Laws of Singapore

Don’t break them…
http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/

Hurricane Katrina and Singapore

Heres a brilliant article talking about how Hurricane Katrina is related to Singapore. You might need a subscription (free) to get to the article. I think that this is a good example of an good arguementative essay as can be seen below. Singapore here is being compared to America.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/14/opinion/14friedman.html?th&emc=th

This article is under Op-Ed Columnist and it is written by Thomas L. Friedman on 14th September 2005. One part of it talks about how efficient Singapore is in handling disasters. This is to constrast between America which has been recently commented as not being efficient. One claim that was stated clear and direct in direct constrast was the sentence: “It may roll up the sidewalks pretty early here, and it may even fine you if you spit out your gum, but if you had to choose anywhere in Asia you would want to be caught in a typhoon, it would be Singapore.”

Mr. Friedman goes on to give plenty of evidence to support this claim of which one statement, I feel, is close to the hearts of many Singaporeans. “(Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy) You lose New Orleans, and you have 100 other cities just like it. But we’re a city-state. We lose Singapore and there is nothing else”. This apt describtion is further supported with another example, the Nicol Highway collapse which happened in April 2004.

I highly recommend everyone to take a look at this article, and in any case feel that I have mistaken, post a comment here.

My form teacher (2003/4) Mr. Lim

My form teacher for 2003/2004 has retired on 22nd August 2005. Heres a page in Dunman High School (DHS)paying tribute to him:
http://www.dhs.moe.edu.sg/Staff/Mr%20Lim%20HT.htm

After having the privilege of being his students for 2 years, I can sense evidently that he was a sincere and approachable teacher that was committed to the well-being of his students. It is indeed a loss to DHS as he has finally retired. On the other hand, it is time for him to finally take a rest and spend time recalling about the good times he had in his schools. Below is the article, just in case DHS decides to take it down.

“
A Tribute to Mr Lim Hong Tuang

It is with much great reluctance on my part, really, to inform all of you that our colleague, Mr Lim Hong Tuang (our D&T teacher) will be retiring at the end of this year.

Mr Lim joined the education service in 1962 – a career as a D&T teacher which spans nearly half a century. An alumnus of Dunman High School , Mr Lim received his secondary and pre-university education at the then Dunman Government Chinese Middle School from 1958 to 1962. Fulfilling his ambition to become a teacher, Mr Lim enrolled himself in the Teachers’ Training College at Paterson Road , which is the precursor of today’s National Institute of Education or NIE. He obtained his Certificate-in-Education in 1964. Upon graduation, Mr Lim rendered his service in 7 secondary schools, many of which had become defunct today. These secondary schools Mr Lim had taught before joining Dunman High School included the following:

• Thomson Vocational School (3 years)
• Punggol Vocational School (2 years)
• Telok Paku Vocational School (2 years)
• Bukit Merah Centralised Workshop (9 months)
• Queenstown Technical School (14 years) and
• Bedok North Secondary School (11 years)

In the early years of Mr Lim’s teaching career, he belonged to a pioneer batch of technical teachers who had assisted the Ministry of Education in the setting up of the technical workshops in secondary schools in Singapore .

Notwithstanding the busy schedule in school, Mr Lim displays a great passion for and a lifelong interest in learning, a positive quality that we should all emulate. Mr Lim did a part-time 5-year course in Singapore Polytechnic where he graduated with a Technicians’ Diploma in Building in 1969. In 2001, at the age of 58 when many of his counterparts would contemplate early retirement, Mr Lim obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Land Economics from the University of Technology in Sydney , Australia . His hard work had paid off as he achieved 2 nd class honours degree.

Mr Lim did not have the luxury of time when he was pursuing his diploma and honours degree. He had to attend evening lectures and tutorials over countless weekends. In addition, he had to embark on intensive and personal research for his honours year thesis. Despite his commitments to studies, he remained committed to his first love, which is, teaching his beloved students. As his colleague, I am impressed by the boundless energy and great commitment shown by Mr Lim.

In terms of CCA, Mr Lim’s contribution to Symphonic Band since 1995 plays a crucial role in its consistent outstanding achievements over the years, having won the Gold Medal in the 1999, 2001 and 2003 Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging for Concert Bands and it was also selected as one of Top Five Secondary School Bands of Singapore. I am sure the band members and teachers-in charge would agree with me that Mr Lim is indeed an asset to Symphonic Band.

Not only is Mr Lim a responsible and caring teacher, Mr Lim is also a dedicated father devoted to his family. Under his parental guidance, his two children have become successful in both educational and career attainments. His eldest son is a practising medical doctor who had graduated from the prestigious Dublin University in Ireland . Mr Lim?ˉs daughter has just graduated from Toronto University in Canada . Mr Lim is also blessed with a supportive wife who incidentally is also a teacher at Beatty Secondary School . As a senior teacher, Mrs Lim teaches Art and shares Mr Lim’s great passion for teaching.

On behalf of the Principal, Mr Sng and SMC members, I would like to wish Mr Lim a happy retirement which he well deserves. We would also like to express our deepest appreciation to Mr Lim for his contribution to Dunman High School all these years. Thank you Mr Lim.

warmest regards
Chiang Ky
Head of Academy Humanities and Arts Programme
Dunman High School
23 Aug 2005
“

Update on 07/08/06. The website for this speech seems to be shifted to http://www.dunmanhigh.moe.edu.sg/Article05_Tribute.htm

Hype

The New Sony DSC-R1 (R1) has created such a hype that I feel like commenting on it. The buzz caused by it can be seen from dpreview.com, where at this point, 9th October 2005, 09:55 GMT +8.00, 12 out of 20 of the most active threads are about the new R1.

From my shallow knowledge of photography and my limited readings, here are some aspects of the R1:

1) Large sensor, which brings about bigger sensor pitch; usage of APS-sized sensor measuring 21.5 x 14.4 mm

Advantages
• Few times more dynamic range, dpreview quoted
• Much larger range of ISO sensitivity; ISO 160-3200
• Lower noise levels; cleaner images
• Higher megapixel count not at the expanse of other technical aspect like noise or dynamic range
• 3:2 format of the APS-sized sensor makes it easier to print a photo, as there is no need to crop.

Disadvantages
• Need of larger glass (67mm diagonally) to collects enough light to accommodate the larger sensor
• Need of large glass also makes it more susceptible to damage, more costly to buy filters and more costly to produce

2) First sensor of such (large) size to give a full-time live preview

Advantages
• You can use the LCD or EVF which is bigger than the mirror box and prism (dslr) or optical viewfinder (compact)

Disadvantages:
• There is no optical viewfinder which has lesser lag between the actual subject and the LCD preview. Then again this might be negligible unless you shooting fast moving object.

3) The first use of a CMOS sensor in a digital camera of which the lens cannot be removed

Advantages
• CMOS seems to give less noise

3) Very low power consumption of only 200mW

Advantages
• Save power; save money on batteries; save the world

4) “First Sony digital camera to support Adobe RGB” (dpreview, 2005) and “First implementation of ‘Auto Gamma Control’ on a Sony digital camera” (dpreview, 2005)

5) Weight of 995g.

Advantages
• It has greater inertia, making handshake lesser

Disadvantages:
• Not suitable for hanging down your neck, least it breaks. Many compact cameras are weighing 100-200 grams; a stark difference.
• It is even heavier then many other DSLR with their kit lenses like the Canon 350D, Nikon D50 and Olympus E300.

6) Size of 139 X 168 X 97 mm (dpreview, 2005)

Advantages
• Large grip from such a large camera which means a firmer and more stable grip, reducing handshake

Disadvantages:
• Rather bulky camera as many compact cameras can now fit into the pocket.

7) Lack of movie mode.

Disadvantages:
• Some people buy digital cameras to take movies too. Although I don’t do that, having a movie mode feature would make it more sellable.
The first digital camera that has the LCD screen mounted on the top of the camera; the LCD is perpendicular to the user.

Advantages
• You can use the camera from waist level and shoot it like medium format cameras or like people in the past.
• Free up space in the main body to add in larger, more widely spaced out, and buttons.

Disadvantages:
• Flipping it upwards to face you may make it more susceptible to damage and blocks your view.
• Takes up space for external flash hot shoes

9) Price of USD999 is approximately SDG1600-1700 which can buy you many entry-level DSLRs, with spare cash to get extra memory card, battery grip, more batteries, and other accessories.
10) Weird position of external flash

Advantages
• Balance the weight of the heavy lens on the left with the weight of the flash, which is now on the right, at the grip.

Disadvantages:
• Flash not mounted directly may cause some vignetting at the left side.

11) Carl Zeiss T* 24-120mm F2.8-F4.8

Advantages
• It is mechanically linked, giving user more precise control and speed
• 24mm is a rarity for compact camera, and at F2.8, it means that you need to pay a lot to get the same in a DSLR.
• Carl Zeiss is a great lens company and since the lens is marked T*, it should have a layer of good coating
• Can go up to F16, which is uncommon for most compacts which only go up to F8

Disadvantages:
• A bit slow on the telephoto side (F4.8)
• Telephoto of 120mm is not very good, DSLR and even many compacts give more range for that given price
• Cannot change the lens

12) Closer placement of lens to sensor

Advantages
• Reduces a lot of technical problems like chromatic aberration
• No mirror box and prism means a quieter camera, good when you are taking wildlife shots and do not want to disturb the animals or in formal occasions like weddings. where you do not want to be eye-catching

Disadvantages:
• You don’t have the mirror box and prism

What would have made it better?
In order of importance I feel:

1. Lower price. A price of USD600-800 would be very competitive
2. Longer, faster zoom lens with image stabilisation (IS), though Carl Zeiss seems to be unable to make IS lenses
3. Better position of the LCD and external flash hot shoe
4. Lower ISO settings, at least of ISO 100, while I prefer ISO50-80
5. Larger LCD of 2.5-3.5 inch. 2.0 inch is quite common
6. Smaller body and lighter weight thought with same grip
7. Option of use of SD card, as I use SD cards now

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin’s Interview

Interesting interview with New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/02/national/nationalspecial/02TEXT-NAGIN.html

Or listen to the mp3 version:
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/audio/national/NAGIN_AUDIO.mp3

Maybe you would need a NYTimes news subscribtion to get though.