The PSI hit a high of 83, which is above the normal levels of 50 on most days. In fact, this reading is the highest for the year 2007, which saw a rather smoke free whether for a change, when it used to be hazy during the dry seasons, and when our neighbours decide to burn their forests down to clear the land.

However, it seemed rather normal to me today - there wasn’t the usual burnt smell floating around, the skies in my campus looked rather good, although a little overcast - which I thought had something to do with the rain (was there rain?), and all seemed good. Hmm… unless of course, if you are in the Toa Payoh area. Then you would probably see something like this:

Hmm… hope this won’t get worse… =(

HAZY skies returned to Singapore on Thursday, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).

The Pollutants Standards Index (PSI) reading at 4pm was 83, in the moderate range.

The cause - ‘poor dispersion of air pollutants in the air as a result of light wind conditions’ during the current monsoon period.

The NEA said the air should clear when wind conditions improve. It’s not uncommon, it added, to experience reduced visibility from time to time during the monsoon season.

No special precautions are needed, said NEA, but it advises people with respiratory ailments who feel unwell to consult their doctors before undertaking vigorous exercise.

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 15th November 2007; photo by Lim Wui Liang

I have just received my second blog ad from blog2u.sg and I thought I’d write about my experience with them - even though it’s probably less than a month. I’d also highlight some difference working with them and with Adverlets and Nuffnang.

For a start, I have not cashed out anything from Advertlets and Nuffnang yet - reason being because I haven’t not reached the minimum sum of $50 yet (oh, I think I have enough now for Advertlets). So, should Advertlets or Nuffnang disappear from the face of the earth one day, I would probably say bye bye to any earnings from them. Nay, I don’t think they will disappear.

Anyway, there was soon a new kid on the block - blog2u.sg. I wasn’t entirely sure of their modus operandi, but suspected that it either worked like Advertlets, Nuffnang or AdSense; even PayPerPost. Nonetheless, since I had space (now rather crowded) on my sidebar, I signed up for it.

Soon after, I got an ad matched to me. It was an ad for Bak2U, which was the product that Paddy (the person behind Blog2u.sg) was also selling. I wondered if it was a courtesy ad - meaning ads that’s purposely created so that unmatched blogs can also advertise and earn some from, but it did somehow seem like a legitimate ad so I placed it anyway. Afterall, I was paid for it, isn’t it? =P

The experience however, was a little different from Advertlets or Nuffnang - not that the latter 2 are no good, but because there is a nice lady behind that “Customer Service” email that seemed friendly, and not some robots or automated replies that one usually gets. However, I do understand that as a business grow, it might become more difficult to maintain this level of PR - so I can only wait and observe.

Soon after, the second ad came, which was for iShop. Cherry, the lady behind all the emails even apologised for the last minute requests for us to put up the ads! I think this is PR almost at its best! At least for me. I mean, I was already glad that I was matched but an apology for the last minute request? Hmm… Blog2u.sg is really too humble!

So, how does all these match up? I think Advertlets is tops when it comes to continued income - at least it seemed like I was earning everyday, and Nuffnang is good if you belong to the higher bands of their Campaign since they pay more per week. However, Blog2u.sg which is relatively new to the blog advertising scene, is really tops for their PR, if not on par with Advertlets (Josh, here’s to you!).

I didn’t quite follow the recent Nuffnang saga, although I think it’s got something to do with me losing a dollar when I withdraw, but I think all 3 have their good and bad points. There’s of course, some complains about advertising for free for Nuffnang with the “I serve Nuffnang Ads” logo, but… I’m not sure what else can they place there. I try to be objective in my views and not be stingy with my praises if they really deserve one. Of course, I’d also complain if they are overboard.

All in all, I think all 3’s pretty good, and Blog2u.sg is doing pretty well too. Keep it up, Paddy! And oh, Cherry, thanks for reading my blog. =P

Yup, that’s right! It’s old news that merchants were testing out a new payment system codenamed GBuy (or some prefer to call it Google Buy), which could be running head-on-head with one of the most popular online payment systems around - Paypal. After news of it spread in December 2006, which is almost 1 year ago, further updates about this online payment system had ceased and no one knew anything about it. At least not me.

However, if you do a search on google.com, you would find that there is another system that Google is building that sounds suspiciously like GBuy. Presenting to you, Google Checkout!

Google Checkout is a fast, secure way to buy from stores across the web. However, Google Checkout is only available to U.S. and U.K. merchants. In addition, U.S. Google Checkout merchants must have a U.S. bank account and address, plus either of the following:

• A Social Security number (optional) and a valid credit card.
• A Federal Tax ID/Employer Identification Number (EIN).

U.S. and U.K. buyers and buyers from many other countries outside the United States and United Kingdom can also sign up for the service and make purchases (in U.S. dollars or Pounds Sterling) through Google Checkout. Check the Location: drop-down menu on the sign-up page to see if Google Checkout is available in your buyer’s location. They are working towards making Google Checkout more widely available in the near future. At this time, however, they cannot provide any details regarding when Google Checkout will be available in specific countries.

You may wish to check out their slides here. In addition, they also have a blog for it. So go on, sign-up and explore the wonders of GBuy Google Checkout!

Since you are here, you might want to relive history here, here and here.

If you have missed the Singapore PHP User Group meeting @ SMU yesterday, fret not! There’s the live blog entry earlier as well as the slides (in PDF format so you can read it on most platforms) here:

• Michael Cheng on PHP 101 (PDF)
• Raymond Ng on Technology and Business Management (PDF)
• U-zyn on Security in PHP (PDF, alternatively you may also view it online here)

You may also want to visit the official Wiki site here. The next meet up is on 12th December 2007. More details will be up later. See you guys then!

Haha… apparently yes. I didn’t know about that until a few minutes ago, when I found the press release from SBS Transit about the opening of the station. The official date is actually today, reading from the press release yesterday. For some reason, this wasn’t reported in the news (or maybe it was but my eyes are crooked) and I chanced upon it while looking for a bus route for a friend.

For those who didn’t know, Farmway LRT Station is located at Seng Kang on the Seng Kang West LRT line. Indeed for those who do not start anywhere near there, this is indeed something new. I would have thought that Farmway LRT is either at Dairy Farm or Pasir Ris (behind UMC).

From tomorrow, 15 November 2007, Farmway Station on the Sengkang West Light Rapid Transit (LRT) line will open for passenger service. This has been timed in preparation for the opening of the Anchorvale Community Club, which will take place next week.

The station will also offer residents greater access to sports facilities when the adjoining Sports Complex is completed next year.

The opening of Farmway Station, which comes more than two-and-a-half years after the official commencement of the Sengkang West LRT Loop, was delayed because of the lack of housing developments in the vicinity.

Said Mr Gan Juay Kiat, SBS Transit’s Chief Operating Officer, “We are indeed very happy to be able to open the Farmway LRT station which will help bring fun and fitness programmes to the doorsteps of residents, some of whom may even come from neighbouring Punggol town!”

The daily operating hours for the Sengkang LRT (West Loop) will be adjusted slightly - from 0519hrs to 0047hrs from Mondays to Saturdays and from 0539hrs to 0047hrs on Sundays - with Farmway Station serving as the first stop. The service frequency remains at 4.5 minutes for peak hours and 7 minutes during off peak hours. The frequency will be regularly reviewed to cater to changing travel pattern.

Article obtained from SBS Transit Press Release website on 15th November 2007

Nope, this is not a mis-post or a post that had it’s post-date dated wrongly. This will be what you’d be hearing if you visit Australia during the Christmas Season.

Apparently, Santas in Australia are told not to use the standard greeting of “Ho ho ho” because it sounded too close to the word “whore”, which means “prostitute” and is thought to be offensive to women. Santas were also also told that “Ho ho ho” may frighten little children and are encouraged, instead, to greet with “Ha ha ha”.

What’s this got to do with the all-year round island of Singapore? Well, to start with, Horlicks may have to withdraw their ads of “Ho… ho… ho… horlicks!”. Come to think of it, doesn’t Horlicks sound offensive too?

Muahahahahahaha….

SYDNEY - SANTAS in Australia’s largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas’s traditional ‘ho ho ho’ greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported on Thursday.

Sydney’s Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say ‘ha ha ha’ instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.

One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use ‘ho ho ho’ because it could frighten children and was too close to ‘ho”, a US slang term for prostitute.

‘Gimme a break,’ said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.

‘We are talking about little kids who do not understand that ‘ho, ho, ho’ has any other connotation and nor should they,’ she told the Telegraph.

‘Leave Santa alone.’ A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was ‘misleading’ to say the company had banned Santa’s traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself. — AFP

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 15th November 2007

Breastfeeding is thought to provide the best milk that a new born can get because it contains antibodies that the baby may need for the first few months. It is apparently good for the mother because it’s supposed to help in reducing the risk of breast cancer, which I am not sure if it’s entirely true. If I were to have a kid one day, I think I’d do the same, regardless of the supposedly benefits to the mother.

However, it’s found recently that this may not always be good for the baby. Reports have said that the antibodies aside, there’s a chance that there may be too much adiponectin (which plays a role in metabolism of fats and sugars) in the milk, which may cause babies to be overweight by the age of 2. However, this very protein is also known to reduce the risk of heart diseases and diebetes.

In such an instance, it is important that the statistics be worked out correctly before a conclusion can be made. In research, the use of wrong statistics is often responsible for misinformation in the news. Another such misinformed news is that HRT may increase the risk of breast cancer, which is not entire right or wrong because (i) there are many factors involved and (ii) the alarming statistics that are usually reported misinterpreted the statistics that was worked out.

Thus if you are doing research, this is one important thing to take note of, which is why you should attend my biostatistics class, or get Miss Loi to educate you properly in statistics. Wrong reports by a researcher may be detrimental and traumatic to potential victims.

NEW YORK - MOTHERS who breast feed and have high levels of a protein secreted by lipids in their milk may be increasing the risk that their child will be overweight, German researchers report.Dr Maria Weyermann of The German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and her colleagues found that a child’s likelihood of being overweight by age 2 rose with the amount of adiponectin in his or her mother’s milk.

The significance of these findings remain unclear, Dr Matthew W. Gillman and Dr Christos S. Mantzoros, Harvard Medical School, Boston, point out in an editorial accompanying the study, because infants may not be able to absorb the adiponectin contained in breast milk.

Also, they add, high levels of adiponectin in adults actually reduce heart disease and diabetes risk, making it ‘counterintuitive’ that high levels would contribute to excess weight in children.

The jury is still out on whether nursing does protect children from becoming overweight, Dr Weyermann and her team add.

The researchers investigated how breast-feeding might influence obesity risk by looking at adiponectin and another protein secreted by fat cells, leptin, which regulates appetite as well as the body’s use of energy from food.

Adiponectin is involved in metabolism of fats and sugars.

The foetus and placenta produce both proteins at high levels, the researchers point out, raising the possibility that they play a role in foetal development.

The levels of both proteins were measured in the breast milk of the mothers of 674 children when the infants were six weeks old. Among the children who were breast-fed for at least six months, obesity risk rose in tandem with breast milk adiponectin levels. However, leptin levels showed no association with whether or not a child would be overweight.

‘Our data provide evidence that the possible protective effect of breast-feeding against childhood obesity might depend, at least in part, on low levels of breast milk adiponectin,’ Dr Weyermann and her team write.

More research is needed before it is possible to determine the health implications of the research, if any, Drs Gillman and Mantzoros add. ‘The best advice remains that all women should strive to breast-feed their children for at least 12 months, with the first 4- to 6- months consisting of exclusive breast-feeding.’ — REUTERS

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 15th November 2007

This had been an extremely popular questions amongst my friends: What don’t I wear skirts? - particularly amongst my guy friends. Well, that was at least a few years ago, and people don’t really bother asking me nowadays.

Actually part of the reason is pretty obvious nowadays. If you just turn to the papers (yes, Straits Times), you’d find many cases of upskirt videos, upskirt cameras and all. There’s always the fear of that happened. Some guys probably won’t understand it, but it can be quite a traumatic experience.

The other thing is of course the convenience of *not* wearing a skirt, because when I don one, then I have to be careful of the way I sit. Haha… yes, I think I can be quite a chor lor person at times =P but that aside, it does have some restrictions on what you can do and what you can’t; like cycling from one lab in school to somewhere else. =P

Quite obviously, my fear is shared with many people who had been upskirt victims. I’ve got no idea why men would do something like this when p*rn is readily available on the internet? I’m also sure that there are upskirt pictures out there as well! Perhaps it’s for the thrill of it.

According to a friend of mine, her brother admits that sex (or anything related) is always predominant in a guy’s head - to what extent a guy can control it is up to the individual. Hmm… I’m not sure how true it is, but I’ve no way to find out.

A NIGHT out with a male friend was marred when Jane (not her real name) sensed that a middle-aged man behind her on the escalator was too close for comfort.

Dressed in a blouse and miniskirt, she was at Tiong Bahru Plaza to catch a movie.

Turning around, she caught hawker Kwan Tuck Fatt with his mobile phone held underneath her skirt.

Jane’s immediate reaction was to elbow him in the stomach, but the pot-bellied, balding man got bolder, and accused her of punching him.

She then tried to grab his mobile phone, but he put up a struggle until her friend joined in to wrest the device from the man.

‘He kept insisting he did not do anything wrong and tried deleting the photos,’ Jane told The Straits Times.

But scrolling through his mobile phone, Jane found not only ‘upskirt’ snapshots of herself but of 40 other women; and images of a man and woman having sexual intercourse.

‘He begged me to let him go, saying he would delete the photos, but I was very angry,’ Jane added.

Security staff and later, the police, were called in. The man was arrested.

Last month, the 47-year-old pleaded guilty to insulting Jane’s modesty and was jailed for a month.

Even though it has been two years since the incident, Jane, now 22, is still traumatised.

‘What made me angry was that he tried to deny it at first,’ she said.

‘I also don’t want to wear skirts that often anymore because the hard truth is that the only way to stop such acts is to stop wearing short skirts,’ she said.

CAROLYN QUEK

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 15th November 2007

Another Briton was charged in court for drunken behavior on board an SIA flight. His charges included the outrage of modesty of a flight stewardess, the use of a 4-letter word as well as assault on a flight steward. He apparently lost his contract job due to this incident.

He probably had a glass too many before he boarded the plane and was drunk 1 and 1/2 hours into the flight heading to Singapore from London. While such behavior could have come from anybody, the Britons had been getting too much bad press lately, especially for the Trishaw man incident.

A BRITON was fined a total of $5,000 on Wednesday for four offences on board a London-Singapore flight earlier this month.

Gareth Gaudion, 48, then a pipe designer with an oil company, admitted to using criminal force on a cabin crew, being drunk, molesting a flight attendant and using abusive words with intent to cause distress to a leading stewardess on board a Singapore Airlines plane on Nov 2.

A district court heard that Gaudion was seen behaving in a drunk manner and was shouting to the cabin crew, demanding for more alcoholic drinks 1 1/2 hours after take-off. He persisted when told to behave himself.

During the flight, he used his hand to brush the buttock of a 28-year-old leading stewardess. He also uttered a four-letter word which was overheard by another stewardess at the galley area.

Later on, he called out to a cabin crew member and demanded for more drinks. When the flight attendant said he could not serve him any more, Gaudion grabbed his shirt, pulled him towards him and then pushed him away.

Two other charges were taken into consideration.

Gaudion told the court that he had worked in London for three months, and was on his way to Indonesia to visit his wife. He had started drinking before boarding the flight.

He said he had lost his contract and apologised to the stewardess he molested and to the Singapore government.

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 15th November 2007

Since I wrote a previous article on this, I think it’s only right for me to write the other half now. Apparently, they had apologised twice online at youtube, although I can’t seem to find it. However, what’s reproduced here is a supposed apology that was written by Bo Davis - one of the bullies in the trishaw man incident.

Personally, I am not sure if they are sincere about it - is it something that they feel obliged to do so that Netizens will just forget about the whole incident? It’s definitely utterly disgusting to see young men like themselves bullying an old man who was paddling away with all his might. I wonder where their shame has gone. No shame at all.

Do I think this letter is enough? I’m not sure. I don’t even know where this letter originated from. How about a letter to the Singapore Embassy in UK? That might help. Oh well, whatever. It’s too late to do anything anyway. What’s done is done. It’s too late for them to do anything anyway.

Apology from Bo and his friends:

I have already sent 2 apologies out on you tube. But I’ll apologise again. As I don’t think many people have seen it.

When I look back at the video it does look very bad. I offer my sincerest apologies to Mr Lee, his son & everyone that has been offended. It was very disrespectful and insensitive to make fun of an old man. If you knew us you’d realise that we are actually nice guys.

On that night we’d had a few beers (slightly drunk), and needed to get back to our hostel. So we began walking up the street looking for a taxi. The trishaw driver was waiting at the side of the road and suggested we take his taxi. At first we declined as we wanted an actual car, but he insisted we got in. I thought ok, I’d never been on one before and told him our destination. He said $10 which was fine.

After setting off I did start laughing, I was a little drunk and thought it was funny how slow we were going. I did actually ask the driver if I could peddle before we got the camera out.

So after travelling hardly any of the distance agreed, I could see that it was stupid for us to continue and said we should get out. We’d only travelled around a quarter of the agreed distance so I at the time I thought $5 was reasonable. Bearing in mind that we’d just come from Thailand where drivers initially charge way over the odds and it’s customary to haggle the price.

I don’t know why Mr Lee is saying we didn’t pay, when in the end we gave him the $10. I know I was laughing but I wouldn’t dream of not paying for the ride! That would be unforgivable. The camera cuts out before we actually leave the trishaw but I can guarantee everyone that we paid the $10 before we left.

My upmost apologies again go out to Mr Lee and his son. If it were my dad with 3 young guys laughing at him, I’d want to find out who they were and speak my mind. But can I just confirm again that we did pay!

Best Regards
Bo