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"To err is human. To forgive divine." - Alexander Pope To take on a career in photography is to commit yourself to a lifetime of struggle against light and GAS. And recently I've been getting quite a severe bout of the latter. No, I'm not talking about the flatulence that Julian is prone to letting fly in the office, but rather about Gear Acquisition Syndrome - the dangerous compulsion to get more equipment and better lenses in the (usually misplaced) assumption that they will make your photos better. For those interested, I'm planning to write about how one can manage this strange phenomenon in the coming months, but for now, let's just say recently I gave in to this horrible affliction and committed myself to some rather hefty (in the context of what pittance a writer/photographer can afford) purchases. One of these is this rather lovely piece of glass you see in the picture above (the body, unfortunately, belongs entirely to Sgcarmart). It's a Zeiss Touit 32mm F1.8, and it's admired for the fact that it delivers images full of specular highlights, otherwise known as soap bubble bokeh. For those interested to know more about the lens, may I recommend this short film on the lens by GxAce? But surviving on that aforementioned wafer-thin budget requires prudence, so some homework was necessary before I swung down with what little was left in my bank account to make this purchase. And along the way, I stumbled across this other rather interesting video: In the video, YouTube channel Overexposed highlights (excuse the pun) the role which Zeiss played in supporting the German war machine in the Second World War, as well its use of forced labour during the war to support its operations. I'm sure the many automotive enthusiasts gathered here are also familiar with the fact that many of our beloved brands, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, alongside Renault, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler were also all involved (with varying degrees and levels of culpability) in the conflict. Which brings me into today's topic of discussion: Should we be concerned about what our favourite brands do or have done? Opioids available for purchase - Let's remember that the standards of the past differ greatly from those of today I'm sure many of you have heard about the McDonalds boycott currently ongoing in Malaysia. And I think it's not hard to see why there has been so much support for it. The spectacular rise of global MNCs and the increasing embrace of neoliberal policies by many states in the last decades has, I'm certain, shifted the perceived perception of the global balance of power in favour of these global corporations at the expense of the state. So, the common man, even if he/she may not articulate it as such, feels that his/her dollar has, more than ever, the ability to change the direction of current affairs more so than the cross he/she marks out at the voting booth. Carl Zeiss would eventually get split as either side of the Iron Curtain were eager to get their hands on the optical know-how that supported the German war machine (The half that ended in East Germany adopted this Carl Zeiss Jena name) But an ongoing conflict is entirely different from one that has happened in the past. And this, I think, is an important distinction that needs to be made. I'm all for putting an end to the bloodshed in Palestine (even though the realist in me would like to borrow from that famous line from Arthur Koestler to say that just as the beating of war drums have reverberated all through the history of mankind, this is likely one of those conflicts that was stay with us for the foreseeable future), but the idea that we should abstain from a firm's products because of its involvement in atrocities of the past looks, frankly, a little absurd. Let's get real. A business is out there to make a profit - whether it be to fatten a greedy owner, or to tease the pockets of its diligent employees - and it will make decisions that are in its own best interests, even if they may be morally questionable. And yes, you can argue that we should expect more out of the corporations that now play such a huge role in global affairs. But I retort with this: Let’s not act as if we are, as individuals, are such great arbiters of right or wrong to begin with. Perhaps a bit of reading about the Milgram experiment will convince those unpersuaded by my point here. That may be a Beetle in the diagram, but Ferdinand Porsche (pictured, lower left) was also responsible for the development of some of the tanks of the German war machine The reality is, Man can be compelled to do silly and even reprehensible things whether it be in in the name of duty, patriotism, or perhaps even by sheer simple greed (and hence Koestler's observation that conflict has followed through all the history of mankind). And like it or not, it's these same everyday men and women that lead businesses. So expect corporations to make mistakes, to err, and to falter. And expect them to continue to make embarrassing decisions. But don't get yourself too caught up with what any firm has done in the past, or abstain from any product just because of the mistakes of a few past business leaders. Life is short, and the threat of conflict is never non-existent, so you might as well go out there and enjoy the moment. Go out there and buy that Mercedes-Benz or BMW, or that Zeiss or Hugo Boss that you've been eyeing. But if you want to afford many nice things, don't take on a job with any firm as a writer or a photographer. - Clarence Images courtesy of Wikipedia Commons, Porsche Newsroom

Hi all, Just graduated from TED Automotive Diploma and interested in applying for jobs. But im not sure what i have to do or look out for with regards to CV or applying for job as have no prior job experience before as i am a fresh grad. Want to apply at Nissan but they dont have a specific job opening, they just say to email resume to them. So not sure what to say when emailing them. Has anyone applied for or working at car companies at the moment? Thanks in advance!

BAN: Clone of Dennis78 Hi all, I been wanting to do up my solar films for my car as the weather is terrible these days. And went on to understand and enquiry about the different types of solar films offered in Singapore. To my surprise some Top brands do not seem to offer very good types of solar films and instead its the lesser known companies that do I understand that Metallic films will cause IU/GPS interference and are the lesser preferred. And IR% would be most important for heat rejection. I asked for their top specs and for my mid-size saloon BMW 320I and all LTA approved. Below are my findings for each Brand_____________Type of Solar Film____________Front IR%________________Rear IR%_______________Cost Huber Optik___________Nano-Ceramic_________________45______________________87____________________1100 V- Kool______________Metalllic-Film_________________77_____________________98_____________________1200 Absolute Tint__________Nano-Ceramic__________________95_____________________95_____________________480 Rike Cool_____________Nano-ceramic__________________80_____________________90___________________1600 Tintsy Cool_____________Nano-Ceramic__________________90_____________________90______________________949 Verdict - I decided on Absolute Tint that proves the best value and highest specs for both front and rear. It was quite shocking to know that the big brands are over-charging and not proving as good films as I thought they have.

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/facebook-google-absorb-us-lawmakers-jabs-in-rare-big-tech-hearing The America politicians like to destroy the world econony. Anything trump don't like stanchions, use law to charge them. Look at trump use stanchions on China.. Now use law on Big tech companies. America is basically telling the world and their own countries to shift all their businesses overseas and don't want to do business with the world. Can anyone imagine one day Facebook or Google said, enough is enough.. We are going to shift HQ to other countries. It will be gg for America.

Vin Cars, Vince Cars and Car Times, are they under the same company or group..?

Rumors? Test balloons. MLMLWML Rule against this, implemented in 2012 to address complaints that it was driving up car premiums, said to be under review Christopher Tan Senior Transport Correspondent Taxi operators may soon be allowed to compete with car buyers for certificates of entitlement again - a move which may fuel competition for COEs. Regulations banning cab firms from bidding for COEs were put in place in 2012 to address a longstanding gripe among car buyers and sellers that taxis were dri-ving up premiums and providing unfair competition. The Straits Times understands that those regulations are being reviewed, and it is possible that they could be reversed. The LTA, however, said that it would not comment on "market speculation". Even though taxis were almost always larger cars - which should rightfully be competing for COEs in Category B (cars above 1,600cc) - they were lumped with Category A (cars up to 1,600cc) in the past. It was not uncommon then for taxi companies to make up one-third of the bids submitted during a tender. With the removal of taxis from COE bidding, put in place by former transport minister Lui Tuck Yew, cab operators have been paying Category A's prevailing quota premium (PQP, or a moving average of past premiums). The move eased pressure on Category A almost immediately. But two years after the rule change, private-hire operators such as Uber and Grab started to grow their fleets and, unlike taxis, were allowed to bid for COEs. The pressure on prices eased when Uber pulled out of Singapore last year, but started to build up this year with the arrival of Indonesian ride-hailing firm Gojek. With Grab's fleet expansion, and smaller players like Ryde and Tribecar joining the fray, premiums are once again heading north. The Straits Times understands that allowing taxi firms to bid for COEs again could form part of an industrywide review of taxi and private-hire operations. Results of the review, conducted by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), are expected by the middle of this year. Industry players said they have been hearing about the possible change, although no one has been informed officially. Trans-Cab managing director Teo Kiang Ang said such a move would not be desirable as it is likely to drive up COE prices, translating into higher business costs. Premier Taxis managing director Lim Chong Boo said companies would have to make "strategic changes to the business model" if they are allowed to bid again. Motor traders expect the move, if implemented, to displace more private car buyers. For the past few years, private-hire operators have edged out thousands of car buyers with aggressive fleet expansions. Yet, many of the cars they bought lie idle. Mr Ang Hin Kee, adviser to the National Taxi Association and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, concurred. "We have a zero car growth policy. This is not a very smart way of doing things," he said when asked what he thought about the massive idle fleet, estimated to number more than 2,000. Mr Ang, who is also deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, had called for a cap on the taxi and private-hire car population. He pointed out that there are about 130,000 taxi and private-hire vocational licence holders, and too many drivers vying for commuters. Mr Ang said the age requirement for new taxi and private-hire drivers could also be raised to prevent an oversupply of drivers.

Hi all, be very honest as my first thread i did not know where to position this thread but posting it here anyway. backstory, my mum drives grab part time and is returning the car to the previous rental company in less than 3 months time ( we signed 1 year ) until now , under coverage, only my mum was able to drive the car under insurance, although i still drove the car with the companies consent , they have told me that there will be next to no coverage or super high excess should anything happen to me or the car while i was driving the car anyone currently, is driving grab gojek tada , rents a car, but the company also covers another young driver (for personal use only) with less than 2 yrs exp?? we are currently looking at vezel / CHR/ ioniq hybrid or regardless what car , there was no topic whatsoever i could find on this topic thanks all !!

as if congestion is not enough.. or missed out the underlying message.

It seems that there are car sales everywhere.. Is it really GSS time for cars, or just gimmicks? I recently had a chat with one rep, and the rep confided, that around this time, the companies, typically the ADs, will need to rouse up sales if they have not met the annual targets. And if you get it now, from reps who have not met their annual targets, there is a bigger hunger, so they will be willing to share their commissions with you, and help you get a better price. Having been to two sales recently, I can tell you from a first person point of view that the reps are truly keen to close a deal, and if you are really keen, get that cheque book ready, there are deals to be had. For example, BMW has their 100 year sale, and one can score a BMW 116d for 123k plus a bunch of freebies. The quantum of freebies that you get will depend on your bargaining skills and which rep is more hungry. So is a senior rep better or a junior one? IMO, the latter. He / she has targets to met, and is more willing to forgo the commission in order to keep his / her job.

In an experiment that involved sending out more than 2,500 resumes either with or without photos of the applicant, economics researchers Bradley Ruffle at Ben-Gurion University and Ze’ev Shtudiner at Ariel University Centre sought to answer the question of whether being good looking could help you find a job. The answer surprised them: Not if you’re a woman. Pretty women faced an uphill struggle to get a chance at a job. The economists hadn’t reckoned on the fact that 93 percent of the HR staffers deciding whether to call in someone for an interview were female. It turns out that HR women (who also tend to be young and single and hence still in the dating market for men) are eager to meet with handsome men. But they’re jealous of beautiful women. So your business is losing out on talented people (and wasting time with untalented ones) based on their looks. Everybody has a Human Resources horror story, which is why, in the words of one writer, HR is widely thought of as “at best,a necessary evil — and at worst, a dark bureaucratic force that blindly enforces nonsensical rules, resists creativity, and impedes constructive change.” HR, goes the refrain, is too important to be left to HR. Here are a few of the reasons HR types are impossible: They speak gibberish. “Internal action learning.” “Being more planful in my approach.” “Human capital analytics.” “Result driven.” Even HR people realize their words are meaningless. Check out their B.S. bingo game. They revel in red tape. CEOs complain that HR seems to put compliance first, people afterwards. A survey of C-level executives in Europe found that 42 percent of respondents described their HR employees as too absorbed in process and heedless of the big picture. The blogger “Ask the Headhunter” notes that your HR department will never let you fire anyone because “who wants to risk a lawsuit?” Solution: fire the person anyway. And send the HR person who stonewalled you right out the door behind him. They live in a bubble. “As HR leaders we feel ourselves to be near the pinnacle of the organization,” wrote one HR exec.”The organization reports to us. It must meet our demands for information, documents, numbers.” Leaders? As is often the case with bureaucrats, servants are mistaking themselves for masters. They’re also clueless about the subject they pride themselves in knowing best, which is people. Eighty-three percent of HR folk believe their employees intend to stay on for another year, double the percentage of employees who said that. A similar number, 81 percent, of HR workers believe their employees would recommend the company to a friend. Only 38 percent of the employees agreed. These failures matter: Employee turnover costs businesses an estimated $11 billion a year, with recruiting costs standing at roughly 150 percent of the employee’s annual salary. A Dale Carnegie/MSW Research report warned that employee turnover could rise as high as 65 percent. They aren’t really in your business. HR places a disturbingly high premium on what it calls “communication skills” and what you and I call “talking.” A survey found that 83 percent of HR professionals cited training in communication skills (they spent their college years in Watercooler 101?) as important to getting a job in the field, while only two percent cited the importance of classes in finance. Actually knowing how the business runs doesn’t much register with HR. Using HR as talent spotters makes about as much sense as asking the florist for help filling out the roster on your basketball team. The HR industry has noticed that (as CBS News once put it), “Everyone hates HR.” But its inclination is to what all failing industries do: dig in their heels. “The consensus in the industry,” wrote Times of London columnist Sathnam Sanghera, after reviewing some HR publications, “is that the only way to rescue HR is to elevate its importance.” Fortunately, business is moving the other way, to reduce HR departments by outsourcing its paper-pushing functions; PriceWaterhouseCoopers, for instance, estimates it can shave 15 to 25 percent off your HR costs. These humans are simply not resourceful enough. We should be glad HR is going the way of acid-wash jeans.

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2014/07/car-insurance-companies-want-to-track-your-every-moveand-youre-going-to-let-them/374165/ I rather like this idea. Wonder when we could see this here. More details on the link. After analysis of billions of miles in driving data, Progressive has found that key driving behaviors—like actual miles driven, braking, and time of day of driving—carry more than twice the predictive power of traditional insurance rating variables, like a driver’s age, gender and the year, make and model of the insured vehicle.

The faces of CEO who's coy own plantation in Sumatra Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings, Ltd URL: http://www.aprilasia.com/in Boss: Sukanto Tanoto (陈江和) Indonesian Named richest Indonesian in 2008 by Forbes magazine Total net worth of US$ 2.8 billion (ranked 418th on Forbes 500 list GreenPeace investigation finding: APRIL sells paper in the United States under half a dozen brand names, including the office paper brand Paper One. You could be subsidizing rainforest destruction, for basic printing and photocopying, without even knowing it. http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns...-Limited-APRIL/

Checked w DA and AVA, only comprehensive cover. I heard nowadays 3rd party and comp only less than $100 diff in price? any agents can help pm me

from what i can see from here, http://app.ltgallery.lta.gov.sg/data/0/lta...20Annex%20A.pdf Taxi operators pay the prevailing quota premium (PQP) to replace their taxis within 6 months of de-registration of their taxis. If the taxi is not replaced by paying PQP, the de-registered taxis would be recycled as replacement COEs. so they are not replacing old taxis but ADDING new taxis to the fleet?

Read today papers and it left a bitter after taste in my mouth (not from my Kopi O Kosong). Its so easy to catch 16 agencies but the pump prices (now with masking of discounts, tie up with Credit cards, reward point perks) - with a simple Math calculation, are all the same. Sorry for the Saturday <RANTING>

I feel insurance companies should ban drivers from making any 1st party claims if the accident is caused by excessive speeding. I feel its simply not fair to pass the expenses to us for these people's irresponsible actions. Speeding is something that is totally within the driver's control (no such thing as accidentally speed unless car got problem like Toyota). Thus if the driver lost control of his/her car and wrap tree etc, why should insurance companies pay? I feel speeding is even worse than doing illegal mods to the car. Of course, when I said excessive speeding, it means there is really evidence of excessive speeding. Eg. some cars can bang till engine fly out or overturn several times or go over barriers and land on opposite roads etc.... I don't see how such accidents can happen if you are driving within limits or even slightly above limits (eg. 70 on a 50 road).

Company gives mercs!!! so envy wor... in sg context, no matter how hard u work once a mistake is made dan forever u will be condemned not considering the past contributions...

TOKYO, 23-Apr-2010

I have a question. I paid my car last week. The agent said i can get my car this week. My question is how did they manage to do it? I was told by my colleagues that it takes two weeks to get a license number. I wonder if my agent just wants to get my $$$ - that is, her commission.

Hi all bros and sis. I am actually trying to find out why some companies will resort to such acts. The scenario is given below: Auntie A has not been working for quite some years. Her relative asked her to pass her her NRIC card to apply for some "incentives" government is giving to senior citizen. Auntie A started to receive $5+ from company X in CPF monthly contributions and get the checks from CPF for the Workfare something scheme. Auntie A never worked for company X. What benefits does company X have to make Auntie A a bogus employee? - Evade tax? i can't really find this online. please assist.

I do usually read the sgcarmart under used cars to update me with the prices of cars being sold in sg what i notice that mostly the agents/companies will just put the price of the car only so i hope dear agents/companies, if you read this pls put monthly price in your advertisment to avoid customers disappointment my 2 cents tought

Hi all, Singapore being a tiny state but majority of their taxi are high cc, turbo-charged cars. Wonder what is the rationale? For some countries that are many time its size, their taxi are usually the smaller and more fuel economical 1.6L cars. Of course, there are countries that have fleets higher cc taxi but they have much longer distance and wider areas to cover. Perhaps, Singaporean passengers have bigger butts to begin with. So is there a benchmarking sytem or decision making system that dictate whether a taxi should be of certain technical specification? If I can see 1.5L cc taxi plying on our road, I'm quite sure we don't need higher cc taxi that burn more fuel and give them the potential opportunity to rev hard, which many have complained here in the past. What is your take? Thank you very much. Regards,

Why cant one petrol station lower their price so that everyone will patronise them? Like if everyone 1.8 per L. Lower to 1.5? If they do that, i am sure they will earn big bucks.

Hi Guys, I just got a call from a headhunting company at my office saying so and so MNC is inviting me for an interview due to recommendation from someone within the manufacturing industry. However, the role of the job to put simply, is a sales position, albeit with a wider scope but in a sort of sunset sector of the industry. Not doubting my capabilities, but are there hoaxes or misleading calls going around in the market recently? I've got plenty of recruitment calls from financial consultant firms and the likes, so its definitely not a "green" experience for me.