Super rare. Kris is poor now but 100 yrs after he dies, those comics He bought must be worth a fortune. I suppose you can say he might be a future millionare.
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Saturday, February 28, 2009
Superman No1
Super rare. Kris is poor now but 100 yrs after he dies, those comics He bought must be worth a fortune. I suppose you can say he might be a future millionare.
World's best job
I mean sitting under the tree like Robinson Curso and talking to the native and just write daily blog. I can do that.
This job will surely suit Kris since he already likes doing blogs as well.
World's Best Job' website flooded in final hours
1 day ago
BRISBANE, Australia — A lucky 200 people have been shortlisted for the chance to become the caretaker of a tropical Australian island - dubbed by promoters as the "Best Job in the World" - but tourism officials acknowledged Friday that many last-minute applications were lost because the website was flooded with traffic.
Nearly 35,000 people submitted video applications for the job with Tourism Queensland, which pays a salary of 150,000 Australian dollars ($97,000 US) to relax on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef for six months while writing a blog to promote the island.
The job is part of a AU$1.7 million campaign to publicize the charms of northeastern Queensland state.
Anthony Hayes, Tourism Queensland's chief executive, said a wave of 7,500 applications hit the website in the 72 hours before Monday's deadline.
"This massive amount of traffic understandably slowed the site down and regretfully some people weren't able to get their video application in on time," he said. "It has been frankly heartbreaking because people have gone to so much trouble, and we have lost some fantastic applications. But to be fair to everyone, we have to be consistent."
The tourism board will announce 50 finalists Tuesday on its website. The public will then have until March 24 to vote for their favorite applicant.
The top vote-getter and 10 other people chosen by the tourism board will be flown to Hamilton Island for interviews. The winner will be announced May 6. The job begins July 1.
"No one has ever done anything like this before and we have been simultaneously, amazed, delighted and challenged by the response," Hayes said.
On the Net:
* Best Job in the World: http://www.islandreefjob.com/
Friday, February 27, 2009
First CG in Auntie Lucy's house
I played the guitar and Esther Ng played the sax, it was a wierd combo. I got outmatched for once, the sax was mighter than the guitar.
Single white male
Our discussion .....
My dog a dad
Seems like my dog is quite amorous. Naughty naughty. In a sense my dog had a "one-night" stand. He met the dog only once and never again.... taishi is a little irresponsible. If he indeed did the crime, he should do the time and take responsibility.
Oh well, i shall find out how the baby looks like, its due in 2 weeks almost same time as my wife...
Staffy X Bishon... mmmm... never seen before but will find out. Not sure if i get to keep one myself.. but should see how i prefer purebred.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Great blessing
And better still no penalty. How it happens.. hahah... i shall keep that a secret but, yes i found a way to reduce a fixed rate loan, without penalty, ... and i shall take the secret to the grave with me.. Heehee...
Crepe with ice- cream
My latest indulgent. Still perfecting my crepe... but once i have will provide a quick recipe. Its super easy to do. though
Pepper rice
How could one forget, pepper lunch in singapore, so adventurous as i am, i decided to give it a go.
I use 3 types of pepper - sechuan, black and white pepper as my base
Now how to make the delicious pepper lunch we have in Singapore... if you have a sizzling plate of course would be great.
First Step - Cook the rice with Can corns. I always feel the can ones are a little juicer, i put a little salt in
Step two - the essential sauce. My experiment came up with
- 1 teaspoon of garlice and ginger mix ( premix in a bottle)
- About 3 tablespoon of premium light soy
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
- Some chines wine ( optional )
- And the pepper mix
- 1 knob of butter
- You can add a little water
- Cook till sauce is abit thick but still runny
Step three - Fry the meat ( if you have no sizzling plate)
- use a little of the garlic sauce
- some pepper mix and a little salt
Step four - Fry the eggs
Final step - Put everything together as shown above and makan... so simple... of course... you can fry the rice once its cooked with a little butter and a bit of pepper mix to give that nice heat.
Bi Bim Bup
I felt very korean one night so decided to make bibimbup and Kimchi Soup. Really easy to make.
Bibimbup essential needs . So invited a couple of friends over for dinner
1. Sliced Letuce
2. Sliced Cucumber
3. Carrots
4. Beef or pork
5. Eggs
6. Rice
7. Korean chilli paste
This dish essential takes about 10 minutes to make. So here goes before you do anything cook the rice.
Prep work
1. Marinate the meat with soy sauce, sugar, a little sesame oil, onions and sesame seed ( meat should be on the sweeter side )
2. Sliced the carrots, cucumber, lettuce as shown on the picture
3. Fry the meat with a little oil
4. Then put all the ingredients together and put a teaspoon of korean chilli paste...
Then wah lah... mix it up and eat....
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Job at the FBI
Job at the FBI
The FBI had an opening for an assassin. After all the background checks, interviews
And testing were done, there were 3 finalists;
Two men and a woman.
For the final test, the FBI agents took one of The men to a large metal door and handed
Him a gun.'We must know that you will follow your Instructions no matter what the circumstances.Inside the room you will find your wife sitting In a chair .. . . Kill her!!'The man said, 'You can't be serious. I could Never shoot my wife.'The agent said, 'Then you're not the right man For this job. Take your wife and go home.'
The second man was given the same instructions. He took the gun and went into the room. All was Quiet for a bout 5 minutes.The man came out with tears in his eyes, 'I tried, But I can't kill my wife.' The agent said, 'You don't Have what it takes. Take your wife and go home.'
Finally, it was the woman's turn. She was given the Same instructions, to kill her husband. She took the Gun and went into the room. Shots were heard, one After another. They heard screaming, crashing, Banging on the walls. After a few minutes, all was
Quiet. The door opened slowly and there stood the Woman, wiping the sweat from her brow. 'This gun is loaded with blanks' she said. 'I had to Beat him to death with the chair.'
MORAL:Women are crazy. Don't mess with them!!!
The Perfect Husband
Several men are in the locker room of a golf club. A cell phone on the bench rings and a man engages the hands free speaker function and begins to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen.
MAN: 'Hello'
WOMAN: 'Honey, it's me. Are you at the club?'
MAN: 'Yes'
WOMAN: 'I am at the mall now and found this beautiful leather coat. It's only $1,000. Is it OK if I buy it?'
MAN: 'Sure, go ahead if you like it that much.'
WOMAN: 'I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the new 2008 models. I saw one I really liked.'
MAN: 'How much?'
WOMAN: '$89,000'
MAN: 'OK, but for that price I want it with all the options.'
WOMAN: 'Great! Oh, and one more thing...the house I wanted last year is back on the market. They're asking $1,950,000' for it.
MAN: 'Well, then go ahead and give them an offer of $1,800,000. They will probably take it. If not, we can go the extra $150,000 if it's really a pretty good price.'
WOMAN: 'OK. I'll see you later! I love you so much!'
MAN: 'Bye! I love you, too.'
The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are staring at him in astonishment, mouths agape. He turns and asks: 'Anyone know who this phone belongs to?'
High-flying economy to give itself a nosebleed?
High-flying economy to give itself a nosebleed?
Louise Armistead
December 1, 2008HE DOES not know it, but Babu Sassi, a fearless young man from Kerala in southern India, is the cult hero of Dubai's army of construction workers.
Known as the "Indian on the top of the world", Mr Sassi is the crane operator at the world's tallest building — the 819-metre Burj Dubai. His office, the cramped crane cab perched on top of the Burj, is also his home — apparently it takes too long to come down to the ground each day to make it worthwhile.
Stories about his daily dalliance with death are discussed in revered terms by Dubai's workers. Some say he has been up there for more than a year, others whisper that he's paid 30,000 dirhams ($A12,500) a month compared with the average wage of 800 dirhams a month. All agree he's worth it. One chat room post said: "(Sassi) must be a real expert at cranes or totally insane."
A similar debate about the boundary between genius and danger is going on around the Burj itself and Dubai's real estate boom.
For the past 10 years, Dubai's implementation of the world's biggest and most ambitious building program has stunned everyone.
Questions about how it is financed have been brushed aside. Dubai's extravagance has reached new levels: from its vast terminal 3 at the international airport, which will be redundant when the bigger Jebel Ali airport is built in 2015, to the $US20 million ($A30.5 million) launch party of the Atlantis Hotel two weeks ago.
But in recent weeks the cracks have become undeniable. Property prices have slumped, demand has dried up and, for the first time, the emirate is being forced to consider calling a halt to its expansion.
Some analysts are claiming that Dubai could implode, weighed down under a pile of debt and, given that it has relatively small oil reserves, no obvious way of paying for it.
One said: "This has been the most spectacular spending mission on earth. But it's a mirage. If complex debt structures have brought the financial world to its knees, Dubai is the world's biggest toxic time bomb."
Last week, Dubai's authorities scrambled to address the speculation by unveiling for the first time details about its financial position.
Mohammed Ali Alabbar, a member of Dubai's executive council and chairman of Emaar Properties, which owns the Burj Dubai, said the emirate's borrowings amounted to $US80 billion against assets of about $US350 billion. He said: "The Government can and will meet all its obligations."
The most dramatic development was the announcement of the United Arab Emirates' bail-out of its banking sector complete with a cash injection from the Abu Dhabi-based Federal Government.
Anthony Harris, former British ambassador to the UAE, who now works for the insurance subsidiary of Robert Fleming in Dubai, said: "The property market might have a wobble but, in the long term, the demand from Asia is huge. There are some strong pillars to Dubai's economy."
TELEGRAPH
Spare ribs with Char siew and Coffee sauce
Here is an interesting recipe i tried, i thought it would be nice to do something unique so i made up this dish to see if it taste nice.
And surprisingly it is wonderful. And also easy to do.
Ingredient :
1. Spare ribs
2. Char siew sauce ( bottle)
3. Coffee powder
4. Fish Sauce or salt
5. Chinese cooking wine
6. Sesame seed
7. Sugar
Step 1 - Marinate the ribs
- Add some wine, salt and sugar ( of course it all depends what you like more)
- Rub about 2 tablespoon of char siew sauce and let it marinate for at least half and hour
Step 2 - Fry the ribs
- Easy to do ..if you have a deep fryer makes life simple. I have one at home so its easy
- Take it out once golden brown
Step 3 - Make the sauce
- Put some oil in the wok
- Heat it up and put in sesame seed
- Put in the Char siew sauce ( about 3 table spoon )
- Add a little wine
- Then throw in the ribs and the last minute put in a teaspoon of coffee.
- Off the fire and coat the ribs
Plate and eat....
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
13yr old dad
Baby-faced boy Alfie Patten is father at 13
BOY dad Alfie Patten yesterday admitted he does not know how much nappies cost — but said: “I think it’s a lot.”
Baby-faced Alfie, who is 13 but looks more like eight, became a father four days ago when his girlfriend Chantelle Steadman gave birth to 7lb 3oz Maisie Roxanne.
He told how he and Chantelle, 15, decided against an abortion after discovering she was pregnant.
The shy lad, whose voice has not yet broken, said: “I thought it would be good to have a baby.
“I didn’t think about how we would afford it. I don’t really get pocket money. My dad sometimes gives me £10.”
Little family ... Alfie, Chantelle and baby Maisie
Lee Thompson
Alfie, who is just 4ft tall, added: “When my mum found out, I thought I was going to get in trouble. We wanted to have the baby but were worried how people would react.
“I didn’t know what it would be like to be a dad. I will be good, though, and care for it.”
Alfie's story, broken exclusively by The Sun today has sparked a huge political storm with Tory leader David Cameron saying: "When I saw these pictures this morning, I just thought how worrying that in Britain today children are having children.
"I hope that somehow these children grow up into responsible parents but the truth is parenthood is just not something they should be thinking about right now."
Secret
PM Gordon Brown refused to comment directly on the story but said it was important that the Government did all it could to prevent teenage pregnancies.
Alfie’s dad Dennis yesterday told how the lad does not really understand the enormity of his situation — but seemed desperate to be a devoted and responsible father.
He wanted to be the first to hold Maisie after the hospital birth. He tenderly kisses the baby and gives her a bottle.
And Dennis, 45, said: “He could have shrugged his shoulders and sat at home on his Playstation. But he has been at the hospital every day.”
Maisie was conceived after Chantelle and Alfie — just 12 at the time — had a single night of unprotected sex.
They found out about the baby when Chantelle was 12 weeks pregnant.
But they kept it a secret until six weeks later when Chantelle’s mum Penny, 38, became suspicious about her weight gain and confronted her.
Devoted ... Alfie holds and cuddles Maisie
Lee Thompson
After that Alfie’s family told only those closest to them for fear he would be “demonised” at school.
Chantelle gave birth to Maisie on Monday night after a five-hour labour at Eastbourne Hospital, East Sussex.
Last night she told The Sun: “I’m tired after the birth. I was nervous after going into labour but otherwise I was quite excited.”
Chantelle told how she discovered she was expecting after going to her GP with “really bad” stomach pains. She said: “Me and Alfie went. The doctor asked me whether we had sex. I said yes and he said I should do a pregnancy test. He did the test and said I was pregnant. I started crying and didn’t know what to do.
“He said I should tell my mum but I was too scared.
“We didn’t think we would need help from our parents. You don’t really think about that when you find out you are pregnant. You just think your parents will kill you.”
But Penny figured out what was going on after buying Chantelle a T-shirt which revealed her swelling tum.
Chantelle admitted she and Alfie — who are both being supported by their parents — would be accused of being grossly irresponsible. She said: “We know we made a mistake but I wouldn’t change it now. We will be good loving parents.
“I have started a church course and I am going to do work experience helping other young mums.
“I’ll be a great mum and Alfie will be a great dad.”
Caring ... Alfie bottle feeds his little daughter
Lee Thompson
Chantelle and Maisie were released from hospital yesterday. They are living with Penny, Chantelle’s jobless dad Steve, 43, and her five brothers in a rented council house in Eastbourne. The family live on benefits. Alfie, who lives on an estate across town with mum Nicola, 43, spends most of his time at the Steadmans’ house.
He is allowed to stay overnight and even has a school uniform there so he can go straight to his classes in the morning.
Alfie’s dad, who is separated from Nicola, believes the lad is scared deep down.
He said: “Everyone is telling him things and it’s going round in his head. It hasn’t really dawned on him. He hasn’t got a clue of what the baby means and can’t explain how he feels. All he knows is mum and dad will help.
“When you mention money his eyes look away. And she is reliant on her mum and dad. It’s crazy. They have no idea what lies ahead.”
Dennis, who works for a vehicle recovery firm, described Alfie as “a typical 13-year-old boy”.
He said: “He loves computer games, boxing and Manchester United.” Dennis, who has fathered nine kids, told how he was “gobsmacked” when he discovered Alfie was to be a dad, too.
He said: “When I spoke to him he started crying. He said it was the first time he’d had sex, that he didn’t know what he was doing and of the complications that could come.
“I will talk to him again and it will be the birds and the bees talk. Some may say it’s too late but he needs to understand so there is not another baby.”
Lovely
Chantelle’s mum said: “I told her it was lovely to have the baby but I wish it was in different circumstances. We have five children already so it’s a big financial responsibility. But we are a family and will pull together and get through.
“She’s my daughter. I love her and she will want for nothing.”
Last night Michaela Aston, of the anti-abortion Christian charity LIFE, said: “We commend these teenagers for their courage in bringing their child into the world.
“At the same time this is symptomatic of the over-sexualisation of our youngsters and shows the policy of value-free sex education just isn’t working.”
Today Sussex Police and the local council's children services said they have investigated the case and pledged continued support for the young parents.
Britain’s youngest known father is Sean Stewart. He became a dad at 12 when the girl next door, 15-year-old Emma Webster, gave birth in Sharnbrook, Bedford, in 1998. They split six months later.
My goodness.... this is abit too young dont you think. I cannot imagine my son next time being a dad this young. Apparently his dad try to sell his story to the highest bidder.. what a parent.... only after money
Monday, February 16, 2009
Hannah doing well
But she is doing fine.... so for those who have not met Hannah for awhile. here is a photo of her... saying Hi... to you guys..
Keep her in prayer i think today is the last and final chemo...
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Power of answered prayer
To our surprise the scripture for Vivian's name was : Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. -- Psalm 37:4
It goes to show, God often does magically thing, it is no wonder KS finally married Viv.
Moral of the story : God knows best and knows the right one for you
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
This iswhat i call preserverance
SKorean granny fails driving test 771 times
This is what I call perseverance! Way to go mama!AFP - Thursday, February 5SEOUL (AFP) - - A dogged South Korean grandmother has failed her driving test 771 times, police said Thursday, but a local newspaper reported she will keep trying.
The 68-year-old, identified only by her last name Cha, has taken the test almost every working day since 2005 in the southwestern city of Jeonju. She failed again Monday for the 771st time.
"It was a record-breaking number here," Choi Yong-Cheol, a police sergeant supervising the test in the city's Deokjingu district, told AFP.
"I wonder if she will try it again for a 772nd time."
The Korea Times said Cha will in fact be back for another attempt.
Choi said that Cha cannot pass the preliminary written section of the test, averaging scores of 30-50 whereas the pass mark is 60 out of 100.
Local media said that Cha sells food and household items door to door at apartment complexes, carrying the items in a handcart, but wants to get a car for her business.
Police estimate she has spent almost five million won (3,600 dollars) to take the written test, with each test costing 6,000 won in addition to other expenses.
"I feel sorry every time I see Cha fail. When she passes, I'll make a commemorative tablet myself and give it to her," one officer was quoted as saying.
Blonde Joke
She opened it, looked inside, slammed it shut, and stormed back into her house.
A little later she came out of her house again, went to the mailbox, again opened it, and slammed it shut again. Angrily, back into the house she went.
As the man was getting ready to edge the lawn, here she came again. She marched to the mailbox, opened it and then slammed it closed harder than ever.
Puzzled by her actions, the man asked her, "Is something wrong?"
To which she replied, "There certainly is! My stupid computer keeps telling me I've got mail!"
Chilli Pepper Squid
I made this when Bird wanted to eat the chilli pepper squid. Here is my recipe...
Main Ingredient
1. Squid cut into pieces
2. Chilli
3. Garlic
4. Spring onion
Step 1 : Cut and marinate the squid
- After cutting the squid
- Use about 1/2 teaspoon of sodium bicarb
- Add salt, pepper
- 1 teaspoon of self-raising flour
Step 2 : Chopped up the chilli, spring onion and garlic
Step 3 : Prepare the batter
- Just remember this ratio 1:2
- if you use 1/2 cup of self raising flour then put in 1 cup of flour
- I normally use beer instead of water , but you can use cold water it frys better
Step 4 : Dip the squid into the batter and fry it until golden brown
Step 5 : Heat the wok
- Once wok is heated, put some oil
- Add garlic, chilli and spring onion, add a little fish sauce
- ** Sometime i use 3 pepper mix : white pepper, sechuan pepper and black pepper ( pound them first of course)
- Right, then after about 1 min, throw in the fried squid
- stir fry it and add a little salt and if you like fish sauce
Then wah lah... Chilli Pepper Squid...
My Dog
Here is a picture of Taishi... after many failed attempts to try and cut his hair I decided to send him to a professional groomer. His hair cut was more expensive than mine... of course though I dont have hair all over my body...
But I can see the big difference, at least now he looks like a bishon. $45 for this look. Well i am sure the lady dogs will love him
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Interesting story about conflict of interest
Couple, awarded $257,000 in judgement against ERA, did detective work to uncover agent link in 'flipping'They dig through marriage records, old newspapers
By Tay Shi'an
February 08, 2009 Print Ready Email Article
THEIR first inkling that something was wrong came when they received a call from their lawyer.
Click to see larger image
NEVER GIVE UP: Mr Yuen Chow Hin and his wife, Madam Wong Wai Fan, even went to the final buyer's house a few times, even slipping a note in his letter box, to track him down. -- --PICTURES: TAY SHI'AN, LIANHE ZAOBAO, THE STRAITS TIMES
The CPF Board wants to know why you sold your property for such a low price, the lawyer told the Yuens.
Mr Yuen Chow Hin, 50, an IT company vice-president, and his wife, Madam Wong Wai Fan, 48, a housewife, were surprised and puzzled.
In July 2007, three months before the call, they had sold their two-bedroom apartment at Riverside Piazza for $688,000 through ERA agent Jeremy Ang.
The buyer, said Mr Ang, was one of his 'regular clients', Madam Natassha Sadiq. He told the Yuens that the valuation for the unit was between $650,000 and $700,000, and Madam Sadiq's offer was the best price they could get.
Unknown to the Yuens, Madam Sadiq sold the apartment almost immediately for $945,000.
The valuation which the new buyer, a MrTeo, got was much higher than $688,000, which led to the red flag from CPF.
The Yuens immediately queried Mr Ang, and then played detective to find out what had happened.
What they uncovered led to a High Court case which ended with the judge ordering ERA to pay the couple the $257,000 difference in the sale prices. He also blasted the two agents for their unethical behaviour.
Click to see larger image
ERA last night said it was suspending the two agents and introducing measures to improve transparency and accountability to its customers. (See report on facing page.)
After checking a copy of the caveat lodged for their property, the Yuens realised that MrTeo had exercised his option to buy the unit from Madam Sadiq on 25 Jul - one day before she exercised her option to buy the unit from the Yuens on 26 Jul.
Suspicious about the dates, the Yuens decided to track down Mr Teo. His address was listed on the caveat.
Madam Wong told The New Paper: 'We wanted to find out, how did he buy our house, who he bought it from. The timing didn't sound correct.'
She said that although the thought of knocking on a stranger's door was scary, she and her husband were determined to find answers.
But trying to track down Mr Teo was not easy. The first few times the Yuens went to his house in Toa Payoh, he was not home. The couple also left a note in his letter box, but he did not respond.
Finally, in late November, they managed to contact him.
That's when he told them he had bought the unit through an ERA agent called 'Mike'.
The Yuens then went through newspaper archives and found three advertisements 'Mike' had put up on 7, 9 and 14 Jul 2007.
Madam Sadiq was granted the option to purchase only on 12 Jul.
Click to see larger image
By matching the handphone number on the advertisements with other promotional material they found, they confirmed 'Mike' was Mr Ang's boss, Mr Mike Parikh, an ERA senior group division director.
The Yuens were surprised - Mr Parikh was the agent who had helped to sell Mr Yuen's brother Steven's flat in 2006.
It was through Mr Parikh that they hired MrAng to sell Mr Yuen's mother's flat as well. The Yuens' Riverside Piazza unit was the third property the family had entrusted with ERA in two years. The couple had, by now, drawn a link between the two agents involved in the two transactions. But how did Madam Sadiq fit into the picture?
Said Madam Wong: 'We were thinking and brainstorming, wondering if there was any linkage. Then we thought, maybe she's (someone's) wife.'
Based on the hunch, and Madam Sadiq's IC number on the caveat, the Yuens did searches at the Registry of Marriages in December 2007 and discovered that Madam Sadiq was married to Mr Parikh.
Said Madam Wong: 'That's when we realised there was definitely something going on, some internal arrangement.
'It was a big surprise to us. (Mr Ang) had seemed genuine and helpful... We felt indignant that our trust had been misplaced.'
The Yuens refused to pay Mr Ang's 1 per cent commission of $7,361.60, including GST, and wrote to ERA about their findings.
ERA wrote in reply that the two agents had done nothing wrong.
Then, in January last year, ERA made a claim against the Yuens at the Small Claims Tribunal for failing to pay the commission.
Click to see larger image
It was after this that the Yuens filed their lawsuit against the company.
When the verdict was handed out on Thursday, Madam Wong hugged their lawyer, Ms Gan Kam Yuin, in joy.
Mr Yuen was not in court as he was abroad on a business trip.
But his mother and brother - Mr Parikh and Mr Ang's former clients - and his sister were there to give Madam Wong support.
Madam Wong admitted that the case, which took about a year, and its five-figure costs gave her many sleepless nights.
She said: 'It does occupy your mind. Now I can get a chance to sleep well.'
ERA suspends the two agents, sets new rules
THE two agents involved in the Yuens' case have been suspended, Mr Jack Chua, president of ERA Realty Network, told The New Paper last night.
He said: 'We reserve our rights as to what further actions we may take against them.'
Click to see larger image
This is a turnaround from what Mr Chua had said during the trial, when he said he felt the two agents had done nothing wrong.
ERA has yet to decide if they will take legal action against the agents and/or Madam Sadiq to claim back the $257,000 and costs that the court had ordered it to pay the Yuens.
The company still intends to appeal against the court's decision.
ERA also released a statement last night introducing measures to improve transparency and accountability to its clients.
It claimed these steps are a first for the Singapore real estate industry.
1) Effective immediately, agents will have to make a set of disclosures and give an undertaking to all customers at the start of each proposed transaction.
The customer will be assured that he is the agent's top priority and service expectations will be set. Assurance will also be given that all possible conflicts of interest will be properly disclosed.
The undertaking will also make clear that the agent is an independent contractor of ERA. This is important as the judge had stated that, unless the agent's client was expressly told otherwise, the client is entitled to regard him as a servant or agent of the agency. This is one of the reasons ERA was found liable.
This clause seems to imply that a client cannot hold ERA liable in future for the agent's actions.
To this, Mr Chua said it is to improve the client's understanding by fully disclosing the agent's position in relation to the company.
Click to see larger image
2) All buyers must declare that they are not ERA agents or members of their immediate family, before any offer to purchase an ERA-marketed property is accepted.
3) Within three months, an amended code of ethics governing its agents will be in place.
Judge: ERA agents created conflict of interest
DID the two agents do anything wrong? If so, could ERA be held liable for their actions? High Court judge Choo Han Teck ruled 'yes' and ordered ERA to pay the Yuens $257,000, plus costs and interest.
He sharply criticised the Yuens' agent, ERA senior marketing director Jeremy Ang, and his boss Mike Parikh, a senior group division director, saying their actions amounted to a breach of duty and fraud.
Their misconduct was a matter of such importance that he felt bound to explain clearly why he thought their actions were so wrong, so that no property agent can claim ignorance after this.
He found Mr Parikh and Mr Ang were ethically wrong and in breach of contract by creating a conflict of interest between their client and themselves.
He agreed with the Yuens that had they known Madam Sadiq is Mr Parikh's wife, they would not have sold the unit to her, and would have hired another agent.
More importantly, the Yuens did not know that Mr Parikh placed newspaper advertisements for the sale of the unit for his wife, while Mr Ang did not do so for the Yuens - even though he told Madam Wong 'no one had responded to the advertisement'. Mr Ang told the court that he believed telling his regular clients verbally about the unit constituted advertisement.
Chastising him, Justice Choo said: 'I think that it is fair to say that most people know the huge difference between (a tip-off and an advertisement).'
The judge also noted that while Mr Ang was the agent, Mr Parikh was the person behind the scheme, and the latter's senior position in ERA made the breach 'even more reprehensible'.
ERA claimed that they could not be held liable for the two agents' actions as they were 'independent contractors', and had signed associate agreements stating they were not employees of the company.
But the judge rejected this, as the option form had ERA's logo on it, the commission agreement was between Madam Wong and ERA. Therefore, unless a client is expressly told otherwise, he is entitled to regard the agent as a servant or agent of ERA.
The judge also noted that when the Yuens refused to pay the commission, it was ERA, not Mr Ang, who filed the case at the Small Claims Tribunal.
Said Justice Choo: 'This kind of misconduct is never easy to discover because it is carried out in stealth and in breach of trust; and far too many homeowners and potential purchasers are at risk.'
Friday, February 6, 2009
3G iphone arrived
Anyway... My new mobile number is 0466090007....
Sorry no hawkers... .. so please don't call me to sell me stuff.
I will also divert my 3 calls to this number for now until i do the necessary switch.
Food blog shall be back soon.. .hurrah !!! though of course the megapixel is not as good.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
New Phone on the way
So today when the cleaning person called to tell me that they would give me money to get another phone. I was certainly ecstatic. I got 720++ in cash more than the phone I am paying on installment and if i sell my 2G phone for 600 then i will have $1400
So guess what I am going to sell my 2G iphone and buy a new 3G iphone,i suppose its a blessing in my misfortune.
So now i can buy the phone i really want and also get money for it.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Pastor accused of having inappropriate relationship:
Maybe its a poignant reminder that as leaders, we cannot sin and get away with it. Though God may forgive the sin, but there are always consequence to our sins. Just like in natural law, if we are caught stealing. You parents might forgive you but you would still have to pay for your crime.
Hopefully he can change.
Pastor accused of having inappropriate relationship:
I paid a heavy price. I was stupid
February 04, 2009 Print Ready Email Article
THREE years ago, he was first accused of using drugs and paying a male prostitute for sex for over three years.
Click to see larger image
PICTURE: REUTERS
Now disgraced pastor Ted Haggard has been accused of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a 20-year-old volunteer in 2006.
And unlike the earlier allegations which he had denied, the evangelical pastor this time admitted that the latest revelations were 'fundamentally true'.
The incident occurred when the two men were in bed together, the volunteer, Mr Grant Haas, said in a videotaped interview played on CNN's 'Larry King Live'.
'He pretty much asked me if it was okay if he masturbated (in my presence),' said Mr Haas.
'I told him no, it would make me really uncomfortable. But he (did it anyway).'
Mr Haas added: '(Haggard) used to say to me, 'You know what, Grant, you can become a man of God, and you can have a little bit of fun on the side.'
Mr Haggard, 52, said the incident was 'an indicator of the compulsive behavior' that ruled him at the time.
However, he said he has been undergoing therapy during the two years since.
The latest assertions will surely spark fresh charges of hypocrisy, particularly because Mr Haggard had condemned homosexual sex.
The pastor is the former president of the National Association of Evangelicals, which claims to represent millions of people in 45,000 congregations across the US.
He was also the head pastor at New Life Church.
In a settlement with New Life, the church and Mr Haggard agreed that he would retain his six-figure salary for a year, leave the Colorado Springs area, receive counselling and not speak publicly about what had happened for one year, according to a church staff member.
Prostitute helped him
In the CNN interview, Mr Haggard credited the prostitute he was first associated with, Mr Mike Jones, with having helped him.
'I think he rescued me. I'm very grateful to him,' Mr Haggard said.
He said he would have lost the support of his wife of 30 years, Gail, and their five children 'and been a drug addict' had he not been caught.
'I paid a heavy price. It was stupid,' he said.
Mr Haggard likened his struggles with his desires to the struggles faced by dieters who say, 'I'm not going to eat today' and then they eat'.
He acknowledged that his actions were hypocritical, but said he could not control his urges.
He said he initially urged his wife to leave him, but she refused.
'I really do love this man,' she told CNN when asked why she did not leave.
But it was also her faith that led her to stick with the marriage, she said.
Mr Marcus Haggard, the couple's 25-year-old son, said he, too, was shocked by the revelations, but was more disturbed to learn that his father had lied.
Still, he said the news brought the family closer together.
'He had lived so long on a pedestal,' Marcus said about his famous father.
'He seemed practically perfect. There was a sense of relief in the fact that we could connect with our dad.'
Exploding handphone kills man in China
Exploding handphone kills man in China
February 04, 2009 Print Ready Email Article
HE had just finished charging his handphone minutes ago.
Not long after placing it inside his left chest pocket, the handphone exploded.
The explosion ruptured a main artery in his neck so badly that the man died on the spot later, reported Guangzhou Daily News.
The incident happened in a computer shop in the Yuexiu district of Guangzhou province, China, at 7.30pm on Friday.
Guangzhou Daily News reported that the man, who is in his 20s, was an employee of the shop.
A woman who works in a convenience shop next door said she rushed out of her shop after the explosion and saw the man lying on the ground in a pool of blood.
His colleagues rushed to him but he was already in a critical state.
The man had just changed his handphone battery, said his colleague.
The models of the phone and battery are not known.
Dr Hu Yongyi, head of the Accident and Emergency department in Hong Kong's Union Hospital, told Apple Daily it was possible that the main artery transporting blood to the brain was hurt by a broken fragment from the damaged handphone.
If that happens, the victim could die within 5 minutes.
It was also possible that the shock from the explosion caused the heart to stop beating, added Dr Hu.
This is the latest in a spate of injuries and deaths involving handphone explosions.
In 2007, a man in Guangzhou suffered burns on his left chest after a new handphone he had just bought exploded while he was fiddling with it.
In the same year, a welder from Gansu province died when the handphone inside his chest pocket exploded.
Guangzhou Daily News reported that the explosion could have been caused by a defect of the battery or phone. It was possible that the battery was fake.
Various Hong Kong papers also reported experts who advised the public to use authentic batteries, and to avoid exposing the handphone to heat or to overcharge it.
This is important as new handphones with sophisticated features are becoming like computers, Mr Wang Weiqi, an electronics lecturer at the City University of Hong Kong, told Apple Daily.
They require an electric charge of more than 1,000 milliampere-hour (mAh), unlike simpler handphones which need only several hundred mAh. Back to News
My second fav Worship song
I suppose people like something new and fresh once a while.
So i decide as part of my blog to put in songs and hopefully youtube of the songs in my Top10
Here is 2 of them from City Harvest Church .. i was at City harvest on a Saturday service and they sang these songs. Nice. Not sure if its everyone style , but i like it.
My Life is your Song
Elevate
Monday, February 2, 2009
Funny Jokes
Dispersing an Unruly Crowd
A young clergyman, fresh out of seminary, thought it would help him better understand the fears and temptations his future congregations faced if he first took a job as a policeman for several months.
He passed the physical examination; then came the oral exam to test his ability to act quickly and wisely in an emergency. Among other questions he was asked, “What would you do to disperse a frenzied crowd?”
He thought for a moment and then replied, “I would take up a collection.”
New Phone on the way
The cleaning company say they will get me a new phone, which i wont complain.
I am happy anyway. Just abit troublesome I suppose. Apparently, the manager say that its not their cleaners and that they did not lock the stairwells that is why.
But i still think its not plausible that someone an outsider would come to the office and steal my mobile.
My desk which is at the far end and the mobile in the drawer, while there are laptops and so many cool stuff lying around the office. That is so strangely weird
But in any case, i get a phone so no complains.
I was a little angry because there was alot of photos for my blog especially restaurant review on the mobile, well it looks like i will have to re-eat the places again.. hahah
I promise to put in more regular food blogs. ( My Fav) But now without my camera phone, i am really handicapped.
Jialin and Kev wedding Photo
No ! I am not preaching... hahah
No comments !!!
Beautiful ladies ...
The bride and groom ..
This post is for serena who well.... anyway.. gong xi gong xi
