Once again, back to the topic of ‘shrines’. Here’s a really nice one I have found recently at 静思書軒… along the food street (aka Smith Street) in China Town.

I suppose the place didn’t need such publicity, but other than the toilet, the place is really cozy and it serves good tea at reasonable prices. That’s not mentioning that the staff is friendly and service standards are pretty good..

So, please patronise the place, and no, I am not encouraging you to just go there for the toilet.

Approaching the ‘Shrine’	The Throne in the ‘Shrine’	Decorations #1
Decorations #2	The View From The Throne	Click on a picture to enlarge

Addendum 【July 2010】

The place has closed down a year or so after this blog post. I had forgotten about this post and only a recent visit reminds me that I should post an update.

click on image to download

A handbook that offers advice to bloggers who want to protect themselves from recrimination and censors has been released by Reporters Without Borders. The media watchdog said it gives people who want to set up a blog tips on how to do so, how to publicise it, as well as how to establish credibility. It also offers advice about writing blogs from countries with tough media restrictions, such as Iran and China. The handbook was part-funded by the French gover-min. A little too late for the 3 clowns who got charged for sedition, and this probably wouldn’t save you either if you crossed the Tali-PAP gover-min. In other words, if you don’t want to get into trouble with the authorities, here’s a really short summary on what to do: Don’t even say it. And since I am on the topic of blogging, it just occurred to me that the charges brought to bear on those 3 bloggers chilled the blogger community. It makes people afraid to talk, especially topics on race, politics, etc. It makes them fear being charged for sedition. In other words, this new medium of blogging which can be used for political commentary is suddenly quiet and afraid. The conspiracy theorist in me finds that this is quite convenient since all the disaffected talk is gone right before the coming elections. And did I mention that if these 3 are successfully charged for sedition, it then set a precedence in terms of law? Now, sedition can be used to get people on racism. But not the ‘Harmony Act’ or whatever!

Sedition n – rebellion or incitement: actions or words intended to provoke or incite rebellion against government authority, or actual rebellion against government authority. [In Chinese] – 煽动叛乱[14th century. Via French < Latin sedition- "coming apart" < se(d)- "apart" + ition- "going" < ire "go"]

The two bloggers charged with sedition faces jail terms for making anti-Muslim and racist remarks on the Internet. The case was triggered when a local Muslim woman complained about uncaged dogs travelling in Singapore taxis, and leaving behind drool and dirt. In a letter to the editor of the Stooge Times, she pointed out that contact with dog saliva is prohibited for many Muslims. A 25-year-old Chinese man responded with allegedly anti-Muslim remarks on a dog lovers’ website. Police say a second man who works at a dog kennel made an expletive-filled posting about the Muslim woman on his personal website.

These two clowns probably never thought they would get into shit so deep that it goes all the way up to the chin.

Would there be such an emotional outburst from these two idiots if the case was brought up by a hygiene conscious non-Muslim? Personally speaking, I do think it is completely inconsiderate to bring one’s pet into a cab and have it dirty the seats. Have a heart for the poor taxi driver trying to make a living and the next person getting onto the cab, please, even if you do not care about the religious obligations a Muslim has to go through when they touched dog saliva.

It is one thing to tell jokes which might be considered racist among friends in a private setting, but it is a completely different matter when it is made on the Internet, and viewed by all. There is never a good time or a good place for such public display of racial and religious bigotry.

While they probably didn’t intend their comments to be seditious but there is no place for bigotry. Although charging them for sedition, (in my definition – inciting rebellion) is laying it a bit thick, I do personally think these two clowns deserve what is coming for them.

Apparently 2 salvage platforms with heavy lifting cranes have been moved near the derelict over the weekend. There’s finally something going at the site of the ‘Cheng Ho’. By the afternoon, there was already some progress made. The derelict has been righted and it appears that they are now concentrating in pumping out the water from of the ship. I wonder how long it would take before they raise the hull out of the water and there’s apparently some jokes going around in the office concerning whether the ‘Cheng Ho’ will break into two. Stay tuned to this channel. I will update once there’s more progress than this. And no, there won’t be hourly updates of the pictures.

Photo taken at 0826hrs on Sep 12.

Photo taken at 1305hrs on Sep 12.

Impressive.

While they don’t have such clear pictures for every place in the world, I have seen great satellite images of the Eiffel Tower, the Forbidden Palace in Beijing and even the streets of New Orleans (not flooded though).

These photos are probably 1 year and a half old. I have picked out the following for Singapore and the site of what was once World Trade Centre in New York City.

And no, you can’t see the prostitutes in Geylang standing on the roadside.

Download and install the program from here, and see them for yourself

Nicoll Highway Collapse	The Cheng Ho, a year ago	C-130s in Paya Lebar AirBase
Geylang Red Light District	Site of New York WTC	Click to see full size photo