AWARE 130-page Report

Association of Woman for Action & Research (AWARE) was registered in Singapore in November 1985 as a voluntary organisation of women with three main areas of focus - Support, Research and Advocacy.

Recently they completed this Report with the following key recommendations. My views are, of course, attached :)

• Amend the Constitution to include a provision that no one will be discriminated against on the grounds of gender and marital status.

[Since we are in the mood of amending the Constitution to eradicate discrimination, may I propose that we amend the Woman's Charter too? When Woman's Charter was initially constituted, we human were all living in another planet and in another era. Women have come along way since then. Divorced husbands too need protection!]

• Set up a body that promotes gender equality.

[I am for it as it promotes equality between man and woman. Refer to my comment above.]

• Promote more flexible work arrangements to help more women.

[Nope. We should say "Promote more flexible work arrangement to help more men and women.]

• Need for legislation on sexual harassment.

[Agree. Again it should cover sexual harassment for both sexes.]

• Taskforce to oversee interest of foreign women.

[Nope. The taskforce must also oversee the interest of foreign men. Remember there are men who are exploited too. Remember the man who died in a worksite accident whose body was dumped in a carpark in Sengkang. Remember the man who was paid $20 (I think) to sleep in the middle of an expressway to look after some construction materials.]

• Strengthen laws to ensure women are not fired during pregnancy.

[I think this is fair.]

• System to prevent human trafficking.

[I think this is fair as AWARE is referrring to human and not woman trafficking.]

• CASE should play an active role in opposing the perpetuation of gender stereotypes in the media.

[I can accept this proposal.]

My DBS Platinum Cards

Dear friends and yes, including those who are working in DBS Bank too,

This is based on the last credit card statement I just received.

For my platinum card, I spent $668.17 and I got 132 points. It looks like I am getting 1 point for $5 spent.

More importantly, what is the $ value per 1 point that I am getting from DBS Bank?
Take for example - For a $100 CYC voucher, I need to get 3,500 points. http://www.dbs.com/sg/personal/rewards/
Thus each point is valued at $0.029 or 2.9 cents.
DBS is effectively giving 2.9 cents for every $5 you spent ie. 0.58%.

Hmmm.. it does not sound like a good deal at all. But as I have been a single-hearted loyal customer of DBS Bank credit cards, I really don't know what other banks are giving for every $1 spent on their cards.

Can tell me which banks give you a better deal?

I really don't feel very platinum right now... haizzzz

My first time - episode 2 :)

Dear friends,

About Monday last, I received another email invitation from Aesop thru' Mutiply.

The email was peppered with URL links to articles that were carbon copies of mine! I looked for some form of acknowledgement to Edgar but in vain.

I felt thoroughly violated!

I msned Aesop immediately. Aesop denied any knowledge of the existence of the blog in Multiply nor my blogs in Blogger.

This person knows both of us as it has placed Aesop's name, email address and HOME telephone numbers in the Profile page.

Aesop complained to Multiply immediately with a simple click on the screen. Ermm... apparently there must be a lot of people going round using other people's identity to do something silly. I too lodged my complaint to Multiply for violating my rights.

The blog has apparently been brought down as per my last check.

Aesop and the good people at Multiply.com - Thanks for your cooperation in resolving this issue so quickly.

Competition Commission of Singapore

Wah so chim? What is that?

Among other responsibilities, it reviews anti-competitive activities in Singapore. In more human language, it is made up of a group of people with the responsibility of deciding whether a business has used its sizeable market share or monopolistic position to take advantage of its customers.

If I am not wrong, it is part of the requirement for Singapore to comply under Free Trade Agreement FTA signed with US.

Should Starhub, being a sole provider of cable tv services in Singapore, be called upon to answer for raising prices on its various cable packages?

Example - Imagine you signed up for 24-month contract for cable tv package at a price $60 per month. You got a 29-inch tv for a gift. So happy right? Then a few weeks later, you were informed of the impending price increase to $70 per month

Should you wish to stop the service before the expiry of 24 months, you are required to pay a penalty.

On the other hand, apparently the said 24-month contract allows the service provider to increase its price to whatever level it sees fit. You have no say at all but to pay till the end of term.

Why would one enter into a contract where one party can do nothing to change the terms and the other party can vary the terms and conditions?

Is this fair?

Should CCS should look into the following incidents too?

• SingPost's postage rate hike from July 1
• Nets fee increase on merchants using its payment gateway

How about SBS raising its bus fares? This is already covered by Public Transport Council PTC.

My first time - episode 1 :)

Hi friends,

On Jun 1, 2007, I received the following email from a person who looked like an ex-student of mine. Let us call this person, Aesop.

"Your Friend Aesop has invited you to be his contact on Multiply.
Multiply is a web site that makes it easy to share photos, blogs, videos and more with the people you know. Aesop is using Multiply to keep in touch with friends and family and she wants to include you.

Accept Aesop's invitation or learn more about Multiply:
http://multiply.com/si/A+StMHF3p

Personal message from Aesop:
Check out my Blog... Its "Everything with Aesop". I have so far "Nonense with Aesop; Business with Aesop; Politics with Aesop; Comics with Aesop". Enjoy your time there and Have great fun!"

Do you notice the remarkable similarity with how he named her blogs? Well I thought his/her attempt to "emulate" Edgar would be the best compliments he could give me. I gave no further brain cells to it...

Today, 10 days later, I received another invitation to join her Multiply's network. I was flabbergasted at what I saw!

Look out for my next posting tomorrow!!!!

P/S - He/She/his/her are purposely confused as I am not sure whether he is a she or she is a he.

"I confess"

Yes I am also adding pressures to the pockets of my customers.


HhhEEElllllLLLppppPPPP!!!!!

Starhub will get more $ from me!

Starhub has just announced price increase for its various packages.

Sigh!! More pressure on our pockets.

In return, Starhub wants to show its magnanimity by giving you 2 FREE channels ie. the History channel and Crime & Investigation.

Hello? Are we getting more time, more eyes, more brains to process what we see per person to watch the additional 2 channels!!!

The reality is someone must put a stop to these spiralling price increases that we are experiencing now from left, right, behind and centre of us.

Heeeelllllppppppp!!!!

Digital Age and changing business models

the enchanting blue

In today's Straits Times, it is reported that the sales of music through the CD stores have plummeted from $60mio in 2003 to $36mio in 2006 due to Digital Age. Big CD retail stores are on a retreat.

Couple of years ago when CD-rom writer technology was first introduced, my friend was thinking of setting a chain of PC stations where you could choose your own songs and burn your own CD compilation. You may laugh at the idea now but back then, it was a logical idea to challenge the capital-intensive big CD retail stores. We decided against proceeding as we got a feel that songs, like any files, can be downloaded over internet.

That reality has long arrived.

Will the same or is the same happening now to book stores?

I am reading both paper-based printed books and PDF-formatted digital books on my handphone. One more medium - I am also listening to audio books.