Sep 29, 2009

This article was buried in the Arts section of Saturday’s NYT - and unjustly so, because the writer has stumbled on yet another bubble being pumped up by Chinese money. Last year it was stocks. The year before that it was 100-year-old fermented tea leaves. This year it’s Chinese antiquities of dubious provenance (emphasis added): If you wonder how good the mood really is in China, forget the annual growth rate, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the rest.

Sep 16, 2009

mysql> delete from mt_comment where comment_author like ‘%viagra%’; Query OK, 1272 rows affected (1.04 sec) mysql> delete from mt_comment where comment_author like ‘%adipex%’; Query OK, 1113 rows affected (0.48 sec) mysql> delete from mt_comment where comment_author like ‘%soma%’; Query OK, 397 rows affected (0.19 sec) mysql> delete from mt_comment where comment_author like ‘%valium%’; Query OK, 106 rows affected (0.07 sec) mysql> delete from mt_comment where comment_author like ‘%xanax%’; Query OK, 190 rows affected (0.

Sep 8, 2009

There’s a new service sheriff in town, sez Pravda. BOUQUETS or brickbats about service standards can now be aired on a new blog dedicated to how Singaporeans are being served - or not. The website, www.areyoubeingserved.com.sg , is where 10 undercover service professionals will blog about service standards in the establishments they patronise. The blog will also be where online users can share their experiences, review the service they have been given or discuss service in general.

May 31, 2009

JRE has had harsh words for the Straits Times in many, many blog posts over the last two years, for all sorts of different reasons. When they do something right, then, it’s only fair to shout it from the rooftops and give Singapore’s media the praise it deserves. So it warmed my heart to open Saturday’s ST and read, spread across pages 2 and 3, the editor of the ST staunchly defending his paper’s reporting of the hijacking - and subsequent retaking - of AWARE, a Singaporean womens’ rights organisation.

May 29, 2009

My lease comes up in two weeks, so I’m hunting for an apartment. This is never fun - but in Singapore, it’s even less fun than in other parts of the world. In most countries, you look on the web, find a listing, and call up the selling agent. Easy. In Singapore, it’s different. Here’s a sample conversation. “Hi, I saw your listing for a 2-bedroom apartment in the Luxolicious condo building at one thousand dollars a month.