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Showing posts from September, 2008

Food Scare

Melamine tainted milk from China made many Chinese children sick and even those products not made there were not spared since they were supplied from the same source. Some brand names got hurt in the due process. It will surely take sometime for the Chinese to realise short term gains are not to be had over the long run and cover ups can only cause more damage. Of course they are to be blamed but then China is made up of 1.3 billion people. They will always have more problems and more profound ones than others. Other than Indonesia, China is probably the country with the second largest population of Muslims. If one per cent is gay, it is already more than the entire population of Singapore - gays, lesbians, foreigners all included. So their problems are always magnified. Yes, they have major shortcomings and need to change and come on the main stream in world standard. But then it is not just the Chinese that is the problem. There have been food scares everywhere including Japan, one w

Evolution of Transportation

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From our childhood days of matchbox toy cars and sitting in coin-operated car that sings a lullaby, most boys do have passion for their set of wheels. I got my very own first set in 1985, a second-hand Toyota Corolla DX for a scary sum of $12,400. I remembered vividly I took a company loan and they gave me a single piece of $10k note to bring along for payment. But as in most used cars of our time, the car suffered numerous breakdowns - my first brush with used car salesman. That's why they said politicians are like used car salesman. I was trying to save fuel $ in 1986 (recession year), so I switched to a tiny 1 litre Daihatsu Charade which did an amazing 16km for a litre of petrol. Once, I carried 2 huge masaleh visiting from Europe and going up the U-turn at Scotts, the car couldn't get up the steep slope till I turned off the aircon and the guest in the front seat was so huge he had his tumm

Financial Turmoil and Meltdown

The day my dad stopped giving me pocket money was the day I went into currency crisis way before the Asian Currency Crisis hit us or the US of A financial meltdown. A massive USD700 billion bailout by the Fed seems the way to go or how else to get back and yet bailing out those who got us into this excessive exuberance is an irony. The alternative of not doing so could be a lot worse and as days passed, the wild fire would spread and many other businesses would worsen making it more difficult, painful and taking a longer time to recover. I'm no expert but it is always better to take the bitter pill sooner rather than later to get a faster recovery. To this end, I must say that Western style capitalism has failed - big time! Having ten people with different opinions and no decision while the fire is spreading rapidly is no can do so give me China's or Singapore's more autocratic and authoritarian approach anytime. I mean opinions are like ass holes, everybody has one.

USGA Golf Handicap System

The USGA Golf Handicap System was made compulsory on all golf clubs in Singapore since 1 September 2008. Some pertinent points for you to take note: 1. The latest that you can submit a scorecard for social games is 13 days after after playing. After that, a penalty would apply. 2. Men's Handicap Index is now up to 36.4 and Ladies up to 40.4 and are allowed to play on the golf course. Those whose HIs are higher will not be able to play on weekends and public holidays. For more information, log on to: http://www.usga.org/playing/handicaps/handicaps.html

Golf Champion!

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When I first published on golf, I was a little apprehensive for who am I to talk about golf? What authority, what criteria or qualification do I have. But what I do know clearly is that what I have imparted to my golf buddies, they have benefitted from my advice on how to play and especially on the types of equipments and golf gears to buy. Far too many golfers are buying and using the wrong equipment and the only thing thriving is not your game but the used clubs golf shops who usually gets your used equipments for the half the price or less. Just remember the every manufacturer tells you theirs are the best! But what you really need are not what are best even with snob appeal but what really works and more importantly what are suitable for you. The golf game itself is difficult enough and the many different clubs, brands, loft, lie angles, etc, will get most people in disarray and confused. Even simple things like whether putting sho

Geoffmobile

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My baby has big ears and nose...with slanted eyes and a sweet smile. She weighs in at 1449 kgs. Geoffmobile is borrowed from Batmobile. More appropriately, you can call it Oxmobile since I was born in the year of the Ox. Mazda has a sports heritage and was famous for making the rotary engine. They are currently partly owned by Ford who actually makes wonderfully good cars to drive due to their driving dynamics. Superior road holding, brilliant steering feedback and F1 type cornering without tailspin are part of the package. Ford owns Volvo and Jaguar too so do not be surprised that sometimes these cars share the same chassis and platform. The chassis is one of the most important part of what makes a car a driver's car. The previous version of the Mazda 6 shared the same chassis as the Ford Mondeo in the same year which made it such a hot drive when it was release

F1 - The Formula

Before this historical event in Singapore, the only F1 that people know is between Esc and F2 on the computer keyboard. Not only was it historical but it was the first night race! The fact that it worked did not surprised me as it was also Singapore eons ago when during brain storming, we came up with the first night zoo known as the "Night Safari". What else did we learn? Sometimes in life, a single mistake can be costly as Felippe Massa and his Ferrari team found out and also that in whatever situation you are in, all is not lost as Alonso surprised himself at the end on the winner's podium. It is not over till the fat lady sings! In soccer parlance, the game is not over till the final whistle. Bernie Ecclestone, F1 Supremo - a man of slight built and showing all or more of his 78 years on planet earth. Craggy-faced with unkempt grey hair, his fortune is worth 3 billion and counting and even if he were to be clad in bermudas and tees, he still hold sway to the F1

Go To The Mountain

In the old days, one has to hone one's skills quite considerably to be able to hold your own in any given field of expertise. This explains why any kind of hawker food from push cart stalls or sarabat stalls always tasted so good. Only those who could really whip out solid dishes would consider peddling their wares compared to the modern food courts where the stall holder's main consideration would be what could keep the cash register ringing. SM LKY narrated once that in a Japanese restaurant where he was hosted, the guy who cuts his fruits has to practise such skill for years before he could come out to cut fruits for VIP guests. Great leaders and managers too would emerge from the ground after years of honing their skills and not before their time. When we watch the older movies especially Chinese ones, martial arts type or those with some exotic themes, the hero always has to go to the mountains to meditate or learn some skills from a guru and after some years of soli

Golf

I was told that golf came from the word flog which was like a staff used by shepherds in Scotland in the old days. As the shepherds have to reverse the flog to hit at some stones whenever they feel bored, hence the word golf evolved - which is the reverse of flog. I used to watch golf on TV in passing and have always thought to myself that it is the most boring game I have ever known. The sports I play and excel at are in are games like soccer, badminton, squash and bowling - mostly with some speed and opponents in play and golf is like the player and ball are stationary and you hit the ball only once and you take a long walk. I have declined many invitation for golf at the driving range. One day a few friends decided to do golf and somehow got me along to the range. Somehow, it confirms my earlier thoughts about the game and actually felt that it was worse than I thought. It was frustrating and futile. As time goes by, when you could hit a few solid shots, it gives you a certain h

KPE

An overdue and welcome relief for those living in the North-East whose only routing mode has been the overused and overcharged CTE. Things came to a head when the Riverline ERP were started rendering many helpless where every which way is to pay. Now N-E residents can have a choice to use the KPE instead of the usual CTE even if some ERP charges kicks in as compared to the CTE where despite paying you still get the blues (jam).  This morning I headed for the KPE from Airport Road entering the tunnel at 7.41 emerging unscathed at ECP exit having to pay $1.50 for ERP in just 5 minutes despite speed limit at 70 kph. My main question is why is it called the KPE? Why not the PIG - Punggol Intregrated Getstraighthome expressway. ERP gantries are one too many and have become an eyesore to our beautiful garden city landscape. The so many gantries are there that you need not be warned anymore but just a small sign would do and just be informed so put a voice in the In-Vehilce Unit to announc