This is a really short and much belated version of the TGIF for the last 2 weeks. I have been lazy to write and also to follow some of the news on the local papers. As you know, I do not have a very high esteem of the local media. So if you are disappointed I didn’t really comment much on the current events, especially the local elections, I am sorry.

The World This Week

– that Warmonger Bush’s public approval rating has fallen to 32%, a new low for his presidency, a CNN poll showed. The survey also showed that 60% of Americans disapprove of the way Bush is handling his job. (Warmonger can take comfort that Chen Shui-bian’s public approval rating is even lower.)

– that several Supreme Court justices grilled state and U.S. gover-min lawyers about whether lethal injections as currently administered for executions caused excruciating pain. (Then administer them sleeping pills before administering the lethal injection.)

– that Australia’s most wanted terror suspect, Saleh Jamal, has pledged loyalty to Osama bin Laden and threatened to ‘chop up’ John Howard as Lebanese authorities prepare to deport him as early as May 8. Jamal’s firebrand comments come before his imminent rearrest by Australian police, who will use one of six arrest warrants prepared during his two years in a Beirut prison for firearms trafficking and entering Lebanon on a false passport. (They should just deport him to the moon… without space suits.)

– that oil companies have told motorists to blame Americans, Nigerians and Iranians for record petrol prices in most parts of Australia. Pump prices raced to an all-time high of A$1.45 a litre, with more price rises possible in coming days. (Phew… for once, no one was blaming China.)

– that Mahmoud Abbas, the ‘Palestinian’ president, raised the possibility of dismissing the Hamas-led gover-min if he decides that its policies harm the ‘Palestinians’. “The constitution gives me clear and definite authority to remove a gover-min from power, but I don’t want to use this authority,” he said. “Everyone should know that by law this power is in my hands.” (Maybe it would be Hamas that removes him from power.)

– that American troops will probably be gone from Iraq by mid-2008 as the Iraqi forces they are training take over from them, Iraq’s National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie said. He said he expected the roughly 133,000 U.S. troops to be cut to less than 100,000 by year’s end and an ‘overwhelming majority’ of them to have left by the end of 2007 under a U.S.-Iraqi plan for progressively handing over security. “We have a roadmap, a condition-based agreement where, by the end of this year, the number of coalition forces will probably be less than 100,000,” he told Reuters in an interview. (Very optimistic. The only certainty about Iraq right now is not whether the situation will get better or worse, but that there will still be an Iraq tomorrow.)

– that Iran has vowed to strike at U.S. interests worldwide if it is attacked by the U.S., which is keeping military options open in case diplomacy fails to curb Tehran’s nuclear program. Supreme Lea-duh Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the threat before the UN nuclear watchdog reports on whether Iran is meeting Security Council demands to halt uranium enrichment. (It would take the resolve of the Allies in World War II to go in and clean out this nest of vipers.)

Singapore This Week

– that ‘several PAP veterans face first contest at the ballot box’. (What an oxymoron! What veteran are you talking about when this is their first real contest?)

– that referring to the likes of former National Development Mini$ter Tay Cheang Wan, and MP Phey Yew Kok, Chiam See Tong said: “These people are carefully selected by the PAP and yet they turn out to be crooks and lost public money. How can they criticise the Opposition when they cannot select good candidates?” (Chiam doesn’t know ‘criticising’ is a Tali-PAP priviledge meh? ‘Bway song’ – not happy – sue them lah!)

– that the opposition has come under attack for not having original ideas on how it plans to be an alternative voice in Singapore. MP Amy Khor, who has been returned unopposed in Hong Kah GRC on Nomination Day, questioned the substance of their plans at a Tali-PAP rally in Chua Chu Kang. Ms Khor said, “The opposition’s only battle cry so far is that there must be an alternative voice, and check and balance. But let me ask you, what good is an alternative voice if it is recycled ideas and mere talk? The opposition’s voice is a recycled battle cry at every election.” (Well, you so smart so good then you why you join Tali-PAP? Come and run an opposition and show them how to do it lah!)

– that Lao Lee has outlined what he feels are the key qualities of a first world opposition. He says the opposition candidates must have character, commitment, ability and a good track record – just like the candidates in the Tali-PAP. (Eh? So after so many years, now it isn’t just about paper-qualifications anymore? And my friend, a first class voter, Pig-Pig says, “Aiyah, WP cannot be First World Opposition lah. They all LOW-class Opposition. * Pun intended *)

– that SDP chairman Ling How Doong, who is contesting Bukit Panjang, was conspicuously absent when the party introduced its six candidates for Sembawang GRC at a press conference. Earlier, he had separately raised the possibility of getting Typo Chee Soon Juan removed from the party’s central executive committee. Accompanied by SDP assistant secretary-general Wong Hong Toy at the Fajar Secondary School Nomination Centre, Mr Ling told the media that he and Mr Wong are considering an ouster of typo Chee. (It maybe too little too late. The day you jokers ousted Chiam, the day you have sealed the fate of your party.)

– that at a midday rally, Baby Lee said, “Right now we have Low Thia Khiang, Chiam See Tong, Steve Chia. We can deal with them. Suppose you had 10, 15, 20 opposition members in Parliament. Instead of spending my time thinking what is the right policy for Singapore, I’m going to spend all my time thinking what’s the right way to fix them, to buy my supporters votes, how can I solve this week’s problem and forget about next year’s challenges?” (With the kind of pay you get, the voters ought to make your life interesting with more opposition, Baby! And if your father once handled 13, you can surely handle 26! And by the way, I am always ready to sell my vote. Tali-PAP give five million I will vote for them… by leaving Singapore so I can’t vote for the opposition.)

– that a day later, his Press Secretary had to issue a ‘clarification’: “At the lunchtime rally in UOB Plaza, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed the issue of opposition MPs in Parliament. He said that if the opposition were to hold 10 to 20 seats in Parliament, he would have to spend much more time thinking what was the right way to ‘fix’ them. What PM meant by his remark was that if there were many more opposition MPs in Parliament, the government and opposition would spend all their time and energies countering each other, and Singapore would be worse off for it. He used direct language to get this important point across to a mass rally crowd. If the exact words he used offended, he is sorry. (Just accept that, ok? Say more you kenna libel suit not my business.)

– that the ‘liar’ word was used by both Lao Lee and Wong Wua Kan Seng. “I say Mr Gomez is a liar and he’s dishonest and if he thinks it’s libel, he can sue Mr Wong Kan Seng, he can sue me,” thundered Lee. (** Danger! Warning! ** “I have now called you a liar. And if you deny, I am a liar and you have defamed me. So I sue you.”)

– that Baby Lee said this, when he was referring to the large turnouts at some opposition rallies, especially those of the WP, over the past eight days. “The opposition flies a kite, see if it catches the wind. Doesn’t? Well, let it go, fly another one. Doesn’t? Fly another one. Finally, if it doesn’t fly or there is no wind, then they give up flying kites and play another game – marbles or something like that. So it’s exciting to listen to, because you never know what new kite would pop up.” (I’ll prefer to go fly a kite and ‘pah gorli’ – play marbles – then listen to nothing but self praises, ‘warnings’ about bad opposition candidates, criticisms against the opponents and all that nonsense about flat ‘upgrades’. But of course, the kites fly high in Potong Pasir and Hougang. It almost took flight in Aljunied and it won’t be a surprise Aljunied becomes a historical term along with Cheng San and Eunos in the next election.)

– that Lao Goh warned voters that there would be consequences if they voted for the opposition and knocked out key members of the Tali-PAP team. He pointed out that if a Tali-PAP GRC team lost at the polls, it would mean the loss of at least one minister and two or three other office-holders. He was speaking at a press conference in Potong Pasir, which he visited last night to show his support for PAP candidate Sitoh Yih Pin on the last day of campaigning. (You have got so many capable people. One lost, just promote another, right? It’s not like the Tali-PAP has actually got a talent dearth, when it continually PERSUADE ‘talented people’ to join them in politics! Get this right, ok, these people has to be PERSUADED to come into politics. Does that mean they never thought about it in the beginning? Contrast that with some of the opposition, Goh Meng Seng, for example, who has all along attempted to engage people in dialouge before joining the WP, and needed no persuasion.)

– that Lao Goh said he is confident that the Tali-PAP will win in Potong Pasir. (Oh well, even if Chiam lost, he didn’t lose to a ‘better’ candidate. He lost to money. And what does that tells us? If you can screw someone for money money, go ahead and do it. Fortunately, the voters in Hougang and Potong Pasir are made of sterner stuff.)

– that Tali-PAP’s Irene Ng maintained she had made a general point that mini$ter$ will listen to Tali-PAP MPs more when they criticise gover-min policies, over their opposition colleagues. (Tali-PAP MP criticisms are meaningless when they vote for policies they criticised all the same. They would have to make sure they don’t use words like ‘betrayal’ too.)

– that the Tali-PAP lea-duhs have called on the WP lea-duhs to withdraw Gomez as a candidate. Not succeeding in this, the Tali-PAP has begun to accuse the Low Thia Khiang, the WP’s chief, of keeping people of suspect integrity in his camp. (Let me translate that into maid lingo for you, “You not good boy! Play with bad boy no listen to what pappy says!”)

– that Yeo Cheow Tong Lam Cheow Kong attacked SDA candidate Steve Chia for demanding a guarantee that bus and train fares will not go up after the GE. Keeping transport cost down is difficult when other prices are going up, such as wages, materials and oil. (Really? How is it that they still have record profits?)

– that to demonstrate that fares remain affordable, Lam pointed out in 1987, a bus commuter travelling an average of 8km would spend about 90 cents for bus fare. For the same journey today, he would spend $1.05, which means bus fares had climbed only about 15 cents in about 20 years. This works out to a 17% rise against an almost 180% jump in workers’ salaries in the same period, Lam said. (Look, no one is saying it isn’t affordable. But that does not answer the question: WHY? when the transport companies are still having record profits! It’s so typical of Tali-PAP mini$ter$. They either have terrible comprehension skill, or they really don’t listen to you. Or perhaps, to be a million dollar mini$ter, you must have a penchant for misunderstanding the question and answering out of the point by regurgitating standard answers.)

– that on a walkabout in Woodlands, Mr Khaw met a disgruntled 70 year-old resident who had much to gripe about and a 20-minute exchange followed. The man, who goes to polyclinic doctors, could not see why the policy does not extend to bills below $30. Khaw explained that the gover-min is heavily subsidising fees in polyclinics, particularly for the elderly. “That’s why it’s $30. If there’s no subsidy, then most likely it’s $60, $80, $100. Not all Singaporeans go to polyclinics, about 20% do. For the 80% of people who do not go to polyclinics, who go to GPs, private hospitals, they will benefit from this new scheme that I’m proposing.” (Listen carefully, Khaw. The 70-year-old resident said, “Let me have the opportunity to make use more of my Medisave.” In other words the man didn’t care if it was $60, $80, or $100. He just want to be able to use his Medisave to pay it!)

– that when asked to give a breakdown of the cost of building a HDB flat, Mabok Tongue replied, “You want to build some for me?” (Well, you don’t answer a question with another question, Mabok. Just give us the breakdown!)

– that if the Tali-PAP is really serious about retaking Potong Pasir, they should send Mabok Tongue to retake Potong Pasir. (Who else better to explain this blasted upgrading policy to the people of Potong Pasir and convinced them that the Tali-PAP is really serious?)

Trivial, Jokes and Thoughts from Discussions

– that Lao Goh said Chiam See Tong is too old and should retire. (According to some friends, Chiam allegedly reply, “After you, Goh!”. – pun intended.)

– that Scott McNealy, the often acerbic co-founder of Sun Microsystems Inc. and one of Microsoft Corp.’s harshest critics, stepped down as CEO after 22 years as the pioneering maker of computer servers reported its latest quarterly loss. Sun’s shares surged more than 8% after the announcement of McNealy’s departure and the latest in a series of losses. In extended-session trading, Sun’s shares gained 41 cents, or 8.2%. (That really shows just how ‘popular’ this CEO is with investors.)

– that software prices could fall as companies develop subscription sales and distribute increasingly complex programs that run in Web browsers, Micro$oft CEO Steve Ballmer said. (Sounds like a blackmail. – i.e. no subscription sale, no cheaper software.)

– that shares of Micro$oft Corp. tumbled 11%, after the world’s largest software maker reported third-quarter profit that missed Wall Street expectations and lowered its earnings guidance. The tempered forecast which comes as Micro$oft boosts research and development spending left some analysts grappling with whether that decision will translate to higher profit. (Right. As if they are really concerned with how any company is doing when they wrote about Google’s is pure hot air?)

– that while America may still think of itself as the land of opportunity, the chances of living a rags-to-riches life are a lot lower than elsewhere in the world, according to a new study published. The likelihood that a child born into a poor family will make it into the top 5% is just 1%, according to ‘Understanding Mobility in America’, a study by economist Tom Hertz from American University. By contrast, a child born rich had a 22% chance of being rich as an adult, he said. (The rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer. Nothing will change this.)

– that bra producers have been forced to offer bigger cup-sizes in China because improved nutrition is busting all previous chest measurement records. Hong Kong-based lingerie firm Embry Group no longer produces A-cups for larger chest circumferences and has increased production of C, D and E-cup bras to meet pressing demand. The Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology said the average chest circumference of Chinese women has risen by nearly 1cm since the early 1990s. (Now that’s really ‘good news’ for the men.)

This ‘debate’ has certainly gone on for quite awhile. Started off as some guy saying that he can’t read Micro$oft documents on his Linux PC or something like that. It has since go on and on with apparently no end in sight at this point of time. Here’s an example of the letters:

Personally speaking, the reason why MINDEF uses Open Office, probably has got the least to do with TCO – Total Cost of Ownership – but more to do with security. For e.g. There have been articles circulated on the Internet regarding certain features in Micro$oft WORD, which can compromise security.

I am amazed how some idiots would go on and on with this matter because if you check up on Open Format on Wikipedia, they would have realised that PDF (i.e. the Adobe Acrobat Reader format) is also one of the Open Formats, and the Acrobat Reader is free, just like many software allowing the reading of PDF files. Furthermore, there are free software for converting documents into PDF, if one does not want to buy the Adobe Acrobat Distiller software.

In other words, all these ‘debates’ about the use of Open Source is missing the point because all the gover-min needs to do – to ensure that the original person who complained about not being able to read the documents available – is to provide them in PDF format.

I am trying to imagine how all these un-necessary debate will go on to solve the actual problem. * sigh *