Mindef allows camera phones in camps

A long and tiring week for me has come to an end at last. Now it is time to unwind and do all the stuff which I was unable to accomplish while in camp.

Anyway, in case you don't know, camera phones will be allowed in 14 army camps from tomorrow onwards and fortunately, the one which I am posted to is in the list. This significant move by the ministry of defence will surely be reviewed within a year but in the meantime, expect a lot of talk and maybe snapping among servicemen.

There will be "green" and "red" zones to distinguish sensitive areas where the camera phones cannot be brought into. That makes me wonder if there are any lockers outside every office for people to store their smartphones. If there isn't, how can we ensure that no camera phone is in a red zone.

Also, since camera phones are not banned in camps, then why are cameras still an illegal item? Don't they perform the same function as a camera phone and has only that one function which makes it less dangerous?

I bet some people will take photos of the cookhouse food and post them on the internet for everyone to judge how good-looking or tasty it is.

Singapore food too low-class for posh pinic?

 We've had numerous Diner en Blancs since 50 years ago

The famous Diner en Blanc is finally coming to Singapore this Thursday but the organizers have stirred up controversy a few days ago when they uninvited a local food blogger who suggested bringing food like tau huay and chicken rice to the pop-up picnic.

Diner en Blanc, originated from France more than 20 years ago, has been held in various countries around the world and Singapore happens to be the first in Asia. Guests have to be dressed in white, bring their own tables, food and drinks - "high-class" beverages like wine in particular - to the venue which will only be disclosed on the day itself.

The blogger who was barred from participating claimed that the organizers requested guests to bring quality food. It is indeed disturbing to know that delicacies like tau huay look unglam in the eyes of those ang mohs.

It was reported that other bloggers who were initially invited to the picnic were also uninvited. One of the organizers, Clemen Chiang explained that there was some confusion for the objective is to have guests prepare their own food instead of da-baoing them.

"The diners have to ask themselves if they are comfortable eating you tiao and drinking champagne. If you feel comfortable putting you tiao on your table, carry on."

Oh please, who eats you char kway with champagne? It is supposed to be paired with soya bean milk which, in my opinion, is whiter than champagne. This Clemen Chiang is obviously the confused one trying to mix things up.

Anyway, if you are a guest, imagine yourself bringing your own table, bottle of wine and "good food" to the venue while sweating in that white shirt of yours. I think we are better off participating in some PAP grassroots event where we can get to see many people wearing white and enjoy free food.

The colour white seems to be rather dictatorial in Singapore.

Singapore is the richest in the world! My foot!

According to a recent survey by Knight Frank and Citi Private Wealth Report, Singapore, with a per capita income of 56,532 USD, is the richest country in the world. It is also projected that Singapore will be home to the richest citizens by 2050 with an estimated per capita income of 137,710 USD.

Fellow countries with strong economies, Norway, America and Hong Kong make up the top four spots of being the wealthiest in 2050. But did Singapore really beat the rest of the world to attain its new status that the mainstream media has been boasting about?

For most Singaporeans, such news is hardly rosy and I reckon many will agree that this survey is inaccurate and even flawed. Although newspapers like The Straits Times try to add glitter and shine to such a magnificent economic achievement, we are aware that this is certainly nothing to be joyful of.

Singapore defeated everybody else in terms of purchasing power parity. This means that the people here able to afford more things or higher prices than the rest of the world. Is that really the case? Previously, a UBS survey found out that the purchasing power of Singaporeans is one of the weakest.

Zurich lead the rankings in 106.9. Fellow Asians like Hong Kong and Seoul have 58.1 and 57.4 respectively. As for tiny Singapore, we only achieved a mere 39.9. Singaporeans may earn more than workers of other countries but due to the high cost of living here, countries with lower wages are actually better off.

If an employee from Singapore and another in Malaysia were to be paid the same salary, the Malaysian one would be in a better financial position as prices (housing, food etc.) in his country are less than those in neighbouring Singapore. Clearly, the so-called richest tag isn't a big deal at all.

Plus, Singapore's growth has much to do with the huge influx of foreigners. These foreign talents may have contributed to the economy but their presence continues to depress wages. The government's emphasis on increasing economic growth by importing foreign workers will only leave the average Singaporean stagnant.

Poverty still exist in a such a contemporary and classy country like ours, many elderly citizens are still without a home and have to collect cans for a living. Fellow Southeast-Asia country Brunei provides free medication for its people while citizens here have to sweat over a flawed healthcare policy called Medisave.

Last but not least, another loophole is that since the survey calculated numbers using US currency, part of the rising prosperity is a result of the strong surging Sing dollar.

Singapore is definitely not the richest in the world. The Straits Times should alter its news to be the Singapore government is the richest in the world instead. But then again, ironically, this "richest government" seem to have poor financial management by constantly making losses from foreign investments.

Endangered Species

China: Giant Panda

India: Asiatic Lion

Borneo: Proboscis Monkey

Central Africa: Mountain Gorilla

Singapore: Babies

If the Olympics was on Facebook

Diet Coke vs Coke Zero

The world's most famous soft drink, Coca-Cola has two low-calorie products called Diet Coke (aka Coke Light) and Coke Zero. Despite having different names and marketing campaigns, both beverages are almost identical in terms of ingredients and nutritional information.

Diet Coke first appeared in 1982 to target those who are health-conscious yet crave for good taste. Coca-Cola Zero was only released in 2005 which aims to taste just like the "real Coke flavour". However, in reality, both have similar tastes and it is hard to differentiate one from the other.

In fact, both drinks are somewhat like twins. Their contents include carbonated water, caramel colour, phosphoric acid, potassium, caffeine and aspartame (a potential health threat). Needless to say, though both are good choices for those watching their sugar intake, it is still advisable drink less as they can damage your teeth.

Coca-Cola claims that both drinks contain zero calories but for your information, it is not compulsory for a company to state the energy amount if a serving size has less than five calories. I believe that the actual number should be approximately one to three.

For those who are wondering which Coke is healthier to consume, my answer is no answer. Both are equal in most aspects except for the proportion of the ingredients which is why some people observe a slight difference in taste.

In a nutshell, both types of Cola are still considered "bad" as they contain aspartame, an artificial sugar substitute that is hardly beneficial to your physical well-being. But, drinking a bottle of them once in a while would be perfectly fine.

Squid Bot

First there was the Meshworm, the indestructible worm-like robot from MIT. Now, here comes squid bot, a robot that is able to camouflage itself.

Hailing from Havard University, this soft robot is capable of taking on a new colour by allow it to blend in or distinguish itself from its surroundings. The robot does not know what colours are around it and change accordingly but has embedded channels within it for scientists to fill with dye.

The channels contain air and fluid canals which are so tiny that enables squid bot to camouflage easily from a short distance away. The robot requires half a minute to be filled with colour and another half for it to drain.

The long-term but distant target for researchers is to produce a wirelessly-enabled robot which can automatically disappear into its surroundings. Scientists claimed that their colour-changing innovations can be used in surgical simulation.

For example, squid bot and the art behind it may be used as an alternative by fabricating disposable but realistic practice organs for trainee doctors who currently practice procedures on organic tissue.

Additionally, squid bot can also blend in infrared surroundings, which could be a new breakthrough to helping people see in darkness by illuminating it in infrared.

However, the technology of squid bot is more of a physics affair than a biological one. A real squid utilizes optical illusions to reflect light in order to camouflage instead of things like fluid and altering of the air. But still, it is a pretty cool invention.

A lethal strikeforce

As much as I dislike Manchester United, I have to admit that they are going to be a very powerful force in the upcoming season after buying Robin van Persie from bitter rivals Arsenal. This off-season has been quite a positive one for the Red Devils as well as its supporters. The purchase of van Persie and Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa further strengthened their already mighty squad. Plus, Daniel Fletcher and Nemanja Vidic are back in action after lengthy spells off the pitch.

A strikeforce comprising of van Persie and Wayne Rooney, the two top scorers of last season's BPL, looks delicious to look forward to. That is not to mention the likes of Nani, Danny Welback and Javier Hernandez who are all equally fantastic. The loss of their captain was devastating to Arsenal but losing him to an arch-rival is almost like surrendering the title. Alex Song could be the next one to leave the Gunners.

With four prolific forwards to choose from, Manchester United go into the new season as the strongest challengers. Although Manchester City have all the money, they have only signed Jack Rodwell, a youngster who looks set to sit on the bench for most of the time, from Everton. City do have quality strikers too like Sergio Aguero but nothing looks more lethal than a fantasy partnership of Rooney and van Persie which used to exist only in games

Goh Chok Tong wants a dialogue, sure or not?

An opera show may be interesting to watch but at the end of the day, it's just entertainment

A few days ago, the legendary Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong urged Singaporeans who feel passionately about where their country should be heading to take part in dialogue sessions with ministers and MPs. He explained that this is part of a national effort to build consensus on the country's future.

The ex-prime minister also emphasized that it should be a two-way thing where both sides, government and the people regardless of age, are allowed to air their views. He also mentioned that the government is unable to solve the challenges and realize the aspirations of Singaporeans on its own, both need to work together to come up with better policies.

If the PAP was really sincere about engaging the people, it would have done so (genuinely) since Goh Chok Tong's reign as prime minister. Why do we have to wait until now, after a watershed election that was embarrassingly won by the ruling party?

Clearly, this is yet another attempt by the men in white to let citizens grumble and vent their anger without creating any significant changes. At the end of the day, such events by the PAP turn out to be PR exercises.
 

Participants may even be banned from discussing about controversial topics or allow the authorities to amend and purify the details before being given the green light to speak. It is not surprising to encounter such things at an event attended by a PAP MP.

Goh Chok Tong, together with Singapore's so-called founding father, should retire from politics completely and allow the younger generation of PAP ministers to run the show. That is much better than continuing to generate income from public money and talk about wayang stuff.

Dental check-up at MMI

Went to SAF's Military Medicine Institute (MMI) this afternoon for a dental check-up. The check-up was compulsory for all those heading to Australia later this year. It is located inside a building called DSO which is situated in NUS, not some army camp.

It took us quite a while to find that DSO Building after alighting from the taxi. We managed to get to the back of the building but didn't realize that it was our destination. At last, we ended up walking in circles (literally) until we spotted the words "DSO" on one of the buildings.

The elevators in the building were rather bizarre. You had to press the number of the floor you are heading to at the lift lobby instead of doing it inside the lift. From what I remember, the only buttons in the elevator were doors opening and closing.

Needless to say, we were a little stunned when we stared at the number pad at the lift lobby. There was not any button which clearly indicates that it is for the lift. Luckily the security guard was there to quell our doubts. I bet he has encountered countless of sua kus like us day in day out.

The check-up was pretty straightforward and predictable. Two medics brought me to an X-ray room, took an X-ray of my teeth before I saw the dentist. As expected, it was just see-see-look-look with the usual dentistry instruments like the mouth mirror. The whole thing lasted within a couple of minutes for me.

However, there are others who were advised to extract their wisdom teeth, undergo gum-cleaning or seek treatment for their dental cavities. I am glad that the state of my oral health is still in good condition. I always make it a point to brush my teeth the correct way since I learnt it in primary school, unlike everyone else around me who scrub their teeth aimlessly.

Lefties are entitled to rights

Many people including left-handers seem unaware that there is an occasion named International Lefthanders Day on August 13. On this very day in 1976, a British organization called Lefthanders International designated this day for the left-handed to raise awareness of the inconveniences and problems of lefties.

Born as a natural right-hander like most humans, I am unable to comprehend the difficulties facing left-handers. Nevertheless, I always tell myself that I am just lucky to be born this way and should not discriminate those who write with their left hands.

It is estimated that less than ten percent of the world's population are left-handed. Generation after generation, this group of people have been disadvantaged and discriminated for centuries in this predominantly right-handed world. The Latin word for "left" is sinister while Russian translates as sneaky.

I once read that in the past, left-handed children were forced to use chopsticks with their right hand by their parents as that was supposedly the "norm" and looked more pleasant. Until today, things like clothes, kitchen items and even the keyboard are still designed with only right-handers in mind.

Anyway, some of the most famous people in the world happened to be left-handers. They include Beethoven, Einstein, Winston Churchill, a whole lot of American presidents and our dear Lee Hsien Loong. It has been said that lefties tend to be more intelligent but studies have found both groups to be on par after all.

Luckily, discrimination has been lessened in modern times. With more and more left-handed products being manufactured, lefties need not feel isolated in a world dominated by the right-handed.

Lefties deserve rights. Using your left hand is perfectly right.

The Rail Problem

There has been much debate on whether Singapore should nationalize its train services, operated by SMRT and SBS Transit, in order to achieve optimal results. Both nationalization as well as privatization have their pros and cons. Simply believing that either one is more beneficial than the other is strictly wrong.

Overall, I am certain that financial assistance from the government plus the efficiency of the private-sector is the best way forward for the public transportation model here. But is there an adequate balance between public and private currently?

When Britain transferred ownership of its rail services to the private sector in 1993, they were classified into two groups, train operations and railways. Railtrack, defunct for more than ten years, was the company in charge of the tracks, tunnels, signalling and stations then. A number of train operators functioned by hiring Railtrack for its services.

The Hatfield Crash in 2000 was the main cause of Railtrack's collapse. As the problem escalated, in the following year, Railtrack even requested the government for funding, which it controversially utilized to pay dividends to its shareholders.

In the end, Network Rail, a company limited by guarantee, replaced Railtrack in 2006. Though it is labelled as a private company, Network Rail does not pay dividends and uses its profits enhance the rail system. Network Rail is no doubt a good reference for Singapore to study.

With increasing ridership and more new lines, train operators face a huge challenge in providing quality service to commuters while maintaining infrastructure. In addition, as profit-based corporations, SMRT and SBS Transit, have to secure their shareholders' interests.

A good idea is to have the Land Transport Authority (LTA) transfer the job of infrastructure maintenance to another company. A Singaporean version of Network Rail can be formed and its roles include managing railways, overseeing signal systems and even gaining ownership the retail space in stations.

SMRT and SBS Transit will employ this company for its services and all profits made by it will be reinvested back into the rail network. Supposing that is a need for massive system upgrades, the company will be directly funded by the transport ministry.

With the existence of a network rail operator, SMRT and SBS Transit can become genuine train operators that aim to provide quality commuter experience. The separation of maintaining infrastructure and train operations, where the government continues to work with the private-sector, may be an effective way to improve Singapore's public transportation after all.

NDP 2012 theme song

This year's NDP theme song sounds much more attractive than last year's one. I swear I could not remember how did 2011's song sounded like until I searched for it on the internet. This year's performers, Olivia Ong and some little girl, complimented each other pretty well. The little girl's voice was melodiously soothing while Olivia displayed her strong vocals with the help of the song's moderately slow tempo.

Compared to its predecessor where Sylvia Ratonel, the almost-forgotten Singapore Idol runner-up, was the singer, 2012's choice of performers look less deliberate yet more realistic. Interestingly, it seems that NDP songs of even-numbered years sound better than those from odd-numbered ones. From last year's "In A HeartBeat" to 2009's infamous "What Do You See " by Electrico (yeah, who the heck are they?), songs of odd-numbered years are really less memorable.

Let's hope that next year will be different and another quality song performed by a quality artiste will become a reality.

NDP 2012

Happy birthday to Singapore! Every year without fail, I would dedicate a post about National Day and 2012 is no different. For me, this year's NDP is slightly more worth watching as some of the performers are my friends. They were my platoon mates who shared weal, no woe and more woe with me during those days in Tekong.

Some of them are part of the Silent Precision Drill Squad, a sub-unit of the Military Police formation, which is responsible for juggling, spinning and doing other acrobatic acts with rifles. Others are from the Guards formation which happens to be the organizer of this year's parade.

To commemorate NS45, I read that there will be a couple of extra performances to salute those who have served and sacrificed for NS this year. Not trying to be biased as an NSF but I think this is a meaningful thing to recognize the efforts of citizen soldiers.

However, I think the money spent on organizing and planning those drills can be better utilized if it was distributed out as cash. That would surely be a more practical and memorable way to acknowledge the contributions of our servicemen.

Lastly, good luck to the performers of tomorrow's show. Oh yes, before I forget, I had always wanted to say this. Every year when National Day is around the corner, I need to speak three times louder thanks to the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

Turmoil in the seas

Girls' Generation: The next pop phenomenon?

Fans of K-pop group Girls' Generation should know the significance of the date 5 Aug. On the eve of this South Korean idol group's fifth anniversary, I would like to show how and why they will become a pop phenomenon, possibly in the ranks of Michael Jackson and The Beatles, in the coming future.

Half a decade ago, nine teenage girls marked their debut by performing their first single "Into the New World" on SBS Inkigayo, a music programme in Korea. Back then, hardly any non-Korean knew about SNSD's existence. Forward to 2012 and countries as far and random as Peru and Belarus have fans of them.

Out of so many girl groups that are jumping on the K-pop bandwagon, how did SNSD manage to manoeuvre out of this mess and find a path of success? The main reason lies in the nine members themselves.

Since their official debut till today, Girls' Generation is still made up of the same old squad of players. In the current K-pop scene, this is definitely something rare. Even their closest rivals, Kara and Wonder Girls, have undergone some changes over the years.

The fact that the group still remains intact shows that their company's confidence in them has barely waned and unity is ever-present. The constant changing of members like After School will only confuse people and display a lack of orientation. Adding an additional member might also displease the existing cast.

There are surely disputes within nine female humans but none of those are serious enough to affect the group publicly. Take Kara for example when four out of its five members wanted to terminate their contracts last year.

It was a serious dent to Kara's image and people may question if Park Gyuri, the only remaining member, was the only one on good terms with their agency. SM Entertainment, Girls' Generation's label, have been very supportive in them and spared no efforts in investing in the group like international promotions.

Another crucial reason why SNSD managed to survive the waves in a sea of K-pop groups is the ages of its members. The oldest, Taeyeon, and youngest, Seohyun, are only two years apart. Two-thirds of the team were born in 1989, two in 1990 while Seohyun's birth year was 1991.

Because of their similar ages, the members are able to bond with each other better. It also makes Girls' Generation look more organized as a group. Others like label mate f(x) have a seven-year difference between the oldest and youngest while miss A have at least a two-year age difference between all its members.

Although the difference in members' ages may not seem significant, it will become a pivotal fact in the long-term. You can try to believe this by asking yourself why do The Beatles always seem more popular than Jackson 5.

There is a Chinese idiom "tiān shí dì lì rén hé" which means at the right time, in the right place with the right people. SNSD and its success prove this saying. The group entered the industry when the Hallyu wave had yet to begin. Together with Kara plus Wonder Girls, who were also formed in the same year, SNSD was part of the pioneer batch of K-wave female groups.

Hence, it was able to slowly garner fans before the craze started and girl groups from a variety of companies started sprouting out one after another. I would say 2009 was when Korean pop music started to become well-known and SNSD gained much popularity at the start of that year with their runaway hit "Gee".

This phenomenal single took SM Entertainment's then newest girl group from average to top act in the entertainment circle and this status has remained unchanged. It was shrewd business strategies which ensured Girls' Generation as a leading artiste.

After the huge success of "Gee", the girls were back in the middle of the year with a new song "Tell Me Your Wish" which featured the unforgettable Hacky Sack dance. Only Super Junior's Sorry Sorry is famous and classic enough to defeat it.

By having two consecutive trademark hits in an important year for Korean contemporary culture, SNSD solidified its place in the music industry. The positive image that SNSD has maintained throughout the years is also an important factor.

Unlike 2NE1, who are equally famous but seem rebellious and unorthodox at times, SNSD tread between the lines of bubblegum pop and electro pop, genres that belong to the mainstream.

It is indeed wise of SM Entertainment to make and maintain Girls' Generation as their most 'normal" group. Label mates SHINee and f(x) have undergone several weird and interesting looks since their debuts. Even Super Junior started to go feminine this year but the nine girls are largely still the same.

When they are uniformed on stage like "Tell Me Your Wish", SNSD adopt similar colours and designs for their costumes to look synchronized but in cases where they are in various clothes like "The Boys", most members don mono-colours like black to keep the group looking neat and compact.

This "safe approach" of SNSD seems to be working very well and as turned out to be their so-called dress code in my opinion.

It only required 17 months since debut for this nine-member team to gain immense (and I mean immense) popularity, a rather short frame for a pop group. Their seniors and label mates Super Junior took 4 years before "Sorry Sorry" went viral while Wonder Girls needed more than two years until "Nobody' became their trademark song.

Achieving such great accomplishment within such a narrow period of time, how can you not recognize them as the next big star on the international stage?

Other factors like the existence of English-speaking members, venture into the American market and the wide variety of talents and features its members possess all contribute to the group's success. In short, SNSD is like a gift package filled with goodies.

Coincidentally, Teddy Riley, the producer of Michael Jackson aka arguably the most famous pop star ever, created SNSD's first international release "The Boys". Now how about that?

This generation of stardom belongs to Girls' Generation. No disrespect for supporters of other groups but this is reality.

Cabinet reshuffle: PR exercise?

Three days ago, the prime minister announced the creation of three new ministries: Culture, Community and Youth; Social and Family Development; Communications and Information. The new departments were carved out from the current ministries of Information, Communications and the Arts plus Community Development, Youth and Sports.

The latest Cabinet reshuffle seems to have provided some confusion yet changes nothing much to the current issues which are affecting the people. Things like "building strong families" and "deepening the sense of identity and belonging to the nation", as stated in the press statement, just sound too old-fashioned and cliché to Singaporeans.

People want solutions and policy changes which can affect the country in a positive way, not some PR gimmick like deleting and adding new names for ministries. Instead of providing more assistance to the poor and elderly, the government's decision to appoint two new faces seems puzzling.

Not only will the new additions, Grace Fu and Indranee Rajah, burden the wage bill, their appointments as minister in the prime minister's office and senior minister of state in law and education respectively raises more questions than create answers. Does the legislative really need three ministers without portfolios?

Also, the fact that Chan Chun Sing, currently an acting minister (equivalent to full minister), was being appointed as a senior minister of state in another ministry (defence) gives the impression that he is still not ready to be promoted to a full minister. This would only decrease the amount of confidence people have for their government.

Next, why is there a need to have a ministry of social and family development when current MCYS is already in charge of its objectives and tasks? And sports have fallen into the scope of the ministry of culture, community and youth although the word "sports" is evidently missing.

The press statement which was released on Tuesday is apparently filled with nice words that serve to placate our eyes. Sadly, identification of issues like poverty and the influx of foreign workers were not stated at all. However, it was mentioned that MCCY will "focus on building a cohesive society". What does that truly mean?

This reshuffling looks more like a public relations exercise to remind Singaporeans that the ruling party is still doing its job and Cabinet re-organizations are essential to keep efficiency levels up.