Sone bans vicspass

Sleepy

2011-09-04T23:48:00.001+08:00

Sleepy

2011-09-04T23:45:00.001+08:00

Watch Beginners With Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic: Funkygrad Movie Tribe on 15 August!

2011-08-07T17:56:00.001+08:00

I am part of the @Funkygrad Movie Tribe, invited to attend screenings at Shaw theatre. Updates here! @ergossevents

=D on 15 August!

iPad 2 with grey cover

2011-07-27T01:28:00.001+08:00

muarks'* http://spo.gs/l1Nj

Henry's Crime starring Keanu Reeves: Funkygrad Movie Tribe on 18 July!

2011-07-17T01:05:00.001+08:00

I am part of the @Funkygrad Movie Tribe, we are invited to attend screenings at Shaw theatre. Updates here! @ergossevents

The Beaver: Funkygrad Movie Tribe on 21 June!

2011-06-16T20:20:00.001+08:00

I am part of the @Funkygrad Movie Tribe, we are invited to attend screenings at Shaw theatre. Updates here! @ergossevents

some twitter love from Japan

2011-03-14T11:51:00.001+08:00

#Japan #Quake as Seen from Twitter friends

goo.gl/TzXFt via Jun Shiomitsu's Facebook Notes by Jun Shiomitsu on 12/03/2011

websites are made with slurpy love muaks

2011-03-07T21:08:00.001+08:00

Connect @ ERGOSS Portal - #Ergonomics & #HumanFactors http://t.co/5OM5yKH via @ergossevents

Hats off! whew

2011-01-24T23:33:00.001+08:00

Half Off Sandwiches And Coffee - http://www.groupon.sg/deals/singapore/-10-for--20-dining-voucher-at-joe-and-d...

Universe.jobs

2011-01-23T12:49:00.001+08:00

Check out this website I found at sgp.jobs

all jobs on a page

Rise of the groupon clones http://tinyurl.com/358x4nf

2011-01-12T19:02:00.002+08:00

Gobuya.com (via http://www.startupshk.com)

loves the cold weather in singapore

2011-01-11T12:07:00.001+08:00

Burrrrr!!! It's cold outside!

That has to be the case..

2011-01-10T21:08:00.001+08:00

I'm 25 ... and I've wasted my life! - http://pulsene.ws/GR71

Phil Neo: http://flavors.me/okaiji via @addthis

2011-01-10T00:06:00.001+08:00

Phil Neo
http://flavors.me/okaiji/

In Ascend

I study Human Factors & Systems at SIM University.

so true, it's a good read

2011-01-09T23:41:00.001+08:00

11 Tech Predictions for 2011 | MIH-SWAT http://t.co/LIW5Ny4 via http://www.mihswat.com

What's your favorite school subject, and why's it your favorite?

2011-01-08T22:33:00.001+08:00

my guess it's going to be history; but I flunked it, in retrospective that's an irony, since history taught us most =D

South Coast | Marina Bay Sands

2011-01-08T10:18:00.001+08:00

Located on the Singapore Harbour, South Coast is an Australian bistro and bar offering clients a venue that combines chic with perfect relaxation.
Opening at 8am for coffee and breakfast, then serving lunch and dinner until late, South Coast is the ideal place to have a corporate lunch or a private dinner before the latest theatre show.South Coast has a bar area that showcases the Singapore city skyline at its best so if it is a quiet drink you desire or to host a party for clients or friends, South Coast has packages to suit everyone’s needs.

via marinabaysands.com

Great ambience and food, pizza!

Having said and done, here comes the amendments to the WSH Act to be effected by Sept' 2011

2011-01-08T00:07:00.001+08:00

Public Consultation on Proposed Enhancements to the Workplace Safety and Health Act | Ministry of Manpower
http://www.mom.gov.sg/

Key Principles of Proposed Enhancements.

Official Google Blog: Eye-tracking studies: more than meets the eye

2009-05-16T01:15:00.000+08:00

Official Google Blog: Eye-tracking studies: more than meets the eye

Cool see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability_testing

also!

Speech by Adrian Tan at NTU convocation ceremony

2008-11-21T08:00:00.022+08:00

Life and How to Survive It
Below is a speech to the graduating class of 2008 at NTU convocation ceremony last week by Adrian Tan, a litigation lawyer and the author of The Teenage Textbook.

I must say thank you to the faculty and staff of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information for inviting me to give your convocation address. It’s a wonderful honour and a privilege for me to speak here for ten minutes without fear of contradiction, defamation or retaliation. I say this as a Singaporean and more so as a husband.

My wife is a wonderful person and perfect in every way except one. She is the editor of a magazine. She corrects people for a living. She has honed her expert skills over a quarter of a century, mostly by practising at home during conversations between her and me.

On the other hand, I am a litigator. Essentially, I spend my day telling people how wrong they are. I make my living being disagreeable.

Nevertheless, there is perfect harmony in our matrimonial home. That is because when an editor and a litigator have an argument, the one who triumphs is always the wife.

And so I want to start by giving one piece of advice to the men: when you’ve already won her heart, you don’t need to win every argument.

Marriage is considered one milestone of life. Some of you may already be married. Some of you may never be married. Some of you will be married. Some of you will enjoy the experience so much, you will be married many, many times. Good for you.

The next big milestone in your life is today: your graduation. The end of education. You’re done learning.

You’ve probably been told the big lie that “Learning is a lifelong process” and that therefore you will continue studying and taking masters’ degrees and doctorates and professorships and so on. You know the sort of people who tell you that? Teachers. Don’t you think there is some measure of conflict of interest? They are in the business of learning, after all. Where would they be without you? They need you to be repeat customers.

The good news is that they’re wrong.

The bad news is that you don’t need further education because your entire life is over. It is gone. That may come as a shock to some of you. You’re in your teens or early twenties. People may tell you that you will live to be 70, 80, 90 years old. That is your life expectancy.

I love that term: life expectancy. We all understand the term to mean the average life span of a group of people. But I’m here to talk about a bigger idea, which is what you expect from your life.

You may be very happy to know that Singapore is currently ranked as the country with the third highest life expectancy. We are behind Andorra and Japan, and tied with San Marino. It seems quite clear why people in those countries, and ours, live so long. We share one thing in common: our football teams are all hopeless. There’s very little danger of any of our citizens having their pulses raised by watching us play in the World Cup. Spectators are more likely to be lulled into a gentle and restful nap.

Singaporeans have a life expectancy of 81.8 years. Singapore men live to an average of 79.21 years, while Singapore women live more than five years longer, probably to take into account the additional time they need to spend in the bathroom.

So here you are, in your twenties, thinking that you’ll have another 40 years to go. Four decades in which to live long and prosper.

Bad news. Read the papers. There are people dropping dead when they’re 50, 40, 30 years old. Or quite possibly just after finishing their convocation. They would be very disappointed that they didn’t meet their life expectancy.

I’m here to tell you this. Forget about your life expectancy.

After all, it’s calculated based on an average. And you never, ever want to expect being average.

Revisit those expectations. You might be looking forward to working, falling in love, marrying, raising a family. You are told that, as graduates, you should expect to find a job paying so much, where your hours are so much, where your responsibilities are so much.

That is what is expected of you. And if you live up to it, it will be an awful waste.

If you expect that, you will be limiting yourself. You will be living your life according to boundaries set by average people. I have nothing against average people. But no one should aspire to be them. And you don’t need years of education by the best minds in Singapore to prepare you to be average.

What you should prepare for is mess. Life’s a mess. You are not entitled to expect anything from it. Life is not fair. Everything does not balance out in the end. Life happens, and you have no control over it. Good and bad things happen to you day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment. Your degree is a poor armour against fate.

Don’t expect anything. Erase all life expectancies. Just live. Your life is over as of today. At this point in time, you have grown as tall as you will ever be, you are physically the fittest you will ever be in your entire life and you are probably looking the best that you will ever look. This is as good as it gets. It is all downhill from here. Or up. No one knows.

What does this mean for you? It is good that your life is over.

Since your life is over, you are free. Let me tell you the many wonderful things that you can do when you are free.

The most important is this: do not work.

Work is anything that you are compelled to do. By its very nature, it is undesirable.

Work kills. The Japanese have a term “Karoshi”, which means death from overwork. That’s the most dramatic form of how work can kill. But it can also kill you in more subtle ways. If you work, then day by day, bit by bit, your soul is chipped away, disintegrating until there’s nothing left. A rock has been ground into sand and dust.

There’s a common misconception that work is necessary. You will meet people working at miserable jobs. They tell you they are “making a living”. No, they’re not. They’re dying, frittering away their fast-extinguishing lives doing things which are, at best, meaningless and, at worst, harmful.

People will tell you that work ennobles you, that work lends you a certain dignity. Work makes you free. The slogan "Arbeit macht frei" was placed at the entrances to a number of Nazi concentration camps. Utter nonsense.

Do not waste the vast majority of your life doing something you hate so that you can spend the small remainder sliver of your life in modest comfort. You may never reach that end anyway.

Resist the temptation to get a job. Instead, play. Find something you enjoy doing. Do it. Over and over again. You will become good at it for two reasons: you like it, and you do it often. Soon, that will have value in itself.

I like arguing, and I love language. So, I became a litigator. I enjoy it and I would do it for free. If I didn’t do that, I would’ve been in some other type of work that still involved writing fiction – probably a sports journalist.

So what should you do? You will find your own niche. I don’t imagine you will need to look very hard. By this time in your life, you will have a very good idea of what you will want to do. In fact, I’ll go further and say the ideal situation would be that you will not be able to stop yourself pursuing your passions. By this time you should know what your obsessions are. If you enjoy showing off your knowledge and feeling superior, you might become a teacher.

Find that pursuit that will energise you, consume you, become an obsession. Each day, you must rise with a restless enthusiasm. If you don’t, you are working.

Most of you will end up in activities which involve communication. To those of you I have a second message: be wary of the truth. I’m not asking you to speak it, or write it, for there are times when it is dangerous or impossible to do those things. The truth has a great capacity to offend and injure, and you will find that the closer you are to someone, the more care you must take to disguise or even conceal the truth. Often, there is great virtue in being evasive, or equivocating. There is also great skill. Any child can blurt out the truth, without thought to the consequences. It takes great maturity to appreciate the value of silence.

In order to be wary of the truth, you must first know it. That requires great frankness to yourself. Never fool the person in the mirror.

I have told you that your life is over, that you should not work, and that you should avoid telling the truth. I now say this to you: be hated.

It’s not as easy as it sounds. Do you know anyone who hates you? Yet every great figure who has contributed to the human race has been hated, not just by one person, but often by a great many. That hatred is so strong it has caused those great figures to be shunned, abused, murdered and in one famous instance, nailed to a cross.

One does not have to be evil to be hated. In fact, it’s often the case that one is hated precisely because one is trying to do right by one’s own convictions. It is far too easy to be liked, one merely has to be accommodating and hold no strong convictions. Then one will gravitate towards the centre and settle into the average. That cannot be your role. There are a great many bad people in the world, and if you are not offending them, you must be bad yourself. Popularity is a sure sign that you are doing something wrong.

The other side of the coin is this: fall in love.

I didn’t say “be loved”. That requires too much compromise. If one changes one’s looks, personality and values, one can be loved by anyone.

Rather, I exhort you to love another human being. It may seem odd for me to tell you this. You may expect it to happen naturally, without deliberation. That is false. Modern society is anti-love. We’ve taken a microscope to everyone to bring out their flaws and shortcomings. It far easier to find a reason not to love someone, than otherwise. Rejection requires only one reason. Love requires complete acceptance. It is hard work – the only kind of work that I find palatable.

Loving someone has great benefits. There is admiration, learning, attraction and something which, for the want of a better word, we call happiness. In loving someone, we become inspired to better ourselves in every way. We learn the truth worthlessness of material things. We celebrate being human. Loving is good for the soul.

Loving someone is therefore very important, and it is also important to choose the right person. Despite popular culture, love doesn’t happen by chance, at first sight, across a crowded dance floor. It grows slowly, sinking roots first before branching and blossoming. It is not a silly weed, but a mighty tree that weathers every storm.

You will find, that when you have someone to love, that the face is less important than the brain, and the body is less important than the heart.

You will also find that it is no great tragedy if your love is not reciprocated. You are not doing it to be loved back. Its value is to inspire you.

Finally, you will find that there is no half-measure when it comes to loving someone. You either don’t, or you do with every cell in your body, completely and utterly, without reservation or apology. It consumes you, and you are reborn, all the better for it.

Don’t work. Avoid telling the truth. Be hated. Love someone.

You’re going to have a busy life. Thank goodness there’s no life expectancy.

Free forum hosting by lefora

2008-08-07T18:36:00.007+08:00

Having such a nice time, trying out different blog systems and such. I find it hard to actually try to get them to work. But having tried forums I also found that they are more intuitive but the user interface is rather clunky.

Now, it's time for a revolution. The free forum hosting by lefora is the most intuitive and gives customer satisfaction to its users! Time for the change to decide who the winner is. I would begin to use this forum to advance my dedication to provide the utmost value to my customers; who say there is no after sales support, ha ha...

I will begin to detail my course taken in Aerospace Engineering and Design

2008-07-01T18:25:00.006+08:00

I would say this is in preparation for my latest interest pursuant to a degree in aerospace engineering.

Of course, it is not possible to be able to attain a grade that is very much acceptable if I did not attempt to get ahead by trying to solve the tutorial questions. Maybe I would give up after some time, but at least I tried; and failed.

Now the first course, Introduction to Aerospace Engr and Desg,
A course that I feel would dwell into the aspects of flying machines. I reckon that this would be not much fun, since, I have always attest to the fact that there is no simple stuff when learning the basics, I usually crash and burn. Starting with, firstly a disclaimer that lays out the fact that this course is entirely provided by MIT Open Courseware at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

I tried to type out all the lessons plans, subject matters on my own and attempt to write the lectures and impress in my mind through this, I would learn. The typing sessions are composed entirely in Dvorak and US English. So This course starts in Spring of 2003 instructed by Prof. Dava Newman. of Lectures at two sessions / week at 1.5 hours / sessions. I am at the undergraduate level. From what I know, the universities aim to produce professors, but engineers? I think it may be a bit far- fetched. But I want to try this out for a change.

Thus it begins...

16.00 Introduction to Aerospace Engineering and Design

Spring 2003

The Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis, framed by the California mountains, as it rides on the back of one of NASA's Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) en route from California to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. (Image courtesy of NASA.)

Course Highlights
This course contains labs, assignments, projects, and related resources dealing with aircraft and rocketry design concepts.

Course Description
The fundamental concepts, and approaches of aerospace engineering, are highlighted through lectures on aeronautics, astronautics, and design. Active learning aerospace modules make use of information technology. Student teams are immersed in a hands-on, lighter-than-air vehicle design project, where they design, build, and fly radio-controlled LTA vehicles. The connections between theory and practice are realized in the design exercises. Required design reviews precede the LTA race competition. The performance, weight, and principal characteristics of the LTA vehicles are estimated and illustrated using physics, mathematics, and chemistry known to freshmen, the emphasis being on the application of this knowledge to aerospace engineering and design rather than on exposure to new science and mathematics.

I would beg to differ though, it would seem that the moment when I decided to try my hands on building the models of new stuff I would be so happy to learn how to create the models produced by QUEST, a learning company that produced collaterals on sciences and engineering. I was facinated, even dwelled on the fact that there was so much to discover, and excite me. So, it would seem that learning new things is actually the epitome of the young children wondrous desires to want, and to improve and to acquire these new things.

Syllabus
This syllabus include information on the topics covered, texts used, and the rules and policies of the course.

Prerequisites
8.01 and 18.01

Course Requirements
Textbook
Dava Newman. Interactive Aerospace Engineering and Design. McGraw-Hill, 2002.

Class Participation
Your questions and comments are extremely valuable. Since the lecture material is available ahead of time from the textbook and on the Web, there will be more time in lecture to discuss (in seminar style) thee material rather than spending the entire 90 minutes copying the lecture notes from a blackboard. Discussions during class time are encouraged to fill gaps in the lecture material, to guide the pace of the class, and for you to enquire about the meaning, relevance, and importance of lecture material.

Portfolio
Students are required to compile a portfolio containing notes, brainstorming ideas, concepts, sketches and final despins. This comprehensive notebook, or Personal Design Portfolio (PDP), is due toward the end of the term (See syllabus). A recommended template is provided for developing your PDP (see CD-ROM). The intent is to promote good note taking habits as an aid to understanding the material, to put your creativity down on papeer and the computer, to help me assess what you are picking up in the lectures, and to grade your individual contributions to your design teams. In sum, the PDP presents a concise snapshot of what you learn throughout the enntire semester and emphasizess your individual contributions.

All assignments are given on the syllabus homepage. Homework assignments include traditional problems, thught problems, design problems and Web-based presentations (Preliminary Design Review (PDR), and Critical Design Review (CDR).

Wow, that's a lot of work it seemed, I am not going to get started with just glancing through the notes it seemed. I need to really think through how to conduct this thought processes in the course. Of course there is also the prerequisites that I have to fulfil in order for myself to be able to handle this course, maybe I should review the pre-reqs first, it seems.

Lighter-than-Air (LTA) Vehicle Design Project
Teams of 5-6 students each would design, build, and race a remote controlled, lighter-than-air vehicle. The teams compete in their ability to carry the largest payload around a specified course in the minimum amount of time. The designs are judged on their equivalent mass/time. LTA vehicles are also judged in the categories of most reliable and most aestthetic designs. All designs are constrained to have a gross mass of less than 1.75 kg. A project kit is provided consisting of radio control equipment, batteries, balloons, electric motors, and construction materials.

Grading
Performance will be evaluated on the basis of class participation, reading summaries, problem sets, personal design portfolio submissions, and the LTA vehicle design project. There will be no tests or final exam. The final grade ofor the course will be calculated approximately as follows:

Problem Sets and Reading Summaries 30%
Student Personal Design Portfolio 15%
LTA Design Project (including PDR, CDR, Trials and Race)
Attendance, Participation, General Evaluation 10%

Problem Set Solutions
Solutions will be posted one week after problem sets are due.

Handouts
There will be occasional handouts in lectures. It is expected that regular attendance in lecture will offer the opportunity to pick up these handouts.

A Note on Submission of Work
The manner in which you present your work can be just as important (and in some cases more so) than the final answer. Be sure to delineate each step along the way. Show a clear and logical approach to your solution. That makes your problem sets a better reference to you and easier for us to give you partial credit (if so deserving).

My Response

2008-02-05T00:52:00.000+08:00

Pertaining to the discussion topics that are opened up in this thread, I would like to respond to the topics that are raised here.

The 4th publicly funded university should possess a good series of courses, along with seminars to create awareness that it provides research capabilities and offers a leading edge over overseas universities.

As a fourth university, should it push along the frontiers of science and technology, adding to the already popular engineering or biomedical hubs that Singapore is spearheading towards?

The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise defines liberal arts as a, "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general intellectual capacities, in contrast to a professional, vocational, or technical curriculum."

Thus, the question I wish to raise being that, would Singapore, a practical society, be collectively ready for a liberal arts college, or is it altogether premature? While the Liberal arts colleges are pioneered in Europe, now they are usually associated with colleges within the United States and, are found in other countries in the world as well.

Could Singapore start to embrace liberal arts colleges?

The fourth university potentially creates a hallmark on our tradition of providing excellent education, and nuturing aspiring leaders.

Having perused the opinions expressed by fellow Singaporeans, I would regard the polytechnic education as good, if not the best for preparing youths for the workplace. Not exploring pristine topics, like anthropology, social studies, and natural sciences.

Should the fourth university hold research into these topics, what would be of intrinsic value, in the knowledge that is imparted to the youths? I would think not industrial processes that, optimises the next new and better fuel for automobiles. Or, getting up the newest gaming packages offering a better game-play experience.

Without a firm grounding in the humanities, however, would youthful aspirations of a better world still holds true? Albeit, there are many variances in how youths hold up their magnifying glass to examine the world. And it usually happens that the numerous concepts that are pushed upon them from the media, would intensely colour their perceptions.

A greater effort is required to raise capable leaders who, must channel their attention towards the wonders of nature and humanism. Thus, I would support a liberal arts faculty, that can inspire our next generation of graduates for the workforce. Nonetheless, let us not disregard the crucial drivers of our economy, which are the industrial ties with our educational institutions, actively supporting the employment of university graduates upon convocation.

Thank you for considering these humble opinions.

Regards!

Phil Neo

Our University Sector, Features of Fourth Publicly-Funded University

2008-02-05T00:35:00.000+08:00

Reply To :

RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Minister of State, Ministry of Education, chaired the first focus group discussion for the Committee for the Expansion of the University Sector with students from all five polytechnics on 5 Nov 07 at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. The polytechnic students were asked about their university aspirations, as well as the features they would like to see in a 4th publicly funded university in Singapore. RAdm (NS) Lui stressed that the 4th University would not cater purely to polytechnic students.

The polytechnic students were in favour of a 4th publicly funded university. They noted that 3-4 years would be an ideal length for degree programmes offered by the 4th publicly funded university. They also suggested that the new institution should be practice-oriented, providing courses and research that were directly relevant to the industry. Internships and overseas exchange programmes, or perhaps a combination of both, would be ideal features of the new institution. Although most students were in favour of a specialised approach, some students also proposed that elements such as training in lifeskills, interdisciplinary education, and broad-based education (including more humanities subjects) should be part of the curriculum offered by the 4th publicly funded university. The students also suggested broadening the admission criteria for the 4th publicly funded university to allow for wider access, especially utilising interviews to assess students more holistically for entry.

The students also stressed the importance of the reputation of the 4th publicly funded university. They suggested bolstering the reputation of the university by establishing partnerships with reputable overseas institutions, and/or by ensuring that the new institution's faculty and staff were of a high quality. Many students also cited graduate output and graduate success rates as important factors in determining a university's reputation.

Discussion Topics:

-What features do you think a 4th publicly funded university should possess?

-How should this 4th publicly funded university distinguish itself from our existing universities?

-How should the 4th publicly funded university ensure that it is well-regarded in comparison to our existing universities?

Shanghai trip dad

2008-01-06T11:53:00.001+08:00

Sone bans vicspass

Sleepy

Sleepy

Watch Beginners With Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic: Funkygrad Movie Tribe on 15 August!

iPad 2 with grey cover

Henry's Crime starring Keanu Reeves: Funkygrad Movie Tribe on 18 July!

The Beaver: Funkygrad Movie Tribe on 21 June!

some twitter love from Japan

websites are made with slurpy love *muaks*

Hats off! whew

Universe.jobs

Rise of the groupon clones http://tinyurl.com/358x4nf

loves the cold weather in singapore

That has to be the case..

Phil Neo: http://flavors.me/okaiji via @addthis

so true, it's a good read

What's your favorite school subject, and why's it your favorite?

South Coast | Marina Bay Sands

Having said and done, here comes the amendments to the WSH Act to be effected by Sept' 2011

Official Google Blog: Eye-tracking studies: more than meets the eye

Speech by Adrian Tan at NTU convocation ceremony

Free forum hosting by lefora

I will begin to detail my course taken in Aerospace Engineering and Design

My Response

Our University Sector, Features of Fourth Publicly-Funded University

Shanghai trip dad

websites are made with slurpy love muaks