[MyAppleMenu] Sep 11, 2011

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple And Amazon Break Up E-Books Into Solid-Gold Nuggets <http://www.fastcompany.com/1778934/with-apples-new-quick-reads-if-a-book-doesn-t-sell-chapter-two-could-be-a-hit>
Sean Captain, Fast Company

This week Apple introduced a collection of new short-form “books,” called Quick Reads, that are like short stories, long articles or packs of recipes, priced at just a fraction of the cost of what users pay for a full volume. Amazon introduced a similar concept back in January 2011 with Kindle Singles--essays, short stories and other quick reads priced from one to three dollars.

**** Migrating Apple Mail’s Email-address Autocomplete List To A New Computer <http://www.marco.org/2011/09/10/adding-to-apple-mail-autocomplete>
Marco Arment

**** Apple's New Campus Will Be A Retrograde Cocoon <http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-applehq-20110911,0,4563449.story>
Christopher Hawthorne, Los Angeles Times

The more interesting question is whether a place like Cupertino can maintain its low-density sprawl in future decades, as the Bay Area's population continues to grow, and whether the council's enthusiasm for the new Apple headquarters can be read as an endorsement of a car-dependent approach to city and regional planning that might have made sense in the 1970s but will seem irresponsible or worse by 2050.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Who's The Real Illusionist? <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903285704576560482965329702.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet>
Penn Jillette, Wall Street Journal

Is our entire political system built on this unwilling suspension of disbelief? We don't really have a choice, so it's sure unwilling. We know somewhere in our hearts that our political saviors are not really magic, but we so want them to be. We could bust every one of them if we just broke the rules for a moment. It's all hanging by a very hard-to-see little thread.

**** Why Does The Female Orgasm Exist? <http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2011/09/10/orgasm/index.html>
Tracy Clark-flory, Salon

Decades of research have failed to answer the question of why the female orgasm exists -- and two recent conflicting studies on the subject have hardly changed that. Interestingly enough, though, both focus on a theory sure to anger some women: that their ability to climax is the mere byproduct of men's orgasm, which has a clear evolutionary purpose. We may not have proof of this one way or another, but it's worth exploring the potential cultural implications.



SingaporeSurf
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**** The Mandatory Death Penalty Is Not The Same As The Death Penalty <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/09/the-mandatory-death-penalty-is-not-the-same-as-the-death-penalty/>
Yvonne Ho, The Online Citizen

Instead of mandating the minimum sentence of death, set death as the maximum sentence and allow the judge discretion to sentence. We should have faith in our judiciary to discern appropriate sentences.

**** Media Censorship: Us Versus Them? <http://journalism.sg/2011/09/11/media-censorship-us-versus-them/>
Cherian George, Journalism.Sg

Although many were gleefully scandalised by the leaked cable, it's hard to figure out what the fuss was about. I guess the overreaction is partly down to the fact that most people are in workplaces where you can’t criticise your bosses and get away with it; they are not familiar with newsroom culture, where employees speak their mind.

**** Social Mobility In Singapore <http://yeejj.wordpress.com/2011/09/11/social-mobility-in-singapore/>
Yee Jenn Jong

While we congratulate those who have made it through the lower income ranks, we must also be aware that certain factors have now made it increasingly more difficult for social mobility to take place. By being mindful of these, we can hopefully give those who are less privileged a better chance to succeed.

**** Singapore's Pink Dot Movement Spreads To Salt Lake City <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_711762.html>
Straits Times

Singapore's Pink Dot movement - an annual public gathering to promote freedom to love regardless of one's sexual orientation - has been gaining traction overseas, with similar events popping up in New York City, London, Kaohsiung in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Montreal and even Anchorage in Alaska.

**** Crossing The Causeway To A Cleaner, Different World <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/11/focus/9455053&sec=focus>
Kamal, The Star

I wonder why our country can’t be cleaner, safer and people more honest and courteous?

**** Of Sacrificial Lambs, Martyrs And Fighters <http://thethinkingfishtank.wordpress.com/2011/09/11/of-sacrificial-lambs-martyrs-and-fighters/>
The Thinking Fish Tank

I read this statement in the Straits Times on Friday with much disappointment. The first generation of the People’s Action Party (PAP) fought hard to be the government of Singapore and they fought hard to make Singapore what it is today. Yet, having been born after the anti-colonial struggle and  initial chaos in newly independent Singapore, the new generation of the PAP have lost their fighting spirit. Life has been a bed of roses and our generation has become complacent. PAP candidates want to hop on a free ride into parliament. They want their place in parliament to be given to them on a silver platter.