There have been plenty of discussion lately about Stomp and how pathetically stupid Stomper are. In fact, I have blogged my fair share about Stomp, including titles like Stompers have magical eyes. I do admit, there are plenty of articles there that are totally stupid.

But what makes them stupid? Because they assume something, like the link above, that the couple in the water are having sex. But are they? Can we be sure? We can’t. Or photos criticizing someone’s way of dressing, which I thought, “What has it got to do with you?”. I remember one Stomper taking photos of a person wearing three quarters pants in Esplanade, and claiming that it’s the wrong way to dress in a “high class” event, but in reality, anyone can go there and people walk inside Esplanade in slippers too.

Lately, there has been a new website called AntiStomp. People have started to applaud it’s launch because its a website that talks about the stupidity of certain posts in Stomp. Whilst I was quite happy to read up on some posts, I was frankly put off by others. A thought came to me, “Who will guard the guards?”. In our haste to label Stomp as a lousy piece of citizen journalism, have we discovered that the makers of AntiStomp are also in a way, “citizen journalists”? And the best thing is, they are actually doing the same thing as what those Stompers are doing.

Take a look at this article. The Stomper claims that there was a near accident because the SSDC student had his left signal light on throughout, giving the impression that he wanted to turn, but in reality, he wanted to go straight. Instead of feeling sorry that the student made such a gross error, the instructor still gave hostile hand gestures. Is this a stupid Stomp? I don’t think so. It is perfectly easy to understand that the driver was upset and he is merely using Stomp as a means to complain about SSDC. In this matter, I think it is very clear who is wrong, that is, the student. It is totally wrong to say that students have been known to forget to turn off their signal lights, and pin the fault on the driver. Why should we criticize the driver here? The driver isn’t making any assumption.

And what about the article on the pervert stomper? This Stomper, a lady, is upset that the fish balls and the sausage was placed in a suggestive manner, that looks like a man’s crotch region. In my opinion, the photo really proves that the stall assistant is a gigantic jerk. There are so many ways to place two fish balls and a sausage and of all ways he chose that? It is obvious he is trying to be funny. But if you read Antistomp’s article, they are being funny and childish too. They said that the Stomper is probably trying to flirt with the stall owner, that she gave them the wrong impression blabla. Is this morally right? Is this the wrong kind of things to go on Stomp? I guess not.

With these two examples, it makes me wonder, are they making the same mistake? Antistomp, is actually not a platform to showcase the stupid posts made by Stompers. In actual fact, Antistomp is actually the biggest Stomper of all. Though they do not post on Stomp in itself, they are doing exactly the same thing that those Stupid Stompers are doing. They assume, and they lack certain feelings. They lack the feeling of compassion and neglect to think “perhaps the lady IS a victim”. Instead, they resort to assumptions saying she is seeking attention when the author is NOT present at the time of the sale.

Hence, who will guard the guards? Whilst some of us may applaud the emergence of this new website, let us think about it. Ultimately, journalism is something for professional journalists. A citizen journalism style blog fighting a citizen journalism Stomp is like the pot calling the kettle black. Unless there is some form of editorial integrity where they make sure that their posts are of some standards, they are just simply a copycat of Stomp? Down with Stomp? Down with those posts in AntiStomp first.

No offence meant, but I think that post was way offensive. Think about it. Who will guard the guards?

/*Some Updates*/
What is the purpose of Stomp then? I guess Stomp could be a place for discussion, of which most of the Stomps would become perfectly legitimate. Take for example the photo taken by a rather appalled driver seeing an SSDC car parking using real cars as guides. In reality, is there a need to blast the Stomper? We could just discuss it over Stomp and point things out to them. Or take for example the angry football fan who complained to Stomp. We could just tell them “It’s not Starhub’s fault”. There are so many sides to a certain thing, sometimes we should just be understanding towards certain Stompers.

I’ve always wondered why I chose to study Electrical Engineering in NUS. Why Engineering? Why not Medicine? Or Law? Or Arts and Social Sciences? Or Mathematics, since I’m supposed to be better at it than my sciences? Well I know for sure that my lousy grades cannot get me into medicine or law, but if I had superb grades, would I have chosen them? I guess not.

Then I guess, it has to be a little of a preference for Engineering, albeit subconsciously. I mean, when I was in my first year, I had totally no idea why I was in Engineering, but I guess now I am happy to be in Engineering, and even in Electrical Engineering, which the newspapers claim to be one of the more unpopular ones last year (my batch) since lesser people applied for EE.

But I think Engineering’s great. For me, I have no passion in wanting to stitch people up, to save lives, nor do I have the zest to defend a client in court. The other faculties, well, I have no idea what I will become if I enrolled there, so the passion is definitely zero.

I think I love technology. Although the fact is that technology rendered my 130++ discs of blank cd-r useless (since people use a thumb drive instead now), improvements to technology is a wonderful thing, because it improves the lives of people. In the past there wasn’t air con, but there is now and air con is helping many people sleep today in Singapore when the weather gets freaking hot and humid.

Computer’s are also getting smaller and better. I forgot whose law states something like this: Technology doubles itself within 18 months. Supposedly refering to computer parts improving (like 256mb of ram to 512) every 18 months. Our handphones are getting smarter too. My Nokia phone (I know this is stale news) is flexible such that I can install applications on it. Now, I can even connect to my home or school’s wireless network and surf the net when I’m alone.

I’m sure there are many phone function you can tell me. Things like Mp3 (will this bring about Creative’s gradual loss of sales?) players being incorporated into phones, and even cameras. Technology is improving and is helping the lives of many people.

I want to be there doing something. Creating a new technology that helps people improve their lives. Perhaps it’s not as great an improvement as saving someone’s life, or getting their ass hurled out of jail, but any slight improvement, even the enjoyment of listening to Mp3, a luxury, is something I want to do.

These few days I have also thought of what I would like to learn in my few years of university. I am not sure which modules to study to learn this, but I will find out. I want to learn to control my electronic circuits using computers, and the electronic circuit can control something else.

Today I watched a re-run of “我是创新王” and the Ngee Ann Poly students did this electronic device that stops a baby’s pram from going downslope when the mother’s hands are not on the pram. I think this is great, but I want to go one step further. I know there are smart refrigerators now, where you have this computer screen in front of the fridge, and it can even tell you which foods are expiring, or low in quantity. I think that’s great, and when it becomes cheaper it can help everyone in their lives.

That’s my direction. One day, I hope to be able to talk to everyone about the latest gadgets that I’m helping to make, and hopefully, that day will come.

In the past few years, we have been talking about transport problems, problems regarding Advertising Companies , blabla. It’s time for The Ignorantsoup to give some credit when credit is due. Especially in the case when people earn peanuts, sometimes peanut earners do good stuff too.

I’m talking about the anti-smoking ads. From since I can remember, the Health Ministry has been playing some part in trying to reduce the number of smokers, by using anti-smoking advertisements as a shock tactic to make people think twice before puffing that cigarette.

The first few advertisements I remember was of the shock kind. They put photos, scary ones no doubt, on cigarette packs, so that people look at the photos before they open the box. Television ads were those that show the brain of a smoker and non smoker, with the blood oozing out (or is that tar..blood I think) from the smoker’s brains. Or the amount of tar that comes out of a smoker’s lungs. Disgusting, but effective in ensuring that I will never touch any cigarette.

The next kind was the one that we had recently. The one about Mohd Abdooh (I hope I spelled his name correctly, I’m sorry if I didn’t), where he bravely came on television to personally urge people not to smoke or else they will end up like them. After he passed away, his wife continued the series of ads which, if I remember correctly, portrays the mood that dreams can be fulfilled if he had not died due to excessive smoking.

The latest one was the chronic lung problem man. It shows a FPS, First Person Shooter Smoker, view where the guy has problems with even pouring a cup of coffee for himself. Then it goes to show in Third Person view of the unlucky man who smoked and earned himself this sad disease.

Don’t you think that there has been plenty of effort to deal with such health issues? Even the dengue ads are playing frequently. I’m not going to discuss if they are effective, or whether they are a waste of tax payers money. I’m saying that we should give them credit because they come up with something, and stuck to it for so long, trying to make us stop smoking or breeding mosquitoes.

What have others done except to raise ERP charges? Or to ask us to take public transport when the public transport is horrendous at certain hours? Hence, let us for once, be appreciative of these series of smoking related ads, and try our best to ensure that our future generation will not pick up this ghastly habit.

I’m sure everyone is by now, very knowledgeable about the entire Mas Selamat COI findings, and can probably tell me what are the 3 confluence of factors that contributed to his escape. I’m also sure that you have either read about the incident on the papers or heard it from the news, or from friends, or from Ping.sg, like I did.

There have been discussions, published on the National Paper today, of course, regarding whether heads should roll, and featuring our PM defending his minister. Well personally I don’t think our minister has to resign, but I think the person who should resign and answer for this is the ISD head, or whoever that’s in charge of matters in the Whitley Detention Center.

There are many points raised on the blogsphere, of which I will attempt to reproduce it to the best that I can, and say why I think heads should roll. Firstly, let me start by saying that someone did a really lousy job, and has failed in his duty, and hence should be considered incompetent in this aspect.

1) Why are the CCTV’s not recording?
This is the greatest and most stupid blunder anyone could ever have. This is a security facility housing terrorist’s wannabes and we do not have CCTV to help us guard against them. Having a CCTV that doesn’t record is even worse. Having a CCTV that nobody’s looking at is the worst.

2) Urinal doors that have doors?
This got to be one of the most stupidest luxury that terrorists wannabes have. If I remember the picture correctly, there are two urinals and the door can be locked. (If not why need to kick the door open? Can just push it right?) I mean, which male uses two urinals? Not to mention, which male pees for 11 minutes straight? Either he drank a whole swimming pool, or he’s probably masturbating. Can’t be changing for that long either. Unless he’s shitting in the urinal? Else, how can you explain the need to place toilet rolls at the urinal section so that he can break his fall? Which male uses the toilet paper (7 rolls!!) after he finishes peeing?

3) Un-grilled windows
Again another dumb idea. As the head of the facility, surely it is your job to ensure that your prisoners do not escape. When there is a misunderstanding with the contractor, why are steps not taken to ensure that either the contractor does the job, or get another contractor to install the grill windows? I’m sure that money spent on grills is money well spent. Plus, who in the right mind would consider sawing off the handles a good substitute for grills? If so, the grill installing companies will have no more jobs. I mean, it’s pretty obvious that we can push the window out right? That is a big security mistake that any NSF can tell you.

4) Tall ledge that goes all the way to the fence
As the supervisor or the one in command of WDC, shouldn’t all matters be under someone’s command? I mean, surely someone knows that there is this ledge or zinc roof that goes all the way to the fence (as it seems to be at the 10 o clock news the day before). That is a huge security loophole. You might as well not fence it.

5) Who build the fence so near the detention center?
It took a trained soldier 49 seconds (around there?) to escape from the toilet and out of the detention center. Why are we making it so easy for escape? Since it is so near the fence, why then are we taking the risk by having ungrilled windows?

I can hardly call it complacency. It’s a serious lack of responsibility. Someone is drinking Milo Dinosaur when he is supposed to make his rounds round the detention center and make sure that things are done. Even in NS, we have the RSM who ensures that the BOS checks the ground for cleanliness. The guard duty personnel are also supposed to check that the fences are not cut etc. But someone is not walking the ground, or that someone is taking it for granted that things will go well.

We need to show that the civil service is not an iron rice bowl. No matter what, it is a serious error to be the head of a detention facility and view security as such a minute issue. Seriously, someone is not doing his job well. I can’t say that our minister is at fault, because WDC is not the only thing he has to govern. The person who governs the facility at WDC should be punished severely. If not, then what meritocracy are we talking about? No matter what mistakes were made, we will always forgive and forget?

They better catch the terrorist before other countries do, else it would be a serious shame on our faces. I guess, more work should be done rather than to rebut Mr Chiam of Potong Pasir, asking him if he is a police dog expert.

Well I have been ranting and raving and am nearly starking mad, but the situation is still the same in Singapore. Of course, many of us have done the same, cursing and swearing and displaying our anger at certain foreigners in Singapore, but of course, they are still considered Foreign Talents, and seem to be higher valued than us, peasants of Singapore. Well they tell us when we were in primary school that one chopstick break easily, many chopstick not so easily. Sounds great but it’s false. How many of us are pissed off already? Thus this is my new law:

One Singaporean Chopstick break easily, one bunch of Singaporean Chopstick break easily too, but One (insert expletive here) foreign talent chopstick cannot break.

Isn’t it? I feed sad for us.

In my past entry, I spoke about a moron. The saga continues, sadly. The discussion progressed after I wrote that post, and it branched out to his ignorance (not me ignorantsoup ok? I am ignorantsoup but you don’t address me as my ignorance ok?) saying that teachers are like the average karung guni men on the street, they deserve no different amount of respect, that teachers are paid workers and should resign if they cannot do the job. Well, naturally Soup is super pissed off, because his ignorance is so rude to the lecturers / the lab coordinators. Thus Soup said that since we are talking about prices, then the person who doesn’t pay for the good shall not complain. Naturally this makes sense, his ignorance is on a free education. His ignorance is a foreign talent ok? Don’t pway pway. He even said it himself that our government is valuing (insert hokkien expletive here) foreign talents so why we brainwashed peasants (ok he said citizens) are not following.

CNN! BCC! AXN and Cartoon Network!!!

His ignorance actually considers himself a foreign talent.

Foreign criminal more like.

Pui. This peasant spits at you.

Anyway, the discussion about free education went on, and he says that he isn’t receiving a free education. Got 6 year bond wor. Ok la, he is also an economic major so he probably consider it opportunity cost. But what the fish? If I am applying for a scholarship, I would treat it like a job interview lo. Because soup wants to work with an established good company. But judging from his ignorance’s words, it seems that he treats the 6 year bond as a cost, which means he can’t be bothered about working here loh. If you are genuinely interested in coming in Singapore to work and live, Soup welcomes you and can treat you like a fellow peasant talent loh. But you show this kind of bloody attitude, Soup knows you can’t wait to fly off to another country. Soup knows, but Soup’s superiors don’t.

So this is the main point. Some of them don’t care about living and contributing here. They see the 6 years as a repayment for the free education, and them its time to serve and f**k off. (Walau summore they never serve NS..can S A F off one sia).

That’s it. Harsh reality that no one bothers because soup is only a peasant. Where are our elites to come and fight with this talent? Oh..They are on scholarship at foreign universities, and they may never come back. Oh well, only peasants can fight lo.

To end off, I would like to give you an easter egg code:

void easterEgg()
{
cout&lt;&lt;" /"\ "&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" | \./ |"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" | |"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" | |"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" |&gt;~&lt;|"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" | |"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" /'\| |/'\.."&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" /~\| | | | \"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" | =[@]= | | \"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" | | | | | \"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" | ~ ~ ~ ~ |` )"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" | /"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" \ /"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" \ /"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" \ _____ /"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" |--//"`\--|"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" | (( +==)) |"&lt;<endl;>
cout&lt;&lt;" |--\_|_//--|"&lt;<endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;></endl;>

}

Ok la paste here le the shape weird liao..but you know what i mean. EasterEgg you!

Here’s a link to the correct image..dunno why my code function got problem.