[MyAppleMenu] Apr 26, 2010

applesurf at myapplemenu.com applesurf at myapplemenu.com
Mon Apr 26 18:59:00 EDT 2010

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple Allows A Cartoon App, And A Glimpse Of Free Speech <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/business/media/26app.html>
Brian Stelter, New York Times

Mark Fiore’s cartoon application is now available through the Apple App Store. But a group that represents cartoonists like him is now lobbying for the company to change its rules for humorous, politically charged apps.

**** The Case For A Mac App Store <http://mashable.com/2010/04/25/mac-app-store/>
Pete Cashmore, Mashable

Given the benefits to developers (more money!), consumers (more great Mac apps, easier access) and Apple (ka-ching!), how could there be a case against a Mac App Store?

**** Steve Jobs: Apple's One Man Social Media Machine <http://blog.louisgray.com/2010/04/steve-jobs-apples-one-man-social-media.html>
Louis Gray

**** Pirates Rewrite Script For Apple's China iPad Launch <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/25/AR2010042503697.html>
James Pomfret and Melanie Lee, Reuters

Just three weeks after the global launch, bootleg versions of Apple Inc's hot-selling iPad tablet PCs have begun showing up on the shelves of online and real-world shops in piracy-prone China.

**** Why Israel Lifted Its iPad Ban <http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/04/25/why-israel-lifted-its-ipad-ban/>
Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Shakespeare, Sex & Love By Stanley Wells <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/apr/24/shakespeare-sex-love-stanley-wells>
Simon Callow, The Guardian

If there is any one aspect of Shakespeare's work that singles him out from every other great writer, it is the astounding comprehensiveness of his treatment of love and sex. Not only do those great themes figure prominently in virtually every play he wrote, he explores, with detailed vividness, a range of sexual and amatory experience that leaves Masters and Johnson looking pretty skimpy. From the most exalted Petrarchan effusions to the basest bodily function, he covers the waterfront.

**** La Vita Nuova <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2010/05/03/100503fi_fiction_goodman>
Allegra Goodman, New Yorker

The day her fiancé left, Amanda went walking in the Colonial cemetery off Garden Street. The gravestones were so worn that she could hardly read them. They were melting away into the weedy grass. You are a very dark person, her fiancé had said.

**** Goat <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2010/05/03/100503po_poem_kinsella>
John Kinsella, New Yorker

**** The Lightkeeper <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2010/05/03/100503po_poem_forche>
Carolyn Forché, New Yorker

**** A Prelude <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2010/05/03/100503po_poem_wilbur>
Richard Wilbur, New Yorker



SingaporeSurf
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**** Enough Already, Mr Woon <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC100426-0000064/Enough-already,-Mr-Woon>
M Lukshumayeh, Today

Certain jobs should not be exposed to the gossip machinery; the job of Attorney-General of Singapore is clearly one such example.

**** More Statistics Please, HDB <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC100426-0000065/More-statistics-please,-HDB>
Thomas Sim Wai Tat, Today

Any student of statistics would tell you that a median value without a reported range is almost useless.

**** New Lost And Found Portal Hits A Glitch - It's Not Finders Keepers <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100426-0000028/New-lost-and-found-portal-hits-a-glitch---its-not-finders-keepers>
Leong Wee Keat, Today

Is it wrong to keep lost and found property? This issue surfaced recently after a new lost and found online portal, simply called Lost & Found, was set up by former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian earlier this month. Besides helping those report on lost and found items, the portal had intended to safe-keep lost items and charge a $25 fee for owners who recovered their property through it.

But the portal withdrew these statements after the police called Mr Tan on April 6 to enquire about his operating model, police spokesman Inspector Mohd Hamizyam told MediaCorp.

**** 'We Overreacted' <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100426-0000029/We-overreacted>
Ong Dai Lin, Today

Yes, we overreacted to the building of a dormitory for foreign workers in our estate, admitted more than half of the Serangoon Gardens residents interviewed by MediaCorp, but the issues raised were relevant and ultimately benefited the estate, they added.

**** Review Covers Only Bus Routes With Reliability Issues <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_519120.html>
Phua Hooi Boon, Ministry of Transport, Straits Times

When second minister for transport Lim Hwee Hua said there will be no new long-distance buses in future, she meant that no new ones will be introduced as an alternative to the hub-and-spoke model on which our public transport system is based.

As for existing long-distance bus routes, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will review only those that have known reliability issues and where there are sensible mid-points to break them, so that overall, more commuters will benefit.

**** Have TV Debates Before Election <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_519057.html>
Lee Seck Kay, Straits Times

Let's first dispatch a team to Britain to study how to organise such an event that could well turn out to be a watershed in our election history.

**** Marina Bay Sands Gets Casino Licence <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1052567/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

The Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore has issued a casino licence to Marina Bay Sands. In a brief statement on its website, the authority said the casino operator must ensure that it remains suitable to manage and operate a casino in accordance with Section 45 of the Casino Control Act.

**** Redundancy And Re-employment, 2009 <http://www.mom.gov.sg/home/Press_Release/Pages/20100426-RedundancyandRe-employment2009.aspx>
Ministry of Manpower, Singapore Government

As the economy emerged from the recession, redundancies fell from the record high in the first quarter of 2009 to pre-recession quarterly levels in the last quarter of the year. Despite an increase in 2009, the incidence of redundancy remained well below that in previous recession levels, reflecting the impact of the Resilience Package and concerted tripartite efforts in saving jobs. Re-employment improved after hitting a low in the middle of the year, though re-employment for the year was still lower than in 2008. These are the key findings from the "Redundancy and Re-employment, 2009" released by the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Manpower’s Research and Statistics Department.

**** This Is Nothing Short Of Shameful, Continued <http://callantham.org/blog/2010/4/26/this-is-nothing-short-of-shameful-continued.html>
Callan Tham, Trapper's Swamp

Another question that comes to mind is this: what would have happened had Anthony Mullen not written about this discriminatory flip-flop? Mullen felt an injustice was done when MOE rescinded their invitation, and his story caught our collective attention, amplifying MOE's errors. It is plausible that MOE would clear this up on their own, even without Mullen's post, or our collective shock- and anger-induced letters and posts directed at the ministry, but their inability to research a Colorado state Teacher of the Year winner and national Teacher of the Year finalist, or her ability to both teach hearing-impaired and "regular" children, makes this already implausible event more doubtful.

**** 两家IR吸引马泰游客来新 长巴入境日均200趟 <http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp100426_005.shtml>
王润, 联合早报

滨海湾金沙综合度假胜地明天开张营业后，每天将至少有200趟往返新加坡和马来西亚或泰国南部的豪华旅游巴士，运送外国游客来我国两家综合度假胜地观光消费，但这个市场的火热程度目前还难以估计。据本报向业者了解，这些快车公司当中，有约一半是在马国和新加坡两边都有注册的公司，他们因此也算是本地公司。而快车业者原则上只能跟其中一家综合度假胜地合作，不能“踏两船”。

**** Ionescu Still Has 'Immunity' <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_519328.html>
Teh Joo Lin, Straits Times

Romania sent Singapore a diplomatic note last Friday asserting that former charge d'affaires Silviu Ionescu continues to enjoy diplomatic immunity for the hit-and-run case of Dec 15. This is puzzling, said foreign minister George Yeo, as 'it seems to imply that Romania is now claiming that Dr Ionescu was engaged in official duties at the time of the accident and we do not understand how this can possibly be the case'.

See Also: Minister George Yeo's replies in Parliament, 26 April 2010 [http://app.mfa.gov.sg/2006/press/view_press_email.asp?post_id=5991], by Singapore Government.

**** Singapore Says Tighter Policy Appropriate For Rebound <http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-26/singapore-says-tighter-policy-appropriate-for-rebound-update1-.html>
Shiyin Chen, Bloomberg

Singapore’s tighter monetary policy is “appropriate” as the island’s economic recovery is becoming more entrenched, trade minister Lim Hng Kiang said today.

**** Proposed Changes To En Bloc Rules Tabled At Parliament <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1052623/1/.html>
Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia

The government has proposed several changes to provide more clarity to the en bloc sales process. A key revision that's been tabled will make it more difficult to restart an en bloc sale process after a failed attempt.

**** History Is Behind Singapore Becoming A Democracy: Stanford Don <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/3640-history-is-behind-singapore-becoming-a-democracy-stanford-don>
Singapore Democrat Party

It is a matter of when, not if, Singapore will become a democracy. This was the view of some of the speakers at a discussion that was held a couple of weeks ago at the Orchard Hotel. Dr Larry Diamond, a political science professor at Stanford University, made this point when he spoke at length about the political situation in Singapore. Malaysian opposition MP, Mr Tian Chua echoed this view, pointing out that Singapore could even democratise before Malaysia.

**** 700 Errant Cyclists Summoned <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_519343.html>
Straits Times

Eight in 10 of the 699 summonses issued to errant cyclists last year for cycling along footways of roads went to foreign cyclists. More than 95 per cent of these summonses have already been paid, said senior parliamentary secretary for education and home affairs Masagos Zulkifli in Parliament on Monday.

**** S'pore Will Not Renew One Water Agreement With M'sia Which Expires Next Year <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1052683/1/.html>
Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia

Singapore will not need to renew one water agreement with Malaysia which expires next year. That's because Singapore has ramped up with local water supply with new reservoirs, NEWater and desalinated water.

Environment and water resources minister Yaacob Ibrahim said Singapore will build a second desalination plant over the next few years to ensure reliability in water supply.

**** Aye To Constitution Changes <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_519442.html>
Jeremy Au Yong, Straits Times

Parliament on Monday passed laws ensuring at least 18 people not from the ruling party will enter Parliament after the next election.

The House voted 74 to one in favour of the amendments to the Constitution that would increase the maximum number of Non-Constituency MPs from six to nine and entrench the Nominated MP system.

**** Raffles Hotel's Status To Stay <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_519374.html>
Straits Times

Any makeover plans for Raffles Hotel, which is to be sold to a Qatar sovereign wealth fund, will have to take into account its status as a gazetted National Monument. Trade and industry minister Lim Hng Kiang gave this assurance in Parliament on Monday in a written reply to a question from West Coast GRC MP Ho Geok Choo, who had asked about the impact of the hotel sale on the tourism and hotel industry.

**** Rojak Stallholder To Face Charges <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_519352.html>
Maria Almenoar, Straits Times

The man at the centre of the Indian rojak food poisoning case will be charged in court on May 11, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Monday.

**** The Serangoon Gardens Worker Detention Facility <http://unraveling-singapore.blogspot.com/2010/04/serangoon-gardens-worker-detention.html>
Brad Farless, Unraveling Singapore

**** Overhaul Of Criminal Process <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_519372.html>
Straits Times

Sweeping changes - especially to allow the courts more flexibility in sentencing and to the ways the prosecution and defence exchange information - were introduced in a proposed Bill to change criminal procedures in Singapore.

One key amendment proposed in the Code, tabled in Parliament on Monday, is for a formalised structure to be put in place to allow the courts more diversity in sentencing, moving away from a 'one size fits all' scheme and towards a community-based sentencing regime.

**** Singapore: The Helix Bridge & Marina Bay Sands <http://mybearbrick.blogspot.com/2010/04/singapore-helix-bridge-marina-bay-sands.html>
William Tan, A Day In The LIfe Of Be at rbrick

**** Mini CIQ Talks At Last Stages <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/26/nation/6130362&sec=nation>
The Star

Discussions on the dedicated pedestrian mini Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex are nearing completion, said Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Samad.

**** Degree-Holders Easier To Get Retrenched. True? <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/04/degree-holders-easier-to-get-retrenched-true/>
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen




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