http://forums.vr-zone.com/ Discuss about current affairs, the latest government policies and regional/world news here. en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:21:33 GMT vBulletin 60 http://forums.vr-zone.com/images/as4/misc/rss.jpg http://forums.vr-zone.com/ http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511110&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:29:26 GMT *Cruise Centre: Professionalism lacking * Image:... Cruise Centre: Professionalism lacking



WHEN I returned home recently on Superstar Libra, arriving at the Singapore Cruise Centre, I could not help but discern the stark difference in professionalism and service quality between the centre and a first-class entry point like Changi Airport.

First, the incoming passengers at the centre were directed indiscriminately by a male officer to the long manual clearance queue.

Only when I asked about automatic clearance did he direct me towards the correct passage - where there was no queue. The excellent technological infrastructure introduced by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at the Cruise Centre is a waste if the ground staff do not use it properly - or well.

At the next stop for security and Customs checks, there were red lines on the floor for people to wait in line before walking through the metal detector.

However, the ICA officers did not guide passengers to clear their luggage and walk through individually. The disorderly way in which passengers were cleared did not reflect an efficient process in checking security. When I asked for a tray to put my cellphone, keys and wallet before being scanned, a woman ICA officer brusquely replied it was unnecessary - a contrast to the basic courtesies ICA officers demonstrate at Changi Airport, for instance.

The Cruise Centre is the first point of contact for many foreigners too, and the procedure and attitude of the ICA checks leave much to be desired.

The opening of the integrated resorts will bring greater cruise and ferry traffic. The Singapore Cruise Centre and the ICA must improve their performance, or risk becoming the weak link in our excellence in homeland security and service.

Lim Beng Chuan

Relax - Cruise Centre: Professionalism lacking ]]> Newsroom MinMin http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511110 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511108&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:23:45 GMT *Ten places women want to be touched* Image:... Ten places women want to be touched



TRESSES: Men like women with gorgeous locks. You should also know that women love being touched on their head. It helps ease stress. Run your fingers sensuously through her tresses, massage her temples of her neck and she'll be game to your desires.



NAPE OF HER NECK: The back of a woman’s neck was extremely attractive in Japan as it was one of the few areas not covered by the kimono. Today, few men focus on the area, but you can give your lady a high by kissing her there.



COLLAR BONE: A well-defined collarbone is irresistible. Unbutton her shirt just a little and stimulate her collarbone with your fingertips. Give her soft love bites right there, make circles with your tongue, to tell her how much you want her.



SMALL OF HER BACK: Most women love it when their guy places his hand against the small of her back - it shows that he is protective over her. Incorporate this gesture into your foreplay routine by licking down her spine and back up.



BEHIND HER KNEES: This area is a power house of sensitive nerve endings. Gently caress the back of her knee under her skirt in the car or during a late night movie to get her excited by the time you reach home.



PALM OF HER HANDS: We hold hands with our partners everyday, but have you ever thought that you could arouse desires by stimulating her palms of her hand? Run your finger along her palm and that will ease her into a sexy rendezvous ahead.



EARLOBES: This is one of the most erogenous moan centers. Touching, kissing and even gently nibbling her earlobes and the rims of her ear will send her into a sexually dizzying state. But don’t stick your tongue in there - it's a turn off!



FEET: There’s nothing more sinfully seductive than a foot massage. It will help her relax with the help of some aromatic massage oil. Pay extra attention to the pressure points such as the sides of her feet and ankles.



INNER THIGHS: Touching a woman’s inner thighs without touching her private parts will make for an excellent tease. Employ your hands and mouth to caress and kiss the insides of her thighs but remember to pull back before going all the way.



PELVIS: Concentrating some affection here is a great idea, but you’ll have to resist the urge to slip down further to her private areas. Like teasing her inner thighs, kiss and caress her around the pelvis until she wants more of you.

In ancient Japan, the nape of the neck is considered very attractive by men as it is one of the few exposed areas not covered by the elaborate kimono. Today, men go straight for a woman's cleavage or private parts and have neglected other pleasurable spots of a woman's body during sexual intercourse.

Men and women respond very differently to touch. Don't mistake that women liked to be touched they same way as men in the mating game. Here are some other moan zones to get your lady sexcited, for a better and more memorable night.

Diva - Ten places women want to be touched ]]> Newsroom MinMin http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511108 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511103&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:07:55 GMT .Commuters still don't spare a thought for pregnant women



I HOPE that this letter will help create social awareness among commuters who use MRT and buses.

I’m currently four months pregnant with my first child. I travel toand from work by the MRT every day from Pasir Ris to Outram Park and back.

There have been instances where some caring soul would give up his or her seat for me.

Regrettably, there are still many inconsiderate Singaporeans who would simply ignore me.

For example,on my way home on Monday, I stood in front of the priority seat which was occupied by a woman reading a newspaper.

She looked up at me and raised her newspaper even higher. The woman next to her also looked at me, glanced at my tummy,and straight away closed her eyes.

Another lady at the third seat was alighting and she signalled to me to take her seat.

But just as she stood up, another woman rushed to the seat and straight away closed her eyes.

But she would open her eyes once in a while, look around,and then close them again.

I am appalled by the character and attitude of such people, especially women,who should understand the situation of a pregnant woman.

This has happened not just to me but to many other pregnant women.

This is such a disgrace to our society and a shame in spite of the signs and posters pasted in the trains.

People should be more considerate.

Rina Munir

Diva - Commuters still don't spare a thought for pregnant women ]]> Newsroom MinMin http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511103 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511099&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:02:20 GMT S'pore F-15 pilots, crew to train in US



(Main photo: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean placing the Peace Carvin V detachment badge on MAJ Mark Tan at the inauguration of Peace Carvin V in Mountain Home, Idaho.)

By Adrian Tay

The pilots and crew of Singapore's newest fighter jets, the F-15SG, will have their training based in the US Air Force's (USAF) Mountain Home Air Force Base (MHAFB) in Idaho.

The detachment of about 250 Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) personnel comprising pilots, Weapons System Officers (Fighter) and ground crew will undergo air-to-air and air-to-ground training and development programmes.

This is to operationalise the F-15SG fighter aircraft, and set up a core group of fully qualified F-15SG air and ground crew.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean, who officiated at the inauguration ceremony of the RSAF's Peace Carvin (PC) V F-15SG fighter detachment at the Mountain Home Air Force Base, said "The F-15SG represents a new capability that will enhance the SAF's ability to deal decisively with security challenges and contribute to the peace and stability of our region."

While there, they will also participate in USAF exercises to hone their professional skills and enhance their combat readiness.

DPM Teo said that the RSAF detachments in the US "have provided realistic, rigorous and demanding training for our airmen to build up their combat readiness.

"The training that the SAF has been able to conduct in the United States, and the invaluable support and assistance rendered by the US Government and the US military, are a reflection of the strong and warm bilateral relationship that our two countries enjoy. This is a relationship based on shared strategic perspectives and common interests. Singapore's position has always been that the United States' presence in the Asia-Pacific is vital for the region's continued peace and security," he added.

The PC V detachment was established in October 2008 as part of the US Air Force's (USAF's) 428th Fighter Squadron, and will operate up to 12 F-15SG fighter aircraft at the MHAFB for the next 25 years.

In his speech, DPM Teo encouraged the servicemen to not just do their very best to acquire the skills and knowledge to operate these new platforms, but to take the opportunity to make not just new professional contacts, but new friends.

To the families of the servicemen who have moved there, DPM Teo thanked them for their strong support and understanding, "Your presence here gives our servicemen the ease of mind that is necessary for them to do their job well. Their success is yours as well."

Besides the PC V detachment, the RSAF has another ongoing F-16C/D fighter detachment (PC II) at the Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, which was established in 1992 under the PC Programme. In addition, the RSAF has two other training detachments in the US: Peace Prairie CH-47 Chinook helicopter detachment in Grand Prairie, Texas, and Peace Vanguard AH-64D Apache helicopter detachment in Marana, Arizona.


S'pore F-15 pilots, crew to train in US ]]> Newsroom MinMin http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511099 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511097&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:57:03 GMT Image: http://www.asiaone.com/a1media/business/11Nov09/images/20091118.130455_angxiaojia.jpg ...

Void decks of the future

MS ANG XIAO JIA, 21
Designer

My most indelible memory of void decks: Although its bare cement floor is cold and boring, it is a place where events of joy, fun, grief and annoyance have been held. With events varying in nature and yet never seeming out of place, who would have thought that void decks could be that adaptable?

What I think is the best feature of void decks: It would be, without a doubt, the allocation of pillars which separates the space. Whether intentional or not, the pillars create meet-and-chat 'stations' whereby one feels a sense of privacy staying 'hidden' behind.

What I think is most missing from void decks: There is a lack of cohesion between our current void decks and the surrounding green. Although these two entities are a part of our neighbourhood, they seem separated, and unrelated to each other.


Void decks of the future ]]> Newsroom MinMin http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511097 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511094&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:53:13 GMT *NUS lecturer dies after collapsing in gym * Image:... NUS lecturer dies after collapsing in gym



A UNIVERSITY lecturer collapsed while exercising in a campus gym and died later in hospital on Tuesday evening.

Dr Roland Su Jong Hea, 39, was a senior lecturer in the department of physics at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He helped set up the NUS High School of Maths and Science and was an assistant principal there in 2005.

He was also an associate dean of international student exchange.

The gym was at Prince George's Park Residences, where he lived with his wife, Carol, a housewife, and two young children.

He had been the resident adviser of the hostel since 2001.

Dr Su was on the treadmill when he collapsed at 5.20pm. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was immediately started on him and the Singapore Civil Defence Force called.

It is not known how many other people were in the gym at that time. He was sent by ambulance to the National University Hospital, where he died.

Dr Su was not known to have any medical conditions.

Colleagues said the devout Christian was planning to take a year of no-pay leave next year to do missionary work in Africa. He had been working out to prepare for the trip.

Associate Professor Loh Kian Ping, acting dean of the science faculty, said in an e-mail message to NUS staff and students yesterday that Dr Su would be remembered for his contributions as an academic and for his active role in setting up international student exchange programmes.

'Dr Su was respected and well liked by his fellow colleagues and residents, and played an important role in enhancing residential life for our students on campus,' he added.

Students and colleagues have flooded a webpage set up for condolences to Dr Su's family.

A student by the name of Changsheng wrote: 'You gave me the courage to explore beyond my limits. Many thanks for being there for me when I needed help.'

Another student Yoon Hui Lian wrote: 'He was one of a kind, always encouraging students to strive towards self-improvement and reminding us that there are staff in NUS who care about our well-being - it was not all about grades.'

Dr Su joined NUS in 1999 and his research interests were in science and gifted education.

AMELIA TAN


NUS lecturer dies after collapsing in gym ]]> Newsroom MinMin http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511094 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511045&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:13:16 GMT http://idrw.org/?p=1732&cpage=1

Singapore Tech Banned From Indian Gun Bid
BY : Defense news

Singapore Technologies will not be allowed to participate in an Indian tender for 155mm ultra-light artillery guns because it was named in an alleged corruption scandal in June this year by India’s fraud investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The move is the outcome of the latest circular from the Indian Defence Ministry, which does not allow tainted defense companies to participate in the procurement process pending a full CBI report, ministry sources said.

“Where the tender process has not started, there should be no dealing with the companies in the First Information Report until finalization of the investigation,” a ministry source added.

With South African company Denel still blacklisted in India following a 2005 bribery case, Singapore Technologies was the front runner in the $1 billion tender to provide 155mm light howitzers for the Army’s use in mountainous terrain.

The government has frozen the howitzer tender for now because only one bidder, BAE Systems, remains, and single-vendor defense procurements are not permitted.

In June 2009, seven companies were added to the list of those banned from Defence Ministry procurement bids: Singapore Technologies, Israel Military Industries, Poland’s BVT, Singapore’s Media Architects, and domestic companies HYT Engg, T.S. Kishan and R.K. Machine Tools. All seven figured in corruption charges filed against the former director-general of India’s Ordnance Factory Board, Sudipta Ghosh.

The Defence Ministry had blacklisted these seven companies following advice from the CBI, but the latest circular officially ends Singapore Technologies’ part in the ultra-light howitzer tender.

For more news, visit Singapore News Alternative ]]> Newsroom sigmazzz http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=511045 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510960&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:39:03 GMT *They were gagged and bound with masking tape * Image:... They were gagged and bound with masking tape



PULL your ears and do 50 squats each.

Fight with your brother for 15 mins.

Hold this sign above your head and stand by the main gate.

These were some of the ways a teacher and the principal of an after-school daycare centre in Seremban, Malaysia, punished a pair of twin brothers.

The boys, 11, admitted that they were punished because they had been mischievous and had used swear words.

But they said the methods of punishment made them "lose face".

When their mother, Madam Zhang Yu Lan, found out about what happened, she was so upset that she made a police report in September, reported China Press.

On Monday, she held a press conference, hosted by MCA's public complaints service bureau.

Madam Zhang said the boys started going to the daycare centre in March as she had to help her husband manage his business.

She said she had known that her sons had been punished earlier, but had not known the severity of the situation.

It was not till May that the boys told her the details of their punishments.

Madam Zhang said: "I agree that children should be punished when they do something wrong, but do it according to the education ministry's rules."

While physical injuries can heal quickly, the psychological damage and loss of self-esteem suffered by children, who are still developing, will not, she said.

After she found out about the matter, she went to see the principal, who verified what the he sons had said.

At the press conference, Madam Zhang produced the 20-minute recorded conversation that she had with the principal.

The principal could be heard apologising profusely while giving reasons for the various punishments.

Madam Zhang said her sons had also been punished by having their mouths taped shut and their hands bound with masking tape before being paraded in front of other students.

The boys said that the punishment was for talking too much. They said their hands were bound to stop them from removing the masking tape over their mouths.

"Once, when we fought, someone told the principal, so we had to beat each other for 15 minutes. If we stopped, we would be caned," said the twins.

50 squats

Another time, they said their principal had told them to do 50 squats because they had too much energy.

The brothers admitted that they had once pointed at a photograph of a teacher they did not like and swore loudly at it.

As a result, their punishment was to hold cards that said, "I will not use bad words again" above their heads and stand by the main gate from 2.30pm to 6.30pm.

They had to do this for a week.

The boys said: "We knew we were punished because we were naughty, but the way we were punished made us very embarrassed.

"And none of the other students were punished with such methods except for us."

During the press conference, the supervisor of the public complaints bureau telephoned the principal, who declined to comment for the time being.

They were gagged and bound with masking tape ]]> Newsroom MinMin http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510960 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510959&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:35:24 GMT *Ex-delinquent now millionaire * Image:... Ex-delinquent now millionaire



Network marketer, motivational coach and author Randy Gage made his first million in 1994, when he was 35.

It came from a combination of income from his networking business at the now-defunct network marketing firm Megatrend and his training firm Gage Research and Development Institute. The latter was set up in 1991.

Four years ago, Mr Gage joined Utah-based network marketing firm Agel Enterprises, which makes gel-based nutritional products.

Network or multi-level marketing firms typically operate by recruiting a customer to act as an agent, who in turn gathers a team himself. Commissions, based on sales, are paid to agents and more sales result in higher commissions for team leaders.

Mr Gage, 50, an American, started out as a manager at Agel, before becoming a senior manager. Now a 'triple diamond director', his annual income comes to US$1.5 million (S$2.1 million). He aspires to the next rank of 'quadruple diamond director' where he is likely to double his earnings.

Life was not always smooth sailing for him. A school dropout at 15, he got involved in drugs and was caught for armed robbery with a knife. While in juvenile detention, he decided to make something of his life. After his release, he rose from being a dishwasher in a pancake house to becoming a restaurant manager by the time he was 16. He got into network marketing when he was 20. He also ventured into some businesses, which included buying a restaurant, although that venture failed.

Mr Gage, who is single and lives in Miami, was in Singapore last month to conduct a training seminar with his Agel Team members. Agel's Singapore office is in Burlington Square.

He has written seven books, the latest being Why You're Dumb, Sick, And Broke... And How To Get Smart, Well, And Rich.

When it comes to personal investments, he believes in growing his wealth through properties and precious metals.

Q: Are you a spender or saver?

Both. I spend a lot of money and I live well. For a long time, I spent all that I made and more. But I learnt about five years ago that I needed to build my wealth. You get mature and realise that it's stupid to spend all you've got and not grow your wealth.

Q: How much do you charge to your credit cards every month?

I have 10 or 12 cards. I charge US$50,000 to US$60,000 to cards each month. I put a lot on the cards and as a result get frequent flier miles. I pay my credit card bills in full every month. It is such bad policy to carry a debt on the cards. I withdraw US$400 each time I visit the ATM, once or twice a week.

Q: What financial planning have you done for yourself?

My biggest asset is my network marketing business. It is a cash flow machine. Cash flow is king.

I've been putting my money in the bank and I'm getting ready to buy more properties. It is really going to be a bargain market in the US in the next three to five months, particularly in Miami. The market is depressed by 40 per cent to 50 per cent from pre-recession days.

I have money in precious metals, an investment that I started 15 years ago. I also buy money market certificates and certificates of deposit regularly.

Recently, I bought another life insurance policy with a cover of US$1.2 million. This is to take care of my mother in case something happens to me. I have an earlier policy that has a US$350,000 cover.

Q: Moneywise, what were your growing-up years like?

I was raised single-handedly in Madison, Wisconsin, by my mother. She split up with my father when I was a baby and I never met him. I have a brother and a sister.

Mum was an Avon Lady, a cosmetic salesgirl who sold from door to door. We were pretty poor. After many years, she became a district manager at Avon. I was then a teenager. We lived in a rented two-bedroom apartment. I learnt from her to never give up.

Q: How did you get interested in investing?

I studied how Bill Gates and Warren Buffett make their money. I was a millionaire when I was 35 but I was spending a lot too at that time. I started getting very serious about wealth management about five years ago.

Q: What property do you own?

I flipped some condos in Florida and made good profits so I thought I was clever, but I should have just held on.

For instance, I bought a two-bedroom condo in Hollywood, Florida, in 2005 for US$320,000 and sold it at a profit of US$150,000 after a year. If I had held on, its worth would be about US$650,000 now.

I'm now only going to buy real estate to hold and not to flip.

I own a couple of condos in Miami Beach. I live in a three-bedroom condo which I bought in 2007 for US$800,000. It is now worth US$750,000. I believe the value will go up to US$1.5 million a year from now. I also have a two-bedroom condo which I bought five months ago for US$300,000. I'm renting it at about US$2,000 a month.

Q: What's the most extravagant thing you have bought?

I have 300 watches, from Swatch watches that cost US$20 each to luxury ones. It's all about style. My most expensive is a Concord, bought at US$65,000. I bought it last year as a Christmas gift to myself.

Q: What's your retirement plan?

My belief is that entrepreneurs are artists and artists never retire.

I may slow down and do fewer things. I tried to retire when I was 40 but it drove me crazy. I was going to play softball, race cars and drink out of a coconut but I got tired of it.

Q: Home is now...

The three-bedroom condo in Miami.

Q: I drive...

I own three exotic cars. One is a neon orange Dodge Challenger, a new car made retro. I bought it three months ago for US$50,000. I also have a black vintage Aston Martin which was bought in January for US$135,000. And I have a Dodge Viper customised with every performing upgrade you can imagine. I bought it two years ago for US$175,000. I drive a different car each day.

Q: What has been your worst investment to date?

I bought a hairstyling business in 1989 but it failed after one year. I had a partner who was supposed to be more hands-on but the partnership did not work out well. It is not a huge loss but it was huge to me then because I put in everything I had, which was US$40,000. I learnt I should never get into a business that I am not familiar with.

Q: And your best investment?

I believe my best investment is in precious metals. Common sense tells me that the stock market is like gambling but precious metals are the real investment. That is the only real payment in the world. Everything else just promises to pay.

I started stockpiling silver and gold 15 years ago. I buy a few thousand dollars at a time and almost every month. When I first bought them, the value of gold was about US$550 to US$600 an ounce. My investment in precious metals is now worth a few hundred thousand. They ultimately go up in value because the supply is limited.


Ex-delinquent now millionaire ]]> Newsroom MinMin http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510959 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510954&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:30:45 GMT Wife's hurt, but my heart still goes out to my mistress



HE HAS two women in his life, both of whom have endured pain and suffering because of him.

The first is his wife, a prisoner in her own home who is afraid to go out because of how she looks.

The flesh on her face, body and legs is still raw and red, the result of having hot oil poured all over her in April.

The other is his mistress, who will be spending the next 31/2 years in jail for the horrific attack, which was sparked off when he threatened to breakup with her.

Even after all this, Mr Soo Kiong Sing, 46, remains caught between the two women.

The supervisor in a manufacturing company is trying to patch things up with his wife and children.

At the same time, he can’t let go of his mistress and hopes to visit her in prison. Mr Soo told The New Paper on Sunday: “Other men may be envious because I have two women who love me so much. But look what happened.

“Now both of them are hurt physically and emotionally while I’m the only one who’s not (hurt).

“I was the reason all these happened and I wish I had been the one who was injured or punished instead.”

Mr Soo, who is of medium height and build, was wearing a T-shirt and looked dishevelled when we met.

He said his wife had forgiven him and he is trying to start anew with her.

Thorn in marriage

“But it’s going to take some time and this incident will forever be a thorn in our relationship,” he added.

His wife,Madam Chan Hoong Choo, 41, a data entry operator, suffered burns over 35 per cent of her body and is likely to suffer long-term scarring.

Mr Soo declined to let this reporter speak to his wife because he did not want her to relive her ordeal.

Last Tuesday, his mistress, Goh Gek Hwee, 36, a spa therapist, was jailed 31/2 years and fined $4,500 for the attack.

The court heard that Goh had turned up at the Soos’ flat in Block 232, Serangoon Avenue3, around 8.30am on 18 Apr.

She forced her way in and ended up in a scuffle with Madam Chan and her daughter, 16.

When she saw the teenager holding a handphone, Goh threatened her in Mandarin: “If you call the police, I will kill your mother.”

After tying up Madam Chan and her daughter with cable and masking tape, she went into the kitchen and took out a bottle of oil from the cupboard.

Goh heated the oil in a frying pan over the stove. After a while, she poured the hot oil over Madam Chan’s head and slowly down her body, then onto her legs.

When Madam Chan tried to get up, Goh hit her forehead three times with the pan. It was a friend of the daughter who alerted the police.

Goh was arrested at the flat.

In her mitigation, her lawyer told the court that Goh had gone to the flat intending to commit suicide in front of Mr Soo.

Found another woman

But Mr Soo was not home and Madam Chan told her to forget about her husband as he had found another woman, though this wasn’t true.

Goh was hysterical and tried to hang herself, but failed.

She then cut her left wrist several times and stabbed herself in the chest 16 times with a fruit knife, which she had brought with her. The court was not told how serious Goh’s injuries were, but she later went on to attack Madam Chan with the hot oil.

Goh pleaded guilty to five charges of voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous means, criminal intimidation and wrongful confinement.

Seven other charges, including those of committing criminal trespass, intimidating Madam Chan with the knife and attempting suicide, were considered during sentencing.

Goh was out on bail while her court case was pending, and Mr Soo remained in contact with her.

Last Tuesday, he was the one who drove her to court.

Goh said that following media reports on the case, he went online and came across some netizens who described him as immoral and called him unpleasant names.

Said Mr Soo: “But when it comes to relationships, it’s not so easy to make a clean break. We’ve known each other for so long.”

Goh, a Malaysian with Singapore permanent residency, is Mr Soo’s former colleague.

They have known each other for seven years and got together as a couple five years ago, after they were retrenched.

Mr Soo said his wife knew about Goh. He said: “We’ve had countless heated arguments (over Goh) and fought many times.

“Each time, my wife would ask me to make a decision and return to her side.”

Mr Soo said that the day before the incident, he had SMSed Goh to tell her that he wanted to breakup with her.

“It was not the first time I suggested a break-up to her.

“But I didn’t expect this. I admit I didn’t handle this well when I used SMS(to break up) instead of telling her face to face. This should not have happened at all.”

Mr Soo and his wife have been married for 19 years and they have a daughter, 16, and a son, 12.

He said that he now spends more time with his wife at home.

But Madam Chan is conscious about how she looks and refuses to leave their flat.

Said Mr Soo: “She is afraid of other people staring at her and doesn’t want to go out except for medical appointments.

“I suggested taking her out for some fresh air near our flat in the middle of the night, but she didn’t want to.”

Mr Soo now buys the items that Madam Chan needs for cooking.

The incident has strained his relationship with his daughter, who refuses to talk to him now.

During the hour-long interview with Mr Soo, the teenager returned home and walked past him as if he wasn’t there.

Later, as she was getting ready to go out, he asked her: “You’re going out again?”

The girl did not respond and left without looking at him.

Ignored by daughter

Said Mr Soo: “She’s been ignoring me since that day. It will take time for me to patch things up with her.

“After all, she saw what her mother went through.”

Mr Soo added that both his wife and daughter have refused to go for counselling.

He said: “Whatever happened cannot be undone and we have to move on. I will work hard to keep the family together.”

Though he is sorry about what his wife had to go through, Mr Soo also pities Goh.

“Although she did all these things, my heart still goes out to her,” he said.

“She’s alone here and she wouldn’t have had to suffer if she had not met me.”

He added that Goh was not a hot-tempered person. Her family lives in Malaysia.

Mr Soo said that if possible, he hopes to remain friends with her. But it appears that Goh might not feel the same way.

While he was driving her to court, she told him: “If you can’t leave (your wife), then don’t leave.”

As Goh was led away from the courtroom last Tuesday, she did not even turn back to look at Mr Soo, who was sitting in the public gallery.

For voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous means, Goh could have been jailed seven years and fined.

For criminal intimidation, she could have been jailed two years and fined.

For wrongful confinement, she could have been jailed one year and fined $3,000.
Diva - Wife's hurt, but my heart still goes out to my mistress ]]> Newsroom MinMin http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510954 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510951&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:26:35 GMT *Women wear more than 500 chemicals a day * Image:... Women wear more than 500 chemicals a day



LONDON - The average British woman "hosts" 515 chemicals on her body every day, according to a new study.

The poll of 2,016 women by deodorant-maker Bionsen said most of the pollutants are self-inflicted by women who sprayed on deodorant, slapped on body moisturizer and applied lipstick each morning.

Today's average British woman uses body and facial moisturizers, perfumes, deodorants and various other make-up products which leave them unknowingly carrying hundreds of chemicals on their bodies throughout the day, Bionsen said.

Moisturizer can contain over 30 different chemicals and perfume up to 400, it added.

More than a third of the women who took part in the study were unaware of the key ingredients in their toiletries, with only nine per cent aware of most of the ingredients in the cosmetics they put on each day.

More than 70 per cent of the women polled said they were not concerned about the number of chemicals they put on their skin and only one in 10 opted for chemical-free toiletries when shopping.

"Women have never been more image-conscious and their beauty regimes have changed dramatically over the years, from a simple 'wash & go' attitude, to daily fake tan applications, regular manicures, false lashes and hair extensions," Bionsen's Charlotte Smith said in a statement.

"Lots of the high-tech, new generation cosmetics and beauty 'wonder' treatments naturally contain more chemicals to be able to achieve even better results, which, of course, means that women now carry more chemicals than ever before."

Eight out of the 12 areas on the body highlighted by Bionsen as places where women used cosmetic products containing chemicals were on the face or head and included moisturizers, foundation, blush, eye make-up, hair spray and perfume head or face.

Diva - Women wear more than 500 chemicals a day ]]> Newsroom MinMin http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510951 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510948&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:21:31 GMT *Desperate parents roam China to find kidnapped children * Image:... Desperate parents roam China to find kidnapped children









Hu Xiaojiao was watching an undercover report about forced labour at a brick kiln in the midst of a slavery scandal in China two years ago when she saw her missing adult son in the video.

"I rushed to the factory, but my son was not there any more. I'm sure they moved him to another place. Since then, I have had no news," the small but tough-looking factory worker said, her voice rising in anger.

Hu is one of a group of parents living in or near Zhengzhou, capital of central Henan province, who travel across China in a desperate search for their children, whom they believe were abducted and sold as slaves to factories.

Sitting in a shabby room in Zhengzhou rented by another group member, Hu - whose son disappeared in 2005 when he was 24 - said she had visited countless brick kilns with the group under the guise of job-hunting.

They began their quest in 2007 when a shocking slavery scandal erupted in China, revealing that labourers had been forced to work in appalling conditions in thousands of brick yards and mines across the nation.

Many of them were abducted in Henan and neighbouring Shanxi province, and then sold to factories and mines there with the apparent collusion of officials and police, state media said at the time.

Authorities said about 600 enslaved workers were rescued after a huge government campaign, and more have since been found, but many are still believed to be trapped in illegal enterprises.

The group - who have taken matters into their own hands after countless pleas to the police went unanswered - last made a trip in July this year.

Their travels have taken them to brick kilns in northern, central and eastern China.

"In some factories, we saw people working - their hair was really long, they wore ragged clothes, they had no shoes. Some had wounds on their bodies," said Miao Lisong, whose son disappeared five years ago when he was 25.

"We tried to ask them where they were from, but we could see from their expressions they didn't dare respond. I hear they beat them if they talk," he said, staring sadly at a small photo of his son.

Some of the factories refuse the parents entry, but on one trip to Shanxi, Miao said people in three kilns said they had seen his son. But he was still unable to find him.

Joining the parents on their numerous trips is Li Yuqin, a soft-spoken 37-year-old recycler whose son went missing nearly three years ago at the age of 16, when he was out with friends.

"Often in the evenings I think of my child. Having seen on television (in 2007) how those kids suffered, how dirty they were, it's hard to take," she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Li recounted the story of one mother in the group who was reunited with her teenage son in 2007, two years after he was abducted in the streets of Zhengzhou.

According to the mother's written account, Hao Jiyong laboured in a brick kiln in Henan with more than 200 others, and wore clothes with the number 203 sewed on. She says he saw six people beaten to death in his two years there.

Hao escaped from the factory and managed to run to a hotel, where the owner took him in for a month and gave him money to return to Zhengzhou, according to the mother.

"He speaks very little now," said Miao, who saw him on his return.

Aside from not knowing where or how their children are, some parents have also had to contend with unscrupulous people trying to profit from their grief.

Miao, who has spent much of his money on missing persons ads and trips to factories, said a man in the eastern city of Hangzhou once phoned him saying he had spotted his son in a factory there after seeing his photo online.

Miao rushed to Hangzhou, where the man asked him for money and then refused to meet him. Miao's wife sent 100 yuan, and when the man asked for more, he realised he had been cheated.

"When I went, I had so much strength, so much hope that I would be reunited with my son. When I realised I'd been cheated, it was hard, so hard," he said, his eyes welling up.

The parents say hundreds of others in Henan share their plight, but their vigilante search group has dwindled considerably over the years as relatives lose hope and drop out.

But Miao, Li, Hu and several others say they are determined to continue, despite a lack of help from local authorities.

"I'm asking the government... to fight continuously, and to severely punish collusion between local officials and businesses, as it's only with the protection of local governments that shady factories keep going," Miao said.


Desperate parents roam China to find kidnapped children ]]> Newsroom MinMin http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510948 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510888&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:20:13 GMT http://www.the-diplomat.com/ft0915.aspx *The Diplomat Magazine, 20 Nov 2009* _*Too Close for... http://www.the-diplomat.com/ft0915.aspx

The Diplomat Magazine, 20 Nov 2009

Too Close for Comfort?
Jeya Segaram
November 20th 2009

As Singapore emerges from its sharpest and most protracted recession, the city-state’s policymakers have been keen to emphasize the importance of immigrants to the country’s future well-being. But as Jeya Segaram discovers, the downturn has exacerbated simmering tensions over an immigration policy that some Singaporeans believe is too lax.

Adapting to life in Singapore hasn’t come easy for Xiao Li.

Leaving her family in Guangdong, China, Li (who asked her real name not be used) says adapting to what she calls a ‘pseudo-Western’ lifestyle has been difficult. But she says that although her new lifestyle has been an awkward fit, what has been hardest is overcoming the hostile attitude of natives in a country known for being a melting pot of different cultures.

‘I disagree with some of the practices and habits of Singaporeans, but I’m here to make a living’, she says, adding that her feelings about her host country, and the prejudice she says she has encountered, are to her quite separate issues from trying to make a successful career.

Li says her working day usually begins at 7 a.m., when she begins manning a cart selling trinkets outside one of Singapore’s private universities.

She says the job isn’t glamorous by Singaporean standards, but that the wages are high enough compared with what she could earn in China to allow her to send enough money back to help her parents out.

And she says her job is better than what many of her compatriots are left doing--long hours in karaoke lounges, waiting tables in the city-state’s restaurants and hotels--work she says is traditionally shunned by native Singaporeans, who have seen immigration as a way of filling such vacancies.

But although she admits she has it better than many immigrants (adding that life has been made much easier since she acquired Permanent Residency status through marriage, something that gives her most of the rights of a citizen) she says she doesn’t see her long term future in Singapore.

‘One day, I’ll just go back to China because China is prospering’ she says.

Li’s comments reflect a growing tendency among many Chinese and Indians to view Singapore as a temporary home and springboard that helps them further their educational and material pursuits while reserving the option to return to their home country.

But such views are increasingly causing resentment among native Singaporeans, a frustration that was given full voice by Singaporean bloggers last month after a former resident who had returned to China resident flashed her permanent residency card in front of Chinese camera crews during China’s National Day celebrations.

China-born Zhang Yuanyuan, who had studied in Singapore for five years and landed a lucrative job here, caused outrage among Singaporean netizens when she flashed her residency card while apparently proclaiming her loyalty to China, an act many saw as indicating a lack of gratitude for the opportunities afforded her in Singapore.

But even before the so-called Zhang Incident, a prominent former civil servant, Ngiam Tong Dow, had already penned an op-ed warning over the island’s ‘liberal’ immigration policy, writing that Singaporeans risked becoming ‘strangers’ in their own country and expressing concern that the island was being seen simply as a ‘stepping stone’ by many immigrants.

According to a recent government report, Singapore’s population had risen to 4.99 million (of which 1.37 million were said to be foreigners), meaning the tiny country, which is far smaller than the tiny US state of Rhode Island, has almost 7,000 people per square kilometre squeezed into its borders.

But the tight physical squeeze is only part of the problem facing policymakers as many newcomers find themselves facing growing accusations of job-snatching and claims they are changing local areas for the worst.

‘I don’t recognise Geylang any more…I’m beginning to wonder which is the real Chinatown?’ one reader wrote recently in the Straits Times, commenting on the transformation of a one-time Malay (the indigenous people of Singapore) area, before going on to note the replacement of English signposting on some restaurants in Geylang with Putonghua (Standard Mandarin) typefaces.

Such concerns have been compounded by the global economic recession, which hit Singapore particularly hard and which has added fuel to already festering concerns over jobs.

These worries were on display at a weekly Monday evening ‘meet the people’ session I attended recently, during which local legislators faced a barrage of complaints from residents about foreigners supposedly taking their jobs.

‘They hired a Filipina who they paid half the salary they paid me’, a one-time publishing executive who did not want to be named told me of her US Company on the industrial estate of Jurong.

In a speech to university students on September 15, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong acknowledged growing concern over new arrivals in recent years, and although he did not specify what those concerns were, few listeners are likely to have doubted their existence.

Although the government’s position has been that immigrants are an economic necessity to Singapore, the speech also marked the first acknowledgement this writer can recall of such a senior politician touching on the potential pitfalls of a laissez-faire attitude to immigration. The government, meanwhile, has also been faced with growing complaints that foreigners have pushed up property prices and have caused the ‘elbowing’ of local Singaporeans out of public school places.

And, as is so often the case in many other countries, stories of crimes involving foreigners inevitably grab headlines.

Convincing a populace opposed to new immigrants while still striving to achieve what former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong has said is the economic imperative of having immigrants will therefore be no easy task.

Indeed, despite the country’s success resting in significant part on the work of immigrants, and despite calls by founding father and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew for future immigrants to be allowed in to help make up for ‘the babies that Singaporeans are not having’ (the birth rate last year fell to a historical low replacement rate of 1.28, with 2.07 seen as the rate necessary to maintain a population), there is talk that Singapore is reaching the limits of the number of immigrants it can accommodate.

Goh has therefore been prescient with warnings that the country was reaching a threshold on the immigration debate, though he has also been outspoken on the fact that there will be dire long-term consequences (not least for Singapore’s international trade competitiveness) if it begins turning immigrants away.

But talk of a ‘threshold’ opens a can of worms that includes a whole range of issues, not least the issue of national service.

Military conscription in Singapore is compulsorily for all Singaporean male citizens and second-generation permanent residents who have reached the age of 18. National service was introduced in part with a view to fostering greater racial harmony through shared experience, but there has been some resentment that many permanent residents are getting the privileges of residency, but are not having to undertake the responsibilities associated with military service.

Successfully fusing immigrants from such diverse backgrounds as envisaged when national service was launched will be no easy task. And it will also not come cheap.

This autumn, the National Integration Council announced a series of recommendations to promote greater integration of immigrants, including an S$10 million Community Integration Fund that will encourage social gatherings and seminars.

However, easing tensions and improving integration involves not just enormous expenditure, but also an aggressive education campaign based around the principle of acceptance of racial and cultural differences--in a sense forging a social contract that blends elements of the old with sometimes exotic and even ‘annoying’ or ‘frustrating’ elements of the new.

The issue of immigration is a thorny one around the globe, and debate has been complicated by a more plugged-in society where not only accurate information, but also rumours and malicious and damaging hearsay can be transmitted to thousands with the click of a button.

Change is in the works for an evolving Singapore, but what this change will lead to is still far from clear.

For more news, visit Singapore News Alternative ]]> Newsroom sigmazzz http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510888 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510832&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:34:42 GMT (Original Title): Smartest Dogs: Moscow Stray Dogs Image:... (Original Title): Smartest Dogs: Moscow Stray Dogs




“Just a regular member of busy day underground stream”


“Waiting for the right train”


“What questions you’ve got?”


Source: English Russia
Date: Unknown

Russian scientists say that Moscow stray dogs became much smarter. The four legged oldest human’s friends demonstrate real smartness such as riding the Moscow metro every morning to get from their suburban places of living to the fat regions of Moscow center. Once they arrive to the downtown they demonstrate different new, previously unseen for the dog skills. Those skills can include “the hunt for shawarma” for example, the popular among Muscovites eastern cuisine dish. This hunt scene can be seen as this:

Regular Moscow busy street with some small food kiosks. A middle-aged man buys himself a piece of hot fast food and walks aside chewing it without a rush. Then just in a second he jumps up frightened - some doggy has sneaked up on him and barked out loudly. His tasty snack falls out from his hands down to the ground and the dog gets it. Just ten minutes later, on the same place, the teen youngster loses his dinner in exactly the same manner. The modern Russian dogs are on their urban hunt.

“This method of ambushing people from their back is widely exercised by Moscow dogs”, saying A. Poiarkov, working in Ecology and Evolution Institute of Moscow. “The main point here is to define who would drop the food scared and who won’t, but the dogs are great psychologists they can do it better than us”.

Moscow ecologists think that dogs started acquiring this habits in 1990s, when the Soviet union collapsed and Moscow has fell into the hands of new class of Russian capitalists. They understood the true value of the downtown realty underestimated by previous Communist owners and became removing all the industrial complexes Moscow had in its centre to its outskirts. Those places were used by homeless dogs as a shelter often, so the dogs had to move together with their houses, so they had to learn how to travel Moscow subway - first to get to the centre in the morning then back home in the evening, just as us people.

The commercial revolution of Moscow made their usual feeding places like trash bins out of direct reach, so they had to get to know new ways of getting their piece of food. That’s how appeared those “Shawarma hunts”. Sometimes though they use more gentle methods. Young girl sits on the bench to eat her hot dog - a big cute looking dog appears from the surrounding bushes and puts her head on her knees. The girl can’t help herself sharing the hotdog with a dog.

Among some more amazing skill those Moscow dogs are the ability not to miss their stop while going on the subway train. Biologists say dogs have very nice sense of time which helps them not to miss their destination. Another skill they have is to cross the road on the green traffic light. “They don’t react on color, but on the picture they see on the traffic light”, Moscow scientist tells. Also they choose often the last or the first metro car - those are less crowded usually.

It’s funny but the ecologists studying Moscow stray dogs also tell the dogs don’t miss a chance to get some play while on their travel in the subway. They are fond of jumping in the train just seconds before the doors shut closed risking their tails be jammed. “They do it for fun, just they have enough food”, they conclude.


From TS: Watch the 3 short video at source link. Watch the 3rd one that dogs can do what human cannot do aboard the train. :angel:










]]> Newsroom 1-1-09 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510832 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510814&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:14:56 GMT Source: CRIENGLISH.com (http://english.cri.cn/6909/2009/11/05/195s527229.htm) 2009-11-05 18:48:29... Source: CRIENGLISH.com
2009-11-05 18:48:29



A special silica film covers a finger in this undated photo. The silica film is advertised on the Internet as being able to fool office fingerprint check-in systems into thinking an employee has arrived on time. [File Photo: hdzxw.com]


Silica films are advertised on the Internet as being able to help late employees fool the office fingerprint check-in system and avoid fines. [File Photo: hdzxw.com]


A special silica film that can help white-collar employees check in on time at office has been selling well online recently, reported Fujian-based Straits News on Wednesday.

One of its users is a woman surnamed Liu who works for an advertisement company in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province. Often late for work, Ms. Liu has suffered heavy fines, paying as much as 200 yuan in October alone.

However, she said her "suffering" ended as soon as she spotted the silica film which help latecomers to fool their office's finger print check-in system. Ms. Liu took her fingerprints with plasticine and mailed them to the designated address.

A week later, she received her silica film. Her colleagues, who wear the silica film over their fingers, can touch the office fingerprint check-in machine, fooling it into thinking Ms. Liu has arrived on time.

The product sells for around 100 yuan each online. A producer of such silica film from Rizhao, Shandong province, said his product will work well for at least one year.

He also said he can make a silica film using a fingerprint sample within one week, and promised to refund the payment if the film doesn't work.

According to the producer, who is nicknamed a hacker of the fingerprint check-in system, his customers are mainly young white-collar workers. ]]> Newsroom 1-1-09 http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=510814