What do you think?
- wong chee tat :)
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Unprotected sex on increase among young in Singapore
Unprotected sex on increase among young in Singapore
Posted: 28 September 2010
SINGAPORE: New survey data released in conjunction with World Contraception Day on Sunday, shows that unprotected sex is on the increase among young people in Singapore
Sixty-one per cent sexually active young people between the ages of 16 and 19 surveyed have had sex without contraception with a new partner, a 12 per cent increase from the previous survey done in 2009.
Only 23 per cent of young people in Singapore consider themselves to be very well informed about contraception options.
This compares with 51 per cent globally.
The survey, which supported by a coalition of 10 international organisations with an interest in sexual health said there is a significant disconnect between young people's attitudes to accepting responsibility for contraception and what they are doing in their day to day lives.
It added that the results also highlight that confusion around contraceptive options is still widespread, with highly unreliable contraceptive methods, such as the "withdrawal" method still being viewed as effective.
The survey involved 25 countries and over 5,000 young people aged between 15 and 24 across Asia Pacific, Europe, North American and Latin America.
The survey results are significant as the level of unplanned pregnancies is a major global concern, particularly among young people.
Worldwide, about a third of the 205 million pregnancies which occur each year are unplanned.
In Singapore, the figure is about 2000.
President of the Singapore Planned Parenthood Association, Edward Ong, said with an increasing number of unwanted and unplanned pregnancies as well as abortions, providing education and supportive services is critical, especially for young people.
One healthcare group in Singapore that is stepping to the plate is the Singapore Medical Group.
It will distribute educational booklets at its two gynaecology centres in Singapore.
- CNA/fa
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 28 September 2010
SINGAPORE: New survey data released in conjunction with World Contraception Day on Sunday, shows that unprotected sex is on the increase among young people in Singapore
Sixty-one per cent sexually active young people between the ages of 16 and 19 surveyed have had sex without contraception with a new partner, a 12 per cent increase from the previous survey done in 2009.
Only 23 per cent of young people in Singapore consider themselves to be very well informed about contraception options.
This compares with 51 per cent globally.
The survey, which supported by a coalition of 10 international organisations with an interest in sexual health said there is a significant disconnect between young people's attitudes to accepting responsibility for contraception and what they are doing in their day to day lives.
It added that the results also highlight that confusion around contraceptive options is still widespread, with highly unreliable contraceptive methods, such as the "withdrawal" method still being viewed as effective.
The survey involved 25 countries and over 5,000 young people aged between 15 and 24 across Asia Pacific, Europe, North American and Latin America.
The survey results are significant as the level of unplanned pregnancies is a major global concern, particularly among young people.
Worldwide, about a third of the 205 million pregnancies which occur each year are unplanned.
In Singapore, the figure is about 2000.
President of the Singapore Planned Parenthood Association, Edward Ong, said with an increasing number of unwanted and unplanned pregnancies as well as abortions, providing education and supportive services is critical, especially for young people.
One healthcare group in Singapore that is stepping to the plate is the Singapore Medical Group.
It will distribute educational booklets at its two gynaecology centres in Singapore.
- CNA/fa
- wong chee tat :)
Monday, September 27, 2010
Networks
Some days ago, I had some discussions with guys about TCP/IP and computer networking.Thanks all for your thoughts, queries, etc.
- wong chee tat :)
Friday, September 24, 2010
Facebook apologizes for worst outage in 4 years
Facebook apologizes for worst outage in 4 years
TAIPEI, 24 SEPTEMBER 2010 -
Many Facebook users were unable to access the social networking site for up to two and a half hours on Thursday, the worst outage the website has had in over four years, Facebook said in a posting.
The problems were traced back to a change made by Facebook in one of its systems.
The change was made to a piece of data that was called upon whenever an error-checking routine found invalid data in Facebook's system. The piece of data was itself interpreted as invalid, which caused the system to try and replace it with the same piece of data and so a feedback loop began.
The loop resulted in hundreds of thousands of queries per second being sent to Facebook's database cluster, overwhelming the system.
The result for users was a "DNS error" message and no access to the site.
"The way to stop the feedback cycle was quite painful - we had to stop all traffic to this database cluster, which meant turning off the site," wrote Robert Johnson, director of software engineering at Facebook, in a post on the site. "Once the databases had recovered and the root cause had been fixed, we slowly allowed more people back onto the site."
The problem hasn't been entirely fixed. Johnson said Facebook had to turn off the automated system to get the website back up and running. But that system does play an integral role in protecting the website.
Facebook is now exploring new ways to handle the situation so it won't lead to another feedback loop.
"We apologize again for the site outage, and we want you to know that we take the performance and reliability of Facebook very seriously," he wrote.
It's the second day Facebook was brought down for some users. On Wednesday, Facebook blamed a third-party networking provider for making the site inaccessible to some.
- wong chee tat :)
TAIPEI, 24 SEPTEMBER 2010 -
Many Facebook users were unable to access the social networking site for up to two and a half hours on Thursday, the worst outage the website has had in over four years, Facebook said in a posting.
The problems were traced back to a change made by Facebook in one of its systems.
The change was made to a piece of data that was called upon whenever an error-checking routine found invalid data in Facebook's system. The piece of data was itself interpreted as invalid, which caused the system to try and replace it with the same piece of data and so a feedback loop began.
The loop resulted in hundreds of thousands of queries per second being sent to Facebook's database cluster, overwhelming the system.
The result for users was a "DNS error" message and no access to the site.
"The way to stop the feedback cycle was quite painful - we had to stop all traffic to this database cluster, which meant turning off the site," wrote Robert Johnson, director of software engineering at Facebook, in a post on the site. "Once the databases had recovered and the root cause had been fixed, we slowly allowed more people back onto the site."
The problem hasn't been entirely fixed. Johnson said Facebook had to turn off the automated system to get the website back up and running. But that system does play an integral role in protecting the website.
Facebook is now exploring new ways to handle the situation so it won't lead to another feedback loop.
"We apologize again for the site outage, and we want you to know that we take the performance and reliability of Facebook very seriously," he wrote.
It's the second day Facebook was brought down for some users. On Wednesday, Facebook blamed a third-party networking provider for making the site inaccessible to some.
- wong chee tat :)
More Details on Today's Outage (Facebook)
by Robert Johnson on Friday, September 24, 2010 at 8:29am
Early
today Facebook was down or unreachable for many of you for
approximately 2.5 hours. This is the worst outage we’ve had in over four
years, and we wanted to first of all apologize for it. We also wanted
to provide much more technical detail on what happened and share one big
lesson learned.
The key flaw that caused this outage to be so severe was an unfortunate handling of an error condition. An automated system for verifying configuration values ended up causing much more damage than it fixed.
The intent of the automated system is to check for configuration values that are invalid in the cache and replace them with updated values from the persistent store. This works well for a transient problem with the cache, but it doesn’t work when the persistent store is invalid.
Today we made a change to the persistent copy of a configuration value that was interpreted as invalid. This meant that every single client saw the invalid value and attempted to fix it. Because the fix involves making a query to a cluster of databases, that cluster was quickly overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of queries a second.
To make matters worse, every time a client got an error attempting to query one of the databases it interpreted it as an invalid value, and deleted the corresponding cache key. This meant that even after the original problem had been fixed, the stream of queries continued. As long as the databases failed to service some of the requests, they were causing even more requests to themselves. We had entered a feedback loop that didn’t allow the databases to recover.
The way to stop the feedback cycle was quite painful - we had to stop all traffic to this database cluster, which meant turning off the site. Once the databases had recovered and the root cause had been fixed, we slowly allowed more people back onto the site.
This got the site back up and running today, and for now we’ve turned off the system that attempts to correct configuration values. We’re exploring new designs for this configuration system following design patterns of other systems at Facebook that deal more gracefully with feedback loops and transient spikes.
We apologize again for the site outage, and we want you to know that we take the performance and reliability of Facebook very seriously.
- wong chee tat :)
The key flaw that caused this outage to be so severe was an unfortunate handling of an error condition. An automated system for verifying configuration values ended up causing much more damage than it fixed.
The intent of the automated system is to check for configuration values that are invalid in the cache and replace them with updated values from the persistent store. This works well for a transient problem with the cache, but it doesn’t work when the persistent store is invalid.
Today we made a change to the persistent copy of a configuration value that was interpreted as invalid. This meant that every single client saw the invalid value and attempted to fix it. Because the fix involves making a query to a cluster of databases, that cluster was quickly overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of queries a second.
To make matters worse, every time a client got an error attempting to query one of the databases it interpreted it as an invalid value, and deleted the corresponding cache key. This meant that even after the original problem had been fixed, the stream of queries continued. As long as the databases failed to service some of the requests, they were causing even more requests to themselves. We had entered a feedback loop that didn’t allow the databases to recover.
The way to stop the feedback cycle was quite painful - we had to stop all traffic to this database cluster, which meant turning off the site. Once the databases had recovered and the root cause had been fixed, we slowly allowed more people back onto the site.
This got the site back up and running today, and for now we’ve turned off the system that attempts to correct configuration values. We’re exploring new designs for this configuration system following design patterns of other systems at Facebook that deal more gracefully with feedback loops and transient spikes.
We apologize again for the site outage, and we want you to know that we take the performance and reliability of Facebook very seriously.
- wong chee tat :)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
System Updates
I purchased one router quite sometime ago in July or Aug (I can't remember the exact date when I bough it), and monitored for performance for a while. The performance is quite good. I will plan to make changes to the router soon. Current plans for changes (changing and customizing firmware and settings, changing topology,etc ).
Updated the Sony Ericsson software to version 2.10.9.13. I will update the phone's firmware and test as soon as I'm free.
- wong chee tat :)
Updated the Sony Ericsson software to version 2.10.9.13. I will update the phone's firmware and test as soon as I'm free.
- wong chee tat :)
Restaurants, bakeries ramp up production to meet demands for mooncakes
Restaurants, bakeries ramp up production to meet demands for mooncakes
By Milton Sau | Posted: 07 September 2010 2250 hrs
By Milton Sau | Posted: 07 September 2010 2250 hrs
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 Mooncakes |
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SINGAPORE : The Mid-Autumn festival which runs from September 9 to October 7 is just around the corner.
And pastry sellers have been working hard to meet demand for mooncakes. These traditional treats are an indispensable delicacy during the festive season.
Competition for the best mooncakes is getting intense.
These days, there are more restaurants and bakeries producing their own mooncakes.
That has led to an increase in demand for pastry chefs who specialise in such delicacies.
In the wake of a shortage of mooncake chefs, some businesses have tried to secure additional production facilities to increase their supply of mooncakes.
"We've invested in a factory to produce mooncakes based on overwhelming response last year. We did 1.5 million. So going forward, we would like to produce more to cater to the market demand," said Robert Han, Group GM of The Quayside Group.
And pastry sellers have been working hard to meet demand for mooncakes. These traditional treats are an indispensable delicacy during the festive season.
Competition for the best mooncakes is getting intense.
These days, there are more restaurants and bakeries producing their own mooncakes.
That has led to an increase in demand for pastry chefs who specialise in such delicacies.
In the wake of a shortage of mooncake chefs, some businesses have tried to secure additional production facilities to increase their supply of mooncakes.
"We've invested in a factory to produce mooncakes based on overwhelming response last year. We did 1.5 million. So going forward, we would like to produce more to cater to the market demand," said Robert Han, Group GM of The Quayside Group.
- CNA /ls
- wong chee tat :)
Survey shows continued active hiring pace in Q4
Survey shows continued active hiring pace in Q4
By Mustafa Shafawi | Posted: 07 September 2010 1115 hrs
By Mustafa Shafawi | Posted: 07 September 2010 1115 hrs
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SINGAPORE: It is still a job seeker's market in Singapore in the months ahead.
According to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, the active pace of hiring is expected to continue.
Of the some 700 employers interviewed, across seven industry sectors in Singapore, 25 per cent expect to increase headcount, three per cent anticipate a fall, while 70 per cent foresee no change to their workforces.
Employers report the same outlook when compared with the previous quarter, but hiring prospects improve by eight percentage points year-over-year.
Manpower Singapore country manager Peter Haglund said the difference in employer confidence from the first two quarters of last year to now is encouraging.
Employers in all seven industry sectors forecast positive headcount growth in quarter four.
The strongest hiring prospects are reported in the public administration & education sector, and in the wholesale trade & retail trade sector.
A steady hiring pace is anticipated by employers in the mining & construction sector, and in the finance, insurance & real estate sector.
Services sector employers predict respectable growth in staffing levels, but hiring activity is expected to be modest in the transportation & utilities sector.
-CNA/wk
According to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, the active pace of hiring is expected to continue.
Of the some 700 employers interviewed, across seven industry sectors in Singapore, 25 per cent expect to increase headcount, three per cent anticipate a fall, while 70 per cent foresee no change to their workforces.
Employers report the same outlook when compared with the previous quarter, but hiring prospects improve by eight percentage points year-over-year.
Manpower Singapore country manager Peter Haglund said the difference in employer confidence from the first two quarters of last year to now is encouraging.
Employers in all seven industry sectors forecast positive headcount growth in quarter four.
The strongest hiring prospects are reported in the public administration & education sector, and in the wholesale trade & retail trade sector.
A steady hiring pace is anticipated by employers in the mining & construction sector, and in the finance, insurance & real estate sector.
Services sector employers predict respectable growth in staffing levels, but hiring activity is expected to be modest in the transportation & utilities sector.
-CNA/wk
- wong chee tat :)
Survey shows strong hiring outlook for Q4
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Office workers in Singapore |
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SINGAPORE : It is still a job seeker's market in Singapore in the months ahead.
According to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, the active pace of hiring is expected to continue in the fourth quarter, with the net employment outlook at a seasonally adjusted +23 per cent.
The figure is derived by subtracting the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in headcount from the percentage of employers expecting an increase.
Net employment outlook for Q3 was +21 per cent.
Of the 699 employers interviewed across seven industry sectors in Singapore, 25 per cent expect an increase in headcount, 3 per cent anticipate a fall, while 70 per cent foresee no change to their workforce.
After adjustment to account for seasonal variation, employers reported the same outlook when compared to the previous quarter, but hiring prospects have improved by 8 percentage points compared to last year.
"The fourth quarter outlook indicates that an active pace will continue through the end of the year. And employer hiring expectations have levelled out at a +20 per cent to +25 per cent, which is a clear improvement from last year," said Peter Haglund, country manager of staffing consultancy Manpower Singapore, which conducted the survey.
"Current levels of employer optimism may be more sustainable than the survey results that peaked above +50 per cent in 2007 and early 2008," he added.
While the employers in all seven industries forecasted a positive headcount growth for the next quarter, the Public Administration & Education sector reported the strongest hiring prospects, with a net employment outlook of +29 per cent.
This was a 3 percentage point increase from the previous quarter.
Compared to the previous quarter, the Wholesale Trade & Retail Trade Sector Outlook improved by 13 percentage points, to +27 per cent.
However, hiring prospects in the other five sectors weakened quarter-over-quarter.
The employment outlook in the Transportation and Utilities sector declined by 16 percentage points, to +7 per cent, while employers reported a 10 percentage point decline in the Services sector to +17 per cent.
A steady hiring pace is anticipated by employers in the mining and construction sector, and in the finance, insurance and real estate sector.
These are still stronger hiring intentions compared to the Q4 of 2009, said Manpower Singapore.
Haglund said hiring expectations in the Service industry has declined for three successive quarters, and "it will be interesting to see how this develops in Q1 2011."
"It is also evident that the competition to woo talent is back sooner than expected. Companies with the best HR strategies will stand a stronger chance to move forward, as long as they understand it is critical to have strategies in place to attract and retain talent," he added.
This means, addressing career opportunities and individual development instead of just "paying the highest salary."
According to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, the active pace of hiring is expected to continue in the fourth quarter, with the net employment outlook at a seasonally adjusted +23 per cent.
The figure is derived by subtracting the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in headcount from the percentage of employers expecting an increase.
Net employment outlook for Q3 was +21 per cent.
Of the 699 employers interviewed across seven industry sectors in Singapore, 25 per cent expect an increase in headcount, 3 per cent anticipate a fall, while 70 per cent foresee no change to their workforce.
After adjustment to account for seasonal variation, employers reported the same outlook when compared to the previous quarter, but hiring prospects have improved by 8 percentage points compared to last year.
"The fourth quarter outlook indicates that an active pace will continue through the end of the year. And employer hiring expectations have levelled out at a +20 per cent to +25 per cent, which is a clear improvement from last year," said Peter Haglund, country manager of staffing consultancy Manpower Singapore, which conducted the survey.
"Current levels of employer optimism may be more sustainable than the survey results that peaked above +50 per cent in 2007 and early 2008," he added.
While the employers in all seven industries forecasted a positive headcount growth for the next quarter, the Public Administration & Education sector reported the strongest hiring prospects, with a net employment outlook of +29 per cent.
This was a 3 percentage point increase from the previous quarter.
Compared to the previous quarter, the Wholesale Trade & Retail Trade Sector Outlook improved by 13 percentage points, to +27 per cent.
However, hiring prospects in the other five sectors weakened quarter-over-quarter.
The employment outlook in the Transportation and Utilities sector declined by 16 percentage points, to +7 per cent, while employers reported a 10 percentage point decline in the Services sector to +17 per cent.
A steady hiring pace is anticipated by employers in the mining and construction sector, and in the finance, insurance and real estate sector.
These are still stronger hiring intentions compared to the Q4 of 2009, said Manpower Singapore.
Haglund said hiring expectations in the Service industry has declined for three successive quarters, and "it will be interesting to see how this develops in Q1 2011."
"It is also evident that the competition to woo talent is back sooner than expected. Companies with the best HR strategies will stand a stronger chance to move forward, as long as they understand it is critical to have strategies in place to attract and retain talent," he added.
This means, addressing career opportunities and individual development instead of just "paying the highest salary."
- CNA /ls
- wong chee tat
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