NUS tuition fees

I have said this too many times to people, I wonder why Engineering students get a bigger grant than those in Business. You can make some simple guesses. The government want to encourage more to take up engineering which is going a begging for their share of top students.

If I were to do this all over again, I wouldn't have opted for engineering regardless of the carrots they dangle.

When it is convenient I hope to compare our numbers against foreign schools. Government (tax payers) and locals are helping to pay for the expensive UTown which is mostly not used by us.

A couple of weeks ago I heard former NMP Eugene Tan on radio explained that between two equally qualified PhDs, the foreigner get hired over the local because it help the university look international.

Like Tan Kong Yam used to say, often civil servants are over zealous. Tell them to jump one yard, they shoot for two and fall into the drain. Guess what? We have so few local academics that MOE is now trying to sponsor scholarships for Singaporeans to choose an academic career, i.e., trying to jump out of the drain back a yard.

Meanwhile my daughter complained that many of her tutors are graduate students from China and it is really hard to make out what they say in English.

BlackBox: Govt Satisfaction Scorecard

Got this from Property Guru which took it from Blackbox. Found the full report here.

They gave readers the strong impression that the work is professionally done. When I looked at the key management team, they are mostly FTs. Nothing wrong with that if you are seeking superficial, quantitatively driven research. I would be more careful if they try to put the pieces together to make story, but I have no time to read their report. Basically I am just interested in their summarised findings presented in a table.

No earth shaking or even mild surprise, but I think people are too complacent about national security.

Warren Fernandez vs Han Fook Kwang

What a contrast between Warren Fernandez and his predecessor Han Fook Kwang. I told myself sometime back never to read anything from Fernandez again. I broke that rule today because I read some very sharp and negative comments on Facebook about his piece today. I regretted the time wasted reading his article. A minister reading it would have responded, "lucky you are not doing my job, with that attitude you would be looking for another job"

On the other hand Han Fook Kwang's suggestion of taking away all cleaners from our schools and getting the kids to take charge of cleanliness is worthy of further study and trying.

Farm in the City

I don't have the time for this and I wish I do some day. Meanwhile I would be very happy if this become more common. They are good for the eyes, the environment and the dinner table.

They could smell really good too.

SG: At least $15b a year on gambling

Amazing sums thrown at lady bad luck - $8 billion! Anthony Robbins even wrote about our gambling habit in his latest book on money.

Many of the gamblers are also in the financial markets. With their lousy appreciation of odds, they must after losing money on bets, lose some more in the markets.

We haven't even add the sums of bets placed illegally.

Ichiban Boshi Yusheng

First Lo-hei ($24.80) of the year at Ichiban Boshi yesterday. Not sure about this year but in previous years we would have this as often as possible. Boshi offers one of the best value I think. Over at Sakuraya which we go pretty often, I feel is too pricey.

China getting less attached to Social Media

Wouldn't be surprised if a study is done here and elsewhere the trend would be similar. As a user I feel that way too and had already changed the way I use Facebook.

Perhaps the Chinese government have sensed the ground softening toward more control and so less senseless, stupid and divisive posts from so many hiding behind the wall of anonymity. Unlike the West they cared far less for freedom and more for jobs and material well being.

The Singapore authorities will be closely watching what they are doing. If China succeeds, they will have ideas some of us hate but if the majority feels otherwise, we will be steamrolled.

This government by and large only live by bread first. That is mostly correct especially when you discover you have lost your livelihood, but it is also wrong as it create a very unhappy people clamoring for change. Too many people find their lives not meaningful enough. They become restless and how long can they stay this way before they act unpredictably?

Link to WSJ article.