2014-05-04

MH370

You know, I really hate to put my dear country in the hotseat, but... based on this:
https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/aerospace/press-release/worlds-most-advanced-air-traffic-management-system-lorads-iii-goes
and this:
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/singapore-air-show/2014-02-12/new-singapore-atc-management-system-goes-live
how could Singapore not see MH370 go on a rogue flight path, even if its sorta kinda not really our business.

2014-04-03

MH370 that missing aeroplane....

I have followed developments, mostly via Tweeter feed, of this most vexing of modern-day disappearances.

For those of you who do not know about this international incident, please read up here ( newsfeeds may be ended, once the search drags on and public interest wans):
ChannelNewAsia feed 
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/specialreports/mh370
SkyNews feed
http://news.sky.com/story/1230474/search-for-flight-mh370-live-updates
I am omitting CNN and other news sources for now, because their filings are more speculative in nature, instead of being objective news reporting.

I have been constantly annoyed by conspiracy theorists and their doggedness at insisting their views are correct at the expense of all others. Tiresome folk, especially in the face of scientific fact.  It would do them some good to read the technical and scientific discussion on-going among engineers and scientists who are also interested in this aviation mystery.  Or so I thought.

I accept that some cloak-and-dagger political and defense issues permeate the search effort and level of cooperation among countries in the region.  Add to the mix the reticence of those nations possessing the technological edge in remote observation, in order to hide the extent of their prowess, and you have some very sticky negotiations for Malaysia to undertake.

Certainly, I commiserate with the families and loved ones of the missing passengers and crew.  But the aircraft must be found. It may take years and even a unique geologic or climatic event, to throw up the aircraft's remains, if I may call them that.  I am assuming that the prospects for finding evidence of MH370 "ending" its flight in the Indian Ocean, will diminish in the near future as I write this. 

Therefore, during the last 4 weeks, I have scoured updates and publicly-available information, to discover hints about what may have happened. Most of the sentiments and views expressed in social media seem to parallel those in coffee-shop talk.  The crumbs received from live press conferences broadcast in real-time were initially sensational, then rapidly became mundane bureaucrat-speak - possibly because of the "criminal investigations" which at this time, are on-going.

Having discounted and even disdained the conspiracy theorists and their online spluttering, I must now consider that in light of zero evidence to the contrary, their views may be the most startlingly valid after all.

2014-02-10

Rant warning

Rant warning.

A new year custom among Singaporeans of Chinese ethnicity, is the Lo Hei dish or tossed raw fish salad (substitute sliced cooked abalone if you're squeamish).  Auspicious phrases are uttered during the preparation of the dish, done at the dining table, and also during the communal tossing by diners.  Most of these phrases are celebratory in nature, such as (translated): "Happy New Year", " Have A Prosperous Year", "Good Health", "May All Go Well", you get the drift.

This morning, I received a message with a list of Christian phrases to replace the traditional ones.  Now, I really have nothing against the content of that message, but it was the intent that I am somewhat annoyed with.  One simply does not assume one has the impunity nor cultural licence to impose in a chavaunistic manner, one's religious perspectives on a cultural event.  This is exactly the kind of behaviour which offends those who are not of a similar religious background, or from a socio-cultural environment that is unfamiliar with one's religious tenets.  It's insensitive, and perpetuates the distaste with which contemporary proselytising Christians are met.

Please. Go away and reflect on a better approach.  Come up with a better alternative that fits in with a modern, plural, globally-linked community. Be aware of just how very connected this world has become, and how fast an insensitive attitude can propagate throughout the networked world.  When an equally rapid backlash occurs, don't say I didn't warn you.