Sharon Weinberger said:

Nearly four years after Congress pulled the plug on what critics assailed as an Orwellian scheme to spy on private citizens, Singapore is set to launch an even more ambitious incarnation of the Pentagon’s controversial Total Information Awareness program — an effort to collect and mine data across all government agencies in the hopes of pinpointing threats to national security.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Because we can!"

Link

The Poultrygeist said:

As someone who has faced drunken molestation and heckling in clubs and other public places several times, I can tell you that it's demeaning, embarrassing and offensive. It's not something I would wish to re-live over and over again. Actually much rather than prosecute, I would prefer to resoundingly bitch slap the mofo there and then. How a victim chooses to proceed should be up to her.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Informative post on the procedures of investigation and prosecution of sexual offences, in response to a recent Straits Times article on women demanding very high compound in molest accusation."

Link

Lucky Tan said:

"I've applied with the govt before. It always comes to nothing." - Mother

"Where do you go to apply" - Christopher Lee

"The fourth floor of HDB inToa Payoh. I don't understand much English. I only know it is the welfare department. Sometimes, they reject my applications. We go to them because we need help. Otherwise, why bother going to them or subject ourselves to humiliation? I wished I didn't have to go there. They can be so rude. " - Mother

"In what way?" - Actress..

"They keep telling you to work. Its okay if I can find a job. But I may not find one that allows me to look after my children. We go to them only because we need help. They shouldn't say 'Look for a job. Don't always expect help' - Mother

"How did you reply" - Actress

"I kept quiet. Just weep. What else?" - Mother.

So the govt helps these poor folks by telling them to look for a job. Having 2 disabled kids is not a sufficient to qualify for help?

Recommended by at82: "Here is a family that obviously needs help and are poor due to no fault of their own. They have 2 kids with disabilities and the father has difficulty finding a job. What does the govt do to them? Humiliate them when they ask for help and threaten to evict them from their rented flat due to arrears. The part about govt help starts at 6 minutes 23 seconds into the video."

Link

Singapore Short Stories said:

As the year draws to a close in less than a week’s time, let us recall some of the important and sensational events, which occur in Singapore’s Blogosphere in year 2009.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Useful summary of what 2009 has meant to the blogging world. Have you missed any event? Read this post."

Link

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! said:

Reading what Law Minister K Shanmugam is proposing for our education system, the alarm bells went off in my head. He’s proposing to educate Singapore students about politics, and while he has added a disclaimer that he is not in favour of championing a political system over another, it seems to me that ultimately, the aim is to influence students to think that the liberal democracy practised in Europe and America is not applicable to a city-state such as Singapore.

Recommended by at82: "The Law Minister wants to peddle propaganda to kids just when I thought they can't get any lower.... "

Link

Alvinology said:

Just go to this URL. I cancelled mine once I ORDed years ago.

Frankly, the magazine is a waste of paper and money. Help spread the word along to save the Earth as I believe most people will just chuck their Pioneer magazine straight into the waste paper bin without even tearing open the plastic wrapper.

Subscription is forced for all NSF at 80 cents per issue (if not I would have cancelled it immediately after getting my first issue). It’s cheap, but it’s still money. Not cancelling it will be wasteful as I am not interested in reading news about SAF. Moreover, there’s the online version which is better for the environment if you really want to read.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Go green. Read Pioneer magazine online instead of wasting paper."

Link

National Geographic Magazine said:

To lead a society, the MM says in his precise Victorian English, "one must understand human nature. I have always thought that humanity was animal-like. The Confucian theory was man could be improved, but I'm not sure he can be. He can be trained, he can be disciplined."

Recommended by tinkertailor: "Article on Singapore culture, politics, and LKY."

Link

Seah Chiang Ngee said:

In a two-storey home, I saw various family members watching cable television on five 37-inch LCD sets in their own rooms. One was attached next to the dining table so that none needed to miss any programme while eating. In front of the house were parked two cars.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Malaysian writer comments on Singaporean middle class."

Link

Reuters said:

Singapore-bashing is a sure-fire way to win political capital in many regional countries.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Very frank. I like!"

Link

WA Today said:

Koh was quick to challenge Wesley. The gathering was not official, so had no power to make decisions, he said. True. But at the end of the conference, an informal Australian tally counted 20 countries in favour, or favourably inclined, and only one firmly opposed. That country? Singapore.

Rudd does not want a country of 5 million to frustrate an initiative designed to encompass 3.6 billion. He will now consider his next step.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "I find it amusing that ASEAN is so readily discredited as a facilitator in the Asia-Pacific region."

Link

Decade said:

Recognising the importance of blogosphere, Singapore Tourism Board has a new feature on their website. A new section featuring blogs about Singapore and events. Shows how much blogging has evolved and how influential it is in making decisions.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Showing their way of suppoting blogs and recognising the importance of blogosphere"

Link

Yawning Bread said:

Naturally, I have forgotten what my PINs are, so I went to both DBS Bank and Citibank to get them updated. At DBS, they said I had to fill in a form manually and submit it over the counter. They'd mail the new PIN to me in four working days.

"Four working days? I'll be flying off by then, I said. Any way to do this faster?"

"No, this is the only procedure we have, they said."

"Can't I go to some office and collect the PIN myself?"

"No, we have to mail it to you."

"OK, then, I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope I get it in the mail on the day of departure."

I left the bank defeated.

At Citibank, I went up to the Enquiry counter with the same request.

"So, how can I get a new PIN? I asked."

"Oh, we can do it on this keypad right here, the young man said, pointing to a keypad on the counter."

He called up the relevant operations module on his computer, activated the customer keypad and asked me to key in whatever set of digits I'd want for my PIN.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "DBS = Doesn't Believe in Service"

Link

Temasek Review said:

Ms Jayne Goh made headlines this year with the setting up of the Association of Blogger ostensibly to “educate” bloggers on responsible blogging.

The association drew flak from the online community with many bloggers expressing scepticism about the organisation, questioning its purpose and leadership.

It was boycotted by most major blogs including the Temasek Review.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Ironic that founder of Singapore Bloggers Association wanted to promote responsible blogging, but ended up defaming people and being sued."

Link

Pat Law said:

Entrenched in the local blogosphere six feet under, I vehemently disagree to the generalization of Singapore blogs as herewith subjectively criticized by the skeptics. Yet, I recognize that in this world we live in, Perception is Truth. There is truth in what the skeptics are saying but I reckon that the fundamental problem we have here is awareness. I’d bet you a round of beer than you won’t imagine the blogs listed below being from Singapore. Or at very least, most of them.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "High traffic blogs from Singapore that many Singaporeans don't know about. (Note: most of them are design related)"

Link

Yuhui said:

This group was created in response to a comment by well known American blogger, Michael Arrington. In a blog entry, he claimed that Singaporean blogs are (largely) controlled by the government. [...] it is more likely that there are many more Singaporean blogs that are NOT controlled by the government [...].

Recommended by yuhui: "We need to educate people from around the world about the independence of our Singapore blogosphere!"

Link

Yaevlejunce said:

Remember how LKY said he will send in the army if there ever is a "freak election" and the PAP is voted out of Parliament? In every other country, when the people vote out the ruling party, it is called a mandate. It is only in Singapore that such a vote is called a "freak election". Also, whose Army is it anyway? Is it the Army of the people of Singapore - who have just voted out the PAP? Or is it the Army of the PAP?

I list here ten out of the many other reasons why I am unable to vote for the PAP:

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Author lists 10 reasons why he cannot vote for the PAP. A worthy read."

Link

Hri Kumar said:

We need to recognise that we are dealing with life-changing issues. I do not know what would have happened to me if I had not made it to JC. There is a good chance I would be doing something completely different today. Others have not been so lucky. It is plainly wrong and illogical to deny a bright student advancement, or to disadvantage him, simply because of a weakness in second language. The sooner we pry this albatross from our necks the better.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Should a student be prevented from going to university if he fails his Second Language? Hri says no."

Link

Klik.TV said ...

The wait is over! Google Street View Singapore goes live today! The site allows users to view and navigate 360 degree street-level imagery of Singapore... We gave Street View a test drive and found 5 awesome sights.

Link

Mr Brown said:

The column I wrote entitled "mrbrown and the flood" was removed from the Insing site because ...the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) took issue with it and asked for it to be taken down.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Warning: contains satire and jokes"

Link

Dennis Thompsett said:

I recently received, in a roundabout way, an e-mail containing a speech to graduating students in Singapore, given by Adrian Tan, a lawyer and author. (He wrote the novel, The Teenage Textbook, which was not only a stunning bestseller in Asia, but was also made into a hit movie and a successful play. So he may be the sole reason why Singaporean teenagers are so well behaved and studious today.)

In any case, I now intend to blatantly steal from Mr. Tan's speech.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Canadian newspaper columnist calls on people to follow Adrian Tan's advice and be hated."

Link