The_King

what that?

When I speak to Rebecca Kwok on the phone for the first time, I have to get her to repeat herself after practically every sentence. This is how hard it was to make out her words over the cacophony of her screaming children. Once a woman of culture with ample time to discuss politics and watch documentaries with her husband, Rebecca is telling me that she has only watched three movies in the past four years. Two of them were superhero movies while the third, predictably, was Despicable Me, which she watched with her husband, Timothy, and their own minions. For this couple, home is a 4-room flat in Bukit Panjang. It’s also where their children (Dylan, 12, Thaddeus, 4 and Audrina, who’s turning 1) wreak havoc day in, day out. Inside, the walls are covered in stickers of cartoon characters. There is so little space to manoeuvre, with children’s books and toys strewn all over the floor, you could play the easiest game of ‘the floor is lava’. “When you have children, the number of things you have just seem to multiply. Books, toys, bags, it’s endless,” Rebecca sighs. If you don’t already know, being a mother of a young child is no mean feat, and requires an inordinate amount of sacrifice. But multiply this by three, and throw in the fact that Rebecca has to juggle a full-time job, and only then will you realise the full scope of her responsibilities. After a few hours with the Kwok family in their humble, chaotic abode, I am convinced that there are few things worse than being the mother of three children. One of the best parts of married life is a lazy Sunday sleep-in after a hectic work week. With children, this is no longer possible. The couple are woken up by excited children who cannot wait to spend time with their working parents on weekends. Forget everything you think you know about being a parent. People will tell you stories about the almost suffocating joy of watching their children fall asleep, or how there is no feeling quite like when you hear them speak their first words. A typical weekday is nothing like this. Instead, it’s something closer to this: Straight out of bed, Rebecca has a quick breakfast, and starts pumping milk for Audrina before leaving for work. Meanwhile, Timothy sends Thaddeus to school before heading to the office. Upon knocking off, she picks Thaddeus up from school, and brings both him and Audrina downstairs to the playground. As both Rebecca and Timothy work full-time jobs, weekdays are often a challenge. Outside of work hours, everything is planned around the children, leaving little time to themselves. Since Audrina is too young to traipse around the playground, she looks for other ways to entertain herself. “I just leave her on the ground where she likes to sit and play with the grass and leaves. She can just sit there and do that for very long,” Rebecca laughs, almost thankfully. As the owner of a young puppy, I can almost empathise. When I’m home during the day, there is hardly a moment when my puppy Kaiser won’t be badgering me with licks and pleading eyes, at least not until I take him to the park where he expends all his energy running in circles. Only after we’re home do I get any time to myself. Which makes me wonder: is the time spent at the playground meant for Audrina to be exposed to the elements to cultivate her curiosity, or is it a time for Rebecca to unwind? Romantic and peaceful dinners with just the two of them are a thing of the past. Dinnertime is now a messy affair. Timothy tries his best to feed Audrina her porridge, while Rebecca is tasked with the impossible mission of getting Thaddeus in his seat. Even after her children are drained of energy and tucked into bed, constant reminders of their presence bombard her senses. “From any point in my house, I can just look from any angle and I will see either children’s toys or books,” she laments. As someone whose obsessive cleaning and organising of her home was once a therapeutic hobby—before Marie Kondo made it a multi-gajillion dollar lifestyle—you would think that Rebecca would flip out at this very sight. But being a working mother means that any time you have for yourself is spent trying to sleep. When time for yourself is scarce, you will go to the ends of the Earth for that one extra minute to chuckle at some joke in Reader’s Digest while taking a dump. Likewise, when it comes to cleaning up any mess created by the children, it needs to be done quickly and efficiently. Everything is in pursuit of having more time to herself. Because Timothy doesn’t get home until 10 PM every night due to the nature of his job, he isn’t able to help out as much at home. When he does get home, any time he has left is spent reading with his children. “His wife insists that he spends time with the children,” Rebecca jokes. At the Kwok household, working 12 hours a day is not a good enough reason to be excused from family bonding time. Timothy gets home from work at 10pm on weekdays and is usually too tired to spend time with his children. However, Rebecca insists that he do his part by reading books to his children. When Rebecca stumbled on Magiclean, she realised that she could do so much more, with so much less. The microfibres in the Dry Sheets pick up dirt, dust, hair and small bits of food in one fell swoop. With the Wet Sheets, sticky, oily stains, food stains, dirt and even soil are quickly cleared in just 1 wipe. More importantly, it does the job well. This allows her to satisfy the clean-freak streak in her and give her more time to recover from her fatigue. As you might imagine, living with three children means having little privacy. As a young couple, this can prove to be an obstacle whenever the need for physical intimacy arises. “The only time we try to do anything is during the kids’ afternoon nap time on weekends,” Rebecca tells me. “By the time we try to get intimate, we will start to hear screams outside the door, so we just give up and get dressed.” On weekdays, she doesn’t even consider spicing up her love life because getting sufficient rest is the priority. “Sleep is more attractive at this point,” she laughs. “My kids are very attached, so sometimes my daughter will latch onto me and we will both just fall asleep until the next morning.” What strikes me throughout my interaction with the Kwoks is that even though their schedules are constantly jam-packed, with soccer practice, tuition lessons, and even swimming classes for 11-month old Audrina (HOW IS THIS A THING?!), not once did either parent complain. And so I find myself leaving the Kwok family home with a bittersweet feeling. At 25, I might not be ready to be a parent. But should I get the opportunity, I would hope that I remember how a mother’s love is undying and unconditional. After all, I’ve seen how Rebecca might be in a constant state of fatigue, but how it’s also clear that she wouldn’t change a thing. Not even if it means being able to going out for a movie or supper on a whim, without children to worry about. Cheesy as this sounds, it would appear that there are few things better than being the mother of three children. Well, maybe except three children AND a clean home. “I just hope that the children can help out around the house soon,” Rebecca smiles in agreement. This story is sponsored by Magiclean. Developed with advanced Japanese technology, Magiclean features a lightweight build and superior dust trapping ability. This allows its dry and wet sheets to give modern working mothers the luxury of cleaning their house quickly on hectic days, without sacrificing quality time with their children and the cleanliness of their homes. https://www.ricemedia.co/culture-life-why-singaporeans-can-never-truly-be-prepared-for-the-reality-of-having-kids/

Is it pronounce as A - like - sa ?

Naming your baby is a headache at the best of times. How to ensure you call them something that reflects how special they are, while not causing embarrassment when you have to inevitably shout their name across the schoolplayground? It’s a tough one. But one new mum, who really felt like she had erred on the side of caution, has encountered issues with her daughter’s moniker at just three months old. The woman revealed her distress on Mumsnet that nobody seems to be able to pronounce her baby girl’s name correctly – despite it actually being quite common. “So my baby girl is almost three months old, we named her Alyssa,” she wrote on the popular parenting website. “Probably about 75% of people have mispronounced her name and it’s really starting to get to me now! “I don’t want her having to go through life having to correct people all the time. “How would you pronounce Alyssa?” Her question prompted a large response from other parents who sympathised with her difficulty. One user suggested: “A (as in apple) – liss (as in miss) – a (again as in apple). “So A – liss – a if that makes sense? In Scotland if that makes a difference…” Another agreed, commenting: “I’d pronounce it a-LISS-a, with the emphasis on the middle syllable. I know an Alyssa, and that’s how she says it.” Throwing a curveball, a third shared: “I say al is i a. So I’d pronounce the Y.” A fourth put forward: “Where I’m from it would be pronounced Al-eee-sha.” But another disagreed with the latter suggestion, writing: “How could it be Aleesha? Where’s the ‘sha’ sound?” Many couldn’t understand how it could be said incorrectly, with one adding: “Unless you pronounce it Alice-Ah, I can’t think how it could possibly be mispronounced.” Alyssa’s mum did not elaborate on how she and her family choose to pronounce the baby’s name. But at three months old, we’re thinking she’s going to have get very used to a variety of pronunciations as she grows up… https://uk.style.yahoo.com/mum-complains-nobody-can-pronounce-baby-daughters-common-name-111847137.html

SINGAPORE: Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp users on Sunday (Apr 14) experienced difficulties accessing the social network sites and messaging service. According to the Down Detector website, Facebook began experiencing technical issues at about 6.30am Eastern Time (6.30pm Singapore time) with users affected worldwide. Instagram and WhatsApp, which are both owned by Facebook, also faced accessibility issues, leaving some users unable to load their news feed or send messages. This is a developing story. Please refresh for updates. Source: CNA/zl

why will a businessman help another businessman to get rich? so that both can have a 50-50 market share? who listen to all this. then good luck

SINGAPORE - Visitors to Gardens by the Bay now have more attractions to check out with the launch of a new area that houses a floral attraction and cafe, as well as community spaces that will feature a weekend market. Bayfront Plaza, a 5,000 sq m space located next to the Bayfront MRT station, was launched on Sunday (April 14) as part of efforts to expand the Gardens' non-ticketed spaces and line-up of events and programmes for locals. For a year-long period from June, members of the Pioneer and Merdeka generations, comprising Singaporeans who are now in their 60s and 70s and older, will enjoy free admission to the Flower Dome on the second Tuesday of every month. More free events are also in store for this year, including a Toy Story-inspired light and sound show in June and performances such as a National Day weekend concert in August. Floral Fantasy, a 1,500 sq m ticketed attraction, features more than 3,000 plants across four garden landscapes, as well as a 4D multi-sensory ride called Flight of the Dragonfly. A 2,000 sq m space that includes indoor events space Bayfront Pavilion will be made available rent-free for events by community organisations as part of efforts to keep the Gardens inclusive, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said at the launch event. The plaza sits on the site previously occupied by the Future of Us exhibition that was part of SG50 celebrations in 2015, and the lattice structure has been integrated into the area's design. Kicking off on Friday will be a weekend market featuring 30 stalls, a third of which will be run by social enterprises. A public green space for both seniors and the young called Active Garden will also be ready by early next year, said Mr Wong. More will also be done to ensure Singaporeans have access to the Gardens, which has received more than 50 million visitors since it opened in 2012. President Halimah Yacob will be Patron of Gardens by the Bay's community outreach initiative Gift of the Gardens, which provides free admission to the conservatories for vulnerable and lower-income groups. About 90,000 Singaporeans have benefited from this programme, which will now be expanded to the Pioneer and Merdeka generations, said Mr Wong, who is also Second Minister for Finance. Gardens by the Bay’s chief executive Felix Loh said that visitorship has grown by about 1.5 million every year, with movies like Crazy Rich Asians helping to cement its status as a world class attraction. “But unfortunately a lot of people still associate Gardens by the Bay with our Supertrees and the two domes alone,” he told reporters at the sidelines of the event. While many of the main activities are concentrated in those areas, there is much more to see in the Gardens, added Mr Loh, who noted that 95 per cent of its 54ha in the main Bay South area does not require a ticket for entry. The addition of community spaces to Bayfront Plaza aims to help dispel this perception, he said, pointing out that about 70 per cent of visitors to the Gardens arrive by the nearby Bayfront MRT station. There will also be activities and programmes to draw more Singapore residents, who formed about half of the 12 million visitors last year and enjoy discounted pricing to its ticketed attractions. Gardens by the Bay also plan to pull in the crowd at night. For example, the Floral Fantasy garden will be lit up, and operating hours may be extended from 9pm to 10pm if there is sufficient visitorship in the evenings, said Mr Loh. “At the end of the day, this is the people’s garden... we want to make sure this is not just a place that only the wealthy or privileged can come,” he added. Mrs Jenny Lee, who visited Gardens by the Bay on Sunday with her two children and got to attend a preview of the weekend market, said that the stalls were a nice touch. “It makes it feel more happening. I’m glad that they are trying to make it more accessible for locals but I wish some of the indoor attractions could be free for us too,” said Mrs Lee, 38. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/gardens-by-the-bay-launches-more-public-spaces-free-entry-for-pioneer-and-merdeka

On Saturday (13 Apr), a BMW driver was happily filtering into the Central Expressway (CTE) when a Mercedes slammed onto its side, pushing it back out to the exit lane. The video was recorded on a dashcam and uploaded to Facebook page Traffic SG on 14 Apr. https://www.facebook.com/trafficspore/videos/315488352451126/ The incident allegedly took place at about 9.32pm near the Moulmein exit on CTE. Mercedes swerves to catch the exit From the video, a silver BMW is seen filtering slowing into the CTE. The black Mercedes can also be seen driving on the lane to the right, just slightly ahead of the BMW. Just as the 2 cars approach the Moulmein exit, the Mercedes driver makes a desperate and hurried left turn. It so happened that the silver BMW was in its blind spot. As a result, Mercedes slammed into the BMW and pushed it off the highway, back into the leftmost lane i.e. the exit lane. The poor BMW then found itself a good distance off its intended course. The incident allegedly took place at about 9.32pm near the Moulmein exit on CTE. Mercedes swerves to catch the exit From the video, a silver BMW is seen filtering slowing into the CTE. The black Mercedes can also be seen driving on the lane to the right, just slightly ahead of the BMW. Just as the 2 cars approach the Moulmein exit, the Mercedes driver makes a desperate and hurried left turn. It so happened that the silver BMW was in its blind spot. As a result, Mercedes slammed into the BMW and pushed it off the highway, back into the leftmost lane i.e. the exit lane. The poor BMW then found itself a good distance off its intended course. The incident allegedly took place at about 9.32pm near the Moulmein exit on CTE. Mercedes swerves to catch the exit From the video, a silver BMW is seen filtering slowing into the CTE. The black Mercedes can also be seen driving on the lane to the right, just slightly ahead of the BMW. Just as the 2 cars approach the Moulmein exit, the Mercedes driver makes a desperate and hurried left turn. It so happened that the silver BMW was in its blind spot. As a result, Mercedes slammed into the BMW and pushed it off the highway, back into the leftmost lane i.e. the exit lane. The poor BMW then found itself a good distance off its intended course. The incident allegedly took place at about 9.32pm near the Moulmein exit on CTE. Mercedes swerves to catch the exit From the video, a silver BMW is seen filtering slowing into the CTE. The black Mercedes can also be seen driving on the lane to the right, just slightly ahead of the BMW. Just as the 2 cars approach the Moulmein exit, the Mercedes driver makes a desperate and hurried left turn. It so happened that the silver BMW was in its blind spot. As a result, Mercedes slammed into the BMW and pushed it off the highway, back into the leftmost lane i.e. the exit lane. The poor BMW then found itself a good distance off its intended course. Always check your blind spot A lesson to all drivers — always check your blind spots. This also explains why driving instructors are so hard up about turning your head back to check your blind spot. Also, if you really can’t make a turn – as it often happens when you’re not paying attention – better that you take a detour using the next exit than smash into an expensive neighbouring car. We hope the BMW driver eventually made it back on the CTE. https://mustsharenews.com/bmw-mercedes-cte/

SINGAPORE: Water leaks at Changi Airport's Jewel and Terminal 1 on Saturday afternoon (Apr 13) were caused by a sprinkler issue, a spokesperson said. "There was a sprinkler issue in Jewel yesterday afternoon which caused water leakage in the Terminal 1 Arrival Hall. An unoccupied tenant unit in Jewel was also affected," said the spokesperson in a statement on Sunday. "The issue was quickly attended to and resolved with minimal impact to operations," she added. The leaks were seen in videos circulating online over the weekend. One video on YouTube titled Waterfall in Jewel shows a steady stream of water pouring down from the ceiling near an unopened store. Another video on Facebook shows workers cleaning up the wet floor at the airport. Jewel is set to open on Apr 17 and those who registered are getting a sneak peek before it's official opening. The 10-storey mega retail and lifestyle development boasts eateries like Shake Shack and A&W, a Shaw Theatres cineplex and a Pokemon merchandise store. The centrepiece of the attraction is the 40m HSBC Rain Vortex - the world's tallest indoor waterfall. https://www.facebook.com/100009230834010/videos/2251017828549223/ Source: CNA/hm

The resale price of HDB has reached a new high! Zhonglu Lu has a 1.2 million yuan high-price five-bedroom HDB flat, breaking the record of the five-bedroom private HDB flats in Wenqing Road, which was changed to 1.18 million yuan in January this year. The HDB flat at Wenzhong Road is believed to be the highest resale price for HDB. According to the website of the Housing Development Board, a five-bedroom HDB flat on the 34th to 36th floor of Block 9A of Wen Chung Road will be re-routed this month with $1.2 million. This unit has 95 years of housing ownership and an area of 112 square meters. In terms of conversion per square meter, the unit was resold at approximately $10,714. Previously, there was also a 112-square-meter five-bedroom unit in Block 9A, which was sold for $1.15 million in December last year. The unit is between 37 and 39 floors and there is still a 96-year lease. According to reports, the resale price of two other five-bedroom flats in the district has broken through one million, respectively, at 1.12 million yuan and 1.08 million yuan. Many "million flats" in the Wenzhong Road HDB estate Adjacent to the Chung Lok MTR station and Wen Chung Road opposite the Chung Loi Estate, there are many "million flats" in the HDB flats. The United Evening News reported at the end of last year that from September to December last year, at least four four-bedroom HDB flats in the district were resold at a price of more than one million yuan. The resale price of the four HDB flats is between $1 million and $1.08 million. The four flats are located on the upper floors and are the 34th to 39th floors of the three 40-storey flats, with no obstructions around them. These HDB flats are alternative flats under the Selective Total Redevelopment Programme (SERS) and are not more than three years old. According to the Administration Ordinance, these flats can be sold after the owners have selected the flats for seven years. Therefore, the housing estate has 96 years remaining, which is longer than the remaining estates of the general resale flats. For a full report, please read the United Evening News on April 12, 2019. https://www.zaobao.com.sg/znews/singapore/story20190412-948114

yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Beer + bacon that is FREEDOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 1st trip: i want SmokeShack $10.90 + Shack-cago dog $6.50 + Fresh Lemonade $4.30 2nd trip: Shroom Burger $10.80 + Cheese fries: $5.90 + Classic hand-spun shakes: $6.90 with malted: S$0.80 3rd trip Shack Stack: $14.30 + ShackMeister Ale $9.50

ShackBurger The burger features US Angus beef patty, lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce between two buns. Single: S$9.20 Double: S$12.70 SmokeShack The SmokeShack is a cheeseburger that comes with Applewood smoked bacon, chopped cherry pepper, and ShackSauce. Single: S$10.90 Double: S$14.40 ‘Shroom Burger: S$10.80 The ‘Shroom Burger features a fried portobello mushroom filled with melted Colby Cheese, Monterey Jack and Tilsit Cheese, and topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce. Shack Stack: S$14.30 The Shack Stack is a combination of the above two burgers, consisting of a fried portobello mushroom, Angus beef patty and a blanket of cheese. Hamburger: S$7.50 Add Applewood Smoked Bacon: S$1.50 Shack-cago dog: S$6.50 The Shack-cago Dog comprises a beef hot dog topped with relish, onion, cucumber, pickle, tomato, sport pepper, celery salt and mustard. Hotdog: S$5 All beef Crinkle-cut fries: S$4.50 Cheese fries: S$5.90 Bag O’Bones (5 ShackBurger dog biscuits): S$5.90 Classic hand-spun shakes: S$6.90 Make it malted: +S$0.80 Floats: S$7.80 Cups and cones Single: S$4.80 Double: S$7.80 Singapore-exclusive Pandan Shake: S$7.80 (Frozen custard blended with mix-ins) Single: S$7.50 Double: S$9.50 Fresh Lemonade S: S$4.30 L: S$5.30 Organic Fresh Brewed Iced Tea S: S$3.70 L: S$4.70 Fifty/Fifty (half lemonade, half organic iced tea) S: S$4.30 L: S$5.30 Fountain Soda S: S$3.50 L: S$4.50 Abita Bottled Root Beer: S$4.50 Charlie’s Honest Pressed Apple Juice: S$4.80 Oeau Bottled Water: S$2.50 ShackMeister Ale 12oz.: S$9.50 16oz: S$13.50 Brooklyn Lager 12oz.: S$9.50 16oz: S$13.50 Summer IPA 12oz.: S$9.50 16oz: S$13.50 Respect Porter 12oz.: S$9.50 16oz: S$13.50 Shack Red 6oz.: S$12 25oz: S$45 Shack White 6oz.: S$12 25oz: S$45

SINGAPORE — Nine years after it opened with much fanfare, global technology giant IBM’s manufacturing facility in Tampines will be shut, with the remaining workers to be laid off. The shutting of the IBM Singapore Technology Park comes after several rounds of retrenchments were carried out between May and July last year. In an email reply to TODAY, the American firm said that the manufacturing of its mainframe computers, known as IBM Z, will move to Poughkeepsie, New York in the United States. It also said that the move is a result of “IBM's continual review of the most efficient way to source (its) products”. “Poughkeepsie already manufactures IBM Z, thus it already has the required skills, procedures, tools and manufacturing expertise,” it added. Headquartered in New York, the tech firm declined to reveal the number of workers being retrenched except to say that “all affected employees will leave by the end of July (2019)”. Several IBM staff members and subcontractors, who spoke to TODAY on the condition of anonymity, said that the majority of the employees — at least 70 per cent — will leave the company at the end of this month, while the rest will leave at the end of July. Two of them, from separate teams with a combined strength of more than 50, each said that their whole team will be gone. They were notified of the plant’s closure and their impending retrenchment in early March. IBM’s employees will be receiving one month of salary for each year of service as part of their compensation package, while those working for its logistics subcontractor Geodis will be receiving two weeks of salary for each year of service. Under Ministry of Manpower (MOM) guidelines, companies are encouraged to pay retrenchment benefits of between two weeks and a month’s salary for each year of service, depending on the company’s financial position and the industry. For unionised companies such as IBM, the norm is one month’s salary for each year of service. TODAY previously reported that at least 200 of IBM's staff members and its subcontractors were being retrenched out of the estimated 400 to 600 workers in the Tampines plant. The manufacturing of its Power Systems product was being relocated to Guadalajara, Mexico then. At that time, IBM said that the manufacturing of its IBM Z products will continue at the Singapore Technology Park in Tampines. Since a batch of workers were let go in July last year, workers told TODAY that morale at the workplace has definitely taken a hit. “We are losing colleagues, people we have been working together with for so long. … It’s like losing friends, you know,” said one male employee who has been working at IBM for more than 10 years. Another worker said that he was not surprised when told of the plant’s closure and that his last day of work will be at the end of April. “When the last batch was retrenched (last July), we knew those of us left behind won’t stay for too long… There were rumours that the plant will close in another six months to a year,” he said. The manufacturing plant at Tampines opened in 2010 with an inauguration ceremony officiated by then Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam. The S$90-million, 365,000-sqf facility was meant to serve clients using high-end systems, in Asia, Africa and Europe. When asked about IBM’s plans for the space it has leased from industrial property developer JTC, the tech firm said: “No decision has been made concerning the future use of the space to be vacated.” IBM said that Singapore remains a “strategic location” for the company. Its other business units, for example, its IBM Watson Centre at the Marina Bay area, its management, software, blockchain and other services organisations will not be affected. “IBM has been in Singapore for 66 years. It remains committed to being an essential part of its growth, and is working with many companies in Singapore to enhance its position as a worldwide innovation hub,” a company spokesperson said. Several media outlets reported earlier last year that IBM had planned to slash 10,000 staff members from its global workforce and re-assign another 30,000 to new roles, as part of a restructuring of its global technology services division. The 107-year-old company reaped a profit of about US$8.7 billion (S$11.8 billion) last year, which is about a 52 per cent increase from a year ago. Its fourth-quarter earnings results showed that IBM Z’s revenue declined 44 per cent, compared with the same period a year ago. This was after five consecutive quarters of revenue growth of IBM Z since the launch of its latest z14 microprocessor in mid-2017. A spokesperson from MOM’s Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation told TODAY that IBM had notified the ministry of its retrenchment exercise. For workers who are retrenched, Workforce Singapore and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will offer employment services support through the Adapt & Grow initiative, the spokesperson added. Mr Melvin Yong, the executive secretary of the United Workers of Electronics and Electrical Industries, said that the union was also notified in advance by IBM about the retrenchments and that it working closely with the company to help the affected workers. “The union is also working with the NTUC’s e2i to provide employment-related and placement assistance to these workers," he said. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/ibm-shutting-its-tampines-plant-laying-off-more-workers

https://www.facebook.com/NTDTelevision/videos/882077802136205/

make me fat and give me diabetes? it ok, i already fat and have diabetes, don think i can kena 2 time fat and 2 times diabetes

As Ru Paul famously sang ‘You better work’, and China’s richest man is using this line of attack to get the most of his staff who are expected to work 72 hour weeks. Jack Ma, founder of online marketplace Alibaba, has praised the company’s brutal ‘996’ schedule that expects employees to work 12-hour shifts from 9am to 9pm six days a week. While many may baulk at the idea of spending 72 hours out of a possible 168 in a week at the workplace, Ma has called the ‘996’ a ‘huge blessing’ for workers, the MailOnlinereports. He posted the shocking comments in the company’s WeChat account: I personally think that being able to work 996 is a huge blessing. Many companies and many people don’t have the opportunity to work 996. If you don’t work 996 when you are young, when can you ever work 996? The comments have started an online debate and protests towards working conditions on some coding platforms, where some employees have shared examples of excessive demands from employers. Ma, a former English teacher, founded Alibaba in 1999, and has taken a Monty Python ‘Four Yorkshiremen’ approach to explain how when he were a lad, he regularly worked long hours. Ma said: In this world, everyone wants success, wants a nice life, wants to be respected. Let me ask everyone, if you don’t put out more time and energy than others, how can you achieve the success you want? Compared to them, up to this day, I still feel lucky, I don’t regret (working 12 hour days), I would never change this part of me. Activists this month launched a project titled ‘996.ICU’ on Microsoft’s development platform, GitHub, where tech workers have listed Alibaba among companies with the worst working conditions. An opinion piece by an unnamed employee in the People’s Daily, a state newspaper, argued ‘996’ violates China’s Labour Law that stipulates average work hours should not exceed 40 hours a week. The article stated: Creating a corporate culture of ‘encouraged overtime’ will not only not help a business’ core competitiveness, it might inhibit and damage a company’s ability to innovate. And that’s not even touching on what awful effects these hours could have on the well-being of the human beings doing the work. The Mental Health Foundation report mental health related stress in the UK costs 10.4 million working days per year. How employees are expected to have any kind of work-life balance in a 72-hour work week is a concern and a mystery. https://www.unilad.co.uk/news/chinas-richest-man-expects-staff-to-work-72-hours-a-week/

https://www.facebook.com/foxandfriends/videos/642242739561528/

Whisky Cola with ang ku kueh

While kite flying is generally not seen as an extreme sport, it can lead to some severe injuries. On Tuesday, two middle-aged men went out to fly a kite in the Jiangsu city of Nantong. After a while, they noticed a storm approaching and tried to reel the kite back in. However, just then, a strong gust of wind blew in, wrapping the line around their hands. The line was wrapped so tight that it only came off after slicing off three fingers from one man and nearly severing the other’s palm in two. Fortunately, after 16 hours of surgery, doctors were able to reattach one of the men’s digits and sew the other’s palm back together. You can watch footage of their gnarly injuries below: https://shanghai.ist/2019/04/12/man-has-three-fingers-sliced-off-while-flying-kite-in-windy-weather/

SINGAPORE - Smart water meters will be installed in 300,000 residential and commercial premises here by 2023, with an eventual goal of having such devices islandwide, national water agency PUB announced on Friday (April 12). This will help people and companies keep tabs on their water usage, while allowing the PUB to optimise resources as well as detect anomalies, such as leaks, early. "Our challenge in PUB is to give our customers the water equivalent of the speedometer and fuel gauge, and so empower them to become smarter users of water," said PUB chief executive Ng Joo Hee. The digital smart water meter would be just the thing do this, he added. "Enabled by information on tap, something previously unavailable to end-consumers, we are convinced that they will be able to meaningfully adjust behaviour and become more efficient consumers, saving water and money in the process." There are currently about 1.6 million water meters at premises across the island. These are read manually once every two months. Customers are billed every month, with their water consumption estimated every alternate month. With smart water meters, water consumption will be read automatically several times a day, and transmitted accurately and remotely back to PUB on a daily basis. The agency said this will improve resource efficiency and augment PUB's capabilities in early leak detection within the water supply network and in customers' premises. Through a mobile application or online portal, every customer will have ready access to their daily water usage data. They will also receive high usage notifications and leak alerts promptly. Pilot trials in Punggol and Yuhua earlier showed promising results. A total of 800 households reported an average of 5 per cent in water savings, said PUB. PUB on Friday called a tender to appoint an Advanced Metering Infrastructure Specialist to evaluate and advise on meter devices and technology, and communications protocol, as well as to provide insights for enhancing operational efficiency and water savings. It will then call the tender for the installation of around 300,000 smart water meters early next year, and the first smart water meters will be installed by early 2021. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/smart-water-meters-to-be-rolled-out-to-300000-properties-here-to-help-save-water