreating to its pre-1967 borders and releasing ‘Palestinian’ prisoners. (And the Jews to move back to America and Europe, right?)

– that Hamas urged the West not to slash aid as threatened after the major players in the peace process told the terroist group to renounce violence or see funding to the ‘Palestinians’ cut. The EU, Russia, UN and U.S. (known as the Middle East quartet) warned at talks in London that payments would be under threat if the winner of last week’s general election did not radically alter its principles before entering gover-min. (And I thought Hamas was made of sterner stuff? Starve, or submit. There will be no in between.)

– that Junk-chiro Konkz-umi told Warmonger Bush when they met last fall that he will go on visiting a Tokyo war shrine even if Washington asks him not to, Kyodo news agency said. (Oh really?)

– that the Japanese lea-duh also told Warmonger that visiting Yasukuni is a ‘matter of the heart’ and added that he did not understand why his visits prompted criticism from China. (Go figure out how many of those in Yakusuni really died defending Japan, and not as part of an invading force and you’ll understand, Junk. But then I would be over-estimating your logical capabilities.)

– that police in Japan have raided vehicles firm Yamaha in an inquiry into possible illegal helicopter exports to China. Twenty offices and homes were raided as police investigated whether the company exported pilot-less helicopters with possible military applications. Yamaha acknowledges selling nine of the aircraft to China, but says they could only be used for agricultural purposes. The R-MAX can be flown safely by a relatively untrained operator on the ground using a laptop computer. Around 1,600 are currently in use in Japan, primarily by farmers for crop-spraying. (They fear that the Chinese may use them to spray anthrax in downtown Tokyo?)

– that Shinzo Schizo Abe criticised China yesterday for refusing to meet Junk-ichiro Konkz-umi as a protest against his visits to a controversial war shrine. Schizo, who also visits the Yasukuni shrine and is likely to become the next premier, told Parliament that a mature country would not withhold summit meetings to exert political pressure. “I think it is clearly wrong to use the diplomatic card of refusing a meeting in order to achieve a political goal. The fact that we have issues makes it more important for us to continue talks, and that’s how mature countries should act, I think.” he said. (Then you will just have to keep waiting. China has all the time in the world.)

– that Japanese foreign minister Taro Aso Arsehole has called for Emperor Akihito to visit a controversial war shrine – a move that could enrage China and South Korea. The Yasukuni shrine, which honours 2.5m war dead, has been avoided by Japanese emperors ever since 14 top World War II criminals were enshrined there in 1978. (They should enshrine Hirohito there too. Then Akihito can go and pay respects to his father with a good excuse.)

– that Hirohito, in whose name Japanese soldiers fought and died, visited the Yasukuni shrine until 1978 when war criminals tried at an allied tribunal – including hanged war criminal Hideki Tojo – were quietly enshrined. His son Akihito has also refrained from praying there since he was enthroned in 1989, unlike Junk-ichiro Konkz-umi who has prayed at Yasukuni every year since taking office in April 2001. (Konkz and his group of warmongers can reserve a place for themselves there too.)

– that Taro Aso Arsehole backtracked on a comment urging Akihito to visit a much-criticised shrine honouring the war dead. Arsehole said he did not mean the emperor should go ‘under the current situation’. (Did Japan’s living god just give Arsehole a piece of his mind? If the Emperor is exerting his influence for the good of the Japanese people just like the Thai King, then long live the Emperor!)

– that a key aide of disgraced entrepreneur Takafumi Horie has admitted that Livedoor cooked its books during its bid to buy a baseball team that propelled its young chief to celebrity, media reports said. Former chief financial officer Ryoji Miyauchi admitted that Livedoor declared a profit of 1.4 billion yen to cover up a loss of 1 billion yen in the year ending September 2004, the reports said. (Takafumi Horie can use the Emperor’s garden and a couple of katanas.)

– that Miss Tsai Ing-wen, the former head of the China policy agency will be the next vice-premier, Taiwan’s premier-designate said – a move that may maintain Taiwan’s tough stance on China. She is believed to have shared his desire to prevent close trade and other ties with China that may lead ‘the two very homogeneous societies into unifying’ as one nation, said political analyst George Tsai of the Institute for International Relations. She is also widely seen as the chief architect of former president Lee Teng-hui’s ‘special state to state’ theory which angered Beijing. (No separatist can stop the inevitable. It might be delayed, but never stopped.)

– that Taiwan’s outgoing Premier Frank Hsieh led his cabinet ministers in an expected mass resignation, paving the way for a planned reshuffle. Mr Hsieh, whose resignation was announced last week, warned Chen Shui-bian over his China stance. He said some of Mr Chen’s hardline policies on China were not in tune with what Taiwanese people wanted. (After resignation he suddenly found his guts to speak the truth and the voice of the people.)

– that a new Cabinet led by Premier-designate Su Tseng-chang will be sworn in and is widely expected to toe President Chen Shui-bian’s tough line towards Beijing. (Puppets rarely have a mind of their own.)

– that a Malaysian policeman who filmed a woman being made to perform squats in the nude while in custody has been suspended, a report said. The emergence of the video recording late last year, which showed a naked woman performing squats with a policewoman in uniform looking on, sparked a nationwide furore over the practice. The constable, in his 30s and with some three years of service, could be sacked and taken to court, the Malay-language Mingguan Malaysia quoted an unnamed source as saying. (What took them so long? Maybe they should make him do squats and film him naked too.)

– that Malaysia will ban police searches that force people to do squats in the nude, after the practice sparked a brief diplomatic row with China last year. The move is part of a revamp of police procedures urged by an inquiry panel after pictures of a naked woman doing the exercise in a police lock-up last year sparked national outrage. Police will now be allowed only to make detainees disrobe partially before conducting searches at lock-ups. Intimate searches, if necessary, will be conducted only in hospitals by a doctor, hospital assistant or a registered nurse. The panel also recommended that the police force, which is often accused of brutality and corruption, introduce a legal code on body searches similar to the one in Singapore. (Whatever gave them the idea to implement that stupid method in the first place?)

– that Malaysia will go ahead with the replacement of its half of the Causeway without demolishing the bridge that links Singapore and Johor, officials said. The move signalled that Kuala Lumpur would not wait for Singapore’s decision on whether to rebuild the bridge on its side, to join the planned Johor bridge. It also said that the gover-min plans to call the ‘crooked bridge’ a ‘scenic bridge’ from now on. (‘Stupid bridge’ would be a better name.)

Singapore This Week

– that Ng ‘Eng Hen Eng’ accused the Workers’ Party of planting ‘time bombs’ that would destroy key pillars of Singapore’s stability and success. He identified as ‘dangerous and wrong’ four proposals by the opposition party: to scrap grassroots organisations, ethnic integration policies and the elected presidency, and to raise subsidies. (Makes no difference to me if the [s]elected president and so-called ‘grassroot’ organisations are to go. As for the matter of subsidies the question is where the money is going to come from. And as to the ethnic integration policies, I have no comments.)

– that Khaw Boon Wan criticised the Workers’ Party for wanting to do away with GRCs and the ethnic quota for buying HDB flats. Both policies, he said, were instrumental in maintaining racial harmony here. (GRC as a means of protecting racial harmony is utter crap when the number of MPs in a GRC increases because the ratio of racial minorities in the GRC cannot increase accordingly. Either they are over-represented, or under-represented however you want to look at it. For e.g. if the number of GRC MPs increase from 4 to 6, the minority representation falls from 1/4 to 1/6. If there are 2 minority members, then it increases from 1/4 to 1/3. And let me tell you that the Tali-PAP lackeys will tell you that it is the matter of ensuring that there IS still minority representation that matters. To hell with the ratio.)

– that Khaw likens WP’s four proposals – out of god knows how many unless you have read the manifesto – to poisons. “Your prescription may contain some of the right medicine or some of those which are not harmful. But if I discover that in this long list of concoctions there are three or four or whatever number of poisons that may kill the patient, I think we have a duty to point it out.” His comments came a day after Low Thia Khiang defended the four proposals in its manifesto. (What would happen if the opposition has called some of the Tali-PAP’s policies the same? Will kenna defamation suit or not ar?)

– that Baby Lee said some of the ideas in the Workers’ Party manifesto looked as if they were ‘copied’ from the PAP. But others were ‘dangerous, critical ideas which really destroy fundamental principles on which Singapore works’/ (Wah.. so serious ar? Don’t pray pray, understand?)

– that the Workers’ Party stands by its manifesto and will not back down from policy positions set out in it. But it wants to clarify the ‘misconception’ the Tali-PAP has on its proposals on multiculturalism, party chairman Sylvia Lim said. (The Tali-PAP will make it look like it’s spewed from the very mouth of the Devil no matter how you clarify.)

– that 82 year-old Lao Lee will still be contesting in the next elections. (Who actually wanted him to go? I’ll give that person a pillow to sleep earlier.)

– that the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) has joined in the debate over the Workers’ Party recent manifesto. It urged the public not to be swayed by criticisms levelled by the Tali-PAP at the manifesto, saying this is an election tactic. In a statement issued by SDA Chairman Chiam See Tong, the SDA says it is not for the PAP to say that it is right, and the WP is wrong. (The Tali-PAP will always imagine that everyone else is full of shit and only they have the ideas.)

– that youths with facial piercings, tattoos and distinctive hairstyles impersonating as police officers are coercing teenagers into handing over their mobile phones. (Duh! Police officers with facial piercings? Come on! No wonder one Taiwanese politician said in China that Singaporeans are the stupidest of the lot.)

– that a Myanmar student who used hidden software to steal the user IDs and passwords of several people, before trying to use them to steal money, has been jailed for 10 months. Min Pyi Sone, 19, acquired the software Perfect Keylogger, which records the keystrokes users make on their computers, and attached it to two game files. One of his victims was a 23-year-old Myanmar student, Nyein Chan Win. Min did manage to use $2,400 from Nyein’s account to pay for a SingTel bill. (Using others money to pay for your own phone bill is about as walking around with a neon sign saying, “Look, I withdrew your money using your ATM and PIN.”)

– that foreignres should not expect to be treated any differently by Singapore courts, a judge warned as he jailed a Scottish engineer for cocaine possession. Jason Taylor, 33, was sentenced to 11 months’ jail after he was caught with a packet of cocaine by narcotics officers in a sting operation last month at an Oxley Garden apartment. The issue that prompted the judge’s remarks arose when Taylor’s lawyer, Darshan Singh, urged the court to be lenient to the Scotsman as he would be returning home after his conviction and would not pose a public risk here. District Judge Victor Yeo said he was ‘somewhat disturbed’ by the argument, adding that ‘such a contention is highly untenable and illogical’ and ‘plainly runs counter to the maxim that all individuals stand equal before the law’. It must be made ‘abundantly clear’ that the courts apply the laws of the country equally to everyone here, said the judge. “To do otherwise would result in a serious miscarriage of justice and severely erode the legitimacy of our laws.” (Long live Victor Yeo. Wished he would have added a few strokes of cane for this chow angmoh too!)

– that Taylor’s lawyer had urged the court to be lenient, arguing that his client’s family had been embarrassed by the adverse publicity. But the judge said: “To do so would lead to an incongruous conclusion that an offender, whose case is widely reported in the media, ought to receive a more lenient sentence than one whose case is not covered by the media at all.” He also dismissed the lawyer’s mitigation plea that Taylor turned to drugs because of stress. He said: “The implications would be unthinkable if the courts were to treat offenders who turn to illicit drugs to cope with the stresses of life more leniently…it may be construed as a licence to resort to illicit drugs whenever one experiences stress.” (And then a rapist would be arguing that he raped someone’s wife to cope with his stress too.)

– that the police is warning last-minute Chinese New Year shoppers to be on the lookout for pickpockets. Two women had money stolen in similar fashion when the sides of their handbags were slashed and money taken. One woman was targeted at the Tampines wet market. The other had her wallet stolen on the second level of Albert Centre, in Queen Street. (My mother lost her wallet in Toa Payoh Central to these bastards. I promised myself whoever I catch for picking pockets – or handphone thief – I will smash his face in…)

– that someone called TANG LI wrote: “It is time someone demonstrated the value that the elderly have in society and Mr Lee, 82, has just shown that age is no barrier to contributing to society. … Mr Lee is a shining example of how the old can add to the community. He is at an age when most would be taking it easy. Instead, he has chosen to continue with the hectic schedule of a Cabinet minister. Why should he? Cynics might argue that he simply doesn’t know how to let go of the limelight. I believe otherwise.” (Come back with a more convincing example and cut the ‘lackey-ing’.)

– that she also wrote: “Unfortunately we have become so obsessed with youth that we have forgotten about those who can no longer be described as young. Age discrimination has become rife; we have reached the stage where we view anyone over 45 as lacking the energy to add value in today’s environment.” (Ahh.. there’s actually some truths in all that apple polishing. In reality, over 30 and you can start praying you don’t lose your job.)

Trivial, Jokes and Thoughts from Discussions

– that Rapper 50 Cent is being sued by the ex-frontman of rap group 2 Live Crew for allegedly stealing a line for his 2003 hit single In Da Club. Luther Campbell filed a claim at Miami Federal Court that 50 Cent used the opening line of Campbell’s song It’s Your Birthday, changing just one word. Campbell’s lawyer said that in In Da Club, ‘Sheila’ becomes ‘shorty’ in the line ‘Go shorty, it’s your birthday.’ (So if you say, ‘Go Sheila, it’s your stupidity’ you are liable to be sued for changing the word ‘birthday’ to ‘stupidity’ too. Right. Sue me, shitheads.)

– that a coalition of tech companies, consumer groups and other organizations hopes to do to companies that spread spyware and adware what ‘America’s Most Wanted’ has done to fugitives–stop them in their tracks by publicizing their misdeeds. The newly formed Stop Badware Coalition will publish the names of companies that it deems are the worst offenders and show how they make money through unethical marketing practices and fraud. Joining the coalition are search giant Google, PC maker Lenovo, Sun Microsystems, Consumer Reports’ WebWatch project, the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School and the Oxford Internet Institute in England. Internet pioneer Vint Cerf, now Google’s chief Internet evangelist, and Esther Dyson, an investor and editor of Release 1.0, are among the advisors to the group. (About damned time they define what ‘badware’ is, and then go after the criminals who made them.)

– that Google said it would launch versions of its search and news Web sites in China that censor material deemed objectionable to authorities there, reasoning that users getting limited access to content was better than none. The new local Google site, expected to be launchedat Google.cn, will include notes at the bottom of results pages that disclose when content has been removed, said Andrew McLaughlin, senior policy counsel for Google. (Like all businessmen, they all know, business is business. And so much for that crap about ‘Freedom of Expression’, which even the Bush Regime obviously does not believe in these days.>

– that lawyers for a small-town Italian parish priest have been ordered to appear in court after the Roman Catholic cleric was accused of unlawfully asserting what many people take for granted: that Jesus Christ existed. The Reverend Enrico Righi was named in a 2002 complaint filed by Luigi Cascioli after Rev Righi wrote in a parish bulletin that Jesus did indeed exist, and that he was born of a couple named Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and lived in Nazareth. Mr Cascioli, a lifelong atheist, claims that Rev Righi violated two Italian laws by making the assertion: so-called ‘abuse of popular belief’ in which someone fraudulently deceives people; and ‘impersonation’ in which someone gains by attributing a false name to someone. (Tell that to the millions of people who experiences a miracle by calling on Jesus Christ everyday.)

– that the USS Ronald Reagan can single-handedly take on a nation’s armed forces but met its match in Moreton Bay’s jellyfish. The slimy invertebrates were being sucked into the 97,000 tonne ship at such a rate generators were constantly switched over and local fire crews placed on stand-by as the creatures disabled full on-board capacities. (Coming up next in China’s secret arsenal… the YL-1A ‘Shui Mu’ [水母] Organic Torpedo.)

-that a friend, who was helping out with the packing in a church’s charity organisation doing charity work in the Riau Islands, noted that many people donate away stuff that they don’t need. (Might as well sell it to the garung guni and take back some money. Giving away stuff you don’t need is not charity. )

– that one such example of things they don’t need, is a keychain. (The houses there don’t even have doors for starters. Even doing charity, some people can still simply just go through the motion.)

– that one of her co-workers admonished her for not packing the keychain in, despite being asked what use would a keychain be to the people in Riau. She was told that the people there can still use it as decoration. (Some people need a lesson on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.)

– that they insist on giving shoes to the people there because they have existing stock of shoes. It doesn’t matter that the people there do not understand the concept of fitting and a lot end up squeezing their oversize feet into undersized shoes, resulting in blisters. In the end, they end up going there treating the blisters. (Some people never heard of slippers? Meet the needs, not give away ex-stock that has become a logistic problem.)

On NS Dodgers

The furore over the matter of what kind of punishment for NS dodgers has gone on for quite awhile since the news on British penis pianist Melvyn Tan. Being a person who has no love for dodgers of the likes of Melvyn, I take special exception to being called immature by some who wrote to the Stooge Times Forum and TODAY’s Voices pages. After all, a lot of these people will never be asked to serve NS – mostly ladies; or didn’t need to serve NS – folks who were spared NS because they were above age when it was implemented.

Personally, I never liked serving NS, because I am just ain’t cut for military life. But who is? Some might consider me a wimp and perhaps a weakling, but I did my 2.5 years. And many of my friends whom I thought wouldn’t survive BMT did theirs as well. Thus, to say that rejecting these selfish dodgers is being immatured, my foot ok?! And if you think I need to grow up, go do 2.5 years, do your ICT cycles, do your IPPT – and RTs, if you fail – then come back and tell me about growing up alright, you mofos!

For goodness sake, serving NS is not just a matter about patriotism. Any mature person would have also consider that this is also a matter of whether a person puts self before society or society before self. Granted, a lot of us simply didn’t have a choice because it is law, but we all did what society required of us. A person who is unwilling to shoulder the society’s burdens, – and note I say society, not country – but would only care for his own benefits and well being, has no place in the very community he has abandoned. It is an ultimate act of selfishness to put self before the society. If you gave this society the ‘f@ck you’ then, accept the ‘f@ck you’ this society is giving you now!

In my considered opinion, a person who 只可共富贵，不可共患难。 – i.e. fair weather friends which can only share your prosperity but not your suffering – is worth crap. Do we value talent more than we value integrity these days? Just what the f@ck are they teaching in schools these days, huh?!

And what exactly are we telling the so-called ‘un-talented people’ who gave their all and best to the same society by telling them, well, they talented so you lan-lan lor?

Let me tell you what you are telling me, alright. You have just given a so-called ‘un-talented soul’ like me a big f@ck you.

Thank you very much.

While it is said that opportunity only knocks once, I must ask, what is there for you to fear, if you are really that talented? And whatever makes you think you will make it if you grab this opportunity anyway? If you are going to succeed, you will succeed. If you are condemned by the will of the Almighty to be a nobody, then accept your station in life and stop bloody whining about NS ruining your life!! Above which, is Melvyn Tan truly so talented? How many of you heard of him before his name and photo appears on the papers?

Not many, when I checked.

This is what I say as to the question on whether we should reject a Bill Gates, an Einstein, a Hawking, or a Zinadine Zidane if they dodge NS: If our current Prime Minister himself has served NS, then everyone must serve. Even if it is said that our PM has gotten ‘special treatment’ when he was a soldier, at least the facade of equality is maintained!

Please, don’t create a special class of Bourgeois Bloatpigs that’s outside the system. We don’t need a new class of post-modern nobility. Thanks, but no thanks.

And before I forget: Long live S. Iwaran!

– that MPs were split on how to deal with NS dodgers, but all of them called for balance in treating them. Tan Cheng Bock Chu-boh, said, “Nobody will want to come back if they face the prospect of jail. We’ve been told time and again that every Singaporean is valuable and talent is important because we’re a small nation and need each other. So why is it in this situation, suddenly talent is not valued?” (So what this ku-bai is trying to say is, “If you have talent, go ahead and dodge NS.” As if they will suddenly change their minds and come back after that.)

– that Chu-boh pleaded with Singaporeans to ‘forgive’ people like pianist Melvyn Tan who evaded NS, and not reject talented ‘sons of Singapore’ if they wanted to return. (Sure. As long as the likes of Melvyn do my NS, my IPPT and RT, and my ICTs on my behalf. Or give me a monetary compensation of a value of my choice. I will not just forgive these ku-bais, I will even shine their boots and welcome them back with a red carpet.)

– that Chu-boh suggested instead that dodgers be made to do community service as a form of punishment, on top of the fines that they have to pay. (No community service these bastards do is worth any NSmen’s 2.5 years, you kriffing mofo.)

– that Wang Kai Yuen Ka Yu said, “In seeking a jail sentence, we will in effect deter anyone in similar situation from returning to Singapore. In fact, none will return. Thus we are sending a message, ‘Defaulters, thou shall not return to Singapore.’ Is that a correct message to send?” (Consider the message you are sending to people who has served their NS, alright? [Incidentally, that was the same thing MP S. Iswaran said – ‘What message are we sending to the Singaporeans who have faithfully fulfilled their obligations?’ Rarely am I proud of a Tali-PAP man, but this time round, I am! And incidentally, S. Iswaran is MP of West Coast GRC, where my name appears under the Register of Electors.])

Mr S Iwaran Hero of the Week

– that Iswaran said, “The question that’s been raised is whether our system is equitable or are there a privileged few. We must debunk this. I say that if someone who’s going to be a great pianist chooses not to live in Singapore because of wanting to avoid NS, then it is a sad loss, but a loss that Singapore must live with.” (And why scramble to stick your hot face to someone’s cold backside, Singapore? Have we no dignity? Have we no courage?)

– that Iswaran also said, “I want to be able to look these men, and others like them, in the eye and say to them: ‘We know you’re making a sacrifice. We apply the rules impartially. We respect your sacrifice and service, and we will not forget it.'” (Sir, I will go with you to hell and beyond.)

– that NS dodgers face stiffer penalties under a proposal unveiled by the defence mini$ter. The fine will be doubled to S$10,000 from S$5,000 currently under the Enlistment Act, Teo Chee Hean told parliament. (Make that €10,000 lah. And while you are at that. No harm let the ku-bais come back without a jail term. Just make them pay alot more taxes, such as income tax and property tax; make them pay a ‘National Defense’ tax of 10% of their income; give them no NSS, no ERS, no rebates, no health care, no right to vote, no subsidies for housing, no this, no that… just plain no nothing! If they are so damned bloody talented like Bill Gates, they can jolly well fend for themselves. In fact, make them pay for the army’s equipment too. Tiew!)

– that MP Sin Boon Ann Bern Tan asked, “What if the defaulter in this instance were Einstein or Stephen Hawking? Can we honestly say we would also insist he should equally go to jail? Or what if the defaulter were Bill Gates, who has the potential to invest substantially in our economy and bring employment to thousands of Singaporeans?” (You want my honest answer, you kriffing moffing fumbduck? The answer is YES. Jail the fuggers. Be glad I didn’t yet call for dodging NS to be called a treasonous offense and ask for the crime to be punishable by public execution with a firing squad.)

– that Bern Tan also said, “To insist on such a sentence will only result in one certainty: The likes of Einstein and Bill Gates will never return to our shores.” (Then let them go. Don’t cheapen what it means to me when I said, “My country, My Home.” Don’t expect me to watch your back, you lump of shit.)

– that Bern Tan further said, “Justice must always be tempered with mercy. I do not believe for a moment that Singaporeans do not have it in them to embrace a more compassionate solution that will be acceptable to all. The punishment must be commensurate with the wrongdoing and it need not always be a jail sentence. And national service in some cases need not always be in the form of uniformed service. Justice is never served by blind insistence on imprisonment.” (Tell that to the family of the recently execute ‘drug-mule’, Australian-Vietnamese Nguyen. Do you have what it takes to put your money where your mouth is?)

– that about 700,000 current and ex-NSmen could be getting a one-off bonus and other financial incentives if recommendations by a defence panel are approved by the gover-min. The Committee to Recognise the Contribution of Operationally-Ready NSmen to Total Defence (RECORD IV) has also asked for a special award to be given out to all 20,000 Operationally-Ready NSmen who complete their training cycle every year. (That’s right. And while there should be no goodies for the ku-bais who dodged NS, these ku-bais should be fined whenever the gover-min award the NSmen to defray some of the cost the state has to bear.)

The Ugly Shitty-Porean Award

– that A 29-year-old salesman arrested after his neighbours complained that he walked around naked in his flat has been charged with nine counts of appearing nude in public view. Clifford Wong Wai Lit is accused of appearing nude and exposing himself to public view in a private place on three occasions in December and six times this month. He is also said to have stroked himself in public view on three occasions. If convicted, Wong could be fined up to $2,000 and jailed for up to three months on each charge. (This guy is aspiring to be male AV / porn actor in Japan or what?)

The World This Week

– that DemoRats accused Republican congressional lea-duhs of corrupting the gover-min, claiming that their party has higher ethical standards. “Under Republican guidance, America has truly been put up for sale to the highest bidder,” congresswoman Louise Slaughter said in her party’s weekly radio address. (DemoRats? More ethical? Wait while I laugh.)

– that Washington has refused to hand over custody to Manila of four U.S. Marines charged with raping a woman in the Philippines, its embassy said. (This sure explains why they refused to sign the treaty which will place U.S. military personnel under the jurisdiction of some kind of world court.)

– the U.S. gover-min said it ‘will continue to cooperate’ with Philippine authorities as the case moves to trial under local jurisdiction, the embassy said in a statement. The Philippine foreign department separately said it had filed a diplomatic note to the U.S. embassy demanding that the soldiers be handed over to local authorities, citing the ‘extraordinary nature’ of the case. (The Americans know who they can push and who they cannot. Had the Pinoys not acted like bootlickers for so long, they might still have some respect from the Americans.)

– that Hillary Clinton blasted the Bush administration regime as ‘one of the worst’ in U.S. history and compared the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to a plantation where dissenting voices are squelched. (At least they aren’t unzipping their flies for interns.)

– that New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said the hurricane that devastated New Orleans was God’s way of showing displeasure about U.S. involvement in Iraq. (Why do everyone imagines they know when God is unhappy? Please, when you talk to God it’s prayer. But when God talks to you, it’s probably schizoprenia.)

– that Tony B-liar was to pick a new fight with anti-social thugs, with hard-hitting plans to combat ‘neighbours from hell’ in his drive to restore respect in British society. As part of his battle to stamp out loutish behaviour, problem families could be evicted from their homes and lose their welfare handouts under powers currently used on drug dens, newspapers reported. (Just pack them up and ship them to Iraq.)

– that British police could be given powers to evict nuisance neighbours from their homes and problem parents will get lessons on raising children under a new government drive to crack down on anti-social behaviour. The ‘Respect Action Plan’, unveiled by Tony B-liar, will also increase on-the-spot fines for yobs and give communities a bigger say over policing. “We need a radical new approach if we are to restore the liberty of the law-abiding citizen,” B-liar told police and community leaders at his office. “My view is very clear: Their freedom to be safe from fear has to come first.” (This might give Singapore an idea how to deal with the Chan’s in Everitt.)

– that the British gover-min moved toward legalizing mini brothels, as it proposed changing the law to allow up to three prostitutes to work together. Home Office Minister Fiona Mactaggart said the current law, which bars more than one prostitute working in a premises, put women at risk. (The dodgy massage parlours in Joo Chiat can teach them a thing or two.)

– that scientists in Ireland may have found the country’s most fertile male, with more than 3 million men worldwide among his offspring. The scientists, from Trinity College Dublin, have discovered that as many as one in twelve Irish men could be descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages, a 5th-century warlord who was head of the most powerful dynasty in ancient Ireland. His genetic legacy is almost as impressive as Genghis Khan, the Mongol Khan who conquered most of Asia in the 13th century and has nearly 16 million descendants, said Dan Bradley, who supervised the research. (Ladies and Gentlmen, let us present you the some of the greatest fockers * sic * of mankind…)

– that one year after he left the Labor leadership, Mark Latham reminded the public why he was unfit to lead Australia. In a classic Latham brain-snap, the former MP with a history of violence threw a punch at a Daily Telegraph photographer, injuring his wrist, and stole the photographer’s camera. His attack on photographer Ross Schultz stunned shoppers in Campbelltown. Mr Latham emerged in a fit of fury from a Hungry Jack’s restaurant, where he was munching on hamburgers with his sons Oliver and Isaac. (Is Gangster Chee a friend of this guy? What a good role model he is to his kids!)

– that Jacques Chirac for the first time raised the threat of a nuclear strike on any state that launches ‘terrorist’ attacks against France. He also said France’s doctrine of nuclear deterrence has been extended to protect the country’s ‘strategic supplies’, taken to mean oil. (Now even Warmonger Bush looks like a saint! Only the evil frogs can think of resorting to the first use of the weapons of the devil.)

– that Spanish police arrested 17 people suspected of helping recruit Islamist militants to carry out attacks in Iraq. The radio said those arrested included the imam of a mosque and a suspect who may be linked to an attack on Italian police in Iraq. (What’s the damned point? There’s no death sentence in Europe.)

– that Nigeria’s gover-min is planning a specific ban on same-sex marriages, with five years in jail for anyone who has a gay wedding or officiates at one. Information Minister Frank Nweke said the gover-min was taking the ‘pre-emptive step”‘ because of developments elsewhere in the world. “In most cultures in Nigeria, same-sex relationships, sodomy and the likes of that, is regarded as abominable.” Homosexual sex is already illegal and in the north offenders can be stoned. Justice Minister Bayo Ojo said the law would also ban ‘any form of protest to press for rights or recognition’ by homosexuals. (Long live Nigeria.)

– that Saudi Arabia blamed unruly pilgrims for the crush that killed 362 Muslims at the annual haj. (Last year also one case blame who?)

– that Israel’s army chief Dan Halutz has ruled out a pre-emptive attack on Iranian nuclear sites, despite the country’s apparent bid to build nuclear weapons, an Israeli newspaper reported. Speaking at Haifa University, the paper reports that Mr Halutz said Iran – Israel’s sworn enemy – was the only remaining threat to the country’s existence. (It’s perhaps too little, too late now.)

– that ‘evangelical’ broadcaster Pat Robertson has apologised to the family of Mr Ariel Sharon for suggesting that Sharon’s stroke was divine retribution for the country’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. He said his love of Israel and concern for its safety had led him to make remarks which he now saw as inappropriate and insensitive. (Someone ought to check Robertson for schizoprenia.)

– that Fugitive Taliban lea-duh Mullah Mohammad Omar vowed more attacks against U.S. forces in Afghanistan, a day after Afghan President Hamid Karzai suggested he ‘get in touch’ if he wanted peace. In a message to mark the three-day Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, Omar reiterated his call for jihad, or holy war, against the United States. “The Taliban attacks in Afghanistan will further intensify in this New Year, which will force Americans to leave Afghanistan very soon,” he said in a message carried by the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) news agency. (More effort should be taken to find this mass murderer, and have what the Taliban did to Najibullah done to him.)

– that Pakistan cannot accept actions like an air strike on a village that killed 18 people, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said, adding that he will bring it up when he visits Washington. Officials in the tribal zone where the missile landed said separately that the strike was aimed at foreign militants invited to a dinner and that up to five of them were killed – the first such confirmation by Pakistan. (Another 5 demons bites the dust. That’s far better than zero.)

– that research whaling is permitted under the rules of the International Whaling Commission, but Australia and other anti-whaling countries say it is commercial whaling in disguise, with the meat sold, at premium prices, in Japan. (Just what kind of research can’t be done on one whale, but must be done on many? They lied about Nanking. They lied when going to Yakusuni. So they probably lied about this too.)

– that some 200 Japanese soldiers stormed a California beach at the start of a new military exercise with U.S. troops. (That’s the American-Japanese answer to China’s exercise with Russia last year.)

– that Japanese gover-min spokesman Shinzo Schizo Abe, a hardliner seen as the strongest candidate to be the country’s next prime minister, said that Japan should boost ties with India and called on China to improve transparency in its military spending. The powerful Chief Cabinet Secretary also indicated that he would continue to visit a controversial Tokyo war shrine, which is at the centre of strained relations with China. (China should just ignore him the same way he ignores China’s protests about Yakusuni.)

– that Prince Takahito, 90, the sole surviving brother of Hirohito, endorsed the views of his son Tomohito, the only prominent royal to go on record opposing female succession, the Sankei Shimbun reported. He suggested last year that the Crown Prince be allowed to take concubines to produce a male heir instead. (What should be done is to allow the monarchy to discontinue. It’s a price this evil dynasty has to pay for Hirohito’s unpaid war crimes.)

– that a Shanghai community has taken to publicly shaming people who neglect their elderly parents, a newspaper reported yesterday, underscoring the toll busy modern lifestyles have taken on traditional filial piety. The Nanjing East Road Neighbourhood Committee gives two warnings to children who fail to visit their parents at least once every two weeks, the Shanghai Daily said. After that, their names are posted on a public bulletin board for all to see, it reported. (What’s the point to force a matter of filial piety on them? Just like what Singapore do to smokers, China should just levy a ‘filial piety tax’ equal to 20% of their pay to feed the old folks, and defaulting on payment is punishable by DEATH.)

– that China will start taping interrogations of suspects involved in work-related crimes to prevent confessions being extracted through torture, the national media reported. Sound recording will start in March of this year, and video recording in October 2007, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, China’s highest prosecutor’s office. (Finally they are doing something about this.)

– that Hu Jintao said that he hoped China and Taiwan will open up direct transport and mail routes soon. Hu’s comments went against recent warnings from Chen Shui-bian that rising Taiwanese investment in the mainland is sapping the island’s strength and autonomy. (It is sheer insanity to ban direct transport and mail routes and have goods from Fujian exported to Hong Kong first before it is shipped to Taiwan. Unfortunately, the likes of Chen will bleed Taiwan economically dry to keep their political power.)

– that Taiwanese Premier Frank Hsieh said the island was unlikely to accept the offer of two pandas from the mainland because doing so could undermine Taiwanese sovereignty. “We cannot compromise our sovereignty,” Hsieh told reporters at a Taipei business conference. “The likelihood of the pandas coming to Taiwan is pretty low.” (There’s nothing 2 pandas can do to compromise the imagined ‘sovereignty’.)

– that several thousand Taiwanese took to the streets to demand a thorough inquiry into Premier Frank Hsieh, First Lady Wu Shu-chen and other officials for their alleged roles in corruption scandals. Protesters held signs reading ‘Save justice, get the corrupt officials’ as they marched in Taipei. The event’s organisers also filed a lawsuit against two confidants of Chen Shui-bian for alleged insider trading, malfeasance as well as influence-peddling. (Coming up next, the newest hit from Taiwan: ‘Don’t cry for me, Argentina Taiwan’ – by Madonna Zhang Hui-mei.)

– that Frank Hsieh has announced he is resigning from office, after less than a year in the post. Hsieh’s departure had been expected, following the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s huge defeat in December’s local gover-min elections. Chen told Reuters news agency he would nominate a new premier before the Lunar New Year on 29 January. Taiwanese media have speculated that the president’s former chief of staff, Su Tseng-chang, would get the job. (It is definite when the candidate Hsieh backed for party chairman failed to win the post.)

– that Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party picked Yu Shyi-kun as its new chairman, a move which will strengthen Chen Shui-bian’s hold over the ruling party. Seen widely as Chen’s choice, Yu is likely to echo the former’s policies, say observers. His election as DPP chairman will also put him in the race for the island’s top post in 2008. (The Chinese has an old saying – 换汤不换药 [Change soup no change medicine]. Meaning: The change is just superficial and cosmetic.)

– that Su Tseng-chang, 58, a popular politician and presidential hopeful was entrusted with the job of leading Taiwan’s fifth Cabinet in six years, which will put him in direct confrontation with the opposition-led parliament. (2 more years and hopefully there will be an end to Chen Shui-bian’s ‘Musical Chair’.)

– that Taiwan, home to the world’s first transgenic glowing fish, has successfully bred fluorescent green pigs that researchers hope will boost the island’s stem cell research, a professor said. By injecting fluorescent green protein into embryonic pigs, a research team at the island’s leading National Taiwan University managed to breed three male transgenic pigs, said Professor Wu Shinn-Chih of the university’s Institute and Department of Animal Science and Technology. (Will we all turn green from eating them?)

– that violent crime against Singaporeans in Johor Baru has actually fallen, and many recent reports of attacks exaggerate the situation, a senior Johor state official said. “The perception made by newspapers about crimes in Johor, about how dangerous it is…it’s all wrong, because we are doing our very best to safeguard not only tourists but also locals,” said Superintendent Abdul Manaf Abdul Razak, head of serious crime in the Johor CID. (What does an ostrich do and say when danger approaches? It sticks its head in the ground and says, “What danger?”)

– that while good luck charms are usually worn around the neck, or on wrist, Chinese Malaysians are wearing them under their pants this year. Red men’s underwear emblazoned with auspicious animals and characters have become the rage among Malaysian Chinese ahead of the Chinese lunar New Year holidays, the New Straits Times reported. (Wear that to the specific room I provide IT tech support and I’ll get a day of absolute hell. Strictly no red garments. It brings ‘bad luck’.)

Singapore This Week

– that Andrew Kuan has withdrawn his lawsuit against Inderjit Singh. He has also been ordered to pay Mr Singh’s legal costs and will also make a written apology. Mr Kuan alleged that Singh made remarks that implied he was not reliable. (There are two ways to read this. And no, I am not going to be explicit about the 2 ways.)

– that braving strong winds and rain, Venerable Shi Ming Yi kept his balance to walk a distance of about 20m, on 15cm-wide parallel beams, at the top of the 66-storey Republic Plaza. This feat by the 43-year-old chairman and chief executive of Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre drew more than 240,000 calls alone for Ren Ci Charity Show. (First, lucky draw for donations. Now, stunts for donations. Can we put an end to all these nonsense?)

– that Singapore’s gover-min said it is prepared to cane or imprison protesters who commit violent crimes during the annual World Bank and IMF meetings, to be held in the city-state in September. The World Bank and IMF expect about 16,000 people to attend their annual meetings, which often attract anti-globalization demonstrations and other protesters. (That’s the good old Singapore I know! Cane them all!!)

– that George Soros Sor Loh, financier extraordinaire and an advocate of democraZy, argued that Singapore cannot claim to be an open society if it continues to use libel suits against opposition politicians. “Obviously, Singapore does not qualify,” he said, adding that libel suits can be a ‘tremendous hindrance to freedom of expression’. He cited an unnamed politician who, according to him, was in trouble after being sued for libel and made a bankrupt. (Here’s a bit of Singapore’s open society for you, Sor Loh: Fock off und die. Geddit?)

– that the 21,000 security officers here should wear the same uniform like the police and the Cisco guards. Instead of each of the 180 security agencies here having a different uniform, they should adopt a standard look to boost the image of the industry, says the Security Industry Forum (SIF), which brings together security agencies and various gover-min agencies. (First the uniform. Then the companies. How does this sound to you as an advert “CISCO, your only trusted security agency in Singapore…”?)

– that the motorcyclist suspected of a road rage attack on an elderly lorry driver, who died soon after he was beaten up, was arrested within a day. Police also disclosed that a post-mortem found Mr Hea Song Chye, 72, had died of a heart attack. Mr Hea was driving up the ramp of a multi-storey carpark near his Upper Cross Street flat just before midnight on Sunday when his lorry apparently stalled. A motorcyclist behind the lorry became impatient, got into a violent argument with Mr Hea, yanked open the lorry door and allegedly beat him up. Mr Hea’s wife, Madam Ng, 64, tried to intervene but suffered injuries to her face and a swollen left eye. (A kid might be rash enough to do it but what kind of beasts will beat up an old couple?)

– that stiffer penalties will be imposed on traffickers of the synthetic drug ketamine – 8 kg of which was seized last year, almost double the quantity of a year earlier. Changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act approved by parliament now classify ketamine as a Class A controlled drug, a category that already includes Ecstasy. This means convicted traffickers face jail terms of between five and 20 years and five to 15 strokes of the cane. It was previously a Class B drug and offenders drew jail terms of three to 20 years and could receive three to 10 strokes of the cane if convicted. (Just hang the drug mules. The world would be a better place with fewer scums.)

– that travellers planning to cross the Woodlands and Tuas immigration checkpoints this Chinese New Year should expect a smoother ride. Following the public outcry over last month’s gridlock, ICA is beefing up its staff numbers during peak travel periods to ease congestion problems. (This is a classic example of ‘bo kan bway tua-lan’ – no scold no grow up. After much scolding by the public on the papers then they finally do what is necessary.)

Trivial, Jokes and Thoughts from Discussions

– that Britney Smears topped Mr. Blackwell’s 46th annual ‘Worst Dressed’ list for wearing clothes that he said made her look like an ‘over-the-hill Lolita’. “When it comes to Couture Chaos, this Tacky Terror should take a bow – looks like an over-the-hill Lolita,” Mr. Blackwell said in a statement released. (There’s no reason to dress too nice when wanting to get into a state of undress.)

– that former ‘American Idol’ winner Kelly Clarkson, subject to a scolding from Simon Cowell for not letting her songs be used by new contestants on the show, has agreed to do so, a spokesman said. “I think that by ignoring the show you’re ignoring the audience who put you there,” Cowell said. (Aww shucks. We thought that was such a fine example of burning the bridges after you crossed them [过河拆桥].)

– that geneticist Kazuo Murakami has teamed up on the study with an unlikely research partner: stand-up comedians, who he hopes, no joke, can turn their one-liners into efficient, low-cost medical treatment. (I am trying to imagine this: God, and the losers who lives their full 120 years and they whine everyday.)

– that Leyan Lo, a 20-year-old California Institute of Technology student, set a new world record for solving the popular Rubik’s Cube puzzle, turning the tiled brain-twister from scrambled to solved in 11.13 seconds. “It’s kind of scary now that I set it, because I have two more (attempts) to go,” Lo said humbly afterward. His time of 11.13 seconds broke the previous record of 11.75 seconds, set by Frenchman Jean Pons at the Dutch Open competition last year. (Another evil frog dethroned. Long live Leyan Lo.)

– that according to the news on digital life (what a misnomer!), xiasuay has been accused of impersonation. Also on the grapevine, some blogs reports that blinkymummy and xiasuay met one day in some public place and blinky, embolden by her beng escorts, actually went forth to say ‘Charles Chee, Bye!’ in her face. It was said that this has triggered a major flame war on blogosphere between the two bitches and their ‘living dead’ supporters. (Natural selection at work. It pleases us immensely to know that the morons and their worshippers are mutually eliminating one another to keep the human genepool pure. Please do your worst, you fumbducks.)

– that impotency drugs such as Viagra and Cialis may be associated with increased risk of damage to the optic nerve in some men, research suggests. U.S. researchers found an increased risk in men with a history of heart attack or high blood pressure. (Didn’t they always say: ‘Too much sex is bad for your eyes’?)

– that someone suggested to SingTel and Starhub to send SMS instead of a letter to remind people who are late on paying their bills since SingTel is able to send animate Christmas and Chinese New Year MMS greetings. (Good idea. An animated MMS showing a bleeding pig’s head will do wonders. Or just a jpeg of a ‘Hell Bank Note’ would help too.)

– that a lawyer has revived the controversy over whether a Chinese explorer discovered America first by unveiling a map he claims proves Admiral Zheng He aka Cheng Ho beat Christopher Columbus to the New World. The map shows us that Chinese explorers had been to America years before Columbus,’ said Mr Liu Gang, who bought the map four years ago from a Shanghai book dealer for US$500. The map shows both North and South America in detail with annotated notes. (There was only one reason why Cheng Ho sailed – i.e. to find the Emperor Yunglo’s deposed nephew. And they were following the Silk Road on the Sea, which has been in use perhaps since the time of the Three Kingdoms. And it was a mission of diplomacy, not one of exploration. Therefore, in simple conclusion, the map is a fake because there will be no impulse or reasons for Cheng Ho’s fleet to sail around the world.)

Cute Stuff on the Internet

A Tribute to System Administrators: The System Administrator Song

The Natural Selection Award

– that police national serviceman Arvin Rangoonathan was fascinated with his Taurus service revolver and shot himself in various poses with his camera phone. Two months later, on 02-07-2005 he shot himself in the head after a botched attempt to play Russian roulette with the revolver, and died. (Willingly placing oneself on the receiving end of one’s own firearm isn’t one of the smartest things to do. Thus, nature intervened.)

The World This Week

– that Greenpeace has defended its anti-whaling tactics in the Southern Ocean after several days of close quarters sparring with a Japanese whaling fleet. Greenpeace said it welcomed any scrutiny of tactics, including incidents in which a Greenpeace ship and a whaler were involved in a minor collision. The Japanese whaling industry’s Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) said its crews were documenting the behaviour of Greenpeace ships Esperanza and Arctic Sunrise, claiming serious violations of maritime laws. (I’ll sooner believe Greenpeace than the Japanese.)

– that the war of the whales in the Southern Ocean has descended into verbal jousting, with Japanese whalers branding Greenpeace activists pirates. In response, Greens lea-duh Bob Brown said the whalers were the true pirates, and the Japanese were losing the battle over their so-called scientific research program and were facing a crew rebellion. (Go! Greenpeace! Go!)

– that a Tanzanian national who fell ill aboard an Air Malawi flight and was subsequently pronounced dead upon admission to a clinic in the commercial capital, Blantyre, had swallowed 177 tubes of cocaine, police said. Police spokesman Rhoda Manjolo said that Abdallah Saidi Mohamed’s three traveling companions were also revealed to be couriers for an international narcotics cartel. (Seems like sometimes, God has to do certain things Himself, to cut all the crap about people being barbaric with drug mules.)

– that Colin Powell supported gover-min eavesdropping to prevent terrorism but said a major controversy over presidential powers could have been avoided by obtaining court warrants. Powell said that when he was in the Cabinet, he was not told that Warmonger authorized a warrantless NSA surveillance operation after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. (Let’s all eavesdrop on Powell!)

– that House DemoRats charge that the Homeland Security Department hasn’t kept 33 of its promises to better protect the country. A report released by 13 members of the House Homeland Security Committee says that nearly three years after the cabinet department’s creation, gaps still remain in federal efforts to defend the nation against terrorism – including at ports, borders and chemicals plants. The department also fails to share alerts and other intelligence quickly with state and local officials, according to the DemoRats’ report, which analyzes public statements and congressional testimony that outline Bush regime security goals since 2002. (With Iraq as a lightning rod, perhaps they thought all these wouldn’t be necessary anymore.)

– that Fidel Castro has called her ‘mad’, following American moves to promote democratic change on the island. Condom-leezza Lice said a gover-min commission on Cuba had been reconvened and would report by next May on more measures to promote change. (Other countries should implement measures to promote change in the U.S. too. The U.S. idea that the world should be more like them needs to be changed.)

– that Chile’s top court has ruled that former military ruler Gen Augusto Pinochet is fit to stand trial over the 1975 disappearance of political opponents. The supreme court rejected an appeal that the 90-year-old should not be sent for trial because of poor health. (Go get some pointers from Soeharto.)

– that Russian prosecutors investigating last year’s Beslan school siege say the authorities made no mistakes during the crisis in North Ossetia. Relatives of more than 330 people who died in the siege accuse the security services of incompetence. (No mistakes really. Just incompetent.)

– that cleric Mohammad Omran has blamed the Howard gover-min for radicalising young Muslims, claiming that demonising Islam was driving its followers towards a terrorist mentality. “The Government is pushing the people to believe they can do all these major disaster things,” Sheik Omran told The Australian in his first major interview since 18 men, including a number of his followers, were arrested in Sydney and Melbourne, accused of plotting acts of terrorism. (“It is all your fault that I am smashing your face in.” Sounds familiar?)

– that the man accused of being one of the ringleaders who incited violence on the day of the Sydney riots has fled his home, believing his life is under threat. Glen Steele and his young family are hiding after hearing that a contract has been taken out on his life. Although he has publicly apologised for his remarks and behaviour on December 11, the images of Mr Steele screaming into a megaphone ‘No Lebs in Sutherland Shire’ made him the face of the riots. (It’s time he face the consequences of his own racist actions. Live like a rat for the rest of your life, you racist shithead.)

– that the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq is shrinking as Bulgaria and Ukraine complete troop withdrawals and Poland says it will cut troop size and switch to a non-combat role. South Korea, which is the second-largest troop contributor after Britain, is expected to order home about 1,000 of its 3,200 troops in the first half of next year. Italy said that the 2,900 Italian troops in Iraq would probably all come home this year. (It would be too late to jump ship when it starts sinking.)

– that while the two religious sickos, Pat Robertson and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, may not agree on much, both suggested on Thursday that the severe illness of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was deserved. (Such ‘well-deserved’ tragedy will probably one they come knocking on your doors, you two sonuvabitches.)

– that a young ‘Palestinian’ was charged in an Israeli court with planning to carry out a suicide attack, with the Dimona nuclear plant in southern Israel as a possible target. The Israeli military captured Ramzi Salah, 22, from the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, trying to sneak into Israel two weeks ago with an explosives belt. He has allegedly confessed to belonging to the radical group, Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which had plans to attack the heavily-guarded Dimona plant. (Go ahead! It is not as if they are not going to get anything from the fallout when the thing blows.)

– that Hundreds of angry Palestinians streamed into Egypt after militants with stolen bulldozers broke through a border wall, and two Egyptian troops were killed and 30 were wounded by gunfire in the rampage. About 3,000 Egyptian Interior Ministry troops who initially had no orders to fire swarmed the border but were forced to withdraw about a half-mile, said security forces Lt. Sameh el-Antablyan, who announced the casualties. Gen. Essam el-Sheikh said Egyptian forces later began firing back. (With the ‘Palestinian’ Authority rapidly degenerating into the ‘Palestinian Anarchy’, it is best for Egypt to just annex Gaza. After all, there was never a ‘Palestine’.)

– that a Chinese democraZy activist has reportedly been jailed for 12 years for helping to organise anti-Japanese protests in China earlier this year. The wife of Xu Wanping said he had been found guilty of incitement to subvert state power at a closed hearing. Mr Xu, 44, was among a number of activists known to have been arrested as a result of the protests in April. (Must be like Singapore. Got get an entertainment license. Or at least endorsement from the equivalent of NTUC in China, like the one we had in 1988.)

– that Chinese auditors have uncovered 290 billion yuan in funds illegally spent by government offices in the first 11 months of this year. The improper spending was found during a nationwide annual audit of 22,000 officials by the National Audit Office, Xinhua news agency said. Chinese media has criticized the lack of detail about wrongdoing and about how offenders were punished. (How to punish if so-and-so is related to so-and-so and so-and-so is some big shot muthafucka in the Party?)

– that Major-General Zhu Chenghu has been punished for telling reporters that Beijing might retaliate using nuclear weapons if U.S. forces attack China in a conflict over Taiwan, military sources said. Zhu was given an ‘administrative demerit’ recently by the National Defence University, which bars him from promotion for one year, said the sources, who requested anonymity. “He misspoke. But the punishment could not be too harsh or we would be seen as too weak towards the United States,” said one source. An administrative demerit is the second lightest punishment on a scale of one to five but still potentially damaging to Maj-Gen Zhu’s career. The lightest is an administrative warning, while the heaviest is expulsion. (Yep. Even if it’s the truth, there’s no need to say it out loud.)

– that the people of Japan should strive to properly understand their country’s history when dealing with the rest of the world, Emperor Akihito has said. In a speech to mark his 72nd birthday, he said he hoped ‘knowledge about past facts will continue to be passed down in a proper manner.’ (If this was the Thai King telling the Thai people, one can be assured that it will be done. Coming from the Japanese Emperor… well…)

– that a funeral was held for a Japanese World War II veteran who had admitted to taking part in the 1937 ‘Rape of Nanking’ in China and was among the few who spoke out publicly against the massacre. Mr Shiro Azuma, who died of colon cancer at age 93, had admitted to taking part in the orgy of mass killings and rape in the southern Chinese city, now called Nanjing. (Rest in peace, Azuma-sama. God bless your soul.)

– that Junk-ichiro Konkz-umi defended his visits to the Yasukuni war shrine and appealed to China and South Korea not to use the issue to block ties with Japan. He reiterated that he made the pilgrimages to honour the war dead and pray for peace and said the feud should not drive a diplomatic wedge between Japan and its neighbours. (Hey, Konkz! Say if my friends raped and countless members of your clan, and then I put them in my shrine of the martyrs, and go there to honour them every year, and insist we should be friends, will you buy this shit?)

– that a Taiwanese court ruled in favour of two opposition lea-duhs in their defamation lawsuit against Chen Shui-bian, who had accused them of trying to stage a ‘soft coup’ after his re-election victory last year. The court maintained Chen had damaged the ‘reputation and integrity’ of Lien Chan, former chairman of the KMT, and Mr James Soong, his counterpart in People First Party, their lawyer said. (It’s high time some people teach Chen a lesson about that big mouth of his.)

– that Chen Shui-bian will continue taking a tough stance with China for the rest of his term because his repeated peace overtures have been ignored, one of his chief aides said. (Is that what Chen calls his unreasonable demands made to China?)

– that frustrated by Beijing’s refusal to deal with him, Chen Shui-bian will focus on fostering a separate identity for Taiwan, presidential aide James Huang said. (China is even more frustrated with Chen’s endless flip-flopping and backstabbing.)

– that Chen also renewed his pledge to press for a new constitution and continued arms build-up, a move sure to irritate rival China. In his New Year message, Chen said he would work to push through various reforms, primary among them a package of constitutional reforms launched last year. (Another ‘peace overture’ from Chen, eh?)

– that the Taiwanese gave the island’s gover-min a ‘fail’ grade in a year-end report card, according to a poll which showed public dissatisfaction surging to a record high in close to a decade. Disapproval ratings for the various aspects of the gover-min’s performance in the past year surged past the 50% mark, according to the annual survey conducted by the United Daily News. (It’s high time they impeach Chen Shui-bian and fire him from his job.)

– that Indonesia’s leading religious affairs official has been arrested in a drug bust. Police confirmed that Burhanuddin Mamasta, the 53-year-old head of the Religious Affairs Bureau at the State Secretariat, was detained for allegedly possessing crystal methamphetamine outside a Jakarta nightspot. Also arrested were his 26-year-old girlfriend and another man. (Chiong nightspot, plus ti-koh, plus drugs. Win leow.)

– that Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has refused a proposed increase in his salary and perks, his spokesman said. The 2006 state budget had earmarked funds for an average 5% increase in official salaries, but Dr Yudhoyono has declined his own raise, presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said. (If he’s Durai, Indonesia should be concerned.)

Singapore This Week

– that former NKF chairman Richard Yong was condemned by Khaw Boon Wan for the way he used the charity’s former patron, Mrs Goh Chok Tong, to excuse the way Mr T.T. Durai was compensated. Without mincing his words, Mr Khaw described it as ‘despicable’. Yong, in his written reply to auditor KPMG’s report, had maintained that the method used was ‘deemed fair’ and claimed that Mrs Goh had ‘known and endorsed’ Mr Durai’s salary. (Well, does that resolve Yong and his board from their responsibilities of checking Durai?)

– that Gerard Ee and interim CEO Goh Chee Leok of the NKF took pains to point out – through pie charts and slides – that out of the remaining 90 cents, 40 cents went to the reserves and another 13 cents went to health screening and education. About 22 cents, went to fund raising and the rest to general overheads. (So how much of the remaining 15 cents went to Durai and his cronies?)

– that with its hands already full trying to woo back donors, the new NKF now has to deal with another headache – patients who don’t pay for their dialysis. About 17% of the NKF’s more than 1,800 patients – 312 in total – have defaulted on payments. They owe the charity sums ranging from $200 to over $27,000. The total bad debt: $1.3 million. Some of the defaulters are those in genuine financial need, but others are making use of the cloud hanging over the charity to serve their own ends. (I won’t be surprise that some of these losers will be saying, “If the NKF has so much money to pay Durai, they shouldn’t be concerned with the amount owed.”)

– that cobbler Fan Kiet Teng, 64, was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison, after pleading guilty to eight charges of cheating a 21-year-old Vietnamese woman into having sex with him and conning the agency. (They should just castrate the bugger.)

– that disturbed at how easily Fan got away with his bride-for-sex scam, District Judge Jasvender Kaur, urged matchmaking agencies to ‘act responsibly’ and called for guidelines to protect vulnerable foreign women. (Maybe have the agency paid for the Vietnamese woman’s hymen reconstruction operation.)

– that gover-min agencies have started to make officers’ laptops more secure, installing encryption software on selected computers to prevent sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. Only employees who handle classified information are given this added layer of protection, with others possibly exposed if their laptops fall into the wrong hands. When a laptop’s hard disk is encrypted, a user has to enter a password or slot in a smart card to log in. Without this, he cannot decrypt or read any data. (And the user is still the weakest link.)

– that Baby Lee has ordered a revision of the registers of electors to be completed on or before Feb 28, 2006. The revised registers will contain the names of all Singapore citizens who are eligible to vote as of Jan 1, 2006. The revision is generally regarded as an indicator that an election is around the corner. Once updated, the registers will be opened for public inspection, so that voters can confirm where they are supposed to go on Polling Day. Registration will also open for overseas Singaporeans to vote while out of the country. (Erection Election finally coming!! Doesn’t matter I don’t get the chance to vote.)

– that the daughter of the Everitt Road man fined for insulting his neighbours was herself fined $2,000 after a district court found her guilty of behaving in an insulting manner to a neighbour. The 43-year-old teacher was accused of uttering the words ‘masturbation expert’ within earshot of Madam Teo Suan Moy on the night of July 29, 2004 – the day her father was fined $4,000 for insulting Madam Teo and Ms Bency Chua. Chan insisted that she was merely having a private conversation with her father. The words were not intended for her neighbours, who were eavesdropping on her, she claimed. (People eat finish so free eavesdrop on you meh?)

– that it will be of no significance if the Everitt Road teacher found guilty of insulting her neighbour loses her job, said her father. According to MOE, a teacher who has been convicted in court is subject to internal disciplinary action and the ministry is looking into Chan Soo Yin’s case. (It takes two hands to clap. You will get the kind of neighbour by being the kind of people you are. Hear that, Malaysia?)

Trivial, Jokes and Thoughts from Discussions

– that Lazio striker Paolo Di Canio has defended the raised-arm salute that earned him a one-game ban by saying he is ‘a fascist but not a racist’. Di Canio will contest a one-match ban for the salute. (Right. Ever heard of the argument, “I have venereal disease, but I am not promiscuous?” [Translation: 我有性病，但我唔‘咸湿’。]

– that patient-specific stem cells that disgraced South Korean cloning expert Hwang Woo-Suk said he had produced this year do not exist, investigators have concluded, according to a news report. (Maybe it’s time the fraud himself ceased to exist too.)

– that 2 16-year-olds who were expelled from a Lutheran high school because they were suspected of being lesbians have sued the school for invasion of privacy and discrimination. The lawsuit, filed in Riverside County Superior Court in California, seeks the girls’ re-enrollment at the small California Lutheran High School, unspecified damages and an injunction barring the school from excluding gays and lesbians. Kirk D. Hanson, an attorney for the girls, said the expulsion traumatized and humiliated them. (A matter of misconduct and disciplinary action now becomes a civil lawsuit of privacy and discrimination. Only in a world where things are turned on its head is it done.)

– that Winston Churchill was determined to have Adolf Hitler executed if he was captured, according to previously secret gover-min documents released. Other documents released show that Churchill favored letting India’s Mahatma Gandhi die if he went on a hunger strike while interned during World War II, and that British troops were told during the war to show respect for the U.S. Army’s then-racial segregation practices. (Churchill is no saint. Hitler would have been his good friend if he was British. After all, when Churchill was Home Secretarty in 1910, he drafted a proposal to sterilise, or put in labour camps, 100,000 ‘degenerate British citizens’.)

– that the documents also reveal intense debate in 1942 over possible British reprisals for Nazi atrocities in Czechoslovakia. On 15 June, Churchill suggested that British bombers wipe out three German villages for every one Czech settlement destroyed. (That explains Hamburg and Dresden, doesn’t it?)

– that a AMOS WU POM HIN reckon that it may not always be the driver’s fault, in response to a letter about a driver who committed the ‘appalling act of cruelty’ of running over a pigeon. He seems to suggest that other birds like mynahs and crows will fly off and clear the path before my car reaches them, and pigeons to be the dumbest of the lot. (So if Amos Wu didn’t run away in time should he ever get run over by someone, don’t have to feel sorry for him.)

– that Paris Hilton is accused of spewing ‘vicious lies’ about an altercation with a romantic rival at a London nightclub, and harassing a business promoter in two lawsuits set for court this month. The first suit pits the hotel heiress-actress against diamond heiress-actress Zeta Graff, who is seeking at least $10 million in damages for Hilton’s comments in a July New York Post story. (Paris Hilton without money will get just about as much attention as the ladies at the lorongs of Geylang.)

The Ugly Singaporean Award

– that a DR NG CHUNG WAI witnessed an act of unnecessary cruelty on 16-Dec in the coffee shop the junction of Kreta Ayer Road and Keong Saik Road, in which a sick sack of shit deliberately drove into a flock of pigeons without sounding his horn. One of the birds was crushed by the wheel of his car and died horribly. (Just a bird, you said? Next time let me run over you without sounding my horn, alright?)

The World This Week

– that World trade ministers opened talks seeking a deal to cut global trade barriers and combat poverty as thousands of protesters marched in the streets, denouncing the WTO as an enemy of the poor. About 15 activists forced their way into the conference venue in central Hong Kong to shout slogans as the World Trade Organisation’s director general, Pascal Lamy, addressed the opening session. Ministers from the 149-member WTO will spend the next six days trying to salvage the Doha Round of trade negotiations, currently deadlocked over sharp regional disputes over agricultural subsidies and import tariffs. (The idealists protesting the WTO should realise that it’s DOMESTIC policies that matters most to a nation’s gover-min, and not policies that is in the best interest of the world. And perhaps it’s high time for all of us to understand that the concept of nation is archaic, and the idealists should look toward a more advance concept of governance and group identity.)

– that the UN gains a new weapon in its fight against corruption with the entry into force of the first legally binding international agreement against such crime. The ‘Convention Against Corruption’ adopted by the UN General Assembly in October 2003, has been signed by 140 countries after a conference in Merida, Mexico, and ratified by 38. The notion that ‘in some societies corruption is OK’, is arrogant, Stuart Gilman, the head of the UNODC’s anti-corruption unit said. According to UNODC figures, over one trillion dollars are paid in bribes every year around the world. (It’s high time to have corrupted officials hung, and their estate confiscated.)

– that a Japanese whaling fleet is ‘on the run’ from Greenpeace activists in a chase across the icy waters of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, Shane Rattenbury, the environmental group’s team lea-duh said. But the Japanese have been unable to shake off the protesters, who have been harassing them since finding the fleet earlier this week. Rattenbury said, activists in small inflatable boats had repeatedly manoeuvred into position between target whales and the harpooners, allowing several whales to escape. (Long Live Greenpeace!! Eco-terrorism? Who cares!)

– that Japan says it conducts whale hunts for scientific research, but critics say that is a cover for commercial killing of whales for consumption in Japan, where whale meat is popular. Under their new JARPA II scientific whaling program, the Japanese plan to slaughter 935 minke whales and 10 fin whales in the Southern Ocean this summer in the name of scientific research. (Call a slaughter a slaughter, bakas. But again, this coming from a race denying all its atrocities committed during WWII is not unexpected.)

– that the world has shirked its duty to help prosecute Saddam Hussein, Condom-leezza Lice said. “The international community’s effective boycott of Saddam’s trial is only harming the Iraqi people, who are now working to secure the hope of justice and freedom that Saddam long denied them,” Rice said. (Actually, the world would want no part in the Warmonger Bush’s personal vendetta against Saddam nor want any participation in American sponsored kangaroo courts.)

– that Warmonger Bush took the blame for going to war in Iraq over faulty intelligence but said he was right to topple Saddam Hussein and urged Americans to be patient as Iraqis vote. “It is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong. As president I am responsible for the decision to go into Iraq, and I am also responsible for fixing what went wrong by reforming our intelligence capabilities and we’re doing just that,” he said. But he said, “My decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the right decision” because he was deemed a threat and that regardless, “We are in Iraq today because our goal has always been more than the removal of a brutal dictator.” (Just say so right in the beginning that it was all about removing Saddam and you will have less of a boo-boo today, Warmonger.)

– that Warmonger Bush said that he had authorised the use of wiretaps by the National Security Agency, calling the practice ‘crucial to our national security’ in the U.S. ‘war on terror’. “In the weeks following the [September 11, 2001] terrorist attacks on our nation, I authorised the National Security Agency, consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution, to intercept the international communications of people with known links to Al-Qaeda and related terrorist organisations,” Bush said in a televised address. (Who can be sure that everyone wiretapped are really terrorist-linked?)

– that thousands of drunken white youths attacked police and people they believed were Arab immigrants at a Sydney beach, angered by reports that youths of Lebanese descent had assaulted two lifeguards. Young men of Arab descent retaliated in several Sydney suburbs, fighting with police and smashing 40 cars with sticks and bats, police said. Thirty-one people were injured and 28 were arrested in hours of violence. Police said they were seeking an Arab man who allegedly stabbed a white man in the back. (First France, now Australia. One kind of barbarians draws out another. Go ahead, fight and kill one another. The world would perhaps be a better place after that.)

– that in Australia, however, the soft sentencing under its ‘harm minimisation’ policy would likely have the drug pushers back on the streets the following day as they would be let off with just a warning when they agree to go for counselling. It is this ‘soft’ policy towards drug pushers and addicts that some now blame for the growing drug problem in Australia. The spotlight on the problem has intensified lately following the high-profile arrests of drug-laden Australians in neighbouring Asian countries. (What about foreigner pushers? As long as this policy stays, local drug traffickers and pushers should shift their bases to Australia, posthaste! You can’t find a better drug-paradise than this!)

– that a 10-year jail sentence for people who send text messages that incite violence has been labelled as ‘excessive’ by civil liberties groups. Using the new powers rushed through the NSW Parliament last week, police confiscated at least 22 mobile phones, some with SMS messages urging Arabs to ‘arm up and get ready for war’. Australian Council of Civil Liberties secretary Cameron Murphy condemned the text messages, but said the maximum jail sentence for those who forwarded them was too harsh. (Anyone who forwards a message means he has read, thought through it and agree with it before he forwards them. He should face up to the consequences of his own thougtless act.)

– that the principle of ‘harm minimisation’ was introduced 20 years ago. It was founded during the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse, which was prompted by the discovery that the daughter of then-prime minister Bob Hawke was a heroin addict. (So if she was never one, Australia would have been a better place and Nguyen Tuong Van would probably still be alive today. Damn you, Hawke.)

– that addicts who peddle the drugs to support their habit are invariably given just a slap on the wrist because of this absurd principle, even though the maximum punishment for drug trafficking is a fine of A$550,000 and/or life in prison. So when an addict is arrested, he is let off with just a warning if he agrees to go on what is called a drug diversion programme, which requires him to attend counselling and a drug treatment session. In some cases, it could mean no more than a two-hour commitment. (Did they keep the archaic law around at all to serve as some kind of joke to amuse themselves with when they have nothing better to do?)

– that two men accused of being members of a terrorist organisation who allegedly discussed whether John Howard should be killed as payback for the deaths of innocent Muslims have been refused bail. (There should be a discussion if the families of terrorists should be killed for political murders and the murder of other innocents too. And no, it’s not that I support shit ideas like this. Just that it is quite poetic to subject this f*ckwits to the very same ideas they espoused.)

– that Iran’s Foreign Ministry brushed off fresh criticism of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and defended his view that the Holocaust never took place as a contribution to ‘scientific debate’. Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said he was surprised at the intensity of the criticism directed at Ahmadinejad, who said the mass killing was a ‘myth’. “The type of response from the Europeans to the theoretical and scientific debate of Ahmadinejad has no place in the civilised world and is totally emotional and illogical,” he said, describing it as ‘a sign of their total, blind support for the Zionists’. (Talk about Iran’s Ayatollah’s response to Salman Rushdie’s ‘Satanic Verses’ man! Was Iran trying to set an example of what ‘theoretical and scientific debate that has its place in the civilised world whihc is totally rational and logical’ should be? Get a life!!)

– that according to radio broadcasts and audiocassettes recently distributed in the ‘Palestinian’ territories – “Jews plan to take over the world by killing their opponents, Israelis are the descendents of pigs and monkeys, and Allah will soon dish out ‘the harshest punishments’ to the followers of the ‘corrupt and racist Torah’. The dissemination of anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic hate propaganda continues throughout the ‘Palestinian’ Authority-administered territories in spite of multiple pledges to reform the ‘Palestinian’ media, according to the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at Israel’s Center for Special Studies, which released a study that includes translations of radio broadcasts from last month. (And don’t these clowns which propagate these propaganda profess to believe in a God who created all mankind? Aren’t they aware they owe their religion to the very existence of the Torah itself?)

– that ‘Palestinian’ militant group Hamas will step up its attacks on Israeli targets if the Jewish state attacks its key ally in the region, Iran, Hamas chief-in-exile Khaled Meshaal said. “If Israel attacks Iran then Hamas will widen and increase its confrontation of Israelis inside ‘Palestine’,” Meshaal told reporters in Tehran, where he has held three days of talks with top political and security officials. (They will use anything as an excuse to attack the Jews. The next day they might just blame Israel for all their children’s dental decay and launch an attack.)

– that Iraqi security forces caught the most wanted man in the country last year, but released him because they didn’t know who he was, the Iraqi deputy minister of interior said. (Or maybe someone just chose to look the other way because he now got a fatter pocket?)

– that a Chinese official who ordered security forces to open fire on protesters has been arrested, state media said, ending a news blackout on the clash but denying claims that scores were killed. The official press put the death toll from last Tuesday’s riot at three, far below local reports that as many as 30 people died in what would be the worst violence by Chinese security forces since 1989. (They should allow the family members of the victims to be part of the firing squad executing this criminal. And let them do it at point blank range.)

– that China put more pressure on Japan over Junk-ichiro Konkz-umi’s war shrine visits, saying that Tokyo’s attitude was ‘solely’ to blame for the current diplomatic impasse. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing reiterated Beijing’s stance on the sidelines of the Asean summit. “The current difficulties… are the sole responsibility of a key Japanese lea-duh,” Mr Li said. (It’s not like the recalcitrant Japanese will give a flying damn.)

– that Wen Mengjie, 49, former director of the science and technology department in the Beijing branch of the Agricultural Bank of China has been sentenced to death for accepting bribes and embezzling public funds worth 15 million yuan. (人心不足蛇吞象。蛇吞得下象吗？根本就是找死。 [Translation: One’s insatiable greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Can a snake swallow an elephant? It’s simply suicidal.])

– that Japan’s economy and financial services minister Kaoru Yosano criticised securities firms for a lack of morals after they made millions by jumping on a typing error made by a trader at a rival company. The fiasco was triggered last Thursday as a dealer at Mizuho Securities punched in an order to sell 610,000 shares in a telecoms firm at one yen each instead of the intended one share at 610,000 yen. Mizuho now faces an estimated 40 billion yen loss under a settlement imposed by the clearing house. But for rivals the blunder was a chance to make an easy profit. (When you have bastards who jumped on the typos in e-commerce websites and place a big order for just a few hundred thousand dollars, do you expect anyone to let billions of dollars go to waste like that?)

– that Taro Aso Arsehole has said China’s military build-up is starting to be ‘a considerable threat’. Arsehole said Chinese military spending had seen double-digit growth every year for the past 17 and that it was unclear what this money was being spent on. (If they need an excuse to re-militarise, they need to try ‘try harder’.)

– that North Korean lea-duh Kim Jong Il has forbidden internal talk about his naming a successor to the world’s only communist dynasty, saying that speculation hurts his rule. He has three known sons, and analysts have been guessing for years which one will take over. Outside speculation was particularly rife in October, when he was expected to use the 60th anniversary of the founding of the North’s communist party to name his successor. (This is probably how he forbid them, translated into Chinese: 他妈的你们这班兔崽子！你们当我死了吗？！ [Damn you all! Do you think I am dead?!])

– that South Korean researcher Hwang Woo-suk resigned from his university after the school said he fabricated stem-cell research that had raised hopes of new cures for hard-to-treat diseases. A university panel, releasing initial findings of a probe, accused Hwang of damaging the scientific community with his deception, while South Korea’s gover-min rued the scandal surrounding the country’s star scientist and said it may pull its funding for his research. (We get an Ernst Haeckel every 100 years.)

– that South Korea urged Japan’s lea-duhs to face up to the country’s past aggression and adopt a forward-looking policy to resolve bilateral differences over historical issues. (“That’s why we are praying to the kami-sama you called war-criminals for peace at Yakusuni,” says the Japanese.)

– that a South Korean minister apologised for anti-WTO riots started by his countrymen in Hong Kong. It was the territory’s worst violence in decades. He was in Hong Kong to help secure the release of hundreds of South Koreans, mainly farmers and trades unionists, who were arrested during anti-free trade demonstrations. (And the Koreans must have taught the Hong Kongers much in the art of protest.)

– that Chen Shui-bian said he would reshuffle his Cabinet after the ruling party’s major defeat in local elections this month. “The wrongdoings of some members of the ruling team have disappointed the people longing for a clean gover-min,” Chen told a group of former dissidents in the Presidential Office. Chen’s former right-hand man, Chen Che-nan, was among 18 people indicted. “The whole ruling team, including A-Bian (Chen’s nickname), the executive branch of the gover-min and the ruling party, should conduct a humble self-inspection and learn from the failure,” Chen said. (Just shut up, be your lame duck for the remaining term and then bye bye lah.)

– that the dust has barely settled after its devastating defeat in the recent local elections, and already Taiwan’s ruling party is locked in a new battle. Party heavyweights are jockeying for key positions to lead the DPP into a crucial presidential election just two years away. (Is it a surprise why it did collapse in th recent elections? They were more interested in power than the welfare of the people. Thank God the Taiwanese people are smart.)

– that Indonesia will have a national database for the fingerprints of all adults in the country in its latest move to fight terrorism, as well as other crimes. National Police Chief General Sutanto said the fingerprinting would be conducted through a Single Identification Number system, in which citizens would only be able to have one identification card and passport. (Have a good time finding everyone to fingerprint them.)

– that Bali bombings commander Mukhlas has written a fanatical call-to-arms from his death-row prison cell, exhorting Muslims to kill Westerners. Published on a website on the orders of notorious terror chief Noordin Mohammed Top, the polemic demonstrates the undiminished fervour of Mukhlas, who has been sentenced to death for commanding the Bali bomb blasts in 2002 that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. “You who still have a shred of faith in your hearts, have you forgotten that to kill infidels and the enemies of Islam is a deed that has a reward above no other,” says the 60-page polemic written in Indonesian by ‘SheikhShit Mukhlas’, posted on the anshar.net website, which has since been shut down by Indonesian police. (Why is this inhuman beast still alive in the first place? Shouldn’t they execute him immediately with his own devices?)

– that a notorious Jakarta prison which is home to some of Indonesia’s rich and famous is said to have offered them a luxurious lifestyle in jail. Inmates are able to pay for prostitutes who are taken to a secure room for sex, said House of Representatives legislator Ahmad Fauzi during a recent parliamentary hearing. He told Indonesian Justice and Human Rights Minister Hamid Awaluddin that prison officials allowed wealthy inmates to buy mobile phones, television sets, luxury furniture and air-conditioning units for their cells in the Cipinang Prison in East Jakarta. (It’s high time they change the prison guards and get Lynnie England and her boyfriend to run the show.)

– that Mama-thir says he would prefer the Malaysian gover-min to go ahead with its proposal to build a new bridge to replace the Causeway without waiting for Singapore to make a move. (Eh, Mama. Just take the causeway apart and forget it lah.)

– that an ethnic Malay has come forward to claim she was the Chinese-looking woman whose naked video in police custody sparked a protest from China. Gover-min lawyers at a public inquiry into the scandal instructed the media not to publish her name and photograph, but the woman shocked observers during the hearing when she identified herself as a pregnant, 22-year-old Malay Muslim. She had previously been believed to be a Chinese national or an ethnic Chinese Malaysian, based on her appearance in grainy video images that showed her being forced to strip and perform squats in front of a female officer in a police lockup. (Then apart from finding the reason why she is thus humiliated, the culprit making and keeping that video ought to explain himself too.)

– that the policewoman in the video, Lynnie England Zawati Zalina Ismail, testified that she regularly stripped female detainees and forced them perform squats to ensure they weren’t hiding weapons, drugs or other banned objects. (Well, perhaps she should have thought about whether this method really works or is she just going through the motion?)

– that another policeman, Suhaimi Nordin, claimed one of his colleagues filmed the incident surreptitiously and showed it to him. “He told me that it was footage of a Malay woman detained in a drug case. I scolded him and urged him to delete it,” he said. (He certain ‘deleted’ it. By ‘moving’ it to some other people’s phones, apparently.)

Singapore This Week

– that the cost of living in a Nanyang Technological University (NTU) hostel just got higher. When students move into the new Hall Three next month, they will pay $350 for single rooms and $240 for double rooms. These rates will also apply to the new Hall Sixteen, which will take in residents from July next year. Currently, residents pay between $175 and $190 for single rooms at the university’s other 14 halls of residence, while rates for double rooms range between $155 and $160. The fees for the single rooms in these other halls, too, will be revised, with the hikes ranging between $25 and $70 a month. An NTU spokesperson was at pains to stress that there would be no increase in the rates for double rooms, which form the bulk of hostel accommodation. (So that explains where the money for the chairs which costs $2,200 each is coming from.)

– that with the recent announcement by the Ministry of Education to corporatise local universities, there were fears that fees would rise as these institutions will receive less funding from the gover-min. But the university flatly ruled out the suggestion that the rise in hostel fees had anything to do with corporatisation. The spokesperson said the university conducted a market survey and found that its current rental rates were ‘much lower’ than that of other local universities. (Always this. Can’t they actually think of something better than the usual ‘If your food taste terrible, it’s actually ok because someone else’s eating shit?’ comparison?)

– that money changers advise travellers to be careful when exchanging foreign currency, and to inspect details like serial numbers and watermarks. 25-year-old TODAY reporter Lee U-Wen found some fake notes and when he returned to the same money changer to seek recourse, the money changer agreed to compensate him half the original value. (Odd. Since the money changers are the ones getting the foreign currencies to be exchanged with others, don’t they also have a duty to be careful and do the inspection as well? So when currencies coming from money changers are found to be fakes, don’t they also have a moral responsibility? Anyway, make sure you check the money on the spot and if fakes are found, demand a full refund.)

– that last year, Starbucks collected only $16,000 for 14,000 cups of coffee served. Similarly, the majority of those in the line for ‘free coffee’ this year were young and in office attire and that two things seemed not so apparent to them: the amount of time spent in the queue; and not knowing (or pretending not to know) that many passer-bys were well aware the majority of them were out to take advantage of Starbucks’ charity programme rather than help the less fortunate. (It averages out to about $1.14 for a cup of Starbuck coffee last year. Maybe it’s even ‘cheaper’ this year. Maybe they ought to include that in our inflation index to bring the index down.)

– that from Jan 1 next year, motorists can choose to pay a half-hourly rate of 50 cents when parking at designated carparks from 1am to 7am. The half-hourly rate will be extended to 7am ‘to provide greater flexibility to motorists’, the HDB and URA said in a joint statement. Currently, a flat rate of $2 has to be paid for parking during these hours, no matter how long the vehicle is parked. At present, motorists have a choice of paying the half-hourly rate of 50 cents or the $2 flat rate for parking only between 10.30pm and 1am under the night parking scheme at designated HDB and URA carparks. (About damned time. I can still recall the incident of a poor sod having to pay $2 because he entered a carpark at 6:55am.)

– that Durai maintains there was ‘never any intention’, on the part of himself, the board or the executive committee, to ‘surreptitiously’ pay him more than he appeared to accept. Then executive committee chairman Richard Yong claimed the same, adding that there was ‘no intention or knowledge of ‘benefiting’ the CEO in the manner as calculated… This was also known and endorsed by the Patron of NKF, Mrs Goh Chok Tong’. However, Mrs Goh refuted that claim, saying his statement was ‘incorrect’ as she found out Mr Durai’s salary only when it was made public in court in July this year. (东西可以乱吃，话不可以乱讲。 [Translation: Things can anyhow eat. But cannot anyhow say.])

– that disappointment was written all over the Health Minister’s face as he gave the gover-min’s response to the latest revelations about the NKF. Khaw Boon Wan roundly castigated its five former board members for the way they abdicated their duties to CEO T.T. Durai as the charity focused increasingly on fund-raising than putting its patients first. (It was simply the making of another Nick Leeson.)

– that Khaw said the gover-min accepted KPMG’s ‘sharp comments’ on the regulators’ failure to address problems at the charity sooner and said: “We have learnt a sharp lesson from this episode.” On its part, the gover-min had a duty to ensure there was no criminal misconduct and that basic rules were complied with. “However, in the case of a large entity like the NKF, because of its scale of fund-raising, and the patronage that gover-min lea-duhs lent to the NKF, the gover-min had a heavier responsibility to satisfy ourselves that the organisation was properly run,” he said. “We failed in not doing so earlier.” (That’s the closest I have seen the gover-min admitting to have made a mistake. Khaw has done well and deserved respect in this matter.)

– that SBS Transit, Singapore’s biggest transport operator, criticised in recent weeks for long waiting times for buses, is taking steps to bring improvements. A high-level committee, led by its board of directors, is to be set up next month to look into service standards provided by SBS Transit, the bus and train subsidiary of ComfortDelGro, which made $200 million in net profit last year. (Well, just ask go take the buses the commuters are complaining about for a month.)

– that Mariana Abdullah, the girlfriend of a Tunisian fugitive charged with drug trafficking, has been arrested again by CNB officers for taking drugs. The 25-year-old former model was sentenced to 13 months’ jail for consuming morphine and stealing from automated teller machines. After her release from prison, she went back to her old ways. She was picked up by narcotics officers on Oct 10 and her urine sample tested positive for methamphetamine. She has since been sent for treatment at a drug rehabilitation centre and could be detained for another four or five months. (Heavier punishment is necessary for casual drug users. Repeated offence should be punishable by DEATH.)

– that Lao Goh said Baby Lee is weighing when to call the polls. Lao Goh said although Baby Lee has until mid-2007 to do so, he said Baby Lee will want to seek a mandate before then to tackle the many challenges ahead. (Anybody taking bets yet when the next election will be? March 2006. My bet.)

Trivial, Jokes and Thoughts from Discussions

– that a lorry travelling along the AYE was involved in a collision with another lorry near the North Buona Vista exit. No one was hurt, but the workers’ lorry would not restart. A passing taxi driver slowed down his vehicle to help — only to have his car rammed from behind by another taxi. The impact caused the Good Samaritan’s taxi to crash into the lorry. The workers, who were sitting on benches, fell and injured themselves. Their lorry driver and the driver of the second taxi were also hurt. The three-vehicle pile-up blocked the left lane of the expressway and caused a traffic bottleneck. To make matters worse, motorists slowed down to catch a glimpse of the damaged vehicles. One lorry, which was passing by, had done exactly that when — in a carbon copy of the earlier accident — the bus behind him rammed into the lorry. Two bus passengers were injured. (Like I have always said to my kaypoh friends: “So kaypoh for what? Drive carefully. If not later you will be the subject of someone else’s ‘kay-poh-ing’.”)

– that 15 year-old JEREMY LIM wrote this in his weekly column on TODAY: “Not too long ago, fanatical fans of Taiwanese boy band 5566 set up camp at IMM building in Jurong East just to be first in line to catch their performance. Such queues, which can sometimes form for days, are not uncommon when big stars are in town to give a concert or sign autographs. Parents who found out that their children skipped school to be in the queue were naturally upset. But they could have saved the situation if they had participated in the activity. There is no reason for the children to miss school if their parents had waited in the queue for them during the day.” (I have a lot of respect for this kid, considering his bravery and fighting spirit but I must politely object to this example. While I understand the point Jeremy is trying to make, I object to the example absolutely. I think it is alright to queue on the behalf of kids for a limited edition toy or gadget. Not to mention that I had been a kid before and while I certainly wished that parents would listen and give consideration to their children’s opinion and views, pampering them on an endeavour of mindless idol worship isn’t one of those things. For Jeremy’s knowledge, my mom and dad would both have given me a spanking and cut my daily allowance for a week back in the days when I was a kid if I skipped school, so that I will have to go home on time to get my meals. Or else, I’ll starve.)

– that Britney Smears has filed a $20 million libel lawsuit against U.S. Weekly, charging the celebrity magazine published a false story reporting she and husband Kevin Federline had made a sex tape and were worried about its release. The lawsuit seeks $10 million in libel damages and $10 million for misappropriating the 24-year-old pop singer’s name and image to promote sales. It also seeks unspecified punitive damages. (The magazine is dumb. Whatever makes them thinks that even if such a tape exists, they are actually going to be worried about it? More like whoever release the tape will get sued instead.)

– that a leading official from the International Olympic Committee has suggested London only won the bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games because a member pressed the wrong button at the secret Singapore ballot last July. The blunder meant that Paris, rather than Madrid, went through to the final round against London, when the Spanish capital had been widely recognised as the greatest one-on-one threat to the now 2012 host city. The Times in London reports today that Lambis Nikolaou, of Greece, is widley thought to be the offending button pusher. (It’s fated. Get on with life.)

– that Pope John Paul I, who died from an apparent heart attack just 33 days after becoming pontiff in 1978, was in fact assassinated over his plans to radically reform the Catholic Church, a novel to be published worldwide next year charges. The novel expounds the theory that John Paul I had become a threat because he was aware of money laundering involving the Vatican Bank as well as due to his plans to liberalise some aspects of centuries-old church doctrine. The novel depicts John Paul I’s assassination as the result of a conspiracy involving top financial officials, several European gover-mins and a Mafia group that counted top officials of the Roman Curia, including the pontiff’s personal secretary, as members. (Try a new idea, alright? The last time someone talked about an assassinated Pope was Dan Brown in ‘Angels and Demons’. And it involved… the ILLUMINATI!! * gasp *)

I couldn’t help but recall this old dinosaur (see box below) when I read this:

[NKF] failed to pass on the rebates it got on its bulk purchase of medicine (e.g. one drug costs $25. It gave patients a $13 discount and charged them $12. But NKF paid only $8.20 for the drug. It pocketed a 46% profit.

From the ST Aug 6, 2004 HDB pricing keeps new flats affordable to most Singaporeans I REFER to the letters, ‘What goes into pricing of HDB flats’ (ST, July 23) by Mr Hiong Kum Meng and ‘Subsidy should be based on flat’s building cost’ (ST, July 27) by Mr Mohamed Rafiq Hamjah. Mr Hiong concluded that the increase in HDB resale prices has outstripped wage growth, based on a comparison of changes in the Resale Price Index with changes in average nominal wages between 1993 and 2003. We would like to explain that resale flats are transacted in the open market on a willing buyer-willing seller basis. The prices are not set by HDB. Prices can fluctuate, depending on factors such as the economic outlook, employment situation and sentiments in the property market. What is important is that HDB prices its new flats so that the majority of Singaporeans can afford one. From 1993 to 2003, the prices of new four-room flats increased by 2.6 per cent per annum, below the annual increase of 5.3 per cent in average wages cited by Mr Hiong. New-flat prices did not rise as steeply as resale-flat prices, because HDB prices new flats below their equivalent market price, that is, at a subsidy. Mr Mohamed asked why HDB’s subsidy for new flats is related to the market price and not the building cost of a flat. Today, first-time HDB flat buyers can buy either resale or new flats. Those who opt to buy resale flats from the open market can take up a housing grant of $30,000 or $40,000, which allows them to enjoy a discount off the market price of the flat. Those who opt to buy new flats from HDB also enjoy a discount off the equivalent market price of the flat. The difference between what the buyer pays HDB for his flat and what it is actually worth in the market is a direct and real subsidy provided by HDB to the buyer. Like the housing grant for resale flats, the provision of such a market-related subsidy in the case of new flats has enabled HDB to keep its flats affordable for the majority of Singaporeans. DESMOND WONG Deputy Director (Marketing & Planning) for Director (Estate Administration & Property) Housing & Development Board

Please take note of how the nouns subsidy and discount are laid out in the above letter.

Here’s some English lessons:

• subsidy
  noun
  Inflected Form(s): plural -dies
  a grant or gift of money: as a : a sum of money formerly granted by the British Parliament to the crown and raised by special taxation b : money granted by one state to another c : a grant by a government to a private person or company to assist an enterprise deemed advantageous to the public.
• discount
  noun
  1 : a reduction made from the gross amount or value of something: as a (1) : a reduction made from a regular or list price (2) : a proportionate deduction from a debt account usually made for cash or prompt payment b : a deduction made for interest in advancing money upon or purchasing a bill or note not due
  2 : the act or practice of discounting
  3 : a deduction taken or allowance made

What is the point I am trying to make here?

It is my considered opinion that a subsidy is an amount of real money given out at one’s own expense, while a discount is simply a figure struck off from the real amount without any real money exchanging hands.

In other words, the HDB is really just giving a discount to first-time flat buyers, while in reality, the direct and real subsidy is actually given by the buyer to the seller when the first-time buyer resell his flat after a certain amount of years.

Still don’t get the what the babble is all about?

Ok. Let me give an example. Say, the flat prices for a resale 5-room HDB is $300K at some ulu location. You pay the HDB $200K for a new one at the same ulu-location as a first-time buyer. The HDB claims that it has given you, $100K in ‘real and direct subsidies’. Now, say when you sell your flat 5 years later – you have to stay in it for five years if you are a first time owner – and the price evaluated is $280K now because you are so fortunate to be selling during a slump. You made a profit of $80K but what has happened to the $20K which the HDB claims to be your ‘real and direct subsidies’.

Better still, your flat’s price has gone up to $400K. Does that mean that the HDB has actually give your $200K in ‘real and direct subsidies’?

Well? You get the idea.

So, I must say, there is really no issue with the NKF having claimed to have saved patients more than $3.5 million by offering them lower drug prices and subsidies while actually made close to $1 million each year, in 2003 & 2004, in gross profit from the sale of such drugs.

Really, if the HDB calls such as subsidies and it appeared to me that they have been consistent in their public letters to call it as such, then the NKF is right to do the same, isn’t it?