mrbrown.com

"SAF, Y U NO give bolster?"

During orientation of her brother's enlistment, Jen from Twitter (@saynotospandex) took this photo from a recruit's bunk and jokingly asked, "SAF, Y U NO give bolster?"

Actually, Jen, the SAF does offer you three choices for a bolster: 

1. The red pail in the picture.
2. Your rifle.
3. Your buddy.

See? SAF is very welfare one. Who said no bolster?

re:play

A little short film that I shot and edited entirely on my iPhone 4S. Edited with iMovie for iPhone.

Youtube link: http://mrbrwn.co/yeIcE4

A walk through the "Venice" of Shanghai: 朱家角 (Zhujiajiao)

Some photos I took when I was in Shanghai. Click the slideshow below to see the rest.

If you cannot see the slideshow, use this link: http://mrbrwn.co/w63nqD

The Yahoo! interviews: mrbrown speaks to Minister Midas Jin Jue Lui

I speak to the eloquent Minister Midas Jin Jue Lui, who was also featured on the mrbrown show recently.

Yahoo link: http://mrbrwn.co/zqSv7Z

#ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa

Happy Year of the Dragon! How was your new year? I am still recovering from the dashing around with the family but boy, was the food a blast. Like the Bak Kwa.

My favorite kind of Bak Kwa is the kind where other people queued and bought it, and my task is to eat it.

And since we just had a few days of stuffing ourselves with Chinese New Year goodies, I thought I would compile a list of my favorite tweets from the #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa hashtag I started.

1. @mrbrown: Zack and Miri Make a Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
2. @skinnylatte: BrokeBak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
3. @mrbrown: The Bak Kwa Who Loved Me #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
4. @mrbrown: The Empire Strikes Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
5. @mrbrown: The Devil Wears Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
6. @KitKatKiat: Ong-Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
7. @integratedmalay: I cannot #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa cos it's not halal
8. @yifwong: 那些年我们一起追的 Bak Kwa. #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
9. @AnnoyingIvan: (500) Days of Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
10. @MochiMochiCat: How To Train Your Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
11. @nucleartomatoe: Bak Kwa with Benefits #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
12. @KumJm: The Land Before Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
13. @TommyWee: Infernal Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
14. @TingedPink: Gone With The Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
15. @urbanexperiment: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
16. @mrbrown: Alien vs Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
17. @benyouton: The League of Extraordinary Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
18. @SvenHwang: Rise of the Bak Kwa of the Apes #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
19. @miyagi: There's Something About Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
20. @izreloaded: Dude, Where's My Bak Kwa? #replacemovietitleswithbakkwa
21. @HossanLeong: Bak Kwa No Enough. I Not Bak Kwa. The Iron Bak Kwa starring Metal Streep #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
22. @nailartexpress: Men Who Stare At Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
23. @MissyGoh: Bend it like Bak Kwa. #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
24. @HLOVEBARCA: No Bak Kwa For Old Men #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
25. @mrbrown: Rise of the Planet of the Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
26. @BB_See: Kung Fu Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
27. @mrbrown: A Series of Unfortunate Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
28. @hwipcream: The Girl with the Bak Kwa Tattoo #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
29. @twostoreys: Bak Kwa Begins (make that every Batman movie) #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
30. @msgrace_lim: P.S. I Love Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
31. @TWEETMakka: James and the Giant Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
32. @lemmingC: I Know What Bak Kwa Did Last Summer #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
33. @nicshields: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
34. @kylase: We Bought A Bak Kwa #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa
35. @mnhash: Bak Kwa to the Future #ReplaceMovieTitlesWithBakKwa

You Say I Say Who Confirm: Return to the Malaysia Super League: The Fans

A series of images I made at the Singapore vs KL match on January 17, 2012. This time I captured the fans.

See the rest of my images at You Say I Say Who Confirm.

the mrbrown show: famous amos

14-year-old boy wonder, Famous Amos, talks about Chinese New Year.

Youtube link: http://mrbrwn.co/ysYsg8

You Say I Say Who Confirm: Return to the Malaysia Super League: The Players

A series of images I made at the Singapore vs KL match on January 17, 2012, the second home match of the LionsXII in the Malaysian Super League. And their first win.

See the rest of my images at You Say I Say Who Confirm.

You may also read about the match at Redsports.sg.

#FactsWithoutWikipedia

As some of you may know, Wikipedia and many sites were blacked out for 24 hours in protest against the SOPA and PIPA bills. And this led to many students having to depend on archaic tools like books and libraries.

In my opinion, The Oatmeal had the best SOPA blackout page. With this animated gif:

Twitter also became awash with Facts Without Wikipedia, in the hours of the blackout. I joined in the fun too.

1. @DannyjClayton: The Great Wall of China was built to keep the rabbits out. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
2. @pto654: Justin Bieber, female age 12. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
3. @strangedave: Pluto is no longer a planet due to copyright claims from the Disney corporation #factswithoutWikipedia
4. @mrbrown: Cable ties can hold subway tracks and even marriages together. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
5. @mitterpottles: #FactsWithoutWikipedia: Singapore is an island off the coast of mainland China.
6. @mrbrown: Singapore's Merlion is a real creature that helped to transform it from a sleepy village to a metropolitan city. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
7. @mrbrown: Singapore leaders are the most underpaid leaders in the world. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
8. @mrbrown: Han Solo had an Indonesian brother named Bengawan Solo, who studied the Kueh of the Jedi. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
9. @JohnnyInfamous: Star Wars is based on the lesser known Shakespeare work "Thy Force Be Stronge" #factswithoutwikipedia
10. @mrbrown: J.Lo is Cee Lo's sister .#FactsWithoutWikipedia
11. @mrbrown: The People's Action Party was originally named Freedom Action Party and was made up of many master debaters. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
12. @mrbrown: Chinese New Year is just China copying the real New Year, according to 14-year-old Amos Yee. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
13. @mrbrown: The national anthem of Singapore is entitled "Mari Kita". It was originally sung and recorded by Taufik Bautista. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
14. @The_Maks: France has lost its AAA rating. This means they are no longer allowed so sell small batteries. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
15. @Toucanjake: Twilight is, in fact, the greatest love story ever written. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
16. @mrbrown: Cars in Singapore are the cheapest in the world and citizens are given rebates to buy one. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
17. @KarineC: mee siam comes with cockles. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
18. @mrbrown: Electoral boundaries in Singapore are never redrawn to suit the ruling party.#FactsWithoutWikipedia
19. @mrbrown: Manchester United is the only football team in the entire world. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
20. @chillmurrayy: #FactsWithoutWikipedia Ke$ha, in European countries, is actually spelt K€sha.
21. @mrbrown: Raffles Place was where Sir Stamford Raffles first learned to play Winning Eleven on PS3. #FactsWithoutWikipedia
22. @mrbrown: Singapore is a monarchy, headed by a Queen named Kumar. #FactsWithoutWikipedia

Say No to SOPA and PIPA. they break The Internet

Vimeo link: http://vimeo.com/31100268

A video that explains why SOPA and PIPA must be stopped. And why the Singapore gahmen should not consider adopting it either.

Also interesting, in the video, this shot of an election rally was used when the narrator says, "But Hollywood movies don't get grassroots candidates elected."

That looks mighty familiar…

Titanic wasn't real, it seems

American TV news headlines describing the Costa Concordia disaster in Italy as a "Real-Life Titanic". Since when was the sinking of the Titanic not real?

This one is from Entertainment Tonight. Maybe they should stick to entertainment and not news.

Dolphin toilet paper

I feel like asking the wife to stop buying this brand of toilet roll. I cannot, in good conscience, wipe my arse with a dolphin.

But it is soft and nice and four-ply too. Maybe if I fold it the other way so that the dolphin can't be seen, I'd feel better.

I think Law Minister Shanmugam just got schooled

An interesting exchange between Law Minister Shanmugam and his commenters on his Facebook page:

K Shanmugam: Sc Weilun, I am trying to understand. Do you think the cost of food has gone up because of Ministers salaries / You dont think the cost of food has anything to do with several hundreds of millions of people in India and China now becoming consumers and competing ?

K Shanmugam: Sc weilun, on Ministers salaries. will ask you to note one point. For the current Cabinet, many of us have made serious sacrifices. We are not in it for the money. Our concern is for the future of Spore - your children and grandchildren. What should be the appropriate benchmark for getting good ppl to come into public service.

Facebook Commenter: Ask Chen Show Mao, he doesn't need a benchmark. He just do it.

View the entire Facebook post and comments at Shanmugam's FB page.

We wish to inform you that Superman is off-duty today

Because he has to do his homework.

Vivian B Pointing at Stuff

Vivian B pointing at an official.

Vivian B pointing at the drain.

Vivian B pointing at some plants.

Vivian B pointing at his iPhone.

(Mostly from a recent Facebook posting of Vivian Balakrishnan inspecting Liat Towers after the recent ponding, er, floods.)

The REAL Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Wearing her tattoo and carrying her bubble tea in the MRT… Like a Boss.

LKY leaves just as Tin Pei Ling speaks in Parliament

Like a Boss.

Youtube Link: http://mrbrwn.co/zNCFN1

The entertaining Transport Minister

Interesting that TODAY listed our Transport Minister's statement in Parliament was listed as "Entertainment".

Video: Transport Minister's statement in Parliament on Dec 2011 SMRT Disruptions, Jan 9, 2012, posted by TODAY.

Hey DBS! Need to secure your ATMs?

I have two words for you: Cable Ties.

When I made the decision…

Since everyone is doing GraceFu-isms, this is mine:

"When I made the decision to be mrbrown in 1997, pay was not a key factor. Kena lim kopi by ISD, kena sue until tng kor by ministers and having my newspaper column suspended were. The disruption to my computer gaming time 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 but we did have to sell the car and now I ride a bicycle. I fear if the balance is tilted further in the future, I will fall off my bicycle." -mrbrown

Yes, there is already a website dedicated to the famous "When I made the decision…" post by Grace Fu: http://whenimadethedecision.tumblr.com/