[MyAppleMenu] Jan 2, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple’s New Year ‘Lucky Bags’ Lure Thousands To Its Stores In Japan ****
<http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/01/02/apples-new-year-lucky-bags-lure-thousands-to-its-stores-in-japan/>
Jon Russell, The Next Web


> The new year saw thousands of Japan flock to shopping malls and shops, but they weren’t heading out in search of traditional new year bargains, as they might in the West, instead they were queuing for ‘lucky bags’ , or Fukubukuro (福袋, in Japanese).



**** Resolved In 2012: To Enjoy The View Without Help From An iPhone ****
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/resolved-in-2012-to-enjoy-the-view-without-help-from-an-iphone/?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Nick Bilton, New York Times


> I made this resolution out of a sense that I habitually reached for the iPhone even when I really didn’t need to, when I might have just enjoyed an experience, like the sunset, without any technology. And after talking to people who do research on subjects like this, I realized that there were some good reasons to give up a little tech.






The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Defining Words, Without The Arbiters ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/business/wordniks-online-dictionary-no-arbiters-please.html?ref=technology>
Anne Eisenberg, New York Times






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** You Can't Always Get What You Want: On Stephen King ****
<http://www.thenation.com/article/165310/you-cant-always-get-what-you-want-stephen-king?page=full>
Charles Taylor, The Nation


> Is there any other living novelist who calls for a perpetual re-evaluation as much as Stephen King? Thirty-seven years after the publication of his first novel, <i>Carrie</i>, King still seems not just underrated but uncomprehended.






SingaporeSurf
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**** Something To Ease Our Hospitals? ****
<http://chantc.blogspot.com/2012/01/something-to-ease-our-hospitals.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FZbxP+%28My+Little+Corner%29>
My Little Corner


> Do we always need to be hospitalised? Can we recuperate at home instead of in a hospital? Most important of all, is it cheaper to provide specialist healthcare at our own home, or to find the land to build a new hospital, especially in land-scarce places like Singapore?



**** NTUC To Provide Advisory Services To Freelancers ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1174418/1/.html>
Saifulbahri Ismail, Channel NewsAsia


> Singapore's labour movement wants to represent freelancers, to ensure their rights are protected. It has been meeting different groups of freelancers for the past four months to understand their concerns and as part of outreach efforts.

It’s about time, as the role of freelancers grew more important in the new economy.


**** SPCA Continues Push For Pet Ownership Law ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1174410/1/.html>
Olivia Siong, Channel NewsAsia


> The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) says it will continue to push for a law to ensure responsible pet ownership. This includes getting those under 16 to obtain parental consent before they buy a pet. 

> The continued push for legislation comes as SPCA expects to see people abandon their pet rabbits ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year. The organisation tends to see an increase in the number of pets abandoned during festive seasons.

Before you adopt a pet, remember that this is a <a href="http://www.spca.org.sg/responsibility.html">lifetime of commitment</a>. Don't do it unless you can commit.


**** Berlayar Creek Boardwalk Is Open! ****
<http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2012/01/berlayar-creek-boardwalk-is-open.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WildShoresOfSingapore+%28wild+shores+of+singapore%29>
Ria Tan, Wild Shores Of Singapore


> Early this morning, the new boardwalk along Berlayar Creek was opened! Starting from the Labrador MRT station, the boardwalk leads along the mangroves of the Creek towards the sea.



**** Build In Reserve Capacity For Stamford Canal, Says Environment Minister ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1174376/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> "Clearly more needs to be done. The fact that Stamford Canal at that section has reached 100 per cent capacity means that we don't have enough reserve capacity to deal with more intense rainfall and further variability in the weather, which I anticipate will occur in the future. So, we will have to accelerate our plans for alternatives to Stamford Canal," he said.



**** Misleading Electricity Tariff Chart ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/01/misleading-electricity-tariff-chart/>
Keok Tong San, The Onine Citizen


> While the oil price axis ranges up to 180, which just covers the maximum fuel price (155.14 in Oct 08) for the period in comparison, the tariff axis does not follow the same principle of charting. Instead it mirrors the oil price axis, having the top end of the axis range at 180.  As a result, the fluctuations in the electricity tariffs are not clearly depicted and it gives a misperception that the electricity tariffs are not rising as much or as fast a rate as the fuel oil price.



**** New Year, New Promises ****
<http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-year-new-promises.html>
Singapore Notes



**** Pawners Linked To Casinos? ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/01/pawners-linked-to-casinos/>
Leong Sze Hian, The Onine Citizen


> One of the primary reasons for having the two integrated resorts was that they would create a lot of jobs for Singaporeans. To date, I think we still do not have a full accounting of how many of the jobs created went to Singaporeans, permanent residents (PRs) and foreigners?



**** Greying Singapore Taps Robots, Games In Rehab ****
<http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/01/01/greying-singapore-taps-robots-games-in-rehab/>
AFP


> Medical authorities are deploying the latest technology as fast-greying Singapore prepares for a “silver tsunami” of elderly people as a result of longer life spans and low birth rates.



**** KTMB Tracks In S'pore Going To Museums ****
<http://www.nst.com.my/local/general/ktmb-tracks-in-s-pore-going-to-museums-1.26642>
Sim Bak Heng, New Straits Times


> KTMB corporate communications manager Mohd Fazil Ismail said the first museum to display such exhibits would be the former Johor Baru railway station, which would be turned into a museum soon.

> He also said there were no plans to stop operations at Woodlands in northern Singapore despite the losses incurred over the months.



**** Changi Airport Group To Revamp City Tours For Transit Travellers ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_751001.html>
Royston Sim, Straits Times


> The Changi Airport Group (CAG) wants to refresh itineraries for the current two options - the Colonial Tour, which showcases the Singapore River and the civic district, and the Cultural Tour, which highlights Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam.

No casino tours?


**** How Much To Vomit In A Taxi In Singapore? ****
<http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/how-much-to-vomit-in-a-taxi-in-singapore/488461>
Elizabeth Soh, Straits Times


> The cost of picking up a drunken passenger who pukes is thus at least 50 Singapore dollars.



**** Woman Faced Five Years In Singapore Jail After Caught With Two 8cm Bullets In Camera bag ****
<http://www.news.com.au/national/woman-faced-five-years-in-singapore-jail-after-caught-with-two-8cm-bullets-in-camera-bag/story-e6frfkvr-1226234688852>
Sarah Crawford, Northern Territory News


> Jessica Powter, 34, of Katherine, was facing a mandatory five-year jail term after unwittingly bringing the two 8cm-long bullets used to shoot buffalo into Singapore.

> She was finally released after she wrote a letter of apology.

Body-searched every three hours? Is there really a need to do that?


**** Casinos Raising Stakes On Year Of The Dragon ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_750990.html>
Huang Lijie, Straits Times


> Indeed, gaming analysts expect visitor numbers and gaming volume to peak during this period, with gaming revenues hitting at least twice the average amount.



**** 教育部说法前后不一致 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/yl/yl120102_008.shtml>
å¼ ç«‹å³°, 联合早报


> 我们迷惑的是，为何教育部对外的说法前后可以那么不一致？这难道不是在误导家长和孩子吗？为何不在一开始就告诉我们，今年接受DSAåŽå°±ä¸å…è®¸è½¬æ ¡ï¼Ÿ



**** Share with public all data on bus service standards ****
<http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/share-with-public-all-data-on-bus-service-standards/>
Alex Au, Yawning Bread


> Clearly, data is being collected. Release the raw data (in machine-readable format) to the public and some whiz-kid somewhere is going to find a way to crunch the numbers to reveal patterns and trends. We’ll be able to see how bad the problem is: Which routes tend to have the problem of bunching and/or long headways en-route, and at what times.

> We can then focus on possible solutions such as looking at more efficient bus lanes along the most troublesome stretches of roads, or redesigning the service routes if their excessive length aggravates the delays.

As Mr Au wrote, the time of arrival at bus stops for every single bus is collected. We also know (roughly) the number of passengers on each bus at any given moment. SBS Transit and SMRT must provide all these data in raw form to the public.
I’ll push this one step further: Given the present inability for both public transport companies to build proper web app and to share and collaborate with each other, it may be better for the raw data to be available, in real time, to third-party companies to create interesting and useful web applications.


**** Speeding Up The Integrated Programme Train? Slow Down, Singapore ****
<http://guanyinmiao.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/speeding-up-the-integrated-programme-train-slow-down-singapore/>
Kwan Jin Yao, Guanyinmiao's Musings



**** No intent to dissipate flood impact ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120102-0000012/No-intent-to-dissipate-flood-impact>
Tan Nguan Sen, PUB, Straits Times


> We described the situation on the roads as "flash floods" while the term "ponding" was used to refer only to the accumulation of rainwater at the basement areas of buildings such as Liat Towers and Lucky Plaza.