I don't think that's the problem here

Mr Rob Menendez is shocked, shocked, that his 10-year-old racked up a massive mobile phone bill for using "premium rate" SMS services. Quite frankly, so am I. But not quite for the same reasons.

TWO months ago, I was shocked to see a charge of $140 on my 10-year-old daughter's SingTel mobile phone bill.

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Idiot of the Week, maybe Year, Award

Just a short one before I head out to be shopping slave for the wife a chivalrous husband. The award goes to Sulthan Niaz for his letter to the Straits Times forum. A longer, less rude response will be coming soon, but for now, let's just say that the sheer idiocy of his letter is causing ysunamis of laughter and anger across the blogosphere.

Welcome to a more liberal world, Sulthan Niaz, where you have deservedly earned our collective mockery with your stupidity, and where it will be spotlighted, derided, scorned, and scoffed at for our pleasure. Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt is a lesson you should learn. Enjoy the award, moron.

Violence on the news underlines need for voluntary community service

Miss Patricia Maria de Souza's anecdote of how to inspire youth to perform community service, rather than to compel them with incentives such as "points and rewards".

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Anecdotal evidence vs anecdotal evidence

ST Forum letters are almost always amusing, and this one by Priscilla Poh, containing nothing but anecdotal evidence based on a sample size of one, fits right in. I will leave you to read that letter, and instead focus on the few statements that raised more than a chuckle from me.

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It is political, like it or not, continued

Workers' Party chief Low Thia Kiang has responded to Steve Tan's letter accusing him of politicising the Mother Tongue weighting issue. I had previously called Tan naive about the politics, and I'm glad Low's response is also a small lesson in politics for those who think the opposition shouldn't criticise the PAP government when the need arises.

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It is political, like it or not

Mr Steve Tan misses the point entirely with his criticism of Workers' Party MP Low Thia Kiang in his letter.

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EOD Links - 20100512

Looking forward to the weekend for PinkDot.

• Break out those 3D glasses for the Playboy's June centerfold!
• Felix Salmon explains why volatility is reason enough to sell your stocks.
• Matt Yglesias has a good primer on the European Central Bank.
• This ST Forum letter has some suggestions for general practitioners in Singapore's healthcare system; I think they're workable.
• Conor Freiersdorf responds to Mark Lilla's essay and argues for a more libertarian GOP.
• David Cameron has successfully formed a government with the Liberal Democrats, but this little note on minority governments will come in useful to impress your friends.
• Speaking of David Cameron, here's a video of his first remarks as Prime Minister of the UK:

Why is this even allowed?

I was very surprised when I first read that real estate agencies and agents are also allowed to operate money-lending businesses. The conflict of interest that is legally allowed to exist in this case is nothing short of egregious.

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Some people are just insecure

This letter could just as well be titled "Poly students who want a local university degree should just STFU". Assuming that Lee Beng Tat is himself a graduate or an undergrad, the arguments he presents are weak and laughable.

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EOD Links - 20100415

At least I don't sound like Darth Vader today.

• Chee Soon Juan hits back at mindless critic, and hits back well.
• Falkenstein looks at risk-taking.
• Shawn Lim sees my point at last. (BTW Shawn, "Politics is" should be correct; after all, we don't say "Economics are being taught", do we?)
• An extra-marital affair takes two willing parties, and Erika Napoletano says any woman choosing to be with a married man is stupid. I agree.
• This sounds like a shot across the bow to CHC and others who want to emulate the megachurch.