The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was vastly entertaining. I finally watched it tonight.

Enough of this cleaning and rummaging. It's time to do something.

No drawings made last night. Boo.

I find that people on Singapore's streets walk far too slowly. I would have to race by them if I were to maintain my normal stride and speed. Ack.

Even if I were engrossed in a book and walking, they would still be too slow.

I can't wait to go sketching this evening! Whee!

Extending unlimited tolerance to those who are intolerant

"Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them."

Quote from "The Open Society and Its Enemies: The Spell of Plato" by Karl Popper

Sometimes, I wonder how things would have been if they had turned out differently.

More blood

Yet another suicide at the plant building iPhones. Ghastly.

Changi Naval Base

The Changi naval base is currently the larger of Singapore's two naval bases with the Tuas naval base being the smaller one. The Empire docks and the Sembawang naval base of the Royal Navy built by the colonial administration in the nineteen thirties are now shipyards.

There are two vessels on some form of dry dock in the first Google Earth image. There is a submarine on dry land. What submarine is that? The RSS Archer or the RSS Challenger class?

In the second image, there are two RSS Endurance class Landing Ship Tanks (LST) moored on the left. On the top, there are two RSS Victory class missile corvettes and one RSS Formidable class frigate.

The third image shows four RSS Victory class missile corvettes, four RSS Formidable class frigates, essentially, the whole of the first fortilla. I can't tell what the two vessels on the lower righthand corner is.

The entire Changi naval base with sheltered piers, large enough to accommdate American super carriers. There is a specific intent to accommodate Singapore's American ally.

Curious airfield

Changi airport is on the right of the Googleearth photo below. On the right, there is a mysterious airfield which is north of the Changi naval base.

This is, of course, reclaimed land off Changi. A runway with marks for helicopters and aircraft. There is no aircraft on the runway.

I met Gerard and Anthony at Borders last night and Anthony had patiently and infectiously explained swordsmanship and the intricacies of armour, swords, poleaxes, spears and more. It was an enjoyable talk! Whee!

I met Siu Hean after and had my dinner at TCC at the International Building at midnight.

I was at the Navy Open House 2010 preview on Thursday morning and I had a glimpse of the RSS Formidable class frigates and the Changi Naval base. I will write a bit more about it later. I will also post photos.

Mythologing the great personages of the nation

I see that the mythologising has begun. It has been a week since and the coverage has continued unabated. Obviously, this will serve several political purposes but the need for nation-building myths and national myths are paramount in any young nation. Some would term it propaganda while others would term it history. The lenses can be tinted in myriad colours.

I will prefer somewhere in the middle. Great things were done by men of action in uncertain circumstances. And they did right. They built something, hopefully lasting and worth preserving.

In the early days, there had been no provision for such a programme as the eradication of poverty, housing shortages and the creation of jobs were self-evident to the populace at hand. There was little thought given to creating a national narrative then. However, with the advent of the internet and the difficulty in information and media control, it is not surprising that it has given rise to this direction, members of the SPH has been given the mandate and the authority to chronicle past deeds.

There is a need to chronicle the early efforts, if not for historical reasons but for that of remembrance, for the people, by the people.

Principal role of the military

To me, the principal role of the military is to defend the nation. Using the military to kill its own people is unforgivable. This isn't any different from the 1989 massacre in China. I wonder if there is an attempt by the various media in whitewashing the entire incident...

And now, I find that some people were cheering the army for killing the demonstrators. Right-wing types?

Some had also justified this by some measure of moral equivalence. I don't know. Some had claimed that both sides were equally in the wrong. Whitewash? What do you think?

Awashed in blood

Bound by a fanatical fetish for secrecy, Apple had created a certain culture which the subcontractors were probably abiding. Imagine the tremendous pressures in these plants. Nine worker deaths so far. I hope all the Macheads/iphoneheads are happy with their little shiny gadgets.

I had wanted to spend a quiet evening drawing last night but had not had the opportunity to do so. I had met with Teck Loong (Pekpire) and Zenn the Nice for coffee at Starbucks at Orchard Point instead.

Watching the World Cup

It does appear that I will get the opportunity to watch the World Cup on TV after all. My father is subscribing. Heh.

FV103 Spartan

The FV103 Spartan APC. This was not meant to be a general troop carrier but a small carrier for specialised teams like anti-aircraft missile teams and so forth.This is the APC version of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) family.

Humber Scout Car

The Humber Scout Car was a common Second World War reconnaissance vehicle with a petrol engine. Over four thousand of these lightly armed vehicles were manufactured. This is a running example at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford.

An idiot from AIA

The harassment starts from AIA. How many calls will it be this year? Heh.

At 9:25 am in the morning, my mobile rang.

Caller: Hello, my name is Ms Idiot calling from S.B. Sujarno, an authorised representative of AIA...

Me: I'm not interested. Goodbye.

Chelsea 8 Wigan 0

YESYESYES! What a perfect season. Manchester United (Manure) got nothing except for the Carling Cup! Whee! Sir Red Nose is quite the sore loser, as are most Manure fans.

I am still grinning from ear to ear! A whole week of celebration!

I have been reading reports on Foot365, Soccernet, The Times of London, Guardian, Independent, and the Daily Telegraph. Whee!

The coming World Cup

I can't summon the energy to be interested in the World Cup this year. I won't be paying either company a cent for that World Cup experience.

Highrises

Highrises in the River Valley Road area.

Qincey Hotel

Qincey Hotel. A relatively new hotel right behind the Goodwood Park Hotel. It has an interesting bit jutting out, otherwise, it's the standard glass and steel structure that one sees these days.

Cat 2 Snake 0

Mimi has killed another snake and eaten half of it. He is simply amazing. Earlier in the week, he had seized a large lizard, measuring about 15-cm long. He had also gobbled a moth earlier too.

At the rate he is going, there won't be any form of wildlife left besides cats.

Sunny Bookshop: The end of an era

More photos of the well-known Sunny Bookshop.

The corridors were crammed with all kinds of volumes. The place was a godsend during the days when only MPH, Times the Bookshop, Popular and a few others existed. It had a reasonable range then especially when it came to science fiction.

Sunny Bookshop

After over twenty years, Sunny Bookshop is shifting to Plaza Singapura. The bookstore has literally been an institution in Far East Plaza for two generations of people, especially the readers of romance novels.

In its heydays, before the advent of Borders and the large Kinokuniya, the place was, well, thriving to say the least. Today, the selection on the shelves, at least in my opinion, is somewhat depleted. The arrivial of new volumes? Slowed. There is a sense of stagnation here. Decay perhaps.

In my opinion, there was a decent science fiction and fantasy section once. Today, the science fiction section is mostly filled military SF, with volumes by the likes of David Drake and David Weber. Oh well. It is not for me. And the fantasy section? Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman. Argh.

I will miss this place when it finally shifts. It will shift next week.