Banned from driving. Banged old lady.

Banned from driving. Banged old lady. That was exactly what our hero, Charles Lee Cheow Loong, 30, did on 16 Nov last year. This model citizen was under an 18-month driving ban then but he blatantly disregarded the verdict. It would have been no "big" thing if nothing happened beyond having an additional driver on the road. But unfortunately for him and the poor old lady, something did happen. At about 6.40 am that day, he hit Mdm Pang Hong Koon, 79, along Eu Tong Sen Street. What followed was a classic hit-and-run accident. He hit then he ran and it didn't bother him a whit if his victim might have lived if he had called for an ambulance. I am guessing the most important thought that went through his mind then was if he would be caught. I can certainly understand the turmoil that might have been roiling in him but ultimately, he made the wrong decision. He chose to sacrifice a life just so he can get away. Temporarily. Justice has a long reach. The one laughable thing about this whole affair was that he left his front license plate around. This was also the clue that led to his arrest. The case has been adjourned to 23 Nov but he has already admitted to five charges - speeding and killing Mdm Pang, driving under disqualification, failing to render assistance, removing his vehicle without lawful authority and driving without insurance coverage. Now take a look at his photo. I don't know when this photo was taken but he did not look the least bit remorseful. He just looked more embarrassed than anything. Something along the line of "Oh well, no big deal. Tomorrow, I'll try harder - if I knock down someone, I will just make sure I take my car plate along". Even if Charles gets his just desserts, Mdm Pang is already gone. How can someone feel no guilt after killing someone who has done him no wrong? Sentencing him only soothes the living - most of whom have no stake whatsoever in this case. I think it is important that we try to prevent such accidents from happening again. But is it even possible? If such accidents are prevented from ever occurring again, our world will indeed become Utopia. LMAO. You can read the original report from Straits Times here. Alternatively, see here.

Let's have SEX

SEX. Did I just use that 3-letter word? MORE SEX. Ok, guess I really did use that 3-letter word. I was reading this article by the Daily Mail titled "Sex for the motherland: Russian youths encouraged to procreate at camp". Well, that's quite a mouth full admittedly and I had to prevent my jaws from dropping (figuratively) when I came across it. This article which I have mirrored here called to my mind a scene of mass orgy where young lads and ladies couple together in unbridled lust. For some people at some places, having the chance to participate in such an event might be a saliva-dripping opportunity. Yet I am not quite sure if this is the participants' idea of "fun sex". After all, this camp takes place in Russia and under the supervision of the Russian government. We (non-Russians) all have our own idea of what kind of place Russia is. I for one would not count her as one of the countries I like to stay and live in. I have my own whining about Singapore, yes, but I still would not want to make a swop and live there instead. No way! :P In Singapore, the government has an official stand that encourages procreation too. But we have not yet had a similar camp like Russia's. The unimaginative me just cannot imagine our government shepherding teens just out of puberty to a mass camp and asking them to surrender the condoms they are secreting and just have wanton sex. Of course, I am exaggerating a bit here for I doubt the affairs at this Russian camp were taken to such a primal extent. Yet the message was clear. As the organizers at the youth camp's mass wedding put it, "Remember the mammoths, they became extinct because they did not have enough sex. That must not happen to Russia". Remember to check out the full article here. Safe sex journey. :D

Library@orchard closing by Nov 2007

Nov 2007 will see library@orchard shutting its doors at Ngee Ann City forever. I read this news with a mixture of sadness, anger, and amusement. Sadness because I have always enjoyed the convenience and accessibility of this well-stocked branch. Anger because a small voice in me cries out "How can they do this without asking me?!!" Amusement because a small part of me thinks NLB is just getting its just desserts. You see, I have had occasions to liaise with NLB regarding renting of rooms and let's just say that they drive hard bargains. I am just guessing that they are not renewing their lease at Ngee Ann City because the rental price has gone up. Of course, I might be totally off the mark. :P Before I go on, can somebody tell me how I am going to survive without a library at Orchard for 3 years? According to this article which I have mirrored here , "Dr N Varaprasad, Chief Executive of National Library Board said, 'We are very excited about our move to the two new possible locations, which will help us to meet the evolving and diverse needs of the youths and instil a stronger sense of learning culture amongst them.'" Well, he is excited but I am not. In my opinion, the location at Ngee Ann City far surpasses the others. For anyone going to town by train, he just need to drop off at Orchard MRT station then walk a short distance to the library. On his way, he can even check out Kinokuniya Book Store that is just below. Plus the fact that Borders, and even Popular, is just nearby, this makes Orchard a vibrant center for books and reading. But of course, now this situation will change and definitely, we are all very excited about the move. Mooch.

University of New South Wales closing its Singapore campus

It hit the headline of Straits Times today that the University of New South Wales (UNSW) is closing down its Singapore campus. Given that it has barely started operating (just a few months thus far), it came as a shock to both students and staff. Some were crying, some were crying - the only common denominator is that no one was happy. I do not know what caused this decision though it is likely that the change of leadership at the helm triggered it. No matter what the reason is, I feel that this does not only make a dent in Singapore's reputation - even more so, it reflects badly on UNSW. After all, they are the ultimate decision maker who had committed to this project. No one pointed a pistol at them to force them to sign above the dotted line. Lecturers were assigned here and a whole new building is being built. I have one word to describe UNSW - IRRESPONSIBLE. The new leadership claims that they have already pumped in millions of dollars and it makes no sense to continue escalating this loss. They slapped themselves and did a U-turn just because they have only achieved half their targeted figure for enrollment. Isn't this still too early to tell? I want to think that it was not some 2 min decision when the former leadership gave the go-ahead for the Singapore campus. So now the ship got a new steering wheel and acted immediately to capsize the boat. I do hope that this is not some personal vendetta against Singapore. We are really quite a nice and friendly country. Treat us right and you will enjoy our friendship. We are not some free and easy travel package that you can put together and dismantle any old how. Take care UNSW, so when are you closing down your Australian campus? Stay cool. ;-) Related link: Students shocked by UNSW Singapore campus closure

Google buys DoubleClick for 3.1 billion dollars

Is it just me, or are you one of those whose eyes are popping out? OMG, 3.1 BILLION DOLLARS!!! Yes I know Google is rich. Yes I know Google has too much money. Yes I know 3.1 billion is more like peanuts to Google... but still, 3.1 BILLION DOLLARS!!! :P Google's previous investment in Youtube is still a big question mark. It is still not clear if that investment will pay off. And now, Google has gobbled up DoubleClick. What exactly is DoubleClick? Basically, "DoubleClick enables agencies, marketers and publishers to work together successfully and profit from their digital marketing investments. Its focus on innovation, reliability and insight enables clients to improve productivity and results.Since 1996, DoubleClick has empowered the original thinkers and leaders in the digital advertising industry to deliver on the promise of the rich possibilities of our medium. Today, the company’s DART and Performics divisions power the online advertising marketplace. Tomorrow, we will continue to enable clients to profit from opportunities across all digital advertising channels as consumers worldwide embrace them." Well, to cut the long story short, it is another advertising heavyweight to add to Google's already impressive arsenal. I guess Google must have analyzed it and found it worth the price. But, 3.1 BILLION DOLLARS!!!