[MyAppleMenu] May 9, 2011

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Opinion: Magic Mouse Vs. Magic Trackpad <http://www.macworld.com/article/159694/2011/05/magic_trackpad_magic_mouse_fight.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Dan Moren And Lex Friedman, Macworld

**** Thunderbolt In Current And Future Laptops <http://www.marco.org/2011/05/08/thunderbolt>
Marco Arment

So the next MacBook Air, presumably with both Thunderbolt and much faster CPUs, is going to be significantly more awesome. And that’s saying a lot, because the current Air is pretty great. And I can’t wait to see what happens to the 15” line next.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** The Intimate Orwell <http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/may/26/intimate-orwell/?pagination=false>
Simon Leys, New York Review Of Books

The intimate Orwell? For an article dealing with a volume of his diaries and a selection of his letters, at first such a title seemed appropriate; yet it could also be misleading inasmuch as it might suggest an artificial distinction—or even an opposition—between Eric Blair, the private man, and George Orwell, the published writer. The former, it is true, was a naturally reserved, reticent, even awkward person, whereas Orwell, with pen (or gun) in hand, was a bold fighter. In fact—and this becomes even more evident after reading these two volumes—Blair’s personal life and Orwell’s public activity both reflected one powerfully single-minded personality. Blair-Orwell was made of one piece: a recurrent theme in the testimonies of all those who knew him at close range was his “terrible simplicity.” He had the “innocence of a savage.”



SingaporeSurf
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**** Tin Pei Ling's Cooling-off Day 'Comment': Pursue Or Not? <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1127576/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

National Solidarity Party's (NSP) Nicole Seah told reporters on Sunday that the party has not made a decision on whether to further pursue a potential violation by the People's Action Party's (PAP) Tin Pei Ling, on Cooling-off Day.

Commenting on whether NSP would pursue the matter, Ms Seah said: "From my knowledge, we went through the actual process (of filing a complaint) and we did not get any results out of it -- no conclusion, no progress, so I think we do recognise it is an uphill battle to get any results out of this. And we are being very realistic here, so that's why I say I would rather devote my time and resources to the residents".

**** Counting Agent Me <http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/counting-agent-me/>
Au Waipang, Yawning Bread

I shall take this opportunity to describe what happens at a counting centre, based on my first-hand experience.

**** Why They Made A Difficult Choice <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC110509-0000538/Why-they-made-a-difficult-choice>
Christopher Toh, Today

A common source of unhappiness that surfaced unprompted among those interviewed was Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's comment that if Aljunied residents voted for the WP, they had five years to "live and repent". "People were already feeling like PAP was arrogant and wasn't listening, and the comment seemed to confirm our feelings," said Ms Fiona Goh, 42, who works in manufacturing. 

Some were also dissatisfied with their personal brushes with their respective Members of Parliament (MPs). Ms Goh, said her encounter with Mrs Lim Hwee Hua during a dialogue session about the controversial foreign workers' dormitory being built at Serangoon Gardens had left her feeling that her views had not been heard.  According to media reports, Mrs Lim pulled in the lowest share of votes from her Serangoon division, followed by Madam Cynthia Phua from her Paya Lebar division.

**** Asset Values Are Not Everything <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC110509-0000511/Asset-values-are-not-everything>
Teo Chin Ghee Jeremy, Today

Indeed, the people who do benefit from rapidly rising property values are non-owner occupiers who do not need to buy an equivalent place to live in Singapore - emigrants, property developers and investors. 

Unless incomes increase at the same pace as property prices, Singaporeans will spend increasing proportions of their incomes on a place to live, leaving correspondingly less disposable income for other areas.

**** What This Election Could Mean For The GRC And Political System <http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=6801>
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net

Breaking the GRC gridlock is in the best interests of Singapore because this is the first step toward restoring health and good governance in our political system. Two ministers have been lost, but their future is still bright.

The future of Singapore will be even brighter if the opposition works even harder than before to solidify its footing and grow in strength.

**** A Nation With Rotten Teeth <http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=6797>
Wong Wee Nam, Sgpolitics.net

What we need as Dr Vincent Wijeysingha had eloquently put it is for “the soul of nation, silenced these many years, will once again find its voice.” We hope the next government will keep this in mind.

**** Vote Forces Singapore’s Leader To Reconsider Style <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/09/world/asia/09singapore.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>
Seth Mydans, New York Times

The results from the election on Saturday raised the possibility of a more active, if still tiny, opposition and of greater give-and-take over issues that have traditionally been decided by a closed inner core of the governing party.

The party’s popular vote, 60 percent, represented a steep decline from the previous two elections, down from 67 percent in 2006 and 75 percent in 2001.

**** The Fall Of Potong Pasir – A Resident’s Account <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/05/the-fall-of-potong-pasir-a-residents-account/>
Emir Shafri, The Online Citizen

It was as if, we decided to throw away all our values, our rebellious spirit, embodied in our kind of town, for mere carrots given by some guy that looks like an evil insurance agent.

**** Post-GE 2011, And The Fire Within <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/05/post-ge-2011-and-the-fire-within/>
Howard Lee, The Online Citizen

The polls might have closed, but our journey to freedom has only just begun for each of us. Let your vote extend into your everyday life. Fight for the causes you believe in to benefit the lives and rights of others. Volunteer. Continue defending, not your party of choice, but the people whom the party has promised to defend.

**** Election Numbers : What They Tell Us... <http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2011/05/election-numbers-what-they-tell-us.html>
Diary Of A Singapore Mind

The PAP is positioned too much to the right. It tells the populace to accept the "free market outcomes" as it pursues GDP growth - income gap, rising cost of living, stagnant wages etc It expects the populace to be resilient and intervenes only in the worst cases of poverty. However, it is time for the PAP to go back and ask itself more fundamental questions : "What is the purpose of GDP growth if it does not benefit as a many Singaporeans as possible?". When the free market is not producing the outcomes you want, you have to intervene sufficiently to deliver the quality of life to your people.

**** A Generation That Does Not Remember: MM <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC110509-0000532/A-generation-that-does-not-remember--MM>
Leong Wee Keat, Today

In his first, albeit indirect, comments about the results of Saturday's General Election, minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew said at a community event in Tanglin Halt last night that "2011 has seen a generation that does not remember from whence we came, but that is to be expected. But I do, and those amongst you who are over 50 will remember".

**** Groupthink: WP Replies <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_666415.html>
Gerald Giam Yean Song, Workers' Party, Straits Times

WP will support government policies which benefit Singaporeans, but will oppose those which hurt citizens, are against the national interest or are aimed at securing a greater political advantage for the ruling party.

**** 81:6 <http://benjamincheah.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/singapores-freak-election-result/>
Benjamin Cheah

The most-loved candidates were denied office. The most-reviled are now in Parliament.

**** Singapore Foreign Minister Yeo Becomes Biggest Election Casualty <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-08/singapore-foreign-minister-george-yeo-becomes-biggest-casualty-in-election.html>
Jonathan Burgos, Bloomberg

**** Post Election, Let The Healing Begin <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1127637/1/.html>
Eugene K.B. Tan, Channel NewsAsia

What must be done for the healing to take place?  First, the tone and direction set by the PAP is crucial. It is still the dominant party holding 85 per cent of the parliamentary seats. The PAP Government will have its work cut out in the new term.

They will have to renew trust with the people. They will have to learn to listen to Singaporeans' voices and not treat them as noises or chatter. 

**** PAP's Victory Favourable To Malaysia-Singapore Ties <http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=584923>
Ahmad Fuad Yahya, Bernama

The prime minister expressed hope that more emphasis would be given to the consensus reached on matters pertaining to, for example, the development and connectivity involving Johor and Singapore, so that the intended progress in this area could be made. "What's important is that we're getting the same government in Singapore, which means that there'll be continuity with regard to our prior mutual understanding," he told Malaysian journalists.

**** Why Singapore's Ruling Party Suffered Historic Setback At Polls <http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2011/0508/Why-Singapore-s-ruling-party-suffered-historic-setback-at-polls>
Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor

Singapore’s ruling party suffered its worst-ever election result since independence in 1965 as youthful opposition parties tapped voter anger over high living costs and rising inequality in the wealthy city-state. The campaign was notable for the defensive tone struck by PAP leaders when confronted with voter frustration over the government’s performance.

**** How GE 2011 Proved Me—oh, So Wonderfully!—wrong <http://catherinelim.sg/2011/05/09/how-ge-2011-proved-me-oh-so-wonderfully-wrong/>
Catherine Lim

In short, a newly energized opposition and a newly empowered electorate, two little Davids, have brought Goliath to his knees. It is an amazing psychological victory quite independent of the outcome of GE 2011. This election will indeed be remembered by each of these three groups, as the crossing of some defining line in their political calculations, when each will do some fine recalibrations to their strategies of dealing with each other, in order to improve on their gains or cut down on their losses, as the case may be. GE 2011 may well be the historic reference point against which all will measure their past performance and chart their future course of action.

**** Democrats Start Preparation For Next GE <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4822-democrats-start-preparation-for-next-ge>
Singapore Democratic Party

The GE results were disappointing. But if you know us you will also know that the Singapore Democrats are not people who feel sorry for ourselves. We take stock of what we have and then we do the necessary, including making whatever sacrifices that are needed, to achieve our objectives.

**** A Chastened PAP <http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/05/09/a-chastened-pap/>
Maxwell Coopers, Free Malaysia Today

Decades of pent-up frustrations over spiralling education fees, ever rising cost of living, unrestrained entry of foreigners, the snatching of jobs meant for Singaporeans, and the issue of home affordability have all combined to give the election a potent vitriolic brew.

So why shouldn’t the PAP be feeling chastened? And just why shouldn’t Lee be collegial when he said, “We will work with you to secure our future together”. Only four years ago, he was baring his fangs.

While on the stump, Lee himself said that the PAP should be able to connect emotionally. And there are plenty of reasons why that needs to happen.

**** Not Business As Usual For PAP <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/9/nation/8643526&sec=nation>
Ooi Kee Beng, The Star

The PAP has once again taken firm command of Parliament after Saturday's general election. However inroads made by the opposition should serve as a wake-up call that it cannot be business as usual in future fights for the hearts and minds of Singapore's voters.

**** 'Singapore Girls' Versus The West <http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/travellers-check/singapore-girls-versus-the-west-20110509-1eewp.html>
Clive Dorman, Sydney Morning Herald

These days it’s politically unfashionable for travellers of either sex to admit they like a little “eye candy” in their flight attendants – even though looks are a primary qualification. Instead, the popular conversation in Australia is more likely to be about whether women can qualify as front-line combat troops in the army.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Girl – and those of other Asian airlines – are winning more and more of the popularity and market-share stakes Down Under.

**** A New Chapter For The SDP Has Just Begun <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/05/a-new-chapter-for-the-sdp-has-just-begun/>
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen

As the SDP itself has acknowledged, it needs to work the ground more consistently and reach out to the heartlanders in the next five years. In this, it should learn from the WP. Nothing beats that personal touch – shaking a voter’s hand, looking people in the eye, and lending an ear to residents’ grievances.

**** Assessing The Generational Shift Effect In GE 2011 <http://flaneurose.blogspot.com/2011/05/assessing-generational-shift-effect-in.html>
Flaneurose

**** Why It's Time To End The GRC <http://sg.news.yahoo.com/why-it-s-time-to-end-the-grc-.html;_ylt=Ak99EMZIA88TR1HQrXMEY0_.Vsd_;_ylu=X3oDMTNwdmFra21qBGNjb2RlA3dlaWdodGVkY3QEcGtnAzI3OWY0OGZhLTBlMjktMzFmNC05MTMzLTZiMDI1ZDM2MmNiNwRwb3MDMQRzZWMDbW9zdF9wb3B1bGFyBHZlcgM2Y2MwZTVjNC03OTBlLTExZTAtOGRjZS05MzE2MTNmYTczYTM-;_ylg=X3oDMTFjaTBvcG51BGludGwDc2cEbGFuZwNlbi1zZwRwc3RhaWQDBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3>
Alan Soon, Yahoo!

Politicians are not born -- they are groomed. But the use of the GRC ticket as a fast-track path to politics is irresponsible and dangerous for nationhood. What we've done on election day was to swap experience with youth. But at what price? Is that the intent of voters?

Experiments with the GRC system must end. It's time to abolish the GRC before we further undermine our democracy.