Yar, obviously I want one too.
[Yes, although I quite like the smell and feel of physical books, I quite prefer my shoulders not giving way from carrying like 2000 books plus the laptop.]
Monday, September 22, 2008
ebook reader
Uber cool ebook reader [it's the thinnest one on the top].
Yar, obviously I want one too.
[Yes, although I quite like the smell and feel of physical books, I quite prefer my shoulders not giving way from carrying like 2000 books plus the laptop.]
Yar, obviously I want one too.
[Yes, although I quite like the smell and feel of physical books, I quite prefer my shoulders not giving way from carrying like 2000 books plus the laptop.]
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
david foster wallace [1962-2008]
Everyone is saying he's such a fucking brilliant writer, and I think so too. I only ever read one of his books, but I am making that up as of yesterday [borrowed 2 of his books from the library].
Anyways, I came across this commencement speech he made a few years back, and not only is it very well given, I totally agree with his interpretation of the purpose of an arts education [which is not about helicopter views btw].
The whole speech is damn brilliant and everyone should read it, but the bit that struck me most:
and this:
Morbid stuff. But so true.
Anyways, I came across this commencement speech he made a few years back, and not only is it very well given, I totally agree with his interpretation of the purpose of an arts education [which is not about helicopter views btw].
The whole speech is damn brilliant and everyone should read it, but the bit that struck me most:
As I'm sure you guys know by now, it is extremely difficult to stay alert and attentive, instead of getting hypnotized by the constant monologue inside your own head (may be happening right now). Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. Think of the old cliché about quote the mind being an excellent servant but a terrible master.
This, like many clichés, so lame and unexciting on the surface, actually expresses a great and terrible truth. It is not the least bit coincidental that adults who commit suicide with firearms almost always shoot themselves in: the head. They shoot the terrible master. And the truth is that most of these suicides are actually dead long before they pull the trigger.
and this:
This, I submit, is the freedom of a real education, of learning how to be well-adjusted. You get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn't. You get to decide what to worship.
Because here's something else that's weird but true: in the day-to day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship -- be it JC or Allah, bet it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess, or the Four Noble Truths, or some inviolable set of ethical principles -- is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It's the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you. On one level, we all know this stuff already. It's been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story. The whole trick is keeping the truth up front in daily consciousness.
Morbid stuff. But so true.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
betrayed
My manager:
Dear Mr Anjan Ghosh,
My sincere apologies for the misunderstanding that arose from the previous
email.
The email was sent to you without authority or consultation from either Mr
Lee or me. I fully understand the need for additional data by MCYS or NCSS,
and we will gladly provide the information as requested.
I will compile and submit the data before the submission deadline.
Once again, I apologise for the misunderstanding, and seek to continue the
cooperation and partnership between MCYS, NCSS and Home Help Service
(West).
-
Reply:
Dear Ms Lee,
Thank you for clarifying, we had similar impression too. We have great working relationship with THKMS and I look forward towards continuous support and mutual understanding as we help the needy and disadvantage population.
Regards
Anjan K GHOSH | Director
Service Management Division | National Council of Social Service
170 Ghim Moh Road #01-02 S 279621 · DID: 62102622 · Fax: 64624608 · http://www.ncss.org.sg/
-
Mutual masturbation at its best. Disgusting.
Dear Mr Anjan Ghosh,
My sincere apologies for the misunderstanding that arose from the previous
email.
The email was sent to you without authority or consultation from either Mr
Lee or me. I fully understand the need for additional data by MCYS or NCSS,
and we will gladly provide the information as requested.
I will compile and submit the data before the submission deadline.
Once again, I apologise for the misunderstanding, and seek to continue the
cooperation and partnership between MCYS, NCSS and Home Help Service
(West).
-
Reply:
Dear Ms Lee,
Thank you for clarifying, we had similar impression too. We have great working relationship with THKMS and I look forward towards continuous support and mutual understanding as we help the needy and disadvantage population.
Regards
Anjan K GHOSH | Director
Service Management Division | National Council of Social Service
170 Ghim Moh Road #01-02 S 279621 · DID: 62102622 · Fax: 64624608 · http://www.ncss.org.sg/
-
Mutual masturbation at its best. Disgusting.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
censorship
I actually drafted this in reply to the previous email, but Wendy says the tone not only burns bridges, it decimates the surrounding area and renders it uninhabitable. Without further ado, my drafted reply to Anjash:
"
To note: '...if the statements made in the email is...', 'is' should be replace with 'are' as the subject preceding it is plural.
I'm also not sure about the point you are making about Mr Lee concurring with you. Is he concurring because he has seen the research questions or is he concurring because of the prior funding agreement? So as per the funding agreement, if NCSS requires the number of left handed clients with one pimple on the right cheek, we are required to give that to you? I'm not sure about you, but usually in my arguments, I like to use logic and science.
Allow me one nuance of fallacy: despite my learnings and qualifications in mass communications, social work, psychology, sociology and philosophy, I fail to see the point of these and previous and current stats NCSS requires of us. Perhaps you can enlighten my feeble mind?
Lastly, I want to add that meeting after meeting, networking session after session, various Home Help providers have voiced out the same opinions after observations, some rather passionately, and each time, their voices are ignored and nothing has changed. The stats we have contributed over the time all seems to meet the same fate. Is that in the funding agreement too?
"
"
To note: '...if the statements made in the email is...', 'is' should be replace with 'are' as the subject preceding it is plural.
I'm also not sure about the point you are making about Mr Lee concurring with you. Is he concurring because he has seen the research questions or is he concurring because of the prior funding agreement? So as per the funding agreement, if NCSS requires the number of left handed clients with one pimple on the right cheek, we are required to give that to you? I'm not sure about you, but usually in my arguments, I like to use logic and science.
Allow me one nuance of fallacy: despite my learnings and qualifications in mass communications, social work, psychology, sociology and philosophy, I fail to see the point of these and previous and current stats NCSS requires of us. Perhaps you can enlighten my feeble mind?
Lastly, I want to add that meeting after meeting, networking session after session, various Home Help providers have voiced out the same opinions after observations, some rather passionately, and each time, their voices are ignored and nothing has changed. The stats we have contributed over the time all seems to meet the same fate. Is that in the funding agreement too?
"
the empire strikes back
Dear Lingshen,
I wonder if you have consulted Ms Lee or Mr Lee before replying to NCSS. I also wonder if the statements made in the email is your personal view or that of Moral Home Help (West).
We have spoken to Mr Lee and he concurred with the need for such data to be made available to assist in the review of Home Help Service. We would also like to highlight that the funding agreement requires all service provider to provide additional information beyond PES, where necessary for service review and planning purposes.
My colleague Peng Peng will be of help if you need any further clarification.
Thank you
Anjan K GHOSH | Director
Service Management Division | National Council of Social Service
170 Ghim Moh Road #01-02 S 279621 · DID: 62102622 · Fax: 64624608 · http://www.ncss.org.sg/
Privileged/Confidential information may be contained in this message. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately
I wonder if you have consulted Ms Lee or Mr Lee before replying to NCSS. I also wonder if the statements made in the email is your personal view or that of Moral Home Help (West).
We have spoken to Mr Lee and he concurred with the need for such data to be made available to assist in the review of Home Help Service. We would also like to highlight that the funding agreement requires all service provider to provide additional information beyond PES, where necessary for service review and planning purposes.
My colleague Peng Peng will be of help if you need any further clarification.
Thank you
Anjan K GHOSH | Director
Service Management Division | National Council of Social Service
170 Ghim Moh Road #01-02 S 279621 · DID: 62102622 · Fax: 64624608 · http://www.ncss.org.sg/
Privileged/Confidential information may be contained in this message. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately
resigned
Dear Ms Lee
I hereby tender my resignation and give 2 months notice with effect from Sep 11 2008.
In recent months, I have been finding my position increasingly untenable.
I have not been making a difference in anyone's life, other than NCSS/MCYS, and their course, I feel, often sprints the other direction from serving mankind.
I also feel that in its current structure and organization, Moral Home Help West is not fully appreciating and developing my skills.
I have come to this decision with a very heavy heart. I am very grateful for the patience and understanding you have shown me, and I know that I have been a rather difficult subordinate to manage.
I wish you and Moral Home Help West all the best in years to come and I regret that I will not be part of this.
I hereby tender my resignation and give 2 months notice with effect from Sep 11 2008.
In recent months, I have been finding my position increasingly untenable.
I have not been making a difference in anyone's life, other than NCSS/MCYS, and their course, I feel, often sprints the other direction from serving mankind.
I also feel that in its current structure and organization, Moral Home Help West is not fully appreciating and developing my skills.
I have come to this decision with a very heavy heart. I am very grateful for the patience and understanding you have shown me, and I know that I have been a rather difficult subordinate to manage.
I wish you and Moral Home Help West all the best in years to come and I regret that I will not be part of this.
ls last stand
Dear Peng peng
We thank you for graciously getting an extension of the deadline for us.
However, Home Help West will not be providing that figures you need this time around.
We cannot continuously provide you with the incessant and unnecessary stats that you and your organization needs.
We can however, provide you with our database and you can sieve through it for the stats that you need.
Cheers
Lingshen Chen
Moral Home Help West
PS. When you mention Home Help's comsumption patterns and direction, I believe all the various Home Help organizations have been making very excellent points and suggestions, seeing how they are on the ground much more than NCSS or MCYS combined.
We thank you for graciously getting an extension of the deadline for us.
However, Home Help West will not be providing that figures you need this time around.
We cannot continuously provide you with the incessant and unnecessary stats that you and your organization needs.
We can however, provide you with our database and you can sieve through it for the stats that you need.
Cheers
Lingshen Chen
Moral Home Help West
PS. When you mention Home Help's comsumption patterns and direction, I believe all the various Home Help organizations have been making very excellent points and suggestions, seeing how they are on the ground much more than NCSS or MCYS combined.
eat shit
From: TANG_Peng_Peng@ncss.gov.sg
Dear Home Help Service Providers
As part of the Eldercare Masterplan Review conducted by Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), the Ministry is currently reviewing the Home Help Service (HHS).
MCYS has requested for data on the consumption patterns of HHS clients in FY07/08 (1 Apr 07 - 31 Mar 08). This data is not part of the PES data that NCSS has requested you to track and monitor. Hence, we understand that it would be tedious for you to gather the information. We have requested MCYS to give a duration of 2 weeks for you to provide the information. We seek your assistance to provide the information as it would ultimately help to chart the future directions of Home Help Service.
A) Information Required
There are 2 areas:
1) Overview of the Consumption Pattern - How many clients are using 1/2/3/4/5 HHS service components
2) Breakdown of Consumption Patterns - Number of clients who are using the follow service combination(s)/ type:
Meals + Escort + Housekeeping
Meals + Escort
Meals + Housekeeping
Housekeeping + Escort
Meals only
Escort only
Housekeeping only
Personal Care Hygiene only
Laundry only
Impt: There should be NO duplication of client across the various categories.
Pls use the template below to submit the information:
B) Suggested Steps and Pointers
List out the clients the agency had served as at 1 Apr 2007, note down the service component(s) that they had utilised
Add in the new clients who joined the service and had activated the service(s) over the next 11 months (ie: May 07 - Mar 08). We are not looking at clients who had only been registered, they must have used the service in FY07/08.
Even if the client had only used a particular service once in the FY, pls count the person in
Pls include closed cases whom you have served during the FY
Here is a suggested template for those of you who may need one:
Fill up the template, put "1" under the service component(s) that had been utilised by individual client
Eg (1): To find out the number of clients who uses "meals + escort", click "1" on the drop-down arrow for "meals" and "escort", click "blank" for the rest of the services. You would then get the name of clients who use these 2 services, do an auto-sum on the number of clients.
Eg (2): To find out the number of clients who use 1/2/3/4/5 HHS service component(s), click "1/2/3/4/5" on the drop-down arrow for "Total no. of services"
We would require the information latest by Wednesday, 24 Sept 08.
Regards
TANG Peng Peng (Ms) | Service Management Manager | Eldercare Services
Service Management Division | National Council of Social Service
170 Ghim Moh Road #01-02 S 279621 · DID: 6210 2453 · Fax: 6462 4609 · www.ncss.org.sg
Dear Home Help Service Providers
As part of the Eldercare Masterplan Review conducted by Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), the Ministry is currently reviewing the Home Help Service (HHS).
MCYS has requested for data on the consumption patterns of HHS clients in FY07/08 (1 Apr 07 - 31 Mar 08). This data is not part of the PES data that NCSS has requested you to track and monitor. Hence, we understand that it would be tedious for you to gather the information. We have requested MCYS to give a duration of 2 weeks for you to provide the information. We seek your assistance to provide the information as it would ultimately help to chart the future directions of Home Help Service.
A) Information Required
There are 2 areas:
1) Overview of the Consumption Pattern - How many clients are using 1/2/3/4/5 HHS service components
2) Breakdown of Consumption Patterns - Number of clients who are using the follow service combination(s)/ type:
Meals + Escort + Housekeeping
Meals + Escort
Meals + Housekeeping
Housekeeping + Escort
Meals only
Escort only
Housekeeping only
Personal Care Hygiene only
Laundry only
Impt: There should be NO duplication of client across the various categories.
Pls use the template below to submit the information:
B) Suggested Steps and Pointers
List out the clients the agency had served as at 1 Apr 2007, note down the service component(s) that they had utilised
Add in the new clients who joined the service and had activated the service(s) over the next 11 months (ie: May 07 - Mar 08). We are not looking at clients who had only been registered, they must have used the service in FY07/08.
Even if the client had only used a particular service once in the FY, pls count the person in
Pls include closed cases whom you have served during the FY
Here is a suggested template for those of you who may need one:
Fill up the template, put "1" under the service component(s) that had been utilised by individual client
Eg (1): To find out the number of clients who uses "meals + escort", click "1" on the drop-down arrow for "meals" and "escort", click "blank" for the rest of the services. You would then get the name of clients who use these 2 services, do an auto-sum on the number of clients.
Eg (2): To find out the number of clients who use 1/2/3/4/5 HHS service component(s), click "1/2/3/4/5" on the drop-down arrow for "Total no. of services"
We would require the information latest by Wednesday, 24 Sept 08.
Regards
TANG Peng Peng (Ms) | Service Management Manager | Eldercare Services
Service Management Division | National Council of Social Service
170 Ghim Moh Road #01-02 S 279621 · DID: 6210 2453 · Fax: 6462 4609 · www.ncss.org.sg
oh what fun
So this morning Apple released yet more new iPod products: a blah iPod Nano that looks like a zune, brighter iPod shuffles, and a new uber-cool iPod Touch which is even thinner than its already very thin predecessor and comes with all the goodness of the apps store and even a built in Nike running sensor. My resolve not to buy the iPhone momentarily weakened and once again I was engulfed by all those alluring demons of desire. I think not even Plato would have withstood such temptations but I have since momentarily suppressed it with the demon of 'everyone who has an iphone 3G looks like they need one to look human'.
iTunes 8 also came out. Besides a layout which I think is improved, despite not having explored it much [note: everything Apple does is an improvement; everything Microsoft does is something they should have/could have did the first time round], the newest feature is the Genius feature. What the Genius does is you choose a song in your library, and the Genus creates a playlist of songs that are similar to the choosen song. Cool shit.
Apparently since I heard it on Prince Caspian, the song sung at the end [the calling by regina spektor] seems to have become popular. Geniusing that, better matches included 'Say it's possible' by Terra Naomi, 'When she loved me' by Sarah McLachlan and 'The Heart never lies' by McFly. Strangely, also included 'Hips don't lie' by Shakira, and really dubiously, 'We're going to ibiza'. Not cool.
I did Kit Chan's Home and I ended up with believable matches like 'To build a home', Kaira Gong's 'My Island Home' and very weirdly, my podcasts on homeostasis on the digestion & nutrition, circulation, respiration, the immune, and osmoregulation systems.
I tried Majulah Singapura [don't ask] next and I got interesting matches like the Darth Vader Imperial march, 'Beyond the wasteland' from Final Fantasy and very fittingly, 'The Plagues' from the Prince of Egypt. I like the new iTunes already.
iTunes 8 also came out. Besides a layout which I think is improved, despite not having explored it much [note: everything Apple does is an improvement; everything Microsoft does is something they should have/could have did the first time round], the newest feature is the Genius feature. What the Genius does is you choose a song in your library, and the Genus creates a playlist of songs that are similar to the choosen song. Cool shit.
Apparently since I heard it on Prince Caspian, the song sung at the end [the calling by regina spektor] seems to have become popular. Geniusing that, better matches included 'Say it's possible' by Terra Naomi, 'When she loved me' by Sarah McLachlan and 'The Heart never lies' by McFly. Strangely, also included 'Hips don't lie' by Shakira, and really dubiously, 'We're going to ibiza'. Not cool.
I did Kit Chan's Home and I ended up with believable matches like 'To build a home', Kaira Gong's 'My Island Home' and very weirdly, my podcasts on homeostasis on the digestion & nutrition, circulation, respiration, the immune, and osmoregulation systems.
I tried Majulah Singapura [don't ask] next and I got interesting matches like the Darth Vader Imperial march, 'Beyond the wasteland' from Final Fantasy and very fittingly, 'The Plagues' from the Prince of Egypt. I like the new iTunes already.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
chronicles of narnia: prince caspian
Yah, I know the dvd has already been released, but it's only on the SQ flight yesterday that I managed to catch The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian, or otherwise known as 'that darn lion saves the day again', which is supremely ironic given the premise of the whole show hinges on that darn lion refusing to save the day in the first place like he did in the first movie, or as he himself so succinctly puts it, twice in fact, that 'nothing ever happens twice'.
The movie is alot like Growing Pains meet The Lord of the Ring. Besides the requisite epic battles, which are rendered quite competently, although a tad too much in the flavour of the good guys, there's also the other requisite items: i.e.
Mean melee arrow using dude, usually lanky and feminish [i.e. Legolas]. Check.
Cute small little furry creature who's really deadly [Shrek 3]. Check.
Marauding treefolk [Ents]. Check.
A variation of Gandalf's 'You shalt not pass' scene. Check.
Rushing river slamming onto enemy troops. Check.
And the list goes on.
While the Lord of the Ring had the suicidal wisdom of Gandalf, the anguished valour of Aragon, the boorish chivalry of Gimli or the reluctant responsibility of Frodo as centre pieces, what we get in this movie is teenage angst, just as suicidal, or anguished or boorish or reluctant, but teenage angst nonetheless; rebellion immature adolescence deciding the fate of thousands and thousands amidst the intricacies of acne, identity confusion, crushes, sibling rivalry, and fatherly acceptance [from the lion].
The movie ends like your typical secondary school essay; like it's all a dream and everything's back to square one and nothing really happens, which is really crappy when used in the essays, but actually meaningful and believable coming at the end of the mindless slugfest.
In the end you realize the movie is about letting go: as tempting as integral as something is to you, it's not you and you have to let it go and stop doing silly silly things.
I have to let go too.
The movie is alot like Growing Pains meet The Lord of the Ring. Besides the requisite epic battles, which are rendered quite competently, although a tad too much in the flavour of the good guys, there's also the other requisite items: i.e.
Mean melee arrow using dude, usually lanky and feminish [i.e. Legolas]. Check.
Cute small little furry creature who's really deadly [Shrek 3]. Check.
Marauding treefolk [Ents]. Check.
A variation of Gandalf's 'You shalt not pass' scene. Check.
Rushing river slamming onto enemy troops. Check.
And the list goes on.
While the Lord of the Ring had the suicidal wisdom of Gandalf, the anguished valour of Aragon, the boorish chivalry of Gimli or the reluctant responsibility of Frodo as centre pieces, what we get in this movie is teenage angst, just as suicidal, or anguished or boorish or reluctant, but teenage angst nonetheless; rebellion immature adolescence deciding the fate of thousands and thousands amidst the intricacies of acne, identity confusion, crushes, sibling rivalry, and fatherly acceptance [from the lion].
The movie ends like your typical secondary school essay; like it's all a dream and everything's back to square one and nothing really happens, which is really crappy when used in the essays, but actually meaningful and believable coming at the end of the mindless slugfest.
In the end you realize the movie is about letting go: as tempting as integral as something is to you, it's not you and you have to let it go and stop doing silly silly things.
I have to let go too.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
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