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International Headlines vs Local Headlines about Ministerial Pay Cut

Stark contrast in headlines, ya?

(Compiled by Doolson Kool.)

This is Fu of Win

My friend Adrian is a funny funny guy. He has a gracefu way with words.

In other news, do read this lovely piece from another writer, entitled Diary of a Reformed Elitist.

the mrbrown show: a minister shares his thoughts on the pay cut

MP and Minister Midas Jin shares his thoughts on the ministerial pay cut, with his constituents.

Youtube link: http://mrbrwn.co/zGSpWs

Grace FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

Grace Fu on her Facebook page, about the pay cuts:

When I made the decision to join politics in 2006, pay was not a key factor. Loss of privacy, public scrutiny on myself and my family and loss of personal time were. The disruption to my career was also an important consideration. I had some ground to believe that my family would not suffer a drastic change in the standard of living even though I experienced a drop in my income. So it is with this recent pay cut. If the balance is tilted further in the future, it will make it harder for any one considering political office.

Foot, meet mouth.

My first thought was, where got loss of privacy? It's not like Singapore media is THAT invasive.

My second thought was, the PAP slate at Aljunied GRC does need a few more MPs to make up the numbers.

I think sometimes, the most gracious way to respond to a hot topic like a ministerial pay cut is not say anything at all, lest you make people say Grace FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

No one cares about your pay cuts if you don't solve their problems

The Ministerial Pay Cut Committee has announced its results. It will be a 36% pay cut for PM, and a 37% cut for entry-level ministers proposed. The President's salary will be cut by 51%. Also no more pensions:

http://mrbrwn.co/zNv6VD

According to Yahoo Singapore, with the suggested cuts, an entry-level minister annual pay will be $1.1 million. PM's salary to be $2.2 million, and the President's will be cut to $1.54m.

Somewhere out there, S R Nathan may be laughing secretly at Tony Tan. And Tony Tan may be asking "Why Am I Here?"

S R Nathan's next book is rumoured to be "Heng, I Was There Earlier".

When presidential hopeful, Tan Kin Lian, said he'd donate 50% of the presidential salary to charity if he won, folks laughed at him.

Now Tony Tan's presidential salary is 51% less, after the Ministerial Pay Cut Committee wielded their blade. Gua gua.

Since salaries vary for entry-level ministers & senior ministers, I propose a new ranking system: Level 1 Paladin Minister to Level 99 Warlock Minister.

If you overcome the level bosses of overpriced housing, MRT disruptions and increasing cost of living, you will unlock achievement bonuses.

Like that more fun what.

I notice that ministerial salaries are still be pegged to the Top 1000 earners of Singapore. Why not the lowest 1000 earners? You help the poorest, you make more.

With the proposed ministerial paycuts, our leaders have gone from obscenely well-paid to damn well-paid.

Poor things.

This must be the longish period of slow growth Minister Lim Hng Kiang was talking about. Tough times. Who will raise their plight in the media?

Here's a thought:

No one cares about your pay cuts if you don't solve their problems. Just sayin'.

eNets goes down for 11 hours… because domain name not renewed

Citizens couldn't pay for government services online for 11 hours because Network for Electronic Transfers Singapore (Nets), did not renew their domain name, eNets.sg, on time.

That is epic fail for a company that handles epayments. How hard is it to keep track of your URL expiry anyway? Domain name registrars send out reminders to renew fairly early, you know.

And to complete the incompetence, a check reveals that the geniuses renewed their domain name but only for ONE. YEAR.

Registrar: IP MIRROR PTE LTD Registrant: NETWORK FOR ELECTRONIC TRANSFERS (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD

Domain Name: ENETS.SG
Creation Date: 03-Jan-2005 12:00:00
Expiration Date: 03-Jan-2013 00:00:00
Domain Status: OK

One year?! Are you guys planning to be around in the epayments business next year? Are domain names so expensive that you can only afford a one-year renewal (which you might forget to renew again)?

If an epayments company cannot keep track of a simple thing like a domain name, I shudder to trust them with the integrity of my online payments.

HWZ forummer looking for Photoshop pro for simple editing of his pics, offers $4 to $6.50

This was seen in HWZ:

_MaOMaO_ wrote:

Looking for Photoshop pro for simple editing [Offering you $6.50]
Hi Anyone pro in photoshop?

Help me to do a nice photoshop edit of my pic and I will pay you $4 for editing pict 2 or $6.50 for editing all 3 pics. Payment thru I-banking (dbs/posb).

I will only choose either the fastest or best edit.

Anyone up for it? I need it in about 3hrs + time.

These were the photos he wanted edited:

This is of course, generally a bad idea. Because before long, the Photoshop "Pros" came out to play. Challenge Accepted:

The nice thing is, the OP was a really sporting chap about it all:

_MaOMaO_ wrote:

HAHAHA~ I love some of the edited pics. Great job lol !

Btw, I dont mind you guys editing the pics. After-all, its clean-fun and its the new year.

Happy new year to all !

Ministers show up where most don't expect to find them… doing their jobs

From ST: Do-it-yourself ministers gaining notice

In recent months, a few ministers have turned up unannounced at places where most would not expect to find them.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew went to MRT stations and rode the trains. Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing dropped in on homes for the destitute and disabled.

Erm, isn't a Transport Minister EXPECTED to go to MRT stations and ride the trains on their own?

What's next? Minister of Information actually reads a newspaper?

Some Singapore-style Motivational Tweets for 2012

1. Your pay is the same but you will work an extra day in 2012.

2. You may think you are drowning in a flood of despair, but PUB wants you to know it's only a pond of inconvenience.

3. The Mayan end-of-the-world will probably happen just after you receive your 13th month bonus but before you can spend it.

4. Embrace your hopes and dreams as firmly as cable ties hold our SMRT subway train power claws.

5. Just because you failed many times doesn't mean you need to quit. Especially if you're the SMRT CEO.

6. You can score 60.14% at the exam and still get 81 out of 87 of the scholarship places.

7. When you need get somewhere fast, find Comfort in a fare hike.