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You think that the high oil price is tough on the pocket and will make people think twice before buying a car? This report says only $1000 more in fuel charges per year. Not really heart pain increase for a typical car owner right? For would-be car owner, one buy the car when COE is low (like this weekends), then theoretically this $1000 extra fuel cost can be taken care of by the cheaper COE price. This article taken from Asiaone website. Pump prices up across all brands The other oil companies have all followed Caltex's move to raise pump prices here. ExxonMobil, Singapore Petroleum Co and Shell on Wednesday upped petrol prices by three cents a litre and diesel by five cents. Their increases, within hours of each other, came a day after Caltex revised prices upwards. With the changes, a litre of 92, 95 and 98-octane petrol is $2.083, $2.116 and $2.190 before discount, while diesel is $1.663. Shell's V-Power is $2.309, while Caltex's Platinum is $2.316. The latest pump price adjustment is the 10th consecutive increase since July last year - 11th if the GST-triggered increase on July 1, 2007 were to be included. Singapore's goods & services tax was raised from 5 to 7 per cent last July. The relentless increase in pump prices is just one of several price spirals Singapore residents are facing. The country's inflation rate, at 6.7 per cent in March, is at the highest level in almost three decades. Some analysts are predicting it would reach 7 per cent this year, fuelled by high food and oil prices. Likewise, crude oil prices are trading at record levels. In New York trading on Tuesday, oil hit US$119.90 (S$160) as the American currency weakened against the euro. This prompted investors to pick up more commodities - including oil - as an inflation hedge. Some observers have questioned why pump prices here are not softening on the back of the strengthening Singapore dollar. The local currency is trading at an all-time high of $1.35 per US dollar. Meanwhile, the escalation in fuel prices is costing motorists dearly. Drivers will now incur nearly $1,000 more in fuel a year than in January 2007, when a litre of petrol was $1.50. Station discounts, at 19 per cent back then, have dwindled to 5 per cent

April 9, 2008 ST Aero loses US$635m contract with US low-cost carrier Skybus Skybus files for Chapter 11 protection By Nicholas Fang SINGAPORE Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero) is facing a US$635 million (S$877 million) hit to its orderbook after one of its customers in the United States filed for bankruptcy on Monday. ST Aero, the aerospace arm of ST Engineering, said in a statement on Wednesday that it would reduce its orderbook accordingly following the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by low-cost carrier Skybus Airlines. The airline, which is based in Columbus, Ohio, cited the inability to overcome rising jet fuel costs and a slowing economic environment as reasons why it ceased operations last Saturday. ST Aero had clinched a 12-year contract in November 2006, worth US$635 million starting from 2007. The deal was awarded by Airbus which was supplying Skybus with A319 aircraft. ST Aero's US facility, ST Mobile Aerospace Engineering, was contracted to provide support covering aircraft line and light maintenance, components management and support, engineering and technical services for Skybus' fleet. The fleet was expected to grow up to 66 aircraft but only 11 were being operated at the time when Skybus ceased its operations. ST Aero said that work commenced when Skybus began operations in the middle of last year. 'With Skybus Airlines' bankruptcy, ST Aero's orderbook value would be reduced accordingly,' ST Aero said in a statement on Tuesday. The company said there would not be any material impact on its results for the current financial year. ST Engineering turned in a total orderbook of S$9.5 billion last year. The company does not provide details of its subsidiaries' orderbooks. ST Aerospace announced earlier this year it has secured a contract worth S$87 million to provide comprehensive engine maintenance and engineering support to South Africa's Comair. It will service the 20 engines on Comair's fleet of 10 Boeing Classic 737s over the next eight years. http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2...ry_225441.html many budget airlines r closing down now in USA

Hello all the seasoned car owners out there. My Lancer is due for the first 1000Km servicing in a week's time at C&C service centre. This is my first car and first time doing servicing and I would like to know what are the things I need to take note of, like what to check or what to ask the mechanic. And also what is done for the 1000km servicing. please advice!

Punch people max fine $1k. Feed monkey max fine $50k??? http://www.straitstimes.com/print/Latest%2...ory_199271.html Jan 23, 2008 Cabby fined for punching another A CABBY who punched a motorist over a driving incident was given the maximum fine of $1,000 on Wednesday. See Kian Wah, 67, pleaded guilty to punching Mr See Leng Beng, 57, twice on his face along Joo Chiat Road on Sept 21 last year. Mr See was driving along Joo Chiat Road that evening when he approached See at the junction over a driving incident. See then punched the victim and then left. http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/...ory_199269.html Jan 23, 2008 Cook fined $4,000 for feeding monkeys This is the stiffest fine ever handed out by a court By Elena Chong A MAN has been fined $4,000 for feeding monkeys in a Mandai nature reserve, the steepest fine ever handed out for the offence. Panneerselvam Arunasalam, a cook, admitted in court on Tuesday to feeding the animals bread in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, on Aug 5, 2007. A park ranger spotted the 46-year-old feeding the monkeys in the Mandai sanctuary, near Old Upper Thomson Road. There are signboards warning against the feeding of moneys at the nature reserve. Pressing for a stiff sentence on Tuesday, National Parks Board prosecutor M. Maniam told the court that feeding of moneys in nature reserve endangered the safety of humans and animals. 'It alters the monkeys' natural behaviour adversely as it makes them reliant on humans for food instead of foraging for food on their own in the forest,' he said. Relying on humans for food 'domesticates' them. They also tend to behave more boldly and aggressively towards humans, especially children, he added. Also, it increases the monkey population, brings them closer to roads in search of food and increases the risk of collisions with motor vehicles. Mr Maniam said NParks takes a serious view of such feeding at nature reserves. Although steps have been taken to advise visitors not to feed them, visitors and members of the public continue to do so. There have also been recent media reports highlighting the danger and discouraging members of the public from feeding these animals. Mr Maniam on Tuesday said feeding of monkeys is becoming more prevalent. In 2006 there were 142 cases and last year, 14 more. Eighteen people have been convicted over the two year period. Mr Maniam sought a $5,000 fine for Pannelselvasm to send a clear and strong message that such acts should not be allowed or condoned. Pannerselvam could have been fined up to $50,000 or jailed for up to six months or both.

CABBY STALKS FOR 5 MONTHS... BUS DRIVER He then ambushes victim at carpark with iron rod ROAD RAGE at Sin Ming Ave By Tan Ooi Boon [email protected] April 29, 2007 IT started as a minor traffic dispute after a cabby cut into the path of a bus driver. Words were exchanged. But worse was to follow as the cabby began stalking the private bus driver. This went on for five months. Finally, he ambushed the driver at a carpark and hit him repeatedly with a metal rod. The victim, Mr Koh Kwee Siang, suffered bruises on his arms and body. He took the cabby, Sunny Lee Meng Huat, to court. Earlier this month, Lee was given the maximum fine of $1,000 for the attack. Lee, who could have been jailed up to a year, is appealing against his conviction. Due to the unusual nature of the case, District Judge Jasbendar commented in her written judgment that, on hindsight, she felt that her sentence had been too lenient, 'especially since it was a deliberate attack and there was no provocation on the part of the complainant'. The dispute that led to the assault happened at Sin Ming Avenue on 16Sep, 2004. At about 5.50am, Mr Koh was driving his school bus when Lee's Comfort taxi suddenly cut into his path without signalling and almost caused a collision. Mr Koh sounded the horn and Lee retaliated by preventing the bus from overtaking his taxi. This went on for about 1km. At one stage, Mr Koh managed to overtake Lee's taxi, but the latter gave chase until both stopped at a traffic light junction at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. Mr Koh said Lee got out and challenged him to come out. 'He was gesturing and even pointed his middle finger, and used vulgarities. He looked very fierce,' Mr Koh said during the trial last year. He refused to step out and as he drove off, he heard Lee telling him to 'watch out'. Later that morning, Mr Koh lodged a police report. Around 8pm the same day, he returned to Sin Ming Avenue to park his bus and saw Lee and his friends. Since that day, he said he regularly noticed a taxi parked nearby over the next five months. Mr Koh said this 'surveillance' culminated in the attack on 23 Feb, 2005. Mr Koh called the police and was taken Tan Tock Seng Hospital for treatment as his hand was swollen and bleeding. COMPLETE DENIAL During the trial, another bus driver, Mr Toh Huay Yam, testified that he saw a Chinese man in his 30s sitting on a slab at about 5.45am that day. Later, as he was starting the bus, he saw this man attacking Mr Koh with a metre-long rod. He alighted and shouted at the assailant to stop hitting the victim. After the man fled, Mr Toh said he drove without checking on the victim's condition as he had to pick up passengers. In court, Lee's defence was one of complete denial. He admitted quarrelling with Mr Koh over the incident, but denied stalking him or attacking him at the carpark. 'I had no time to ambush or track him down... I need to work. Even sleep, I do not have enough. How do I know his working time and what time I should track him down,' he said in court. He said the victim had framed him to seek financial compensation because he could not find the real assailant. He added that Mr Koh could be 'self-conscious of other people looking at him or maybe because of his own behaviour he had offended others'. But DJ Jasbendar rejected his defence and convicted him. (See report, above right.) The judge found Mr Koh to be a truthful witness whose account was supported by Mr Toh's evidence. She added that it was clear Mr Toh was not close to Mr Koh, because he didn't even stop to check on the latter after the incident. She fined Lee $1,000, noting that 'the proceedings were instituted by a private citizen and the authorities did not deem this case sufficiently serious to prosecute the defendant'. In her judgment, she wrote: 'On hindsight, the sentence imposed would appear to be on the lenient side.' Judge: Cabby not a truthful witness THE defendant had been going to Sin Ming Drive regularly to refuel his taxi. Despite this, he claimed he did not know the location of the nearby URA carpark where the assault happened. District Judge Jasbendar Kaur said it was difficult to accept cabby Sunny Lee's evidence because he had been driving to the area to refuel his taxi daily. 'I found the defendant's claim that he was totally unaware of the location of the URA carpark a little incredible... This suggested that he was not totally truthful.' She noted that the cabby maintained that he was not at the carpark during the assault, yet he could not recall where and what he was doing then. Based on the accounts given by witnesses, she said she was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that it was Lee who had ambushed and attacked Mr Koh at the carpark. http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,...,128934,00.html?

Hi All, Today went to KMC to service 1000km. To my surprise, TA strongly recommend to change to SYNTHETIC OIL instead of MINERAL OIL. Is this a norm? Can anyone advise? Since now its changed to SYNTHETIC OIL, can i speed above 80km? or still keep driving below 80km? Thanks for all the advise.

I'm getting a new mazda 323 in a week or 2 and would like to see how I can upgrade my car audio. I definitely need a MP3 player and would like to see how I can make the speaker system better with my limited budget. The mazda comes stock with a Kenwood HU with a 10 disc CD Changer in the trunk. The mazda audio contractor has offered the kenwood 7020 for $400 with a $100 trade in. But I shopped around and liked the 838 which they don't have, but they suggested the 828 instead, which seems too expensive for the budget. What can I do.. how good are the HU if I don't get an amp? I can probably spend another $200-$500 for the speaker/amp system. Question is, do I need an additional amp with the HU I'm getting? I don't need to blast music, just good sound (ok.. relatively). Given that I can only either upgrade speaker OR get an amp, what should I get? Pardon me... I'm an ICE newbie...