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ok ... going to order chai peng ... peng only ... no vege no egg .... is $5K still the new poor ... should be $6K liao now ...

Not surprising https://www.straitstimes.com/business/invest/1-in-2-high-income-earners-has-money-problems-poll

Seems like The bids are damn aggressive. See this one

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/acsi-boy-dies-after-incident-on-high-element-activity Poor boy and his parents Carabina not fastened? No belaying?

We always hear the phrase "power is nothing without control" In this latest blog post, we now can show you exactly what that phrase means. Shared furiously among many Whatapp chats is a video of a recent accident involving a Nissan R35 GT-R losing control in one of the tunnels of the CTE. The matt silver GT-R which does not look stock at all, should be producing quite a bit more than the stock 480bhp (an remap will easily bring the power figures near 600bhp). It can be seen barreling along the tunnel on 11 July 2020 at quite a high speed before losing it all and smashing into the rear of a Mercedes-Benz CLS350. What did you think made the driver lose control of his AWD GT-R? Could it be a case of malfunction on the car that caused the car to go bonkers? Let us in the comment box!

How to tell if someone is high or low class? Poll gets interesting replies from Singaporeans What sets the “high class” and “low class” populations apart in Singapore are their jobs and income, housing and education levels, as well as whether they consume brands that are associated with either classes. This was the finding from an opinion poll commissioned by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP). What was "most interesting", researchers said, was that the problem of social inequality, while fretted about by the Government as a cause for concern, was “simply not central to citizens’ views of life in society”, when compared with other countries. One of the study’s researchers, Dr Jennifer Dodgson, said: “While Singaporeans may like or dislike their own place on the social ladder, they do not necessarily see this as a problem inherent in the system itself.” Titled Cars, Condos and Cai Png: Singaporeans’ Perceptions of Class, Wealth and Status, the study had looked at the open-ended responses of around 538 people who had taken part in an online poll in February. It was conducted by Vox Dei, a research start-up based in the National University of Singapore and founded by Dr Dodgson and fellow LKYSPP researcher Pei Junjie. In the questionnaire, respondents were asked to describe a person of high and low social class, as well as to define their own social class that they feel they belong. The results, which were published on Thursday (July 18), showed that around 66 per cent of those polled believed that what determines class identity is income — either from jobs, capital gains, welfare, or the absence of it. Other factors — in the order of how frequently they were mentioned — are: Housing, education, family, car, holidays, language, networks and domestic helpers. For example, one’s family links may be seen as having an effect of adding to one’s wealth or poverty, the study said. Around 9 per cent of respondents identified language as a signpost of class status. Those who speak mainly English are seen as belonging to a higher class, particularly when they have a foreign accent. Researchers also noted that respondents had indicated fluency in a language as a more important characteristic than the language being used, with two respondents saying that the ability to code-switch between English and Singlish is a sign of having a high-class status. BEHAVIOUR LINKED TO CLASS The majority of the respondents — 61 per cent — saw class only in material terms, while 3 per cent saw it only in behavioural terms. The remaining 36 per cent considered both material and behaviour as factors in defining class status, with some drawing a link between personal qualities and material prosperity. One 59-year-old male respondent described someone high class as a “well-to-do business owner, lives in a landed property, appreciates fine arts, is socially respected and responsible for others’ livelihoods”, as well as contributes to societal development. Not everyone had positive sentiments about people who are high class. A 24-year-old male respondent said that such a person is “out of touch and locked within one’s ivory tower”, while a 21-year-old female respondent wrote, “18 year old but has a car. Eats at expensive restaurant. Flex every day on Instagram about their stuff. Generally useless, too.” The researchers noted that even among those who had demonstrated resentment towards the wealthy, “no one took an explicitly ideological view” and few saw the survey as a chance to express “overtly political views” despite its open-ended nature. Instead, there was a tendency among the Singapore respondents to associate the high class with positive traits, and the low class with negative traits, the researchers said. Around 21 per cent of respondents described the high class as having positive behaviours, while about 4 per cent commented on negative behaviours. Conversely, positive traits were used to describe the low class around 8 per cent of the time, while negative traits were used in around 28 per cent of the answers. “It implies a relatively low degree of resentment toward the wealthy, and thus, that the majority of people are broadly content with the ways in which resources are distributed within society,” the Vox Dei researchers said, adding that such a view has important political implications. It was also noteworthy that only two of the 538 respondents referred to foreign workers when asked to define low class, they added. The researchers said: “Their apparent invisibility, despite recent attempts to raise the profile of issues surrounding (foreign workers’) rights and treatment, indicates that they are simply not factored in when most people think about Singapore society.” BRANDS AFFECT PERCEPTION The survey also found that respondents named a number of brands as a marker of class, though certain brands were associated with both high and low class. For example, ride-sharing firm Grab, Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo, as well as luxury fashion houses Louis Vuitton and Gucci were seen as symbols of those who are both high and low class. “The mentions of Louis Vuitton and Gucci would seem to indicate that the prevalence of forgeries on the market has — as the companies themselves feared — contributed to lowering the cachet of the originals,” the study said. As one 30-year-old female respondent put it, the low class are people who have “grown up in small HDB (Housing and Development Board) flats, speak more Chinese or mother tongue language, own tasteless luxury or wannabe brands but fail to look good and put together”. Dr Dodgson said that artificial intelligence was used to skim through the qualitative responses to generate quantitative statistics. The research technology, which is still being patented, would allow large-scale qualitative research to be feasible. The study, which was commissioned by LKYSPP, came about as the researchers were intrigued by the controversy surrounding an social studies guidebook last year, Dr Dodgson said. The unauthorised guidebook had described certain activities as those typically done by people from either low or high socioeconomic status, for instance, a person with a lower economic status would "speak Singlish, play football or basketball, and eat at hawker centres", while those of a higher economic status "speak formal English, play golf or tennis, and only eat at fine restaurants". While Dr Dodgson acknowledged that the sample size was relatively low, with a 4.25 per cent margin of error, she told TODAY that the open-ended nature of the survey “gave greater nuance and accuracy” than multiple-choice questionnaires.

Do remember to check the medication your elderly at home are consuming. They are the most vulnerable groups. HSA recalls 3 brands of high blood pressure drugs over potentially harmful impurity SINGAPORE: Three brands of high blood pressure medicine containing the ingredient losartan have been recalled because they contain higher than acceptable levels of a potentially harmful impurity, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on Thursday (Mar 28). The drugs contain the active ingredient losartan potassium, which was manufactured by Indian pharmaceutical company Hetero Labs. The affected products are the 50mg and 100mg tablets from the brands Losartas, Losagen and Hyperten and distributed by local suppliers Apotheca Marketing, Medicell Pharmaceutical and Goldplus Universal, respectively. About 137,000 patients in Singapore are using the three recalled brands of losartan medicine, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). Losartas is prescribed in public healthcare institutions, while Losartas, Losagen and Hyperten are prescribed at private healthcare institutions. HSA has advised patients not to stop treatment on their own as there is no immediate health risk and sudden stopping of the drugs can pose greater immediate risk to their health. The recalled products were found to contain trace amounts of a nitrosamine impurity, N-nitro-N-methyl-4-aminobutyric acid (NMBA), which are above internationally accepted levels, HSA said. Exposure to nitrosamines at high quantities over a long-term period may potentially increase the risk of cancer. For example, the added cancer risk from an additional six-month exposure is estimated to be less than 0.0002 per cent. “The risks of trace amounts of NMBA are associated with long term exposure. Sudden stopping of the medicines can pose greater and more immediate risk to patient’s health … We have advised healthcare professionals to review the medicine and treatment plans of their patients,” HSA said. HSA said that several losartan medicines have been recalled overseas since end-February due to the presence of NMBA. It tested all locally marketed losartan products for the presence of the NMBA impurity and in March found the three brands contained trace amounts of NMBA above acceptable levels. The other seven brands of losartan medicines marketed in Singapore are NOT affected by this impurity.

Resale Value? Does it really mean resale Value higher? Some AD make 70% while most make 20%-30% premium.

Dear all, Need some experts to show some light. In 2013, the COE sky Rocket to above $70-90k. Those cars that was purchased during that time will have a high paper value. May I know what are the advantages and disadvantages of having cars with high paper value? An example: A KIA K5 2013 currently has an estimated paper value of $50-55k as of now. But in SGCarmart, dealers are selling 2014 at $61-$65k. What does that implies? Will the dealer refused to take in the 2013 car as the paper value is high and very close to 2014/2015 cars?

A high school in Suixian County, Henan Province has garnered attention online for removing chairs from the school canteen to prod students into finishing their food quickly. The move comes a result of learning from other schools and aims to improve the efficiency of student dining to encourage more time for studies, a staff member at the school office told Pear Video, a video streaming app. The school had dining tables with linked chairs in the past, but in the new semester starting on Aug. 26 they have been replaced by long tables without seats, forcing students to eat while standing. Besides, each student will be assigned a designated spot to eat, so generally speaking it would take 10 minutes to finish a meal, said the staff member. A student surnamed Li said he needed 20 minutes to finish his food before while now he only needed 10. Gao Shan, director of Gastroenterology at the Central Hospital in Xiangyang City, Hubei Province, said it's better to eat slowly because not chewing enough will affect digestion and cause chronic diseases if continued for a prolonged period. Suixian High School, founded in 1940, is a key education facility and enjoys a high reputation for sending graduates to top universities in eastern Henan.

hi, just installed an active sub below my seat. than i realised that my front speakers are too weak to be blasted hard becos they are stock. so i went to upgrade the stock speakers to hertz speakers. after this, i was told that my stock head player has no power to drive my expensive front speakers to the optimal performance. and now, looking around for a amp to power up. after spending so much $$$ and time on all these upgrading, all we wanted now is to enjoy the music with good quality sound. so what media do you all use to play your music? is the SQ from a MP3 good enough? where can we get high quality music CD? TIA

when i read this article i think of @dach..... esp from the loneliness he exudes... on a serious note, it is a worrying trend.. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/suicides-elderly-singapore-all-time-high-sos-10565002 Number of elderly suicides at all-time high: SOS TODAY) SINGAPORE: When Madam Tan (not her real name), a widow in her 90s, suddenly lost her son to a heart attack, she thought all hope was lost. After all, he was the only close family member she had left. Furthermore Mdm Tan, a fall risk living in a rental flat, had lost all independence due to her limited mobility and weak legs. "Our care management team knew of her suicidal thoughts," senior social worker at Tsao Foundation's Hua Mei Mobile Clinic Jasmine Wong told Channel NewsAsia. So, staff from the organisation's counselling and coaching team provided her with psycho-emotional counselling and therapy, and worked with neighbours and community partners to support her daily living. With Mdm Tan refusing to go to a nursing home, the staff made frequent visits to "reassure her that life has more to offer". They continued to care for her for another year or so, until she died from cancer. But there are others who fall through the cracks. The number of elderly aged 60 and above who took their own lives peaked at 129 last year, the highest since suicide tracking started in 1991, the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) said in a release on Monday (Jul 30). This is six cases more than 2016, when 123 elderly suicides were reported. The proportion of elderly suicides has also gone up: Seniors made up 36 per cent of 361 suicides reported in 2017, compared to 29 per cent of 429 suicides the year before. “It is very worrying that many elderly are turning to suicide as the only choice to end their pain and struggles, when they should be enjoying the lustre of their golden years,” SOS executive director Christine Wong said. According to National University of Singapore sociologist Tan Ern Ser, the typical profile of a senior who is more likely to commit suicide is probably someone aged 75 or above, living alone or with a spouse, and has only up to primary school education. FEAR OF BEING A BURDEN, SOCIAL DISCONNECTION AMONG REASONS These seniors might feel that life is "empty and meaningless", Dr Tan told Channel NewsAsia, stating the absence of social support or a chronic or terminal illness as some common reasons for suicide. Other common struggles include social disconnection, the fear of burdening family and friends, and daily difficulties due to physical challenges and deteriorating mental health, SOS said, citing callers to their 24-hour hotline. "These concerns predisposes socially isolated elderly to depression and suicidal thoughts when struggles go undetected and unaddressed," it added. READ: High prevalence of suicide in older adults aged 50 and above: SOS However, SOS said fewer seniors are calling in. Last year, 5,652 calls were made by the elderly, an 18 per cent drop from the 6,904 calls in 2016. This is particularly worrying given the current trend, SOS said, especially as the hotline is "favoured by the older demographic group". Of those who disclosed their age, 23 per cent of calls made to the SOS last year were by seniors aged 60 and above. Dr Tan explained that some might choose not to call in as they are not used to the idea of sharing their "innermost thoughts with others or seeking help through a hotline to speak to a stranger". "They are also thinking that no one could understand them and their situation, let alone help them," he said. What's worse is some of them might not even be aware of other forms of help. "They are probably living in isolation, have few or no friends, know only people who are just as ignorant about other forms of help, or do not see non-kin as a possible source of help," Dr Tan added. And when this happens, SOS said the elderly might feel a "strong sense of helplessness which may exacerbate social isolation". READ: 'Like a knife poking my heart': Loss, loneliness and the killing pain of elderly depressionNevertheless, Dr Tan said alternative assistance can come in the form of family members who are "caring, supportive and attentive". Volunteers who meet the elderly regularly, are seen as friends, and can link them up with trained counsellors who can provide professional help are also beneficial, he added. To that end, SOS stressed the "imminent need for stronger support networks as the number of elderly Singapore residents living alone continues to increase", pointing out that this will bring about challenges to current social support services. THE RED FLAGS Mr Simon-Peter Lum, deputy head of COMNET Senior Services under AMKFSC Community Services, said staff are trained to look out for suicidal tendencies by attending courses conducted by SOS and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), and through case conferences and case sharing sessions. Symptoms of suicidal tendencies include making preparations for death, like writing a will or giving away cherished belongings, enquiring about a sudden change in environment, and a sudden withdrawal from social interactions. Tsao Foundation's Ms Wong said red flags include physical complaints like "wa long cong tia", Hokkien for "I'm feeling pain everywhere", and self-neglect in terms of low personal hygiene and a dirty living environment. Staff should also pay extra attention to elderly who are struggling with a recent life crisis, like the death of a loved one or excessive medical bills. READ: Lonely and 'waiting to die', Singapore's elderly poor find hope in many helping handsIn one real-life case, a senior who had experienced hallucinations approached a COMNET worker and requested depression screening. "The senior was found to be at high risk of suicide and staff members accompanied him to IMH with his consent," Mr Lum said. After the senior was treated and discharged, social workers, Senior Activity Centre (SAC) staff and those with the Community Resource, Engagement and Support Team continued to monitor him through home visits and his participation at the SAC. For low-risk cases, staff provide counselling and emotional support, help them look at the positives in life, and recognise their stressors and how to manage them. "We also develop a safety plan with them and continue to monitor and follow-up until they stabilise," Mr Lum added. "We will also refer the cases to social workers where appropriate." WHAT YOU CAN DO Mr Lum encouraged family members, caregivers and volunteers to communicate with their seniors and take note of character changes and suicide symptoms for early detection. "Convey concern and allow them to express what is troubling them, empathise and support them and let them know they are not alone," he said. "Helping them to identify stressors provides a sense of relief, sharing their burden increases their ability and confidence to cope." Besides that, he added, keeping them engaged in meaningful activities will help give them purpose. "Sometimes, expressions of suicidal thoughts can be signs of the elders crying for help," Tsao Foundation's Ms Wong said. "It’s not advisable to brush the elders aside for having ‘silly, idle thoughts’ – which may well be red flags for suicide risk." Taking a senior to see a good and trusted general practitioner (GP) over the years can also help identify signs of depression, social isolation and calls for help, she said. "Indirect clues that a GP will have opportunity to identify would include repeat visits by an elder for loss of appetite and weight loss, inability to sleep and refusal to take medicine," she added. "GPs can also help to refer relevant cases to counsellors and other community partners." OVERALL SUICIDES LOWEST SINCE 2012 Meanwhile, the overall number of suicides reported last year – at 361 – was the lowest since 2012. This means that the average suicide rate dropped to 7.74 deaths by suicide per 100,000 residents, compared to 9.14 deaths from 2012 to 2016. “For the past years, our community outreach education and engagements targeted mainly youths and adults who are technologically savvy as these efforts were concentrated on various social media platforms,” SOS' Ms Wong said. “The drop in deaths by suicide in these age groups may be attributed to the concerted efforts of all social service partners and many others in the community, even members of the public who are aware of SOS suicide prevention work.” READ: New mum’s suicide casts light on struggles of working mums, coroner says READ: Facing depression – working adults battle not just demons, but also stigma Despite that, Ms Wong said the community and an individual's social support groups should continue to step up efforts and not let go "thinking that a slight decrease makes a difference on suicide prevention and awareness among the youths". Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/suicides-elderly-singapore-all-time-high-sos-10565002

Sent car for regular servicing. Took a cab to collect my vehicle. Smooth and comfortable ride. I peeked at the odometer and saw it is 400,000 + KM. Taxi uncle shared with me that the vehicle will run fine if: 1. Stick to the servicing schedule, for cabs, they have to send car for servicing at least once a month. 2. Immediately repair or replace faulty or dying parts. "Mai tu liao". The longer you drag, the more related parts it will damage. I thanked him for his advice. Any truth to what he said?

Price of wedding tables hits new high http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/price-of-wedding-tables-hits-new-high Wooohooooo! Most Expensive City rocks! I'm really worried for our future generations.

Hi guys, I drive a 2007 Honda stream RSZ. First owner from new. Current mileage at 435700km. Coe ending nov17. I have kept up with all servicing and major parts replacement at all major service milestones. So far had replaced all 4 suspension 3 times, alternator once, radiator once, air-conditioning compressor once, air conditioning internal cooling coil once, steering rack once, drive shaft 2 times, linkages replaced every 120k I'm, ATF changed with engine oil every 12k. Currently using the car to drive Uber/grab for the last 2 years liao. Thought of changing to carens diesel but find the 3rd row really very squeeze and dun like the drive....but must admit the diesel torque is really impressive. Had already send the car for a color change respray in feb17 and also rewrap the interior leathers... What are your thoughts?

Hi MCF-ers, just need to ask this question to get it over my mental calculations. Im driving a BMW 316i for close to 2years now (since Nov 2014) and im looking to change to another ride with a larger interior space (MPV / SUV / Stationwagon). I searched through Sgcarmart and find that some 2013 cars are quite "value for $$". My current monthly installments (5years loan) is about $1.6k. The 2013 cars i shortlisted, monthly installments ranges from $1.15k - $1.2k for 7years loan. I know i am a itchy backside person having changed a few cars within 10years of driving. so i think i might change cars normally 2-3years of ownership. I was looking at Audi A6 Avant or some Conti/Jap SUVs price ranging from $125k-$140k. Depre is around 16-17k/year. I think depreciation will not matter to me since i most probably wont drive the full 10years. As we all know, 2013 was record breaking for COE prices. Most of the 2nd hand cars i saw had $93k COE and the prices listed are now almost 40% off the then listed prices (not sure of any discount or what when 1st owner bought) for a short 3years usage. Can any helpful soul enlighten me? Thanks very much!

just when i thought i had spent alot on my current kingcoil mattress after 20 years, i realised that a mid range mattress could costs $3-4k and the higher end one would costs $7k+. i don't mind paying that amount of money for health and comfort for my family, comparing to spending for a car here, i think $7k+ for using it for 6-10 hours everyday for 10 years is definitely justifiable. ok, anyone into mid to high range of mattresses and have some personal opinions to share before i get brain washed by the sales staff? TIA

Anyone have any feedback on the Bridgestone Dueler High Performance Sports tyre? Designed for SUVs/CUVs. Looking at 225/55 R18 size.

Hi all guru, i am driving a honda stream 1.8x 2009 model. Just purchase this car from close family member. He is a careful driver thus i believe that the car has no previous problem. But recently i realise that my car has slight longer time (1second more) to start engine when i turn on the key. SPark plug was removed to check and is in good condition. Also, i experienced loss of power when going from 2000 rpm and above..specially when im trying to change lane and speed up. The car behave like "a buffalo", cant accelerate as fast and car from behind already came near me!! And sometime i tried to rev the rpm to 5-7rpm, i feel that the car is "free gear" ...i feel that the engine just keep turning at high speed but it feels that it nt engaged in any gear **(hard to explain this feeling. the car seems to be at free gear which i cant really control the speed but to let go accelerator then the accelerator seems to be engaged into the gear for me to control the speed) I tried to top up full and drive slowly. Full tank is about 470-480km. But the consumption sometime still state 9.9-10.2km/l I heard from my close family he used to get 11-12. Would like to check if anyone has this problem for high fuel consumption loss of power when overtaking (*seriously mus solve this problem) thanks in advane!!

Hi all; just bought a toyota wish 2.0aa reg dat 2010 with 77k mileage. Engine sounds good.Pick up is good.However the fuel consumtion with eco mode on is at 9km/L. Is this normal? New eo;spark plug and atf fluid.Please advise which workshop is reliable for this kind if issue

http://roads.sg/index.php/video/357/sgy-3350e-dangerous-and-reckless-driver-what-are-you-trying-to-do?t=MTQ0NzUxNjQ5NA== what is this driver of SGY3350E trying to do ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQtIlxe_ZkY RoBoHoN

75K per annum considered high flying banker in London? market must be really really bad sia.... that's barely a bank teller/counter wiper pay in MCF. LOL but to be able to give up everything and live in the wild is really amazing... i doubt i could even last a week.

I have been thinking for awhile now but still don't understand how this works. I always see pple saying that when COE crash (I don't know how low is consider crash) those pple with high COE (how high is high? 90k 80k 70k?) can change car as it's more "worth" it. But then we can only get back the unused COE half of the OMV (less CEVS if applicable). am I missing something else? So if I change car after 3 yrs my depreciation will be very high like 15-20k per year? so how is it worth changing? Pls enlighten me lol...

http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/01/10/the-truth-behind-high-oil-prices-in-singapore/