News Stories

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Currently, all existing gTLDs allow for the registration of non-native character sets to the left of the dot (숭문.net or 中国首饰.com), but with the introduction of IDN TLDs, registrations containing the translation of .com or .net will also be possible (태영산업.회사 or海尔.康姆). Not just Chinese, but Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Farsi, Sanskrit, whatever.

I was actually hoping that this doesn't happen. One thing that really pisses me off about reading characters is that they cram so many strokes into a few pixels and expect people to be able to read them. Also, cramming so many words into the screen makes it difficult for one to speed read.

[LynnieS]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Currently, all existing gTLDs allow for the registration of non-native character sets to the left of the dot (숭문.net or 中国首饰.com), but with the introduction of IDN TLDs, registrations containing the translation of .com or .net will also be possible (태영산업.회사 or海尔.康姆). Not just Chinese, but Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Farsi, Sanskrit, whatever.

I'm not sure if I should applaud or jeer this change.

Applaud since this would free people from having to learn English - even the basic "character identification" bit, and instead, just concentrate on their words, topics and etc. to deliver info. Once you have given people access, that's virtually all you need so long as you have the basic understanding of your own language's writings.

Jeer because this has a potential to segregate people further into groups - not to mention the possibility of politicizing. For example, setting up a domain in Tibetan vs one in Standard Chinese could bring up some nasty arguments. Homophones, esp. if trademark infringement cases, could be problematic in terms of case precedence. If the non-English domain name in, say, Japan, while sounding the same, actually has its own meaning to that country's consumers, who wins?

OS'es would also need to have foreign language support automatically included in the install, but may not have it immediately available. This is a very small problem, though, and might only hit intro level users.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Vexx

And of course, its almost pure speculation to link to a flu shot.... but then that doesn't stop our intrepid "fear and anxiety" squads of reporters.

I don't know that the flu shot alone is responsible for it, but it's very possible that she had some sort of pre-existing conditions and/or other factors, and the flu shot simply triggered it.

I personally don't trust flu shots. Scientists take a guess at what the prominent mutation will be and form the vaccine based off of that. You're not guaranteed to be protected from the major strain, but you are guaranteed to suffer at least a bit as your body responds to the vaccine. Better hygiene (wash hands regularly is a big one) will help quite a bit more. If sick people would either stay home or wear a damn face mask when they have to leave the house it'd also greatly prevent the spread of transmission.

If I had to receive a flu vaccine, I'd prefer it to be administered via nasal spray. At least that way I'm getting exposed to the virus in the manner that I would naturally, and the "correct" arms of the immune system are activated by it.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

If I am not wrong, they are both subsidiaries owned by the Media Development Authority.

It's not a big deal, but that's a major factual error. I can't find the figures for MediaCorp, but the data for SPH is freely available on its website.

As can be seen, the five biggest owners of SPH — collectively holding almost 50 per cent of the company — are DBS, HSBC, Citibank, DBSN and UOB. These are all subsidiaries of the five biggest banks in Singapore. However, if you look closely, these subsidiaries are all nominee services. That is, the banks are acting on behalf of major investors, institutional or otherwise, who prefer not to reveal their involvement in the firm.

(In other words, we don't really "know" who Big Daddy actually is. But we can make a few intelligent guesses. )

The Media Development Authority (MDA) holds no stake in the company. More likely, you're thinking about the Government's legal right, if it chooses to exercise it, to interfere in print publishing via the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act. And even then, it won't be MDA that does the job; that responsibility would fall on the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

It isn't because of lack of freedom of speech, it is just that nobody cares.

Which is the sad state of things in Singapore. Your freedom of speech is actually protected by the Constitution (Part IV, Para 14, Clause 1a: "Every citizen of Singapore has the right to freedom of speech and expression."). People here are fond of complaining all the time about being "repressed" but, in my view, they're just griping for the sake of griping. They have views, but they lack the courage of conviction and refuse to stand up for what they believe.

In other words, Singaporeans have no one to blame but themselves for being "oppressed". If you feel strongly about something, and are able to back it up with facts, there is nothing to stop you from putting forth your views.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Journalism is still an arena with zero competition.

That is a strange view, especially given the rampant spread of social media. Nowadays, pretty much anyone can claim to be a "journalist" simply by setting up a blog of his own. There's nothing particularly special about the profession any more, not when information is now so freely and widely available.

If anything, the competition for the readers and viewers' attention has become a lot tougher. And traditional media, as a whole, is in gradual decline here despite its monopoly power.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

IMO the Straits Times is quite a fair read... I would still check out the New Paper for sports (their general news are too gossipy, but their sports news are WIN).

The reason for Today being more popular is due to its condensation of news (though woefully inaccurate and opinionated at times) into one small handy print rather than a big Straits Times hogging space, plus it is a quick read for our incredibly fast paced society where catching up to date with news are as tough as finding time for lunch.

There's something that I've come to realise: People read or watch the news not necessarily because they want to be "informed", but because they simply enjoy the intellectual exercise. It's a lifestyle choice.

And that being the case, it has become difficult to say why some kinds of news are necessarily more important that others. So, while you're entitled to look down on "gossipy" tabloid "news", the fact remains that huge numbers of people simply care more about such stories than they do about so-called "hard" news about foreign wars and the economy.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

The Media Development Authority (MDA) holds no stake in the company. More likely, you're thinking about the Government's legal right, if it chooses to exercise it, to interfere in print publishing via the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act. And even then, it won't be MDA that does the job; that responsibility would fall on the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts.

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

Which is the sad state of things in Singapore. Your freedom of speech is actually protected by the Constitution (Part IV, Para 14, Clause 1a: "Every citizen of Singapore has the right to freedom of speech and expression."). People here are fond of complaining all the time about being "repressed" but, in my view, they're just griping for the sake of griping. They have views, but they lack the courage of conviction and refuse to stand up for what they believe.

In other words, Singaporeans have no one to blame but themselves for being "oppressed". If you feel strongly about something, and are able to back it up with facts, there is nothing to stop you from putting forth your views.

I never thought that the government actually needed to exercise their legal right because of the naturally docile nature of most of the locals.

Despite all this, I have to take my hat off to the government. Usually the Singaporeans complain and complain, but they are easily mollified due to a moral called "never bite the hand that feeds you". The government actually know what the people want and are able to strike a balance between that and the influx of change from the outside world. As long as the government doesn't fail too badly to deliver and help put three meals on the table, and not infringe on the personal rights of people (it is an invisible core value , being male I think you know it), the people will just rant but remain generally happy.

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

That is a strange view, especially given the rampant spread of social media. Nowadays, pretty much anyone can claim to be a "journalist" simply by setting up a blog of his own. There's nothing particularly special about the profession any more, not when information is now so freely and widely available.

If anything, the competition for the readers and viewers' attention has become a lot tougher. And traditional media, as a whole, is in gradual decline here despite its monopoly power.

In this pragmatic society (often misquoted as realistic, because reality is subjective from perspective), I would say that journalism is uncompeted because of "legit" news. A blog can raise a doubt, but it is still unsubstantiated until a research is carried out. Like a few years ago which Straits Times enacted on tourist reports of an "unhelpful" Singapore, the government never really opened their mouth despite real complaints from the sector by foreigners.

The locals prize pragmatism over just mere reports, I would say it is still a arena with few competitors.

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

There's something that I've come to realise: People read or watch the news not necessarily because they want to be "informed", but because they simply enjoy the intellectual exercise. It's a lifestyle choice.

And that being the case, it has become difficult to say why some kinds of news are necessarily more important that others. So, while you're entitled to look down on "gossipy" tabloid "news", the fact remains that huge numbers of people simply care more about such stories than they do about so-called "hard" news about foreign wars and the economy.

I think that would be due to the fast paced society. The people are more concerned about their careers than to bother about these. The government provides the economy builders with an umbrella and deploy inflatable beds so they can concentrate on generating revenue to pay taxes, even in recessions. Such an idea is good, but eventually it makes the people develop a grudge mentality and blocks creativity, not good in the long run.

Regarding the news, I could say I enjoy reading gossip occasionally, but I find that they have zero impact on the general human life in the 21st century. Foreign wars can affect the economy and my parents' rice bowls, and with Singapore being a centre for entrepot trade it must remain competitive. Any country's most powerful resource is not timber or oil, but rather, its people, because they are the ones who create and consume. And how can the people function more effectively? Knowledge, supplanted with sufficient imagination, makes things happen.

But you could be right in the last part. I was quite unhappy about the AWARE saga a few months back because I thought it could affect the import of Marimite manga and make it illegal to own anything related to Kampfer (these are worst case scenarios). The implications are nothing serious in the end.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Despite all this, I have to take my hat off to the government. Usually the Singaporeans complain and complain, but they are easily mollified due to a moral called "never bite the hand that feeds you". The government actually know what the people want and are able to strike a balance between that and the influx of change from the outside world.

If only everyone recognises that reality, something William Safire never understood in all his years of virulent objections to Singapore's style of government. Things aren't that bad here, at least not in the way the Western press likes to portray it. These people don't understand why a society that's only two generations removed from oppressive economic need doesn't "appreciate" the individual freedoms Westerners take for granted in their societies.

That said, things are changing. And it would be interesting to see how the relationship between people and government will evolve after that Old Man finally bites the dust.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Regarding the news, I could say I enjoy reading gossip occasionally, but I find that they have zero impact on the general human life in the 21st century.

I could discuss this topic in great length, but this thread would not be the place for it. It would more properly belong here.

The short answer is that those in the traditional media who whine about competition from social media are, quite simply, not "getting it". Readers and viewers go where they go not necessarily because of the platform, but because of the content.

Humans have always loved gossip more than actual "news". It's simply more fun, and most people just want to be entertained. Anime fans watch Spice and Wolf because they love Horo the Wolf Goddess, and not because they want to learn about the economy.

This natural tendency has become a lot more obvious now because of the prevalence of social media. Readers/viewers haven't necessarily become "dumber". It's just that "dumb" people are now a lot more visible.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

I was quite unhappy about the AWARE saga a few months back because I thought it could affect the import of Marimite manga and make it illegal to own anything related to Kampfer (these are worst case scenarios). The implications are nothing serious in the end.

I've always seen the Aware saga as the sequel to the Section 377A controversy two years back. Each saga may have starred different actors, but they represented the same issues.

I'm looking forward to Part III.

[npcomplete]

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by killer3000ad

Apparently there's a hidden message here. See the first characters of the left most words of the second and third paragraphs. Of course, they are saying it's all coincidence.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/us/29arnold.html

Hahaha
explicit, yet smooth and subtle

I don't follow politics so I never knew there was a feud between the two. I guess this is Arnold's response to when he showed up uninvited to an event earlier in the month, which apparently Ammiano didn't appreciate and took the opportunity to bash the gov on the spot

“This wasn’t the Legislative Chambers, where you have to put up with this shit,” Ammiano said.. “It’s like this guy just showed up and took a big dump in my living room.”

.. lol CA politics

[LynnieS]

High school [American] football concussions merit more study

NEW YORK – While headlines focused this week on potential long-term risks of head injuries to pro football players, Jarek Dombrowski was just hoping to get through his school days without the headaches coming back.
[...]
In fact, experts say they know very little about long-term medical risks of concussion for America's football players still in high school.

A congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday focused on the NFL. A month ago, a preliminary study suggested that retired football players may have a higher than normal rate of Alzheimer's disease or other memory problems, presumably because of head injuries. But at the hearing, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., said he'd seek records on head injuries in amateur ranks as well, "because of the effect on the millions of players at the college, high school and youth levels."

I would imagine that for players in other physical sports like rugby and football/soccer, this would be a problem as well, esp. given the rather minimum (IMHO) protective gear they wear? If not, that could be an interesting point to investigate further also. Like... "Is the force of the impact being properly distributed by the helmet across the area?" or "Should the force of the impact be distributed across the player's entire body instead of just his head and [possibly] a braced neck?"?

For kids who just play at the high school level (and either don't want to continue or cannot - e.g., physical ability not up at that level), a relationship between a head injury and later health effects like Alzheimer's could be hard to prove. An ordinary child is more fragile than an adult, but he should still be growing; adults are more "set", and recovery would be harder and take longer - if it happens at all.

[JMvS]

Originally Posted by LynnieS

I would imagine that for players in other physical sports like rugby and football/soccer, this would be a problem as well, esp. given the rather minimum (IMHO) protective gear they wear?

You can hardly compare those sports, their dynamics being quite different.

While I am not a sport expert, at least I can pick the clear differences between american football and rugby or soccer.
In soccer, you would expect mostly leg injuries, as the players are using those to interact with the ball and run.
Rubgy is sometimes described as a gory sport, but precisely because of the lack of protections, injuries are mostly superficial or akin to those of football (locomotory).

If you had to compare them to other sports, I think you could compare Rugby to Greco-Roman wrestling while American Football would be more like Boxing.

Interestingly, in those two sports, the use of protections allows for greater shocks, but induce concussions.

[Shadow Kira01]

Okada to visit U.S., talks with Clinton expected Nov. 6: sources

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada is expected to visit the United States for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton possibly on Nov. 6, although last-minute arrangements for their meeting are still taking place, Japanese government sources said Sunday.

The State Department said Saturday in Washington that Clinton would meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada in Washington on Nov. 6, but retracted the announcement shortly afterward. The sources indicated that the schedule of Diet sessions in Japan is a key factor that has prevented both governments from finalizing details of Okada's itinerary.

It seems that the United States has decided to cancel the meeting over the issue of the military facility relocation. However, the foreign minister is still eager to meet with Clinton. Speaking of which, the approval rating of the Hatoyama Cabinet has dropped around 10 percent which might have something to do with Okinawa. After all, it seems as though some cabinet members are backing down over the relocation after some pressure from the United States. Nonetheless, an approval rating of over 60 percent is still very good.

[LynnieS]

Originally Posted by JMvS

You can hardly compare those sports, their dynamics being quite different.

While I am not a sport expert, at least I can pick the clear differences between american football and rugby or soccer.
In soccer, you would expect mostly leg injuries, as the players are using those to interact with the ball and run.
Rubgy is sometimes described as a gory sport, but precisely because of the lack of protections, injuries are mostly superficial or akin to those of football (locomotory).

If you had to compare them to other sports, I think you could compare Rugby to Greco-Roman wrestling while American Football would be more like Boxing.

Interestingly, in those two sports, the use of protections allows for greater shocks, but induce concussions.

That is a fair point you made on football/soccer injuries. I brought that up from a memory of a high school game a long time ago where two girls went up for a pass - one to head it to her teammate and the other to block - but knocked each other silly instead.

North Korea demands direct talks with the U.S.

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea pressed the United States to accept its demand for direct talks on the communist regime's nuclear program, warning Monday that Pyongyang "will go our own way" unless Washington agrees.

What is different this time in order to convince the U.S. to talk directly with North Korea when in the past, N.K. failed to do so?

[mg1942]

hmmm saber rattling too much?

Russia 'simulates' nuclear attack on Poland
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...on-Poland.html

Documents obtained by Wprost, one of Poland's leading news magazines, said the exercise was carried out in conjunction with soldiers from Belarus.

The manoeuvres are thought to have been held in September and involved about 13,000 Russian and Belarusian troops.

Poland, which has strained relations with both countries, was cast as the "potential aggressor".

The documents state the exercises, code-named "West", were officially classified as "defensive" but many of the operations appeared to have an offensive nature.

The Russian air force practised using weapons from its nuclear arsenal, while in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, which neighbours Poland, Red Army forces stormed a "Polish" beach and attacked a gas pipeline.

The operation also involved the simulated suppression of an uprising by a national minority in Belarus – the country has a significant Polish population which has a strained relationship with authoritarian government of Belarus.

Karol Karski, an MP from Poland's Law and Justice, is to table parliamentary questions on Russia's war games and has protested to the European Commission.

His colleague, Marek Opiola MP, said: "It's an attempt to put us in our place. Don't forget all this happened on the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland."

[klowny]

Sir Christopher Monckton: Copenhagen treaty eviscerates U.S. sovereignity

Here is the video

[cors8]

Originally Posted by klowny

Sir Christopher Monckton: Copenhagen treaty eviscerates U.S. sovereignity

Here is the video

Doesn't matter what Obama wants or "intends". Any treaty would have to be ratified by the US Senate, I think, and Obama does not control the Senate.

[X10A_Freedom]

In pictures: London's new 'X-crossing'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/h...00/8337673.stm

So London now has a Shibuya-style pedestrian crossing, but that's not the important bit. What is more newsworthy for us is, a group of cosplayers took a major part in the opening ceremony. Any good pics of these cosplayers on the net?

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by mg1942

hmmm saber rattling too much?

Russia 'simulates' nuclear attack on Poland
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...on-Poland.html

Barking dogs won't bite. However, once they stop barking for no good reason I'ld be concerned.

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by klowny

Sir Christopher Monckton: Copenhagen treaty eviscerates U.S. sovereignity

Here is the video

I get it. He tries to be funny isn't he? (I mean he can't be serious, unless he has no glue what he is talking about... for example disguising everything one doesn't like as communism is quite funny in my oppinion)

[mg1942]

Originally Posted by klowny

Sir Christopher Monckton: Copenhagen treaty eviscerates U.S. sovereignity

Here is the video

treaties can be broken
treaties have been broken
treaties will be broken

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by Jinto

I get it. He tries to be funny isn't he? (I mean he can't be serious, unless he has no glue what he is talking about... for example disguising everything one doesn't like as communism is quite funny in my oppinion)

Sadly he is serious. That guy might not be American, but the US has a lot of people like that actually. That's the kind of attitude that exists on the far right, like the "tea party" movement. Fortunately they're a fringe, unfortunately, they're trying to not be a fringe and make their views more common by corrupting the republican party and purifying it of "Republicans in name only", I.E. anyone who doesn't measure up to their standard of a "conservative".

[iLney]

Originally Posted by mg1942

treaties can be broken
treaties have been broken
treaties will be broken

Then what's the point of signing a treaty that will be broken?