Zanetta Joan Sit and the leaked photos

In reply to a thread in HWZ:

Pragmatic World we are in, curious cats we all are...... if she isnt pretty or does not have any social status...... I reckon no one would want to bump this news up again. so I guess she has to accept it and take it as a compliment that people love to see her naked and would want to trod on her further by linking the exposure (pun) to her alma mater. and all she can do now, is to put this matter behind her and move on and at the same time dont make similar mistakes. otherwise, she can actually bask in the limelight and make another such video/pics No news is good news but bad publicity is still better than no publicity *rolleyes*

For whoever is interested - gutteruncensored.com is your 1st source for indecent exposures

A little note on Internet Marketing (1)

If you have ever visited a bookshop/store like Popular, Times, Borders or Kinokuniya, you would have realized that they have a dedicated “self-help” section.

In this section, shelves would be aligned with grooming guides to books on improving EQ. There would also be books for Casanova wannabes (Pick-Up Artist guides, or rather, PUA guides). The most popular books would be on achieving success (whatever that means) and more specifically – How to be a millionaire. All these books are highly theoretical and some even lack empirical evidence (scientific backing). I am not saying that the content is objectionable, just how we should be discerning enough to not take them at face value - reading a book by a successful entrepreneur will not make you rich.

So how different is this blog entry from balderdash? Since I am not a prolific blogger, much less an award bagging marketer? For two good reasons, I am only sharing thoughts and observations and there is nothing to lose from reading this. And before I proceed, I must highlight that I will try to present unbiased facts for most parts of the article. All my personal comments will be explicitly noted with an asterisk *

Though Im a novice marketer, I can safely claim that I am an experienced net user and have had some training in web-related technologies. At the very least, I have surfed so many websites and seen how people can attract plenty of unique visitors even though the content falls nothing short of (my apologies), nonsense. What do these websites have in common that makes them so irresistible to the average Internet surfer? Perhaps at this point of time you should think deeper and note down the similar traits between such websites. Many of these sites have vastly different content; appeals to different crowds yet at the same time command a religious following.

The Internet has revolutionized the imparting of such knowledge as many such books are now available online in the form of e-books and websites. Well this has greatly enhanced the interactive value of good ol boring texts and at the same time increased knowledge diffusion but it does not change the fact that you will not become a millionaire overnight unless you win the lottery.

There are Internet marketing "gurus" like Stuart Tan and Ewen Chia who swear by marketing through the use of Internet (affiliate, link exchange). However, most of these tactics are more than a decade old (Ewen Chia first used these in the late 90s) and I can attest them to be more of bloated truths. Indeed if there is money to be made you still have to be the “best” in this field. “Best” here does not refer to just technically inclined or gifted. You have to be unafraid of the attention and use it to boost your popularity because this gives you more credibility (well, somewhat) and reach to the vast internet audience. You also have to be incredibly innovative or die trying.

In exchange for your popularity on the Internet, you would be able to effectively use the various marketing techniques and tools to sell your products/services or help your sponsors advertise theirs.

So what exactly is Internet Marketing? By definition from wikipedia: Internet marketing, also referred to as i-marketing, web marketing, online marketing, or eMarketing, is the marketingof products or services over the Internet.

This does not shed light on what exactly Internet Marketing is and how we can use it to our advantage. Reading on - Internet marketing also refers to the placement of media along different stages of the customer engagement cycle through search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization(SEO), banner ads on specific websites, e-mail marketing, and Web 2.0 strategies. In other words, even random email spamming can be considered as a type of web marketing.

Many marketing companies now use search engine marketing and search engine optimization in a bid to manipulate the results that search engines like Yahoo, Google and Microsoft’s Bing come up with when a user enters a word. The higher a particular link appears on the search would mean that a higher likelihood of a user going to that particular website. On a side note, search engine companies are always trying to improve on the accuracy of searches - which means they change their algorithms very often and these algorithms are never revealed to the public as they are the means and commercial secrets for search engine companies to earn dollars

This gives the companies a chance to pitch their products to the unsuspecting consumer who may not know that the search was rigged. Well, of course this is an unscrupulous practice which is becoming less apparent, not that this is no longer in use. Search engine companies sell links and banners to companies which are displayed during ongoing related searches. Google for example, makes money by packaging advertising products (such as Adwords and Adsense), and gives a portion of the money for Internet users to display dynamic links on their blogs and websites. Therefore the most popular search engines will have more regular users and this will provide a regular income stream for search engine companies.

On a separate note, different words command different prices. Generic words/string of words such as “pizza” or “Korean television” are worth much more than strings of rarely used/unpopular words such as “plucky duck chair” or any other unintelligible terms.

With more of such generic words being used by competitors for businesses and websites (and also banning of use of some words by some countries – for example, the use of Temasek in Singapore is disallowed unless approved), you are left with not many choices. One can only seek short and easy to remember strings of words yet nothing too extraordinary as business and domain names. Do not fret however, as this might prove to be the wisest move*.

The one aspect which you can toy with is to use non-generic words for your website/business. Although generic words are those that come to mind first for most people, it helps if you are able to establish a brand from scratch. One example would be “BreadTalk” which is obvious enough that it is a joint-word. “BreadTalk” was unlikely to immediately evoke any understanding as compared to “BreadShop” (until now). Another thing to note would be the less costs of buying up search engine banners and links if your target market is niche and your domain-name/business/product/service, unique.

A trip to Claremont (Part 2)

A trip to Claremont (Part 1)

Some pictures which I took about a month ago in Perth. I took a little walk to Claremont which was quite near to my place.

The suburb houses some of the rich and affluent in Perth and construction for a new shopping centre beside the train-station is underway and due to be completed really soon.

H1N1

About a week ago I went to a certain dim sum restaurant at Bugis Junction with a friend. We were enjoying our meal when this family of 4 sat down beside us. The mother (I assume so) looked really unwell and was constantly coughing and sneezing.

I applaud her for being so supportive of Singapore's economy but she certainly put the rest of the patrons at risk from H1N1. I would like to think I got the common flu though I am feeling really quite sick for 2-3 days already (H1N1's incubation period is about 1-7 days). I must certainly thank some of these mindless and un-civic-minded people for spreading the "love".

Now, the World Health Organization says the pandemic (no longer imminent because it is already here) is gaining speed and they are foreseeing high winter risks. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090724/ts_nm/us_flu_who_behaviour). In the next few months, more people will contract H1N1 and it remains to be seen if the virus strain will remain as it is or mutate to a more fatal variant. What they are fearing is that H1N1 will have sex with H5N1 and have an offspring called H1N1 x H5N1 *or something along that line.

While the various pharmaceutical companies and governments are believed to be rushing out the vaccines, I urge everyone to hopefully practise some personal hygiene and social responsibility by not infecting everyone else at shopping centres. I am quite certain that this inconspicuous snot republic in the southern province of a certain somewhere will likely to be the worst hit due to the close proximity of its peasant accommodating pigeon holes.

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Some snippets of information on H1N1

A/H1N1 is a subtype of A influenza type. Both humans and pigs can be infected, but it seems that the virus currently has low fatality rate (under 1%). What would happen if swine flu mixes with the bird flu?

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H1N1 is currently endemic in both human and pig populations. A variant of H1N1 was responsible for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed some 50 million to 100 million people worldwide over about a year in 1918 and 1919. Another variant was named a pandemic threat in the 2009 swine flu outbreak.

"When he compared the 1918 virus with today's human flu viruses, Dr. Taubenberger noticed that it had alterations in just 25 to 30 of the virus's 4,400 amino acids. Those few changes turned a bird virus into a killer that could spread from person to person

H5N1 is the world's major influenza pandemic threat. ( from Wikipedia.)

And now it seems that H1N1 is the world's major influenza pandemic threat.

For H5N1 is known that it can be spread from birds to humans, and not between humans. The lethality of bird flu in humans is over 50%, which means that swine flu is very deadly. H5N1 is difficult to be transferred to humans, but in the last 11 years, around 400 people were infected and more than 200 deceased. The best most efficent cure is Tamiflu and Oseltamivir (Relenza). The same cures are being used in treatment for swine flu (H1N1).

As of 26 June 2009 07:00 GMT, there are over 60.000 infected and about 290 deceased people around the world. Compared to the bird flu this is much, much lower lethality. And nobody mentioned that ordinary, seasonal influenza infects around 500.000.000 people around the world every year, and kills thousands... When you consider it like that, the "ordinary" flu, most often H3N2 sounds more dangerous than swine flu... But still there is much panic about it...

But what would happen if someone who catches swine flu cathes the bird flu too? Nobody knows. For now, some of the countries which have reporteed both swine flu and bird flu this year are Egypt, China, and some other SE Asian countries.

H1N1 has mild symptoms and almost none consequences and it's lethality rate is below 1%. Spreads easily between humans.

H5N1 has severe consequences, it's hardly transmitable to humans, and the lethality rate is over 50%.

The question is, is there a possibility that these 2 viruses mix, and create a disease that has over 50% lethality, and would be easily transmitted between humans? That sounds like a BIG threat to mankind.

Source: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/113815_when-will-the-swine-flu-h1n1-mutate-and-what-will-happen-then

A certain derelict hell under guise

In Germany they first came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me —
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

"German anti-Nazi activist, Pastor Martin Niemöller"

Somewhere in the corner of this already god-forsaken world, there's a little place where depravity thrives.

Where the rich and powerful write and rewrite their own laws.

1. http://talkback.stomp.com.sg/forums/showthread.php?t=69270&page=5 - Chief Editor of a certain propaganda arm having her jail term cut from 18 months to 1 day. This woman was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, will now serve one day in jail, down from the original sentence of 18 months.

2. http://www.geraldtan.com/medaffairs/misc-nkf.html - A certain health foundation ran like a for-profit-organization.

3. http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/showthread.php?t=2440605 - Brookes Business School

4. http://www.asiaone.com/News/The+Straits+Times/Story/A1Story20071108-35171.html - A religious organization under scrutiny

5. http://www.asiaone.com/Health/News/Story/A1Story20080710-75873.html
http://www.asiaone.com/News/the%2BStraits%2BTimes/Story/A1Story20090111-113780.html

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mas_Selamat_bin_Kastari - Terrorist escapes and the people are to be blamed for complacency

7. http://stargaterichgoh.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/134/ - "Sunshine" Conman runs scam repeatedly

AND an extensive list of misappropriation of funds, misuse of authority, gerrymandering and other acts that would never be condoned elsewhere in this world but shrugged off by the "higher echelons" of the society.

The people should not be afraid of their governments, their governments should be afraid of their people. Or so Zorro said (or was it V for Vendetta it didnt matter then and still doesnt matter now). To be really honest I could have written a lengthier and more bothersome post but I decided not to do that since these issues have been blogged to certain deaths (not literally... I hope). So let the links speak for themselves while you be the judge.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

New Ipod Touch with camera and mic?

I really wonder whats the big hype with all the convergence. First Apple decides to come up with the iPod Touch and iPhone, which are essentially the same device (except that the iPod Touch does not come with the call and SMS functions). Then they tag a price premium for iPhone and launches it exclusively by telecommunication operators in different countries/regions. Now it seems that all the bells and whistles of the iPhone (still sans the call/sms function) will be implanted into the next generation of iPod Touch.

Let's take a look at what the current Ipod Touch lacks in comparison to the iPhone:

1. Phone (including SMS)
2. Camera
3. Stocks
4. Maps
5. Weather
6. Notes
7. Mail

Apple addressed this issue with an iPod Touch update that upgrades the device to include the Mail, Maps, Stocks, Notes & Weather applications found on the iPhone. The upgrade costs $20 via iTunes. Source: http://www.appleiphonereview.com/reviews/ipod-touch-vs-iphone/

So, how does 1 actually differentiate the two now? I think the wiser choice would be to go for iPod Touch and buy another (cheaper) mobile phone. That is if you like apple. However, if you are a die-hard Apple supporter (or rather, fanboy), I guess you would probably buy the iPhone first THEN maybe get the iPod Touch another day. Personally, I do like iPhone's sleek design, user-friendliness and intuitive interface although I would attribute some of the popularity of Apple's devices to ingenious marketing by Steve Jobs.

I cannot help but bash Apple for their unreplaceable battery issue, which has now probably been forgotten and forgiven by everyone else. (Most mobile gadgets have replaceable batteries which consumers can simply remove the back casing and replace the old battery with a new one)

To me, this is monopolizing/antitrust and an unethical business practice. Definitely Apple would argue that customers will still be able claim the warranties on their devices from the company.

It also leaves consumer with little to no choice other than to 1.) DIY or go to a third party repair shop and risk getting your warranty voided and loss of information due to negligence (remember the Edison Chen saga)? 2.) Bring it to an authorized Apple Care centre for them to replace your set with a refurbished one/replace the battery. However, there is still a likelihood of unnecessary divulgence of personal information. Besides, the warranty must be valid, which otherwise you would need to pay a higher price for replacing your faulty battery.

To me, it is a big issue since I once had a bad experience with an iPod that was out of juice and out of warranty. Battery life is one of my most important criteria in buying a device as I am someone who likes to play safe (Im a worrier by nature and do not want to miss a certain call/song when Im on the move). Therefore, I will not want to get any Apple devices yet... not even with the extra battery pack that sticks out like a sore thumb which also defeats the purpose of iPhone/iPod's sleek design

Source: http://asia.cnet.com/crave/2009/07/22/is-a-new-ipod-touch-with-camera-and-mic-coming-/

New shopping centres and less personal space

For the benefit of those living in caves or simply holed up at home - ION Orchard is now open.

I havent visited any of these new shopping centres yet - Orchard Central, Tampines One, extended Jurong Point, ION Orchard, ILUMA (?). I have been to Bugis Junction recently and Iluma looked spectacular with flashing lights spelling out "Silver Screen Awards" (or something along that line).

Guys, well most guys, are not avid shoppers who enjoy the experience. I, for one, try to avoid squeezing with the crowd so I plan my shopping trip beforehand. If I decide to get a pair of shoes or a shirt, I would try to go early, or late.

Upon arrival, I would head for the particular section and find my item, browse a while for alternatives and leave. I think shopping is an acquired hobby, especially for guys.. though I do know of a few male friends who like to window shop for clothes and accessories. One of whom can literally spend hours tearing his hair out deciding which T-shirt looks better. Girls, on the other hand, love shopping a lot and that is quite an understatement. I can never fathom how they choose to take a lift for a measely 1-2 flights of stairs but can prance around looking pretty in shopping centres.

I must however, concede that most people who like shopping are usually good looking, well-groomed people who care more than a hoot about their dressing. God must have spent more time on blessing some people with good looks and a hot bod. Needless to say, they are more than often spoilt for choice with the wide selection of clothes and accessories.

Then again I wonder if these shopping centres can actually be profitable with so much competition already in Singapore. Comparing Singapore to Australia, this place is indeed overcrowded and shopping is more than a hassle, in fact, I think it is more of an unpleasant experience (jostling people around, impolite and untrained shop personnel).

On another note, I feel so much constricted and immobile especially in town (well thats what some youngsters call Orchard Road though imo Singapore is a town itself).

Everyone is confined to very little walking space especially during weekends and public holidays and I wonder if it does trigger claustrophobia in certain individuals (half-jokingly). You can hardly move around and I certainly dont recommend bringing young children/elders there during such "peak" periods.

Singapore is really overcrowded AND overpopulated. I bet many of us want some peace, tranquility and personal space to breathe. Certainly the IR is not going give us that.

Burswood Casino

I went to the Burswood Casino a couple of weeks ago. I was not really keen to visit a casino though.

It was my first time to a casino. I have never been to Genting, Macau or Las Vegas. However, since there was a casino in Perth I decided to pay it a visit before I leave Australia.

So the two of us proceeded to the city... Perth Underground. The panel displays the next train arrival time. LED lights and nothing else fanciful here yet the train schedule is usually on-time. Guess Singapore still has quite a lot to learn.

So we've reached Burswood. First spotted is Hamburger Hill. Nothing to do with WWII. Simply a burger chain. There's a Mrs Mac's Beef Pies. They are supposedly famous and available in many grocery stores just like Mamak Stores in Singapore. Though they sell pies instead of Indian/Malay curry puffs. Havent had a chance to try them coz im not a big fan of beef pies.

Burswood Dome. I think its something like a stadium. The exterior looks like Singapore's National Stadium which is due to be torn down (though they have been putting it off for years and we all wonder why)

The Underground Pass to the Casino
Think "EVE" is the name of the Burswood Casino though I cant find any information on this. Do correct me if Im wrong.

We arrived just before the sun set. It was about 5pm if I remember correctly. Well still pretty early before the night crowd hits. Casinos are still night spots though its open 24 hours.

The hotel next to the casino. Looks rather grand just like the typical 5-star hotels we have in Singapore.

Ok Burswood Casino. This is one of the rare pictures that I actually took in Perth. Not a big fan of cam-whoring and I dont think Im photogenic, but still, just for memory sake.

Not many images here. Spotted a narcissistic crazy guy taking pictures of himself in the loo.

Nah. Kidding, thats Andy, my housemate who has a fetish for taking pictures in the loo.

Saw a few caucasians who really had bad gambling etiquette. They looked well-dressed... in formal business suits yet were uncouth, rude and obviously racists to say the very least. People who can afford to lose yet cant afford to lose. Tsk. Well there were the jovial people as well, they were just there to chill (though they probably visit the casino every other day) Some of the elderly spend their time playing Pai Gow, Blackjack and other card games... just to while their time away. Not a very wise way though they probably have loads of pension to lose anyway.

Did I gamble? Yes I did and I lost quite a lot. Pretty sad since most of my friends got beginners' luck and 1 even earned a trip back to Singapore with her winnings. Nevertheless, quite an eye-opener. We ended the day with a trip back to Perth City's Chinatown where Andy treated me to nice Chinese cuisine with his winnings.

A little note of People and Perth

Well, I do not know the exact reason, but it seems that I am unable to "clique" with everyone else. However I have come up with some rather frank reasons on why I am unpopular amongst any social circles.

1. I am not good looking
2. I am poor
3. I excel at underperforming which is why there is hardly anything in it for anyone else

I cannot think of any other logical explanations for my unpopularity. If you can, please do email me.

Before you dismiss this as just another off-the-mill "blame everyone but not himself" Internet emo-poet's rant, I assure you that my observations are shared by many of those I talk to.

I am not wallowing in self pity (well at least Im trying hard!). Allow me to relate some of my encounters during my recent travels.

While I was in OZ, I got to know some Singaporeans and students from other countries. There were the guys... and of course the girls. While I tried to mingle with them, most of them appeared to be very uninterested in the abominable me. Well, unless they needed my help, they mostly stayed away and tried very hard to avoid contact with me. I was an exemplary convenient friend, who would lend my hands and ears to whoever needed help. The self-righteous me is adamant to think this way.

Apparently I had a housemate "T" who said that I have an overbearing demeanour amongst a list of unspeakable atrocities that I was guilty of. (Mr T, this post is not directed at you. Im just using this as an example). Well I cannot blame him for he was certainly not the first and unlikely to be the last to view me with repugnance. I ought to know better as this was not an unprecedented, one-off incident. I met with much discontent all along and it has become part and parcel of what I have to deal with. While these people will deny that they loathe me for no reason and will try to attribute it to some particular trait of mine, it is a rather impossible for the insignificant me to have done anything to them at all.

Nevertheless, I was consumed by anger for quite a while.

Prior to these I actually got to know a couple of people who left really deep impressions in my mind and strengthened my beliefs in that my relationships with others exist only perfunctorily and that people are superficial and pragmatic. I shall not write about each of them being the lazybum that most people know me as.

1. Girls. I got to know a few of them. Added them (or tried to add them) on facebook. Got turned down by some even though I had interacted with them a few times. I had initially thought - Oh my, finally some girl-friends! All that came to pass and now thinking back, I let my imagination run too wild.

I am a staunch believer in the ladder theory though it never occurred to me that they were so put off by my appearance that I didnt even deserve a place in the friendship ladder. I actually had the chutspa to ask some of them out (as friends). No guesses for what happened thereafter. While I was perhaps far from their cup of tea I didnt think that I was such a disgrace to be seen with. Before anyone pointed out that I might have accidentally dissed off (or sexually harrassed) any of them, I can safely assure that there was no way I could have done that since there were very few limited interactions (or exchanges of 1-liners hi and bye) with them.

2. Guys. We chatted online and almost became housemates. However, I did not foresee a change of events which would turn us into enemies. I had tried to be the most forthcoming and amicable in my replies but was accused by this particular medical student. He was "pissed" by my late reply and gave me the most nonchalant and at the same time sardonic reply - yes I am surprised that it can be done ("Thank you for telling me so late") when I replied HOURS before the agreed deadline. Meanwhile I also got to know another SAF regular, who was so close to me for a few days as we bunked in the same room (and I cracked a joke about 2 guys sharing 1 underwear) but suddenly disappeared altogether from my small social circle. His reason to Mr T was that I wasnt in his clique (because he safely assumed that I do not club nor drink which wasnt too far from the truth but I am more inclined to believe that it was just a convenient excuse to shoo someone off).

I am green eyed with envy that Mr T is willing to pay rent and go all out to help his fellow country-man (and friend Mr K). People like me are never blessed with this sort of luck.

My original intent was simply to keep in touch with some of these people... perhaps through an occasional email, sms or MSN message.

But I guess having hailed from the lower rungs, strata of society manifested repulsive traits in this social misfit which is why acquiantance-ship itself is a tall order for me :)

For many, I think dis-associating with me is a prudent choice afterall.

Nobrainer on why banking and finance sector was set to crash

A long time ago I warned many people who wanted to read banking and finance. Many of them had big dreams of becoming a banker. Friends, acquaintances and everyone else enrolled in such courses (particularly those in private institutions like SIM and some from local universities like SMU). Many called me a party-pooper, nay-sayer, pessimist, sour-grapes... blahblah

At that point of time, it seemed to be a wise choice for them, now I presume many are looking for jobs in this particular sector while those waiting to graduate from these courses are worried. Their worries are not unfounded, with unpromising outlook for the global economy due to weakening demands around the world (which leads to more unemployment and the vicious poverty cycle, well you get the drift), H1N1 and civil unrest worldwide.

Why did I manage to foresee these? I am no genius, perhaps even less smart than many of you who happen to chance upon this article. I can assure you that it is not rocket science to people who have studied basic econs - of which the theories revolve around the concept of demand and supply. Allow me to elaborate further:

Banking and finance do not create value, they merely shift assets and funds around the world in anticipation of rises and falls in various investment products. Simply put, I view them as non-essential, secondary industries. What creates value then? Everything else which includes engineering, manufacturing, marketing, IT, publishing. Again I think you get the drift. Do we need so many "bankers" around? Without engineering, IT, marketing, agriculture etc would there even be a need for banking personnel? Would there even be growth? And if there was, how long could it sustain?

One reason why markets crash is when currencies, stocks are bloated and over-valued when they are in fact worth much less. This is what speculation does and this is what bankers (the big players like George Soros) do best. On the contrary, under-valuation does not produce a similar effect. Greed sends the average man on the street like lambs to the slaughter.

Irresponsibility in the financial sector

Job titles are grossly overhyped, exaggerated and ridiculously coined. These titles were created to give false hopes to employees. Some of these "jobs" are not even regular jobs with basic pay. They are sometimes based only on commission (which of course depends on performance of the employee). That said, the more eloquent, presentable and good-looking ones get more deals and stay on while many eventually leave the company. This is still a pragmatic world no matter how you sugar-coat the pessimistic situation. Governments around the world are doing little (or rather, nothing) to change the situation (and in my opinion, Singapore is likely to be on top of this list looking at job openings on jobscentral and jobsdb).

MLM companies address their agents as business associates, managers and developers. While insurance companies call their agents financial consultants and investment managers. Not to be outdone, banks began giving their employees flashy titles like business development executives, consultants and VPs. Many of these new graduates proudly declared that they were now "bankers". The new generation of bankers no longer draw fat paychecks, sit in limousines and jet-set around the world to mingle with multi millionaires and billionaires. These "bankers" cold-call prospective customers and pester blue collar employees in bus and MRT stations.

While in the 90s the word "executive" meant employees or even professionals who had worked in the field for more than 5 years, this title currently holds little to no value (perhaps even considered as a derogatory term) even for the most underperforming sales-person.

To sum it up, the finance infrastructure simply cannot support such a large throng of new graduates and these people end up doing jobs that have little to no relation on what they have learnt in school. Only those who hailed from prestigious universities and some lucky ones from local universities will be able to move up the career ladder, given the meritocracy (or rather elitist) mindset of Singaporean employers.

In fact I think this was a deliberate effort by the higher echelons in Singapore.

Has Singapore been lifted from recession?

"SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore leapt out of its worst recession and upgraded its economic outlook due to rising drugs production and construction, though analysts said it was too early for the central bank to end its accommodative policy.

The government revised up its 2009 forecast for the economy to shrink by 4 to 6 percent from a contraction of up to 9 percent, and analysts said China and other Asian exporters were also likely to report improved second-quarter growth."

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idINIndia-41015420090714

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If you ask me I would say no. While I am no prolific economist or analyst, I think the world economy is far from recovery.

Though technically yes (an economy is in recession if it reports 2 consecutive quarters of slowdown), Singapore has narrowly escaped from recession this quarter. Most analysts also believe that this is only a temporary boost which is unlikely to sustain till the end of this year.

Modularity and open-source technologies

In recent years, technologies has been moving towards modularity. No doubt the general consensus on technology is that it is making things smaller (nanotechnology), more effective and efficient. "Technologies" here refers to engineering, computing, bio-medical and all other aspects which the world are interested in. However let us only focus on "modularity" in Information Technology for this article.

Modularity is the degree to which a particular technology (software, hardware or even methodology) can be separated into various components or sections for easy construction or flexible arrangement. In other words, it allows for independent implementation and development of each layer. A complex problem/design is therefore made less complicated.

Most of the innovations today, as many would have realised, are not newly invented radical technologies. While most were taught to think out of the box, many, if not most of the most successful innovations were in fact incremental. In fact, radical technologies rarely rely only on newly developed techniques.

Software applications such as operating systems are moving towards modularity and open source development. While it used to be that people who used Windows would have a slew of related applications developed by the people at Microsoft (such as Windows Media Player, Microsoft Office Productivity Suite), this no longer holds true as the average user has started to explore other software such as Open Office and VLC player. This was especially true for companies but now the tech-scape is changing as companies are starting to develop customized solutions in-house or outsourcing such projects (Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM) solutions to 3rd party vendors which include SAP and Oracle).

Microsoft has since no longer decided to try to keep out the competition as customers become more IT-savvy and look for open source software solutions. Thus they have decided to move C#, .NET CLI to community license. It does appear that business solutions providers are no longer trying to keep their technologies proprietary as the industry is moving towards cross-platform support and joint development. Internet is no doubt the greatest driving force for this phenomena which brings me to ask this question - Sony, are you listening?

Why I had already foreseen Google’s launch of new operating system

I may gain more public enemies and detractors after this post but I guess I will post this anyway.

I did foresee some company coming up with a new operating system and this was not on hindsight. It does make sense as the operating system has been dominated by Microsoft for more than 20 years. Well, although most would argue, why not Apple? Well, we do know that Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have an intense yet friendly rivalry between them. The two companies (Microsoft and Apple) have never been closer with various collaborations over the recent years which include - dual boot (Boot Camp) and cross-platform applications (for Ipods and Microsoft devices). While the 2 companies may be involved in patent disputes regarding the touch wheel, no industry-watchers would deny an informal alliance between these 2 tech-behemoths.

Then why not linux, you may argue. Certainly, linux is great. Do not forget that most users of linux are highly experienced users (or rather techies/geeks). Most computer users just want a simple and no-frills operating system with little to no learning curve. When something goes wrong, all these people are likely to reach for the phone and dial tech support. And these are the people who make up the majority of PC users. Until the day when 20% of the population knows how to use the command line and easily configure Linux , I can safely say that we can forget about Linux kicking Microsoft off the throne.

And thus the most logical company to launch such a big project would be Google. With their wealth of knowledge (which includes a multitude of web applications/technologies, the people at Google) and of course wealth itself, Google may be the only tech-corp that Microsoft is unable to devour without choking to death. Well and who can forget Vint Cerf who now works at Google?

From Wikipedia:

"Vinton Gray "Vint" Cerf^[1] (pronounced /ˈsɜrf/; born June 23, 1943) is an Americancomputer scientist who is the "person most often called 'the father of the Internet'."^[2][4][5] His contributions have been recognized repeatedly, with honorary degrees and awards that include the National Medal of Technology,^[1] the Turing Award,^[6] and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.^[7]

Cerf has worked for Google as its Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist since September 2005.^[3] In this role he has become well known for his predictions on how technology will affect future society, encompassing such areas as artificial intelligence, environmentalism, the advent of IPv6 and the transformation of the television industry and its delivery model.^[8]"

The OS business is lucrative. Well, why not? With 1 billion computers worldwide currently and the figure being set to double in another 6 years. There is definitely ample market for tech corps to want to launch a different, exotic flavour of OS for detractors of Microsoft.