[MyAppleMenu] May 17, 2009

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** iPhone Music Goes Viral At Volt Festival Sweden June 6 <http://cultofmac.com/iphone-music-goes-viral-at-volt-festival-sweden-june-6/10855>
by Lonnie Lazar, Cult Of Mac

**** Caution Urged After iPod Nano Sparks <http://search.japantimes.co.jp/rss/nn20090517b1.html>
by Kyodo News

The government has reported another case of an iPod Nano overheating and urged people who use the portable music players to be cautious.

**** The Music Store Apple Forgot About <http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/16/the-music-store-apple-forgot-about/>
by Jason Kincaid, TechCrunch

Aside from releasing more artist lessons, Apple would do well to release a tool that let independent artists and teachers build lessons on the GarageBand platform.

**** Apple To Great Recession: 'What, Me Worry?' <http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=4E282008-1A64-67EA-E401E572F9C5A886>
by Dan Turner, Computerworld

That's good design. And good design sells, even in a recession.

**** iPhone's Success: First As A Browser, Then Apps <http://seekingalpha.com/article/138077-iphone-s-success-first-as-a-browser-then-apps>
by Joel West, Seeking Alpha



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Touched By Evil <http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200906/flannery-o-connor>
by Joseph O'Neill, The Atlantic

The real spiritual drama in Flannery O’Connor’s fiction was even darker than the one she acknowledged.

**** Can I Has Money? <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/08/AR2009050802432.html?wprss=rss_print/washpostmagazine>
by Gene Weingarten, Washington Post

I am the author of 56 books. Unfortunately, I've only been paid for three of them.

**** Steal This Book (For $9.99) <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/weekinreview/17rich.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss>
by Motoko Rich, New York Times

It was a chilling sentiment for authors and publishers, who have grown used to an average cover price of $26 for a new hardcover. Now, in the evolving Kindle world, $9.99 is becoming the familiar price. But is that justified just because paper has been removed from the equation?

**** Roman France <http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/travel/17romfrance.html>
by Elanie Sciolino, New York Times

Over the years, I have discovered traces of Roman civilization throughout the country, from Arras in the north to Dijon in the center and Fréjus in the south. My hunt for Roman Gaul has turned up treasures in the oddest places, including the middle of wheat fields, the foundations of churches and the basements of dusty provincial museums.



SingaporeSurf
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**** Wong's Last Word <http://groundnotes.wordpress.com/2009/05/16/wongs-last-word/>
by Groundnotes

Isn’t the Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) scheme an institutionalized process of procedural lobbying? Furthermore, Thio Su Mien and her lot have shown that lobbying has worked. Wong may be strong in his anti-lobbying rhetoric but the reality shows that not only does it take place but, more encouragingly, it also produces results!

**** Gay Community Assembles At Hong Lim Park <http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/2377-gay-community-assembles-at-hong-lim-park>
by Singapore Democrats

**** More Than A Thousand Turn Up To Support Pink Dot <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/hundreds-turn-up-to-support-gay-event/>
by The Online Citizen

**** MPs Must Always Care <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Singapore/Story/STIStory_377655.html>
by Straits Times

Members of Parliament, like doctors, must not only try to cure - but must always care, prime minister Lee Hsien Loong exhorted them on Saturday night.

**** Bill Shock <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Singapore/Story/STIStory_377796.html>
by Tham Yuen-C, Straits Times

Today's smartphones can make you feel dumb if you are not that tech-savvy. Your next bill from the telco can spring a surprise.

**** In A Culture Of Secrecy, No Courage Is Required <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/in-a-culture-of-secrecy-no-courage-is-required/>
by Ravi Philemon, The Online Citizen

You need no courage to cut the losses when the funds invested were not yours in the first place.

**** Government Takes Long-Term View <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Singapore/Story/STIStory_377986.html>
by Mavis TOh, Straits Times

The government takes an overall and long-term view when it comes to investments such as those made by state-owned investment vehicle Temasek Holdings, said Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Saturday night.

'We track, engage and evaluate the performance. But we don't just look at six months or one year,' he said. And over the last five years, Temasek has not underperformed but has instead 'come out significantly ahead' of other major investors.

If the performance of Temasek in the next 5 years is horrible, will we then be able to claim back all the bonuses paid out these past few years?

**** Tripartite Partners Issue Updated Guidelines On Managing Excess Manpower <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/429867/1/.html>
by Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia

**** Singaporeans Enticed To Get Married Via Facebook Race <http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-39674820090517>
by Reuters

Singapore rewarded 10 young dating couples on Saturday for being the most popular "Beautifully Imperfect" pairs online, the latest bid by the city-state to get its citizens married at a younger age.

But the government-sponsored campaign made a last-minute change to the prizes, awarding a S$400 ($270) cash voucher for each winning unmarried couple instead of a stay at a beach resort suite -- a gesture to avoid accusations it was promoting pre-marital sex.

**** 星州版海南鸡饭 <http://news.dayoo.com/guangzhou/200905/17/63892_6125067.htm>
by 钟洁玲, 南方报

在海南岛、广州著名的海南餐厅,我不知有海南鸡饭,åªè¯†æ–‡æ˜Œé¸¡ã€‚åˆ°æ–°åŠ å¡,才知道海南鸡饭俨然成了这里的国菜。

**** Singaporeans Don Pink To Support Gay Rights <http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jvEBz43xqREwBiDWU92G5KC4-01A>
by AFP

At least 500 Singaporeans wearing pink clothing gathered Saturday to show their support for gay rights on the eve of the International Day Against Homophobia.

**** The Best Guide For Gitmo? Look To Singapore. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/15/AR2009051502237.html>
by William J. Dobson, Washington Post

Singapore's strict law-and-order government, which famously enforced a ban on chewing gum, may seem an unlikely candidate for believing terrorists could be reformed. But Singapore -- often referred to as "the little red dot" in Southeast Asia's Islamic sea -- is in a precarious position, and its government felt compelled to take action that would not only disrupt the terrorist group's operations, but also counter its ideological appeal. "We are what we are out of necessity," says Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo. "[Islamic extremism] is a long-term problem, and it's not going to go away in our lifetime. The only way you can combat it is to have an immune system."

**** PRC Netizens Lambast Singapore For Being Anti-Chinese Over Lee Bee Wah's Latest Faux Paus <http://wayangparty.com/?p=9404>
by The Wayang Party Club

**** Keep Kum Hong <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/toc-editorial-keep-kum-hong/>
by Choo Zheng Xi, The Online Citizen

If the government were to deny Mr Siew a second term, it would be Parliament and the country’s loss. There are few people in Parliament who need their position less than the position needs them. Mr Siew is such a person.

**** Operation Spectrum - 22 Years Later <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/operation-spectrum-22-years-later/>
by The Online Citizen

**** Table Tennis Coach Liu Expresses Anger With STTA <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/429897/1/.html>
by Low Lin Fhoong, Today

Both parties met for a second discussion on Saturday night, but this time, Liu emerged from it flustered and angry.

**** The Public Deserves A Better Explanation For The Merrill Lynch Fiasco <http://kwayteowman.blogspot.com/2009/05/public-deserves-better-explanation-for.html>
by The Kway Teow Man

Let's appeal to common sense here: any company and/or institution that chalks up a multi-billion-dollar loss over one deal within the short span of one year jolly well explain what happened. 

**** Licensing Officer Finally Admits Permits Won't Be Given For Political Events <http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/component/content/article/2379-licensing-officer-finally-admits-permits-wont-be-given-for-political-events->
by Singapore Democrats

It is spurious to charge citizens for not having a permit to conduct a protest when no such permit will be granted. This is basic common sense.

More than common sense, however, the law is very clear on such a matter. A policy to ban all outdoor political events is ultra vires (in excess of) the Constitution and should be void.