extra fine cotton

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the grandmaster

The late M Oyama, the karate grandmaster who was known for killing a bull with his bare fist, was afraid of cockroaches.

- Wong Liang Ming, Singapore National Taekwondo coach.

flogged yet they rejoice

...They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

- Acts 5:40-42

matching colours

Kinokuniya at Liang Court

Saw this book which provides numerous combinations of colours that you can match with your furniture and the colour of your room. So tempted to get one.

birthday girl

Today is my cousin, Jianing's birthday! She's turning five this year. She's adorable and loves to dance and sing for us. Almost wanted to buy the para para dance mat as her birthday present.

She has this barbeque party near where she invited her friends over for dinner and fun. Was feeling dead beat after all the running and play catching with those kids. I need enormous amount of energy to keep up with them. They are so lively and they like to run all over the place. They don't seem to get tired of playing catching!Anyway, it was fun playing with them. Haaaa. They are all very lovable kids.

We got her this Barbie Cali girl with a horse for her. (But where's Barbie????)



Alrightey, time to call it a day. Will get to play with the kids in church tomorrow.

nokia 888

Nokia 888 is based on the first winning concept designed by Tamer Nakisci from Turkey. The design of the phone reminds me of those metal coil thingy that we used to slap on our wrists when I was in Primary school! Why didn't I think of that idea as a design for a phone?

New breakthrough in how we communicate

Nokia has come up with a new mind blowing phone that will change the way we use cell phones forever. The new Nokia 888 is a flexible phone that can bend in any shape, form it onto your wrist your, jeans or wherever you would like.

It uses a liquid battery, speech recognition, flexible touch screen, touch sensitive body cover which lets it understand and adjust to the environment. It has a simple programmable body mechanism so that it changes forms in different situations.

Nokia has also included emotions which lets you send forms to other 888 users,for example you can send a heart to your loved one, or a dancing person to your friends inviting them to a party.

- SuprNova.org, 17 Oct 2005.

how much is my blog worth?

I gave it a try too when I spotted this at fen's blog.

My blog is worth $2,258.16.
How much is your blog worth?

quake warning service

JAPAN'S SPACE COMM TO USE SATELLITE FOR QUAKE WARNING SERVICE

TOKYO, Oct 28 Asia Pulse - Space Communications Corp. plans to use its Superbird D communications satellite for an earthquake warning service starting next spring.

The service will make use of information provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency, which is currently testing an emergency earthquake information system that warns of impending S waves after the P waves have been detected. The agency's system transmits the warning over dedicated lines to municipal governments. But Space Communications is now also testing as system with the agency that converts the information into a data form that can be broadcast from a satellite.

For the testing, Space Communications is providing the information free of charge to several power companies and rail operators. But as soon as the agency moves from trials to full service, the company plans to begin charging for the satellite service, which includes personal computer software to analyze the data and present specific information about the strength of the earthquake as well as a countdown to the arrival of the powerful S waves.

Space Communications plans to market the service to power companies, railways, building managers and factories, charging a monthly fee of 3,000-4,000 yen (US$26-35) per PC. It hopes to contract with 20 companies during the first 12 months.

- Asia Pulse, 28 Oct 2005.

I've got a new phone!

This is my new phone, Samsung E730.

I'm naming it BlackBird because of the colour. :P

It can take pictures, sing me Mp3s, comes with a radio and plays video as well. Pretty satisfied with the phone except for certain minor stuff. It's as light as a toy phone. Well, at least it feels that way.

I used to carry this Samsung E330 and it's quite minimal. It has a camera but you can't transfer the photos to the PC. It has no bluetooth and my old transfer cable doesn't work on this phone. I didn't mind it that much when I borrowed it from fenfen because I just wanna have a phone that I can sms and receive calls.

However recently I have the urge to display some photos on my blog so I decided to wish upon the stars for a new camera phone. So I thought why not trade in my old phone which was a E700A (also hand it down to me from fenfen) and the E330, and pay a bit more for a new phone. It was really sweet of fenfen to go back home after work to get the E700A and came down to town to meet so I could trade in both phones for the E730.

That's how I got BlackBird.

first solar cell manufacturing plant in s'pore

Singapore to open its first solar cell manufacturing plant

SUNNY Singapore is taking small but significant steps to harness solar power.

The country's first solar cell manufacturing plant will open its doors in Woodlands next January, initially producing enough cells to power 2,700 homes every year and expanding capacity six-fold by 2009.

By next March, the installation of Singapore's largest solar demonstration project could pave the way for the popularisation of this environmentally friendly technology.

Known as photovoltaic or PV cells, solar cells can convert the sun's rays into electricity. Though they are expensive, they dramatically reduce power bills or eliminate them altogether.

Set up by local company Solar Energy Power or SEP, the Singapore-made cells will be aimed initially at the export market.

The company's managing director, Mr Freddy Goh, said yesterday that although the factory will not open for another two months, SEP has already received enough orders to keep it busy for the whole of next year, with demand from places like Germany, Taiwan and India.

'With soaring oil prices, it's not surprising that more and more countries are looking to solar power,' Dr Goh told The Straits Times at a symposium on renewable energies organised by the Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce. 'That's an opportunity we wish to exploit.'

Opening the symposium, Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said Singapore has 'significant competitive advantages' in exploiting solar power.
As PV technologies become less expensive and oil prices continue to soar, the 'sunbelt countries' along the equator will be among the first to adopt solar technologies in a big way, said Dr Yaacob.

'Singapore is well positioned to serve this market,' he said.

However, Singapore's tryst with solar power is unlikely to be limited to the export market.

The German Energy Agency said yesterday it will set up what is likely to be Singapore's largest solar power demonstration project.

By next March, 200 sq m of solar cells - covering an area roughly half the size of a basketball court - will be set up on the rooftop of either the German School in Bukit Timah or the German Centre in Jurong.

Costing about 100,000 euros (S$200,000), the solar system will generate enough electricity to feed nine Housing Board homes every year, said Assistant Professor Stephen Wittkopf of the National University of Singapore, who is assisting with the project.

Initially, the building owners will use the electricity generated to power their own devices. 'But we hope one day, they will be able to sell it to the Singapore grid,' said Mr Berthold Breid, a director at the German agency.
In many countries overseas, individuals or organisations that generate solar power can sell the power back to the country's main grid, which then distributes it to homes and offices.

However, this is currently not permitted in Singapore.

- Straits Times, 25 Oct 2005.

"No problem!"

a dog's week

quite a beauty

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The Supremacy of Christ

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
For by him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead,
so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God
and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body
through death to present you holy in his sight,
without blemish and free from accusation—
if you continue in your faith, established and firm,
not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.
This is the gospel that you heard
and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven,
and of which I, Paul,
have become a servant.

Colossians 1:15-23

company dress code

dare to be different

Trust yourself and speak out what you believe. If what you believe is different, dare to be different. Dare to be in a hurry to change things for the better.

- Geoffrey Ballard, founder of Ballard Power Systems and coninventor of fuel cells of powering buses and automobiles

I happen to find this "dare to be different" quote on Jenn's site while looking for a "dare to be different" picture.

I'm not afraid to be different. I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I'm not afraid of being ignored. I'm not afraid to be unique. I'm not afraid if people think I'm an idiot. I'm not afraid for the fact I don't care. I'm not afraid of looking ugly, I could care less what they say. I'm not afraid to put the gun in my hand. I'm not afraid it might hurt like hell. I'm not afraid of what you think later. I'm not afraid to be immature. I'm not afraid to feel. I'm not afraid to act serious, though you can never tell. I'm not afraid of happy endings, I don't want life to end that way.

I'm not afraid to die.

a-BERR-unt ideas

aberrant \a-BERR-unt; AB-ur-unt\, adjective:
Markedly different from an accepted norm; Deviating from the
ordinary or natural type; abnormal.

These characters are so wild and aberrant they are close to
appearing lunatics.
- Bosley Crowther, "Who's Afraid of Audacity?" New York
Times, July 10, 1966

But I could never accept the aberrant dictates of socialist
realism which ruled out all mystery and turned literary
activity into a propaganda exercise.
- Mario Vargas Llosa, Making Waves
_________________________________________________________

Aberrant comes from Latin aberro, aberrare, "to wander off, to
lose one's way," from ab, "away from" + erro, errare, "to
wander."

This is an interesting book that encourages people to be aberrant in the way they work and think. Some of these weird ideas were even implemented by the companies! Think these ideas applies to firms that deals largely with research and creativity.



Weird Idea #1 : Hire "Slow Learners" (of the Organisational Code)

Weird Idea #1.5 : Hire People Who Make You Uncomfortable, Even Those You Dislike

Weird Idea #2 : Hire People You (Probably) Don't Need

Weird Idea #3 : Use Job Interviews to Get Ideas, Not to Screen Candidates

Weird Idea #4 : Encourage People to Ignore and Defy Superiors and Peers

Weird Idea #5 : Find Some Happy People and Get Them to Fight

Weird Idea #6 : Reward Success and Failure, Punish Inaction

Weird Idea #7 : Decide to Do Something That Will Probably Fail, Then Convince Yourself and Everyone Else That Success Is Certain

Weird Idea #8 : Think of Some Ridiculous or Impractical Things to Do, Then Plan To Do Them

Weird Idea #9 : Avoid, Distract and Bore Customers, Critics and Anyone Who Just Wants to Talk About Money

Weird Idea #10 : Don't Try to Learn Anything from People Who Seem to Have Solved the Problem You Face

Weird Idea #11 : Forget the Past, Especially Your Company's Successes

you are fired

Every idea was O.K. Steve Ross had a wonderful philosophy - that people got fired for not making mistakes.

- J. Seabrook on how Steven Ross, chairman of Warner Communications, encouraged wild ideas during MTV's early years.

2005: the most popular year to get married

I hereby declare that this year 2005 is the year that most couples like to get married.

This year I've received five wedding invitations. One of my colleagues have five weddings to attend before her own wedding in coming Dec. My boss also happen to tell me that that he has attended quite a couple of weddings for this year especially. Is this a hot year to get married or what?

i do i do

I DON'T DO...

One of our students received an appointment from a bishop, and the student did not feel the placement exactly suited his abilities.

I overheard him complaining about it to another student, and then the other student said, "You know, the world's a better place because Michelangelo did not say, 'I don't do ceilings.' "

Her comment stopped me dead in my tracks. I had to admit she was right.

If you and I are going to be faithful to the ministry God is calling us to, then we had better understand that. I reflected on the attitudes of key people throughout the Scriptures and the history of the church.

The world's a better place because a German monk named Martin Luther did not say, "I don't do doors."

The world's a better place because an Oxford don named John Wesley didn't say, "I don't do preaching in fields."

The world's a better place because Moses didn't say, "I don't do Pharaohs or mass migrations."

The world's a better place because Noah didn't say, "I don't do arks and animals."

The world's a better place because Rahab didn't say, "I don't do enemy spies."

The world's a better place because Ruth didn't say, "I don't do mothers-in-law."

The world's a better place because Samuel didn't say, "I don't do mornings."

The world's a better place because David didn't say, "I don't do giants."

The world's a better place because Peter didn't say, "I don't do Gentiles."

The world's a better place because John didn't say, "I don't do deserts."

The world's a better place because Mary didn't say, "I don't do virgin births."

The world's a better place because Paul didn't say, "I don't do correspondence."

The world's a better place because Mary Magdalene didn't say, "I don't do feet."

The world's a better place because Jesus didn't say, "I don't do crosses."

And the world will be a better place only if you and I don't say, "I don't do ..."

- Leonard Sweet, United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio. Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 2.

be prepared

Without warning, next month, there will be explosions

SOME time in November or December, bomb blasts will be heard in as many as four MRT stations here. The Ministry of Home Affairs wants to know how well- prepared Singaporeans are if terrorists strike and, unlike other SCDF exercises, Singaporeans won't have a choice as to whether or not they want to take part.

There will be no warning, no schedule. If you happen to be a commuter at the selected stations — and the exercise is likely to take place during peak hours — Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng is waiting to see how ready you are.

"Please cooperate with us, please carry on as normal, but at the same time please play a part. But as to when it will happen, we will not say — there is no warning by terrorists before they bomb a station," said Mr Wong in an exclusive interview with Today.

In fact, when he heard about the July 7 terror attacks on London's subway trains, his thoughts turned naturally to Singapore.

"I thought, despite all the preparations they've made, it has happened to them. Which means, despite all the preparations that we're making, or have made, it can happen to us," said Mr Wong, who is also the Home Affairs Minister.

He commended the London authorities and Londoners for the way in which they dealt with the attacks. Would Singaporeans be as brave? "I hope they would respond the same way," said Mr Wong.

The exercise in November may offer some clues, though officials here started taking notes much earlier.

Soon after the London blasts, a team of police officers from Singapore visited London to see what lessons could be drawn from the tragedy.

Mr Wong was coy about sharing details. "The last thing you want to do is to let the enemy know what you're doing."

But he added: "We've learned a lot. And in time, we'll share that with others … But looking at how Londoners reacted to the bombing, and how they went about their normal lives, I think that is something Singaporeans should learn."

His greatest fear is that if, or when, terrorists succeed in hitting Singapore, its citizens will flee. "We have to make sure that we can't be defeated by this," he said. "If a bomb explodes and (people) run away, I think the terrorists will have won. We cannot let ourselves be defeated by our own doing; we have to stand up and say: 'No, we must persist and we must carry on.'"

- TODAYonline.com, 1 Oct 2005.

wasted days

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.

- E.E. Cummings

she deserves a 10 out of 10

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all geniuses are leeches

All geniuses are leeches, so to speak. They feed from the same source - the blood of life...There is no mystery about the origin of things. We are all part of creation, all kings, all poets, all musicians; we only have to open up, only have to discover what is already there.

- Henry Miller, novelist.

visionaries

I have always had a vision...I see things for today, the next year, the next 10 years -- and well after I am gone.

- Peter Fine

aiming for your mothers and wives

Microsoft's new Xbox pitch has feminine side

SAN FRANCISCO Note to hard-core video game players: Microsoft says it is aiming for your mothers and wives.

In the coming weeks, Microsoft plans to introduce a marketing campaign to expand the appeal of the new Xbox 360 game console beyond the young men who are the Xbox's biggest fans.

Microsoft hopes to win a bigger share of the market from the PlayStation 2, the top-selling console made by Sony, by promoting a more family-friendly image for the new Xbox, which will be in U.S. stores starting Nov. 22. The Xbox 360 will go on sale Dec. 2 in Europe and Dec. 10 in Japan, Microsoft has said.

In 2001, when Microsoft introduced the first Xbox, it focused heavily on hard-core gamers, typically males age 17 to 24 , who wanted a high-end machine with more sophisticated graphics and more complex game functions. The PlayStation and the Nintendo GameCube, meanwhile, put more emphasis on reaching the mainstream market, analysts said.

This time, Microsoft is planning a wider attack. Brochures going out to major retailers like Best Buy prominently describe the 360's ability to double as a DVD player, play music from an MP3 player through a television's speakers and even display digital photos on a TV. Its game functions, while impressive, are now only part of the message.

The point, said Bill Nielsen, who oversees marketing for the Xbox 360, is to help a game player convince the women in the family that "this is for you, too," The brochure even says, "Here are some things you might want to tell your wife this thing does." Over Labor Day weekend, Microsoft and Pepsi began a radio promotion to give away 9,000 Xbox 360s by Nov. 22. Nielsen said those ads were meant not just to reach hard-core gamers, but their mothers.

The Pepsi promotion "also hits moms," Nielsen said, because "moms make a lot of the final decisions" on whether the family buys a new game console.

Microsoft will also try to showcase more family-oriented games that can be played on the 360. The Xbox has long depended on the popularity of games like Halo, a shooting game, for console sales. But with the new machine, it will promote games like Kameo, an action-adventure game for younger teenagers, including girls.

Industry analysts, however, are skeptical that the repositioning will work. They say it will be difficult to alter the Xbox's high-end image. And they point out that nongame features have not sold consoles in the past. The Xbox, like the PlayStation 2, can work as a DVD player, but most users do not use game consoles as substitutes for a stand-alone DVD player, analysts said.

"It's a tough sell" to market the 360 to a mainstream audience, said Jeff Gerstmann, senior editor at GameSpot, an online gaming review site. "It's icing on the cake - being able to view photos on an Xbox," Gerstmann said. "But first and foremost this thing will always be viewed as a game machine."

The biggest challenge in expanding the Xbox's reach, analysts say, is making available more games for mainstream players. Evan Wilson, a video game industry analyst with Pacific Crest Securities, said that even to redefine the Xbox as a multimedia console Microsoft would have to first produce more general-interest games.

That will not happen in the next few months. Nielsen said most of the titles available for the holiday season would be sports and shooting games that appeal to the young male market. And the bulk of the initial advertising will be aimed at hard-core gamers willing to pay $299 for a base model or $399 for a model with add-ons like a wireless controller.

Still, Nielsen said he was confident that family-friendly marketing could help redefine the Xbox's image as more games of broader appeal become available. The first week of November, Microsoft will begin a TV campaign with commercials on programs with a larger male audience, including many on the Fox network. The campaign will also include print ads in video game trade publications, Internet spots and heavy advertising at movie theaters. Last week, the company announced a partnership with Adidas to put Xbox game kiosks in Adidas stores. Nielsen declined to say how much the company planned to spend over all on its campaign.

The early indications are that demand for the Xbox will be strong. Online preorders have been so high that some retailers now take preorders only for bundled packages, which include several games. The Web site of GameStop, for example, offers an Xbox bundle for $699, which includes five games and an extra controller.

The stakes are high for Microsoft. Sony and Nintendo plan to introduce new consoles next year. In the game wars, the PlayStation 2 has sold 30 million units; the GameCube has sold around 10 million; and the Xbox has sold 13 million in North America, according to the NPD Group, a market research company.

Wilson of Pacific Crest said he expected Microsoft to make two million to three million Xbox 360s available, but demand could well be greater. A shortage might even benefit Microsoft, he said, by attracting attention well into 2006.

"They want to keep interest high all the way through the launch of PlayStation 3," Wilson said.

- International Herald Tribune, 11 Oct 2005.

when was the last time I slept early?

my praying hands

1. Your thumb is nearest to you.

So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest ones to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C.S. Lewis said, a “sweet duty.”



2. The next finger is the pointing finger.

Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes pastors, teachers, doctors, counsellors, etc. They need support and wisdom for pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.



3. The next finger is the tallest finger.

It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, the political leaders, and the leaders in business and industry. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God’s guidance. Pray also for the church leaders that they will function as the conscience of our nation, and as the watchmen for our God.



4. The fourth finger is our ring finger.

Surprising to many is the fact this is our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need prayers day and night. You cannot reach a state where you pray too much for them.



5. And lastly, our little finger, the smallest finger of all.

This is the position we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, “The least shall be the greatest among you.” Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

George Bush believes he is on a mission from God

George Bush: 'God told me to end the tyranny in Iraq'

George Bush has claimed he was on a mission from God when he launched the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, according to a senior Palestinian politician in an interview to be broadcast by the BBC later this month.
Mr Bush revealed the extent of his religious fervour when he met a Palestinian delegation during the Israeli-Palestinian summit at the Egpytian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, four months after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

One of the delegates, Nabil Shaath, who was Palestinian foreign minister at the time, said: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I am driven with a mission from God'. God would tell me, 'George go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan'. And I did. And then God would tell me 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq'. And I did."
Mr Bush went on: "And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, 'Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East'. And, by God, I'm gonna do it."

Mr Bush, who became a born-again Christian at 40, is one of the most overtly religious leaders to occupy the White House, a fact which brings him much support in middle America.

Soon after, the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz carried a Palestinian transcript of the meeting, containing a version of Mr Bush's remarks. But the Palestinian delegation was reluctant publicly to acknowledge its authenticity.

The BBC persuaded Mr Shaath to go on the record for the first time for a three-part series on Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy: Elusive Peace, which begins on Monday.

Religion also surfaced as an issue when Mr Bush and Tony Blair were reported to have prayed together in 2002 at his ranch at Crawford, Texas - the summit at which the invasion of Iraq was agreed in principle. Mr Blair has consistently refused to admit or deny the claim.

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, who was also part of the delegation at Sharm el-Sheikh, told the BBC programme that Mr Bush had said: "I have a moral and religious obligation. I must get you a Palestinian state. And I will."

Mr Shaath's comments came as Mr Bush delivered a speech yesterday aimed at bolstering US support for the Iraq war.

He revealed that the US and its partners had disrupted at least 10 serious al-Qaida plots since September 11, including three planned attacks in the US. "Because of this steady progress, the enemy is wounded - but the enemy is still capable of global operations," he said. He added that Islamic radicals had used a series of excuses to justify their attacks, from conflict with the Israelis to the Crusades 1,000 years ago.

"We're facing a radical ideology with unalterable objectives: to enslave whole nations and intimidate the world," he said.

He conceded that al-Qaida, led in Iraq by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and other insurgents had gained ground in Iraq but the US would not leave until security had been established. "Some observers also claim that America would be better off by cutting our losses and leaving Iraq now. This is a dangerous illusion, refuted with a simple question: Would the United States and other free nations be more safe, or less safe, with Zarqawi and Bin Laden in control of Iraq, its people, and its resources?" Mr Bush asked.

- Guardian Unlimited, 7 Oct 2005.

Everybody loves my blogskin!

I've just changed my blogskin colours! They look really nice on my blog and I think people are going to love it! haha.

Development plans at Orchard Rd

Not many choice sites left on Orchard Road

THE scramble for the last development sites in Orchard Road is well under way and one thing is already certain - no one in this race wants to lose the plot.

Not that there is much left to lose: Of the four plots earmarked for retail and entertainment in the great Orchard Road revamp unveiled earlier this year, two are already the subject of bidding wars while the other pair has far less appeal.

The prime candidates are Orchard Turn and Somerset sites, both with 99-year leases.


Orchard Turn received a minimum bid of $600 million last month, sparking a flurry of rival offers that could push the final price to around $1 billion. The Somerset site tender was triggered by a bid of $200 million earlier this week.

Developers with 'Orchard fever' who get trumped on either site might have to consider taking up one of the less desirable pair - the carpark opposite Orchard Cineleisure and the empty plot behind the Singapore Visitor Centre.

These are designated development sites but are quite small and available on only 15-year leases.

The carpark is 4,900 sq m; the Visitor Centre about 1,890 sq m. The Somerset site, by contrast, is 8,000 sq m and the Orchard Turn site, 21,000 sq m.

Property consultants say the smaller plots are 'not that attractive' to developers because of the unusually short leases in an area where most sites boast 99-year leases.

'Fifteen years may be just enough for a single-storey development with a simple structure, like a food court, because no one is going to build something with high-quality finishes for something so short-term,' said Knight Frank's director of research, Mr Nicholas Mak.

He added that the short-term leases may have been planned by the Government to allow for flexibility in the use of the empty plots.

Other observers suggested that putting up all four sites for 99-year lease at the same time could be too much for the market to handle.

'While interest level in Orchard Road is bullish, releasing too many sites for long-term development within a short span of time may destabilise the market,' said Colliers International's associate director of research and consultancy, Ms Tay Huey Ying.

'There is merit in releasing these two sites for short-term leases while the Government monitors the impact of the Orchard Turn and Somerset developments on the retail market.'

Apart from the four designated makeover sites, the rest of Orchard Road is now pretty much a dead-end street for brand-new developments.

Market watchers have pointed out three possible development plots: the Thai Embassy site, which the Thai government is looking to redevelop with expert help; the carpark in front of Somerset MRT station, owned by the Urban Redevelopment Authority; and the site occupied by the Killiney Road post office.

But the Thai Embassy site is not for sale to private developers and little is known about the other two plots, including whether they will be released by the Government for tender.

With so little space left for new development along the shopping street, developers keen to get in on the action might have to consider expanding into Orchard Boulevard or redeveloping older buildings along Orchard Road.

'Older buildings under single ownership with redevelopment potential include Wellington Building, International Building and all those towards Tanglin Road such as Forum, Tanglin Mall and Tanglin Place,' said Ms Tay of Colliers.

- AsiaOne, 8 Oct 2005.

dude, where's my chick?

Spotted this amusing picture at mundy's blog.

the question of God

I was at that time living like many atheists; in a whirl of contradictions. I maintained that God did not exist. I was also very angry with God for not existing. I was equally angry with him for creating a world. Why should creatures have the burden of existence forced on them without their consent?

- C.S. Lewis, A Leap in the Dark.

check out the signs

Oh yes. Another reason to go for shopping.





Can dogs read?





Children use it to swing themselves around like monkeys and army boys uses it do chin-ups. Why not for dancing? :P

death and taxes

In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.

- Benjamin Franklin