[MyAppleMenu] May 28, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** iTunes Match Is A Hidden Gem For Your Music Listening Pleasure ****
<http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-gadgeteer/itunes-match-is-a-hidden-gem-for-your-music-listening-pleasure/5759>
Joel Evans, ZDNet






The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** The Coming Zombie Apocalypse ****
<http://designmind.frogdesign.com/blog/the-coming-zombie-apocalypse-small-cheap-devices-will-disrupt-our-old-school-ux-assumptions.htm>
Scott Jenson, Design Mind


> Small, cheap devices will disrupt our old-school UX assumptions.



**** Two Views Of Innovation ****
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/timothylee/2012/05/27/two-views-of-innovation/?feed=rss_home>
Timothy B. Lee, Forbes



**** Why Entrepreneurs Will Save The World ****
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/actiontrumpseverything/2012/05/27/why-entrepreneurs-will-save-the-world/?feed=rss_home>
Paul B. Brown, Forbes


> One major advantage of taking small, start steps is that it helps to over-come what we have come to think of as “the tyranny of the optimal right answer.”






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Poem Of The Week: The Bed That Is A Tree By Kim Lasky ****
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/may/28/poem-week-bed-tree-kim-lasky>
Carol Rumens, The Guardian



**** The Wanderer’s Tale ****
<http://www.economist.com/node/21555883>
The Economist


> To write this book he walked, by his own estimate, 7,000-8,000 miles of paths: the prehistoric chalk tracks of England, the gneiss of the Isle of Lewis, the path that makes a <i>kora</i>, or sacred circle, round the pyramidal ice-mountain of Minya Konka in Tibet, a rocky forest branch of the road to Compostela and, most riskily, a network of <i>wadi</i> trails near Ramallah, in Palestine, under the eye of Israeli guards.



**** The Cosmic Menagerie ****
<http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2012/06/04/120604crat_atlarge_miller>
Laura Miller, New Yorker


> It was only after Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s and Charles Darwin’s theories of adaptation and natural selection gained wider acceptance, in the nineteenth century, that writers began to speculate in earnest about the sorts of creatures that might flourish in environments beyond Earth.






SingaporeSurf
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**** Time To Say No To The Nimbies ****
<http://andrewlohhp.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/time-to-say-no-to-the-nimbies/>
Andrew Loh



**** Photos : Hougang By-elections 2012 ****
<http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com/2012/05/photos-hougang-by-elections-2012.html>
Singapore Rebel



**** iOS Hackathon To Be Held In Singapore ****
<http://www.zdnetasia.com/blogs/ios-hackathon-to-be-held-in-singapore-62304932.htm>
Eileen Yu, ZDNet



**** Bye Bye To A Common Set-top Box For Singapore ****
<http://www.techgoondu.com/2012/05/28/bye-bye-to-a-common-set-top-box-for-singapore/#.T8NvWI7Xer8>
Alfred Siew, Techgoondu


> The government’s immediate answer? Let’s consider a common box, where couch potatoes can tune in to both StarHub and SingTel. The intentions were good, but the thinking, flawed.

> Fortunately, since then, the Media Development Authority (MDA) had done a lot more to sort out the real reason why the market had become distorted – exclusive content.

There were two problems surfaced: the inconveince of switching pay-tv provider, and the high cost of sports programming. All these talk and policies with regards to set-top boxes and exclusive content are limited to solving the former problem whereas most of the complaints from customers were regarding the cost issue.
Actually, I'll argue that sports entertainment will never be cheap anymore. It is a global big-money business, and if you want to watch, you'll have to pay big bucks. Unless you are satisfied with S-League.


**** Singapore Got Wildlife Meh? ABUDEN?! ****
<http://www.pulauhantu.org/singapore-got-wildlife-meh-abuden/>
The Hantu Bloggers



**** Prices Of Private Resale Homes Inch Up Again In April ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_804071.html>
Amanda Tan, Straits Times



**** Esplanade, NAC CEO Benson Puah Diagnosed With Cancer ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1204060/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia



**** The Need For Campus Journalism ****
<http://kentridgecommon.com/?p=15544>
Koh Choon Hwee, The Kent Ridge Common


> The more the better, and as students nurture an independent journalistic spirit, they will eventually emerge into society more empowered, experienced, ready to make change on a grander scale.



**** Hougang By-election: PAP Lectures (FREE) ****
<http://rogerpoh.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/hougang-by-election-pap-lectures-free/>
SpotlightOnSingapore


> It’s extraordinary that the PAP can still lecture to Singaporeans about honesty and integrity.



**** No Common Featured Set-up Box In The Works, For Now ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120528-0000098/No-common-featured-set-up-box-in-the-works,-for-now>
Teo Xuanwei, Today


> The IDA and MDA have decided not to award the RFP because none of the three bids "is likely to achieve the desired outcomes of minimising inconvenience to consumers accessing multimedia content, applications and services from multiple providers through the putting in place of an open access platform for the industry players, and the pervasive adoption of a common featured set-top box", they said. 

In a world of podcasts, YouTube, Netflix, and iTunes, IDA and MDA are still trying to figure out cable boxes.


**** WA Making Most Of Singapore Love Affair ****
<http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/opinion/post/-/blog/13797473/wa-making-most-of-singapore-love-affair/>
Thom Woodroofe, The West Australian



**** The Simple Reason ****
<http://hardhitting-nobs.blogspot.com/2012/05/simple-reason.html>
Musings From The Lion City


> In short, the expulsion of Mr. Yaw Shin Leong from the WP on 14th Feb was much ado about nothing.



**** Undying Beliefs Of An Old Man ****
<http://politicalwritings.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/undying-beliefs-of-an-old-man/>
Political Writings


> It looks like Mr Lee will hold on to his belief about ministerial pay to his dying day. Instead of seeing that good Singaporeans do not want to join the PAP because of what it is, and that good Singaporeans who are opposed to the PAP do not want to join politics because of the climate of fear he has created, he still chooses to believe that good people don’t want to join PAP purely because of their selfish money reasons.



**** Union Ownself Sponsor Their Newspaper Coverage? ****
<http://kirstenhan.me/2012/05/28/union-ownself-sponsor-their-newspaper-coverage/>
Kirsten Han, Funny Little World



**** The Obsolescence Of A Once Mighty Political Party ****
<http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2012/05/obsolescence-of-once-mighty-political.html>
Chua Chin Leng, My Singapore News


> It still has a lot of yesterday’s glory to crow about. But the future, the way it is leading the country forward, is treacherous and slippery. It is looking very unsustainable in many areas.



**** Hougang And WP Still Stand Strong ****
<http://chemgen.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/hougang-and-wp-still-stand-strong/>
Chemical Generation Singaore


> However, this argument is most persuasive – that WP attrition means that only those who share WP’s core vision in Singapore’s political progress choose to remain in the party. Hence, WP cohesion and leadership would be stronger with such resignations.



**** SMRT企业的行为和文化问题 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/yl/jl120528_002.shtml>
å¼ ä»•åŽ, 联合早报


> SMRT的文化是要赚取盈利向股东交代，这是上市公司正常的作业文化。但是公共交通服务却是以全民福利（特别是贫穷者）为主。我个人也想不出当如何将这两者融合。



**** Let It BE: My Dad, Singapore Politics And Identity ****
<http://pointless-philosophy.blogspot.com/2012/05/let-it-be-my-dad-politics-and-identity.html>
Pointless Philosophy


> There are two sides to everything. One could say that this episode (preceded by the watershed General Elections last year) is divisive and destabilising, and feeds hate and disunity. On the other hand, it is important to acknowledge too that this means many Singaporeans (certainly not all) are shedding their apathy, standing up for something, and perhaps forging an identity that has been otherwise artificially decided for them by the government for over five decades. These are teething pains, but from the spirit I witnessed, I think it means we are growing as a nation just a little bit more. 



**** Uniquely Singapore Politics ****
<http://septian.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/uniquely-singapore-politics/>
Takjub Oleh Anugerah


> The PAP remains an enigma for me. They actually have good people serving the country (Tharman, BG Tan), but what I don’t understand is why they need to make the playing field so uneven for the opposition parties. I would say that in an even playing field, PAP would still win anyway.



**** Post-election Views ****
<http://pplaround.blogspot.com/2012/05/post-election-views.html>
Depressed Cat 抑郁的猫仔


> Although I'm a PAP supporter, I feel that such dirty tricks were uncalled for. It probably led to PAP losing some votes because the voters were disgusted with DPM Teo's remark.



**** Take A Walk On The Wild Side ****
<http://jason-ludt.blogspot.com/2012/05/take-walk-on-wild-side.html>
Sleepless In Singapore


> This country is made for walking!  Lace up your sneaks and put on your best moisture-wicking fabric and hit the sidewalk!



**** Bullies Are Out And Saints Are In – The Hougang Experience ****
<http://dotseng.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/bullies-are-out-and-saints-are-in-the-hougang-experience/>
Dotseng


> A new calculus seems to have descended upon Singapore politics – one that has emerged from a class of voters who are increasingly demanding that leaders walk the talk, instead of just going through the motions where the seem to embody the form without the content.

> It seems happy hour is truly finished for the PAP. They really need to brush up on their questionable ethics and morality if the imperative is to stay in power.



**** æ•…éšœå¯¼å› çŽ¯çŽ¯ç›¸æ‰£ SMRT与监管者各说各话 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp120528_017.shtml>
李静仪 é™ˆç´«ç­ , 联合早报



**** How Goes Hougang? ****
<http://singaporesojourn.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-goes-hougang.html>
Roger Smith, Singapore Sojourn


> While it is true that Hougang is 'special' I suspect part of their antipathy is due to the fact that they feel left out of the rewards of society and measure themselves against the upper echelons of society who they see as receiving greater benefit.



**** Hougang By-election Aftermath: The Morning-After Pill ****
<http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=7652>
Wong Wee Nam, Sgpolitics.net


> This is the trouble with the PAP. Instead of considering other viewpoints, they often choose to push them aside and come out to defend the status quo with vigour. This style is what makes them appear so domineering.



**** Why Singapore Will Transcend PAP Super-dominance ****
<http://www.visakanv.com/blog/2012/05/transcend-pap/>
Visakan Veerasamy


> Diversity is the only survival strategy. The PAP taught us to be pragmatic. The pragmatic thing to do is to embrace diversity. If the PAP did its job well, it has sown the seeds of its own ‘destruction’- at least in its current super-dominant form.



**** Hougang: Only Up To A Point Lucky ****
<http://atans1.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/hougang-only-up-to-a-point-lucky/>
Thoughts Of A Cynical Investor


> And while Png and, Low and the WP are capable of looking after Hougang as well, if not better, than the PAP, I’m not so sure if the WP will be any better when it comes to helping S’poreans retire or coping with the costs of health care, if WP comes into power by itself, or in coalition.



**** Line Drawn Under Hougang By-election ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120528-0000054/Line-drawn-under-Hougang-by-election>
Sumita Sreedharan, Today


> In particular, Mr Low said his party's responses to issues raised were not out in "the proper perspective or in a way which will balance the criticism".

> He said: "It's not like we didn't respond, we did respond but you buried (it) somewhere while the headline painted a certain picture." 



**** Are Lay-offs Happening Under The Radar? ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120528-0000009/Are-lay-offs-happening-under-the-radar?>
James Ang, Today



**** Is It Really Impossible For The PAP To Change? ****
<http://www.raviphilemon.net/2012/05/is-it-really-impossible-for-pap-to.html>
Ravi Philemon



**** Same Trick, Different Time ****
<http://feedmetothefish.blogspot.com/2012/05/same-trick-different-time.html>
Feed Me To The Fish


> If my memory serves me well, the battery and assault on the integrity of Tang Liang Hong was most unkind. They called Tang Liang Hong a Chinese Chauvinist and an Anti-Christian for a speech Tang gave eons ago which Teo Chee Hean attended.That brought forth the woes that befall Tang Liang Hong.

> Tang made a police report that his integrity was damaged by such insinuations. When JB Jeyaratnam showed the police report to the audience at an election rally, he and Tang Liang Hong were later charged for defamation! Because of that incident, JB Jeyaratnam (bless his soul) had to pay damages and Tang Liang Hong became a fugitive.



**** DPM Teo Hopes WP's Chief Low Will Move Away From Combative Tone ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1203914/1/.html>
S. Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia


> "He had a very combative tone last night which really, really surprised. But I do hope that he will move away from the combative tone which he took during the by-election and work in a constructive way with the government."