[MyAppleMenu] Feb 20, 2012

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Mon Feb 20 18:59:00 EST 2012

MyAppleMenu
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**** TurboTax Premiere 2011 Takes The Scary Out Of Tax Prep ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165262/2012/02/turbotax_premiere_2011_takes_the_scary_out_of_tax_prep.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Jeffery Battersby, Macworld


> TurboTax Premier is an excellent application that makes the prospect of preparing your own taxes easy and worry free. Clear instruction, simple data entry, and confidence-inspiring audit checks make TurboTax the perfect choice for filing you annual tax return.



**** H&R Block's At Home Tax Software Offers Excellent Tools ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165338/2012/02/handr_blocks_at_home_tax_software_offers_excellent_tools.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Jeffery Battersby, Macworld


> H&R Block At Home is an easy to use application that makes tax prep simple, offers tools to help you avoid audit-inducing mistakes, and if necessary, keeps a professional close at hand if you’re not sure how to handle a specific situation. At Home’s simplicity and the prospect of professional help inspire the confidence necessary to dispense with a tax pro and start using H&R Block At Home.



**** Driving The Classroom With iTunes U ****
<http://speirs.org/blog/2012/2/19/driving-the-classroom-with-itunes-u.html>
Fraser Speirs



**** You Are Not Ruthless Enough ****
<http://playswithfire.com/blog/2012/02/19/you-are-not-ruthless-enough/>
Chris Parker, Playwithfire


> Being ruthless to yourself is having the discipline to become a better developer - not letting yourself get away with the easy or convenient. Being ruthless to your objects is having the discipline to write the API which separates their responsibilities effectively. The combination is what enables you to produce consistent results - to keep shipping, to keep creating great software, and to keep improving.






The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Physicists Create A Working Transistor From A Single Atom ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/20/science/physicists-create-a-working-transistor-from-a-single-atom.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss>
John Markoff, New York Times


> The group of physicists, based at the University of New South Wales and Purdue University, said they had laid the groundwork for a futuristic quantum computer that might one day function in a nanoscale world and would be orders of magnitude smaller and quicker than today’s silicon-based machines.






SingaporeSurf
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**** Will Foreign Labour Curbs Make Employers Less Choosy? ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120220-0000158/Will-foreign-labour-curbs-make-employers-less-choosy?>
Edmund Lim Chuan Yang, Today


> It would be unsettling if SME bosses live extravagant lives but complain that their bottom lines are affected by the recent Budget policies to reduce foreign worker quotas.



**** Worker's Party Sends 2 Key Members To Hougang ****
<http://news.insing.com/tabloid/worker-s-party-sends-2-key-members-to-hougang/id-62313f00>
Shin Min Daily News


> Mr Low Thia Khiang called a meeting in Hougang last night (19 Feb) to introduce two key party members to work in the ward.

> The two Worker's Party (WP) members, both from the party's executive council, are Png Eng Huat, the deputy webmaster, and Ng Swee Bee, the organising secretary and vice-president of the youth wing.



**** Rail Component Comes Off Train Track ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1184110/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> A small rail component measuring about 10 centimetres came off along the tracks near the Jurong East station, on Monday afternoon. [An SMRT] spokesman added SMRT engineers have checked that it is safe for operations.



**** TRE Editor Apologises To PM Lee ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1184089/1/.html>
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia


> An editor of a socio-political website TR Emeritus (TRE) has apologised to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for a posting which had made certain allegations about the appointment of Ms Ho Ching as the head of Temasek Holdings.



**** Why The PAP Was Too Clever By Half ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/02/why-the-pap-was-too-clever-by-half/>
Chua Suntong, The Online Citizen


> But as has been well documented by TOC, GDP growth in the late nineties did not translate into an increased standard of living for most Singaporeans. Instead the liberal immigration policies which fueled GDP growth resulted in stagnant wages, rising job insecurity, rising inflation, unaffordable public housing and overcrowded public transport.



**** The Disappointing Budget ****
<http://hardhitting-nobs.blogspot.com/2012/02/disappointing-budget.html>
Musings From The Lion City


> It is as if the Singapore government knows what is needed by Singaporeans but is unsure how much to push to give the benefits needed by the disadvantaged. So the budget is filled with half-hearted measures that don’t do enough.



**** Budget 2012: Elderly Not Ready To Leave Flats For Silver Housing Bonus ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-1/Story/STIStory_768603.html>
Leonard Lim & Tay Suan Chiang, Straits Times


> Many said their choice was due to familiarity with their neighbourhood, a desire to remain close to their children, the inconvenience of having to relocate and not needing the money at this time.



**** SCDF Guidelines On Corridor Clutter Welcomed ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_768640.html>
Jalelah Abu Baker, Straits Times


> Town councils could find it easier to persuade HDB residents to remove clutter from common corridors after islandwide guidelines were introduced for the first time. Until now, councils have generally had their own guidelines. The standardised ones were drawn up by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).



**** Parliament To Sit From Feb 28 - Mar 9 ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1184037/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> Parliament will be sitting from February 28 to March 9, excluding Saturday and Sunday, to debate the estimates of the various ministries for Budget 2012.



**** The Minimum Sum Straight Jacket Solution ****
<http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2012/02/minimum-sum-straight-jacket-solution.html>
Chua Chin Leng, My Singapore News


> Should not the minimum sum be graduated downwards when a person is economically active, with family support, with savings and properties to live on? Why is this straight jacket sum be imposed unilaterally on everyone?



**** A Trojan Horse Of Sorts ****
<http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2012/02/trojan-horse-of-sorts.html>
Singapore Notes


> Here's the additional rub. While the dollars allocated for defence have been ramped, National Development spending, which includes monies meant for public housing and infrastructure, has been cut from $3.07 billion(FY2011 Revised) to $2,514 9 (FY2012 Budgeted). This year's budget has been billed as one to produce a more inclusive and stronger society. The question on everyone 's mind will be, who is included, and what society.

The defense budget will significantly increase more once we place a cost to the time and effort of NSFs.


**** GST Exemption - You've Got To Be Joking! ****
<http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/5146-gst-exemption-youve-got-to-be-joking>
Singaore Democratic Party


> But despite evidence that demonstrates that removing the GST for essential items would significantly benefit the working-class and help level up society, the PAP has steadfastly refused to do so.

> Instead, it chooses to abolish the GST for gold and other precious metals which only the rich are able to afford to deal in. Do rich people in Singapore look like they are in need of more help from the Government?

I still do not agree that we should remove GST for essential items. We will never agree on what are essentials and what aren't. We also don't want a situation where, for example, poorer families are forced to eat less healthy food because the healthier food carries a significant higher selling price.


**** Hard Landing: Tremeritus Welcomed Into The Open With Defamation Threat ****
<http://journalism.sg/2012/02/20/hard-landing-tremeritus-welcomed-into-the-open-with-defamation-threat/>
Cherian George, Journalism.sg


> Those who use the internet to stay clear of the authorities, like the old Temasek Review, tend to find it difficult to cultivate sources and allies – this was a key reason why TREmeritus decided to come out of the shadows, according to Wan. In contrast, the likes of Yawning Bread and The Online Citizen have strong connections with Singapore’s civil society. Operating openly and transparently tends to make sites more credible. However, operating in the open also means that they are no longer immune to the same post-publication legal constraints that restrict mainstream journalists.



**** Riau Protests Singapore's 'Excessive Entry Checks' ****
<http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/02/18/riau-protests-singapore-s-excessive-entry-checks.html>
Fadli, The Jakarta Post


> The Riau Islands provincial administration has protested against what it regards as excessive scrutiny measures imposed by Singaporean immigration officials.

> "Hundreds of people were denied entry by Singapore despite having proper immigration documents. It is very subjective of Singapore. As Indonesian citizens, we feel offended being treated this way," Riau Islands Vice Governor Soeryo Respationo said in Batam on Thursday.



**** Foreign Workers’ Strike Shows How Little Has Changed Since GE2011 ****
<http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/foreign-workers-strike-shows-how-little-has-changed-since-ge2011/>
Alex Au, Yawning Bread


> My point is this: If the government is expending so much effort massaging the news, it can only suggest that it has little interest in doing things any differently from before. It seems more concerned about <i>looking</i> good, not <i>doing</i> better.



**** 墙上的收支表 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/fk/fk120220_010.shtml>
郭亮, 联合早报


> 孔子曰：人而无信，不知其可。在人与人相处愈加紧密的今天，大到国家社会，小到个人家庭，诚实地对人，彼此间的信任何其重要。公民会用手里的选票选出诚实可信的领袖，公司董事会当推举品格高洁的执行长。日常的衣食住行离不开诚信，当人人都遵重诚信这样的普世价值，心灵才能得到真正的自由解放。



**** Time To Have A Third Public Bus Operator ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_768508.html>
Tang Kumcheong, Straits Times


> As the population grows and the bus fleet expands in tandem, the Government should not continue to allow the bus industry to be dominated by only two players. If new players are continually barred, how can we be ready to handle more passengers in the future?

The government's goal, I think, has always been to build up large transport companies so that these companies can venture overseas. It has, in fact, encouraged transport companies to merge: SMRT merging with TransIsland, and Comfort merging with Delgro.


**** 最后“扫货”人潮不断 叶壹堂延至23日正式结业 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp120220_013.shtml>
陈秋华, 联合早报


> 原定于昨天结束营业的叶壹堂书店，因为清货大减价吸引了不少人去“扫货”，决定延至本月23日才正式结业。

The rise of portable book readers and the ever-increasing cost of doing retail business in Singapore means we're probably seeing the end of the big-book-stores era.


**** The Value Of A By-election ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120220-0000018/The-value-of-a-by-election>
Eugene K B Tan, Today


> Delaying the calling of a by-election to the point of not calling it would, in my view, not be in accord with the duty of due process. It would, arguably, constitute an exercise of discretion for which a legal challenge can be mounted. The fact that the Constitution is silent on when a by-election should be called does not mean one need not be called.

> In any case, if the Government decides to delay or not to hold a by-election in Hougang, the Government should state its reasons.



**** PM Lee's Lawyers Take Temasek Review Emeritus Editor To Task ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120220-0000067/PM-Lees-lawyers-take-Temasek-Review-Emeritus-editor-to-task>
Ng Jing Yng, Today


> Four days after sociopolitical website Temasek Review Emeritus (TRE) editor Richard Wan made a first public appearance at a social media forum, he was served a lawyer's letter yesterday by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for carrying allegedly defamatory remarks on his website.

> Mr Lee has requested that TRE immediately remove the article and all related comments as well as to publish an apology and the undertaking. But Mr Singh added: "Although our client has suffered damage and incurred costs as a result of the libel, he has not made any demand for damages or cost." Legal proceedings and damages and costs will nonetheless be pursued if TRE does not comply, he added.



**** 'Senior Group Homes' Allow Seniors To Live Independently Within Community ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120220-0000033/Senior-group-homes-allow-seniors-to-live-independently-within-community>
Tan Weizhen, Today


> A pilot project - dubbed "senior group homes" - was launched yesterday by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS). Under the project, seniors on public assistance and aged above 65 live together at a low cost in a cluster of elderly-friendly flats.



**** Less Urban Planning, More Creativity? ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120220-0000057/Less-urban-planning,-more-creativity?>
Ng Jing Yng, Today


> The catalyst for more solo creative projects to mushroom could be more "unplanned and unregulated" spaces, according to National University of Singapore (NUS) sociologist Ho Kong Chong. Speaking to Today, Assoc Prof Ho explained that thriving artists congregate at places with low rents. And these places, such as Greenwich in New York, might also see a higher rate of criminal activity, he noted.



**** Legitimacy Of A Good Hougang Wife Who Can Cook ****
<http://newasiarepublic.com/?p=36158>
Huang Ziming, New Asia Republic


> In fact it is high time that we stop thinking of democracy as a beauty pageant to choose a wife as a cook, and try to think of democracy instead as a system of active participation in matters of public policy, whereby every man should express a little say on what is going on in the kitchen, not just sit in front of the television and leave everything to the wife.



**** Singapore Pushes 'Entrepreneurial Nation' ****
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16939814>
Saira Syed, BBC


> There is a growing ecosystem to support entrepreneurship in Singapore, which gives it its hub position in the region. A lot of it has to do with the infrastructure available here, the business-friendly environment and an active push by the government to remove regulatory barriers.

> But Ron Mahabir, founder of Asia Cleantech Capital, says the entrepreneurial landscape still needs time to develop, and resources alone are not enough. One of the reasons for that, he says, is that in Asia failure is just not acceptable yet.







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