"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." - Albert Einstein

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Oops, I did it again.

In this case, formatting my hard drive without backing up everything. At least this time I've a 5 month old backup which has most of my data, and some leads on data recovery software.

Say hello again to driving the night car!

I should just backup the entire contents of my hard drive next time.

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Retailers welcome tighter controls on pre-paid phonecards to fight terrorism

"But now registration may be necessary to prevent terrorists from using such cards."

Come, now. Does anyone above the age of 10 (or not inundated by "Security is paramount! Let us implant ID chips in your heads to monitor your thoughts so we can protect you" spiel) believe that this could possibly counter terrorism?

First CCTVs in school lecture theatres, and now this?!

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The last I saw, there were some interesting comments in a comments thread on mrbrown.com about PRC students in Singapore.

Recently, I was directed there again and now the thread has exploded to 68 comments (at last count), even though it is no longer on the front page.

Some choice bits:

"I resent the argument that Singapore's population is too small [and so we need to import foreign students by the truckload]. Take a look at the truckload of Nobel Prize winners from Denmark. Check out their population. Take a look at the population size of New Zealand. Do "I do I do" or "Avatar" remotely resemble Lord of the Rings trilogy? These are rich angmo countries? How about Jamaica? On top of super sportsmen, they have Nobel Prize winners too. Jamaica has a population of about 2.7 million only, mostly of African descent.

If 3 million Singaporeans are too few to accomplish anything significant, one can only conclude our ruling politicans believe there is some truth in what PRC people say of Singaporeans: we are of inferior stock, of Southern peasants whose ancestors are so pathetic we "cannot make it" in China."


"I have some statistics I culled from sgchinese.com

Of the 3 local universities, 22% are foreigners. Half of those foreign students are from PRC, so we are talking about tens of thousands of PRC students in the 3 local universities alone. Imagine this: with the money we spend on PRC students, we can offer half of all undergrads free education, or sending thousands of Singaporeans overseas to study.

A larger proportion of PRC students in tertiary education are in the polys. In recent years, some 50% of the PRC poly grads cannot find a job. Of those who do find a job, most of them are doing nothing relevant to what they studied, and do menial jobs like selling bak kwa or sales assistants. (I didnt make the bak kwa part up. Read the article, if you can read Chinese)

http://sgchinese.com/Article/immi/jobs/200503/579.html

I am so sure they will have fond memories of Singapore when you ask "Einstein potentials" to sell bak kwa."


"First off, how much does a PRC student cost the taxpayer? If you believe that the government subsidizes 75% of our education, their cost PER YEAR is $20k, just on uni fees alone. And then there is the living expenses. I believe $800 per month is pretty close, if not spot on. In other words, a single PRC student cost Singapore taxpayer, disregarding any other subsidies I am not aware of

20000 + 12 x 800 = $29600 PER YEAR

This number is pretty close to the annual income of an average Singaporean.

For a 3 year course, the sum adds up to nearly $90k. For a 4 year cost, it adds up to $120k.

In terms of opportunity cost, we can offer nearly 6 poorest Singapore students free education in local unis for every 1 PRC student. Two PRC students cost us about one talented Singaporean studying overseas.

Now multiply that by a few thousand. You are talking about a few hundred millions here.

And when they decide to leave, you think they will even bother to write in to inform the authorities that they are not coming back? They just quietly drift away. It is money down the drain."


"What I cannot stand for, is the country devoting so much of taxpayers' money, bending over backwards to attract foreign students, while telling Singaporeans there is no such thing as a free lunch. Well, there is no such thing as a free lunch for PRC student either. They get paid having lunch here.

And dont tell me about boiling blood. Boiling blood is when you lose the best two and a half years of your life doing mind numbing menial tasks and get paid two hundred bucks a month, and then realising that after all the sacrifice, the country still treat you like a second class citizen."


"No country in the first or third world so blatantly discrimnates against it's own citizens like Singapore does. And we are not even allowed to be upset without being labelled racist.

I'm sure 100% of the Asians studying in Australia are on scholarship (that includes all their living expenses and accomodation), and that they sign bonds to serve in Australia, except nobody will say a thing when they vanish off. And for those who get stuck there, Aussie govt agencies will seek jobs for them. And failing that, Australian unis will start research institutes that are staffed 99% by Asians. Yah right."

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Heard on Newsradio 93.8:

Ayatollah Co'me'nee (Khomeini - exact pronunciation here)

Westminister Abbey (Westminster)

care'fain (caffeine)


And they boast that their E-newsletter helps you to speak better. Oh well.