IE7 on Blog

I am composing this blog entry in the Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 (Preview Release) environment and browser. So far, the experience has been mixed. Right after the install, I did some IE7 preconfiguration before I testdrived the searching. Then I loaded Blogger.com in a tab (yes, IE7 has tab-browsing now), and guess what? IE7 crashed, which triggered Dr Watson. Well, this is why IE7 is still in Beta release. I will soldier on.

I have been on IE7 for the last 2 hours. Other than the initial crash, IE7 has been humming along, and I am enjoying testdriving some of the new features. What's new? Well, Microsoft's website has a tour on this, but I'll just summarise some of them here:

1. Tab browsing - finally, it has caught-up with Firefox and the rest of the world.


2. You can lay out all the various pages opened in the tabs into a page - ala Powerpoint style. This is great when you want to jump to a particular tab without having to guess which tab the content is in that you want to open.


3. IE7 can monitor phishing sites. This is good news for those of us who do our banking online.


4. There are more browsing 'real estate' because IE7 has re-arranged and compacted the top of the brower's menu bar.


5. Browser zooming. You can now tell IE7 to zoom in to a page, so that you see more of the details in that page. This is great when you want to zoom into graphics and pictures.


6. Automatic opening of all links in your Favourites folder just by clicking on the green arrow to the right of the Favourites entry. You want to be careful about this. If you have many links in a category, you're in for one looong wait.

On the whole, IE7 is interesting, if only because of the novelty factor.

Explosive media

In the current controversy over the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, no newspaper, whether online or print media, dares to reprint any of the twelve caricatures of the prophet Mohammad published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten last September. This is sensible self-censorship.

But the story is quite different on the rest of the internet. There, it has been shown that you cannot censor anything. Just as sex, violence, hate, etc., you cannot take away views against a religion nor the cartoons depicting that religion in a way that is considered offensive to adherents of that religion. Ironically, it is the traditional mass media that cannot be free (lest they want their offices to be bombed or burnt).

Some of the digitized images of these 'Prophet cartoons' in question have made their way into personal blogs all over the blog community on the internet. Being digital, they can be copied and tranmitted without any restriction whatsoever, spreading the very cartoons that the Muslim community views as sacrilegious.

This demonstrates the unstoppable power of the internet media, and some would say, free speech. The more one does not want something to be shown or said, the more it will be shown and said. Suppose one had ignored those 12 cartoons in the first place, it wouldn't now be spreading throughout the internet for many more people to see. Unfortunately, the irony is lost on the people demonstrating, rampaging and destroying property in the name of Islam and their Prophet.

I hope that, at the end of the day, goodwill and good sense prevails. Otherwise, this might turn into a religous war - and I mean, a real war.

Peace passes on

One of the ways you bring about change is, you must change yourself so that you're prepared to lead people in the direction they should go. If your emotions are as bad as those you're fighting, even if your cause is just, you disqualify yourself from being effective. Correta Scott King

So admonished the widow of the American Civil Rights leader, Dr Martin Luther King. Mrs King died on Monday, 30th January 2006, and the world is poorer for an eloquent advocate of non-violence in achieving one's goals. In this age of chronic violence, perpetuated by Muslim extremists, governments (there are 2 now that espouse violence) and hate groups all over the world, Mr and Mrs King's stance opposing violence as a means to an end is becoming rare.

At this point, people should revisit the effectiveness of non-violence as a force that ultimately brought some measure of reconciliation to the American people. Violence only begets more violence. It is my hope that in the new year, it will decrease.

But alas, Muslim's are reported to be rampaging in the Palestinian Territories over a series of Dutch originated cartoons that depict the Prophet Mohammad in a manner that they find offensive. This brings to mind the Rushdie incident some years ago. Yes, such illustrations may be insensitive and offensive, but violence will not gain them any sympathy. Some may even begin to think that Islam is a religion of violence, such is the manner that its adherents behave at any and every perceived offence to their religion. (See Newspaper apologises to Muslims)

If an alien were to visit planet earth today and observed events on earth these past few years, I would not be surprised that the conclusion it will draw is Islam is a violent religion. I think Muslims who are against violence and believe the alien's views to be mistaken should emerge from the shadows and take a strong stance against violence, much as the Kings did half a century ago.

Turning guns into ploughshares?

The Hamas' surprise victory in the Palestinian Elections may yet be a good thing. For one, it demonstrated that the democratic process is alive and well in the relatively young self-governing Palestinian Authority. This gives legitimacy and credibility to the Hamas as the people's representatives. Therefore, the Hamas must, by reason of choice, form a government that represent these people.

Of course, many peace-loving countries are alarmed because the Hamas has openly advocated violence as a means towards their ends. They have yet to renounced their stated objectives of destroying Israel - the second time within the last year that an elected government has come to power with such bald aggression (the other being Iran).

On the other hand, the world can now deal with a duly elected government, not merely a terrorist group. This can be more straightforward. With the weight of a nation on its shoulders, it is, hopefully, now less likely for the Hamas government to behave purely as a terrorist organisation. If it wants to take its place in the nations of the world, it has to follow the rules of international relations and civil behaviour set down by these nations (and these are not just the Western powers).

But first, the Palestinians must resolve their domestic differences, and quickly at that. Otherwise, it cannot hope to move forward much further in its quest for peaceful home for its people, much less think of pushing a nation into the Mediterranean Sea.

Rise and fall of empires

I grew up in colonial Singapore in the 1960s and 70s. One of the things the British left behind in Singapore was a system of administration and civil works that exist to this day, albeit modified to suit the people and the times. They were the acknowledged masters and it is the pride of any family to have been able to send a child (or more) to Britain to obtain an education, particularly at its Universities. In fact, the nation's yardstick for academic achievement at the Secondary level, after 10 years of schooling, is the General Certificate in Education (GCE), which is a legacy of the British education system. To this day, we have retained this standard setting benchmark to measure the degree of literacy and academic achievements of our sons and daughters.

Alas, there are reports now that claims that half of all British workers can barely read and write, and that their skills are no better than a 11-year-old's (TODAY - Wed 25 Jan 06 page 17). What has happened to a country that successfully exported its education system but finds half its working adults untouched by that system? If they are working adults, then they cannot be too much younger than I am. Yet I remember the rigours of my own British-inspired education in Singapore. Clearly, the rote set in 15 to 25 years ago, all while Singapore was vigourously modelling itself on the British.

It is shocking and disappointing. Therein lies a warning - that when one has 'made it', the danger is to slacken and live on the legacy and hard work of others. Each generation must work hard, but they can only secure their own survival and success. Our sons and daughters may taste the fruits of the previous generation's toil, but they in turn must secure their and the generation after. So it must be, otherwise, like Rome and Greece, once the rote sets in, the empire will fall away and disappear, literally, into the sands of time.

Blogging has become mainstream

In concert with the evolution of blogging, it is interesting to note that Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the World-wide-web, has finally embraced blog technology and set up his own blog. Not that he hasn't used the web until now. He has published for well over 10 years on the web, particularly on W3C's website, but this is apparently his first blog (ad)venture. His blog is found on MIT's servers here.

I was a late adopter myself, having started only in 2005. It seems that blogging as a mainstream media has taken one more giant step with the coming on-board of Tim.

Welcome to the crowd.

Blogging evolution

One of the things about blogging, I discovered, is that it is far easier to do so when you have some photos to display. You can blog about the event's surrounding that photo and the meanings, if there are any. When I mention photos, I mean those that are taken personally, and not just a rip-off from some other website. But taking photos today is not difficult - digital cameras have found its outlet medium on the web. In fact, the next big thing that will take over from e-mail is the combination of digital camera and the weblog - the digitalcameraweblog, that it.

Today, blogging has gone beyond personal journals. Anything and everything that looks vaguely like a blog, or structured like one, is call a blog - never mind about its origin as a personal journal. So there are personal blogs, business blogs, sports blog, community blogs, and whatever else that people can think up. Even Content Management Systems Software are proud to claim that their software offer blog features, such as Mambo/Joomla.

Wounded Dove

Right now, Ariel Sharon lies in hospital, totally incapacitated by a severe stroke that likely means the end of his leadership of Israel. Just when the world is hoping for a lasting peace in the Middle East, at least between the Palestinians and the Israelis, with the unilateral withdrawal of the Israelis from the Gaza, the architect and leader of this process is now a step from death.

Who could have predicted this outcome? or hoped for it? There are, of course, some people, particularly Muslims around the world who may be celebrating the cruel fate that has befallen the man who did so much to foil Israel's 'enemies' in its bid to survive as an independent nation after 1948 half a century ago. Those who celebrate must feel vengeance obtained, but what matters, really, is what lies ahead. Sharon has shown the way towards peace with its neighbours. Let his erstwhile enemies put aside past animosity and meet him halfway. The tragedy is that few want to, or are able to make the journey to the middle.

I foresee a future where Israel will continue to war with its neighbours, unless someone can take over Sharon's agenda sooner rather than later.

Truly, it is man who plans and proposes, but God disposes.


Picture source: Wounded Dove

Bush and Hitler

Some of you may be wondering what Bush (George W. i.e.) has got to do with Hitler (Adolf i.e.). I was shocked that Blogger.com should suggest that there is such a close relationship. What a scandal! How can the President, the Numero Uno, of the world's free-est nation be linked in any way to Fascism at all? Besides, didn't many people flee Europe to get away from people like that?

Notwithstanding the controversy over the present American government's alleged secret prisons in Europe and the CIA's covert operations (a open secret for many many years), I believe Americans will not stoop so low as to call its President a Fascist.

But that's what Blogger.com suggested when I used its spell-check feature on my previous post. It couldn't understand 'Bushism', so it suggested 'Fascism' as a likely alternative - and that's the only alternative it offered! I would have expected 'Bushido' (a Japanese art form) as a closer alternative. Don't believe me? Go check it out yourself.

Has Google, through Blogger.com, a hidden agenda here? There has been recent reports questioning whether Google is good or evil. It would seem that these rumours are not unfoun.....

Before I go any further, I'd better not bite (off more of) the hand that feeds this blog.

Bushism is not uncommon

Much has been written about George W. Bush's language, so much so that his 'language' has now achieved sub-dialect status. It is a constant source of amusement and unkind jokes, not only in his native America, but probably all across the world. Blame this on how fast and wide information and news travel - especially the bad news. For example, Bush has been quoted as having said:

Those who enter the country illegally violate the law.

Well, of course.

But he is not the only one belabouring the point. Last evening, at the Countdown (to 2006) Party on Mount Faber in Singapore, host Gurmit Singh said on 'live' TV that his

birthday falls on the 24th of March every year.

Well, of course.

I think Americans are unkind to its own, but that's also one thing I admire about the Americans - they can laugh at themselves. In some other countries, jokes like this can land you in court and/or in jail!

Happy New Year everyone who live on this crazy crazy Earth.

End of a season

As the year draws to a close, reminiscing is a natural and useful exercise. It calls to mind the significant events of the year and how they may have affected yourself. Perhaps you have grown a little more, not only physically, but more so, mentally and spiritually.

For me, as for many in the South and Southeast Asia region, the Tsunami brought home the uncertainties that life often springs on us. One moment you are having fun in the sun - something that you may have done for the umpteenth time. But unexpectedly, just on that one occasion when nobody expected it, that trip turns into a nightmare. What impressed me throughout this event was the manner in which the world opened its wallet and heart to the victims of this tragedy. I understand that the amount of money pledged and collected is unprecedented. Which is why givers of charity must be the 'Person of the Year 2005'.

The US also demonstrated that it can not only launch a military invasion, but its very same military hardware built for war can be used for mercy missions, such as bringing much needed food and necessities to the people in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, who lived through the storm of the seaquake and tsunami. Significantly, the Acehnese 'rebels' fighting for autonomy for so long, laid down their weapons to re-build a more permanent home devastated by the tsunami. There is nothing like a disaster to bring home the truth that we are all humans and depend on each other. Fighting each other is futile.

Other disasters also happened - Katrina lashed the shores of New Orleans, making many homeless and destroying an erstwhile thriving tourist sector. The Pakistan earthquake, where many complained the world did not open its wallet enough, compared to the Asia tsunami. Some were man-made. Terrorists continue to hold the world hostage. Bombs are still going off, in Iraq, in Bali, in Thailand, in Pakistan... Hopefully, this will stop as the religion of hate cannot last.

Closer to home, Singaporeans woke up to the fact that the NKF - a charity hitherto supported widely in Singapore for Kidney patients, had mis-used and abused the implicit trust of its donors and supporters in high places. As the year draws to a close, it looks likely that its senior management will be hauled to court for various mis-demeanors. In a 'squeaky clean' Singapore, this has brought into focus the issue of corruption - something that Singaporeans are used to reading about in other lands, but never expect to happen in its own back yard. And then there was SAVH (Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped), which also suffered from questionable corporate governance practices...

Last, but certainly not least, I started blogging this year. Not that its anything new to me. I have kept journals (or diaries as its call then) since I was in Secondary school, at the instigation of my brother, who ironically, isn't a habitual reader/writer. Those diaries, with the juvenile handwriting, are still with me. I had read of blogging several years ago, but I am not a early adopter. I jump in when somebody has beaten out a clear path and when I think it makes any sense to do so. I am learning something new everyday.

So goodbye, adie, auf wiedersehen, au revoir, ciao, Sa-was-dee, zai-jian, Baai baai, Selamat sejahtera, Sizobonana, Ambera, Lòi chào xin cào biêt, Paalom na po, Valete, Annyong-hi kashipshio, Choum reap lia, Sayonara, Sugeng tindak, Daa daa, Caó mun'g chè, Nau'to twibaounme, Aloha, Shalom...

In the New Year, I hope to learn more...

The love of money

One of the most unpleasant and ugly news reported over the last one week on this tiny island nation of Singapore is the continuing investigations and final report over the shananigans of the old National Kidney Foundation (old NKF). I was away on holiday when the report first broke on Monday, 19th December 2005 and was reported in detail in the local press the next day. Of course, I didn't read any of these reports as the Malaysia press wasn't all that interested. So the first instance I came back, I read through Today's online edition (www.todayonline.com) and later got hold of the Tuesday's print edition of the Straits Times to follow up on the 'gory' details. Somehow, these stories make for great reading, although the ugly details are sad and unpleasant.

Among the many facts exposed, the most shocking must be that only 10% of all donations ever received went directly to the patients. The other 90% went to various parties such as A&P, operations and salaries that would make anyone blush. Some of that was my money. Indeed, the old NKF and the top people who ran it had lost their moral compass, as the Health Minister said. They had simply become greedy and self-indulgent, which reminds me of the words of Paul the Apostle when he wrote in 1 Timothy 6:10 -

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

How very true then. How true now. And it will remain true as this sad story of the old NKF will be repeated because greed will never be eradicated.

A different Christmas

Somehow, this Christmas is different. In the first place, I plain forgot about unpacking my faux Christmas tree and spending time decorating it. My wife and son did not remind me at all. When I did remember, I thought it was too much trouble as Christmas is just a couple of days away, so difference no. 1 - no Christmas tree.

Difference no. 2 - too many dinners - first it was last evening at mother's and now, this evening, with my mother-in-law's. Tomorrow, there is a Church mini-banquet right after worship service, and in 5 day's time, a New Year dinner. How can anybody lose weight given such a proliferation of meals? But I must be thankful, knowing that there are many peoples in many lands where getting a meal is a struggle. So as we feast on this occasion, let us be humble and acknowledge the grace that God has given us.

I used to spend Christmas caroling with the Church, and well into midnight at that. More time was spent in Church preparing for this occasion, as well as Christmas service on Christmas day. There certainly was a lot more 'spirituality' surrounding the occasion then, compared to now. Well, I suppose that's what happens when Christmas day falls on a Sunday. Difference no. 3.

I'm not complaining though. It is enough to know and rejoice in the fact that God so loved the world that he has sent his only begotten Son into the world to save sinners. (John 3.16).

Glory to God in the highest. Amen

Charity makes the world go round

Well, I wasn't wrong after all. While none of my nominees received a direct mentioned in Time's Person of the Year 2005 award, I did nominate charity. Time awarded the accolade to 3 people for the good work they have done with the huge amount of money they have made over the years - Bono, Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda. And this is the reason they won:

For being shrewd about doing good, for rewiring politics and re-engineering justice, for making mercy smarter and hope strategic and then daring the rest of us to follow, Bill and Melinda Gates and Bono are TIME's Persons of the Year.

Time went one to make the point that there has been a lot of giving in 2005 by Americans towards the tsunami relief (some US$1.6 billion) and Hurrican Katrina disaster. Time forgot to mention that Asia also gave millions to its own. Bono and the Gates, I suppose, epitomizes the generosity and compassion that people have demonstrated for others who are caught in situations beyond their control and where charity is indeed a life-saver.

To all the givers in 2005, I toast you, for you have demonstrated the true meaning of the reality of the global village.

I'm on my way!

No, no, not on my way up north to Malacca. That'll have to wait another 4 days. What I mean is that I am now typing this entry on my Notebook PC which is connected wirelessly to my Linksys router. No, that's not remarkable. What is remarkable is that I am running on Knoppix 4.0 'Live' O/S. As any Linux newbie will tell you, it is not easy to get your wireless running on Linux, if only because the wireless drivers are mostly written for Windows O/S. There just aren't that many native Linux drivers for wireless cards.

Which reminds me, more than 10 years ago, I had already started to tinker with Linux, so I am not such a newbie after all. Then the Linux distribution wasn't so prolific as today. Redhat was reputedly the best for a newbie then, so I bought a thick Redhat book, rolled up my sleeves and tried to install Linux. That was an ambitious undertaking. To cut a long story short, I did get Redhat working, but was annoyed that the soundcard did not work. I read up a bit more and found that this was a general problem with Linux on x86/88 PCs. Silence wasn't my cup of tea, so I left Linux alone (yeah, I abandoned it) and went back to Windows.

Sorry for the digression, nostalgia has an effect on the thought process...Now, while the sound problem has largely been addressed, its the wireless that has taken the place of sound as the notoriously difficult thing to get working...until Linux Format (LXF74) explained to me in a short column to use ndiswrapper. That column started me off and after a couple of hours experimenting (spread over several days), I've done it! The wireless is working, and that's why I am on my way to techno heaven!

P.S. Well, actually, there's a lot written about this subject on related Linux forums on the Internet. That helped too, but the article in Linux Format was clear and simple. Can't get any better than that.

A new fox that's still not foxy enough

Firefox 1.5 was released recently. Like everyone else, I downloaded it to replace my aging 1.07 Firefox.

UI-wise, nothing much as changed except the Tools->Options. Some re-organisation of the options in here, but nothing new that excites.

There is now a separate Tools->Clear Private Data menu item so you can now quickly erase whatever you don't want left behind in your PC.

Otherwise, I believe that all other enhancements are under the hood, in CSS, etc.

But one thing that still hasn't been resolved are some compatibility issues with Blogger.com. Funny thing this - Blogger.com is favoured very much by Google, which strongly pushes Firefox. Hmmm...something doesn't look right here. Google and friends have still some way to go making software interoperate. Who knows, when they do do so, they'd become Goo$le? Just a thought.

More on Firefox 1.5.

War of the software worlds

Microsoft and Google seems to have had a major falling out (I'm not sure they fell into each other's arms in the first place, so that phrase may not be valid).

In a further sign of this animosity, Google is now promoting the Firefox browser aggressively through its Adsense program. If it succeeds, it will further erode Microsoft's share of the browser market - i.e. till its IE 7.x makes it appearance. This is scheduled some time early next year, when its Windows Vista is officially launched. The odd thing is, Google doesn't own Firefox - at least not yet - and it is therefore remarkable that it should put the full weight of its extensive Adsense program behind something it doesn't own, and therefore has no commercial interest in.

As far as end-users are concerned, this is an exciting development because it will signal major innovative effort in enhancing the features of the browsers, which has so far stagnated under IE due perhaps to its dominant market position.

Let's wait and see. Excitement in the horizon...

For whom the bells toll

Convicted drug smuggler, Nguyen Tuong Van, was hanged in Changi Prison yesterday. He suffered the ultimate penalty for smuggling drugs through Singapore - a country that has little, if any, tolerance for this kind of criminal activity. On the other hand, it was reported that vigils were held in cities around Australia, with bells and gongs sounding 25 times at the hour of his execution.

In the past couple of months, his fellow Australians have lobbied long and loud for clemency. This is remarkable, given that Nguyen Tuong Van was a Vietnamese who became a Australian citizen. Some parts of Australian society have been known for their racist attitudes, from the political sphere downwards. Yet in this episode, nearly half of the country spoke out for him - and it isn't as if he has done Australia great service of any sort. Australians can certainly hold their heads high. This incident has demonstrated that Australia is a society full of compassion and backs it up with action - to the discomfort and soul-searching of its Singapore counterparts. But compassion alone is not enough to administer a country well and to protect its people effectively.

It is naive to expect different countries and societies to always agree with one's point of view, or that it will change its laws overnight. While the Australians see the death penalty as barbaric, Singapore sees it as a regrettable but necessary action that is for the greater good. Calling Singapore names is the last thing that thinking, rational and humane societies should do. Exaggeration of the sort that Julian McMahon, one of his Australian lawyers, made (that Nguyen was "completely rehabilitated, completely reformed, completely focused on doing what is good...") does not give any credibility to him, nor the Australian, position at all. After all, how green can a green plant be?

It is done. No matter what our views on the matter, and how strong they may be, let drug runners beware - there is no escape in Singapore if you intend to carry illicit drugs, which only purpose is to kill and destroy families, through its soil.

Gift from above

There has been as lot of discussion in the local press about the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) that Singapore schools have been running for the last 20 years. The problem, it seems, is that GEPers have formed cliques and socialise among like minded ones to the exclusion of the rest. This has given rise to a backlash of sorts from the 'ordinary' folks who think that GEPers may have an attitude problem.

Well, some time ago, my son took a test to determine if he was 'gifted'. This test is available to all primary school students. As it turned out, my son wasn't qualified to be included in this haloed company, so that was that. Reading the comments from the papers these days about this gifted species, I am glad that he was not found to be gifted. Imagine my having to go back to school at my age, making sure that the additional school work is done, counselling them and encouraging them...gosh, I would have lost my life to make his gifts more striking. So no thanks.

Which leads me to thinking whether one needs to be gifted to be successful in life. And the answer, obviously is 'No'. Of course some of the philosophically inclined would want to engage me in a discussion on the definition of the term and what constitutes success. Well, I'm not really interested. Suffice to say that if my son grows up to be a responsible, honest and hardworking person, that's success enough. All that I ever possess comes from above. As the Bible says, to those that are given more, more will be expected, to those given less, less is expected.

Let each and everyone live a life that improves the community and glorifies his Maker.

Broad or brief?

It has been reported that many newspapers have been changing from Broadsheet formats to Tabloid formats, for example, the Asian Wall Street Journal. In Singapore, the main English language paper (the one with the highest circulation) is sticking to its broadsheet format although some have questioned whether it should not change that format. Its closest competitor, Today, published by Mediacorp, has been a tabloid from day 1, and it is making money despite it being distributed free of charge.

I must admit that after more than a year on Today's diet, I am getting rather weary with Broadsheets. I find myself getting very impatient with news reported in the Straits Times nowadays because the stories are just *too long*. It used to be that I would devour the paper from cover to cover and read the stories from beginning to end. (hmmm...don't these 2 expressions mean the same thing?) I think I am getting spoilt on tabloids.

The other reason is that my daily diet of newspapers now consists solely of Today during weekdays. I don't read the Straits Times anymore on weekdays, though I still buy the paper on weekends (if only because Today is not published on Sundays). Actually, the reason I stopped reading the Straits Times is not because of free alternatives such as Today, though that plays a part. What really made me give up the Straits Times, which I have been reading for 30 years, is the last price increase of 20 cents a copy, from 60 cents (a whopping 33%). I could not reconcile this with good and free alternatives. Now I am used to not reading the Straits Times, although I must admit that it still has good content. But I just don't have time to read more than one paper.