text:
Writing Prompt #1 Horse-drawn Carriage.
In my last post, I mentioned the book FLOAT: Becoming Unstuck for Writers, written by A M Carley. One of the tools in this book is called Date Yourself. It suggests that you honor your own need for creative solitude. "You take a complete break from your project, and simply get out into the world with curiosity and a sense of adventure." [Carley, A. M. (2016). Float: Becoming Unstuck for Writers. Charlottesville, VA: Chenille Books. p. 57]
This one caught my attention. I have always loved to go for walks in nature, although recently I was in a rut of just sitting at my desk and working non-stop to try to get out of my 'stuckness.' This tool reminded me of times in the past when I used to regularly take walks in the woods to (in geek-speak) defrag my brain.
For those of you unfamiliar with the term defrag, first, it is short for defragmenting or defragmentation. It describes a process or program that runs on a computer to reorganize all the information stored on, it thereby freeing up disk space and boosting its performance.
Well, quite some time ago, I learned that walking in the woods or on a beach was my brain's defrag program, and just as we should periodically run a defrag program on our computers, we should also regularly perform defrags on our brains. Taking a walk in a beautiful place is an inexpensive and efficient way to do this. It miraculously organizes the thought files of our minds, makes space for new ideas and boosts our performance.
I've been working on boosting my performance both physically and mentally, so now I go on walks anytime I get a chance. I always have my cell phone with me because I love to photograph anything interesting I come across on my walks, and I come across a surprising number of interesting things.
I have decided to put those photos to good use by making them available to you as picture writing prompts. I plan to post a new one each month. I hope you find them useful in getting your creativity flowing.
Please comment below if you find a particular picture interesting or helpful. Also, please share what story or piece you come up with from using the writing prompt if you are so inclined. ENJOY!
I was walking in a local public park and right outside its boundary, I saw this!


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Mark Braverman, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, has been named a Turing Research Fellow by the 'The Turing Centenary Research Project - Mind, Mechanism and Mathematics', supported by a major grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Prof. Braverman's main interests lie in the theory of computation and its applications in the natural and social sciences.
More information at http://www.mathcomp.leeds.ac.uk/turing2012/give-page.php?704 [1]

subset: commoncrawl


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after a refreshing hiatus from blogging and twitter, i'm still not sure what i think of it all but i wanted to share a few bits of knitting i've been doing recently. first up, these sweet lovebug booties for my friend's baby anoushka. first time round i struggled with the pattern as had never properly understood how to place markers (odd i know) but once lucy (serious expert knitter in my eyes) showed me the way, everything fell into place.
a very pleasing mini project and anoushka's granny popped them straight onto her feet when they were unwrapped. there's a lot of room for her to grow into them so they should be perfect for autumn.
stats: the boots are designed by the wonderful carrie bostick hoge and you can find her designs here on ravelry or visit her lovely blog and see what else she's been up to. i used debbie bliss cashmerino aran so chunkier than the pattern requires which made for a slightly fatter boot.
i'll have no wifi for the next few days but i'll update with more knitty goodness soon (including knitting for japan - not forgotten despite dropping out of the news!).
to all knitters attending the stitch london crawl this saturday, have a fabulous time. it looks wonderful and yet another year passes when i can't attend and meet up with all the wonderful london knitters. my PhD wins. but for this year only.
there have also been some very exciting developments on the knitting front which i will share at some point over the summer.
n x


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The Union election Commission will make the voters list publicly available at UEC township offices from 14 to 27 September so that those eligible to vote in the general election have the opportunity to confirm their names and details the Global New Light of Myanmar reported on 2 September.
During the sixth meeting between the UEC and political parties in Yangon on Tuesday, UEC's Chairman U Tin Aye said that persons without national ID cards can still cast their ballot on 8 November if they can provide other forms of identity that prove citizenship, such as a driving license or student ID card. He said the measure is being taken to maximise the number of people who turn out to vote and said that those whose names are not on the voters' list can apply to regional sub-election commissions in accordance with the Election Law for clarification.
The UEC also clarified certain electoral processes, including campaign directives and compliance, candidate campaign financing disclosures, the provision of manuals to polling station staff, polling booth processes, mediation, security and monitoring committees, electoral dispute resolution and candidate agents.
A total of 6,189 candidates have been nominated and district election sub-commissions have begun the process of vetting candidates.


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Taking Stock - January editionMonday, January 19, 2015
Making: chili and soup all the time. Luckily, there's plenty of recipe variations available, because I don't see myself stopping any time soon.
Drinking: caramel apple spices. This over-priced hot apple juice drink is my thing. Plus, I have a Starbucks gift card that's been burning a hole in my wallet ever since Christmas.
Reading: The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb and re-reading this favorite for our book club discussion in February.
Looking: for the perfect buffalo plaid shirt (like this one) and a Mother-in-law's tongue plant.
Playing: Solitaire on my phone.
Wanting: to start a new crocheting project. My Pinterest board is brimming with ideas, but my wallet is feeling the expense of all that yarn.
Watching: Peaky Blinders and The Honorable Woman. Both great shows!
Obsessing: over over-sized sweaters, as proved by my closet Pinterest board.
Waiting: for things to slow down.
Listening: to Otis Redding and Sam Cooke.
Marveling: at my curling wand. I treated myself to one using my Bing Rewards and oh.my.word. This thing actually curls my stick-straight-refuses-to-hold-a-curl hair.
Needing: sleep. My upper eyelid has been twitching maniacally for the past two weeks and I'm pretty sure it has something to do with this ever-present exhaustion I've been dealing with. Most days I just want to crawl into a warm cocoon and hibernate for the rest of January.
Following: this company on Instagram and this new-to-me blog.
Loving: my new glass terrarium (thank you, Christmas!)
Bookmarking: a list of marketing books to read. I've heard great reviews on Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins and Ogilvy on Advertising by David Oglivy. Any other recommendations?
Wearing: my new boots. It's amazing how versatile a good pair of black leather boots are.
Feeling: thankful for quick and easy dinners at home with Mark, slow weekend mornings, and sunshine.
2 comments
And what make and model of curling wand is it?! I have the same "problem" my hair doesn't hold a curl for anything.ReplyDelete
I haven't tried my hand at crochet yet, but I recently learned how to knit, and I quickly learned how ridiculous yarn prices are. (unless you want crappy yarn).
Love Sam Cooke, chili, and black leather boots! I also love the photograph you have on top, I like how you have that burst of orange color.
It is the Bed Head BH313 Orange Crush 1in wand. It works really well!ReplyDelete
I think I'm going to try my hand at knitting next. I read somewhere that knitting projects normally use less yarn than crocheting so that may help with the expense a little.


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MiniRoos is the name and brand for small-sided football (i.e. smaller pitches and teams of less than 11 players). MiniRoos football caters for our youngest players to give them an introduction to the game. Ranging in age groups from Under 6 through to Under 12s, the purpose is to give children the basic skills of playing this low-contact team sport in a friendly, fun environment.Ages U6 and U7 play on a smaller field (30m*20m) with a size 3 ball. The teams play with 4-a-side (no goalkeepers) and games are divided into two halves - each half lasting 15 minutes. There is a 5 minute break in between.We encourage U6 and U7 players to form social teams, so friends and classmates can play together. The club will conduct a Team Sorting Day that will be held on Saturday 3rd February.
Our Under 6 & 7's play an in house competition (no travel) all games are played on Field 1 every Saturday within the school terms (schedule to be released shortly). Under 6's Kick Off at 9:15 followed by the Under 7's at 10:00.


text:
It's one of those daysAnd I drag myself from bedI drag myself to the bathroomDrag a comb across my headAlong the hall for a breakfast fagThe whole of bloody life's a drag
No need to shave. No need to fuss.No need to run to catch the bus.No place to go and nowt to do:That's my entry in "Who's Who?"
I'm parked on a bench with nettles and litter,Feeling worthless – feeling bitter,Reading second-hand news from a thrown-away rag.Think back to the guy in the blood-stained Jag.Who, looking forward in despair,With no-one to love and none to care,Thought it time to make the grade.Can you deny the choice he made?
And still the headlines read the sameAnd still we kill and still we maim.10,000 times I've seen that news beforeAnd wonder what the fighting's for.
And in the end, when push comes to shove,Can we really change the world with love?Perhaps he was the lucky oneBut I can't afford a car – and I haven't got a gun.
And still it takes 4000 holesTo fill the bloody Albert Hall.


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text:
// This is the name of the shark we wish to display its track
sharkName = 'david';
Tracking David
Scientific Name: Carcharhinus leucas
Gender: Female
About David
The Story Behind the Name:
David's tag was generously donated by Derrick Whitcomb.
He named the shark David, after his Hebrew name. Derrick is the
youngest of 5 (the only boy) and is in going into the 8th grade
at Kenwood K-8 Center. He plays Alto Saxophone in the band and
is a member of the National Junior Honor Society. His favorite
subjects are Math and Science. His goal is to become an
Derrick enjoys all forms of athletics and has played on a
number of teams: soccer, baseball, basketball, flag football.
For more than 7 years, he has been a member of a competitive
jump rope team and competed in the Junior Olympics each year
for speed, power and freestyle.
Another aspect of Derrick's life is his love of animals and
nature. Since he was young, caring for animals has been a
big part of his life. He currently has 2 dogs, a rabbit and
a fish tank.
At 13 a Jewish boy becomes a Bar Mitzvah, taking his place
as a man in the Jewish Community. An important part is doing
mitzvot (good deeds) and to do one's part to "repair the
world" (Tikkun Olam). Derrick's mitzvah project (service
project) revolved around helping to save the ocean and the
sea life in it.
He did this by raising awareness of the ways we can help
marine conservation, by organizing a coastal cleanup (help
in April) and by raising money to adopt a shark through the
Shark Research & Conservation Program.
For more information on Derrick's fundraising efforts, and to support, please visit: http://www.derrickwhitcomb.com.
Satellite Tagging: David was carefully tagged with the
latest in satellite tag technology providing us with the first
opportunity to follow the long term movements of these
threatened species. Please keep checking back frequently to
follow David's movements, which will be updated every few
days as his satellite tag continues to send us real-time
tracking data.
Adopt-a-Shark: For information on how you can contribute to our
shark conservation research by adopting and tracking your own
shark, please visit our Adopt a Shark page.
This work is part of a collaboration among the Shark
Research & Conservation Program at the University of Miami, Florida Gulf
Coast University and West Coast Inland Navigational District,
supported by Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah.


text:
Bitter medicine prescription – with a little spin thrown in
Posted by theonlinecitizen on February 26, 2008
Breaking News: Feb 27: Freeze on government fees extended till end of 2008. The one-year freeze on government fees which kicked in last July will be extended till the end of 2008. This will include fees charged on all government-provided services such as school fees, ITE and polytechnic fees, charges in public car parks, and all licence fees. (Channel NewsAsia)
By Andrew Loh
On 24th January, 2007, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the following, when justifying the increase of 2 per cent for the GST:
"Is it better to take your medicine sooner or stretch it out? Take medicine once or two times? I prefer to make (sic) my medicine early, why? This is something we need to do, once we have done it, we can move on; we have the resources to have the revenue from the GST that we use…." (Channel NewsAsia)
The PM was right in that the increase by 2 percentage points in the GST brought in the expected revenue for the government – $1.4 billion.
But do note that the $1.4 billion of GST collected so far is only for the months from July 2007 to March 2008. That is, 9 months, and not a one year (12 months) total. It follows then that the total one year collection of the 2% of GST could be as much as or close to $2 billion – dwarfing the initial projected $1.5 billion. (Singapore Budget)
(I stand corrected on the above but as far as I understand, that is what it is. No one seem to know for sure.)
Even the estimate for the total GST collection for FY2007 was way off the mark. The estimate made last year was $4.85 billion. The revised estimate in the 2008 Budget is $6 billion.
What was also unexpected was a budget surplus of $6.45 billion, a stark contrast to the $0.7 billion deficit which the government had projected.
Now, questions are being asked if the GST hike was needed in the first place. (See here and here.)
Why increase GST to 7%, say that the extra $1.5 billion would help the lower income, that the government would run a deficit of $700 million, and then have a budget surplus of $6.45 billion?
As my colleague Leong Sze Hian said, this is probably one of the most inaccurate budget forecasts in Singapore's history.
PAP MPs' praises
Yet, if you recall some PAP MPs' reaction to Budget 2007, their praises were verging on the ecstatic. Tampines GRC MP Irene Ng described it as "an unprecedented new commitment", and "incredibly generous".
MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, Lee Bee Wah, in defending the GST hike in 2007, rebutted the Workers' Party chairman, Sylvia Lim:
"On Ms Lim's criticism of the timing of the GST hike, she said it was better to raise the tax now while the economy was doing well, rather then wait till things took a turn for the worse. Using a Hokkien phrase, she warned against 'looking for a toilet only when one needs to pass motion', a comment that evoked laughter from the House." (Link)
Dr Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade GRC) said:
"Let me share with her (NCMP Sylvia Lim) that nowhere else in the world can you get a Budget which includes love and compassion in abundance as this one."
Indeed, the prime minister was the strongest defender of the GST hike:
"That's the way the PAP is – upfront – give the bitter medicine first and worry first and enjoy later on." (Channel NewsAsia)
With the cost of living increasing at an alarming rate and inflation breaching record levels, one wonders when Singaporeans will get to "enjoy" the fruits of this so-called "golden era".
"Growth Dividend" – really?
Instead of admitting and taking responsibility for the atrocious forecast, the government is now packaging the surplus as "Growth Dividends" and claiming to be sharing the fruits of such "growth" with Singaporeans.
The Straits Times senior writer, Chua Mui Hoong, describes it thus in the report titled, "Budget goodies for all S'poreans":
"Despite it not being an election year, an impressive $865 million in 'Growth Dividends' will be given to all Singaporeans, with more rightly going to the lower-income worst hit by rising costs.
The figure is about 62 per cent of the $1.4 billion increased revenue from the hike in Goods and Services Tax – which means that through the Growth Dividend, the government is giving back to the man-in-the-street 60 cents of every extra dollar it collected from the GST hike."
I fail to understand, as do many of my friends, how collecting GST of $1.4 billion and then giving back "60 cents of every extra dollar it collected from the GST hike" can be called "Growth Dividends".
It is a media spin which has not gone unnoticed by many – and I think senior writers in the press should do better. It is like, I take $100 from you, give you back $60 and then say I am sharing my profits with you – and having the cheek to call it "growth dividends" in the same breath!
Budget deficit forecast not the only wrong forecast
If you think the budget deficit forecast is the only one which is way off the mark, my colleague Sze Hian offers the following examples as well:
Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded by 7.7%, higher than the 4.5% to 6.5% growth projected when the Budget for Financial Year (FY) 2007 was set out in February 2007.
FY2007 Operating Revenue at $39.6 billion has been revised upwards by $7.3 billion (22.5% higher), driven primarily by active property market transactions and higher than expected economic growth in 2007. Higher collections came from Stamp Duty, Corporate Income Tax, Goods and Services Tax, property tax and various fees and charges.
Corporate Income Tax (CIT) collections are estimated at $9.0 billion, or 7.1% higher than the budgeted FY2007 estimates. This was driven by higher profits booked by companies due to strong economic growth in 2006 and 2007.
Personal Income Tax (PIT) collections are estimated at $5.6 billion, or 7.9% higher than the budgeted FY2007 estimates, in line with strong wage growth in 2006 and 2007.
Assets Tax collections are estimated at $2.6 billion, or 23.0% higher than the budgeted FY2007 estimates. This was largely due to the revision of Annual Values to reflect the rise in residential and commercial rents.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections are estimated at $6.0 billion, or 23.7% higher than the budgeted FY2007 estimates. This was due to higher than expected consumption growth.
Motor Vehicle Related Taxes and Vehicle Quota Premiums (i.e. receipts from Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums) are expected to be higher than budgeted by $0.7 billion. This was attributable to lower rebates paid out with lower deregistration rates and fewer cars with high rebate value.
Stamp Duty collections are estimated at $3.8 billion, 155.0% higher than the budgeted FY2007 estimates. This was due to a buoyant private residential property market, which saw a price increase of 31% and a 60% jump in transaction volume vis-à-vis 2006.
Net Investment Income Contribution (NIIC) for FY2007 is expected to be
$2.3 billion, or $0.3 billion above the budgeted 2007 estimate. This is due to higher interest and dividend income from the investment of the Government's financial reserves.
While it wouldn't be fair to expect the government, or anyone, to be perfect in their economic forecasts, nonetheless Singaporeans expect the government to admit its mistakes and take responsibility for them when they are wrong.
Using nice-sounding phrases – "budget bonanza", "growth dividends" and so on – only obfuscates and do not address the problems which such policies, based on faulty forecasts, create for the average Singaporean.
This is most obvious in the case of the GST hike last July, which even the government admitted has contributed to rising cost and record inflation since then. (Bloomberg, Associated Press)
Branded, non-branded, frozen, unfrozen…
The spiraling cost of living is of great concern to Singaporeans and a real one. The prime minister tried to assuage such fears. He had two particular pieces of advice for Singaporeans.
First, Singaporeans were advised to buy "non-branded" bread on February 4:
"No need to buy branded bread,' he said in Mandarin to laughter. 'Bread is bread, rice is rice." (PM Lee, Feb 4)
The very next day, the local media reported:
"House brands are flying off the shelves." (Straits Times, Feb 5)
"More households opt for house-brand items to cut grocery bills" (Channel NewsAsia, Feb 5)
Five days later, the PM had new advice on how to cut cost – buy frozen food.
"But what you can do is to adjust, go for house brands, maybe go for frozen food instead of fresh food." (PM Lee, Feb 9)
Right on cue, the media came up with:
"Picking frozen over fresh food could halve your marketing bill" (Straits Times, Feb 13)
"Go for frozen food and cut up to 50% off bill" (Straits Times, Feb 14)
"More Singaporeans buying cheaper frozen food products." (Channel NewsAsia, Feb 22)
And all the while, Singaporeans had no idea that the government would be reaping a budget "surplus" of $6.45 billion.
What the government could – and should – do
What the government could do and should do with the "surplus" is to give the entire $1.4 billion back to Singaporeans, and not only "60 cents of every extra dollar it collected from the GST hike." With a "surplus" of $6.45 billion, it would still have $5 billion in its coffers.
The government should also freeze prices of essential goods and services such as electricity (which is adjusted every 3 months), transport fares, healthcare cost, school/tuition fees, etc, which are all within the control of the government.
I hope that MPs will be more critical and think deeper before singing praises of the government in the current budget debate in Parliament.
Else, the ones who will constantly be asked to swallow bitter medicine will be Singaporeans who are already struggling to keep up – while also being told that we are in a "golden era" at the same time.
But that is another story for another day.
"I have to make the adjustments of 2% which I think is fair and I think Singaporeans will support." (PM Lee, Nov 2006)
So, as the prime minister asked last year:
"Is it better to take your medicine sooner or stretch it out? Take medicine once or two times?"
For me, I'd first make sure the doctor is not a spin doctor.
One last note: I find it really insensitive for the prime minister to be asking Singaporeans to, effectively, scrimp and save by buying non-branded bread and cheaper frozen food, while the government's investment arms of Temasek and the GIC spend billions on bailing out ailing foreign banks.
In the past year alone, both Temasek and the GIC have spent more than $34 billion on these "investments" – an amount exceeding our entire annual budget itself.
Read blogger Looking For Lalaland's write up on this: "Please stop lying to us!"
38 Responses to "Bitter medicine prescription – with a little spin thrown in"
February 27, 2008 at 12:41 am
3.6 million citizens and PRs (source), $6.45 billion in budget surplus. Give every citizen and PR $1 million each and the gahmen will still have plenty left over 🙂
(I take no credit for this; read this in the IS Magazine.)
February 27, 2008 at 1:14 am
This is not just a mistake, it is a clear case of sheer incompetence of the current government. This episode has shown that they are definitely not worth their million dollar salaries. If anything, quite a few of them(ministers and high flying civil servants) should be fired straight away.
The funny thing about this is that they expect to be compensated top private sector rewards but bear none of the risk. This is got to stop.
The current batch of MPs and ministers seem hopelessly clueless about their present jobs. They do not deserve their present salaries. More than that, they do not deserve or are qualified for their present jobs.
February 27, 2008 at 1:27 am
the worse thing is that not only those mistake is not acknowledged but instead herald for been 'wise' ! Though it's really nothing new for PAP which always turn all black into white just to save their face.
Just take a read at the following and everyone will burst with laughter. This obviously doesn't do his math well, we have more than 8 times excessive surplus, and yet this 'clown' think it is good to have over-surplus to prepare for rainy day ( but whose rainy day is it anyway ? The PAP's propensity to invest in foreign company and in themselves to maximize their own profit ?). Why doesn't this 'clown' propose to increase the GST to 10% in the first place "for your own good". Whoever this Amy is should be groomed as our next PM ! God bless you !
"But others, including Hong Kah MP Amy Khor, said the Government should be commended for a job well done. She added: "It is this far-sightedness and prudence, as well as the many timely and astute policies implemented, that have played a major role in bringing about such a large surplus."
February 27, 2008 at 1:34 am
Who vote this Amy into the parliament in the first place ? Did she says this to the public in the People-session ? What kind of elite is ruling the country anyway who nonchalant to the suffering of the people ?
Her credential:
Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan
Mayor of South West District
Senior Parliamentary Secretary
Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources
MP for Hong Kah GRC (Hong Kah North)
Vice-Chairman of Hong Kah Town Council
from http://www.hktc.org.sg/about_mp.htm#a
February 27, 2008 at 7:06 am
Said whatever you like, make sure you vote wisely in next election, otherwise nothing is going to change. It's the same shit with different smell..
February 27, 2008 at 9:36 am
2. Govt of Lies, by Lies, for Lies.
3. Massive and Persistent Falsification of Statistics.
4. Total Fabrications and Distortions of the Truth by PAPaganda media that shamelessly paints Black as White.
5. Total Govt UNaccountability and UNtransparency due to No Need for Mandate from Voters because Elections are Unscrupulously and Illegally Rigged [see my blog for proof].
6. A Third World Govt Unashamedly Working for its own Private Interests [such as world's highest salaries], with Low Standards of Governance that Persistently and Deliberately Understates Profits in order to Rob and Rape the Helpless People even more, in the process of such Understatements thereby creating Totally Wrong Assumptions and Policies that Hurt the People, especially the Poor and Middle Income, with the Rich [that is, Themselves] not only Unaffected but even Advantaged [such as scrapping Estate Tax and Reduced Taxes on the Rich and Businesses].
7. We are Ruled by a Totally Dishonest, Unscrupulous, Incompetent, Unelected, Illegal, Selfish, Self-Serving, KLEPTOCRACY which would have long gotten into trouble if not for the Tinyness of our Islet of 42km by 23km of 617 sq km, such Tinyness thereby creating the Efficiencies of the 3Highs [High Density Living = High Efficiencies = High Quality of Life] which thereby camouflage the Gross Incompetence and Third World Operations.
8. This Kleptocracy, coupled with the Despotism of Central Planning, has resulted in a Sparta that is leaving nothing of note behind, while the Athens of Hongkong is leaving a Rich Legacy of Music, Film, Literature, Cuisine, Dynamism of Businesses, Cultural Achievements, Books, Thoughts and Thinking on a Vast Diversity of Subjects that are making the 7 million people of Hongkong more Creative and Dynamic than even the entire 1.3 billion people of China, which also suffers from the Ills of Central Planning.
9. It has Resulted in A Sick, Purposeless EXISTENCE in which the Poor and Middle Income Live Lives of Grinding Struggle with Little Graces, while the Rich Equally Live Meaningless Lives of Mere Consumption of Material Goods. This is LIE KY's "Golden Period"??? Ha, ha, ha!
10. Thank you, Mr Andrew LOH and TOC, for another brilliant, thought-provoking essay.
February 27, 2008 at 10:45 am
6.4 billion divided by 3.6 mio gives just shy of S$1,800 for each and every citizen! That is the significance of how much 'extra' that should be given out if indeed 100% rebate is the issue. But we digress as the point should be, how much OFF target was the FM in disposing his duties. Did he not know how well the economy was already doing in the middle of '07 when the man in the streeet 'protested'(cos' no real protest took place on Singapore land) against the raising of GST? Giving back so little with added spin is an insult to the intelligence of the people. And to add salt, he can ask us to find cheaper alerternatives?
A family of 4 can have about $8k for a holiday to Europe or USA given the lower Dollar! Think about that !
P L E A S E Vote wisely.
February 27, 2008 at 11:02 am
[…] Says So: The Government Missed By $7,150,000,000. Just Another Honest Mistake – The Online Citizen: Bitter medicine prescription – with a little spin thrown in – Sgpolitics: Parliamentary snapshots (25 and 26 Feb 08) – BothSidesOfTheJohorStraits: […]
February 27, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Regarding the problem of rising food prices:
It is deeply-rooted in the fact that Singapore is a not a producer of food such as meat, vegetables and other food products. Singapore should really consider looking into this issue by working closely with the Malaysian government. By playing a bigger role in the MY agriculture or food industries, it has a bargaining chip when trying to stabilize the price of food products in the long term.
February 27, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Apparently, the spin is not very clever as we all seem to "see through it". The current team lacks the moral leadership, and that is why we feel further insult when they do speak.
The other issue beyond their losing touch with living costs (due to their sickeningly high pay) the other bone of contention is their willingness to bail out ailing foreign banks. I agree with Ben that much more could be achieved if we were to invest in securing our food chain.
We dont need super ministers. Look at how HongKong performed ! No GST, No IRs, no Flyers, NO F1, yet they did well. They announced a budget surplus of 100 billion HKD.
February 27, 2008 at 2:18 pm
It's almost like deja vu all over again:
In 2007, PAP MP Fatimah Lateef praised the budget as:
"Let me share with her (NCMP Sylvia Lim) that nowhere else in the world can you get a Budget which includes love and compassion in abundance as this one."
In 2008, PAP MP Ong Ah heng praised the budget as:
"As Singaporeans, we should feel lucky and be thankful that we have a good Government."
And Amy Khor:
"It is this far-sightedness and prudence, as well as the many timely and astute policies implemented, that have played a major role in bringing about such a large surplus."
I can only imagine what Parliament debates would be like if we had say, 20 opposition MPs. For sure, such praises would be ripped to pieces.
Such praises just shows me the "Great Affective Divide" which Catherine Lim so eloquently spoke about – in 1994.
February 27, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Oh, by the way, Ong Ah Heng's speech is selected as the "Speech Of The Day" by The Straits Times.
I wonder why…. Hmmmm…..
February 27, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Complain as much as you like. But until you have the spine to stand up for your rights or until you vote them out – you will continue to have them lord over you !
February 27, 2008 at 3:15 pm
So, is there any Opposition Party with gut to call for a mass rally on the First of May 2008?
February 27, 2008 at 3:28 pm
All these MPs talk nonsense, give citizen 2 or 3 hundred, talk until generous budget,compassion society, the sulplus is billions of dollars..you just give 2, 3 hundreds,I tell you, we dont want your money, we want to change government.MPs do not reflect our people's wishes,talk nonsense,want to 'pang sai, find toilets'lousy MP.Look at H.K, to day's news, they have surplus more than ours, and the people rejected the goevgnment's GST proposal in 2006.At least in HK, the government listened to the people.Over here, people have to listen to the government,the MPs "chia sai, not pang sai"
February 27, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Gary Teoh:
This is what you can do at the very least: Influence your friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, school mates to vote them out next GE.
February 27, 2008 at 4:56 pm
"We dont need super ministers. Look at how HongKong performed ! No GST, No IRs, no Flyers, NO F1, yet they did well. They announced a budget surplus of 100 billion HKD."
Moreover, HOng Kong has natural disaster like typhoon, storm but yet come out strong on economic and social well-being.
Singapore ? One word. Pathetic ! Singapore is lucky not to have natural disaster but this is taken for granted by our expensive coffers. What we have now is MAN/PAP-MADE disaster that the citizen has to pay for. Shameful government who keep lavishing praise on themselves on how world-class they are comparing to Finland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and other economies.
It look like the Fake elites are been exposed now.
February 27, 2008 at 4:57 pm
with regards to the stupid medicine analogy…
it's like forcing us to take medicine (GST) when we are healthy and then saying he will give us discount (Growth dividend) when buying the medicine.
February 27, 2008 at 5:27 pm
We should demand answer from the original Finance Minister, LHL, not Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Overall, I find Tharman among the better ministers who still contributes greatly to society of Singapore, and I did see improvement in education when he is still education minister. Unfortunately, it obviously, in this case, he is made as scrapegoat by the former Finance Minister aka PM.
Tharman is only been appointed finance minister in December 2007, so before that, LHL had already approved GST hike, and minister's pay, and hike is underway.
As usual, LHL should be responsible and not just throw his own inflicted problem to his 'successor' to escape the responsibility and accountability.
It is not the first time this PM get away, and with many a time asking his own surbordinates to resolve and speak on his behalf. As usual, I won't be surprised to see the grand-daddy of Singapore,LKY, defending the hike for his son and says 'Let's move on'.
It is the standard Operation Procedure for government that every Singaporean get used to.
February 27, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Freezefees for basic amenities
Business Times, The (Singapore) – December 14, 2006
I REFER to media reports that the government has spelt out the fees to be frozen for one year after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hike, in fulfilment of its pledge to offset the burden of higher GST.
Fees not set by the government are excluded from the list as any changes are determined by market or other forces.
These include utilities charges, polyclinic and hospital charges, phone bills, university fees , HDB flat prices, foreign maid levy, vehicle and road taxes, and service and conservancy fees .
I find it somewhat puzzling that the excluded list includes polyclinic and hospital fees , foreign maid levy, vehicle and road taxes, and HDB flat prices.
Are these not under the ministries of health, manpower, transport and national development, respectively?
Have these fees not always been set by the ministries concerned?
How have 'market forces' ever been the determinant of such fees ?
Can we have some elaboration as to what are the 'other forces' that determine these fees ?
I find it quite disappointing that most of the fees that will be frozen are not those for basic amenities, and those not frozen are mainly basic necessities which may impact the lower and middle-income more, like polyclinic and hospital charges, university fees , public transport cost, water and electricity bills, telecoms bills, foreign maid levy, etc.
The explanation that service and conservancy fees are not frozen because these are decided by town councils, is a somewhat weak rationalisation, because aren't town councils, particularly the GRCs, headed by several Members of Parliament?
Since there are only two opposition MPs, isn't all the rest part of the government? LeongSzeHian Singapore
February 27, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Sze Hian,
The just-announced freeze on govt fees this year also repeats what they said last year:
"Mr Tharman, who was wrapping up the debate on the Budget Statement, said regulatory charges such as those in the transport sector and the development charges in the property market will not be frozen.
This is because they must continue to serve the purpose of regulating demand.
Similarly, the freeze has not applied to fees charged by non-government entities such as the universities, restructured hospitals and town councils.
He explained this is because they have to make their own decisions on whether or not they will raise fees." (CNA)
So, it's the same thing – essentials and necessities' fees are not freezed.
Best part is this:
"However, Mr Tharman acknowledged the concerns many Singaporeans continue to have on rising costs, and he urged the town councils to consider holding their Service and Conservancy Charges unchanged for this year."
I am truly appalled that the PAP town councils would even contemplate raising S&C charges. Didn't we just learned that they have OVER ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN RESERVES ???
Looks like helping Singaporeans is all a wayang. I am very very disappointed.
February 27, 2008 at 6:06 pm
if you have include the 33% pay increased immediately after the GST increased and deducted those as expenses, the figures are way higher then the 6.4b. Notice the generosity they had for themselves and to trumpet about the mere hundreds given out as "WELFARE"
February 27, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Just vote them out – bunch of too highly educated but stupid morons in white!!!!
February 27, 2008 at 9:40 pm
This is a very nice article. And well researched.
Good job!!
I like reading political news from around the world, and I've never heard a head of government tell his citizens what bread to eat. This is pathetic. Beyond pathetic.
February 27, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I believe it the discrepancies to be at least partly the government's intentional underestimation of our economy so that when the figures come out, we exceed expectations. Nothing really wrong with that.
And I don't think that calculating the revenues for these kind of things is easy either. If change in consumption patterns from the rise in GST do not fit that of the government's expectations, does that mean they're DIRTY FILTHY LIARS? How often are these estimates, even in other countries, correct anyway?
Thirdly, go back to economics. A surplus is a withdrawal from the flow of the economy. This means there is a disinflationary effect.
"One last note: I find it really insensitive for the prime minister to be asking Singaporeans to, effectively, scrimp and save by buying non-branded bread and cheaper frozen food, while the government's investment arms of Temasek and the GIC spend billions on bailing out ailing foreign banks."
And aren't these investment banks working to contribute to our country's capital/reserves? So what, because some Singaporeans are having trouble coping with the rising gst/prices, these two investment arms should stop all their normal investment activity? No link, sir.
February 27, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Let's face it, even the surplus of $6.4 billions excess is to hard to believe consider that this government is known to use creative accounting in any way they like without transparency. Dig it hard, and I won't be surprised to find more than $10 billions in excess.
Is government stupid to reveal such figure knowing that it will create commotion ? Nope, they probably need to but play it conservatively. Until all their accounts are subjected to public scrutiny, none of coffers, especially self-elected audit body can be trusted to tell the truth.
In the past, figure such as taxi salary can be quoted publicly by minister and exaggerated without deducting the expense, so how trustworthy can the government's statistic and figures be behind closed doors and walls ?
Just moment ago, I am totally appalled too by the news on how the Hong Kong government return the surplus to the people of Hong Kong, and setup scheme to really help the poor without increasing GST or any cost. I hope that someone will post what the Hong Kong government has done to help the poor. One thing is very sure. The HK government neither say that giving too much wellfare will bleed crude mentality nor did they say the surplus should reserved for sovereign wealth fund to help ailing bank and rainy day. That a different between a true democratic country and a fake one.
Contrast and compare to that of HK government to Singapore government is akin to comparing harvested mango to a long-rotten apple. We really need to compare that to shame our very expensive and arrogant government.
February 27, 2008 at 10:32 pm
it has, by now or long ago, become/been clear that since PAP's departure from its early socialist policies in the earlier decades, the new agenda of PAP since 90s has been that of neo-classical economics.
by this agenda, the person who is of value add to economic growth policies, will survive and prosper whereas the person who is of little or no value to economic growth policies will suffer and wither.
singaporeans obviously know this but do not care much at the ballot. that is why the government can undertake any form of risky or painful or radical or extreme economic growth policies. stop blaming the PAP for this. what singaporeans care when they vote for PAP is that beyond whatever ills that PAP's policies may bring, they believe there is an eventual goodness for themselves and the country.
as long as Singaporeans have this faith, they will continue to vote for PAP and PAP itself will continue its neo-classical economic programs which will include uncontrolled price increases, instability in wages, inequalities in income, adverse income redistribution, minimal labour protection etc
February 27, 2008 at 11:09 pm
As I said in the article, no one expects the govt – or anyone – to be perfect in their forecasts. But as I also said, when forecasts are so way off the mark, as in this case, the govt should admit their shortcoming and accept their responsibility. Note that the budget deficit/surplus forecast is not the only forecast which is way off the mark.
Indeed, Mr Tharman in Parliament today has given the undertaking that his ministry will be more accurate in its projections in future.
As for Temasek and GIC's investments, in my view, it is a matter of priorities. It is no use spending so much – more than $34 billion within a single year – on so-called investments when citizens are struggling.
Further, the success of such investments are doubtful and even if they are to reap profits, it will take a long time. Didn't both Temasek and the GIC say that these are "long term" investments? What happens to the poor and struggling in the meantime? More GST hikes so that they can be helped?
FYI: Shin profits plummet by 72% for 2007
February 28, 2008 at 12:08 am
"This is a Wayang Party, WP, not Workers' Party…Do they have solutions? Can they bring the price of oil down? Can they stop factories from pulling out of Singapore and find you jobs? Can they bring down the price of rice, a loaf of bread, a cup of coffee? "
by Dr Ng Eng Hen
3rd May 2006, Channel NewsAsia
Can Dr Ng please bring down the price of oil, bring down the price of rice, bring down the price of a loaf of bread, and bring down the price of a cup of coffee NOW???
February 28, 2008 at 12:34 am
PZ said:
"And I don't think that calculating the revenues for these kind of things is easy either. If change in consumption patterns from the rise in GST do not fit that of the government's expectations, does that mean they're DIRTY FILTHY LIARS? How often are these estimates, even in other countries, correct anyway?"
When you are so off the mark in your estimates, it speaks of a couple of possible things:
1) You are a bunch of dirty filthy liars
2) You are not lying but incompetent
3) Both
It is precisely of people like you that there is an exodus of talented singaporeans from the country every year. I say good luck to such people, people who dig themselves a hole and fall into it while the rest of us laugh.
February 28, 2008 at 9:30 am
When you talked about that WP by Ng, my temper flared because LHL said those items, government can't control, so the statement by Ng and LHL contradicts.
Million dollar ministers like LHL and Ng talked without using brain. If this year is the GE, I think PAP will get 54% down from 66.6%, Our opposition parties should be more proactive like the opposition in our neighbour Malaysia.
February 28, 2008 at 9:52 am
What the government could do and should do with the "surplus" is to give the entire $1.4 billion back to Singaporeans, and not only "60 cents of every extra dollar it collected from the GST hike." With a "surplus" of $6.45 billion, it would still have $5 billion in its coffers.
This is a very reasonable suggestion, Andrew. 🙂
February 28, 2008 at 11:38 am
I'm just wondering…i live in HK now, and am wondering whether any of the papers in Singapore carry any news about HK's budget?
HK just announced its budget yesterday. even during the buildup, the HK govt admitted that they miscalculated their budget, and had a surplus. They immediately talked about what they will do to spend the surplus – on welfare, on public works, schools, etc…and the public (such as unions, NGOs etc) were called to comment and give feedback.
And yesterday's final budget was welcomed by everyone – from businesses, to the working class. Because the govt has a lot of money, it is giving tax breaks on nearly every sector (eg hotels), more welfare checks, SMB funds, electricity subsidies, one-off income tax rebates. They are even eliminating alcohol tax except for spirits!!
The most important thing – i like the way the HK govt owns up to its mistake in underestimating their income, and prepared to spend it back into the city, and how they consult NGOs, academics, unions, etc, on where they should spend.
February 28, 2008 at 11:49 am
Singaporeans deserve this Government ! You either have the courage to stand up for your rights or else forever hold your peace. As for elections – well the system is rigged. GRC's, walkovers and other tricks ensure victory for you-know-who.
For me – I admit that I am too scared to protest. But I know that Chee Soon Juan has the guts…so he has my vote !
February 28, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Those that are full of praise for the govt's budget are simply naive and out of touch with reality. The contentious issue here is the timing and necessity to raise the 2% GST.
It was MADE CLEAR that it was not necessary. "We have to increase the GST when the economy is doing well rather than wait till bad times. The increase was meant to help the lower income group."
Therefore, in order to help the lower income group, govt must tax Singaporeans unnecessarily to fund the welfare programmes?
Surpluses from previous years cannot be touched because they can only be used for investments?
Returns from investments are used for further investments perpetually and therefore, non-returnable?
For which generation of Singaporeans are these investments suppose to cater for?
Accumulate more surpluses at Singaporeans' expense in order to make the govt look good, justify the ministers' astronomical pay and at the same time, rewarding them with fat bonuses for the "unexpected" collections?
Freeze govt fees till end of 2008 when most if not all have been increased?
Those MPs who were full of praises are simply gunning for higher office. If ever any of them gets promoted, Singaporeans will really have to dig their own graves.
Govt's help policy is to help lower income Singaporeans to their graves earlier.
Imagine a helpless man struggling in the water. A nearby lifeguard saw him but stay put in his position. The man shouted, "Help! Help! I can't swim! Help…………….." The lifeguard replied, "Learn to swim! I'll come to you only when you really can't!"
(To ask whether one is hungry when one is dying from hunger!)
February 28, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Do think about all these events carefully when you next vote. I am personlly not pleased with the high-handness of how our government conducts itself and talk down to the people, telling us how lucky we are to have such a good government like them. HK is a clear example that you need not pay high salaries to get good people to serve the country and their willingness to admit their oversight in budget estimates will only win the hearts of its people. Well at least I have no regrets in NOT VOTING for Lee Hisen Loong when he was out there in AMK MRT shaking people's hands in the last GE.
Back then, my folks asked me how come you never vote for PM Lee, i replied that parliament has been dissolved and Lee Hisen Loong is NOT Prime Minister until his party wins the majority and forms the next government.
February 28, 2008 at 5:56 pm
"Surpluses from previous years cannot be touched because they can only be used for investments?"
The kind of excuses and lame reasons given is what make our venerable ex-president angst over PAP government when he uncovered something wrong on the accounting and he demand more power to president.
Does most of annual surplus actually quickly go into Temasek and GLC's fund so that a budget deficit can be quickly announced to create more surplus ? Remember what goes into those investment fund is government's secret. If the government ever get dismantled, we can find how 'honest' and 'credible' our so-called 'esteem' government is. Definitely smell a scandal even larger than Edison Chen.
So how is the hell that such a important terrorist can escape given that he is limp ? Does that not coincide with commotion by the public asking for accountability on the GST hike ? Is this merely distraction to 'move on' to the topics of capturing the terrorist ?
We can't help but smell a dead rat.
February 28, 2008 at 6:11 pm
The president I refer to is
Ong Teng Cheong. He should be called the true leader of Singapore, not the pathetic counterpart that forces media and books to portray him as hero.


text:
We have been out of the LA scene for about 4 years but will be back in town for my partner's 30th in a few weeks and need recommendations for dinner spots. An idea on type/level is Joe's in Venice (mains from teens to twenties). We will be dining with his parents (who don't covet food as much) which changes our approach a bit from a blowout meal at Bastide/Sona/AOC etc...but would still like the experience of a good chef.
Have seen lots of reviews for Jar and Table 8, think these would fall into out category?
Thanks in advance and if anyone's heading to Boston or London let me know, personal rec's available!


text:
|30 Apr 2015
First Blue Screen in a while
Just got my first blue screen this week, and haven't had one in a while, at first it froze when I was playing video games and listening to music and I'd have to restart it, then it blued screened, and then this morning it crashed and let off two beeps which means its a ram problem, but everything is plugged in. need some help figuring it out please
Thank you,
|My System Specs
|30 Apr 2015
Can you take a camera snap of the next BSOD screen and let us see it? We need some information at least before we start troubleshooting, and the onscreen codes will provide some.
|My System Specs
|30 Apr 2015
Sorry new to this a friend told me to just post that file, but there is the blue screen I got yesterday hopefully you can see it.
|My System Specs
|01 May 2015
There are some abnormal texts on the screen.
A failing memory is one of the most important causes of a stop 0x3B BSODs. So Test your RAM modules for possible errors.
How to Test and Diagnose RAM Issues with Memtest86+Run memtest86+ for at least 8 consecutive passes.
If it start showing errors/red lines, stop testing. A single error is enough to determine that something is going bad there.
Let us know the result.
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Frye Women's Sabrina Double Buckle Short Boots
Item # 0456F8
- Frye Women's Sabrina Double Buckle Short Boots
- Item # 0456F8
$378.00 Online Price
Additional Information
Product Features & Description
These women's shoes by Frye are not only stylish but comfortable to boot! The Sabrina Double Buckle is an ankle boot made of Frye's signature Montana leather with inside zipper for the perfect fit. A low heel gives up a bit of lift and makes these boots perfect for the office.
- Round toe profile
- Leather lining
- Tumbled finish
- Double buckled design
- Imported
- Montana leather construction
- Full length inside zipper


text:
Dear Circe,
I can promise you that you'll never have to take another pill, will never need any more bloodwork. There will be no more vet visits. No more sucky car rides. Goodbye, little ballerina kitty, who two months ago could jump over my head at the ripe old age of 14. I already miss you.
P.S. Meow.
Edited 12/28/06 12:43pm to add mp3 and link to Brian's post.
December 27, 2006
I can promise you…Posted by Katherine Mankiller under cats
[6] Comments
Dear Circe,
6 Responses to "I can promise you…"
December 27, 2006 at 12:27 pm
*Snif* I wound up Snickers for extra prrrs to the Lady on Circe's behalf last night when I heard the news.
December 27, 2006 at 2:53 pm
Thank you, Cynthia.
December 28, 2006 at 1:46 am
And thanks for catching my misdirected link on my blog…I fixed it.
December 28, 2006 at 10:45 am
No problem. I recently started knitting myself, so I wanted to see the knitted DNA helix.
December 30, 2006 at 11:34 pm
Even though I've offered hugs and condolences in other places, I figure it never hurts to offer more. *Hugs!*
December 30, 2006 at 11:40 pm
Thank you, Misha. {{{clings}}}


text:
10 February 2015
CHASE is an upcoming Telugu Action Entertainment movie from the Makers of Hollywood Production company. Introducing RAM DIVYESH as an Action Hero.
The film is presented by Smt Padma Latha under banner of PINAKIN ARTS.
Producer/Director Mohan Nimakayala told to news…. the movie has made with Hollywood standards entire movie shot in USA. Director says this movie for sure will entertain action movie lovers. The Music released in the market through Aditya MUSIC and got a SUPERHIT TALK.
Music composed by Shankar Tamiri and Lyrics by Venu Jairam. Camera handled by Hollywood director of photography TROY BAKEWELL and songs cinematographed by Shaneil Deo. Publicity Designer VASU PREM, PRO PSN Reddy.
CAST: Ram Divyesh, Spandana Alluri, Nishanth, Loknath Sri Parvasthu, Ram hari, Phil Awada, Tom Henry and Chriss Gilmore..


text:
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text:
Apple, Poppy, and Walnut Flodni
Recipe contributed by Elizabeth Schwartz; photo by Tami Ganeles Weiser
Prep Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 45 minutes
Flodni is a traditional Jewish-Hungarian filled pastry. A sweet wine such as Sauternes—or better yet, a sweet Tokaj—is wonderful in this pastry dough, but if you have any leftover Manischewitz from your seder and no one who will drink it, it works great here! Tokaj, by the way, is Hungary's national wine and—a bit o' trivia—the vineyards were started by Jews.—Elizabeth Schwartz
From the Test Kitchen: Allow 3 hours for the dough to chill.
For the pastry:
¼-ounce (7-gram / 2¼-teaspoon) package yeast
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) warm water
½ cup (102 grams) granulated sugar, divided
2 sticks (227 grams/1 cup/16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
½ cup (118 milliliters) sweet dessert wine
2½ cups (325 grams) unbleached, all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
For the sugar syrup:
2 cups (408 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup water
For the walnut filling:
1 cup (100 grams) ground walnuts (see Notes from the Test Kitchen)
3 tablespoons (15 grams) unseasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) sweet dessert wine
Grated zest of ½ medium lemon (2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) fresh lemon juice
For the poppy seed filling:
1 cup (150 grams) ground poppy seeds
½ cup (82 grams) raisins
Grated zest of ½ medium lemon (2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon (6 grams) vanilla extract
For the apple filling:
1¼ pounds (567 grams) apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (about 3¾ cups)
1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) lemon juice
For the egg wash:
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
- Combine the yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a bowl and let stand for 5 to 7 minutes or until bubbly (to proof the yeast).
- Meanwhile, combine the scant ½ cup sugar and the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix at low speed for about 2 minutes, until completely combined. Add the egg yolks and wine and mix until the butter is softened and the mixture is well blended.
- Combine the flour and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture in thirds, alternating with thirds of the yeast mixture, mixing between additions until all have been combined into the egg yolk mixture, mixing well to fully combine. (See Notes from the Test Kitchen.) Divide into 4 equal pieces and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Start the fillings: Set out 3 mixing bowls: In the first, combine the ingredients for the walnut filling: the walnuts, breadcrumbs, wine, zest, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. In the second, combine the poppy seeds lemon zest, raisins, and vanilla. In the third, combine the apples with the cinnamon and lemon juice, mixing to incorporate.
- Make the sugar syrup: Combine ½ cup water with 2 cups sugar in a microwave-safe container and bring to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. (You can also do this in a saucepan.) Measure half of the syrup, pour it over the walnut filling ingredients, and mix to combine. Pour the remaining syrup over the poppy seed filling ingredients and mix to combine.
- Remove dough from fridge. Place 1 piece on a work surface and roll into into a 9- by 13-inch rectangle. It will be thin, less than ⅛ inch thick. Transfer to one of the prepared baking sheets and cover lightly with a layer of parchment. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of dough, stacking the rolled rectangles, and separating them with sheets of parchment.
- Place 1 sheet of pastry dough on the other parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with the poppy filling, spreading it evenly. Top with a second sheet of pastry dough, and spread with the walnut mixture. Top with a third sheet of pastry dough and spread with the apple mixture. Top with the remaining pastry dough.
- Make the egg wash by mixing the egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush the top with the egg wash and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Kitchen Tips
Notes from the Test Kitchen
- Walnuts are available pre-ground, but if you can't find them, you can simply grind some in a food processor or mini-processor.
- We found that adding all of the dry ingredients at once, in step 3, was equally effective for this yeast dough, as long as the butter is at room temperature.
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Ridley Scott To Produce Kindt's "MIND MGMT"
Although Matt Kindt's "Mind MGMT" series from Dark Horse Comics only just returned this month from a brief break, the book has already picked up some major buzz in 2013. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Twentieth Century Fox has picked up the movie rights for the critical darling with Ridley Scott onboard to produce via his Scott Free banner. Dark Horse's Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg are also onboard as producers. A search for a writer to adapt Kindt's story has already begun.
Kindt's creator-owned series follows the story of Henry Lime, the greatest asset of a government agency of psychic spies. After Lime suffers a breakdown, causing an entire town to kill one another, he goes on the run and disappears — until years later, he saves Meru, a true crime novelist who begins to investigate the mysterious agency after her rescue at Henry's hands.
"When I started this series, I pitched it to Dark Horse as 'Here's six issues that could be self-contained, but I'd love to do it for three years,'" Kindt told CBR last year. "Part way through those first six, they said it was doing great, so I can keep going," he said. "Now I've got a three-year plan for it, and I'm doing it six issues at a time. I'm not making it in big chunks, so I have no idea what it's like reading it in big chunks. It's different for me too because with graphic novels, I finish the whole book first. This is different for me as a creator. It might be too much to read all at once. Who knows? I hope people embrace that monthly format."
"MIND MGMT" has garnered excellent reviews, with January's "MIND MGMT" #7 getting 4.5 stars from CBR reviewer Greg McElhatton, who said, "Kindt's story and art pull you in effortlessly and make you desperate for the next piece to the puzzle."
The writer has also written for DC Comics' New 52, including the recently-concluded "Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E." and the upcoming Martian Manhunter co-feature in Geoff Johns' "Justice League of America" debuting in March.
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Why Michigan State and Wisconsin are the best programs nobody (nationally) wants to talk about
For a second, rip the names off the front of the jerseys, play nice, and humor us. In the interest of this discussion, we'll — oh, what the heck, let's just call one team "Pinky" and the other "The Brain."
Consider this: In the last seven meetings between the two programs, "Pinky" happened to come in with a combined winning percentage of .760; "The Brain," a winning percentage of .822.
And this: Over the last seven meetings of the aforementioned "Pinky" and "The Brain," six of the games involved at least one side being ranked in the top 25. In those seven meetings, both teams were ranked five times.
Oh, and this: In four of the showdowns, "Pinky" came in ranked among the top 15 twice; "The Brain" was stationed among the top 15 on five different occasions. In five of those games, at least one of the two programs had a top 10 ranking at stake.
Not Ohio State-Michigan.
Not Ohio State-Penn State.
Not Ohio State-Nebraska.
Not Ohio State-Anybody.
"Pinky"? Michigan State. "The Brain?" Wisconsin. And those seven games in question happened from 2007-2012, one of them for a Big Ten championship. Narf.
So where's Corso? Where's Kirk?
Where's the circus?
The cameras? The hype? The national love?
"I could argue that this game deserves to have College GameDay be there," ESPN analyst Anthony Becht said of the Big Ten's marquee clash Saturday at Spartan Stadium — underrated Michigan State on one sideline, overlooked Wisconsin on the other. "From a standpoint of what that (College Football Playoff selection) committee is sitting down and watching, this game is as big of a game as any they could look at."
I tell ya, no respect
Bigger, actually. The Spartans (2-0) go into the weekend ranked eighth by the Associated Press; the Badgers (3-0) 11th, and Saturday's brouhaha is their first meeting since 2012. As a pair, they've appeared in more Big Ten championship games than any other conference school, with three berths each. (The Buckeyes are next on the list, with two.) They've also won more championship games than the rest of the field, with two titles apiece. (Ohio State is next, again, with one in 2014.)
Gang Green just handed favored Notre Dame its lunch last weekend in South Bend, Ind. The Badgers held off No. 17 (and favored) LSU at Lambeau Field in Green Bay back on Sept. 3. And yet Sparty, 45-11 since 2012, flies below the cognoscenti's collective radar, and Bucky, 41-16 over the last five seasons, somehow glides along below that.
Meanwhile, Jim Harbaugh picks his nose, and Twitter spins like a cartoon Tasmanian Devil jacked on Red Bull.
Did Jim Harbaugh eat his own booger? Yes. https://t.co/RLDM3hkUJz
— 1460 KXnO (@1460kxno) September 14, 2016
What does Mark Dantonio have to do to get your attention? Moon a vicar?
"I think Michigan State was a brand name – a national name – for years, specifically when they welcomed African American athletes from the South in the times when they were not welcome (to play) in the South," Big Ten analyst Gerry DiNardo offered. "So I think that Michigan State's history, that they have been a national name at times in their history. And they became a little bit of a regional program (for a time), and (Spartans coach) Mark Dantonio brought them back to a national program.
"Wisconsin, you know, I see them more as a regional program, a program that could go national, if they wanted to, but I don't know if that's their desire … but you make a great point; neither of them gets the attention that Michigan and Ohio State get, and they've been in more (league title games)."
Welcome to East Lansing, home of the 2016 Rodney Dangerfield Bowl.
And you know what's even more remarkable? That they're kind of — well, fine with that. At least, the head coaches are. Dantonio relishes the underdog card, so much so that it's become the proverbial can of spinach to be whipped out, Popeye-style, whenever the Spartans are picked (as usual) by the doyens from D.C. to Los Angeles to bite the dust against sexier names such as the Irish, Buckeyes or the big-brother Wolverines.
What's also remarkable about this meeting — as with each of the seven before it — is how incestuous it is stylistically. And philosophically. From 2002-2006, Sparty had become Illinois North, captains of irrelevance, poster boys for underachievement. When Dantonio left Cincinnati to take over at Michigan State a decade ago, one of his models was the Badger beast that Barry Alvarez had built from damn near nothing in Madison, Wisc., some 16 years earlier. Win in the box. Out-tough the other guy. Wear'em down. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
"How they're similar? The way they play the game," DiNardo said. "And the way their head coaches approach their teams. They're very level, emotionally … neither one of them smiles a whole lot on the sidelines. I think they're similar in the way they go about their business, the way they conduct their business. They're both great guys. Their hospitality — to say we get the same amount of hospitality at 14 schools would be inaccurate. But those two guys have treated us (well). Wisconsin in general, but (coach) Paul (Chryst) has been great. Mark started when we started. We parallel our history there. He's just (great), and so is Paul. A lot of similarities that way, personality-wise, how first-class they are."
'We,' not 'me'
Sardonic. Dry. All business. It's easier to get the Mona Lisa to crack a smile than Dantonio. Chryst doesn't suffer fools gladly. Yet their peers respect them; their respective rosters are ready to run through walls for them. In Madison and East Lansing, it's not so much about "me" as the "we," a foundation built on the under-recruited and the hungry, where the only thing broader than the shoulders are the chips stacked on top of them.
"I think, No. 1, for me, from a recruiting standpoint, they're not getting the top tier talent every single year," Becht said. "Michigan, of late, is getting those four-, five-star players, and Ohio State continues to get these guys and funnel them in every year. Whereas with Wisconsin and Michigan State, they're getting some, but they're making a lot of three-star players better, they're developing a lot of these players. Not to say the other schools aren't.
"It's kind of the old-fashioned way: Developing your talent when they come in, and you see something in a high school player that other schools don't see. And you work them in your system … Michigan State, they lose a ton of good players and lose their quarterback and all of a sudden, they're just as good they were last year. Wisconsin, it's the same thing: They're always good every week, always in contention. It's just that they lack star power, sometimes."
Although not every recruiting guru necessarily buys that last bit. From 2013 through 2016, Scout.com ranked the Spartans' incoming classes as 24th-best in the nation, on average, and fourth-best in the Big Ten. Over that same stretch, Wisconsin's classes averaged a No. 30 rank nationally and a No. 5 placement among league peers. Instead of harping on the whole 'more-with-less' narrative, why aren't we focusing on the 'more' side of the equation?
"Wisconsin has passed (Iowa and Nebraska) in that they went to three Rose Bowls," said Brandon Huffman, Scout's national director for recruiting. "And they've had that turnover in the coaching ranks and have still done well."
New coaches. New coordinators. The same mantra and message, night after night after night after night: Try to take over the world. If the Spartans and Badgers keep pounding hard enough, one of these days the world is going to finally catch on.


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Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCDS, AHIMA-Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer
Gloryanne is a coding and HIM professional with 40 years of experience. She is the past president of the California Health Information Association. Gloryanne is a member of the ICD10monitor editor board and is a popular guest on Talk Ten Tuesdays.
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Seeking ICD-10 Coding Answers and Clarification
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The Future of ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Changes
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August 4, 2014


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On Monday night a Tulsa police sniper shot and killed a man who allegedly broke into his estranged wife's home and was holding her two-year-old daughter hostage.
The incident began unfolding about 11:40 pm. NBC 2 reports that police were called at 11:41 pm and arrived to find "a 44-year-old man [had broken] into his estranged wife's home, grabbed her two-year-old daughter and [was holding] the girl hostage."
The estranged wife was able to escape with her boyfriend and three other children.
Police said the 44-year-old man was armed with a handgun and "made several threatening gestures from the home's balcony pointing the handgun at the girl and officers." Tulsa World reports the suspect "stepped onto the second-floor balcony while holding the girl with one hand and the gun with the other."
Police attempted to communicate with the man over a period of hours, using "a Spanish-speaking officer," but to no avail. Finally, just after 3 am, a police sniper took one shot, killing the suspect. The two-year-old child was rescued and "has been reunited with her family."
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at email@example.com.


text: CLUBSOUND @ CRUMLIN ROAD GAOL By caroline On November 23, 2016 · Add Comment Crumlin Road Gaol Clubsound, Ireland's premier comedy showband were part of the Ulster heartbeat through the troubles and helped people forget their worries. With comic songs like, Belfast, Belfast, Tonga LOL, Daddy's Wee Balloons, Nigel Courtney, The Reluctant Exile and The Singing Farmer, becoming sure fire favourites with crowds throughout Ulster's thriving cabaret scene. It wasn't just their comedy that won hearts. The members of the band are all gifted musicians, be it playing a Glen Millar Medley, a traditional folk song such as 'Mary From Dungloe or their tribute to the super B's – The Beachboys, The Beatles and The Bee Gees. Clubsound were the most successful showband group from Northern Ireland from the 1960s to the 1990s. The current lineup features George Jones, David McKnight, Barry Woods, Alan McCartney and Jimmy Black A great night of craic and fun is guaranteed Doors open 7.00pm Show Starts 8.30pm


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Q: One visitor asked, "I recently installed a plywood subfloor over a slab. There is a cement "lip" bordering the entire room which is uneven and ranges from 1" to 3" in different spots. It is impossible to make the plywood meet this lip all the way around the room. Is there anything that can be used to lay over the subfloor to help in the uneven areas? Maybe some kind of moisture barrier that will also help uneven spots? We are putting down a laminate floor in the room."
I wouldn't be thinking of putting any sort of "vapor barrier" over the
plywood you have fastened to the concrete. If anything, the vapor
is to be placed between the concrete and plywood, and not on top. I am
sure how you can deal with this concrete lip, especially given that it
not even in height, and ranges from 1-3 inches. How far out from the
does it protrude? Is it close enough to the wall so that 5/8 baseboard
then 3/4 quarter round would cover it?
Keep in mind if you are installing laminated flooring: the sub floor has
be flat. If there are slight dips of, lets say 1/16 or 1/8 inch, you
use black tar paper to level the area, or perhaps even a quick dry
patch. Perhaps you may have been better off in the long run to use
rather than plywood. It gives you a bit of elevation off the concrete
a plastic vapor barrier already attached and allows you to ship certain
areas with these spacers that snap onto the underside. Hind sight is
isn't it?
If this lip around the perimeter is large, perhaps you will need to
build a
small box around it.
I hope some of these ramblings might be helpful.
Related questions about wood floor installation:
>Is it not true that the wood should have sat in the house for a week before moving in?
>What's the best wood floor for a kitchen?
>Will I need to install a new floor, or can I salvage this one?
>What is your ballpark figure for installation of hardwood?
Types of Flooring
>Hardwood and the hardness scale?
>Where can I find ebony flooring in Toronto?
>Is it a bad idea in general to screw/nail down part of a floating laminate floor?
>What is the best wood to install in a home with a large dog?
>Should we buy the thicker engineered hardwood?
>Would wide plank flooring would be suitable in the Edmonton, Alberta region, with its cold, dry winters?
>What is the difference between a varnished, laminated and pre finished floor?
>If a pre-sanded v-groove hardwood floor is laid, buffed and varnished 3 times, how much of a 'groove' will you see/feel?
>How do I prepare my sub floor?
>Tongue and groove flooring over concrete?
>Should we remove some of the multiple layers of subfloor before installing?
>Should a water vapor barrier be put down if the hardwood flooring is to be installed over osb over a full unfinished basement? How should the flooring be laid? Parallel or perpendicular to the floor joists?
>I'm planning to install 3/4" Hardwood in our rooms, but there are some uneven spots. Is there any kind of leveling compound we can use?
>Do I have to remove the old flooring in the kitchen for the transition to the rest of the house without having to put a subfloor under the rest of the house to bring it up to level with the kitchen floor or can I use some sort of transition strip?
>I understand that we have to install solid hardwood over 3/4" plywood. I'd like to install the plywood now and paint it. Can I later put hardwood down over the painted plywood?
> I installed 3/4 OSB directly over a concrete slab, above grade, with a vapor barrier Rosen paper and Nailed down 3/4 Maple. What problems can I look forward to?
>Is it possible to put something overtop the particle board before putting down carpeting or hardwood to help with sound proofing?
>Is it good to put a new oak floor over an old one, or is it better to tear up the old one and put new plywood boards and then the new oak floor?
>Can we lay the plywood over the parquet? (And a bit about bamboo!)
>Should I install laminate over hardwood?
>How do I correct the uneven, downhill slant in my floor before installing?
Ripping out Old Floors & Salvaging
>How do I remove an old floor?
>I want to salvage some oak flooring from a house that is being torn down.What is the best approach to avoid spliting and cracking of the flooring?
>How do I safely salvage a gymnasium floor?
>Is there anyway to remove and relocate 3/8 strip flooring?
>How do I tear up these floors without damaging them further?
>Should I remove the glue on the parquet I tore out before I install it somewhere else?
>How do we remove the plywood sheeting and tiles that are on top of our hardwood?
>My foyer has 1/4 inch plywood glued down over the old hardwood. How do I remove it?
>I'm in the process of removing laminate floor titles that had been glued on oak hardwood floors in the dining room. eventually, I'll be getting the floors in the whole house sanded and refinished, but until then, is there aneasy way to get the sticky glue residue off without harming the wood? Or canI at least put something down that won't be a problem come sanding time butwill keep me from sticking every time I walk on it?
>How do we get the old lanolium off the floor to get to the wood?
>How can we remove carpeting which was glued to wooden steps about 30 years ago?
>Installing damaged salvaged maple flooring?
>How do I remove tile to install a hardwood floor?
>How and how long do I dry this salvaged maple?
Radiant Heat and Sound Proofing
>Can I install hardwood over radiant heat?
>We have some concern about noise/sound insulation. what is the best product to use? How should it be installed?
>I would like to have my floors redone so there will no more uneven floor and sound proof a little in the process. What do you suggest here?


text:
Live updates
United Utilities workers go on strike
Workers at United Utilities in the North West have gone on strike in a long-running dispute over pensions. The 27-hour walk-out began at 5 a.m. on Friday.
The GMB union will be mounting picket lines at 18 water and waste treatment plants during the stoppage.
The union says a majority of members voted in a consultative ballot to reject the company's plan for all staff to move from a defined benefit final salary pension to a defined contribution pension scheme from April 2016.
United Utilities says it has been consulting with four unions over a proposal to close the defined benefit pension scheme affecting some employees. The company says that proposal has been taken off the table while an assessment is made of the cost of keeping the scheme going, and it will continue to try to resolve differences by talking.


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I am the beginning of sorrow, and the end of sickness. You cannot express happiness without me, yet I am in the midst of crosses. I am always in risk, yet never in danger. You may find me in the sun, but I am never out of darkness.
The letter S.
The Riddles.com mission is to be the be the world's most comprehensive riddle website on the internet for riddles, puzzles, rebus caps and quizzes. Our riddle library contains interesting riddles and answers to test visitors and evoke deep thought and community discussion. Riddlers will benefit from the creativity of our members who participate in growth of our online riddles and puzzles resource. We encourage you to become a member of Riddles.


text:
Take a Helicopter to Dinner!
We have a unique suggestion for our Grand Cayman Villas and Condos guests. Take a helicopter to dinner! Arrive at your dinner destination after a sunset tour with Cayman Islands Helicopters. Guests depart from the landing pad next to the Lobster Pot downtown, and are taken on a 20-minute sightseeing flight before touching down for dinner at The Ritz-Carlton, Camana Bay or downtown.
The tour can accommodate up to six people, and includes a limo ride home (within certain areas).
It's an experience that will definitely take a night out to new heights.
Cayman Islands Helicopters
943-4354 or 926-6967, caymanislandshelicopters.com
Tags: Cayman Islands Helicopter


text:
|Tyler Coulter will serve the second game of a two-game
suspension on Tuesday.
Brandon has won the last three games of the series, all of them in Edmonton, to put themselves in position to move on to the next round with a home-ice victory.
"We didn't have the start we wanted, going into Edmonton down 2-0, but it wasn't like we were going there negative," said Brandon defenceman Mitch Wheaton on Monday, "We knew that we played well at home and just didn't get the result we wanted. We stayed positive and stuck together...that's been our biggest thing so far and that's what we're going to keep doing."
Brandon may have been the WHL's highest-scoring team in the regular season, but it's been their strong defensive play that has carried them into the lead in this series.
The Wheat Kings have allowed just four goals against in the last four games and limited the Oil Kings to just three goals on 74 shots in the three games at Rexall Place.
Edmonton averaged 34.1 shots per game during the regular season, third-most in the WHL.
"The one thing we've always wanted to work on here is not winning games 7-6 or 8-6. We wanted to be comfortable in a 3-2 or a 2-1 win," said Wheaton, "We've been really good defensively the past four games and that's something we're going to continue to work on."
Tyler Coulter will miss his second straight game Tuesday night for a suspension under supplemental discipline stemming from an incident in Game Four last Thursday.
Coulter was suspended for two games by the Western Hockey League, and will serve the second and final game of the suspension on Tuesday night.
Chaff...Brandon's last Game Six in a playoff series was April 4, 2011...John Quenneville leads the Wheat Kings with seven points (4 G, 3 A) in the series, and his 39 career playoff points has him 15th all-time in Wheat Kings history...Brandon is 4-for-27 (14.8%) on the power-play and 13-for-15 (86.7%) on the penalty-kill in the series...the Wheat Kings have scored first in all five games in the series...Game Seven, if necessary, would take place Wednesday at Westman Communications Group Place.


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text:
Innovation & Insights Discovery in the Pharma Industry | A new insight cannot be gleaned from the data in your CRM. Nor will it come from observations from the field and rarely from traditional market research. While these are all important ingredients in the process of insight discovery, the competitors can probably obtain all these same facts and figures, therefore the knowledge gained from these sources do not fulfill the critical criteria of an insight and that is, that it is not yet known and it will drive competitive advantage.
An insight is not easily found. Insight discovery will take persistence and cross-functional input to create a much needed tension and new perspectives. Having a shared understanding of what an insight is will help all parties involved to use that definition as a guide post, and steer a rigorous process for discovery.
With new digital communications tools across multiple channels and the implementation of more sophisticated CRMs and apps, there is an explosion of data on hand. Coupled with a drive towards customer centricity and the application of design thinking processes, insight discovery just got a whole lot easier.
Design Thinking Can Help Discover Insights
So what value does the business analytics report from the CRM or other reporting applications hold?
These systems produce great looking, very colourful, dashboards and they give comfort that the numbers are being achieved (or not). There may even potentially be an insight in there somewhere. In fact many have started using the term 'insight' for any facts or conclusions drawn from this data that is now available with the help of these systems.
It is true that if you are measuring and tracking relevant metrics, data can cast a light on selected areas of interest, it can inform and educate, possible even guide our thinking. But data does not do our thinking for us. We must go a step beyond the data to find an insight.
This is where discipline of design thinking can provide the structure and formality of a systematic process, to turn that data and knowledge into meaningful stories and understandings.
Based on past experience, the application of design thinking principles, which hinges on true insights, needs to be scalable and repeatable, so that it can becomes a known process within the organization and believed to produce long term results. This is quite critical – the organization must believe insights will produce long-term results in order to invest in the process of discovery, which cannot be rushed.
Discovering insights using design thinking principles requires new ways of working, with permission to play and source new forms of data and observations. The CRM and reporting apps can assist in researching, tracking and analyzing. The design thinking process can help make sense of the data and turn it into intelligence.
A design thinking process can look something like this:
- define the customer journey
- collate research (loop)
- insight discovery (loop)
- ideate, select, prototype, select, implement, learn and iterate (loop).
From Insight to Ideas in the Pharma Industry
There are many definitions out there of what is a real insight: an insight is unknown, a fundamental human truth, a new way of viewing the world, a new perspective and an underlying motivation that drives human behavior.
Using written insight statements can turn the new knowledge you have gained into actionable insights to inspire new ideas. An insight statement should set a context, present the barriers to be solved and 'why'. It should also present the unfulfilled needs and envision the ideal.
So if you look back at your insight statements:
- Do they capture the customer dilemma and explain why it is real?
- Does it challenge the status quo and give a new perspective?
- Does it inspire action and give a clear path to what you need to do next?
- Does it describe how you might help solve this dilemma and add real customer value?
It does not have to be a long statement. Professor Theodore Levitt famously told his Harvard Business School students many years ago: "People don't want quarter-inch drills. They want quarter-inch holes."
Collect the right data. Measure what matters and what you care about, versus everything because you can do. Then, most powerful insights can come from rigorous data analysis coupled with design thinking, translating your large amounts of data and observations into compelling truths.
Insights can inspire action and show what to do next making the potential value to the customer very clear.
If you are interested in our mobile learning solutions on digital channels, contact Actando.
The Actando Consulting Team