reports by a jobless dude

[taxico]

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%94%B0

they have that 田 character in many japanese names. beats me... BUT i only know two car companies with it.

丰田 toyota
本田 honda

don't think any of the motorcycle companies use that character.

oooh. "hwa yu cool" has rubbed off on me. my head hurts.

[offshoreoildude]

surprisingly much less than i expected!

KAWASAKI GOOD TIMES WORLD!!!

Good to know. When I was last unemployed in Singapore all I did was screw my (now ex) Malay wife senseless. She was desperate for me to get back to work.

[ecureilx]

I have heard that St. John's Ambulance also offer it for the private corporate sector (you know, like being trained up as a fire warden (as I also did)). Not sure if this applies in SG, but worth a look.

there is a lot of subsidies, for companies, especially in Manufacturing sector, to get themselves geared up as part of the WSH rules ..

What I found funny was that, say, the Raffles Medical Course - is certified as equivalent to American Heart Association, and the other one, maybe not certified as so ..

Seems that the number of badges can wreak havoc, or save you, if you are in the wrong country ..

From what I know, For Singapore, There is no legal implication, if you step in when there is an emergency, and the person you tried to revive passes away .. unlike in many countries where the blame game runs amok ..

[Macrick]

LoL! well said abt the blame game

[the lynx]

I have heard that St. John's Ambulance also offer it for the private corporate sector (you know, like being trained up as a fire warden (as I also did)). Not sure if this applies in SG, but worth a look.

there is a lot of subsidies, for companies, especially in Manufacturing sector, to get themselves geared up as part of the WSH rules ..

What I found funny was that, say, the Raffles Medical Course - is certified as equivalent to American Heart Association, and the other one, maybe not certified as so ..

Seems that the number of badges can wreak havoc, or save you, if you are in the wrong country ..

From what I know, For Singapore, There is no legal implication, if you step in when there is an emergency, and the person you tried to revive passes away .. unlike in many countries where the blame game runs amok ..

I thought they have the Samaritan rule in place for that scenario.

[JR8]

I have heard that St. John's Ambulance also offer it for the private corporate sector (you know, like being trained up as a fire warden (as I also did)). Not sure if this applies in SG, but worth a look.

there is a lot of subsidies, for companies, especially in Manufacturing sector, to get themselves geared up as part of the WSH rules ..

What I found funny was that, say, the Raffles Medical Course - is certified as equivalent to American Heart Association, and the other one, maybe not certified as so ..

Seems that the number of badges can wreak havoc, or save you, if you are in the wrong country ..

From what I know, For Singapore, There is no legal implication, if you step in when there is an emergency, and the person you tried to revive passes away .. unlike in many countries where the blame game runs amok ..

I thought they have the Samaritan rule in place for that scenario.

It could be argued that a patient would be better off waiting for professional medical care to arrive, rather than being attended to immediately by someone who 'did a 1/2 day course 2 years ago'. Therein lies the rub.

[taxico]

report #3

in tandem with a desire to publish a magazine, i was hassled over the phone and email to meet bureaucrats about my application to do so.

during our meeting, i met an old stiff and a young stiff. both were full of criticisms about my journalistic endeavors and refused to grant me an permit unless i changed the content in the MOCK UP issue or re-applied under a different genre/category.

a valuable hour was spent with them debating pointless issues. there was no parking validation and i lunched in the same building at a very lousy restaurant. all i had to show for were 2 name cards and a stomachache.

on the home front, it seemed, initially, a good idea to self assemble ikea furniture. on hindsight, always 20/20, this is an extremely bad idea. i ended up going to the hardware store about 7 times to buy extra tools i had no use for. i was better off paying for someone to deliver and install them.

i would like to invent a game wherein swedish furniture designers from ikea are kept locked in a facility reminiscent of this movie:



and if they fail to assemble each other's designed furniture BY FOLLOWING THE USELESS INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED IN THE BOX, they will get their heads chopped off... but not before they get punched by me squarely in the nose.

and speaking of tragedies, i deleted my music folder on my old laptop and immediately felt like dying. i am now on the hunt for a good file recovery software that can reclaim 30-40gb worth of mp3s i have spent many many countless productive hours, while loafing off work, downloading.

next, it has been my observation that traffic, even during office hours, has been building up on the roads. why are there so many cars when everyone should be at work or doing house hold chores? KEEP OFF THE ROADS!

and on the subject of crowds and wasting time, i have gone to ikea many times over the past few weeks, trying to take advantage of their WOW! $188 AND YOU GET 8X (EIGHT!!!) POINTS ON YOUR STORE CARD! promotion... except twice, i had to return ALL my purchases and start all over again because the temp cashiers forgot to scan one item on the belt.

no, they cannot void it on the spot and re-transact. i have to go get a ticket, wait, explain to a lady with a lazy eye, wait, get a refund, re-shop by barging through the isles filled with abandoned or poorly parked carts, queue up, pay... OH NO SHE FORGOT TO SCAN THE CUPS... AGAIN!!!

and of course, i inevitably forgot to validate parking and i have to pay again.

at least the drink re-fills are free, although i want to do so in order to pour the refreshing beverage over the heads of ikea staff.

back to the motoring front, it is now official that i am able to squeeze two single mattresses, 2 x 2door wardrobes, 1 bunk bed, and 2 shelves into my car. although i am quite sure i would be beheaded if i got into a traffic accident.

judging from the road congestions, this is either highly likely or highly unlikely. but what was for sure, was my backache from moving the purchases from ikea, to the car, and from the car, into the house, and then trying to assemble them.

and why won't mcdonald's start a member's card for point accumulation??

in my next installment, i shall chronicle my experience with LTA inspectors, trying to prove that why japan-spec japanese made bikes meet euro spec emission standards, and how to bid for a vanity license plate.

[JR8]

re: Deleted files.

They're still there, but I HTH you're not using the same computer now as if you are it will be overwriting parts of your deleted files and make them irrecoverable.

AFAIK if you accidentally delete something important. Stop using the machine, close it down and call an expert.

I had this happen once (IIRC it was a HD 'head-crash'), coincidentally in SG, and I got maybe 95% of my files back.

Good luck!


p.s. Some IKEA stuff is simple to construct (and an electric 'screw-driver' with multiple 'end-bits' will really save on blisters. However I recall helping a friend put together a stand-alone double wardrobe with sliding doors. That really was a complete b**ch and took most of a day. It comes down to - how valuable is your time?

[taxico]

i shut down almost immediately (i wasn't sure if the computer can be left plugged in and running for long periods as the internal fan is konking out) after i realized my music folder was deleted... i'm noW (typo) trying to look for undelete recommendations. they all require installations thus far, and i'm looking for a no-install solution.

as for ikea furniture.. g0d@mit, it's _supposed_ to be easy and i _do_ have an electric drill but the instructions some times don't make sense and i'll be honest, the build doesn't end up quite the same as the ones displayed in the showroom.

i do have time, but i guess i'm too cheap to spring for delivery and installation when i THINK it's something an unemployed person with all functioning limbs, can do easily.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Fortunately us farm boys are gifted with a Handyman tools and after working on the bottom of the ocean in the oil fields, we are now qualified to fix/build anything with nothing, in the dark.

[JR8]

i shut down almost immediately (i wasn't sure if the computer can be left plugged in and running for long periods as the internal fan is konking out) after i realized my music folder was deleted... i'm noW (typo) trying to look for undelete recommendations. they all require installations thus far, and i'm looking for a no-install solution.

If your fan is malfunctioning you need to replace it ASAP. I've witnessed the 'system box' of a PC blowing-up (accumulated dust from carpet pile jammed the fan bearing) and it was pretty wild! Like someone standing in front of you in a small room and emptying a hand-gun on full-auto, followed by a huge flash and clouds of smoke!! [Brings new meaning to 'Going out with a bang'! ]

I'm no PC-expert, but can't you install an app on another PC, connect it to the failed one, and carry out the repair that way? I'd call in the pro's. It is too easy to turn recoverable into irrecoverable IMHO.

as for ikea furniture.. g0d@mit, it's _supposed_ to be easy and i _do_ have an electric drill but the instructions some times don't make sense and i'll be honest, the build doesn't end up quite the same as the ones displayed in the showroom.

Get a friend over one afternoon: swearing together over the job makes it less frustrating. Plus you get a bullet-proof exit-permit from the missus to go out on the beers in the PM

i do have time, but i guess i'm too cheap to spring for delivery and installation when i THINK it's something an unemployed person with all functioning limbs, can do easily.

Some IKEA is simple to do, but some of it is a distinct challenge. [Thought: someone should set up a website where shoppers can rate their IKEA construction experience. Score is x/10. User-tips. Then other users can vote +/- of others' tips/suggestions, so the cream rises.

p.s. Then when you get decent traffic stats, get IKEA to advertise in your banner section so you're self-funding+, hehehe...

[taxico]

i was away in the last 2 weeks of feb and was given the papers on the flight back to singapore... the weird new rules ("budget") shocked me.

that and all the weird regulations and restrictions imposed (post election) on everything imaginable mean the atmosphere here is too oppressive.

having thought about everything very very hard, i've come to a sudden conclusion and one that is not easy as it wasn't on the cards until next year or the one after...

in a few months' time (before fall), i will be getting on a plane headed home to the US of A with my wife and we're not sure if we'll be coming back to singapore to live again...

this post concludes this thread. y'all take care now.

[JR8]

Care to elaborate Taxi? (I have no idea what you're referring to).

For us.... back to Sg once more, then one more routine posting (say 5 yrs total hence). Then I think we're done... + retire in Europe..

Absolutely no wish to retire in Disneyville/SG.... Sheesh you can't even dive there, they're rude and the food is cheapo crap... nothing to like (when you get above blind patriotism)

[offshoreoildude]

i was away in the last 2 weeks of feb and was given the papers on the flight back to singapore... the weird new rules ("budget") shocked me.

that and all the weird regulations and restrictions imposed (post election) on everything imaginable mean the atmosphere here is too oppressive.

having thought about everything very very hard, i've come to a sudden conclusion and one that is not easy as it wasn't on the cards until next year or the one after...

in a few months' time (before fall), i will be getting on a plane headed home to the US of A with my wife and we're not sure if we'll be coming back to singapore to live again...

this post concludes this thread. y'all take care now.

Yes - the budget / New COE rules and a bunch of other changes re housing are probably going to push me out earlier as well. I had hoped to stay here til my eldest entered NS in about 6 to 7 years but I'm not sure we will make it. Currently I'm tossing up Thailand (where most of my business is and I can get a work visa via our agent), Battam (closer to my son) or Jakarta (same reasoning as Bkk) or maybe even - God forbid - Brisbane (bloody taxes though).

[taxico]

Care to elaborate Taxi? (I have no idea what you're referring to)...

the government's policies and directions in recent years are not as business-friendly or as stable as i'd expect. i've had to revise my plans a few times and this is extremely disruptive.

eg, trying to import JDM motorcycles into singapore has seen me hitting invisible walls (in all guises) and only recently did someone enlighten me that bureaucrats were trying to reduce the number of bike deaths.

getting suitably priced properties (not just residential, mind you) are impossible to get, and when obtained, are filled with restrictions and clauses.

many industries in singapore that MAY still make money are labor-intensive with little possibility of automation. every industry which HAS made money had been muscled in by PA/NTUC/quasi-"community" organization (or will eventually be muscled in by them).

pricing the country out of the region (if not the world) is stupidity, given the size of singapore, and harks back the late 70s/early 80s push to increase wages and the resulting recession of the mid-80s.

the budget announcements were shocking in that MAS would actually impose loan regulations to curb inflation and COE prices (yes, they are temporary but still).

everything is to the benefit of the singaporean man on the street.

i know singapore is a nanny state, but everything, in totality (whether or not i include all future moves to further appease singaporeans ) simply does not allow me/my interests to flourish.

as i have the option of moving away, i shall do so. there is no point in waiting out the markets and praying the government shall realize their folly as there are better risks (and payoffs) outside of singapore.

having a bigger opposition is not a big deal in singapore where the first past the post system and PA/PAP (as an organization AND political party) is very well entrenched and is a good sign of democratic and political progress...

i see no point for PAP to attempt to reverse the inevitable.

/rant off