[MyAppleMenu] Dec 17, 2011

applesurf at myapplemenu.com applesurf at myapplemenu.com
Sat Dec 17 18:59:00 EST 2011

MyAppleMenu
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**** LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt Review <http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/reviews/?reviewid=3325615&olo=rss>
Neil Bennett, Digital Arts Online

Its price will keep it out of the reach of most users – though it’s well worth the cost if you can stretch to it – and while Thunderbolt can certainly deliver power, the Little Big Disk Thunderbolt SSD has to be plugged into the mains. Even so, its blistering performance alone makes it a winner.

**** Apple Temporarily Halts New iTunes Match Subscriptions In New International Markets <http://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/16/apple-temporarily-halts-new-itunes-match-subscriptions-in-new-international-markets/>
Eric Slivka, MacRumors

**** iTunes Match Subscriptions Halted In UK <http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/itunes-match-subscriptions-halted-in-uk-1048652?ns_campaign=t3-house-links&ns_mchannel=hl&ns_source=t3.com&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0>
Chris Smith, TechRadar



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Poets & Ampersands <http://www.pw.org/content/poets_ampersands>
Kevin Nance, Poets & Writers

Even so, for nearly a century, the ampersand has been a key feature of certain strands of American poetry. To understand the ampersand’s history in the genre, one must return to the character’s origins—which are somewhat obscure, in part because they date back to antiquity.

**** The Channeling Of The Novel <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/books/review/the-channeling-of-the-novel.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss>
Craig Fehrman, New York Times

Recently, however, authors have found themselves pursued less by Hollywood than by HBO.



SingaporeSurf
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**** Is MRT Incompetent More Live Threatening Than Terrorism? <http://uncleyap-news.blogspot.com/2011/12/is-mrt-incompetent-more-live.html>
News Release By Uncleyap

**** The SMRT Debacle <http://singaporerecalcitrant.blogspot.com/2011/12/smrt-debacle.html>
Singapore Recalcitrant

The press conference given by CEO Saw Phaik Hwa today can best be described as an exercise in futility. No amount of press conference will be able to compensate the commuters for their nightmarish and traumatic experience in the latest SMRT debacle.

**** Yahoo! News 1 The Straits Times 0 <http://newnation.sg/2011/12/yahoo-news-1-the-straits-times-0/>
New Nation

**** Marina Bay Perfect For M'sia League Matches? <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC111217-0000015/Marina-Bay-perfect-for-Msia-league-matches?>
Lim Wee Teck, Today

**** Channel Fines To Passengers <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC111217-0000055/Channel-fines-to-passengers>
Yeo Shuan Chee, Today

But fining transport providers does not give redress to paying passengers whereas LTA would consider it a reprimand and job done.

**** Review Of Entire Transport Model Needed <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC111217-0000058/Review-of-entire-transport-model-needed>
Adrian Bek Yongguang, Today

With two transport providers, would either have the necessary spare capacity should there be a major service disruption?

Is Singapore's transport model too dependent on two providers? Should there not be more public bus operators to compete with the incumbents, to create a more price-competitive climate?

**** Commuters Need A Plan, Not Words <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC111217-0000029/Commuters-need-a-plan,-not-words>
Richard Hartung, Today

In a place renowned for its reliable infrastructure and long-term planning, the city's image may take a hit in the eyes of residents and visitors alike, if a fundamental service in the centre of town cannot deliver commuters from their office to home. Indeed, many of the more than 600 (as of yesterday afternoon) mostly-negative comments on Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew's Facebook posting about the incident mention the need to do far better.

Whether the response this time is a blue-ribbon panel of international experts to resolve the problem or more than a verbal apology or something else, commuters and businesses may expect fast, thorough and far-reaching action to restore confidence that public transport will actually get them where they want to go.

**** Investigating SMRT And Beyond <http://blogging4myself.blogspot.com/2011/12/investigating-smrt-and-beyond.html>
Blogging For Myself

**** Public Confidence Shaken <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_745791.html>
Prakash Menon, Straits Times

There is an urgent need to increase bus frequencies. There should also be enough buses to ferry stranded passengers between MRT stations in case of a train line breakdown.

**** SMRT Should Have Copied M1's Blanket Outreach In Emergencies <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_745736.html>
Tung Kang Wei, Straits Times

Perhaps SMRT should do what M1 did the last time it had a service disruption on May 18 even though not all subscribers were affected: It offered all its prepaid and post-paid subscribers local calls, SMS and MMS on the M1 network for free on May 25.

**** Consider Alternative Penalty <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_745740.html>
Edward Ngui, Straits Times

Thousands of commuters were exposed to an unprecedented trauma, and a fine can be recovered via a fare hike which means the consumer ends up paying the fine.

**** MRT Services Disrupted On North-South Line <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_745993.html>
Straits Times

MRT services between Marina Bay and Newton MRT stations have been disrupted on Saturday morning, two days after the worst breakdown in 24 years.

**** It Was Not A Crisis, Or Need Not Be <http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2011/12/it-was-not-crisis-or-need-not-be.html>
Chua Chin Leng, My Singapore News

**** MRT Breaks Down Again <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1171888/1/.html>
S Ramesh & Alvina Soh, Channel NewsAsia

Train services between Ang Mo Kio and Marina Bay stations have been disrupted, in the third service breakdown this week for Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT).

One caller, Jeannie said that at about 6.50 am, she and other passengers who were in a train near City Hall MRT were asked to evacuate the train and had to walk along the tunnel after "the doors got stuck".

**** 发生故障供电轨 事发前四天刚检查 <http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp111217_007.shtml>
李静仪 吴淑贤 司徒晓昕 黄伟曼 胡洁梅, 联合早报

SMRT列车服务执行副总裁丘宪祥昨午在记者会上驳斥了这个说法。他强调，SMRT在不断增加列车班次的同时，也加紧保修和检查，增加列车的维修次数，确保所有零件操作正常，不会因为日夜“加班”而出现磨损。

**** 国大副教授李德纮博士：新捷运若伸援手 人潮或更早疏散 <http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp111217_012.shtml>
司徒晓昕, 联合早报

新加坡国立大学土木工程系副教授李德纮博士受询时说，事故发生后，巴士需求激增，在这种情况下，拥有更多巴士的新捷运若愿意伸出援手，在受影响地区派出更多巴士，人潮很可能就会更早疏散。

他以本身的经历说明这一点。他说，他曾在地铁站向服务员问路，结果服务人员指引他乘坐路线较长的巴士。过了不久，他发现新捷运原来有另一条路线巴士，能更快地让他到达目的地。他说，不管是刻意瞒护，或是业者之间对彼此的服务不够认识，在特殊情况产生时，公共交通业者不应抱持自扫门前雪的态度。

**** SMRT: Another “Commuters Can Choose” Comment <http://atans1.wordpress.com/2011/12/17/smrt-another-commuters-can-choose-comment/>
Thoughts Of A Cynical Investor

Commuters should not be told that they must suffocate to death or suffer in the dark stale air, rather than damage SMRT property, if the back-up system fails to work. The head of corporate communications should know better what to communicate.

**** One A Short Of Being SMART <http://www.chillycraps.com/2011/12/one-short-of-being-smart.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+chillyfeed+%28department+of+crappy+engineering%29>
Department Of Crappy Engineering

When you talk about fare increment you don't even blink an eye. Now something goes wrong and you just say sorry?

**** MRT Breakdown: Instant Tweets, Posts Play Key Role <http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-3/Story/STIStory_745973.html>
Ng Kai Ling & Poon Chian Hui, Straits Times

Speed of news spread by commuters online a contrast to SMRT's 'silence'.

**** MRT Breakdown: SMRT Says No Need To Hire More Staff <http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-3/Story/STIStory_745974.html>
Straits Times

SMRT executive vice-president for trains Khoo Hean Siang said manpower was not lacking in rectifying the fault.

'So our response is very fast. However, the process of really clearing - having safety not being compromised - that really takes a lot of time,' Mr Khoo said.

**** MRT Breakdown: Emergency Power Should Have Kicked In <http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-3/Story/STIStory_745976.html>
Straits Times

When a train loses its power and stops on the tracks, an emergency power system should kick in, said SMRT.

But commuters stuck in trains during Thursday's train breakdown complained of having trouble breathing due to poor ventilation; some said they were waiting in unlit carriages.

**** MRT Breakdown: Man Who Smashed Window 'A Hero' <http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-3/Story/STIStory_745971.html>
Shuli Sudderuddin, Straits Times

Chinese evening paper Shin Min Daily News identified the man as a 31-year-old insurance agent who declined to give his name. It is believed that he broke the window as his wife was ill and had difficulty breathing.

He was quoted as saying that helping people, not defacing property, was the first thing on his mind.

**** Minister Lui: SMRT "Quicker Off The Mark" This Time <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC111217-0000077/Minister-Lui--SMRT-quicker-off-the-mark-this-time>
Lin Yanqin And Yu Pei Fern, Today

Speaking to reporters before he left Newton on a bridging bus, Mr Lui said that while he could not make a comparison to Thursday, SMRT appeared to be giving more timely information to commuters and they were also "quicker off the mark" this time.

**** Breakdowns And Breaking Points <http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/12/17/breakdowns-and-breaking-points/>
Alex Au, Yawning Bread

This tells us something else about our overall transport system: there is insufficient redundancy. A healthy system needs enough slack to cope with emergencies. It’s the same with hospitals, with the fire brigade, as with transport. The price of running things at close to 100% utilisation in the interest of efficiency and profit maximisation is a reduced ability to cope with unexpected events such as breakdowns, and thus greater costs.

**** MRT System Has Some "Instability", Says Transport Minister <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1171902/1/.html>
Sara Grosse, Channel NewsAsia

Mr Lui, who was at several stations on Saturday morning, told reporters at Newton station that he is still talking to engineers to get an assessment of how extensive the problem is. He again stressed that SMRT will need to do "complete health checks" of all the trains and make sure that this won't happen again.

But he can't tell how long this will take.

**** That Smashed Train Door Window… <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/12/that-smashed-train-door-window/>
Joshua Chiang, The Online Citizen

And in doing so, SMRT has squandered an opportunity to look good in the PR department. It could have commended the unconventional actions of the commuter and rewarded him for his public-spiritedness, but instead, while it is smart enough not to penalize him, its statement nonetheless comes across as a mild admonishment, as if he has broken some ‘protocol’.

In fact, this stickler for protocol is probably SMRT’s greatest failings. How else can one explain its apparent readiness in cases of terrorist attacks, while being caught with its pants down in a situation of much lesser severity, except than there are procedures in place for the former and none for the latter?

**** TOC Will Ask For A Reversal Of 1 Per Cent Fare Increase Made In Aug 2011... <https://www.facebook.com/theonlinecitizen/posts/10150531108306383>
The Online Citizen, Facebook

TOC will ask for a reversal of 1 per cent fare increase made in Aug 2011, freeze in fare increases in the future until Quality of Service standards improve and to tie all future fare increases to Quality of Service standards.

**** North-South Line Service Resumes After 7-hour Disruption <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1171914/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

Train services on the entire North-south Line resumed at 1.48 pm on Saturday, about seven hours after they were disrupted due to a possible fault with the power rail system.

**** Singapore Train Breakdowns Douse Christmas Cheer <http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/17/singapore-smrt-idUSL3E7NH03J20111217>
Charmian Kok And Kevin Lim, Reuters

Singapore, which prides itself on efficiency, was hit by its third train breakdown in a week on Saturday, frustrating the public on one of the biggest shopping days of the year and adding to calls for a review of its public transport system.

**** NS-EW MRT Lines To Start 10am On Sunday <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1171930/1/.html>
Channel Newsasia

MRT service on Sunday for the North-South and East-West lines will start later - at 10am instead of 5.30am - after checks have been completed on all trains and tracks.

**** No Go <http://singaporelifetimes.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-go.html?m=1>
Singapore Life And Times

**** Public Inquiry To Look Into MRT Disruptions: PM Lee <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1171941/1/.html>
Saifulbahri Ismail, Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia

Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong has ordered a public inquiry, after trains on the North-South Line broke down on Saturday morning - the third MRT disruption in four days.

There are no details of the committee yet, but Mr Lee said it will comprise some members of the independent team of experts being tasked by Mr Lui Tuck Yew to look into Thursday's incident.

**** Public Shy Away From MRT After Disruptions <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1171953/1/.html>
Alvina Soh, Channel NewsAsia

At about 4pm on Saturday, Dhoby Ghaut area was spotted with long taxi queues and packed bus stops.

A commuter said: "Not today, with all the disruptions."

**** SMRT Needs A Technocrat To Head Its Operations <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/12/smrt-needs-a-technocrat-to-head-its-operations/>
Kumaran Pillai, The Online Citizen

While there are many people who call for the resignation of the CEO, the underlying reason should be to bring in a new head that will have a critical focus in ensuring that our transport network meets our basic transport needs. What SMRT needs now is a technocratic CEO with excellent operational experience to overcome the current crises.

Unfortunately, wayang and getting a team of experts may be just too late to deal with the breakdowns. What is need now is a swift and steadfast action.

**** SMRT Admits To Poor Communication During Crisis <http://news.insing.com/tabloid/smrt-admits-to-poor-communication-during-crisis/id-69213f00>
InSing

On whether SMRT will compensate commuters who had to take taxis as a result of the train breakdowns, CEO Saw Phaik Hwa answered that refunds would be based on train fares incurred.

She goes on to point out that "We also had free bridging bus services", referring to the shuttle services that many commuters complained were simply too packed to board and too slow to arrive.

**** 'SMRT Clueless In This New Media Age' <http://sg.news.yahoo.com/-smrt-clueless-in-this-new-media-age-.html>
Jeffrey Oon, Yahoo!

Just what the hell is going on? That’s what people want to know.

**** Clamour Grows For SMRT CEO To Step Down <http://sg.news.yahoo.com/clamour-grows-for-smrt-ceo-to-step-down.html>
Elena Torrijos, Yahoo!

Petitions for her ouster circulated online and members of the public posted comments on social media sites and Yahoo! calling on her to resign.

**** Taiwan-Singapore Relations Near Freezing Point: Taiwan Paper <http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=1790280>
Taiwan News

The Chinese-language United Evening News said the damage to the relationship was caused by the unspecified behavior of Taiwanese diplomats in the Southeast Asian nation. The paper was unable to find out who did what to cause the breakdown, and diplomats in both countries were unwilling to discuss the matter, though sources said it was “the situation was very grave.”

One of the rumors quoted by the paper was that a diplomat sang Taiwan’s national anthem at a public event.




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