Asian Idol

Was watching Asian Idol yesterday. Well, Singapore's Hady Mirza won. Its quite a great accolades..

However, watching the show, it wasn't the singing by all the idols that I took notice of. Rather, it was the some of the things that the MC said that got me laughing or bugged me.

Take for example, after the performance by Singapore's Idol Hady and Malaysian Idol Jaclyn, the MC commented (not quoted ad verbatim here): "Wow. Singapore and Malaysia in perfect harmony. Something you don't see very often.".
How true. The political situation between the two countries, are on a delicate balance which are not always in balance.

Then in another case, the performance by Australian Idol Guy Sebastian, stress was put on the fact that he was from Malaysia, not once, not twice but three times. Also another sentence by Guy, (correct me if I am wrong here) that its Australia needs Asia not the other way round.

Though simple sentences, the implications of these seems bigger than it actually is...

Economical Savings?

Is this recent economic boom really for everyone? As it goes on amid claims from various sectors that everyone is benefiting, it really doesn't seem to be the case at the ground level.

Investments soaring, property prices rising to all time high, this wonderful figures are only for a wonderful front to a worrying backdrop. When these prices are split up into various components, we will then realize that its really not a normal curve. Rather, its leaning towards one side. In property market, that curve falls towards the high end markets like the districts 9, 10 and 11.

With majority of homeowners here being HDB home owners, the property boom here is hardly affecting them. The nature of HDB flats is that they are a linked closely towards a government linked board. Thus, prices are relatively stable in accordance to the aim of the board and the governments in making prices affordable for the masses. Thus, those that are really benefiting from here are the ones already rich and thus have property in these areas or condominium owners who are gong en bloc. However, the en bloc heat is forecast to cool down due to recent ruling.

While we aren't hit that hard by the effects of the sub-prime mortgage problem in the United States, we have problems of our own. With the rising inflation rate and low interest rates for savings, the economy is look set to have a widening wage gap. It is really creating a climate where it doesn't pay for Singaporeans to save.

Interests earned in the savings accounts held in banks will soon be outstripped by the climbing CPI (Consumer Price Index), a statistical estimate of the level of prices of goods and services bought for consumption purposes by households. Thus, in real terms, the value of our money in these savings will drop. In effect, this gives rise to a situation of negative real interest rates.

According to a newspaper article, negative real interest rates favors borrowers and with projection of at least one to two years of negative real interest rates, the risk of fueling asset inflation is very high. With such disproportional rates, people would be expected to want to invest in the property market where returns are deemed to be higher, this driving up the property market and thus inflation of assets.

There is hope however that if many choose to invest, then there is a chance for interest rates to go up. However, with the vast amount of cash in the banking system, which is causing an oversupply even though demand of borrowing is going up, deposit rates are set to remain low for some time.

It is thus timely for us to take a hike and think about whether we should park our savings elsewhere. With these savings paying close to nothing, its not a very bad thing to consider investing in other financial instruments which will maintain our purchasing power in this "pricer" world.

However, with such a decision, the question of whether we dare do so is quite pertinent.. This question is especially "real" for lower/middle income families and the so-called sandwich class of the society, where the money available in their bank accounts are their lifeline to the future. Risk is not a very viable option.

Blogging Code of Conduct should be a Guideline NOT Mandate

I guess this is something we all know this will come sooner or later...

In the Straits Times Digital Life Section (May 8, 2007, Page 31), an article titled: "Do bloggers, and readers, need a code of conduct" is very apt and pertinent.

I for one has asked myself this when I first heard about the drafting of the blogger's code of conduct over at blogging.wikia.com

Indeed, there are now threats being made via anonymous comments and also the intolerable advertisements post via the blog's comments system or some chat or tagbaord system on the blogs.

However, the question is, why do we need one? The allure of blogs is its openness, "anonymity" as well as it free-flowing nature. Any comments are posted and aired. Would this code of conduct then turn against the very foundation which blogs are built on?

In this digital age, the internet is used as a personal haven as much as a business tool. With the increasing affluence of the people, and the ease of internet use nowadays it is no wonder some sort of code of conduct is need. That is however, usually covered by a country's law.

However, there has been an increasing need to put some sort of guidelines for blogs. Blogging has seen an exponential increase these few years. With many companies also moving into the blogging scene. With such a trend, and the simplicity of opening up a blog, it is no wonder that many incidents are also happening which are related to blogs.

The online nature of blogs has exposed itself to the internet pits. The list includes (but isn't limited to): flaming, Bias comments, Unwarranted accusations and so on. And with the increasing use of blogs as a media for information, the question on the privacy of one's sources also come into play.

I personally feel that the code of conduct is definitely a good thing to have. However, knowing the nature of blogs and being a blogger, I think that it shouldn't be something made compulsory. Anything made compulsory especially on the web always have an effect of turning people off. Whats more, the web usually presents a snowball effect on the simplest of things.

So in conclusion, I do welcome a "code of conduct guideline" but not a "code of conduct mandate".

Discrimination.. disorders

Did you read the article in today's "mind your body"??
Well, it was on the tourette disorder, a neurological disorder which causes sufferers to haave frequent tics and other complex motor tics. It may even cause some to utter swear words frequently and uncontrollably.

The article featured an interview with a person who has this disorder. As I was reading the story, it occured to me that society has not completely abandon the word "discrimination". A modern society, more highly educated, but discrimination is still not eradicate. Probably discrimination is not very wide spread here, but what about other places??

It was especially hard for him in school. He mentioned his high school, which turns out to be my school... Are we actually do that? That really goes against the culture and tolerance of the school... Probably his time was different from what the school is now....

To him, a simple question like "whats wrong with you?" is taken to be embrassing to him and a sort of discimination and feeling of awkwardness which many would not understand. This display of "care" may instead turn out to have opposite effect.

From here, we must realise that we may, at some point, discriminated against someone, or even cause someone to feel rejected without ever knowing about it.....

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