[redbean]

mysingaporenews parting company with Asian Correspondent

Ok guys and gals, Asian Correspondent has agreed that we will part company on 1 Feb and we be back to where we came from. Bloggers and readers can continue to reach us at www.mysingaporenews.blogspot.com effective from that date.

Cheers
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Internet is main stream media!

This is what a Chinese academic said of the internet in China. Such a situation can only happen in a country when the main stream media has lost its credibility and people are turning to alternative news. Not surprising given China’s control of the media.

Can the internet become main stream in Singapore? Do we have the conditions for people to turn to new media and dump the old media? There are signs that it is possible especially in areas that are not covered by the old media or when they cover, the news were craps or unthinking reproduction of other people’s views with other people’s agenda.

The trend here is increasingly turning to alternative media, in particular, for political and social news. Readers are getting pretty disgusted with one sided views of things or not reporting of issues that are close to their hearts. How often would the old media give a thorough airing of opposition news or political mavericks on the wrong side of the equation?

For such news, actually the internet is already main stream in terms of coverage and frequency of reporting. Anyone looking to read something refreshing instead of listening to parrots and tape recorders will inadvertently browse the net for a different perspective of things.

Yes, in some issues and topics, the internet in Singapore is becoming main stream as well.

The article is copied from Asian Correspondent.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

blimey, I am still stuck 'ere

Sorry guys and gals,

I don't know what is happening. We are supposed to detach from Asian Correspondent today. And we are still stuck here.

I am not sure whether to post my articles now or hold them back. Asian Correspondent, please tell.

The article is copied from Asian Correspondent.

PS. mysingaporenews is supposed to part company with Asian Correspondent today. And still got stuck.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

And why am I still here(in Asian Correspondent)

I am craving for my blog to be free. I have waited for one day and now is day 2. There are so many things I want to do with my blog but I just have to wait. Why am I wasting my time here? Oh, the editor is going to remove this fast. I hope he is still sleeping.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Gopalan Nair can be arrested

Gopalan Nair wrote an article yesterday claiming that LKY sufferred a massive heart attack and was warded in SGH. He also posted about demonstrations which gave the impression of civil unrest in the island. He has admitted today that it was a hoax created by him.

Gopalan should not play with such rumours as it can get many people killed. Just imagine if his article comes out this morning and the stock market reacted negatively to it with fearful investors unloading and causing many to lose their little fortunes in the market?

It is utterly irresponsibile for Gopalan to post such vicious rumours in the net. It only destroy the credibility of himself and other bloggers.

I hope no bloggers will think this is funny and exciting and follow what he did. Be responsible and post rationally. Do not stoop to spreading vicious rumours.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Why are Asian media carrying so many anti China and North Korean news?

It is understandable for western media and journalists to write and post articles that paint a very negative picture of Asian countries that are not in their favour. They did it with a known agenda, to influence the readers and manipulate their thoughts. It is a conscious effort and they are probably paid for it.

Some may have an axe to grind, some because of their own prejudices, some of their own ignorance, and many just for the money or for god. T

Now, what have Asian media got to do with such mischievious and one sided propaganda? What have they got to gain other than making the countries they reported on angry or even hostile to them? Are they also being paid? If yes, ok. If not, aren't they being foolish, doing someone's dirty work, knowingly or unknowingly?

Do they have an axe to grind against China or North Korea? Is there a need to be a pawn in a big power game?
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Blog this shit: Open source information scares the pants of governments
April 1, 2010 · Leave a Comment

“If you bloggers self-organize and attach yourselves like leeches to specific issues, corporations, organizations, challenges, you will be the intelligence minutemen of this century. The power is in your hands. There aren’t enough guns to kill us all, and Haliburton can’t build the jails fast enough to keep us down.”

I copied the above from Temasek Hedge. This is a video clip of a speech by Robert D Steele, a former intelligence officer, who said a lot of things that needed to be said. Other than the power of the internet, blogging and the role of bloggers, he talked about how govts treat its people as commodities, how govt benefitted from sponging the people's money, how America is committing war crimes and profitting from war, how central banks needed to be closed, how bankrupt America is today and awaiting to break up, and how you and me and every blogger can contribute to a better world.

I strongly recommend everyone to listen intently to this video clip posted in Temasek Hedge.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

How objective are the media?

Astroturfing has been pointed out for booting recently as a deviant way of promoting a position through false or manipulated inputs through the internet. This in turn gives a skewed impression of the real issue at stake, the supports behind it and even the truth. Astroturfing has been singled out as a methodology used to influence and pressure the govt to act in a certain way. In other words, astroturfing is simply a manipulative way of conveying a message by a group of people for their own interests.

Is this something new? All media, new media or old media, are they so innocent, so objective, so truthful, that they never intentionally push a position by bending backwards, with twisted logic, selective logic and even manipulating statistics to support a position? I am saying this in general, not directing at anyone.

How many old and new media are guilty of the things astroturfing are now infamous for? None? Did I hear none?

I think everyone knows the truth and how media, old and new, manipulate views, opinions and try to influence the way people see or look at an issue. The old and new media are just as good as astroturfing. Nothing more nothing less.

Then there are worst forms of influencing the minds of people by state media and propaganda. Much more deadly and effective than what astroturfing is deemed to have done. The people of America, the free world, and the people of dictatorship and the authoritarian states, are all victims and targets of official media to think in the way the state wants them to think.

So, what is new?
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

A different role for internet or new media

Obviously a new role has been developing for the internet media vis a vis the old media. The forte of old media is news reporting. They report news. Once reported it is no longer news and not worth reporting a second time.

In the case of internet news, it is not merely reporting news per se. It is an expression of the people, begging for action, demanding for action over issues or cases of injustice or a cause etc etc. No doubt the plea may completely be ignored and nothing could come out of it. But ignoring a case or issue raised will reflect badly on the parties where action is needed. There is no escape. Not doing anything when an issue becomes the talk of the town can be embarrassing or even seen as being irresponsible, callous or aloofness or arrogance could also seep through on those responsible. Whatever, there is a price for being seen in a negative light.

An example of old media and internet reporting is that of a fire. The old media will report the fire when it first came to notice. Whatever happens after the first news break is often not reported. No follow up unless the fire keeps burning for a few more days. In the case of internet, the fire will be reported. And if the fire fighters did not turn up in time, it will be reported. If the fire fighters did a bad job, it will be reported. If a good job, it may also be reported. And the fire can be reported everyday if there are other consequences resulting from the fire.

An exception is the rogue diplomat case where the old media keeps pushing and covering the case. The old media is pursuing and hounding this case for justice that has never been seen before. The repeated reporting of the case should at least shame the Romanian govt for appointing a rogue as its representative to the diplomatic world, and now more disgusting is trying to protect him in all ways possible. It is not willing to face the court of common justice that a serious crime has been committed by a poor specimen of its govt and that it should do all it can to bring the animal to justice, that any honourable govt will do.

In this case, it is good that the old media uses all its resources to keep reporting on the case to bring the criminal to justice, and the Romanian govt to its knee if it has to.

It will be great if the old media could pursue issues in this way, tenaciously, without letting go. Maybe they should continue to report more on the high property prices and how badly it is affecting the citizens and emptying their pockets. For everyone who makes a handsome profit, some poor citizen is going to pay for it for a life time. Is it a good thing?

The internet or new media has a job cut out for it, to pursue issues tenaciously, without letting go.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

The callous use of a simple word

The Straits Times headlined, Passing of a Spore titan. And many other local media also reported on the passing of Dr Goh Keng Swee.

The same news is being reported by overseas media but treated in a little careless or callous way. And their headlines read, Dr Goh Keng Swee dies, Goh Keng Swee dies, Dep PM Goh Keng Swee dies, ….

There is nothing wrong or incorrect to say Goh Keng Swee dies. But reading it gives one a different feel of the event. He dies, you die, instead of he passes away, departed, called home to be with the Lord, you see, the latter sounds so different or at least polite.

Imagine the media starts to report the king dies, the president dies, so and so’s father or mother dies, or the king is dead….

I still like to use more pleasant and civil terms like pass away, passing away and better still, called home to be with the Lord.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

The shame of the diplomatic corp

Is Silviu Ionescu a typical example of the character and integrity of a diplomat? If he is, then the whole diplomatic corp is a sham. How could a man of such low integrity and despicable conduct be chosen by a country to be their representative? And presumably he is the best that Romania can find. It is either their system is so flawed, or the quality of their civil servants is suspect. And if they do not bring him to justice it will reflect very badly on what Romania is all about.

On the diplomatic corp here, what are their views and stand on this Ionescu incident? So far they have been very quiet. It would be nice if the head of the diplomatic community take a stand to distance themselves from this obnoxious man whom they wined and dined and embraced as one of them. If they still think that Ionescu is one of them and a good one, then the diplomatic corp will become a joke in town.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Kim Jong Il is a madman, also a genius

Kim Jong Il is a madman that runs a very poor country for more than 50 years from the time of his father. And the North Koreans are still not starved to death and could build nuclear weapons and maintain an army that could over run the south with the word go. And the status quo is only maintained with the presence of American troops and backed up by Japanese pledge to join in to defend the South. Could a mad man and a very poor country really to that? Oh he is also a genius.

And there was ‘a thorough investigation showing that the North Koreans are responsible,’ for the sinking of a South Korean corvette Cheonan. This is the most concrete evidence so far. Beyond any reasonable doubt. And Kim Jong Il did this just to attract world attention to feed his ‘dangerous personality disorder – “malignant narcissism” …which involves “extreme grandiosity and self absorption”. Isn’t this what George Bush was suffering from?

Ok, Ok, I did not make this up. The above information can be found in William Choong’s article in the ST yesterday. He is a senior writer.

I am wondering why he is so sure that the information was true and factual. How did he know, or those people who have no contacts with Kim, know that he is mad, and also a genius? Did they diagnose him or treat him? And I also wonder why William Choong is so sure that the evidence on the sinking of Cheonan is not fabricated but the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The Americans and South Koreans said so?

There is another page on mypaper today showing satellite photos purportedly of the palace of Kim Jong Il and proclaiming that this is a man who lives a lavished lifestyle. Looking at the images, the size of it was nothing compare to the football stars or Michael Jackson's estate or much bigger than any residence of heads of states.

The question is that why are we so obsessed with North Korea and so happy to read unsavoury news about that country? Do we have an axe to grind, do we have an agenda, are we anti North Koreans? Or are we just being fed by the western media to attack the North Koreans without knowing it? The West have an interest to paint the North Koreans as black and bad as they can to justify their political interests. Do we have such an interest?
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Singapore cannot stomach US rubbish!

The self proclaimed god of the world published a report putting Singapore on a watchlst for human trafficking. Singapore has hit back claiming the the US should look at itself as human trafficking is a very serious problem there. The joke is that the US ranked itself as the best in the ranking, right at the top.

I think there is no need to scream our lungs out. In the first place we should control our media and avoid reporting rubbish and biased articles from the Americans and helping them to push their agenda. Such stupid reports should never be published in our media. We should exercise more discretion to report on worthy stuff. In fact some of our journalists and reporters are also parroting many of the rubbish coming out from the US and the western world. So why blame them if we are so gullible?

The second thing we can do is to put up a proposal to the UN to set up a neutral agency to monitor all countries on such issues, including human rights violation in the US. And of course war crimes against humanity that are committed by the Americans all over the world.

The UN should take over the role in this kind of reporting, on condition that the analysts are neutrally picked. It would be pointless to have the same clowns and crooks making the reports.

Asian media should cease reporting silly and biased articles immediately.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

We are in North Korea’s nuclear hit list

There was a very well written article in the ST yesterday written by Jeremy Auyong of SPH. It has this title, ‘A most glorious, victorious defeat’ and dressed up with a big statue of Kim Il Sung and a FIFA banner of the South African game. Half a page of the ST Life was devoted to this article. It claimed to be an intercepted report from the North Korean World Cup team to its Dear Leader. Readers are advised not to take this seriously as it was printed under the subgroup called ‘jay talking’.

Let me give a little cut and paste brief of the article. It is too long for posting here.

‘All hail the Dear Leader of limitlessly rich and strong Democratic People’s Republic of Korea….On Wed, our noble team of drones stopped only a little short of a complete and total humiliation of Brazil. The final score, according to the counting system of Western liberal apologists, was Brazil cowards, 2; the great team of the People,1.

…we outperform our evil scum neighbours to the south. The South Korean scoundrels managed only a miserable 2-0 scoreline against Greece, even though it is clear they were playing against a team of anti socialist conspirators that had been instructed beforehand not to try too hard….

The great victory was attained…We bowed before the life sized full colour framed portrait of Dear Leader that we have taken along at the expense of rations and a backup right back….

The noble team thank you limitlessly for authorising the temporary removal of the heavy tracking beacons that were strapped to their ankles…The players are so full of love for the Dear Leader that they now attempt to defect only once or twice a day….

As a reward for such an uplifting success, may I hereby suggest that daily team floggings be reduced from 15 strokes to 14 strokes. It would also be most magnanimous of Dear Leader if you would authorise the temporary decommissioning of the electroshock machine….

Yours humbly, Kim Jong Hun, coach of the great team of the People.’

I think it is funny and absolutely brilliant as a joke. And the editor must also agree that humour is good for the soul, never mind, the North Koreans are fun loving people and will not take offense at it.

On a more serious note, if North Korea finds us singing like westerners and want to point a nuclear warhead at us, and put us in their hate list, I think we can’t blame them. They may think that we are intentionally provoking them. Maybe this is a reason why we need to fear North Korea and speak out against them at every opportune moment. After all they don’t belong to the ‘right’ camp. They are evil actually, one of the three infamous Axis of Evil that we have been told daily, and to believe it is true.

We are really a blessed people with a good sense of humour. And we know how to choose the ‘right’ side. I better double check my storeroom cum bomb shelter to make sure it is same in case of a nuclear attack.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

The most disgusting act of Today paper

Arrrggghh....! Ptui!. I can't stand it. There were a couple of pages in today's Today paper covered with filthy and disgusting looking cigarette butts. I just cannot stand the sight of them. They really pissed me off.

What was Today's message? To piss off non smokers or smokers? I think it will have no effect on smokers as they love them. Some silly women even collect them and fill them in big transparent bottles to admire at them. And occasionally they will uncork the bottle of cigarette butts to enjoy a whiff of the stale stench.

Yak. Today, please, don't piss of the wrong audience. I threw the paper away immediately. It is so offensive. Stupid idea.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.