It's been a while since I last blogged but we've been busy in the interim!

On our new SME Spotlight microsite, featuring articles on all things small and medium-enterprises-related, we are rolling out a new series of blogs.

Today's new entry is something some readers here will probably describe as "me, me, me"! Sorry, guys! Well, it was my experience at a conference this week, really, and the first entry is on whether it's polite to multi-task at conferences. It's a new blog specifically on business etiquette - so do leave your comments on whether you think the behaviour discussed is a do or a don't!

Apart from this, there will be two other blogs - (1) one looking at working towards business success; and (2) another on starting up a company in Singapore.

Sharing her insights about the domestic and entrepreneurial sectors in Singapore is Elim Chew, owner and founder of fashion retail chain 77th Street. Pitching in to describe their experiences in starting-up their own import-and-distribution companies are actress Wong Lilin and entrepreneur Chris Lim.

Do stay tuned to SME Spotlight and leave us comments on what you'd like to read.

If you run a business, we'd like to hear from you too. Share your dream with ST Money Correspondent Francis Chan by emailing franchan@sph.com.sg. You just might be featured in our next SME Spotlight and stand to win special gifts from HSBC. More details here.

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THE men in white made history at Tuesday's launch of the book at the Old Parliament House.

The exchange of warm smiles and handshakes between MM Lee Kuan Yew and his yesteryear political foes - those who broke away from the PAP to form Barisan Sosialis in 1961 and were at the event - were unexpected and not planned. MM Lee, the-guest-of-honour, decided to meet them only when SPH chairman Tony Tan was making his speech. He whispered to SPH CEO Alan Chan who was seated next to him and the message was passed down.

I had to scramble to invite the former leftists from their seats to meet MM Lee just before they went down for a tea reception. They included Mr Fong Swee Suan, Mr Low Por Tuck, Mr Dominic Puthucheary, Madam Ho Puay Choo, Mr Chen Say Jame, Mr Ong Chang Sam and Mr Teo Hock Guan - all former PAP politicians turned Barisan opposition members in the early 1960s. They were gracious enough to accept the invitation from a magnanimous MM Lee, and the result was the spontaneous smiles, the exchange of nice greetings and warm hand handshakes all captured by the cameras and published in the papers the next day.

Like many readers, I was surprised this historic moment took place. Just a few minutes and they brought five decades of rivalry between them finally to a closure. Most of them, MM Lee included, are either in their late 70s or 80s, and last Tuesday at the Old Parliament House was probably the last chance for them to reconcile and heal the wounds of the past.

I was also surprised that so many of the former leftists who normally would shy away from public events like this accepted our invitation to the book launch. It is quite incredible actually. Maybe their presence is proof of their true endorsement of this SPH publication which gave as balanced a view as possible to the PAP story by including many of their voices.

I wish those I interviewed in the peace villages in southern Thailand and the former exiles now in Hong Kong, Macau and southern China could be at last Tuesday's launch too. One former PAP leftist leader even called me from Macau after seeing the pictures of MM Lee and the former leftists at the book launch online from Lianhe Zaobao on Wednesday. He too, said it was a historic moment and wished he was here. 

As a co-author of the book, Men In White, my satisfaction is not only in seeing the final closure between the bitter rivalry between the two opposing sides in the PAP when they met again after nearly 50 years, but also in being able to get the voices of the losers or the vanquished into the PAP story.

The important thing now is not to dig into their past differences, but to learn from their common goal and convictions to fight for a better future for Singapore when they were young idealistic men and women. Even at their young age, they were prepared to shoulder the responsibility to work for the good of all, a quality we don't often see in our young people anymore. Many sacrificed their entire lives for that without regrets. For this reason, we have dedicated the book to the younger generation of Singaporeans.

I cannot agree more when my former editor-in-chief and team leader of this book project, Cheong Yip Seng, said in the preface of the book: "We cannot be a strong nation if we cannot remember our past."

I would like to add that the younger generation today can also emulate some of the good qualities as shown by our past political leaders, including those of the leftist members, as portrayed in the book.

Read the Saturday Special Report on Men In White here.

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NEWS of the enhanced off-peak car (OPC) scheme is probably talk of the motoring town now.

But an unfortunate incident leading up to the announcement of the new and improved scheme – designed to persuade car owners to convert their rides to red-plates – proved to be far more exciting to the newsroom last Friday night.

It all began at a closed-door briefing for journalists held by the Land Transport Authority on Friday afternoon. It was to allow beat reporters to understand the upcoming changes to the scheme and to ask questions.

The announcement itself was to have been made public by none other than Transport Minister Raymond Lim at a ministerial visit two days later on Sunday.

But that was not to be - no thanks to a mysterious and virulent news leak, which happened despite all precautions.

Before the LTA briefing started, reporters were instructed clearly that the news was strictly embargoed until after Minister Lim had spoken. No one was supposed to call motor industry players for comments, in case they inadvertently informed them of the changes.

We were also told that we could not bring any recording devices into the briefing room. That meant no cameras either.

The briefing went reasonably well and reporters returned to give a rundown to their respective newsrooms and supervisors.

But by around 8.30pm or so that same day, the entire news release detailing all the changes appeared online.

The Straits Times was alerted to the leak by someone who spotted it on an online car forum, which had a direct link to an LTA site.

Within the hour, the entire motor trade – as well as a large part of the car forum community – had learnt of the changes. One senior motor trader even called up reporters to ask if they had heard of the new scheme.

The Straits Times newsroom was shocked, and everyone scrambled to find out what had happened and whether the news should then be run the next day (Saturday) as the leak had already spread far and wide.

The LTA was equally shocked. It could not explain how the news appeared on their website. Up until Tuesday, the authority says it was still investigating.

The authority's panic was palpable. After all, the leak had stolen the thunder from a Minister's Sunday speech. 

When asked if The Straits Times could run the story on Saturday, LTA initially said no - only to lift the embargo eventually, together with the Ministry of Transport.

That meant that the media could release the news on Sunday. It also meant that Minister Lim did not have a biggish announcement to make during his Sunday ministerial visit to Bukit Panjang.

Mr Lim was gracious enough to agree to the embargo lift. Fortunately, he had another announcement up his sleeve: An update about the Circle Line.

Many of us (at least those of us in the newsroom) laugh about the fiasco now, but it caused real tension on Friday with just hours to go before deadline. The episode also underscores the impact of online information – once again.

In the past, news leaks were relatively mild – one could only rely on phones and the coffeeshop. But with the Internet, a leak takes on a life of its own. Within minutes, it is literally all over town.

Unless the LTA finds out how this one happened, it quite possible runs the risk of an encore down the road.

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I miss my runs.

Every time a jogger floats past me, I'll look forlornly, reminded that I've had to stop jogging - hopefully temporarily - ever since I strained my back in May. Ironically, I had strained it running.

Yes, for a while, I was one of those who got a little obsessed with pounding the pavement and the trails every week. I bought gaudily-coloured shoes with esoteric names that purported to reduce the strain on my flat feet. I shelled out for a bag with a built-in water bladder so I could go for longer runs. I pestered my wife about borrowing her MP3 player so much, she bought me my very own so I wouldn't dirty hers with my sweat. I even logged every single run in my computer, so I could calculate the total distance run so far and average speed.

But, no, I'm not a hard core runner. My pace is pathetic, and my range is nowhere near what serious runners log on a weekly basis.

Really.

I did enjoy my runs, though. Not for the feeling that I was building up some semblance of fitness - not at my speed, anyway - nor for the idea that I could eat as much as I wanted after the runs. (Another steak? Bring 'em on! I'm sure I burnt enough calories in the last 10 minutes).

No, the real value in running came from what I discovered when I tried to find more routes in a bid to bring some variety to the runs. Never mind the usual Botanic Gardens and East Coast Park, I found hidden shortcuts through parts of my neighbourhood where I had lived for many years yet never really explored.

I found British-era residential estates nearby, and ogled at giant black-and-white bungalows from tree-lined roads that made me feel like I was in another world and time. I chanced upon forest trails that stretched for ages without crossing roads and showed me that Singapore really wasn't a concrete jungle. And I treaded onto interesting urban routes that took me through familiar parts of the city, albeit from a different perspective.

Some of my favourite "finds":

- A 10km-long mountain biking trail from Rifle Range Road that winds through the Bukit Timah nature reserve and ends near the Singapore Zoo in Mandai. (Just like army! In actual fact, it does end next to a live firing range)

- A park connector (of sorts) that starts at one of the sources of the Kallang River at Bishan, goes down the river to Esplanade, connects to the Singapore River, and goes past all the quays to the source of the river at Queenstown (two major Singapore rivers in one go!)

- A route that winds from Biopolis in Buona Vista through the nostalgic colonial-era Portsdown Road, up to quiet Kent Ridge Park and ends at the idyllic Hort Park. (Or the prata stall near Pasir Panjang, if you hang right at Kent Ridge)

- A park connector that starts at Ghim Moh, goes along a wide canal, crosses an abandoned railway track and eventually reaches Bukit Batok nature reserve. (More prata shops just a walk down)

Okay, okay, those routes are probably well known. But I would never have found them if I had not started jogging. The discoveries have also sparked a new interest to seek out quiet, green spots in Singapore, and in past months, I've dropped in on several reservoirs in the west and north, taken a look at the colonial villages around Sembawang and Selatar air bases, and developed a new interest in the old parts of Singapore that have been preserved somehow.

When my back heals, I might go back to these places.

Or maybe I'll just drive.

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SO call us Johnny-come-lately (or, in this case, Jenny-come-lately), but The Straits Times has decided to experiment with Twitter.

After the Aware EOGM saga last Saturday, when two ST reporters blogged live onsite at Suntec City during the marathon seven-hour meeting, the power of micro-blogging really hit home.

Twitter basically allows you to send short updates (under 140 characters not unlike SMS text messages) to the public (if you don't lock your account) or just to your friends (if you do).

Obama used it to great effect in the initial phases of his presidential election campaign to reach out to the usually apathetic youth voters.

Then during the Mumbai terror attacks at the end of last year, it gained a lot more media attention as traditional broadcasters started turning to what people were "twittering" from the ground on what they heard was going on.

Then, last Saturday, the allure of Twitter went BOOM in Singapore as attendees of the Aware EOGM "tweeted" almost verbatim blow-by-blow accounts on what was being said (or rather, shouted).

For example, that evening, about six of us were having dinner at Vivocity - a prelude to the 8:30pm screening of Wolverine. While shovelling down our food with one hand, practically all of us were on various Twitter applications on our phones on our other hands, reading what was going on.

Apart from #awaresg, a dedicated channel for tweeters to post their tweets to, we also had two friends who were busily twittering from the meeting as well. It got to a point where the latest tweet on all our phones read "New guard has five minutes to step down" and had us all with ants in our pants. (Probably as edgy as those on location themselves.)

Hurry up! We want to know the outcome! Wolverine is starting in 15 minutes!

It took another half hour before the "new guard" resigned, but thankfully, we were still watching advertisements and movie trailers at the time, so our short outburst reacting to the outcome didn't elicit any shushing from other movie watchers.

After that experience, we've decided to go ahead and experiment if twittering will get news out to our readers more immediately and efficiently. For now, we're starting with publishing the links to our blogs and top stories, and we hope you enjoy the ride.

Oh, and we'll try not to spam your account, don't worry!

Add "stcom" to your Twitter account to get the updates. (Hint: Use the "Find People" or "Search" functions on your Twitter readers to locate us. See you there!)

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FOR years, Tom Daschle had bucked the odds in South Dakota. In the staunchly Republican state, the Democrat was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1978, and then to the Senate in 1986.

Over the years, his career took off. It was a surprise to me that the Senator from a state with only 750,000 people was first named as Senate Minority Leader in 1994, and then as Senate Majority Leader from 2001 to early 2003. It was an example of how much clout this politician from an agricultural state had in Congress.

But his fall began in 2004, when he lost re-election to Republican John Thune. The final nail in the coffin of his career came on Tuesday, when he had to pull out over a tax scandal after being nominated by President Barack Obama for the post of Secretary of Health and Human Services.

I first met him in 1986, when I was the state and local news editor of the student newspaper at his alma mater, South Dakota State University. He was campaigning for the Senate on campus and had come down to the office for a one-on-one interview.

The first thing that struck me was how short he was, by American standards. He was about my height, barely topping 5' 8", and in a country where 60 million of the population suffer from obesity, he was slight. His photos just didn't attest to how "normal" he looked.

He was unassuming, patiently answering my questions about what he intended to do for young Americans - despite me being a foreign student - and why college kids should send him to the Senate. This was my first brush with a national politician - having only interviewed the state governor and politicians before this - and I was very impressed by how humble he was. Late that year, he was elected to the Senate.

The following year, I had another interview with him after I took over the editorship of the student newspaper. He was brimming with ideas for the state, and I could sense that great things awaited this junior senator from South Dakota.

After I graduated in 1987, I joined the newspaper in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as a copy editor. After three years, my company had wanted to keep me on, but my H-1 work visa was ending. The company had set my Green Card application in motion, but after being rejected, Daschle's office in South Dakota tried to help out.

The Senator wrote an appeal letter on my behalf to the US Labour Department, and from what I heard from a friend of mine who was working in his office, even offered to call on my behalf. Needless to say, I was quite surprised by how far he was willing to go for someone. Unfortunately, his appeal didn't work, and I came to join The Straits Times instead in 1991.

Over the years, I have been following his rise to greater power in Washington, and was shocked when he lost the re-election. Talking to my friends in South Dakota, they say that the people in the state still hold him in high regard, almost as revered as George McGovern, the South Dakotan who lost to Richard Nixon in the 1972 presidential election.

Daschle would probably have made a good Secretary of Health and Human Services, I think - if he had not fallen victim to politics in this latest tax scandal.

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AS WE quickly approach the New Year, we find ourselves looking back on 2008 and reflecting on all events - both good and bad that have transpired. I feel there’s really no better way to remember the passing of time than through pictures. 

This year seemed to bring about a stormy upheaval, with more bad news than good. Natural disasters in a variety of forms - the devastating earthquake in China, hurricanes and wildfires buffeting the US and a continuous series of man-made disasters that rocked the world economic communities - flourished without relent.

It seemingly started with the sub-prime mortgage crisis, followed by a Tsunami like ripple effect, causing havoc throughout the global financial industry. And if that wasn’t enough bad news, the web of global terrorism continued to widen its reach in new ways, on new frontiers.

On a more positive note, China sent three astronauts or “Taikonauts” as they’re called in China, in to space and the United States elected its first black President.

While perhaps not all of this year’s events are framed by what I would consider truly iconic images, there are generally always pictures to serve as a visual reference and document the passing of time historically.

One picture that left a lasting impact on me was one from the earthquake in China. It’s actually a picture from the Sichuan earthquake that took place in August. Of all the pictures I looked at from the earthquake coverage, this one seemed to stand out.

Source: Associated Press

The picture shows a woman shielding a child, their bodies being unearthed in a fallen house by Chinese soldiers. The woman and child lie almost angelically in a red clay soil and the soldiers, dressed in red-clad camouflage carefully digging around them with their hands. The woman and child were apparently buried in falling debris inside a house during the quake. 

I found the picture quite surreal really; it was almost like the soldiers were carefully unearthing a relic at archaeological site. I was touched by several elements of the pictures, the colour, the symmetry of the subjects and the message it conveyed. A woman shielding a child in harm’s way, only to end in vain was quite touching.

This is the cover image of The Straits Times Saturday Special Report entitled “Upheaval”, which is running on 20 December
 
As a photographer, getting those iconic images that seem to capture the essence of a defining moment of an event doesn’t come easily.

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a truly gifted French photographer and is frequently thought of as the father of modern photojournalism. He was also one of the co-founders of the most esteemed photo agency Magnum. For him, a great picture was all about the “decisive moment”, a point he chronicled in one his books with the same title.

Cartier said: "There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment." It’s frequently a split second that separates a great image from all the others.

I am the proud owner of a signed original print of By the Marne River, taken in 1938. I purchased the print at a charity auction only a year before his passing.

Capturing an iconic image not only starts with being at the right place, at the right time, it also requires mental preparation and a bit of luck. As renowned French chemist Louis Pasteur once said, “Chance favours the prepared mind.”  I think this really applies here - always watching your subject or the elements of a story closely, being prepared or anticipating the decisive moment. This is the craft of a true photojournalist. 

A good example of an iconic image is the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winning image by Reuters photographer Adrees Latif. His single picture captured the moment a Japanese videographer was shot by a soldier in Myanmar. There are endless examples of how being at the right place, at the right time and focusing on the decisive moment have made a difference amongst the truly iconic images, for these are the images that keep appearing in historical journals and text books in perpetuity.

It’s interesting to note that although there were three wire service photographers travelling with President Bush on his recent trip to Iraq, that none of them had pictures of the now famous shoe throwing incident.  Add to that, they had two opportunities at getting a picture, one for each shoe.  A poignant example of it’s not just being at the right place and time.

As the picture editor of The Straits Times and a seasoned photojournalist, I always think of the year’s events as they are chronicled through iconic or defining images. One of the realities of working at a newspaper is that it’s not all about pictures. Pictures work together with stories, providing our readers with a visual reference.  While I always like to see better use of pictures in the paper, it is, in the end, a give and take.

That said, the times when pictures can really have great impact and make a difference for our readers, The Straits Times will rise to the occasion. This year’s tragic earthquake in China and the Beijing Olympic Games were two such occasions.

In part one of a two part Saturday Special Report in The Straits Times, entitled “Upheaval”, we’ll start to take a look at the year from a visual perspective, highlighting global events, as well as some of the regional ones that shaped the year. We’ll try and end on a happy note with some of the positive things that have happened in Singapore through the eyes of The Straits Times photographers.  

Let’s hope 2009 brings us leaves us on a happier note.

Read the Saturday Special Report "Upheaval" and see more photos here.

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THE first time I ever tasted alcohol was when I was four (or thereabout).

No, I did not sneak a sip when my elders weren't looking. I was offered a glass of Babycham by my grandmother.

You see, she is of the mind that women need to know how to hold their drink. In her day, my low-tolerance grandfather would slip his drinks to her when they were out so that he wouldn't get inebriated. And she made my mother and her sisters learn to drink at home - so they would not get drunk and get taken advantage of when they were of age to go out at night.

I can't claim that I've never been slightly-more-than-tipsy in public, but I'd like to think my grandmother's enlightened ways worked. Like all of us who go through the coming-of-age phase (and continue beyond), we've all imbibed at some point, but thankfully, I've never been so "gone" as to fall prey to dodgy characters.

Sadly, the same can't be said for this 19-year-old who got drunk at a house party - despite her boyfriend being in a room next door. She'd played drinking games with a bunch of people, drunk more whisky than she could handle, fallen asleep in a bedroom and got raped by two men.

What is so upsetting is that she obviously thought her boyfriend would watch out for her. Further, she even woke up mid-way through the trauma and could not protect herself coz she was too drunk.

What a nightmare.

Many of us think we're strong enough in judgement to know who to trust, and strong enough physically to fight off threats when it comes down to that. Or at least that things like this would never happen to us. So hopefully this case will serve as a wake-up call for those of us who suffer from these delusions.

Here's what I've been fortunate enough to be taught by my betters over the years (apart from the obvious piece of advice - that is, don't drink):

(1) If you're going to drink more than your limit, always ensure that you're with friends you can trust - friends who are not about to drink beyond their limit too;

(2) Make sure you have transport home - designated-drivers or friends who will send you home and/or walk you to your flat. Those who just shove you in a cab are not counted;

(3) Order bottled drinks, like beer, when strangers are around so no one can slip stuff into your drink when you're not looking;

(4) Don't let just anyone order or mix your drinks.

Perhaps I'm paranoid, but these things are worth being paranoid about.

Girls, be careful! And for that matter, boys too.

What other bits of advice do you have? Leave them here!

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COST cutting is on the minds of everyone. Many are making adjustments. There have been regular letters and columns on how we can all shave our daily expenses sometimes just by making minor adjustments or just taking the trouble to act.

For instance, after a few phone calls, I finally terminated my Singnet dial-up account which I have been keeping since I first signed up for it. I must have switched to cable about 10 years ago at the very least, But I was paying out a monthly fee for my dial-up account all this while even though I was not using it - all because I was too lazy to make the calls or send out the necessary email to terminate the account. Another couple of calls I made will save me a few dollars every month from next month. I switched my Singtel land line to a Starhub one.

Sometimes it means giving up things we like. A friend of mine has cut his wine consumption from 6 bottles a month to one bottle. I know it is going to be tough for him this Christmas season.

I used to leave my two computers running 24 hours a day but now I shut them down before I leave for work and also at night. I don't know how much it will save me but it would cut the number of hours the computers are kept running by at least 50 per cent.

I also religiously take down the addresses of places where I can get fish, chicken and beef cheap. It has required me to make drives to Woodlands and Jurong East which are not exactly close to my home but I realise the savings can be huge. There is nothing to be shy about trying to get a good deal.

Do you have some good suggestions on how costs can be cut? Post them here.

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THE number of people diagnosed here this year with the Aids-causing virus looks set to hit an all-time high.

Part of the reason for this is the record numbers getting tested.

This follows last year's figures where 423 residents here were diagnosed with HIV, the highest number in a year since the disease first surfaced here in 1985.

The latest figures are for the first 10 months of this year, 7 per cent more than the 356 cases uncovered over the same period last year.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids has put the true prevalence of the disease here at two to four times higher from undiagnosed cases and cases diagnosed abroad but so far unrecorded here.

Time to start tougher, harder-hitting education campaigns?

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