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JD Power Says Korean Cars Beat US and Europe in Quality! Sources: https://www.wired.com/story/jd-power-korean-cars-beat-us-europe-quality/ Ask the average car buyer who makes the most reliable vehicles, and they’ll likely start with Japanese automakers, followed by the Germans and the Americans, and ending with the Koreans. Going by the results of this year’s JD Power Initial Quality Survey, though, that’s all wrong. “It’s almost the complete reverse,” says Dave Sargent, who oversees Power's vehicle quality research. The change in fortunes rides largely on how automakers have handled two big technological trends: proliferating infotainment screens and advanced driver assistance features. The ranking, based on the number of problems owners of new vehicles report in the first three months, puts Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury brand, in the number one spot, with 63 problems per 100 vehicles. Kia and Hyundai are right behind, making for an all-Korean top three. The next three slots go to the Americans—Ford, Lincoln, Chevrolet—with Lexus and Toyota after them. All these brands score better than the industry average of 93 problems per 100 vehicles. Below that bar, you’ll find the Europeans, including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Volvo, and Volkswagen. In the bottom two spots are Land Rover and Jaguar. A spokesman for those two brands, both owned by India’s Tata Motors, said that the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto has reduced complaints around infotainment issues, and that it's working to improve those scores. A Mercedes-Benz representative notes that this JD Power survey "doesn’t reflect the total ownership experience," but that it's helpful for "finetuning" its work. The results don’t surprise Sargent. “This is not a one-year phenomenon,” he says. The Korean automakers have consistently improved their cars’ quality in recent years, especially around the infotainment systems that offer a combination of navigation, music, and voice calling features. The Korean manufacturers offer relatively simple systems that do the basics well, even if they skimp on next-generation ideas like gesture controls. That matches Consumer Reports’ most recent infotainment system ranking, which listed Genesis, Hyundai, and Kia among its favorites. It gave the top score to Tesla, which JD Power doesn’t include in its rankings, due to a lack of data. The “problems” that consumers report tend to fall into two buckets. Some are defects that affect individual cars, like a headlamp that goes out. Others are related to the design of a vehicle, like a hard-to-use voice recognition system for doing things like placing calls and set navigation destinations. Today’s cars have far fewer defects than their predecessors did a decade ago, Sargent says, and mass manufacturers match the luxury brands on that count. So drivers are more focused on the things that bug them about their vehicles. That exposes the luxury automakers to criticism, Sargent says, because they offer more features that may not work perfectly or be easy to understand. This year’s survey found a small increase in what Sargent calls “traditional problems” like bad paint jobs and brake and suspension noises. That may be because, as car sales have slowed, vehicles are spending more time in the elements before going home with a customer—an effect known as “lot rot.” While infotainment systems are responsible for more problems than any other category, they’re also where automakers made the biggest overall improvement since 2018. Industry-wide, the survey says, the systems are getting less glitchy and easier to use. The new bad boy looks to be driver assistance systems, which for JD Power includes things like basic cruise control, lane departure warnings, and “semiautonomous” systems like Cadillac Super Cruise. As these features become more prevalent, more consumers are having trouble understanding how they work, or criticizing when they do and don’t intervene. And yes, studies show that drivers in the US and Europe often overestimate what their “semiautonomous” cars can do—setting them up for disappointment. Overall, Sargent says, the encouraging thing is just how reliable new cars are these days. The 2019 industry average of 93 problems per 100 vehicles represents a 14 percent drop over the 2009 figure. Volvo, he notes, is in 28th place, out of 32. “I drive a Volvo,” he says. “I love it.”

Avijit Das Patnaik looks baffled as he utters these words, as if he is still trying to make sense of what has happened in the five months since making headlines for sharing an image - created by someone else - on social media of a Singapore flag being ripped to reveal an Indian flag. “If you Google my name, there are more hits and searches against my name than against leading terrorists and scamsters,” the 45-year-old tells Channel NewsAsia. The consequences of sharing the image on a Facebook post in August last year have been devastating for the Singapore Permanent Resident, who is originally from India: He’s now jobless and he, along with his wife and two young children, will now likely have to leave the country that's been their home for the last ten years. Their HDB flat is now on the market, and all that is left is for it to be sold. The former vice-president at DBS has now been branded a “troublemaker" by some, he points out, but his fervent desire is clearly to explain how he is sensitive to being a foreigner living in a country he says he loves. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/ex-dbs-avijit-das-patnaik-ripped-singapore-indian-flag-interview-11152596 ****** I wish him well in India.

New research says short people are angrier and more violent than tall people Researchers at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, recently quizzed 600 men aged between 18 and 50 on the perception of male gender, self-image and behavior in relation to drug-taking, violence and crime for a government-led study. The scientists found that men who feel the least masculine are most at risk of committing violent or criminal acts. According to the study, men who considered themselves less masculine, also known as "male discrepancy stress," were nearly three times more likely to have committed violent assaults with a weapon or assaults leading to an injury. A few years ago, a team of researchers at Oxford University also claimed "Short Man Syndrome" is a real thing. They reported that reducing a person's height can increase feelings of vulnerability and also raise levels of paranoia. Also known as the "Napoleon Complex." As modern society becomes more superficial and focused on the body standards for both sexes, height is becoming a taboo topic for many men. It is very possible that these studies included too small of a test group to accurately describe the behavioral tendencies of someone based on their height. Just for clarification, Napoleon was actually 5 feet 7 inches tall, which is basically the average height of our time. And for some perspective, that's an inch taller than movie star Jet Li! Source: https://www.higherperspectives.com/research-short-people-angry-2603541093.html Not i say one hor

I'm surprised this thread hasnt been started. Maybe cos we not kpo like EDMW but now even Julie Tan has been implicated in it... Even more drama than their Mediacorp drama. lol. For those who have no idea whats going on.. https://www.8days.sg/sceneandheard/entertainment/hong-huifang-says-she-s-no-longer-friends-with-pan-lingling-10554498 https://www.8days.sg/sceneandheard/entertainment/the-stars-involved-in-the-hong-huifang-pan-lingling-feud-have-10559442

SEOUL—North Korea said Wednesday that it successfully staged its first test of a more powerful form of a nuclear weapon, expanding the U.S.’s foreign-policy challenges and highlighting the limits of China’s ability to rein in its volatile ally. An announcer on North Korean state television said in a midday broadcast that scientists had successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb at around 10 a.m. local time. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that a magnitude 5.1 earthquake was triggered at that time near North Korea’s nuclear test site in the northeast of the country. Experts have said it was unclear whether North Korea had developed the ability to build a hydrogen bomb. The magnitude of the latest explosion was the same as a 2013 test of an atomic bomb. U.S. officials said they were working to confirm North Korea’s claim. In the past, U.S. officials have questioned North Korea’s claims to technological breakthroughs. At the same time, the Pentagon last year said it has determined that Pyongyang is close to or already capable of miniaturizing nuclear warheads so they can be mounted on missiles and launched across the globe. Confirmation that Pyongyang has conducted a nuclear test of any kind is likely to accelerate U.S. responses across a variety of fronts, and add to pressure on the Obama administration to step up action on sanctions and missile defense. North Korea has staged three test detonations of atomic bombs; the latest was in 2013. A hydrogen bomb is more powerful and uses nuclear fusion to trigger an uncontrolled chain reaction. “The yield of this explosion doesn’t seem to be big enough to be a classic hydrogen bomb,” said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. In a statement from its state media following the test, North Korea said its scientists had verified “the power of a smaller H-bomb.” South Korea denounced the test as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions that ban the North’s nuclear weapons development. “North Korea’s provocation is in clear violation of Security Council resolutions and a serious challenge to international peace and security,” Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam said during an emergency meeting of ministry officials.U.S. officials say they have repeatedly tried to engage North Korea in dialogue about its nuclear program in recent months, but Pyongyang hasn’t responded to their advances. John Delury, a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, said the decision to go ahead with a test was likely driven by technical needs to continue to test nuclear devices. While the nature of the latest test remained unclear, it highlighted the commitment of North Korea’s young leader, Kim Jong Un, to continue confronting its neighbors despite recent hopes of a shift in its emphasis on dialogue. In a speech on New Year’s Day, Mr. Kim said he remained committed to a military confrontation with other nations, even as he called for talks with South Korea. Following an armed standoff in August, the two Koreas agreed to hold high-level dialogue but the talks have stalled due to differing priorities held by each side.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-26/life-without-lee-for-pap-clouds-outlook-after-50-years-of-power have to agree. look at all the GRCs, once lao goh and a couple other stalwarts step down at the upcoming GE, who are the heavy weights left? Only finance minister can cut it. the rest like TCJ, kee chiu, vivian... are so lightweight. even education minister seems soft.

Not sure if anyone post before. Malaysia BOLEH... http://www.------.com/news/9802/proton-just-as-good-as-bmw-putrajaya-says

Source: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153209282974874 https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153209282974874

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30890989 I like this guy, although I'm not Catholic, but he seems very forward thinking, modern, unlike the previous ones who give me impression of slow, dying, not doing much.

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/26446041/women-prefer-men-with-big-bellies Many here can be happy liao hahaha... Im not happy, im one of those 3 out of 4.. damn.. hahaha...

Which station or stations should be removed? http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/ippt-may-be-made-simpler/1221962.html Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the yearly fitness test may include fewer test stations, and more details will be announced in the next few months. SINGAPORE: The yearly Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) may be made simpler, with having fewer stations, as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) moves towards being more flexible and listening to feedback from National Servicemen, according to Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen. Dr Ng, speaking to the media ahead of SAF Day on July 1, said Singapore is moving away from taking a strictly dogmatic approach by listening and responding to feedback by NSmen, such as on issues concerning IPPT. While the gold standards for IPPT will not change, the overall fitness test may be made simpler, he said. "IPPT is not a be-all and end-all of fitness. It is a measure of fitness. So if we treat it that way, can there be simpler tests? Do other militaries use less stations? And as we look deeper into it, other militaries do use less. We are among the few militaries that use five (stations). Others use three, some more. But a majority of militaries actually use simpler tests," Dr Ng said. More details will be announced in the next few months, he added. The IPPT was launched in 1979 and taken by about 116,000 SAF personnel annually. The test format, unchanged since 1982, requires servicemen to go through the five stations of sit-ups, standing broad jumps, pull ups, a 4x10 metre shuttle run and 2.4-kilometre run.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/comment--smarter-citizen-journalism-without-stomp-031312260.html

Kim Jong Un conferred honorary doctorate by Malaysian university North Korea's premier, Kim Jong Un, was conferred an honorary doctorate for Economics by a Malaysian university. The president of the private Malaysian university, HELP, handed over the certificate and costume to the North Korean ambassador at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, reported the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The North Korean news agency also reported the institute's president, Dr. Paul Chan, saying that it was his honour to award the degree to Kim Jon Un. The president, who is also the institution's founder, hopes to develop cooperation between the DPRK and Malaysia in the field of education. According the tertiary institute's website, it was founded in 1986, and "offers a wide and diverse range of programs covering business, law, management, economics, IT, social sciences and the humanities at undergraduate and graduate levels." The founder read economics in the University of Malaya and completed his PhD at the Australian National University (ANU). He was also the Chairman of the Applied Economics Division in the University of Malaya. He was also inducted into the ANU's Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame in recognition of his achievements in entrepreneurship. In a statement by Dr. Chan that was reported by the Foreign Policy he says, "To me, the conferment of an Honorary Doctorate to His Excellency President Kim Jong Un is building a bridge to reach the people. "I hope that using this 'soft constructive' approach we can help them and North Asia and the world to be a better place for mankind." "I anticipate that it is a matter of time, within the next 6 years or so, that DPR Korea will engage the world in many constructive ways. "I am just a bit ahead of them in that I feel no one at this moment has the courage to do this though their hearts tell them to do so." "But let's start with offering education opportunities to the people of this country with the support of their President. Why deny them? Why punish them with sanctions? The people are hungry for education to change their lives. Give it to them." Kim Jong Un is also the first foreign head of state to receive the degree by the university. [email protected] http://www.edvantage.com.sg/content/kim-jong-un-conferred-honorary-doctorate-malaysian-university/page/0/1

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/9-11-anniversary-...-073900221.html KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12

[uPDATE on 30 July: Adding details about when Kong could have delivered his sermon] City Harvest Church founder and senior pastor Kong Hee has found his way in controversy again

Hi Bro/Sis, Just something funny wanted to share with you guys [laugh]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-12/c...tered-debt.html

Traditional British social divisions of upper, middle and working class seem out of date in the 21st Century, no longer reflecting modern occupations or lifestyles. The BBC teamed up with sociologists from leading universities to analyse the modern British class system. They surveyed more than 161,000 people and came up with a new model made up of seven groups. To find out where you fit in use this calculator below. Link to the test: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22000973 *Your personal information is safe - all calculations are carried out on your computer *BBC Lab UK's Great British Class Survey was launched in January 2011. More than 161,000 people took part, making this the largest ever study of class in the UK *The Great British Class Survey was designed and the data analysed by Professors Mike Savage and Fiona Devine and their teams at the London School of Economics and the Universities of York and Manchester *The class calculator provides you with an approximate position in the new class system compared with the full Great British Class Survey Produced by: Steven Atherton, Kathy Neal, Harjit Kaura, Christine Jeavans and Applied Works

I think his comments cheapen the sacrifices of the men and women in Singapore especially when we have soldiers dying or even nsmen having heart attacks during ippt. Its a serious insult to our national pride especially coming from someone who has never sacrificed so much in his life in his cushy aircon office. Source:EDMW

--- Quote --- 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT.. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.' 'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom' 'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society. Learn the language!' 'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.' 'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.' 'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.' 'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.' --- unquote ---- A country's leader standing up for her country. I don't agree with the Muslim and Christian divide part, but agree with the part about the citizens and her stance on integration.

To those driving the small cc models with turbo like Ford's Ecoboost or VW's TSI, do you agree with their report? http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/press...my-entry-2.html

from Yahoo : NASA: The world will not end on December 21, 2012 AFP Relax

The full article is Here For those who TLDR, he is saying as the thread title implies. For the more tiko minded, this is the same guy who posted xxx pics and videos of his GF on his blog. News report Here

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/he...-213527063.html Not sure if he is just trying to promote his book though.....

I dont think this Harvard medical professor will BS about this kind of thing, unless he wants his own reputation to go down the drain. If he dares to speak up, it means he has something that he experienced. Believe it or not, it's up to you. For me, of course i believe! and i also believe there is a place called HELL for those evil-doers http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/he...-213527063.html Dr. Eben Alexander claims to have visited the afterlife (Twitter) Dr. Eben Alexander has taught at Harvard Medical School and has earned a strong reputation as a neurosurgeon. And while Alexander says he's long called himself a Christian, he never held deeply religious beliefs or a pronounced faith in the afterlife. But after a week in a coma during the fall of 2008, during which his neocortex ceased to function, Alexander claims he experienced a life-changing visit to the afterlife, specifically heaven. "According to current medical understanding of the brain and mind, there is absolutely no way that I could have experienced even a dim and limited consciousness during my time in the coma, much less the hyper-vivid and completely coherent odyssey I underwent," Alexander writes in the cover story of this week's edition of Newsweek. So what exactly does heaven look like? Alexander says he first found himself floating above clouds before witnessing, "transparent, shimmering beings arced across the sky, leaving long, streamer like lines behind them." He claims to have been escorted by an unknown female companion and says he communicated with these beings through a method of correspondence that transcended language. Alexander says the messages he received from those beings loosely translated as: "You are loved and cherished, dearly, forever." "You have nothing to fear." "There is nothing you can do wrong." From there, Alexander claims to have traveled to "an immense void, completely dark, infinite in size, yet also infinitely comforting." He believes this void was the home of God. After recovering from his meningitis-induced coma, Alexander says he was reluctant to share his experience with his colleagues but found comfort inside the walls of his church. He's chronicled his experience in a new book, "Proof of Heaven: A neurosurgeon's journey into the afterlife," which will be published in late October. "I'm still a doctor, and still a man of science every bit as much as I was before I had my experience," Alexander writes. "But on a deep level I'm very different from the person I was before, because I've caught a glimpse of this emerging picture of reality. And you can believe me when I tell you that it will be worth every bit of the work it will take us, and those who come after us, to get it right." Video http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012...-afterlife.html