Her story is a painful but apt lesson for us as we take a break this May Day: Work hard, but take care of your health.
That lesson came too late for Ms May Leong, who died on 23 Apr. Just two days before her death, she had written in her blog: "I don't wanna end up dead for the sake of dough".
Her mum and some friends believe she was stressed out from work. Going by her blog entry dated 21 Apr – her only entry this year – her job seemed demanding.
And she was clearly struggling to cope with the workload. Just before she died, Ms Leong, who would have been 29 this month, had been working on her laptop for eight straight hours, said her mother.
Although the cause of death can't be confirmed for now, family members believe she died from pulmonary embolism caused by deep vein thrombosis. This is a condition that can strike when someone has been inactive for a long period of time, like sitting in one position.
"I really thought I was able to do everything, that I can be supergirl as well, but my health is worsening at a fast rate," she wrote in her blog two days before she died.
"Vitamin M(oney) isn't gonna cure my health."
The Singaporean is an only child. Her father left the family when she was young, said a relative, leaving the mother and daughter to fend for themselves.
That early trauma bonded the pair, who became close. Ms Leong, who worked in a multi-national company (MNC) and apparently drew a salary of $2,600 a month, said in her blog that she wanted to "earn lots of $".
She had a dream: To take her mother abroad for a holiday. Friends and family said she was bent on earning enough to realise that dream for Madam Lim Mui Mui, 54, who works as a packer for a supermarket chain here.
That is why Ms Leong continued to hold on to her job, despite being stressed by it.
Said her friend, Mr Li Kaiyan, 25, a civil engineering student at the National University of Singapore: "She told us before she blogged her last entry that she was overworked and stressed out.
"We hardly had time to chat on the Internet since she started this job about two months ago."
Ms Leong had been working at different jobs until she joined her last company in September last year, said Mr Li who has been a close friend for three years.
In March, she switched departments in the same company and work became more demanding.
Ms Leong, a support manager, was thrilled to "finally have the chance to 'fly high' in a Fortune 500 MNC", she wrote in her blog.
So much so that it was "ok for me to wake at 3.30am to start work @ 4.30am everyday in the morning" as she was dealing with New Zealand partners.
"But never did I realise what kind of stuff (would be) coming towards me..." she wrote.
"What I face everyday as a partner support manager is having more than 100 e-mails per day.
"Partners from New Zealand practically 'screaming' to be served first, getting their orders delivered ASAP, wanting everything, complaining of everything.
"Month end was the most 'exciting' part, you get to go on concalls (conference calls) almost every day, prepare backlog reports for each concall session which consists of 500 over orders remaining undelivered, investigating item by item...
"I've got to work at home during non-working hours including weekends, just doing my best to clear my work."
DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS
A National University Hospital spokesman confirmed that Ms Leong was taken to its A&E department on 23 Apr at around 8pm.
She could not confirm the cause of death as it is now a coroner's case.
Ms Pamela Wong, 29, who was Ms Leong's best friend for 21 years, believes that it was deep vein thrombosis which killed her. She said doctors had told family members that Ms Leong had a blood clot in her legs.
"Her family members told me that when she tried to stand up, the blood clot actually shot to her heart causing her to collapse," she said.
Ms Wong added that since Ms Leong fell down two weeks ago, she hadn't been feeling well.
On 18 Apr, Ms Leong fainted at the lobby of her workplace. But she did not want to take medical leave. Nor did she want to quit her job.
"She was worried because she was on contract. Every time she took medical leave, it would be on no-pay basis," said Ms Wong.
Ms Leong wrote in her blog: "I've got myself sick these few days. Had diarrhoea last Thursday (19 Apr), hurt my knee and was limping badly since last Sunday (15 Apr), had breathlessness since Wednesday (18 Apr) and fainted after work on that day at my office lift lobby, knocked my head against the wall when I fainted, collapsed again last night at home."
Madam Lim said her daughter had been very sick since Friday.
Ms Leong wrote in her blog: "Now my chest feels really tight & breathing is really tough. "Getting up & walk, I just feel like I'm carrying a heavy baggage of few hundred kilos & I'll start to feel really weak & dizzy."
Earlier, she had been to see the doctor at a private clinic near her home in Clementi. But the doctor had told her it was probably work stress she was feeling, said Ms Wong, who had spoken on the phone to Ms Leong the day before she died.
Ms Leong wrote: "Doc just said I'm really stressed out. Sigh..... what should I do? Quit? Or continue this ultra-super stressful job? "I've got a contract of six months to fulfill... three months to commit. If I quit now, I've got to pay back one month's salary. Not worth it. If I quit after May, it won't be so bad.
"But I don't know if my health can tolerate (it) till then."
Mr Li said: "According to her mother, before she collapsed, she had been working non-stop for eight hours with the laptop on her lap, replying to e-mail and work-related stuff."
At her wake at Singapore Casket last week, friends, family and ex-colleagues gathered. According to Ms Jamie Tan – Ms Leong's cousin – her boss was the first to arrive.
"We spoke to him. We wanted to know if she was overworked. He said no," said Ms Tan, 31, whose mother is the elder sister of Ms Leong's mother.
Madam Lim said: "Now that my daughter is gone, what is there left for me?"
She was gasping for breath
MS May Leong's mother called Ms Pamela Wong in a panic at around 7pm last Monday. Ms Leong had collapsed and she was having great difficulty breathing.
Said Ms Wong: "I used to live in the nearby block to her flat. But since I got married, I have moved. So I could not rush down. I called my parents and asked them to rush there first."
While her parents were on the way to Ms Leong's flat, they called her mother to ask if they should call a doctor or an ambulance.
"She asked for an ambulance," said Ms Wong. When her parents arrived at the flat, her father saw Ms Leong on the sofa "gasping for breath".
"He also saw a huge bruise on her leg," said Ms Wong. Ms Leong's mother was frantic, but there was little anyone could except wait for the ambulance.
"The ambulance took about 20 minutes to half an hour to arrive," said Ms Wong. "During that time, my father saw her calling her mother and crying, quite loudly at first, but as she grew weaker, her cries became softer."
By the time Ms Leong arrived at the National University Hospital at about 8pm, her condition was critical. Not long after that, she died.
Listen to your body or you may regret it
Deep vein thrombosis refers to the formation of a blood clot within a deep vein, commonly in the thigh or calf.
Some risk factors include being over 60 years old, overweight and being inactive for a long period of time.
If the clot partially or completely blocks the flow of blood through the vein, blood begins to pool and build up below the site.
Chronic swelling and pain may develop. The valves in the blood vessels may be damaged. Or if the clot breaks free and travels through the veins, it can reach the lungs, where it is called a pulmonary embolism (PE).
This is a potentially fatal condition that can kill within hours. To prevent DVT, you should frequently exercise your lower leg muscles – every half an hour or so – if you know you'll be inactive for a long period of time.
Other than exercising your leg muscles, you should also exercise work-life balance, said Dr Clarice Hong, a consultant psychiatrist in private practice.
"I would always advocate that we should always take care of ourselves first. If we don't take care of ourselves, we cannot fulfill our roles at work or at home, especially the multiple roles that women play," said Dr Hong.
If you do not feel well, you should listen to your body and rest. "Don't push yourself so hard doing one thing. That's like putting all your eggs in one basket. Because if something happens to you, everything comes to an end," she said.
Source: The New Paper, 1 May 2007
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Awesome Video About LKY
This was an interesting video I found at Sammyboy. :-)
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Dr. Chee's Book - A Nation Cheated
Dr. Chee's Book - A Nation Cheated
Click here to purchase it.
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Zahari's 17 Years
| The complete video that is banned in Singapore. Filmmaker Martyn See, who was under investigation last year for a documentary about an opposition leader, said he was surprised by the ban. He said the film, produced at the end of 2005, had been approved twice last year with a PG rating. When it was not shown at the 2006 Singapore International Film Festival, as he expected, See applied for an exhibition license to screen it publicly. "I don't know what changed. Maybe different people with different views watched it this time," See told The Associated Press. "I based my questions to Said on his first book [Dark clouds at dawn: A political memoir], which is sold in Singapore. So what is in the film is not something the government didn't know." He said he had been ordered by the censorship board to surrender all copies of the film by Wednesday afternoon. See said that Said is the only one of those detained in the 1960s under the Internal Security Act who is willing to speak publicly about his experience. "I wanted to show another side of Singapore's history," See said of his reason for making the film. | |
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Internet Marketing Seminar
Probably the last Internet Marketing Seminar as I seek to take a break and conduct more Charitable Workshops. Don't miss it.
"1000% Money Back Guarantee!"
Yes, there's no typo error. I am so confident that the seminar
and training materials will help you create wealth that if you
follow all the strategies taught in the seminar and DVD,
implement them, and do not make more than your
investment of 388 SGD in less than 6 months, I'll give you a
One Thousand Percent Refund.
I've used the SEO techniques in my websites
that helped me sold more than 800 resumes
($80,000++) in less than 3 months!!!
Do you want to learn how I got more than 112 keywords ranked No.1 & 2 in Google | MSN | Yahoo?
See The Pre-launch Video Now
The Internet Empire (Internet Marketing Seminar)
will help you create your wealth. Traffic is the key to any
successful internet business or brick & mortar business with
an internet shop front. We will teach you how to fish and make
the kind of income that will drastically change your future.
Who Should Attend?
Website Owners / Webmasters
Entrepreneurs
Sales & Marketing Professionals
Business Owners
Retrenched or Jobless
Who Should Not Attend?
Those thinking of commiting 2 hours a week.
If you don't know what Google is all about.
If you think it's easy and gives up easily
Warning!!!
I'm expecting the tickets to be snapped up real quick.
Don't miss this opportunity.
4 Seats left for 14 April 2007 Seminar.
Special Investment : 258USD
Venue: 201 Balestier Road, Quality Hotel
(Emerald Room), Singapore 329926
Date: 14th April 2007 (Saturday)
Time: 9.00am to 5.00pm
Break: 12pm - 1pm - Lunch Is Provided
Topics Covered
One Day Intensive Seminar on Internet Marketing and the latest SEO Strategies
Participants will receive 29 high quality step-by-step videos that will cover on the following topics.
"The Most Comprehensive Internet Marketing Training Program Ever To Be Launched On The Internet."
29 Step By Step Videos in DVD!!!
Basic
Video 1 - Basic Introduction of Internet Terminologies / File Structure / Folder Structure / Naming Convention (+ Internet Security Softwares)
Video 2 - Identifying niche markets / Keyword Analysis / Competitor Analysis / How to target the ideal keyword (low-lying fruit)
Video 3 - Purchasing Domains / Hosting
Video 4 - Installing Forum / WordPress
Video 5 - FTP Software / How to do FTP / Understanding Root Folder
Video 6 - How to create / Edit Website in 5 minutes or less
Video 7 - Creating Metatags / Title / Description
Video 8 - Page Rank / Alexa Ranking Explained / Addiing Alexa Toolbar
Intermediate
Video 9 - Article Marketing / Submission
Video 10 - Making your articles rank top of search engines.
Video 11 - Creating content / How to add 10 web-pages of content in less than 5 minutes and build a content rich website.
Video 12 - How to create article directory
Video 13 - Forum Marketing
Video 14 - How to configure Opt In List / Auto Responder
Video 15 - How to do effective copywriting
Video 16 - Creating Link Structure / Link Directory
Video 17 - How not to get banned by Google and other search engines
Video 18 - How to do link exchange with no risk
Video 19 - Configuration of payment gateways like Paypal / 2CO
Advance Internet Marketing Strategies
Video 20 - Get multiple keywords ranked No.1 in Google / MSN / Yahoo
Video 21 - Advanced SEO Strategies
Video 22 - Advanced / Accelerated Linking Strategies
Video 23 - How to make your website complex and sticky
Video 24 - Automate your business and make money while you sleep
Video 25 - Bonus Website Templates / Editing Images / Free Webmaster Resources
Video 26 - How to be successful in affiliate marketing
Video 27 - How to publish Audio + Free Audio Software - New!!!
SPECIAL Bonuses
Resell rights of Seminar and DVDs - New!!!
Video 28 - Yahoo Groups Marketing - New!!!
Video 29 - Safelist Marketing - New!!!
P.S. - I will not be releasing this videos to the market freely. Only those who attend the seminar will be able to resell these videos and special gifts for 188USD.
Comes With 6 Months
Post Seminar Support
To Make Sure You Succeed.
Click Here To Register. http://www.internet-empire.com
For other payment options and enquiries, please call our hotline: +65 9782-2682
I would like to see you succeed in making a life-changing decision. There's no risk at all. I am putting my reputation on the line and giving you a 1,000% Money Back Guarantee because I'm dead confident that once I teach you how to fish, you will be able to make back many times your investment for life. Join me and we'll rock the Internet Marketing Community together.
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
"1000% Money Back Guarantee!"
Yes, there's no typo error. I am so confident that the seminar
and training materials will help you create wealth that if you
follow all the strategies taught in the seminar and DVD,
implement them, and do not make more than your
investment of 388 SGD in less than 6 months, I'll give you a
One Thousand Percent Refund.
I've used the SEO techniques in my websites
that helped me sold more than 800 resumes
($80,000++) in less than 3 months!!!
Do you want to learn how I got more than 112 keywords ranked No.1 & 2 in Google | MSN | Yahoo?
See The Pre-launch Video Now
The Internet Empire (Internet Marketing Seminar)
will help you create your wealth. Traffic is the key to any
successful internet business or brick & mortar business with
an internet shop front. We will teach you how to fish and make
the kind of income that will drastically change your future.
Who Should Attend?
Website Owners / Webmasters
Entrepreneurs
Sales & Marketing Professionals
Business Owners
Retrenched or Jobless
Who Should Not Attend?
Those thinking of commiting 2 hours a week.
If you don't know what Google is all about.
If you think it's easy and gives up easily
Warning!!!
I'm expecting the tickets to be snapped up real quick.
Don't miss this opportunity.
4 Seats left for 14 April 2007 Seminar.
Special Investment : 258USD
Venue: 201 Balestier Road, Quality Hotel
(Emerald Room), Singapore 329926
Date: 14th April 2007 (Saturday)
Time: 9.00am to 5.00pm
Break: 12pm - 1pm - Lunch Is Provided
Topics Covered
One Day Intensive Seminar on Internet Marketing and the latest SEO Strategies
Participants will receive 29 high quality step-by-step videos that will cover on the following topics.
"The Most Comprehensive Internet Marketing Training Program Ever To Be Launched On The Internet."
29 Step By Step Videos in DVD!!!
Basic
Video 1 - Basic Introduction of Internet Terminologies / File Structure / Folder Structure / Naming Convention (+ Internet Security Softwares)
Video 2 - Identifying niche markets / Keyword Analysis / Competitor Analysis / How to target the ideal keyword (low-lying fruit)
Video 3 - Purchasing Domains / Hosting
Video 4 - Installing Forum / WordPress
Video 5 - FTP Software / How to do FTP / Understanding Root Folder
Video 6 - How to create / Edit Website in 5 minutes or less
Video 7 - Creating Metatags / Title / Description
Video 8 - Page Rank / Alexa Ranking Explained / Addiing Alexa Toolbar
Intermediate
Video 9 - Article Marketing / Submission
Video 10 - Making your articles rank top of search engines.
Video 11 - Creating content / How to add 10 web-pages of content in less than 5 minutes and build a content rich website.
Video 12 - How to create article directory
Video 13 - Forum Marketing
Video 14 - How to configure Opt In List / Auto Responder
Video 15 - How to do effective copywriting
Video 16 - Creating Link Structure / Link Directory
Video 17 - How not to get banned by Google and other search engines
Video 18 - How to do link exchange with no risk
Video 19 - Configuration of payment gateways like Paypal / 2CO
Advance Internet Marketing Strategies
Video 20 - Get multiple keywords ranked No.1 in Google / MSN / Yahoo
Video 21 - Advanced SEO Strategies
Video 22 - Advanced / Accelerated Linking Strategies
Video 23 - How to make your website complex and sticky
Video 24 - Automate your business and make money while you sleep
Video 25 - Bonus Website Templates / Editing Images / Free Webmaster Resources
Video 26 - How to be successful in affiliate marketing
Video 27 - How to publish Audio + Free Audio Software - New!!!
SPECIAL Bonuses
Resell rights of Seminar and DVDs - New!!!
Video 28 - Yahoo Groups Marketing - New!!!
Video 29 - Safelist Marketing - New!!!
P.S. - I will not be releasing this videos to the market freely. Only those who attend the seminar will be able to resell these videos and special gifts for 188USD.
Comes With 6 Months
Post Seminar Support
To Make Sure You Succeed.
Click Here To Register. http://www.internet-empire.com
For other payment options and enquiries, please call our hotline: +65 9782-2682
I would like to see you succeed in making a life-changing decision. There's no risk at all. I am putting my reputation on the line and giving you a 1,000% Money Back Guarantee because I'm dead confident that once I teach you how to fish, you will be able to make back many times your investment for life. Join me and we'll rock the Internet Marketing Community together.
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Monday, April 09, 2007
You Spin Me Around
Interesting clip I found on YouTube. :)
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Monday, February 19, 2007
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Internet Marketing Seminar
Check out this Internet Marketing Seminar Video.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Thursday, January 11, 2007
123,000 jobs were created last year and economists estimate some 70 percent of these jobs went to foreigners.
SINGPAORE: Middle class wages have been stagnant in the past 5 years, according to economists, and this could lead to social instability.
These concerns were shared at the annual Institute of Policy Studies Singapore Perspectives conference.
Economists believe a US economy slowdown in business and consumer spending may cause problems for Singapore, but as Singapore is tops in the ASEAN resilience index, it should be able to weather external shocks, thanks to a diversified economy and strong Asian demand.
They predict that growth going forward will be 3 to 5 percent.
The long-term growth limits for a mature economy was previously in the 3 to 5 percent range.
However, economists are asking who this growth is for. The income of the bottom 30 percent of the population has fallen. What is more worrying is the fact that the majority of Singaporeans in the middle class has only seen about a 1 percent increase in nominal income in the last 5 years.
It is not just Singapore - economists say stagnant wages is a global problem, and the chief reason for this is globalisation.
India and China are introducing a large pool of skilled and unskilled labour to compete with the labour forces of industrialised countries.
Singapore is susceptible to this because of its open economy.
123,000 jobs were created last year and economists estimate some 70 percent of these jobs went to foreigners.
"With the rate of immigration, even among unskilled and semi skilled labour at a rate twice of what we experienced in the 90s, at a rate fastest in the developed world, the question is - does this dampen our real wages as we grow? Does the strategy itself dampen real wages and depress real wages at the low and middle end of the spectrums? They are sacred cows but we should step back and think about them," said Yeoh Lam Keong, Vice President, Economic Society of Singapore.
Another reason cited for middle class wage stagnation is the move by the government to cut CPF employer contribution rates for older workers by 4 percentage points over the last 2 years.
"So if you were a worker in the 50-55 age group, you could have seen your wages fall as much as 10 percent over the last 3 or 4 years. Now with the economy improving, the government could bring that back, the increase is 1 or 2 percent. I'm in support of CPF tinkering but probably it happens far too often, but I think there's probably some justification to look back and think that the restructuring was a bit too aggressive on the CPF side and it has contributed somewhat to a very sandwiched middle class," said Chua Hak Bin, Director, Asia Pacific Econ & Market Analysis, Citigroup Global Markets Singapore.
The government is looking at increasing CPF by 1 to 2 percentage points in 2007.
Economists say workfare should become a more permanent pillar of the economy so as to cushion growing inequality.
Adding that long term middle class wage stagnation could lead to social instability. - CNA /dt
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
These concerns were shared at the annual Institute of Policy Studies Singapore Perspectives conference.
Economists believe a US economy slowdown in business and consumer spending may cause problems for Singapore, but as Singapore is tops in the ASEAN resilience index, it should be able to weather external shocks, thanks to a diversified economy and strong Asian demand.
They predict that growth going forward will be 3 to 5 percent.
The long-term growth limits for a mature economy was previously in the 3 to 5 percent range.
However, economists are asking who this growth is for. The income of the bottom 30 percent of the population has fallen. What is more worrying is the fact that the majority of Singaporeans in the middle class has only seen about a 1 percent increase in nominal income in the last 5 years.
It is not just Singapore - economists say stagnant wages is a global problem, and the chief reason for this is globalisation.
India and China are introducing a large pool of skilled and unskilled labour to compete with the labour forces of industrialised countries.
Singapore is susceptible to this because of its open economy.
123,000 jobs were created last year and economists estimate some 70 percent of these jobs went to foreigners.
"With the rate of immigration, even among unskilled and semi skilled labour at a rate twice of what we experienced in the 90s, at a rate fastest in the developed world, the question is - does this dampen our real wages as we grow? Does the strategy itself dampen real wages and depress real wages at the low and middle end of the spectrums? They are sacred cows but we should step back and think about them," said Yeoh Lam Keong, Vice President, Economic Society of Singapore.
Another reason cited for middle class wage stagnation is the move by the government to cut CPF employer contribution rates for older workers by 4 percentage points over the last 2 years.
"So if you were a worker in the 50-55 age group, you could have seen your wages fall as much as 10 percent over the last 3 or 4 years. Now with the economy improving, the government could bring that back, the increase is 1 or 2 percent. I'm in support of CPF tinkering but probably it happens far too often, but I think there's probably some justification to look back and think that the restructuring was a bit too aggressive on the CPF side and it has contributed somewhat to a very sandwiched middle class," said Chua Hak Bin, Director, Asia Pacific Econ & Market Analysis, Citigroup Global Markets Singapore.
The government is looking at increasing CPF by 1 to 2 percentage points in 2007.
Economists say workfare should become a more permanent pillar of the economy so as to cushion growing inequality.
Adding that long term middle class wage stagnation could lead to social instability. - CNA /dt
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
123,000 jobs were created last year and economists estimate some 70 percent of these jobs went to foreigners.
SINGPAORE: Middle class wages have been stagnant in the past 5 years, according to economists, and this could lead to social instability.
These concerns were shared at the annual Institute of Policy Studies Singapore Perspectives conference.
Economists believe a US economy slowdown in business and consumer spending may cause problems for Singapore, but as Singapore is tops in the ASEAN resilience index, it should be able to weather external shocks, thanks to a diversified economy and strong Asian demand.
They predict that growth going forward will be 3 to 5 percent.
The long-term growth limits for a mature economy was previously in the 3 to 5 percent range.
However, economists are asking who this growth is for. The income of the bottom 30 percent of the population has fallen. What is more worrying is the fact that the majority of Singaporeans in the middle class has only seen about a 1 percent increase in nominal income in the last 5 years.
It is not just Singapore - economists say stagnant wages is a global problem, and the chief reason for this is globalisation.
India and China are introducing a large pool of skilled and unskilled labour to compete with the labour forces of industrialised countries.
Singapore is susceptible to this because of its open economy.
123,000 jobs were created last year and economists estimate some 70 percent of these jobs went to foreigners.
"With the rate of immigration, even among unskilled and semi skilled labour at a rate twice of what we experienced in the 90s, at a rate fastest in the developed world, the question is - does this dampen our real wages as we grow? Does the strategy itself dampen real wages and depress real wages at the low and middle end of the spectrums? They are sacred cows but we should step back and think about them," said Yeoh Lam Keong, Vice President, Economic Society of Singapore.
Another reason cited for middle class wage stagnation is the move by the government to cut CPF employer contribution rates for older workers by 4 percentage points over the last 2 years.
"So if you were a worker in the 50-55 age group, you could have seen your wages fall as much as 10 percent over the last 3 or 4 years. Now with the economy improving, the government could bring that back, the increase is 1 or 2 percent. I'm in support of CPF tinkering but probably it happens far too often, but I think there's probably some justification to look back and think that the restructuring was a bit too aggressive on the CPF side and it has contributed somewhat to a very sandwiched middle class," said Chua Hak Bin, Director, Asia Pacific Econ & Market Analysis, Citigroup Global Markets Singapore.
The government is looking at increasing CPF by 1 to 2 percentage points in 2007.
Economists say workfare should become a more permanent pillar of the economy so as to cushion growing inequality.
Adding that long term middle class wage stagnation could lead to social instability. - CNA /dt
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
These concerns were shared at the annual Institute of Policy Studies Singapore Perspectives conference.
Economists believe a US economy slowdown in business and consumer spending may cause problems for Singapore, but as Singapore is tops in the ASEAN resilience index, it should be able to weather external shocks, thanks to a diversified economy and strong Asian demand.
They predict that growth going forward will be 3 to 5 percent.
The long-term growth limits for a mature economy was previously in the 3 to 5 percent range.
However, economists are asking who this growth is for. The income of the bottom 30 percent of the population has fallen. What is more worrying is the fact that the majority of Singaporeans in the middle class has only seen about a 1 percent increase in nominal income in the last 5 years.
It is not just Singapore - economists say stagnant wages is a global problem, and the chief reason for this is globalisation.
India and China are introducing a large pool of skilled and unskilled labour to compete with the labour forces of industrialised countries.
Singapore is susceptible to this because of its open economy.
123,000 jobs were created last year and economists estimate some 70 percent of these jobs went to foreigners.
"With the rate of immigration, even among unskilled and semi skilled labour at a rate twice of what we experienced in the 90s, at a rate fastest in the developed world, the question is - does this dampen our real wages as we grow? Does the strategy itself dampen real wages and depress real wages at the low and middle end of the spectrums? They are sacred cows but we should step back and think about them," said Yeoh Lam Keong, Vice President, Economic Society of Singapore.
Another reason cited for middle class wage stagnation is the move by the government to cut CPF employer contribution rates for older workers by 4 percentage points over the last 2 years.
"So if you were a worker in the 50-55 age group, you could have seen your wages fall as much as 10 percent over the last 3 or 4 years. Now with the economy improving, the government could bring that back, the increase is 1 or 2 percent. I'm in support of CPF tinkering but probably it happens far too often, but I think there's probably some justification to look back and think that the restructuring was a bit too aggressive on the CPF side and it has contributed somewhat to a very sandwiched middle class," said Chua Hak Bin, Director, Asia Pacific Econ & Market Analysis, Citigroup Global Markets Singapore.
The government is looking at increasing CPF by 1 to 2 percentage points in 2007.
Economists say workfare should become a more permanent pillar of the economy so as to cushion growing inequality.
Adding that long term middle class wage stagnation could lead to social instability. - CNA /dt
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
NKF deserves continued support: Ho Ching
Writing in her personal capacity, Ms Ho Ching, the CEO of Temasek Holdings, has asked for continued support for the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) which has come in for heavy criticism recently.
She wrote:
I write in my personal capacity.
I have been a long-time admirer of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF).
The NKF has been outstanding in supporting kidney and other patients. They and their supporters have been tireless not just in raising funds. They have played a key role in providing life saving dialysis services for kidney patients and more.
They also counsel and sometimes cajole or even berate patients and their families to take responsibility for themselves and make an effort to live.
Patients and their families, including their children, are encouraged to work together to contribute to their own support, and not give up.
This helps them retain their self-respect and live their lives confidently as full members of society. I cheer the NKF for this enlightened philosophy.
Taking on a dialysis patient is almost like adopting a chronically and critically ill child. You take responsibility not just to give money at the spur of the moment in a flash of sympathy, or to organise dialysis sessions for the week in a spurt of enthusiasm.
You know that it is a serious life-long commitment of support. You know that any interruption of that support means fear, a loss of hope, and a death sentence of sorts. Many long-time Giro donors understand this.
The NKF has wisely built up strong reserves over the years. It is a sensible and responsible approach. The NKF's fears are understandable. No one likes to have the dreadful responsibility of deciding which patients should live when money dries up in an economic downturn.
What if 10 per cent or 20 per cent of their patients or their patients' breadwinners lose their jobs in an extended downturn? Surely, you hope to continue dialysis for them even if they cannot co-pay their part?
I would like to recommend that the NKF consider building and managing its reserves as an endowment. It also needs a sufficient buffer to weather a deep recession.
Perhaps this was what it had been trying to do. Perhaps the prolonged years of difficulties during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s and the earlier brink of the 1985 recession have spurred the frenetic pace of fund raising in recent years.
But this funding model needs to be properly modelled, analysed and communicated.
When the NKF completes its review and puts together its plans, do share them. I am sure Singaporeans and many others share a chord of sympathy for your cause.
On the issue of CEO pay, I believe that even charities ought to be managed professionally. How else can we extend high quality and impactful services including specialist educational and therapy support to those in need? After all, we do not expect CEOs of publicly-funded hospitals to be poorly paid, do we?
Indeed, the NKF is more like a community hospital with multiple centres for high-quality, life-long critical care. It operates and manages dialysis centres to provide vital life-saving services at the highest safety levels. It does this with a heart, looking after the emotional and psychological well--being of its patients, too. Taken as a whole, the NKF has certainly done very well for its patients.
True, there will be volunteers, much admired and respected, with independent means who could help charities without having to take a single cent in salary.
There are also others - much loved and lauded - who for religious reasons or perhaps in memory of a parent, child or friend, would give selfless service to others. Society owes them all a debt of gratitude and applauds their spirit of charity.
But we should not then believe that all those involved in charitable causes should in turn be charitable cases themselves.
Skilled specialists and experienced managers would soon turn to other careers and job opportunities if they cannot earn a living commensurate with their skills and ability. And we would all be the poorer for it as services drop in quality or wither away.
Sometimes, in a life-threatening illness, all the money in the world will not be able to bring a loved one back.
Mr Durai has helped make a difference in the NKF where medical science has offered a lifeline, though at a cost of tireless fund raising for life time dialysis support. I would not begrudge Mr Durai a proper and well-earned compensation and bonus. He probably earned less than what he would have earned if he had continued in his profession as a lawyer.
Yes, some of the things that Mr Durai has allegedly done rather raise a questioning eyebrow or two. Some may have crossed the line of proper conduct in respect of conflicts of interest as well. If so, they should be corrected.
It is also important to put in place a set of practical governance guidelines to minimise conflicts of interest, especially for an institution of public trust.
While the leadership of a CEO is critical to shape and drive any organisation, it is equally important that the board balances its support and guidance for its CEO, with its fiduciary duty. It has to serve as an impartial guardian of stakeholder interest in a public institution.
As a civilised society, we should not lightly condemn anyone in the court of public opinion without the benefit of due process and the right to a fair hearing. Even murderers have that right.
If there has been corruption or misuse of funds, then let the relevant authorities investigate and take the case through due process for a fair and proper judgment. There may have been errors of judgment. Most of us can accept and forgive this.
On the other hand, we should resolutely guard against those with serious faults of character and not put them into positions of trust. But let's be fair and keep an open mind, and give the benefit of doubt until the full facts are known.
These deliberations and decisions have important long-term considerations and impact. They should be taken calmly and steadily, away from the acid of hate and anger of betrayal.
Understandably, many feel betrayed. They feel they have been deceived into making donations of hard-earned money. However, this is no excuse for vandalising the NKF facilities, or heaping abuse on NKF staff. Two wrongs won't make a right.
Let us not forget there are real patients who continue to need dialysis support. I urge the staff of NKF to continue to support them well, and not let this wave of fury shake them from their mission and professionalism to serve their patients well.
I am sure it would be a tremendous comfort to both the patients and their caregivers if the rest of us can keep calm and give them our moral support.
Finally, whatever the transgressions or shortcomings, I want to put on record my deep gratitude for Mr Durai and the NKF and their supporters, including numerous donors, media artistes and volunteers as well as board members and patron.
Together, they have been tireless in their efforts and contributions all these years to make a difference in the lives of many kidney patients in need.
I do hope that every one of us, including Mr Durai and the NKF, will emerge the stronger, wiser and better from this serious and unfortunate setback.
I am also grateful to all the volunteers and professionals working in the various other voluntary welfare organisations. They too have given tireless and dedicated service of time, effort, money, love and emotions, to the young and old, to those sickly and in need, in their respective worthy causes.
Whatever their faults and foibles, the volunteers, staff and professionals in our VWOs have collectively given hope to many amongst us, and made this island a better place.
In turn, I hope Singaporeans and my fellow men will join me too in supporting them, and show them our generosity and warmth of the human spirit.
Many drops an ocean make, and many hands will lighten the load. On my part, I will continue to donate to the NKF and other favourite charities.
Ho Ching, the executive director of Temasek Holdings, sent this letter in her private capacity. - TODAY /dt
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/158427/1/.html
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
She wrote:
I write in my personal capacity.
I have been a long-time admirer of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF).
The NKF has been outstanding in supporting kidney and other patients. They and their supporters have been tireless not just in raising funds. They have played a key role in providing life saving dialysis services for kidney patients and more.
They also counsel and sometimes cajole or even berate patients and their families to take responsibility for themselves and make an effort to live.
Patients and their families, including their children, are encouraged to work together to contribute to their own support, and not give up.
This helps them retain their self-respect and live their lives confidently as full members of society. I cheer the NKF for this enlightened philosophy.
Taking on a dialysis patient is almost like adopting a chronically and critically ill child. You take responsibility not just to give money at the spur of the moment in a flash of sympathy, or to organise dialysis sessions for the week in a spurt of enthusiasm.
You know that it is a serious life-long commitment of support. You know that any interruption of that support means fear, a loss of hope, and a death sentence of sorts. Many long-time Giro donors understand this.
The NKF has wisely built up strong reserves over the years. It is a sensible and responsible approach. The NKF's fears are understandable. No one likes to have the dreadful responsibility of deciding which patients should live when money dries up in an economic downturn.
What if 10 per cent or 20 per cent of their patients or their patients' breadwinners lose their jobs in an extended downturn? Surely, you hope to continue dialysis for them even if they cannot co-pay their part?
I would like to recommend that the NKF consider building and managing its reserves as an endowment. It also needs a sufficient buffer to weather a deep recession.
Perhaps this was what it had been trying to do. Perhaps the prolonged years of difficulties during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s and the earlier brink of the 1985 recession have spurred the frenetic pace of fund raising in recent years.
But this funding model needs to be properly modelled, analysed and communicated.
When the NKF completes its review and puts together its plans, do share them. I am sure Singaporeans and many others share a chord of sympathy for your cause.
On the issue of CEO pay, I believe that even charities ought to be managed professionally. How else can we extend high quality and impactful services including specialist educational and therapy support to those in need? After all, we do not expect CEOs of publicly-funded hospitals to be poorly paid, do we?
Indeed, the NKF is more like a community hospital with multiple centres for high-quality, life-long critical care. It operates and manages dialysis centres to provide vital life-saving services at the highest safety levels. It does this with a heart, looking after the emotional and psychological well--being of its patients, too. Taken as a whole, the NKF has certainly done very well for its patients.
True, there will be volunteers, much admired and respected, with independent means who could help charities without having to take a single cent in salary.
There are also others - much loved and lauded - who for religious reasons or perhaps in memory of a parent, child or friend, would give selfless service to others. Society owes them all a debt of gratitude and applauds their spirit of charity.
But we should not then believe that all those involved in charitable causes should in turn be charitable cases themselves.
Skilled specialists and experienced managers would soon turn to other careers and job opportunities if they cannot earn a living commensurate with their skills and ability. And we would all be the poorer for it as services drop in quality or wither away.
Sometimes, in a life-threatening illness, all the money in the world will not be able to bring a loved one back.
Mr Durai has helped make a difference in the NKF where medical science has offered a lifeline, though at a cost of tireless fund raising for life time dialysis support. I would not begrudge Mr Durai a proper and well-earned compensation and bonus. He probably earned less than what he would have earned if he had continued in his profession as a lawyer.
Yes, some of the things that Mr Durai has allegedly done rather raise a questioning eyebrow or two. Some may have crossed the line of proper conduct in respect of conflicts of interest as well. If so, they should be corrected.
It is also important to put in place a set of practical governance guidelines to minimise conflicts of interest, especially for an institution of public trust.
While the leadership of a CEO is critical to shape and drive any organisation, it is equally important that the board balances its support and guidance for its CEO, with its fiduciary duty. It has to serve as an impartial guardian of stakeholder interest in a public institution.
As a civilised society, we should not lightly condemn anyone in the court of public opinion without the benefit of due process and the right to a fair hearing. Even murderers have that right.
If there has been corruption or misuse of funds, then let the relevant authorities investigate and take the case through due process for a fair and proper judgment. There may have been errors of judgment. Most of us can accept and forgive this.
On the other hand, we should resolutely guard against those with serious faults of character and not put them into positions of trust. But let's be fair and keep an open mind, and give the benefit of doubt until the full facts are known.
These deliberations and decisions have important long-term considerations and impact. They should be taken calmly and steadily, away from the acid of hate and anger of betrayal.
Understandably, many feel betrayed. They feel they have been deceived into making donations of hard-earned money. However, this is no excuse for vandalising the NKF facilities, or heaping abuse on NKF staff. Two wrongs won't make a right.
Let us not forget there are real patients who continue to need dialysis support. I urge the staff of NKF to continue to support them well, and not let this wave of fury shake them from their mission and professionalism to serve their patients well.
I am sure it would be a tremendous comfort to both the patients and their caregivers if the rest of us can keep calm and give them our moral support.
Finally, whatever the transgressions or shortcomings, I want to put on record my deep gratitude for Mr Durai and the NKF and their supporters, including numerous donors, media artistes and volunteers as well as board members and patron.
Together, they have been tireless in their efforts and contributions all these years to make a difference in the lives of many kidney patients in need.
I do hope that every one of us, including Mr Durai and the NKF, will emerge the stronger, wiser and better from this serious and unfortunate setback.
I am also grateful to all the volunteers and professionals working in the various other voluntary welfare organisations. They too have given tireless and dedicated service of time, effort, money, love and emotions, to the young and old, to those sickly and in need, in their respective worthy causes.
Whatever their faults and foibles, the volunteers, staff and professionals in our VWOs have collectively given hope to many amongst us, and made this island a better place.
In turn, I hope Singaporeans and my fellow men will join me too in supporting them, and show them our generosity and warmth of the human spirit.
Many drops an ocean make, and many hands will lighten the load. On my part, I will continue to donate to the NKF and other favourite charities.
Ho Ching, the executive director of Temasek Holdings, sent this letter in her private capacity. - TODAY /dt
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/158427/1/.html
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Internet Marketing Seminar Video
Check out the latest video from www.Internet-Empire.com
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Monday, December 25, 2006
Characteristics of a Unique First World Country:
Characteristics of a Unique First World Country:
90% of donations kept or used by organisation, only 10% for the needy.
80% of people live in govt housing, only 20% live in private housing.
70% of jobs go to foreigners, only 30% go to citizens.
60% of investments go to foreigners, only 40% go to citizens.
50% of business opportunities go to govt, only 50% left for citizens.
40% of busaries, grants and scholarships go to foreigners, only 60% for citizens.
30% of welfare services come from govt, 70% from the people themselves.
20% of people are in the higher income group, while 80% are middle or lower income people.
10% get all the rewards, while 90% are not proportionately rewarded.
http://www.youngpap.org.sg/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=167728#167728
Source: YoungPAP Forum.
By User: We Sue Men
Say No to GST Hike
http://www.gsthike.com
http://www.petitiononline.com/GST7/petition.html
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
90% of donations kept or used by organisation, only 10% for the needy.
80% of people live in govt housing, only 20% live in private housing.
70% of jobs go to foreigners, only 30% go to citizens.
60% of investments go to foreigners, only 40% go to citizens.
50% of business opportunities go to govt, only 50% left for citizens.
40% of busaries, grants and scholarships go to foreigners, only 60% for citizens.
30% of welfare services come from govt, 70% from the people themselves.
20% of people are in the higher income group, while 80% are middle or lower income people.
10% get all the rewards, while 90% are not proportionately rewarded.
http://www.youngpap.org.sg/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=167728#167728
Source: YoungPAP Forum.
By User: We Sue Men
Say No to GST Hike
http://www.gsthike.com
http://www.petitiononline.com/GST7/petition.html
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Channel-X Episode 2 Part 1
Conspiracy theories unveiled!
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Channel-X Part 1
This is a cool video done by Channel-X. Cool stuff. Make sure you finish viewing everything. Part 2 & Part 3 coming.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Friday, December 22, 2006
Where Are The Heroes?
When I was young, I remember that I enjoyed watching Mask Riders and Ultraman. I knew that even when the good guys came up with set-backs, justice will eventually prevail. Everybody wants to be the good guy, which explains why the departmental stores always stock up more figurines of the good characters. Just for the record, though the department stores stock up the figurines of evil characters, they are mainly used as frustration objects so that you would get a high from trouncing the evil villains. The feeling is just so wonderful.
Fast forward four to five years later, things take a drastic change. It's the 'O' Levels and things began to take a spin. Everybody is frantic about making a drastic attempt in making sure they excel in their results. To them, if they do badly, they're condemned. There are no more fairy tales. Live was real. It's almost life and death. To each it's own. Everybody can't care less for others. Everybody wanted to get a better head start than the others. This is the real time when we unknowingly start our selfish journey.
Many people begin to work hard for their personal goals. Many people begin to see the uglier side of life. Many people begin to realize that it's not what you know but who you know. You don't need to be the best or smartest? You just needed to have the right connections. That is where souls are lost. In order to achieve goals, many have inadvertently sold their conscience and their souls.
We see many of those instances in our daily lives. Even the worst critic can be eventually bought over by promises of wealth and power. Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely. Politicians, businessmen, government servants, anybody you can think of starts betraying their conscience in pursuit of favours, career advancement and money.
One would rather squash their conscience than to admit what they do is wrong. Haven't they read history? Haven't they read the downfalls of empires in history? No empire lasts for a lifetime. No man is a saint. One thing for sure, nothing is certain in life.
"Change is the only constant thing in this world."
A lot of people have told me this before. There is no way things are going to change. Don't day dream. It's not going to happen. Let me tell you one thing. I don't just day dream, I dream at night as well. "In fact, I dream of so many things that my political opponents have nightmares over it."
Ask yourself this question. Are you going to wait for things to happen or are you going to make things happen?
What are we? Who do we think we are? Do you look down on yourself? I know I don't. All I know is that if I think I'm a failure, I would be one. If I thought I am destined for mediocrity I wouldn't have worked hard and achieved my level of success. Despite my handicap in education, I was able to make it up with my Passion, Hardwork and Drive. Why am I here? "I am but a catalyst and a messenger to inspire your awakening."
Did you watch Part 3 of the Lord Of The Rings? Did you watch the part where the hobbit lit up the first of many torches at the top of the hill? There are many that are anticipating and waiting just for the right time. The time is now. All we need is to light up the beacon and there are many others who will join the fight.
It is unfortunate that there are more highly educated individuals who are afraid of taking the first step. Why is it that they fear? Fear is a bigger disease than fear itself.
Look not for your hero but look at the mirror. You are the hero that you're looking for.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Fast forward four to five years later, things take a drastic change. It's the 'O' Levels and things began to take a spin. Everybody is frantic about making a drastic attempt in making sure they excel in their results. To them, if they do badly, they're condemned. There are no more fairy tales. Live was real. It's almost life and death. To each it's own. Everybody can't care less for others. Everybody wanted to get a better head start than the others. This is the real time when we unknowingly start our selfish journey.
Many people begin to work hard for their personal goals. Many people begin to see the uglier side of life. Many people begin to realize that it's not what you know but who you know. You don't need to be the best or smartest? You just needed to have the right connections. That is where souls are lost. In order to achieve goals, many have inadvertently sold their conscience and their souls.
We see many of those instances in our daily lives. Even the worst critic can be eventually bought over by promises of wealth and power. Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely. Politicians, businessmen, government servants, anybody you can think of starts betraying their conscience in pursuit of favours, career advancement and money.
One would rather squash their conscience than to admit what they do is wrong. Haven't they read history? Haven't they read the downfalls of empires in history? No empire lasts for a lifetime. No man is a saint. One thing for sure, nothing is certain in life.
"Change is the only constant thing in this world."
A lot of people have told me this before. There is no way things are going to change. Don't day dream. It's not going to happen. Let me tell you one thing. I don't just day dream, I dream at night as well. "In fact, I dream of so many things that my political opponents have nightmares over it."
Ask yourself this question. Are you going to wait for things to happen or are you going to make things happen?
What are we? Who do we think we are? Do you look down on yourself? I know I don't. All I know is that if I think I'm a failure, I would be one. If I thought I am destined for mediocrity I wouldn't have worked hard and achieved my level of success. Despite my handicap in education, I was able to make it up with my Passion, Hardwork and Drive. Why am I here? "I am but a catalyst and a messenger to inspire your awakening."
Did you watch Part 3 of the Lord Of The Rings? Did you watch the part where the hobbit lit up the first of many torches at the top of the hill? There are many that are anticipating and waiting just for the right time. The time is now. All we need is to light up the beacon and there are many others who will join the fight.
It is unfortunate that there are more highly educated individuals who are afraid of taking the first step. Why is it that they fear? Fear is a bigger disease than fear itself.
Look not for your hero but look at the mirror. You are the hero that you're looking for.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Seasons Greetings
The National Solidarity Party wishes everyone a merry Christmas, pleasant Hari Raya Haji, and joyous New Year.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Strongest Dad In The World
[From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly]
I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.
But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.
Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.
Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?
And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.
This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.
"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.''
But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.''
"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''
Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.''
That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''
And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.
``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.
Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''
How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried.
Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?
Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.
This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.
``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''
And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.
Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.
That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.
``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''
And the video is below....
In case you haven't had a goal in life. I hope this inspires you to have one.
Edmund Ng
"We Must Be The Change We Want To See In The World".
- Mahatma Gandhi
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.
But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.
Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.
Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?
And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.
This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.
"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.''
But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.''
"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''
Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.''
That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''
And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.
``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.
Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''
How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried.
Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?
Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.
This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.
``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''
And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.
Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.
That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.
``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''
And the video is below....
In case you haven't had a goal in life. I hope this inspires you to have one.
Edmund Ng
"We Must Be The Change We Want To See In The World".
- Mahatma Gandhi
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Internet-Empire.com launches Free Internet Marketing Training for the Physically Challenged.
http://www.internet-empire.com/free-internet-marketing-seminar.htm
Internet-Empire.com launches pilot Free Internet Marketing Training with the Handicaps Welfare Association. We will be conducting a 2 day work shop for HWA members. The first series of Free Internet Marketing Workshops will be launched on 8th & 9th Jan 2007 at the HWA premise.
If you are associated with the HWA and would like to take sign up for the free internet marketing seminar, you could contact Gladys Tang from HWA at 6254-3006.
Address of Handicaps Welfare Association - 16, 18 Whampoa Drive. (Off Balestier)
My goal is to provide free Internet Marketing training for all who are physically challenged in Singapore. I sincerly believe that Internet Marketing would be able to help them lead a self-sufficient, meaningful and dignified life. Should you have any friends that are from charitable organizations who might be interested to let me train their members, do feel free to contact me at the following address.
Email: seminar@internet-empire.com
+65 9782-2682
As our tagline says "Creating A New World", we walk the talk.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Internet-Empire.com launches pilot Free Internet Marketing Training with the Handicaps Welfare Association. We will be conducting a 2 day work shop for HWA members. The first series of Free Internet Marketing Workshops will be launched on 8th & 9th Jan 2007 at the HWA premise.
If you are associated with the HWA and would like to take sign up for the free internet marketing seminar, you could contact Gladys Tang from HWA at 6254-3006.
Address of Handicaps Welfare Association - 16, 18 Whampoa Drive. (Off Balestier)
My goal is to provide free Internet Marketing training for all who are physically challenged in Singapore. I sincerly believe that Internet Marketing would be able to help them lead a self-sufficient, meaningful and dignified life. Should you have any friends that are from charitable organizations who might be interested to let me train their members, do feel free to contact me at the following address.
Email: seminar@internet-empire.com
+65 9782-2682
As our tagline says "Creating A New World", we walk the talk.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
The No.1 Internet Marketing Seminar
See the testimonials
http://www.internet-empire.com/testimonials.htm
Would you like to get your website ranked No.1 and make considerable amounts of passive income in the process? There is a lot of hype done by many Internet Marketers but many have failed to live up to their expectations despite charging exorbitant fees. That is the main reason why my program comes with 1,000% Money Back Guarantee. Just don’t believe what I have to tell you literally and looked at the website for yourself.
These are real testimonials from real participants from my 1st December Internet Marketing Seminar. Just for the record, I managed to get 112 keywords ranked No.1 and No.2 in less than 3 months. Just click the link below and look at the testimonials. Don’t worry if you have no IT experience. I have a lot of people without IT background attending the seminar and coping just fine. My oldest seminar attendee is 74 years old.
------------------------------------------
http://www.internet-empire.com
------------------------------------------
The Singapore Government is going to make Singapore a Wireless Hub. Beginning on Jan 2007, there will be more than 20,000 hot spots catering to free wireless access for the next two years. Why do you think they’re doing that? The internet is really booming and making a lot of people rich. Would you want to have a piece of all that? What if there are ways and means that can help you achieve top rankings in search engines with minimal effort?
Internet Marketing Seminar organized by Internet-Empire.com is targeted at helping you get started with a breeze.
For more information please visit: http://www.internet-empire.com
Internet Marketing Seminar (The World’s Only Internet Marketing Seminar That Offer’s 1,000% Money Back Guarantee)
(Comes With 6 Months Post Seminar Support – To Make Sure You Succeed)
Participants will also receive high quality Step-By-Step DVD Videos to make sure you can do it.
"The Most Comprehensive Internet Marketing Training Program Ever To Be Launched On The Internet."
29 Step By Step DVD Videos!!!
Basic
Video 1 - Basic Introduction of Internet Terminologies / File Structure / Folder Structure / Naming Convention (+ Internet Security Softwares)
Video 2 - Identifying niche markets / Keyword Analysis / Competitor Analysis / How to target the ideal keyword (low-lying fruit)
Video 3 - Purchasing Domains / Hosting
Video 4 - FTP Software / How to do FTP / Understanding Root Folder
Video 5 - Installing Forum / WordPress
Video 6 - How to create / Edit Website in 5 minutes or less
Video 7 - Creating Metatags / Title / Description
Video 8 - Page Rank / Alexa Ranking Explained / Addiing Alexa Toolbar
Intermediate
Video 9 - Article Marketing / Submission
Video 10 - Making your articles rank top of search engines.
Video 11 - Creating content / How to add 10 web-pages of content in less than 5 minutes and build a content rich website.
Video 12 - How to create article directory
Video 13 - Forum Marketing
Video 14 - How to configure Opt In List / Auto Responder
Video 15 - How to do effective copywriting
Video 16 - Creating Link Structure / Link Directory
Video 17 - How not to get banned by Google and other search engines
Video 18 - How to do link exchange with no risk
Video 19 - Configuration of payment gateways like Paypal / 2CO
Advance Internet Marketing Strategies
Video 20 - Get multiple keywords ranked No.1 in Google / MSN / Yahoo
Video 21 - Advanced SEO Strategies
Video 22 - Advanced / Accelerated Linking Strategies
Video 23 - How to make your website complex and sticky
Video 24 - Automate your business and make money while you sleep
Video 25 - Bonus Website Templates / Editing Images / Free Webmaster Resources
Video 26 - How to be successful in affiliate marketing
Video 27 - How to publish Audio + Free Audio Software - New!!!
SPECIAL Bonuses
Resell rights of Seminar and DVDs - New!!!
(Special 8 Hour - Seminar Recording - DVD) New!!!
Video 28 - Yahoo Groups Marketing - New!!!
Video 29 - Safelist Marketing - New!!!
Who Should Attend?
Website Owners / Webmasters
Entrepreneurs
Business Owners
Retrenched or Jobless
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
http://www.internet-empire.com/testimonials.htm
Would you like to get your website ranked No.1 and make considerable amounts of passive income in the process? There is a lot of hype done by many Internet Marketers but many have failed to live up to their expectations despite charging exorbitant fees. That is the main reason why my program comes with 1,000% Money Back Guarantee. Just don’t believe what I have to tell you literally and looked at the website for yourself.
These are real testimonials from real participants from my 1st December Internet Marketing Seminar. Just for the record, I managed to get 112 keywords ranked No.1 and No.2 in less than 3 months. Just click the link below and look at the testimonials. Don’t worry if you have no IT experience. I have a lot of people without IT background attending the seminar and coping just fine. My oldest seminar attendee is 74 years old.
------------------------------------------
http://www.internet-empire.com
------------------------------------------
The Singapore Government is going to make Singapore a Wireless Hub. Beginning on Jan 2007, there will be more than 20,000 hot spots catering to free wireless access for the next two years. Why do you think they’re doing that? The internet is really booming and making a lot of people rich. Would you want to have a piece of all that? What if there are ways and means that can help you achieve top rankings in search engines with minimal effort?
Internet Marketing Seminar organized by Internet-Empire.com is targeted at helping you get started with a breeze.
For more information please visit: http://www.internet-empire.com
Internet Marketing Seminar (The World’s Only Internet Marketing Seminar That Offer’s 1,000% Money Back Guarantee)
(Comes With 6 Months Post Seminar Support – To Make Sure You Succeed)
Participants will also receive high quality Step-By-Step DVD Videos to make sure you can do it.
"The Most Comprehensive Internet Marketing Training Program Ever To Be Launched On The Internet."
29 Step By Step DVD Videos!!!
Basic
Video 1 - Basic Introduction of Internet Terminologies / File Structure / Folder Structure / Naming Convention (+ Internet Security Softwares)
Video 2 - Identifying niche markets / Keyword Analysis / Competitor Analysis / How to target the ideal keyword (low-lying fruit)
Video 3 - Purchasing Domains / Hosting
Video 4 - FTP Software / How to do FTP / Understanding Root Folder
Video 5 - Installing Forum / WordPress
Video 6 - How to create / Edit Website in 5 minutes or less
Video 7 - Creating Metatags / Title / Description
Video 8 - Page Rank / Alexa Ranking Explained / Addiing Alexa Toolbar
Intermediate
Video 9 - Article Marketing / Submission
Video 10 - Making your articles rank top of search engines.
Video 11 - Creating content / How to add 10 web-pages of content in less than 5 minutes and build a content rich website.
Video 12 - How to create article directory
Video 13 - Forum Marketing
Video 14 - How to configure Opt In List / Auto Responder
Video 15 - How to do effective copywriting
Video 16 - Creating Link Structure / Link Directory
Video 17 - How not to get banned by Google and other search engines
Video 18 - How to do link exchange with no risk
Video 19 - Configuration of payment gateways like Paypal / 2CO
Advance Internet Marketing Strategies
Video 20 - Get multiple keywords ranked No.1 in Google / MSN / Yahoo
Video 21 - Advanced SEO Strategies
Video 22 - Advanced / Accelerated Linking Strategies
Video 23 - How to make your website complex and sticky
Video 24 - Automate your business and make money while you sleep
Video 25 - Bonus Website Templates / Editing Images / Free Webmaster Resources
Video 26 - How to be successful in affiliate marketing
Video 27 - How to publish Audio + Free Audio Software - New!!!
SPECIAL Bonuses
Resell rights of Seminar and DVDs - New!!!
(Special 8 Hour - Seminar Recording - DVD) New!!!
Video 28 - Yahoo Groups Marketing - New!!!
Video 29 - Safelist Marketing - New!!!
Who Should Attend?
Website Owners / Webmasters
Entrepreneurs
Business Owners
Retrenched or Jobless
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Back to the Future...Oil Money for the Obedient
The United States of America Has Gone Mad -- by John le Carré
-------------------------------------------------------------
America has entered one of its periods of historical madness, but this is the worst I can remember: worse than McCarthyism, worse than the Bay of Pigs and in the long term potentially more disastrous than the Vietnam War. The reaction to 9/11 is beyond anything Osama bin Laden could have hoped for in his nastiest dreams.
As in McCarthy times, the freedoms that have made America the envy of the world are being systematically eroded. The combination of compliant US media and vested corporate interests is once more ensuring that a debate that should be ringing out in every town square is confined to the loftier columns of the East Coast press.
The imminent war was planned years before bin Laden struck, but it was he who made it possible. Without bin Laden, the Bush junta would still be trying to explain such tricky matters as how it came to be elected in the first place; Enron; its shameless favouring of the already-too-rich; its reckless disregard for the world's poor, the ecology and a raft of unilaterally abrogated international treaties. They might also have to be telling us why they support Israel in its continuing disregard for UN
resolutions.
But bin Laden conveniently swept all that under the carpet. The Bushies are riding high. Now 88% of Americans want the war, we are told. The US defence budget has been raised by another $60 billion to around $360 billion. A splendid new generation of nuclear weapons is in the pipeline, so we can all breathe easy.
Quite what war 88% of Americans think they are supporting is a lot less clear. A war for how long, please? At what cost in American lives? At what cost to the American taxpayer's pocket? At what cost - because most of those 88 per cent are thoroughly decent and humane people - in Iraqi lives?
How Bush and his junta succeeded in deflecting America's anger from bin Laden to Saddam Hussein is one of the great public relations conjuring tricks of history. But they swung it. A recent poll tells us that one in two Americans now believe Saddam was responsible for the attack on the World Trade Centre. But the American public is not merely being misled. It is being browbeaten and kept in a state of ignorance and fear.
The carefully orchestrated neurosis should carry Bush and his fellow conspirators nicely into the next election. Those who are not with Mr Bush are against him. Worse, they are with the enemy. Which is odd, because I'm dead against Bush, but I would love to see Saddam's downfall - just not on Bush's terms and not by his methods. And not under the banner of such outrageous hypocrisy.
The religious cant that will send American troops into battle is perhaps the most sickening aspect of this surreal war-to-be. Bush has an arm-lock on God. And God has very particular political opinions. God appointed America to save the world in any way that suits America.
God appointed Israel to be the nexus of America's Middle Eastern policy, and anyone who wants to mess with that idea is
a) anti-Semitic,
b) anti-American
c) with the enemy, and
d) a terrorist.
God also has pretty scary connections. In America, where all men are equal in His sight, if not in one another's, the Bush family numbers one President, one ex-President, one ex-head of the CIA, the Governor of Florida and the ex-Governor of Texas. Care for a few pointers? George W. Bush, 1978-84: senior executive, Arbusto Energy/Bush Exploration, an oil company; 1986-90: senior executive of the Harken oil company. Dick Cheney, 1995-2000: chief executive of the Halliburton oil company. Condoleezza Rice, 1991-2000: senior executive with the Chevron oil company, which named an oil tanker after her. And so on. But none of these trifling associations affects the integrity of God's work.
In 1993, while ex-President George Bush was visiting the ever-democratic Kingdom of Kuwait to receive thanks for liberating them, somebody tried to kill him. The CIA believes that "somebody" was Saddam. Hence Bush Jr's cry: "That man tried to kill my Daddy." But it's still not personal, this war. It's still necessary. It's still God's work. It's still about bringing freedom and democracy to oppressed Iraqi people.
To be a member of the team you must also believe in Absolute Good and Absolute Evil, and Bush, with a lot of help from his friends, family and God, is there to tell us which is which. What Bush won't tell us is the truth about why we're going to war. What is at stake is not an Axis of Evil - but oil, money and people's lives.
Saddam's misfortune is to sit on the second biggest oilfield in the world. Bush wants it, and who helps him get it will receive a piece of the cake. And who doesn't, won't. If Saddam didn't have the oil, he could torture his citizens to his heart's content. Other leaders do it every day - think Saudi Arabia, think Pakistan, think Turkey, think Syria, think Egypt.
Baghdad represents no clear and present danger to its neighbours, and none to the US or Britain. Saddam's weapons of mass destruction, if he's still got them, will be peanuts by comparison with the stuff Israel or America could hurl at him at five minutes' notice. What is at stake is not an imminent military or terrorist threat, but the economic imperative of US growth. What is at stake is America's need to demonstrate its military power to all of us - to Europe and Russia and China, and poor mad little North Korea, as well as the Middle East; to show who rules America at home, and who is to be ruled by America abroad.
The most charitable interpretation of Tony Blair's part in all this is that he believed that, by riding the tiger, he could steer it. He can't. Instead, he gave it a phoney legitimacy, and a smooth voice. Now I fear, the same tiger has him penned into a corner, and he can't get out. It is utterly laughable that, at a time when Blair has talked himself against the ropes, neither of Britain's opposition leaders can lay a glove on him. But that's Britain's tragedy, as it is America's: as our Governments spin, lie and lose their credibility, the electorate simply shrugs and looks the other way.
Blair's best chance of personal survival must be that, at the eleventh hour, world protest and an improbably emboldened UN will force Bush to put his gun back in his holster unfired. But what happens when the world's greatest cowboy rides back into town without a tyrant's head to wave at the boys?
Blair's worst chance is that, with or without the UN, he will drag us into a war that, if the will to negotiate energetically had ever been there, could have been avoided; a war that has been no more democratically debated in Britain than it has in America or at the UN. By doing so, Blair will have set back our relations with Europe and the Middle East for decades to come.
He will have helped to provoke unforeseeable retaliation, great domestic unrest, and regional chaos in the Middle East. Welcome to the party of the ethical foreign policy.
There is a middle way, but it's a tough one: Bush dives in without UN approval and Blair stays on the bank. Goodbye to the special relationship. I cringe when I hear my Prime Minister lend his head prefect's sophistries to this colonialist adventure. His very real anxieties about terror are shared by all sane men. What he can't explain is how he reconciles a global assault on al-Qaeda with a territorial assault on Iraq.
We are in this war, if it takes place, to secure the fig leaf of our special relationship, to grab our share of the oil pot, and because, after all the public hand-holding in Washington and Camp David, Blair has to show up at the altar.
"But will we win, Daddy?"
"Of course, child. It will all be over while you're still in bed."
"Why?"
"Because otherwise Mr Bush's voters will get terribly impatient and may
decide not to vote for him."
"But will people be killed, Daddy?"
"Nobody you know, darling. Just foreign people."
"Can I watch it on television?"
"Only if Mr Bush says you can."
"And afterwards, will everything be normal again? Nobody will do anything
horrid any more?"
"Hush child, and go to sleep."
Last Friday a friend of mine in California drove to his local supermarket with a sticker on his car saying: "Peace is also Patriotic". It was gone by the time he'd finished shopping.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
-------------------------------------------------------------
America has entered one of its periods of historical madness, but this is the worst I can remember: worse than McCarthyism, worse than the Bay of Pigs and in the long term potentially more disastrous than the Vietnam War. The reaction to 9/11 is beyond anything Osama bin Laden could have hoped for in his nastiest dreams.
As in McCarthy times, the freedoms that have made America the envy of the world are being systematically eroded. The combination of compliant US media and vested corporate interests is once more ensuring that a debate that should be ringing out in every town square is confined to the loftier columns of the East Coast press.
The imminent war was planned years before bin Laden struck, but it was he who made it possible. Without bin Laden, the Bush junta would still be trying to explain such tricky matters as how it came to be elected in the first place; Enron; its shameless favouring of the already-too-rich; its reckless disregard for the world's poor, the ecology and a raft of unilaterally abrogated international treaties. They might also have to be telling us why they support Israel in its continuing disregard for UN
resolutions.
But bin Laden conveniently swept all that under the carpet. The Bushies are riding high. Now 88% of Americans want the war, we are told. The US defence budget has been raised by another $60 billion to around $360 billion. A splendid new generation of nuclear weapons is in the pipeline, so we can all breathe easy.
Quite what war 88% of Americans think they are supporting is a lot less clear. A war for how long, please? At what cost in American lives? At what cost to the American taxpayer's pocket? At what cost - because most of those 88 per cent are thoroughly decent and humane people - in Iraqi lives?
How Bush and his junta succeeded in deflecting America's anger from bin Laden to Saddam Hussein is one of the great public relations conjuring tricks of history. But they swung it. A recent poll tells us that one in two Americans now believe Saddam was responsible for the attack on the World Trade Centre. But the American public is not merely being misled. It is being browbeaten and kept in a state of ignorance and fear.
The carefully orchestrated neurosis should carry Bush and his fellow conspirators nicely into the next election. Those who are not with Mr Bush are against him. Worse, they are with the enemy. Which is odd, because I'm dead against Bush, but I would love to see Saddam's downfall - just not on Bush's terms and not by his methods. And not under the banner of such outrageous hypocrisy.
The religious cant that will send American troops into battle is perhaps the most sickening aspect of this surreal war-to-be. Bush has an arm-lock on God. And God has very particular political opinions. God appointed America to save the world in any way that suits America.
God appointed Israel to be the nexus of America's Middle Eastern policy, and anyone who wants to mess with that idea is
a) anti-Semitic,
b) anti-American
c) with the enemy, and
d) a terrorist.
God also has pretty scary connections. In America, where all men are equal in His sight, if not in one another's, the Bush family numbers one President, one ex-President, one ex-head of the CIA, the Governor of Florida and the ex-Governor of Texas. Care for a few pointers? George W. Bush, 1978-84: senior executive, Arbusto Energy/Bush Exploration, an oil company; 1986-90: senior executive of the Harken oil company. Dick Cheney, 1995-2000: chief executive of the Halliburton oil company. Condoleezza Rice, 1991-2000: senior executive with the Chevron oil company, which named an oil tanker after her. And so on. But none of these trifling associations affects the integrity of God's work.
In 1993, while ex-President George Bush was visiting the ever-democratic Kingdom of Kuwait to receive thanks for liberating them, somebody tried to kill him. The CIA believes that "somebody" was Saddam. Hence Bush Jr's cry: "That man tried to kill my Daddy." But it's still not personal, this war. It's still necessary. It's still God's work. It's still about bringing freedom and democracy to oppressed Iraqi people.
To be a member of the team you must also believe in Absolute Good and Absolute Evil, and Bush, with a lot of help from his friends, family and God, is there to tell us which is which. What Bush won't tell us is the truth about why we're going to war. What is at stake is not an Axis of Evil - but oil, money and people's lives.
Saddam's misfortune is to sit on the second biggest oilfield in the world. Bush wants it, and who helps him get it will receive a piece of the cake. And who doesn't, won't. If Saddam didn't have the oil, he could torture his citizens to his heart's content. Other leaders do it every day - think Saudi Arabia, think Pakistan, think Turkey, think Syria, think Egypt.
Baghdad represents no clear and present danger to its neighbours, and none to the US or Britain. Saddam's weapons of mass destruction, if he's still got them, will be peanuts by comparison with the stuff Israel or America could hurl at him at five minutes' notice. What is at stake is not an imminent military or terrorist threat, but the economic imperative of US growth. What is at stake is America's need to demonstrate its military power to all of us - to Europe and Russia and China, and poor mad little North Korea, as well as the Middle East; to show who rules America at home, and who is to be ruled by America abroad.
The most charitable interpretation of Tony Blair's part in all this is that he believed that, by riding the tiger, he could steer it. He can't. Instead, he gave it a phoney legitimacy, and a smooth voice. Now I fear, the same tiger has him penned into a corner, and he can't get out. It is utterly laughable that, at a time when Blair has talked himself against the ropes, neither of Britain's opposition leaders can lay a glove on him. But that's Britain's tragedy, as it is America's: as our Governments spin, lie and lose their credibility, the electorate simply shrugs and looks the other way.
Blair's best chance of personal survival must be that, at the eleventh hour, world protest and an improbably emboldened UN will force Bush to put his gun back in his holster unfired. But what happens when the world's greatest cowboy rides back into town without a tyrant's head to wave at the boys?
Blair's worst chance is that, with or without the UN, he will drag us into a war that, if the will to negotiate energetically had ever been there, could have been avoided; a war that has been no more democratically debated in Britain than it has in America or at the UN. By doing so, Blair will have set back our relations with Europe and the Middle East for decades to come.
He will have helped to provoke unforeseeable retaliation, great domestic unrest, and regional chaos in the Middle East. Welcome to the party of the ethical foreign policy.
There is a middle way, but it's a tough one: Bush dives in without UN approval and Blair stays on the bank. Goodbye to the special relationship. I cringe when I hear my Prime Minister lend his head prefect's sophistries to this colonialist adventure. His very real anxieties about terror are shared by all sane men. What he can't explain is how he reconciles a global assault on al-Qaeda with a territorial assault on Iraq.
We are in this war, if it takes place, to secure the fig leaf of our special relationship, to grab our share of the oil pot, and because, after all the public hand-holding in Washington and Camp David, Blair has to show up at the altar.
"But will we win, Daddy?"
"Of course, child. It will all be over while you're still in bed."
"Why?"
"Because otherwise Mr Bush's voters will get terribly impatient and may
decide not to vote for him."
"But will people be killed, Daddy?"
"Nobody you know, darling. Just foreign people."
"Can I watch it on television?"
"Only if Mr Bush says you can."
"And afterwards, will everything be normal again? Nobody will do anything
horrid any more?"
"Hush child, and go to sleep."
Last Friday a friend of mine in California drove to his local supermarket with a sticker on his car saying: "Peace is also Patriotic". It was gone by the time he'd finished shopping.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
WE LIVE IN SINGAPURA the MTV version
This is an extremely funny MTV for a song sang by Hosanne Leong.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Surayud says PM's Office must reach best way-out with iTV
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Friday that the PM's Office must find a best way-out for the controversy regarding huge fine and concession fees of iTV.
Surayud said it would not be enough for the permanent secretary of the PM's Office to only report the Supreme Administrative Court's ruling on iTV for the Cabinet to consider.
Instead, the PM's Office permanent secretary must consider the pros and cons of all possible choices regarding the dispute and propose them for the Cabinet to consider.
He said the iTV has to maintain its news to entertainment programme ratio as 70 to 30 per cent and the rest of the disputes could be negotiated.
"The best way to handle this is to hold negotiations for a suitable point in line with the self-sufficiency economy philosophy," Surayud said.
The Nation
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Surayud said it would not be enough for the permanent secretary of the PM's Office to only report the Supreme Administrative Court's ruling on iTV for the Cabinet to consider.
Instead, the PM's Office permanent secretary must consider the pros and cons of all possible choices regarding the dispute and propose them for the Cabinet to consider.
He said the iTV has to maintain its news to entertainment programme ratio as 70 to 30 per cent and the rest of the disputes could be negotiated.
"The best way to handle this is to hold negotiations for a suitable point in line with the self-sufficiency economy philosophy," Surayud said.
The Nation
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Shin Corp may sell iTV's shares: iTV chairman
iTV executive chairman Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan indicated Friday that the Shin Corp board of directors might decide to sell its stakes in the television station.
Niwatthamrong said he had learnt that members of the Shin Corp boards wanted the station to be maintained and Shin Corp does not have to go on holding stakes in iTV.
He said that iTV organisation, which had been firmly built up would have to collapse.
"I would be very happy if anyone can help the station to go on operating," the iTV chairman said.
The Nation
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Niwatthamrong said he had learnt that members of the Shin Corp boards wanted the station to be maintained and Shin Corp does not have to go on holding stakes in iTV.
He said that iTV organisation, which had been firmly built up would have to collapse.
"I would be very happy if anyone can help the station to go on operating," the iTV chairman said.
The Nation
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Reuters: PAP out of touch in SG!
Monday December 18, 3:04 PM Reuters
Income gap tears at Singapore social fabric
By Geert De Clercq
SINGAPORE, Dec 18 (Reuters) - When Wee Shu Min, the teenage daughter of a Singapore member of parliament stumbled across the blog of a Singaporean who wrote that he was worried about losing his job, she thought she'd give him a piece of her mind.
She called him "one of many wretched, undermotivated, overassuming leeches in our country" on her own blog and signed off with "please, get out of my elite uncaring face".
Wee was flamed by hundreds of fellow bloggers, but when her father Wee Siew Kim -- an MP in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's constituency -- told a Singapore newspaper that "her basic point is reasonable", the row moved well beyond the blogosphere.
The episode highlighted a deep rift in Singapore society and was an embarrassment for the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) and prime minister Lee, who has made the reduction of the income gap one of the priorities of his new government.
"Coming from an MP in the prime minister's constituency, these comments really were political dynamite," political commentator Seah Chiang Nee told Reuters.
"If the political arrogance and elitism get any worse, the PAP will lose more electoral ground," he added.
Singapore is Asia's second-richest country after Japan with a gross domestic product per capita of about $27,000, ranking between EU member Italy and Spain. But in terms of income disparity, Singapore is in altogether different company.
Singapore's Gini index -- which measures inequality of income distribution among households -- of 42.5 puts it between Burundi and Kenya, the UN Human Development Report 2006 shows.
"Yes, the gini coefficient is very high. Through housing, health care and education, we have tried to narrow the income gap, but not through wages," National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan told Reuters in an interview last month.
"WELFARE AS A DIRTY WORD"
Singapore pays no employment benefits, no pensions and has no legal minimum wage, but education is cheap and excellent, health care is subsidised and the government gives subsidies to first-time buyers of government-built flats.
Last month, Singapore's first parliament session since the May 6 poll was dominated by the inequality theme.
PM Lee ruled out the introduction of old-age pensions, a minimum wage or European-style welfare.
"We have treated welfare as a dirty word. The opposition, I think the Workers' Party, has called for a 'permanent unconditional needs-based welfare system'. I think that is an even dirtier five words," he said in a speech on Nov. 13.
But he acknowledged that since the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the income gap had widened, and said that his government plans to "tilt the balance in favour of the lower-income groups".
While Lee's ruling PAP is in no danger of losing its stranglehold on parliament -- where it has 82 out of 84 elected seats -- the growing income disparity has hurt its credibility.
In the May 6 poll, the Workers' Party scored its best result in years, with chairwoman Sylvia Lim winning 44 percent of the votes in a multi-seat ward. Lee lost 34 percent in his ward to a group of unknown candidates in their early thirties.
"They (the PAP) are concerned about the fallout if they don't do anything about the income gap," Lim, who entered parliament as a non-voting MP under a best-loser provision, told Reuters.
In parliament, Lee said he plans to improve healthcare and boost housing subsidies for low-income families. He added that he wants more "workfare" schemes, under which the state tops up low-income workers' pay.
On May 1 -- five days before the election -- the government paid out S$150 million to about 330,000 low-income workers, and Lee promised a similar package for next year. Details would be released in the 2007 budget on February 15.
"MARIE ANTOINETTES"
Critics say that much of the outrage about the teenage blogger's comments is due to a perception that Singapore is ruled by a privileged elite that's out of touch with the people.
The road to a top job in the Singapore government or civil service leads through elite junior colleges and prestigious government scholarships for university studies abroad.
While access to these schools and scholarships is open to all and based on academic grades, critics say the children of the elite are well represented. Wee Shu Min attends a top school, Raffles Junior College, as did her father, an MP and a top executive at state-owned arms maker ST Engineering.
In a report about "elite envy", the Straits Times daily quoted official data showing that in the last five years, one in three students on government scholarships came from families with incomes of more than $$10,000 ($6,500) a month, while such families make up just 13 per cent of all Singapore households.
Students from households on incomes of less than $2,000 made up only 7 per cent of scholarship winners, the paper added.
Colin Goh, founder of satirical website TalkingCock.com, said that while the first generation of post-independence PAP leaders was seen as close to the people, this is no longer the case.
"The source for much invective in the Wee Shu Min case is that there is a real sense the PAP is composed of people in ivory towers; that they are a bunch of Marie Antoinettes," he said.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Income gap tears at Singapore social fabric
By Geert De Clercq
SINGAPORE, Dec 18 (Reuters) - When Wee Shu Min, the teenage daughter of a Singapore member of parliament stumbled across the blog of a Singaporean who wrote that he was worried about losing his job, she thought she'd give him a piece of her mind.
She called him "one of many wretched, undermotivated, overassuming leeches in our country" on her own blog and signed off with "please, get out of my elite uncaring face".
Wee was flamed by hundreds of fellow bloggers, but when her father Wee Siew Kim -- an MP in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's constituency -- told a Singapore newspaper that "her basic point is reasonable", the row moved well beyond the blogosphere.
The episode highlighted a deep rift in Singapore society and was an embarrassment for the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) and prime minister Lee, who has made the reduction of the income gap one of the priorities of his new government.
"Coming from an MP in the prime minister's constituency, these comments really were political dynamite," political commentator Seah Chiang Nee told Reuters.
"If the political arrogance and elitism get any worse, the PAP will lose more electoral ground," he added.
Singapore is Asia's second-richest country after Japan with a gross domestic product per capita of about $27,000, ranking between EU member Italy and Spain. But in terms of income disparity, Singapore is in altogether different company.
Singapore's Gini index -- which measures inequality of income distribution among households -- of 42.5 puts it between Burundi and Kenya, the UN Human Development Report 2006 shows.
"Yes, the gini coefficient is very high. Through housing, health care and education, we have tried to narrow the income gap, but not through wages," National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan told Reuters in an interview last month.
"WELFARE AS A DIRTY WORD"
Singapore pays no employment benefits, no pensions and has no legal minimum wage, but education is cheap and excellent, health care is subsidised and the government gives subsidies to first-time buyers of government-built flats.
Last month, Singapore's first parliament session since the May 6 poll was dominated by the inequality theme.
PM Lee ruled out the introduction of old-age pensions, a minimum wage or European-style welfare.
"We have treated welfare as a dirty word. The opposition, I think the Workers' Party, has called for a 'permanent unconditional needs-based welfare system'. I think that is an even dirtier five words," he said in a speech on Nov. 13.
But he acknowledged that since the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the income gap had widened, and said that his government plans to "tilt the balance in favour of the lower-income groups".
While Lee's ruling PAP is in no danger of losing its stranglehold on parliament -- where it has 82 out of 84 elected seats -- the growing income disparity has hurt its credibility.
In the May 6 poll, the Workers' Party scored its best result in years, with chairwoman Sylvia Lim winning 44 percent of the votes in a multi-seat ward. Lee lost 34 percent in his ward to a group of unknown candidates in their early thirties.
"They (the PAP) are concerned about the fallout if they don't do anything about the income gap," Lim, who entered parliament as a non-voting MP under a best-loser provision, told Reuters.
In parliament, Lee said he plans to improve healthcare and boost housing subsidies for low-income families. He added that he wants more "workfare" schemes, under which the state tops up low-income workers' pay.
On May 1 -- five days before the election -- the government paid out S$150 million to about 330,000 low-income workers, and Lee promised a similar package for next year. Details would be released in the 2007 budget on February 15.
"MARIE ANTOINETTES"
Critics say that much of the outrage about the teenage blogger's comments is due to a perception that Singapore is ruled by a privileged elite that's out of touch with the people.
The road to a top job in the Singapore government or civil service leads through elite junior colleges and prestigious government scholarships for university studies abroad.
While access to these schools and scholarships is open to all and based on academic grades, critics say the children of the elite are well represented. Wee Shu Min attends a top school, Raffles Junior College, as did her father, an MP and a top executive at state-owned arms maker ST Engineering.
In a report about "elite envy", the Straits Times daily quoted official data showing that in the last five years, one in three students on government scholarships came from families with incomes of more than $$10,000 ($6,500) a month, while such families make up just 13 per cent of all Singapore households.
Students from households on incomes of less than $2,000 made up only 7 per cent of scholarship winners, the paper added.
Colin Goh, founder of satirical website TalkingCock.com, said that while the first generation of post-independence PAP leaders was seen as close to the people, this is no longer the case.
"The source for much invective in the Wee Shu Min case is that there is a real sense the PAP is composed of people in ivory towers; that they are a bunch of Marie Antoinettes," he said.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Charity tells why CEO gets salary of only $7,100
If Dr. Lee is really inclined to helping the less fortunate, he should not be drawing such a high pay when there are volunteers who are not even paid a single cent for their involvement in charitable events. Is he working on a full time basis?
Dec 13, 2006
Charity tells why CEO gets salary of only $7,100
I THANK Mr Wang Tiancheng for his letter, 'Bar charity staff related to boss from high posts' (ST, Dec 9).
Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society (THKMS) CEO Dr Lee Ngak Siang's total pay is $7,100 per month - $2,100 from the Moral Home for Disabled and $5,000 from the Moral Home Help Service - West. He is not paid for any other positions or by any of our other agencies.
If Dr Lee's monthly salary appears low for an organisation like THKMS, it is because we made it a point that a senior position like that of CEO should not be paid a high salary. We want the CEO to treat his job partly as a volunteer and therefore his pay should be low.
Among our 10 policies on the recruitment of a CEO are the following:
The CEO must have good experience in grassroots work and preferably have experience in managing grassroots or VWO agencies.
He must be able to work as a team and abide by three prohibitions - no name, no gain and no fame.
He must be dedicated to serve the poor, disabled, aged and the needy.
He will approve expenses put up by the service agencies but shall not have the power to sign cheques.
We have put in place procedures to avoid conflict of interest or to resolve potential conflict situations. Good governance is the key.
As far as possible, THKMS and the Society of Moral Charities (SOMC) base their governance and management policies on National Council of Social Service guidelines and other government requirements.
Our CEO manages the day-to-day activities of THKMS and SOMC. Matters of policy and finance are decided by the Exco. Dr Lee is not a member of the Exco or management committee of both organisations.
Should there be any potential conflict (so far there has been none), our policy has been for the person involved to abstain from discussing the issues and also to abstain from voting on the issues.
Where recruitment of people with close relationship to committee members is concerned, the board member, staff or volunteer is to make a declaration of such relationships, and refrain from influencing the decision. Such a person shall not vote on any decision.
Additionally, paid staff, including the executive head and senior staff employed by the two societies, are not allowed to serve on the management committee.
Lee Kim Siang
Chairman
Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society and Society of Moral Charities
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Dec 13, 2006
Charity tells why CEO gets salary of only $7,100
I THANK Mr Wang Tiancheng for his letter, 'Bar charity staff related to boss from high posts' (ST, Dec 9).
Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society (THKMS) CEO Dr Lee Ngak Siang's total pay is $7,100 per month - $2,100 from the Moral Home for Disabled and $5,000 from the Moral Home Help Service - West. He is not paid for any other positions or by any of our other agencies.
If Dr Lee's monthly salary appears low for an organisation like THKMS, it is because we made it a point that a senior position like that of CEO should not be paid a high salary. We want the CEO to treat his job partly as a volunteer and therefore his pay should be low.
Among our 10 policies on the recruitment of a CEO are the following:
The CEO must have good experience in grassroots work and preferably have experience in managing grassroots or VWO agencies.
He must be able to work as a team and abide by three prohibitions - no name, no gain and no fame.
He must be dedicated to serve the poor, disabled, aged and the needy.
He will approve expenses put up by the service agencies but shall not have the power to sign cheques.
We have put in place procedures to avoid conflict of interest or to resolve potential conflict situations. Good governance is the key.
As far as possible, THKMS and the Society of Moral Charities (SOMC) base their governance and management policies on National Council of Social Service guidelines and other government requirements.
Our CEO manages the day-to-day activities of THKMS and SOMC. Matters of policy and finance are decided by the Exco. Dr Lee is not a member of the Exco or management committee of both organisations.
Should there be any potential conflict (so far there has been none), our policy has been for the person involved to abstain from discussing the issues and also to abstain from voting on the issues.
Where recruitment of people with close relationship to committee members is concerned, the board member, staff or volunteer is to make a declaration of such relationships, and refrain from influencing the decision. Such a person shall not vote on any decision.
Additionally, paid staff, including the executive head and senior staff employed by the two societies, are not allowed to serve on the management committee.
Lee Kim Siang
Chairman
Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society and Society of Moral Charities
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
The Singapore Monarch - Regal Treatment For White Prince
Source from: SammyBoy Alfresco Coffeeeshop
In the army, we'll love them white horse kings...
Don't we all love to hear more white horse stories? Especially when the horse is 'super-white'.
Found this on a blog, written several months ago. I can't vouch for its authenticity, obviously. And the date's wrong if he was referring to this year, for 7th July fell on a Friday. The vocation (Signals) was right though.
On the 7th of July, a thursday, we, sergeants-to-be and future commanders in the SAF, did saikang. We shifted huge steel lockers, tables, cleaned windows and bed frames, arranged chairs in the "entertainment room", swept the floors and took out the trash. All this on the Officer-Cadet-Trainee(OCT) floor. And not just for the OCTs, who are of the same age as us by the way, but for a particular OCT who was going over to Signals the next day. An OCT with a...particularly powerful father. I don't think i need to mention his name, do i?
It wasn't just the sergeants-to-be who had to do all this work. Every operator had to do their part, and there were warrant officers, people who've spent over 20 years as commanders in the Army, shifting beds around and going around unscrewing our locker door handles 'cos the OCTs did not have enough of them. Unscrewing door handles. An officer doing construction-worker-style stuff for no bonus pay. We even had to make sure the OCT's lockers had enough hooks to place their precious jockey-caps and berets...when almost all the beds in OUR own bunks have no hooks at all. (Not to mention the fact that our big mirror has been taken away...as well as our own bloody toilet door!!!)
It wasn't just yesterday. Word of the young prince's imminent arrival had spread over a month ago, and renovation work had begun since then. The particular floor was given a new coat of paint, mosquito nets were installed in the OCTs' bunks and new rust-free fans were installed. 10 fans to a room. In contrast, the sergeants and operators have 4 fans to a room, all rusty. And no way to block out insects that often fly in.
What makes me so pissed is that this normally wouldn't have been done for officers-to-be at all. Only for THIS particular batch for you-know-what-reason. As a senior officer whispered to us, normally there wouldn't any renovation at all, and no effort to wipe out the rat population before the OCTs arrived. Our OC apologised to us, as making sergeants-to-be do saikang wasn't his directive (although his sergeant probably couldn't refuse the officer who had sent him off to find man-power). "You know how it is", our OC told us. After all, what if that OCT had complained to his dad during dinner that the bunk conditions were horrible? Yes, what if?
Everybody i've talked to don't like what's happening, don't like this obvious show of favouritism and pulling strings, but most of them, including senior officers, also believe that there isn't really much choice. "Bo bian mah, he's his father's son after all." This's what disgusts me the most. WHY should it be "bo bian"?? Why should it be obvious to people that he should receive better treatment than the rest of us? Why are there so many people just craning their necks and taking all this crap simply because he obviously cannot be touched, that the world is unfair and "we have no choice"??
Is this something like our own Singaporean facination with our former colonial masters?? Is this favouritism for the supposedly more noble so inbred in our bones that we do it without thinking and even acknowledge it as a normal frame of mind?
It's really sad that you can be treated like a king simply for having the right parents. It's something like people getting treated better for HAVING lots of money, although they don't spend any more than the next guy. This particular OCT doesn't give SAF head honchos ANYTHING; he's just a normal 18 year old with normal grades like the rest of us (i don't know if he even plans to go into politics), but he still gets to have an easier life in BMT, OCS, and gets to go to an easy course in Signals and succeed in the army while doing less and having less hardships than everyone else. Simply because he has a father who MIGHT give the head honchos SOMETHING, however unlikely. It's not gonna help, you know...in the future he'd have a really myopic view on the hardships of NS life, which wouldn't be good for Singapore if he DID go into politics.
Other people have to sweat blood to get their officer rank. But he doesn't. And in the future, everyone except for those who were there when he was in NS would think he had gone through one of the toughest courses in NS. Whatever job he applies for, he'd be able to show off that rank to a lot of "Wow, he's such a talented person!" People will think that he had experienced hardship during his NS life. When he hadn't, actually. And that's really unfair.
I don't bear too much of a grudge to this particular OCT though, he probably doesn't have much of a choice except to accept the good treatment. His dad too; there's a good chance he doesn't even know what's going on. I definitely don't blame the poor warrant officers who had to make us do saikang as well. Rather, the blame lies with someone higher up, who just loves to lick other people's boots and get promoted.
But what can i say? As my friend says, the world is dark after all, and i'm just a corporal.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
In the army, we'll love them white horse kings...
Don't we all love to hear more white horse stories? Especially when the horse is 'super-white'.
Found this on a blog, written several months ago. I can't vouch for its authenticity, obviously. And the date's wrong if he was referring to this year, for 7th July fell on a Friday. The vocation (Signals) was right though.
On the 7th of July, a thursday, we, sergeants-to-be and future commanders in the SAF, did saikang. We shifted huge steel lockers, tables, cleaned windows and bed frames, arranged chairs in the "entertainment room", swept the floors and took out the trash. All this on the Officer-Cadet-Trainee(OCT) floor. And not just for the OCTs, who are of the same age as us by the way, but for a particular OCT who was going over to Signals the next day. An OCT with a...particularly powerful father. I don't think i need to mention his name, do i?
It wasn't just the sergeants-to-be who had to do all this work. Every operator had to do their part, and there were warrant officers, people who've spent over 20 years as commanders in the Army, shifting beds around and going around unscrewing our locker door handles 'cos the OCTs did not have enough of them. Unscrewing door handles. An officer doing construction-worker-style stuff for no bonus pay. We even had to make sure the OCT's lockers had enough hooks to place their precious jockey-caps and berets...when almost all the beds in OUR own bunks have no hooks at all. (Not to mention the fact that our big mirror has been taken away...as well as our own bloody toilet door!!!)
It wasn't just yesterday. Word of the young prince's imminent arrival had spread over a month ago, and renovation work had begun since then. The particular floor was given a new coat of paint, mosquito nets were installed in the OCTs' bunks and new rust-free fans were installed. 10 fans to a room. In contrast, the sergeants and operators have 4 fans to a room, all rusty. And no way to block out insects that often fly in.
What makes me so pissed is that this normally wouldn't have been done for officers-to-be at all. Only for THIS particular batch for you-know-what-reason. As a senior officer whispered to us, normally there wouldn't any renovation at all, and no effort to wipe out the rat population before the OCTs arrived. Our OC apologised to us, as making sergeants-to-be do saikang wasn't his directive (although his sergeant probably couldn't refuse the officer who had sent him off to find man-power). "You know how it is", our OC told us. After all, what if that OCT had complained to his dad during dinner that the bunk conditions were horrible? Yes, what if?
Everybody i've talked to don't like what's happening, don't like this obvious show of favouritism and pulling strings, but most of them, including senior officers, also believe that there isn't really much choice. "Bo bian mah, he's his father's son after all." This's what disgusts me the most. WHY should it be "bo bian"?? Why should it be obvious to people that he should receive better treatment than the rest of us? Why are there so many people just craning their necks and taking all this crap simply because he obviously cannot be touched, that the world is unfair and "we have no choice"??
Is this something like our own Singaporean facination with our former colonial masters?? Is this favouritism for the supposedly more noble so inbred in our bones that we do it without thinking and even acknowledge it as a normal frame of mind?
It's really sad that you can be treated like a king simply for having the right parents. It's something like people getting treated better for HAVING lots of money, although they don't spend any more than the next guy. This particular OCT doesn't give SAF head honchos ANYTHING; he's just a normal 18 year old with normal grades like the rest of us (i don't know if he even plans to go into politics), but he still gets to have an easier life in BMT, OCS, and gets to go to an easy course in Signals and succeed in the army while doing less and having less hardships than everyone else. Simply because he has a father who MIGHT give the head honchos SOMETHING, however unlikely. It's not gonna help, you know...in the future he'd have a really myopic view on the hardships of NS life, which wouldn't be good for Singapore if he DID go into politics.
Other people have to sweat blood to get their officer rank. But he doesn't. And in the future, everyone except for those who were there when he was in NS would think he had gone through one of the toughest courses in NS. Whatever job he applies for, he'd be able to show off that rank to a lot of "Wow, he's such a talented person!" People will think that he had experienced hardship during his NS life. When he hadn't, actually. And that's really unfair.
I don't bear too much of a grudge to this particular OCT though, he probably doesn't have much of a choice except to accept the good treatment. His dad too; there's a good chance he doesn't even know what's going on. I definitely don't blame the poor warrant officers who had to make us do saikang as well. Rather, the blame lies with someone higher up, who just loves to lick other people's boots and get promoted.
But what can i say? As my friend says, the world is dark after all, and i'm just a corporal.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Pay the iTV fine in 45 days - Thai PMO
PM's Office insists iTV must pay fine in 45 days
Bangkok Post
Attorney-general calls for talks on penalty
POST REPORTERS
The Prime Minister's Office, a contract partner with the iTV station, is determined to impose a 45-day deadline for iTV to pay the office its concession fee and fine amounting to 99.97 billion baht. ''At this stage, we must only abide by the Supreme Administrative Court's ruling and implement it quickly,'' said Chulayut Hiranyawasit, permanent secretary of the PM's Office, at a press conference in response to the Wednesday verdict by the Supreme Administrative Court.
Mr Chulayut said payment must be made within 45 days, but noted that the office is willing to extend the deadline by another 45 days if iTV is unable to pay.
He said his office submitted the dispute on the calculation method of annual fee and fine to the Office of the Attorney-General shortly after the ruling in May by the Central Administrative Court.
At the same time, he said the cabinet will consider the fate of iTV on Tuesday.
The Office of the Attoney-General yesterday gave some hope to iTV by saying it has the right to appeal and the dispute will be ruled upon by an arbitration panel.
Attorney-General Pachara Yutidhammadamrong said the contract between the PM's Office and iTV requires disputes over fees and penalties to be settled by an arbitration committee.
The PM's Office puts the penalties as of May this year at about 94 billion baht while the station argues it should not exceed 300 million baht, saying the PM's Office calculation, which relies on a news/entertainment programme ratio agreement on a daily basis was unacceptable.
But Mr Pachara said that if after 45 days of negotiation in the arbitration stage no solution could be reached, his agency would seek the court to declare iTV bankrupt. ''The pressing issue is that both parties must find a solution soon. If they fail, the station is likely to be restored as a state asset,'' he said.
Deputy Attorney-General Poramet Intarachumnum said a new arbitration panel will be set up to rule on the case if the station objects to the PM's Office's demand. He said Thongchai Prasatvanich, director-general for conflict resolution and arbitration, is examining the PM's Office document before taking the next step.
He urged both parties to negotiate on the penalty.
''The government has a reconciliation approach. If both parties feel negotiation will benefit the state, they should negotiate,'' he said.
He noted that it would be too early to discuss a bankruptcy lawsuit against the station.
iTV chairman Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisal yesterday assured his staff that their salary and welfare benefits would not be affected and he would do his best to keep the station going. He said the board would meet on Dec 29 to discuss the penalty payment and consider options.
Kongkiat Opaswongkarn, chief executive of Asia Plus Securities, has suggested iTV negotiate with the government to stay afloat rather than going bankrupt and becoming a burden on the state.
Asia Plus Securities was iTV's financial adviser during the station's market listing several years ago.
''In my opinion, the only solution for iTV is to negotiate and seek a compromise to solve this financial difficulty. The station should seek to revise its concession to make it more competitive when compared to the other players,'' he said.
If the government buys out iTV, the cost would be relatively low given the current stock price. Authorities could then delist the firm from the market and transform it into a non-profit organisation.
Shares of iTV fell the maximum 30% yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, following a 25% decline on Wednesday. The stock closed at an all-time low of 1.47 baht, down 63 satang, in trade worth 287.2 million baht.
Academic Surapol Sriwittaya, of Rangsit University, has advised that the government revoke the concession and enact a law decreeing the station as a national public television station.
Bonds should be issued to the station staff and the general public to raise funds. The 99-billion-baht penalty should be used to rehabilitate the station, he said.
''This is to free the station from the concession and monopoly and ownership by Singapore's Temasek in a legitimate way,'' he said.
He also called for removal of iTV senior board members appointed by Shin Corp.
A source at the Administrative Court yesterday doubted that the PM's Office could impose the penalty.
According to the source, the station had complied with a separate arbitration ruling made in 2004 and immediately revamped its programmes after the Supreme Administrative Court's verdict given on Wednesday.
''All the court did was revoke that arbitration committee's ruling. It doesn't obligate iTV to pay the penalty. As a matter of fact, the station didn't breach the contract. It simply complied with the arbitration,'' said the source.
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont was reserved about speculation the government would revert the station to state control. He also played down speculation the matter would be considered by the cabinet next Tuesday.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Bangkok Post
Attorney-general calls for talks on penalty
POST REPORTERS
The Prime Minister's Office, a contract partner with the iTV station, is determined to impose a 45-day deadline for iTV to pay the office its concession fee and fine amounting to 99.97 billion baht. ''At this stage, we must only abide by the Supreme Administrative Court's ruling and implement it quickly,'' said Chulayut Hiranyawasit, permanent secretary of the PM's Office, at a press conference in response to the Wednesday verdict by the Supreme Administrative Court.
Mr Chulayut said payment must be made within 45 days, but noted that the office is willing to extend the deadline by another 45 days if iTV is unable to pay.
He said his office submitted the dispute on the calculation method of annual fee and fine to the Office of the Attorney-General shortly after the ruling in May by the Central Administrative Court.
At the same time, he said the cabinet will consider the fate of iTV on Tuesday.
The Office of the Attoney-General yesterday gave some hope to iTV by saying it has the right to appeal and the dispute will be ruled upon by an arbitration panel.
Attorney-General Pachara Yutidhammadamrong said the contract between the PM's Office and iTV requires disputes over fees and penalties to be settled by an arbitration committee.
The PM's Office puts the penalties as of May this year at about 94 billion baht while the station argues it should not exceed 300 million baht, saying the PM's Office calculation, which relies on a news/entertainment programme ratio agreement on a daily basis was unacceptable.
But Mr Pachara said that if after 45 days of negotiation in the arbitration stage no solution could be reached, his agency would seek the court to declare iTV bankrupt. ''The pressing issue is that both parties must find a solution soon. If they fail, the station is likely to be restored as a state asset,'' he said.
Deputy Attorney-General Poramet Intarachumnum said a new arbitration panel will be set up to rule on the case if the station objects to the PM's Office's demand. He said Thongchai Prasatvanich, director-general for conflict resolution and arbitration, is examining the PM's Office document before taking the next step.
He urged both parties to negotiate on the penalty.
''The government has a reconciliation approach. If both parties feel negotiation will benefit the state, they should negotiate,'' he said.
He noted that it would be too early to discuss a bankruptcy lawsuit against the station.
iTV chairman Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisal yesterday assured his staff that their salary and welfare benefits would not be affected and he would do his best to keep the station going. He said the board would meet on Dec 29 to discuss the penalty payment and consider options.
Kongkiat Opaswongkarn, chief executive of Asia Plus Securities, has suggested iTV negotiate with the government to stay afloat rather than going bankrupt and becoming a burden on the state.
Asia Plus Securities was iTV's financial adviser during the station's market listing several years ago.
''In my opinion, the only solution for iTV is to negotiate and seek a compromise to solve this financial difficulty. The station should seek to revise its concession to make it more competitive when compared to the other players,'' he said.
If the government buys out iTV, the cost would be relatively low given the current stock price. Authorities could then delist the firm from the market and transform it into a non-profit organisation.
Shares of iTV fell the maximum 30% yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, following a 25% decline on Wednesday. The stock closed at an all-time low of 1.47 baht, down 63 satang, in trade worth 287.2 million baht.
Academic Surapol Sriwittaya, of Rangsit University, has advised that the government revoke the concession and enact a law decreeing the station as a national public television station.
Bonds should be issued to the station staff and the general public to raise funds. The 99-billion-baht penalty should be used to rehabilitate the station, he said.
''This is to free the station from the concession and monopoly and ownership by Singapore's Temasek in a legitimate way,'' he said.
He also called for removal of iTV senior board members appointed by Shin Corp.
A source at the Administrative Court yesterday doubted that the PM's Office could impose the penalty.
According to the source, the station had complied with a separate arbitration ruling made in 2004 and immediately revamped its programmes after the Supreme Administrative Court's verdict given on Wednesday.
''All the court did was revoke that arbitration committee's ruling. It doesn't obligate iTV to pay the penalty. As a matter of fact, the station didn't breach the contract. It simply complied with the arbitration,'' said the source.
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont was reserved about speculation the government would revert the station to state control. He also played down speculation the matter would be considered by the cabinet next Tuesday.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Thursday, November 23, 2006
7% GST Will Make The Poor, Poorer
For those residing in Singapore ...
Example 1
In 2006, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $60,000, the income tax you need to pay is $2,700 ( 8.75%). If you spend $800 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 5% will be $480 Total=$3,180 in Tax paid.
In 2007, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $60,000, the income tax you need to pay is $2,600 ( 8.50%). If you spend $800 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 7% will be $672 Total=$3,272 in Tax paid.
From $3,180 to $3,272, the effective increase is 2.89%.
Example 2
In 2006, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $400,000, the income tax you need to pay is $61,650 (21%). If you spend $4,000 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 5% will be $2,400 Total=$64,050 in Tax paid.
In 2007, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $400,000, the income tax you need to pay is $58,700 (20%). If you spend $4,000 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 7% will be $3,360 Total=$62,060 in Tax paid.
From $64,050 to $62,060, the effective decrease is -3.11%.
Example 3
In 2006, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $25,000, the income tax you need to pay is $187.50 ( 3.75%). If you spend $800 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 5% will be $480 Total=$667.50 in Tax paid.
In 2007, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $25,000, the income tax you need to pay is $175 ( 3.5%). If you spend $800 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 7% will be $672 Total=$847 in Tax paid.
From $667.50 to $847, the effective increase is 26.89%.
The fact is: The poorer you are the more the GST is going to make you poorer.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Example 1
In 2006, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $60,000, the income tax you need to pay is $2,700 ( 8.75%). If you spend $800 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 5% will be $480 Total=$3,180 in Tax paid.
In 2007, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $60,000, the income tax you need to pay is $2,600 ( 8.50%). If you spend $800 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 7% will be $672 Total=$3,272 in Tax paid.
From $3,180 to $3,272, the effective increase is 2.89%.
Example 2
In 2006, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $400,000, the income tax you need to pay is $61,650 (21%). If you spend $4,000 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 5% will be $2,400 Total=$64,050 in Tax paid.
In 2007, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $400,000, the income tax you need to pay is $58,700 (20%). If you spend $4,000 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 7% will be $3,360 Total=$62,060 in Tax paid.
From $64,050 to $62,060, the effective decrease is -3.11%.
Example 3
In 2006, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $25,000, the income tax you need to pay is $187.50 ( 3.75%). If you spend $800 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 5% will be $480 Total=$667.50 in Tax paid.
In 2007, if after rebates etc and your net taxable income is $25,000, the income tax you need to pay is $175 ( 3.5%). If you spend $800 a month on needed goods and services, the GST paid for 7% will be $672 Total=$847 in Tax paid.
From $667.50 to $847, the effective increase is 26.89%.
The fact is: The poorer you are the more the GST is going to make you poorer.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Tribute To The Freedom Fighters
As we see rampant corruption, people suffering and unfair happenings throughout the world, let us not forget to lead a dignified life...and do it your way. The people will remember you and pay tribute to you even when you die. Here's to Elvis.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Friday, November 17, 2006
Internet Marketing Seminar Launched - 1000% Money Back Guarantee
The Singapore Government is going to make Singapore a Wireless Hub. Beginning on Jan 2007, there will be more than 20,000 hot spots catering to free wireless access for the next two years. Why do you think they’re doing that? The internet is really booming and making a lot of people rich. Would you want to have a piece of all that? What if there are ways and means that can help you achieve top rankings in search engines with minimal effort?
Internet Marketing Seminar organized by Internet-Empire.com is targeted at helping you get started with a breeze.
For more information please visit: http://www.internet-empire.com
To check out the pre-launch video, please visit: http://www.internet-empire.com/seminar/seminar.html
Internet Marketing Seminar (The World’s Only Internet Marketing Seminar That Offer’s 1,000% Money Back Guarantee)
(Comes With 6 Months Post Seminar Support – To Make Sure You Succeed)
Participants will also receive high quality Step-By-Step DVD Videos to make sure you can do it.
"The Most Comprehensive Internet Marketing Training Program Ever To Be Launched On The Internet."
29 Step By Step DVD Videos!!!
Basic
Video 1 - Basic Introduction of Internet Terminologies / File Structure / Folder Structure / Naming Convention (+ Internet Security Softwares)
Video 2 - Identifying niche markets / Keyword Analysis / Competitor Analysis / How to target the ideal keyword (low-lying fruit)
Video 3 - Purchasing Domains / Hosting
Video 4 - FTP Software / How to do FTP / Understanding Root Folder
Video 5 - Installing Forum / WordPress
Video 6 - How to create / Edit Website in 5 minutes or less
Video 7 - Creating Metatags / Title / Description
Video 8 - Page Rank / Alexa Ranking Explained / Addiing Alexa Toolbar
Intermediate
Video 9 - Article Marketing / Submission
Video 10 - Making your articles rank top of search engines.
Video 11 - Creating content / How to add 10 web-pages of content in less than 5 minutes and build a content rich website.
Video 12 - How to create article directory
Video 13 - Forum Marketing
Video 14 - How to configure Opt In List / Auto Responder
Video 15 - How to do effective copywriting
Video 16 - Creating Link Structure / Link Directory
Video 17 - How not to get banned by Google and other search engines
Video 18 - How to do link exchange with no risk
Video 19 - Configuration of payment gateways like Paypal / 2CO
Advance Internet Marketing Strategies
Video 20 - Get multiple keywords ranked No.1 in Google / MSN / Yahoo
Video 21 - Advanced SEO Strategies
Video 22 - Advanced / Accelerated Linking Strategies
Video 23 - How to make your website complex and sticky
Video 24 - Automate your business and make money while you sleep
Video 25 - Bonus Website Templates / Editing Images / Free Webmaster Resources
Video 26 - How to be a successful in affiliate marketing
Video 27 - How to publish Audio + Free Audio Software - New!!!
SPECIAL Bonuses
Resell rights of Seminar and DVDs - New!!!
(Special 8 Hour - Seminar Recording - DVD) New!!!
Video 28 - Yahoo Groups Marketing - New!!!
Video 29 - Safelist Marketing - New!!!
Who Should Attend?
Website Owners / Webmasters
Entrepreneurs
Business Owners
Retrenched or Jobless
For more information, please visit: http://www.internet-empire.com
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Internet Marketing Seminar organized by Internet-Empire.com is targeted at helping you get started with a breeze.
For more information please visit: http://www.internet-empire.com
To check out the pre-launch video, please visit: http://www.internet-empire.com/seminar/seminar.html
Internet Marketing Seminar (The World’s Only Internet Marketing Seminar That Offer’s 1,000% Money Back Guarantee)
(Comes With 6 Months Post Seminar Support – To Make Sure You Succeed)
Participants will also receive high quality Step-By-Step DVD Videos to make sure you can do it.
"The Most Comprehensive Internet Marketing Training Program Ever To Be Launched On The Internet."
29 Step By Step DVD Videos!!!
Basic
Video 1 - Basic Introduction of Internet Terminologies / File Structure / Folder Structure / Naming Convention (+ Internet Security Softwares)
Video 2 - Identifying niche markets / Keyword Analysis / Competitor Analysis / How to target the ideal keyword (low-lying fruit)
Video 3 - Purchasing Domains / Hosting
Video 4 - FTP Software / How to do FTP / Understanding Root Folder
Video 5 - Installing Forum / WordPress
Video 6 - How to create / Edit Website in 5 minutes or less
Video 7 - Creating Metatags / Title / Description
Video 8 - Page Rank / Alexa Ranking Explained / Addiing Alexa Toolbar
Intermediate
Video 9 - Article Marketing / Submission
Video 10 - Making your articles rank top of search engines.
Video 11 - Creating content / How to add 10 web-pages of content in less than 5 minutes and build a content rich website.
Video 12 - How to create article directory
Video 13 - Forum Marketing
Video 14 - How to configure Opt In List / Auto Responder
Video 15 - How to do effective copywriting
Video 16 - Creating Link Structure / Link Directory
Video 17 - How not to get banned by Google and other search engines
Video 18 - How to do link exchange with no risk
Video 19 - Configuration of payment gateways like Paypal / 2CO
Advance Internet Marketing Strategies
Video 20 - Get multiple keywords ranked No.1 in Google / MSN / Yahoo
Video 21 - Advanced SEO Strategies
Video 22 - Advanced / Accelerated Linking Strategies
Video 23 - How to make your website complex and sticky
Video 24 - Automate your business and make money while you sleep
Video 25 - Bonus Website Templates / Editing Images / Free Webmaster Resources
Video 26 - How to be a successful in affiliate marketing
Video 27 - How to publish Audio + Free Audio Software - New!!!
SPECIAL Bonuses
Resell rights of Seminar and DVDs - New!!!
(Special 8 Hour - Seminar Recording - DVD) New!!!
Video 28 - Yahoo Groups Marketing - New!!!
Video 29 - Safelist Marketing - New!!!
Who Should Attend?
Website Owners / Webmasters
Entrepreneurs
Business Owners
Retrenched or Jobless
For more information, please visit: http://www.internet-empire.com
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Irene Ng - What An Accent!!!
http://video2.channelnewsasia.com/cnavideos/multiplevideos_watermark.asp?skin=player1.swf&bgskin=playerbackground.swf&filename=irene%201011.flv&adfilebefore=cna%20video2.flv&adfileafter=&playmode=S
I must say that I had a hard time trying to grasp what was she trying to say. She is trying too hard to sound like a British. I thought we're no longer under colonial rule???
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
I must say that I had a hard time trying to grasp what was she trying to say. She is trying too hard to sound like a British. I thought we're no longer under colonial rule???
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Scholarship Without Bonds
We have seen increase in tuition fees for Universities. We have also seen talented Singaporeans forced to study overseas because there weren’t enough slots allocated for them. How about the middle class who can’t afford to send their children overseas for studies? We have seen an increase in debts for undergraduates over tuition and course fees. It seems that being non-Singaporeans have better privileges.
I was talking to an Indian undergraduate who was studying for his Masters at NUS. We started chatting and what I found out was very disturbing. He had come from Chennai to study in Singapore. He was offered scholarship to study in NUS so I asked him who pays for his scholarship. Was it the Government of India? No, he said. But you have to serve out some of bond right? I asked. No, I can go back to India after my studies with no obligation. I was dumbfounded. I will not be surprise if the other scholarships given out to the students from China, Philippines offer that as well. No wonder our scholarships are running out like hotcakes.
Just how do you grade the intellectual capability of an individual? Having excelled in studying only means that the individual is good at memorizing perfect answers. It does not necessary mean that the person in question has the ability to be successful, make important decisions or the passion to use his knowledge to good use. Very soon, we will be training many intelligent scholars only to find out that we are doing our neighbours a favour.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
I was talking to an Indian undergraduate who was studying for his Masters at NUS. We started chatting and what I found out was very disturbing. He had come from Chennai to study in Singapore. He was offered scholarship to study in NUS so I asked him who pays for his scholarship. Was it the Government of India? No, he said. But you have to serve out some of bond right? I asked. No, I can go back to India after my studies with no obligation. I was dumbfounded. I will not be surprise if the other scholarships given out to the students from China, Philippines offer that as well. No wonder our scholarships are running out like hotcakes.
Just how do you grade the intellectual capability of an individual? Having excelled in studying only means that the individual is good at memorizing perfect answers. It does not necessary mean that the person in question has the ability to be successful, make important decisions or the passion to use his knowledge to good use. Very soon, we will be training many intelligent scholars only to find out that we are doing our neighbours a favour.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Double Standards From The Government?
We have seen the continuous efforts from the government telling Singaporeans the need to get their skills upgraded in this ever competitive landscape. On one hand, we have been told that when we upgrade our skill-sets, opportunities will be plentiful. On the other hand, the government opens the flood gate in issuing work permits and PR status, thus creating competition for Singaporeans. I think the agencies in question need to sit down to look into this seriously. What are the priorities?
What is more important? Getting more ‘would be Singaporeans’ to join us to boost our GDP or helping real ‘authentic’ Singaporeans find jobs? It seems that the government is interested in getting quick fixes. I have seen reports saying we need to have foreign talents so that MNCs would be more interested in setting up operations and investing in Singapore. Let’s not forget that the Government’s responsibility is to take care of its people first. What’s the point of having investments in the pipeline when there are real Singaporeans suffering and can’t wait to end their lives. We have heard of the $500,000 MRT ride.
We have also not seen the actual breakdown of jobs that was really offered to Singaporeans as MOM has a way of including PRs as Singaporeans. Perhaps more could be researched onto how long a PR actually stays in Singapore before they leave the country and how many of these PRs actually commit themselves and become a Singaporean.
I want to make a clear distinction between foreign talents and foreign workers. Not all foreign workers are really talented and thanks for the excellent branding our government gives them. We have just inadvertently told the world that we’re not good enough. Try telling that to the South Koreans, a country that treasures their local talents and have made huge leaps of progress without jeopardizing welfare and jobs by opening up the flood gates via a foreign talent policy.
Living standards are rising by the day but it seems that salaries have not increased much to match inflation. What’s the reason for that? The influx of foreign talents is the root cause of it. We should welcome the foreign talents but not ‘over embracing’ them. Can you tell me which employer would not like to have lower paying salaried workers? By having an over supply of low-wage workers, it is just Economics 101. The salaries will either maintain or go down. This situation worsens when we have more supply. Take a look at Old Chang Kee and you will see workers of different nationalities. When there are too much foreign entry level workers and not enough jobs, we create other social problems. Crime rates go up but at whose expense? Just take a look at Little India and you will realize that it can get really rowdy at times.
How about the mid-tier jobs? You have slogged through 16 years of studying only to realize that there are literally thousands of foreign workers vying for the same job. With that ratio, it is hardly surprising that all the good jobs would have already been taken up. In India alone, there are 400,000 computer science graduates every year. How about China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam? By making Singapore a haven, the situation is only going to get worse. We need to ask ourselves when the authorities will say enough is enough and put a stop to that. Until we hit a population of 7 or 8 Million people? What are the jobs left then? Jobs like Retail, Customer Service, Receptionist, Insurance / Property Agents? You don’t study 16 years to do that.
Let’s not forget our roots and create a Singaporean for Singapore society.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
What is more important? Getting more ‘would be Singaporeans’ to join us to boost our GDP or helping real ‘authentic’ Singaporeans find jobs? It seems that the government is interested in getting quick fixes. I have seen reports saying we need to have foreign talents so that MNCs would be more interested in setting up operations and investing in Singapore. Let’s not forget that the Government’s responsibility is to take care of its people first. What’s the point of having investments in the pipeline when there are real Singaporeans suffering and can’t wait to end their lives. We have heard of the $500,000 MRT ride.
We have also not seen the actual breakdown of jobs that was really offered to Singaporeans as MOM has a way of including PRs as Singaporeans. Perhaps more could be researched onto how long a PR actually stays in Singapore before they leave the country and how many of these PRs actually commit themselves and become a Singaporean.
I want to make a clear distinction between foreign talents and foreign workers. Not all foreign workers are really talented and thanks for the excellent branding our government gives them. We have just inadvertently told the world that we’re not good enough. Try telling that to the South Koreans, a country that treasures their local talents and have made huge leaps of progress without jeopardizing welfare and jobs by opening up the flood gates via a foreign talent policy.
Living standards are rising by the day but it seems that salaries have not increased much to match inflation. What’s the reason for that? The influx of foreign talents is the root cause of it. We should welcome the foreign talents but not ‘over embracing’ them. Can you tell me which employer would not like to have lower paying salaried workers? By having an over supply of low-wage workers, it is just Economics 101. The salaries will either maintain or go down. This situation worsens when we have more supply. Take a look at Old Chang Kee and you will see workers of different nationalities. When there are too much foreign entry level workers and not enough jobs, we create other social problems. Crime rates go up but at whose expense? Just take a look at Little India and you will realize that it can get really rowdy at times.
How about the mid-tier jobs? You have slogged through 16 years of studying only to realize that there are literally thousands of foreign workers vying for the same job. With that ratio, it is hardly surprising that all the good jobs would have already been taken up. In India alone, there are 400,000 computer science graduates every year. How about China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam? By making Singapore a haven, the situation is only going to get worse. We need to ask ourselves when the authorities will say enough is enough and put a stop to that. Until we hit a population of 7 or 8 Million people? What are the jobs left then? Jobs like Retail, Customer Service, Receptionist, Insurance / Property Agents? You don’t study 16 years to do that.
Let’s not forget our roots and create a Singaporean for Singapore society.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Wrong To Charge 17 Year Old Teen Over Wireless Tapping
I’ve read in a report in Straits Times earlier that a man had decided to press charges on Garyl Tan Jia Luo over a wireless tapping incident. I’m a wireless internet user myself and I am saying this is a harsh decision that would send the wrong signals to the Internet community with our Wireless SG initiatives starting by 1st Jan 2007.
As far as I know, there are a few methods that could have prevented this incident. The owner could have done any of the following steps to prevent his wireless network from being accessed but he failed to do so.
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
As far as I know, there are a few methods that could have prevented this incident. The owner could have done any of the following steps to prevent his wireless network from being accessed but he failed to do so.
- 1) Secure his wireless network by adding a WPA or WEP encryption
- 2) Adding MAC address so that only PCs/Laptops with the designated address can assess
- 3) Not publishing the Name of his wireless network
All wireless router vendors have detail user guides to easily configure the first two commonly used steps. An average user could have easily configured the necessary settings to prevent any unwelcome visits to his wireless networks but the owner had failed to do so. If he had not known the steps he could have contacted his vendor for more details.
Let me give you an analogy. ‘Imagine you are returning home one day and you see your neighbour’s door wide open, what would you do? If it were me, I would likely go into my neighbour’s house to see what happened.’ Just out of curiosity but it does not mean I have ill intentions.
Similarly it is unlikely a malicious attempt for Garyl to access the owners network. Anybody who frequent hotspots will know they need to search for wireless networks like SkynetGlobal if they’re looking at connecting to the free internet access at McDonalds.Let me give you real scenario that happens all the time.
Let’s say I’m a new linksys wireless router user and without configuration it will be named ‘linksys’. There are a lot of non IT savvy guys staying near me. I log on to my computer but I forgot to turn on my router. My computer is automatically configured to hunt for my primary network ‘linksys’. Later, an amateur user who did not configure his network comes online. I access to his ‘linksys’ network unintentionally and unknowingly. Does it mean I’m liable to be prosecuted?
Let us understand the fact that Garyl is still a young kid and we are talking about a home network here. We are not talking about hacking into a corporate server that has tons of classified information. By sharing the same wireless network as the owner, it is highly unlikely that Garyl would have been able to access any classified information.
He could only have access to shared folders; that is unless the owner decides to share his folders. Let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill. “If Garyl should be prosecuted for his actions, then the owner should also be prosecuted for his actions in attracting other internet users and causing them to be prosecuted.”
I hope the MP serving the constituents of Casuarina Walk would look into the matter and assist Garyl to make sure we do not condemn this kid’s future before it even started.
Edmund Ng
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
No More Sending Letters To Straits Times.
I've been sending a lot of letters to the Straits Times. Guess what. This was the reply I got for every single one of them. I will stop sending letters to Straits Times from now and will be posting on my blog instead.
Edmund Ng
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for writing to us. We do appreciate your making the effort. We receive 70 letters on average each day. Limited space means we can publish only about a dozen every weekday. This means having to make often-difficult editorial judgments on which letters to publish. We regret we are unable to publish your letter, and hope you will appreciate the constraints on space we face every day. We hope you will continue taking an interest in the Forum Page.
Yours sincerely
Ms Noor Aiza
for Forum EditorThe Straits Times
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Edmund Ng
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for writing to us. We do appreciate your making the effort. We receive 70 letters on average each day. Limited space means we can publish only about a dozen every weekday. This means having to make often-difficult editorial judgments on which letters to publish. We regret we are unable to publish your letter, and hope you will appreciate the constraints on space we face every day. We hope you will continue taking an interest in the Forum Page.
Yours sincerely
Ms Noor Aiza
for Forum EditorThe Straits Times
Regards,
Edmund Ng,
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
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