paper wastage...

I received a letter and brochure from ABN AMRO yesterday by mail, inviting me to start a Van Gogh Preferred Banking relationship with them.

All I need is a minimum of S$200,000 in deposits and/or investments.

Riiiight.

random rant

What is it with motorists and their left/right indicator lights?

Will it shorten the battery life of their cars just to switch it on for a few seconds longer, if at all?

Will they face an increased risk of arthritis just by flicking a finger to switch it on?

Will it rob them of their pride and dignity just to demonstrate that little bit of courtesy to other road-users? And not to mention safety as well?

Am disgusted.

big brother!

Spotted in today's Strait's Times:

"Eye-in-the-sky ERP system 'pie in the sky' for now

TRIALS which began a few months ago to determine the feasibility of a satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system have shown that the eye-in-the-sky concept is difficult to apply in heavily built-up areas.

'It is still very, very far off,' said Dr Chin Kian Keong, Land Transport Authority (LTA) director in charge of ERP and Intelligent Transport Systems, referring to a satellite-tracked toll system.
He said tests to determine the strength of satellite signals - using a car fitted with a device - showed that tall buildings downtown posed a challenge. 'The tracking is often quite unreliable,' he told The Straits Times.

A satellite-based system would be more efficient than the gantry system currently in use as it would enable authorities to constantly adjust road pricing as and when they become congested. It also has better scalability, enabling the LTA to implement ERP islandwide if the need arises.
'It has a lot more flexibility,'' Dr Chin said, explaining that there are constraints to where gantries can be set up. And once up, it is hard to move them.

But a satellite system may still require signs to warn motorists they are approaching a priced zone, he said. Either that or the alert capability could be built into the in-vehicle units (IUs).
Dr Chin said there are ways around the blocked satellite signals, such as installing beacons in the city to boost the signals. Or one can use intelligent IUs hooked up to the cars' own onboard computers to determine information such as speed and distance.

The technical challenges aside, Dr Chin said cost was a major consideration.

'The IUs used by the German truck tolling system costs $600 and takes three hours to install,' he noted. 'Multiply that by the 750,000 vehicles we have now - and maybe one million by the time we are ready to implement - and you have an idea of how much it costs.'

Even if an IU can be obtained for $400, it will still be much more expensive than the model currently in use - which costs $150 and takes less than an hour in install.

The heavy investment, however, would be offset by other cost savings, such as the eradication of gantries, and a smaller control centre.

'The smarter the IU, the less you need to spend on the backroom,'' Dr Chin said.

He admitted that a satellite-based system is the way to go in the future, but there is no rush to implement it. The gantry system, he said, is built to last '10 to 15 years', and can be used indefinitely 'if you keep changing the components'.

He said that the system, set up in 1998, is a reliable and proven one but it can be 'unsightly'' - especially when more gantries are needed in the future. There are now 46 gantries and the current system can accommodate around 100.

Meanwhile, the LTA will soon introduce a new IU, one that is sleeker and can read contactless cards such as the ez-link fare card. The current model can read only CashCards."

I do not agree that "a satellite-based system is the way to go in the future". We are being watched by the authorities sufficiently as it stands, if not already excessively. To now propose adding the capability to monitor exactly where my car is at all times? Thanks, but no thanks.

fyi...

Some time ago I did a random search in a popular online map provider, and actually managed to locate The Nclave in it already!

So for those who don't already know where I'll be staying, here's the map for reference. :)

How is YOUR day going?

I saw in a friend's blog that a YouTube video was posted IN the blog itself, so am testing this function. No particular video I'd like to post now, so I randomly picked a funny ad. Enjoy! :)

confirmed!

Things are looking up at work.

For those who bother to keep track of the ongoings of the corporate world, you must have heard about the drama going on for integra2000 Ltd. Anyway, been busy in the thick of the highly tense (but entertaining) meetings the past couple of days, and finally found some breathing space today.

And out of the blue, I was summoned into the MD's office, only to be told that I'm doing very well, and that the firm would waive the remaining period of my probation. Am finally confirmed!! :D

It's such a relief that the transition to corporate work has been relatively painless. Shall not publish the full details of my little chat with the MD, but suffice to say that the road ahead looks quite bright. Am most pleased. Thank God for making my paths straight.

friends forever?

I have a friend who is getting married in December.

I have not been in touch with this friend for several years. She used to be part of this group of friends that I still hang out with from time to time, but she disappeared to do her own things a while back, and to give a gist of it, her departure from the group did not start on a very pleasant note, due to some sensitive issues which i honestly have forgotten.

When I first learnt of the wedding from another member of this group of friends, my first reaction was to say I'll not go. Why waste good money attending the wedding of someone I haven't met for years? But her email invite reached my inbox, and, regardless of whether it's true or not, the invite says it's a small affair, meant only for close friends and relatives, and that she really hoped we could attend. Given the way the invite was written, I could not help but reply to say yes I'd go. (yes, I'm a sucker, I know)

Now the funny thing is, I had expected none of the other friends in this group to be hesitant about attending the wedding, as they all knew the bride longer than I did, and were her classmates even. Surprisingly, all but one or two of them said they would not attend. Why not? I admit it's a bit of a "pot calling the kettle black" situation, since I initially did not want to go, and I'd pull out of the dinner if no one else is going. But something still bugs me. We were really pretty good friends back then, going for road trips together, hanging out every weekend, etc. Do friendships really not last forever? Or was it simply because contact was lost on a "bad" note? Even so, surely the good times spent together should outweigh the unfortunate events which led to a loss of contact, especially when she still values the friendships enough to actually bother to invite us?

The whole situation does not sit well with me. Leads me to wonder how many of my old friends would actually be happy to receive my wedding invitation when the time comes. I certainly intend to invite only friends that matter to me, whether new or old, but I'd hate think that to think that some of them might actually be reluctant to attend. I suppose I should start making some efforts to mend some lost connections. Not just for the sake of the guest list at my wedding, but more for the sake of friendship, pure and simple.

Just a little rant for the weekend. Got a busy week ahead, but hey, there's always the next weekend. :) Night...

excitement!

Behold the freshly constructed frame of #03-07....

Yep, that's our unit in the middle of the picture. Not much to look at now, but at the rate construction is going, I wouldn't be surprised if the TOP date is brought forward to mid-2007.

Most exciting. Shall post more photos to keep track of the construction process. :)

peace...

Spotted in The Straits Times today regarding the Pope's apology:

"Meanwhile, in Somalia, there were fears that the shooting of an elderly Italian nun and her bodyguard outside a hospital was linked to the controversy over the Pope's remarks.

The attack took place following calls by a prominent hardline Mogadishu cleric, Sheikh Abubukar Hassan Malin, for Muslims to 'hunt down' and kill the pontiff for his remarks.

In the Palestinian territories, the head of the Hamas-led government, Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, denounced a spate of attacks on Christian churches after assailants targeted two more West Bank churches on Sunday in protest against the Pope's remarks.

On Saturday, Muslims hurled firebombs and opened fire at five churches in the West Bank and Gaza Strip."

I am a strong believer of religious harmony, and I mean no offence to anyone by writing this. But does it not seem ironic that the response by some people to a perceived "insult" that their faith is proliferated by violence, is to unleash violence on buildings and innocent people?

I shall not say too much, lest I be misconstrued. Suffice it to say that I have plenty of Muslim friends, and I value each and every one of them as being level-headed, kind and generally great friends. I believe the violent response is not a general sentiment among our Muslim friends, and I certainly hope the individuals who are responsible for the violence will see that no good can ever be achieved by harming innocent lives.

I think MUIS has got it right, and I am grateful for the statement issued, as quoted in The Straits Times:
"'What is important is for Muslims in Singapore to be calm and patient.'
MR ALAMI MUSA, president of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), speaking on Saturday"

Violence solves nothing. Let peace prevail.

the switch

ok, i've made the switch. goodbye livejournal, hello blogspot.

let's see whether i do better with this one.

for those who wish to catch a glimpse of the few posts i managed to rustle up at livejournal, here's where to find it: feelingsleepy.livejournal.com.

so yea, till next time.