Chronic fatigue syndrome and Mood Swings

I am so tired these days. So weary and worn out. Not from work or housework or anything like that.

Besides that my shoulders are aching and I have mild chest pains.

I just felt so and I simply cannot help it. I think I am suffering from Chronic fatigue syndrome.

CFS as defined by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Symptoms of CFS include widespread muscle and joint pain, cognitive difficulties, chronic, often severe mental and physical exhaustion and other characteristic symptoms in a previously healthy and active person.

I am also feeling a bit depressed. Sometimes, I even find myself on the verge of tears for no reasons at all.

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For those of you who dun have such issues, it is easy to say, "Snap out of it!".

Oh please, you just DUN understand! Talk is CHEAP. Dirt Cheap! It is so easy to just mouth off! It is so simple to say Snap out of it when it does not happen to you. It is not as easy as that!

Walk a mile in my shoes and maybe you will understand. If you have some sort of compassion.

Mostly I dun like to voice out aloud all these personal "issues" cos when it is verbally expressed or expressed in whatever manner, it just seems so foolish and petty.

This is not just being in the right state of mind as I had read in some blog. This has something to do with the chemical imbalance in the brain. It has not been scientifully proven what sort of chemical imbalances that causes emotion distress or anxiety, but it is definitely NOT just trying to get attention from people.

And it is not some imaginary thing as some people thought.

Imagine Allan Ooi telling his friends or family in confidence, " I am depressed over my present job and I see no future at all. Just feel like ending it all."

Half of the people who heard this would probably think he was just stressed and joking. Most of the rest would just think it is a silly, ridiculous and stupid idea, bore out of boredom and frustrations. How many can actually empathise with what he was going through at that point in time.

Yeah, when such "suicidal concepts" are expressed out, they just sounded so .... minor and petty. Nothing to die for.

Until it is too late and the person attempted suicide or end up dead.

I had an experience some time back. I was seeing this counsellor cos I was depressed. I was foolish to think that the counsellor would help me in some way so I did voiced out all my "concerns". Naively and innocently. I was young then. And stupid to think people would understand.

After the so called "confessions", she told me I was just seeking attention and a perfectionist. She said I was not happy cos things did not go my way.

In other words, I dun think she believed me at all. Why? Cos I had no previous attempts at suicide.

Maybe to her, my life and death issues were just too minor, too petty, too stupid. This is what she made me felt after my "confessions". And I regretted telling her.

My depression worsened and within the next few weeks, I attempted suicide.

Luckily or unluckily, I survived.

I was "forced" back to the counselling center a few weeks after that. This time under another new counsellor.

However, I had lost faith in counselling by then. And the first and last words I said to the new counsellor was, Save it. You wun believe me. You dun believe it. What's the point then?

And I kept my big fat mouth shut after that.

I attended a few sessions after that and I was not very open to counselling any more. I was just sitting there, wasting my time.

The new counsellor said he was sorry with what happened to me and the prior counsellor. And that he would try to win my trust back.

But it was too late. I had lost my faith, respect and trust in all these counselling help agencies.

At around the same time, I was also seeing this psychiatrist.

I dun think he believed in me either. Maybe it was just me. I wasn't very believable?

In fact, he told me in one of the session to just go and jump or do whatever to die and he would not give a damn. Why? Cos he simply dun care.

And he was NOT a newbie. He was this old man in his 40s or 50s.And a senior psychiatrist.

Well, I dun know if it was reverse psychology or whatever. But I did thought of dying that week then. And taking him along for the ride.

I stopped seeling him soon after that and a few months later, another attempt.

Anyway, this post is NOT to lament about how suicidal I am now. I am NOT suicidal NOW.

Actually this post is suppose to be under another topic, but somehow, the feel and words just flowed. So yeah, it is a bit off topic here.

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Anyway, I was feeling so exhausted these few days and slept for an average of 14-16 hours a day. But even after all these hours of sleep, I still felt so worn out and tired.

And I really dun have the energy or strength to deal with any form of stress and drama.

I have this blood test on friday and a medical appointment on saturday.

But I just dun have that energy to discuss with the doctor any of my medical condition. This blood test and medical consultation are part of my quarterly every 4 months regular routine going on for years to monitor my uric acid level as well as my liver, kidney etc.

So I told SO that I wanted to change the appointment to another date. Preferably a day next month.

SO was just adamant that I go this week. He even threatened to die. That bitch! He thought I was just going though some bitchy tantrums.

I was really really worn out. I just told him NO. I told him not to force me or I would take drastic actions. What I was thinking was that if he simply refuse, I would just book myself into some hotel alone and disappear for a few days.

I just need that calm and peace. I could not deal with anyone at this point of time. I am NOT ready.To see a doctor or anything like that!

Well, he finally relented. And helped to change the appointment to middle of May.

I am still tired but also relieved. I dun know why I felt so. It is as if a huge load had been lifted off my back and chest.

Frankly, now I am still very tired but also just a tiny teeny bit happier.

Toy Boy Club

New Paper
13 April 2009

Some S'porean women spend hundreds of dollars or more to flirt with the toy boys in these KTV clubs

Tai-tai: I visit club because I can't resist temptation

By Maureen Koh and Tan Kee Yun

IN her own words, she's happily married to a businessman who lavishes her with expensive gifts and dotes on their sons.

Her two teenage boys are 'good kids, obedient and respectful'.

But all that is not stopping the 42-year-old tai-tai from seeking - and paying for - the company of toyboys at karaoke clubs.

Yes, she said she knows that her nights out could easily tear the family apart, as her husband thinks she's out playing mahjong with her tai-tai friends.

Yet, said Madam Wang, who agreed to be interviewed on condition we did not use her full name: 'The temptation is just too irresistible.

'I'd feel something was missing if I had to skip one of my regular visits to the club.'

Her regular haunt is one of several KTV-like clubs catering to women that have sprouted across Singapore.

There are at least 11 such clubs, all of which opened in the past year.

Young, good-looking men sing, dance and cuddle up with women like MadamWang at these places.

The New Paper on Sunday team spent four nights over three weeks at seven clubs in areas such as Tanjong Pagar, Katong, Jalan Besar and Shenton Way.

Women easily made up 95 per cent of the clubs' clientele - and they were treated like queens.

Whether it was raucous sleaze or discreet fun, everyone got a chance with the male hosts.

When we first spotted Madam Wang at a club in Jalan Besar around 7pm on a weekday, she was on a high chair, leaning across the glass-top table, smiling at a Thai host.

He held a slice of watermelon, teasing her. Each time she was about to nibble at the watermelon, he'd move his hand away and her lips would nearly meet his.

The routine, repeated several times in the four hours that Madam Wang was at the club, left her giggling.

She said later: 'It may sound silly to you, but he made me feel young all over again. That's one feeling I don't get from my husband any more.'

That 'youthful feeling' comes at a price. The bill for about three hours of chatting, entertainment, a plate of fruits and three jugs of beer for our team at the club came to nearly $500.

Madam Wang said she spends about $1,500 each night. If she takes a male host out to supper, it can set her back by another $150 an hour.

'Selling dreams'

Such clubs are successful because they 'sell dreams' - as it says in the club's tag line. At such places, said psychologist Richard Lim, women can 'indulge in the thrill of an alpha-female relationship' and 'fulfil their needs to be desired'. (See report on page 14.)

The club's black, wooden doors appear intimidating. But the door bitch (or bouncer) was far less intimidating than those you're likely to encounter at some other clubs.

She is likely to usher you into the dimly-lit club without much fuss - even if you have not made a reservation.

With a friendly smile, she settled her guests into the sofas, couch seats or bar stools - all arranged in a mix-and-match fashion.

There is no dress code. Women customers were dressed mostly in office attire or simple black dresses.

At two-hour intervals, about 30 male entertainers from Thailand, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea - and even Singapore - took turns to strut on the stage.

They were geared up to dazzle in smart, fashionable attire.

Some wore body-hugging shirts or tight tees that showed off their toned muscular arms. Others were suited up in sleek leather jackets and black pants.

And almost all of them sported immaculately waxed and tousled hair, like trendy pop celebrities.

After the emcee called out their numbers - no names - they stepped up and mumbled into the mike. Most times, we couldn't really hear what they said, except the names of their countries.

What followed was like what goes on in Thai discos where customers can buy flowers for their favourite entertainers, with the two floor managers approaching customers to stake their claim on their choice for the night.

Garlands of plastic flowers were priced at $30, $50 and $80, while sashes started from $100 and went up to $1,000.

There was no live band. The men sang karaoke-style and performed with much gusto and improvised dance moves.

Results varied drastically, ranging from some who could do a nifty imitation of professional singers to those who seemed to be tone-deaf.

But singing appeared to be secondary. Most of the men were young and hunky, with some sporting model looks.

Making their rounds

The men went from table to table between their sets to chat or play dice games over drinks.

They flirted and teased, sometimes with a hand on the lap, or an arm across the shoulder, a whisper or just holding hands.

Think simple 'boyfriend touches' - an effect that is probably lacking in the women's lives.

There were no vulgar moves in the club, except for the occasional over-indulgent woman. One was locked in a tight embrace with a Chinese entertainer - despite the presence of her eight women friends.

The Chinese host seemed to be the most popular, getting about $1,800 worth of garlands and sashes whenever he sang.

While the owner of the club declined to be interviewed, he insisted that the club was 'like any other normal karaoke club'.

What takes place after closing hours is beyond his control, he added.

That is when the story becomes murky, with some women and the men singing different tunes, as we discovered during our stake-out...

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New Paper
13 April 2009

They're not just looking for sex

Experts say women visit such clubs so they can feel loved and desired

By Maureen Koh and Tan Kee Yun


DO the rising number of clubs catering to women - at least 11 which have opened in under a year - necessarily mean that women are becoming bolder or wilder?

No. It could be a sign of emotional angst.

Loneliness, said psychologist Richard Lim, is often a silent killer of marriages.

'Often, it hits women more than men,' said Dr Lim, who has been practising relationship counselling for more than 10years.

'And illicit affairs can sometimes fulfil a woman's need to be desired.'

Women who only visit such clubs may not even feel that they have broken their marriage vows.

Dr Lim explained: 'For them, they think it's harmless flirting, nothing more. And they feel that as long as sex is not involved, there's no real sense of being unfaithful.'

But it appears that sex is sometimes involved. And that, of course, may lead to complications and difficulties.

Seeking comfort

Ms Chang H M, 49, principal therapist at Care Corner Counselling Centre, told The New Paper on Sunday: 'Most of these women head to such clubs to seek comfort in their lives.

'For many years, they could not feel the love from their husbands, so from their point of view, it could very well be a scenario like this: 'Since my husband is out all the time working and making money, with no time for me at all, I'll go out, enjoy myself and spend his money'.'

She added: 'Every woman needs love. And for those few hours they are in the club, the young, handsome men working there are able to shower them with love that their husbands aren't able to.'

Sexual pleasure for women is usually closely linked to emotion, said Ms Chang.

'We cannot deny that some ladies do want to indulge in the enjoyment of sex with those young boys, but it's likely that most just want to feel loved, and are not looking for merely the physical act itself,' she added.

But Ms Chang said one should not judge and criticise the women's actions. Instead, there is a need to find out what lies at the core of their need for attention.

Ms Lim Puay Leng, 32, a senior social worker with Fei Yue Community Services, agreed.

She said: 'In many cases, the main reason for a woman seeking 'alternatives' to her marriage is that her husband is unable to meet her emotional needs.

'Some become very depressed because they are unable to get their husband's attention, and they can't share their misery with anyone else.'

Ms Lim felt that in any breakdown of a relationship in which one party has strayed, it was important to hear both parties' voices.

She explained: 'It's never one side who is totally wrong.'

Ms Lim said that in recent years, though the number of men involved in extra-marital affairs still ranks significantly higher than the number of women who do so, she has witnessed 'an increase in men who call counsellors suspecting their wives (are) straying'.

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New Paper
13 April 2009

One host promises our reporter...

'I'll make you feel like a woman again'

WHILE most of the club performers do not end up in bed with their woman customers, some welcome the extra income.

When The New Paper on Sunday team first visited one club, one of the men offered 'more personal attention away from the public eyes' - for $150 an hour.

Number 70 - as he was introduced - also promised the reporter: 'You won't be disappointed with my service, guaranteed to make you feel like a woman again.'

All the 22 women customers who spoke to us insisted they did not have sex with the male hosts.

But the men told a different story. Most claimed that some women would drop hints about taking the entertainment to another level. And there were others who asked about rates openly.

Budget hotels were the most common rendezvous spots.

To prove he would be worth the money, No70, who is from Shanghai, provided a referral - Madam Wang.

He pointed to her and said: 'I saw you talking to her, you can ask her what she thought of my service.'

When we asked Madam Wang, she initially insisted that she only chatted with him.

But pressed further, she added: 'He was good, I was happy, but it's not all the way like you think it is.'

She did not want to give more details and subsequently avoided our calls.

But for the men at the club, extra activity can only happen after work.

The 26-year-old man did not want to confirm if the club owner knew or approved of his moonlighting.

He said: 'Let's just say we keep each other mutually happy with whatever arrangement we have.'

There was also the personal attention this reporter got from another host, Number 89 from Thailand.

He has been here for about a month and has picked up Cantonese from a fellow Thai.

Going out for supper was fine, but No 89 hesitated when asked if he'd consider other activities.

He claimed: 'I usually like to keep it clean and simple for first-time customers, until I'm really familiar with you.'

But that did not keep him from giving us his undivided attention.

And when we left abruptly on the first night while he was on the stage, he looked genuinely dejected.

Back for more

On our second night, he came by our table and said: 'Oh what happened that night? You didn't even tell me you were going off.'

And when he realised we had spoken to two other boys, he smiled sadly before walking away.

Later, when we revealed that we are journalists, No 89 claimed he 'knew there was something different about the group'.

Added the 28-year-old host: 'I felt you were special but I didn't realise how 'special'.'

While he professed his eagerness to make a new friend, No 89 declined to be photographed.

He was only willing to share 'stuff that were not trade secrets'.

The hosts don't have a basic salary and most of them are here on social visit passes.

He claimed: 'Those who don't have a permit are told to claim they're customers if there are any checks.'

The real money they make, he added, comes from the garlands and sashes, and the drinks that customers order for the night.

Said No 89: 'The percentage varies from boy to boy, depending on our popularity. The hotter ones get a bigger cut.'

On an average, they can easily earn $3,000 to $4,000 a month.

He added: 'But the really popular ones can make up to even $2,000 a night.'

Not all the men are comfortable with physical flirting or teasing. Jeed, 28, a Thai, spoke of his short and unpleasant stint at the club.

He had worked previously as a singer at the Thai pubs in Chinatown and Golden Mile.

Jeed confided that he 'didn't know what I was getting into' when he signed on for a stint at this club.

But when he realised it was so different from his previous gigs, where he got to sing with a live band and even had dancers backing him up, he said he 'felt bored'.

He later returned to his hometown, Chiangmai.

- Additional reporting from Gan Ling Kai

Lady Transformer

New Paper
12 April 2009


S'porean transforms the Transformers

INSTEAD of looking for a job, Ms Sabrina Ng has decided to play with toys.

And why not, considering that the fresh graduate's fascination with Transformers toys is helping her make a steady income at a time when her peers are finding it tough to get a job.

The business graduate is currently making waves in the local and international toy scene by creating customised versions of Transformers toys.

Each day, Ms Ng, 24, devotes close to 12 hours to give the toys a 'complete make over'.

Other than giving the models a paint job, other aspects she fiddles with are the aesthetic appearance of the hands, as well as adding accessories like shields.



Only recently becoming a fan of the series after the release of the Transformers movie in 2007, she has been customising for a year, with help from her boyfriend, Mr Syed Muzaffar, 26, who is in the fitness line.

'At first, we started customising because of our love for Transformers, and not so much about the money. We never expected all of this to happen,' she said.

With the help of the Internet, and support from noted US toy customisers like Mr Michael Morgan of Action Figure Customs, and Mr Michael Accardi (also known as Frenzy Rumble), Ms Ng has built a name for herself in the international custom Transformers scene.

To date, the highest paid for piece - a 10-inch movie version of Optimus Prime, with accessories - was auctioned off online for about US $1,000 ($1,520).

The six-inch models she works on a regular basis cost about $20 from retailers.

But after going through her precision customisation, the toys usually fetch US$360 after a seven-day period of bidding.

Despite the lucrative returns, Transformers customisation - which she describes as an 'excellent hobby'- is not what she intends to do on a permanent basis.

'I do want to find a job in human resources, making use of my degree, but the job market isn't too good right now, so I'll be doing this for the time being,' she said.

One returning customer, and creator of www.tf.sg, a local website for Transformer enthusiasts, Mr Justin Chua, 27, alerted The New Paper to Ms Ng's work.

He owns one of Ms Ng's work - Hearts of Steel Optimus Prime - and another two are on the way.

'I bought something I really liked, and even though I paid a certain sum for the work, it's really worth it,' he explained.

'They are not something I can get from the manufacturer.'

Ms Ng is currently collaborating with Mr Accardi, an established combiner - the art of combining parts of various Transformers - from the US.


ROBOTS IN HER DISGUISE: (Top) Ms Sabrina Ng, with some of the Transformers models she and her boyfriend have customised. (Above) Painstakingly done by hand, Ms Ng patiently dry-brushes a section of a Transformer. --TNP PICTURES: KELVIN CHNG

When asked about why he chose to work with Ms Ng, he said: 'She has a great eye for detail and her painting skills are top notch.

'I wouldn't trust my custom projects with anyone else.'

The collaboration piece will coincide with the launch of the second installation of the Transformers movie series due out in June 2009.

So it comes as no surprise that her one wish is 'to appear on Transformers 3 in 2011!'

Those who want to find out more about the custom Transformers, can visit Ms Ng's website, http://www.artsylovers.blogspot.com/.

Nude for virtual pets

New Paper
12 April 2009


WHY DID SHE DO IT?

'I like the thrill... It's just for fun'

Some netizens stunned by move; counsellor & psychiatrist wonder if she'll keep promise

By Liew Hanqing

IT SEEMS she is willing to exchange real-life nude pictures of herself for something that exists only in cyberspace - items for her online pet.

Is that all her modesty is worth?

The question doesn't seem to bother the Facebook user, who introduces herself as Ling Er, an 18-year-old Singaporean.


Photo from Facebook

Her offer has drawn some flak, even from other netizens who are blase about such shenanigans.

As one of them put it, she may have taken games addiction and online barter to a new low.

The teenager set up a Facebook group last month to get netizens to give her virtual items for her character in the popular game Pet Society on the networking site.

Birthday suit

The name of her group: My birthday suit contest. (name changed to my pet society page)

To date, some 133 users have signed up as members of the group.

The game, which can be played by Facebook members who download it, allows them to create and play with a virtual pet, buy it items, and pit its 'skills' against those of others.

The object of the game is to acquire as many points as possible.

These points allow players to acquire more virtual items for their pets' homes.

On her Facebook group, Ling Er has appealed to netizens to give her their most valuable Pet Society gifts possible.

She claimed that senders of the best five gifts would get a set of nude pictures of her in return.

They have to do so by 1May.

She has even listed those who have sent the most valuable gifts so far.

The teen wrote on the site: 'I will send you guys pics of me in my birthday suit that I was born with.'

Er, does she mean baby pics, perhaps? Who knows.

But since the group was set up, it has attracted more than 100 members, almost all of them men.

In an e-mail reply to The New Paper, Ling Er said she started playing Pet Society just over two weeks ago, and that she plays the game daily, but for less than an hour each time.

She declined to reveal her real name.

The teen said she had started the Facebook group 'just for fun'.

'Also, I like the thrill and I want more gifts (for my pet),' she added.

Asked if she sensed any danger in sending her nude pictures to total strangers, she replied: 'In this day and age, it is easier to find pictures of this nature online than news updates from around the world.'

And will they really be her own pictures? Well, all we know is that she has already put up some that are supposed to be preview pictures.


Photo from her FaceBook

She claimed that other local women had taken and distributed nude pictures of themselves online with little consequence.

'They're still doing fine,' she insisted.

However, keeping or distributing obscene pictures is against the law.

Ling Er said she has received virtual gifts from more than 10 people in her group.

These include a virtual lamp, guitar and bath tub.

A member of the Facebook group, who declined to be named, said he had joined the group 'for fun'.

He said he had come across the link to the group from a friend's Facebook profile and decided to join on a whim.

'The name of the group sounded interesting, so I decided to have a look. I don't even play the game,' he said.

He added that he found it odd that anyone would offer nude pictures to strangers for virtual items.

'If the items were real, it would be understandable,' he said.

Student Kevin Chua, 16, who is an avid Pet Society player, added he was surprised when a friend told him about the group that had been set up.

He said: 'It's not something you see every day. I just hope she doesn't get into trouble doing this.'

He added that he knew of people who traded virtual items on Pet Society forums and groups on Facebook, but had never seen somebody offering such a deal before.

'It's quite shocking to see what people would do just to get items for an online game.'

Psychiatrists and counsellors that The New Paper spoke to raised their doubts as to whether the promise would be kept.

Gimmick

Said Mr Charles Lee, senior counsellor at Tanjong Pagar Family Service Centre: 'I think she is using sex as the attraction. We don't know if she will give the photos, it could just be a good gimmick.'

However, Mr Lee and Dr Brian Yeo, a consultant psychiatrist at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, said that the act only served to reflect her lack of modesty.

Said Mr Lee: 'Assuming that she really sends nude photos, it just shows her low self-esteem. How she does not care about her privacy? It shows that her relationship with this pet is ranked above her own privacy.'

Parents we spoke with also expressed their concern.

Mrs Magdalene Wong, 53, a mother of two, felt that it was worrying such things could be happening on the social networking site.

She said: 'It's quite shocking to know that it's being used in such a competitive way. Other people who see it might decide to do something that may be even worse.'

- Additional reporting by Joanna Hor, newsroom intern

Pick a pet and pamper it

IT is a wildly popular game on social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, that basically involves taking care of a virtual pet.

At the start, you can customise your own pet by choosing its facial features and colour and by naming it.

Next, you will be taken to its house, where you are required to play with it, buy it items and feed it.

The aim of the game is to earn as many 'Paw Points' and 'Pet Society Coins' as possible.

This is achieved by making sure that your pet is healthy, happy and clean.

The status of your pet will be indicated on the right side of the screen by three icons - a heart, a smiley face, and a shower head.

To earn more Paw Points and Pet Society Coins, you should feed, wash, stroke and play games with your pet.

You can also visit others with pets.

As you earn more Paw Points, you will be able to unlock new items that will upgrade the living conditions of your pet.

Coins enable the user to buy new items for the pet or buy gifts for the pets of friends.

You can select the item you want to give and drag it to a gift box.

You can then can select the friend you want to give the gift to.

- Joanna Hor Peixin, newsroom intern

Goodbye Rich

I dun know Richard Stanley, the late CEO of DBS.

I had read of his rare cancer which was diagnosed in late January. I was a bit shocked cos he was still quite young and it was a bit too suddenly.

I know people get cancer and all sorts of diseases all the time. But I am still shocked whenever that happen.

And then 2 and a half months later, Richard died. It was much too sudden.

Yeah, healthy young people died all the time but I was still shocked by this facts of life. It was just 2 months plus. So soon? Too soon?

As someone who was quite financially well off, he can afford to have the best treatments and doctors available. And yet, he ended up dead.

Life is so unpredictable.

I dun think Richard or his family would ever think he would die so young and so early in life.

One day, Richard was suffering from flu symptoms and the next few days, he was diagnosed with leukemia. And less than 3 months later, he was dead.

Life is a joke. A cruel bitter joke sometimes. One moment he was at the top of the world and the next, he was just ashes.

That's what life is all about. All fragility. Easy huffed out in just moments! Here one moment and gone the next.

Frankly, if something similar were to happen to SO, I dun think I can handle it.

I dun know how I would react or handle the situation. I would probably collapse and crack. Into many pieces. Or I would probably become stark raving mad.

But then if I would be the one to get a terminal disease, I would not be surprised at all.

My health has not always in the best state.

I have gotten gout and cataracts some years back. Doctors have told me it was quite rare for some one my age but not that impossible. They have seen young patients with similar conditions. But in small numbers.

Anyway, when someone died in their prime, it is very diificult for the family get over, cos it happen so unexpectedly. So suddenly.

It was too unexpected and sudden, even for me. A total stranger.

So, Rest in peace, Rich and goodbye. You have lived a good life.

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Straits Times
12 April 2009

DBS CEO dies of cancer

By Gabriel Chen

FRIENDS and family on Saturday night flocked to the wake of DBS Group Holdings chief executive Richard Stanley, who died on Saturday morning after a short battle with leukaemia.


In his nine-month stint as CEO, Mr Richard Stanley not only made his mark professionally by seeing DBS through one of its most trying times, but he will also be fondly remembered for his warm, personable leadership style. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

His body is resting at the Singapore Casket and his funeral will be held tomorrow at the Church of St Teresa in Kampong Bahru Road.

In a statement, the bank said Mr Stanley, 48, died at 8.36am.

His family 'kept vigil all night long and were by his side as he slipped away peacefully', added the statement. He is survived by his wife, Ms Koh Li Peng, and three children.

Mr Stanley was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukaemia in late January and had been responding well to treatment.

After two rounds of chemotherapy, his doctors believed that his cancer was in remission. But his weakened immune system made him susceptible to infection, said the bank. His condition rapidly deteriorated over the last 48 hours and he succumbed to the infection.

DBS chairman Koh Boon Hwee said that DBS staff are deeply saddened by the loss.

'We will miss Rich and our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time of bereavement,' he said.

DBS also said that Mr Koh will continue to oversee management, a role he took on after Mr Stanley's diagnosis. 'There will be no change in the bank's strategic direction,' it said. 'It will announce succession plans in due course.

Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who spoke to reporters at a constituency event in Marine Parade, said he was very saddened by the death of Mr Stanley, and extended his condolences to his wife and family.

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Infection after chemotherapy led to death

HOW do you deal with a cancer that attacks blood?

Early diagnosis and treatment improve the odds of beating this fast-spreading blood cancer, or acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML).

But it was an infection, soon after his latest round of chemotherapy, that led to the sudden death of DBS chief Richard Stanley yesterday.

In fact, doctors had felt that Mr Stanley's AML was treatable when it was diagnosed in late January. Mr Stanley, 48, went to see a doctor when he had flu-like symptoms, including fever and a cough, over the Chinese New Year holidays.

Tests over the next three days confirmed he had AML.

The bad news came just nine months after he became chief executive of Singapore's biggest bank. He took leave, for up to six months, and began chemotherapy treatment at once.

In a staff memo then, DBS chairman Koh Boon Hwee said doctors felt Mr Stanley's condition was treatable and full remission was possible.

Haematologists who spoke to The Sunday Times yesterday explained that AML is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes abnormal white blood cells. These leukaemia cells build up in the bone marrow and blood, so there is less room for healthy cells. The causes of AML are mostly unknown.

It is a very serious illness and the cancer can worsen very quickly if not treated. Dr Benjamin Mow, consultant haematologist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, said: 'If it is not treated, the person can die within three months.'

Patients have even died within two to three weeks of diagnosis due to complications from the disease or during treatment, said Dr Koh Liang Piu, senior consultant at the National University Cancer Institute.

Even with treatment, chances of recovering fully come with caveats. A normal, healthy person might have a 40 per cent to 50 per cent chance of recovery. But the elderly or sickly will have less than a 10 per cent chance, said DrKoh.

A relapse is common, occurring in three or four out of every 10 'cured' AML patients, he said.

In the less serious cases, the patient will have to go through four cycles of chemotherapy as treatment. The more serious and risky cases will need both chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, said doctors.

Because AML patients lack white blood cells needed to fight infection and disease, they have to be isolated during treatment to minimise the risk of infection.

Their single-bed isolation wards are specially cleaned. The few visitors who see them have to wash their hands and wear a face mask before entering the room. Such care is needed because, often, it is infections which lead to death among AML patients - especially after chemotherapy treatment.

Said Dr Koh: 'After chemotherapy, the patient's immunity is very low for the next two to three weeks. This is when the risk of infection is very high. Usually, death happens during this period.'

In a statement yesterday, DBS said Mr Stanley contracted an infection after chemotherapy, after which his condition 'deteriorated rapidly' in the last 48 hours.

Mr Stanley was treated at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. His doctor, consultant haematologist Dr Freddy Teo Cheng Peng, could not be contacted yesterday.

Infections can come from anywhere - from airborne bacteria to the pre-existing bacteria carried by the patients themselves. In very serious infections, such as blood or lung infection, the patient can die within hours, said Dr Koh.

Internal bleeding is also a common cause of death among AML patients, the worst being bleeding in the brain. This can happen suddenly and results from a lack of healthy platelets which help to form blood clots.

Said Dr Mow: 'Usually when the patient no longer responds to chemotherapy or becomes very sick, it might be too late to do anything else.'

ORAL sex can lead to throat cancer

New Paper
11 April 2009


Sex act linked to throat cancer

ORAL sex can lead to throat cancer, say US scientists.

A study conducted by Johns Hopkins University has revealed that the human papilloma virus (HPV) poses a greater risk in contracting cancer than smoking or alcohol.

Oral sex is the main mode of HPV transmission.

And those who had already experienced a previous oral HPV infection were 32 times more likely to develop cancer.

The American study of 300 people also found that that those with more than six partners were almost nine times at greater risk of contracting the disease.

During the study, men and women who had been recently diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer had blood and saliva samples taken and were also asked about their sexual practices and family history.

They found HPV16 - one of the most common cancer-causing strains of the virus - was present in the tumours of 72 per cent of cancer patients, reported the Daily Mail.

Scientists said the majority of HPV infections had no symptoms and often did not require treatment.

But they also said a small percentage of those who contracted high-risk strains may go on to develop cancer.

Study author Dr Gypsyamber D'Souza told the BBC: 'It is important for health care providers to know that people without the traditional risk factors of tobacco and alcohol use can nevertheless be at risk of oropharyngeal cancer.'

Co-researcher Dr Maura Gillison said that oropharyngeal cancer is still relatively uncommon and that most people who contracted HPV probably wouldn't develop throat cancer.

Dr Julie Sharp, science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: 'As this was a small study, further research is needed to confirm these observations.

'We know that after age, the main causes of mouth cancer are smoking or chewing tobacco or betel nut, and drinking too much alcohol.'

Pitiful fines for PUBLIC transport operators

New Paper
10 April 2009

Profit of bus operator: $40.6 million
Fine for poor service: $4,500

No need for heavy fine, says expects

PUBLIC transport operators make millions of dollars every year, but when their service standards drop, they get slapped with what appears to be pitiful fines.

It's no more than a slap on their wrists, some commuters complained.

Earlier this week, bus operator SMRT Buses was fined $100 by the Public Transport Council (PTC) for overcrowding on service 925.

The other operator, SBS Transit, was fined $4,500 because some of its buses were overcrowded while others did not arrive frequently enough.

This was the third time both operators had been fined by the PTC for not meeting service standards.

But they received lighter fines this time after improving their performances.

On paper, the fines seem insignificant when one takes into account the profitability of these two public-listed companies.

SBS Transit's net profit was $40.6 million for the financial year ending 2008. For SMRT Buses, it was $1.5 million for the same period.

Industry-watchers, though, said that the fines are not meant to be hard-hitting.

Dr Paul Barter, an urban transport policy expert from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, agreed that these fines are inconsequential compared to the earnings of the operators.

But introducing punitive fines may worsen the situation, he said.

'Huge fines make it worse. These operators may not have enough money to employ more bus drivers or upgrade their infrastructure,' he added.

As a result, their service standards could get worse next year.

Dr Barter said: 'In this case, no one wins. Huge fines are not the right way because we want a viable industry and we want them (the operators) to do well.'

'Symbolic signal'

The fines are symbolic and the intention is not to drive the operators into the red but act as a signal for them to improve.

He said: 'This is a public punishment. Fining them is bad publicity (for the operators).

'There's a hidden message that it's not the punishment that hurts. The fine puts pressure on these operators to do well and to keep their franchise.'

In this case, the reputation of the company matters more than the fine.

'The operators need to be seen to be doing the right thing. But if they're not doing well enough, there's always the threat to yank the licence from them in the long run,' he added.

The current fines are the result of a review that took place from 1 Jun to 30 Nov last year. Reviews are done every six months.

SBS and SMRT were fined $9,300 and $1,000 respectively in the previous PTC review.

Dr Michael Li, a transport economist from Nanyang Technological University's business school, said that the fines serve as wake-up calls to the operators.

Though the fine may be as low as $100, it is still bad press for these operators.

He said: 'We shouldn't overreact to the fine, it shows that PTC is keeping a close eye on these operators. If we look at the number of trips the operators make, the number of breakdowns or overcrowding is small.

'It's a lapse in service and I am sure the operators don't want the fine, or the bad publicity.'

On the other hand, the fines imposed on SMRT and SBS Transit for lapses in their train services are more severe.

If they fail to meet the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) time intervals, they can be fined between $10,000 and $1 million.

The operators are required to consistently meet the minimum requirements of a set of Operating Performance Standards (OPS) set by LTA.

This means that operators have to run trains at the smallest possible intervals that the system will allow for during peak hours.

For example, between 7.45am and 8.30am, the wait should be between two and three minutes.

During the lunch-hour peak, commuters at Raffles Place should see a train pull up every three to four minutes.

LTA fined SMRT $387,176 over a seven-hour disruption to train service along the East-West line in January last year.

The fine - Singapore's largest ever for a rail-related incident - was imposed to reflect the seriousness of the incident, LTA said then.

Dr Li said that the fines may be heftier on rail operators for good reasons.

For starters, the train operation is almost predictable in terms of scheduling compared to buses.

He added: 'When one bus breaks down, you still can call for a back-up bus. But for trains, spare ones may not do because the track is already dedicated to that section.

'And the impact of a train delay or breakdown on commuters is many more times that of a bus. That's why the fines are higher.'

--------------------------


10 April 2009

Fine is too light, say commuters

A MERE slap on the wrist.

That's what Mr Colin Lim, 39, thinks of the fines meted out to the bus operators.

The cafe owner told The New Paper: 'If a commuter does not pay the bus fare, he would be fined $20.

'But one of the operators is fined only $100 for overcrowding on buses. It doesn't seem fair.'

The Public Transport Council (PTC) announced last year that bus and train fare cheats would have to pay a $20 penalty from 1 Jul last year.

Mr Lim also wrote to The Straits Times online forum yesterday to give his views on the issue.

He said: 'Fines amounting to merely $4,500 and $100 are pocket change to the bus companies and may send the wrong message to them.'

Mr Lim said he was no stranger to overcrowded buses.

About a month ago, he was waiting for bus service 980 along Upper Thomson Road at about5pm.

He said he waited about half an hour for the bus.

And when the bus finally came, it was so crowded that he was forced to stand on the steps at the front entrance.

Packed like sardines

On several occasions, he said that even though the buses were packed like sardines, he saw uniformed employees from the bus companies at Rochor Road in Little India 'pushing' as many commuters as they could on the buses.

Some netizens also criticised the fines handed out to the bus operators.

Said David: 'I doubt the deterrent measures carried out by PTC is effective enough. It's equal to not taking any action at all. So why go through the hassle simply for show?'

But some were more sympathetic towards the bus operators. Another netizen, Damien, said: 'To be fair, it is almost impossible to prevent overcrowding of (buses) during peak hours.

'If the PTC fines the operators for every instance of overcrowding, it would accumulate into a significant amount that will greatly affect the company's revenue and profits, which can be spent instead on more efficient public transport methods.'

Joanna Hor Peixin, newsroom intern

Auction this Sunday

I was reading the papers when I came across this ad for a public auction this Sunday 12th April.

Frankly, I have never been to any auctions before. But I have heard that if one does not quite mind the background of the item, one can get cheap items.

Well, when I say cheap, I dun mean low cost. What I mean is that the items are cheaper than the open market. Most of the items are jewellery or watches etc.

Of course, the prices also depends on the other bidders.

If someone else is also interested in the same item and is also willing to pay, then there may be a price war.

The auction starts at 1pm and viewing of the items from 11am onwards.

Venue is Hilton Hotel, Vista room 3, Level 3, 581 Orchard Road.

The catalogue is available at http://www.firststateauctions.com/3367

My say on Facebook

Previously I was denied that chance to speak out after I was kicked out of my school 's facebook group.

And today, while surfing the net, I found out through a member of the group that they are having a gathering this weekend!

Of course, I am NOT invited since I was no longer part of the group.

But this event was an open event and open to everyone, not just members!

Frankly, I really have no intention of meeting them this soon. Years ago, in school, I had nothing in common with them and now, I also dun see anything common.

It was just finally my chance. I have been bottling up my feelings of indignant after being booted from the group TWICE! And I just want to make known how I feel.

So I RSVP "Maybe" in order to post and made the following wicked comments.

--------------------------

Can I attend?

I guess cannot. Cos I was kicked out of the face book group. TWICE! So I suppose I am not that welcome.

And the thing is no one even had the decency to ask if I was a classmate before booting me out of the group and then making the group a closed one after that.

Well, how do you know how I was your classmate then?

Cos I know...

(Content is of identities of the members and their past history)

End of the World in 2012!!

oohm...end of the world.

Did not think it would happen in my generation or even the next generation.

And if this doomsday solar storm really is to come in 2o12, I hope to be among the first to die.

After all with no electricity, no power, no water and then hunger, thirst and diseases.

Life would just be suffering as mankind adjust to primitive life without modern electricity.

Will modern technology help evade this event?

Well, only time will tell.

-------------------------

New Paper
9 April 2009

A solar storm coming?

Space scientists warn of possible disaster in three years' time

By Ng Tze Yong

A GRIM prediction of a world teetering on the edge of apocalypse has come, not from the lips of soothsayers or lunatics, but from space scientists.

In a report funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences earlier this year, space scientists warned of a massive solar storm wreaking havoc on Earth in 2012.

A solar storm - essentially plasma balls spewing from the surface of the sun - can distort the Earth's magnetic field.

A particularly big one can destroy the tens of thousands of expensive and hard-to-build transformers in power grids worldwide.

This will plunge major cities like Singapore into blackouts, which are expected to last months, or even years, as new transformers are painstakingly manufactured.

Standstill

Meanwhile, with no power, modern life grinds to a standstill.

In the first moments of this catastrophe, trains will collide and planes will crash, as their communications systems fail.

Satellites will crash back to Earth like meteors.

Hospitals, with their life-sustaining support systems, will see some of the most urgent needs at first.

But eventually, millions may die from hunger and thirst.

With no power, food cannot be processed or delivered. Water cannot be pumped from reservoirs into homes.

Back-up generators will help, but only for a few days before their fuel runs out.

As sewage systems fail, diseases will break out.

Horses will replace cars, the financial system will collapse and, in a silver lining of sorts, there will certainly be no more e-mails for you to clear.

Unsurprisingly, the report has generated much buzz.

Some accuse Nasa of scare-mongering in a bid to draw more funding.

But some independent experts have also praised the report as 'fair', 'balanced' and 'thoughtful'.

In an e-mail interview with The New Paper, Dr Mike Hapgood, who chairs the European Space Agency's space weather team, wrote: 'The report brought in expertise from a diverse range of organisations in academia, government and industry...and the ideas were tested by debate in the best traditions of the science and technology community.'

The report is not controversial for its subject, but for its conclusions.

Solar storms are, after all, nothing new. Several hit the Earth every year but most are harmless, resulting only in auroras, the spectacular light shows usually seen in the night sky over the polar regions.

But mankind's increasing reliance on technology has made us vulnerable in unprecedented ways.

Just how exactly does a storm 150 million kilometres away make your bedside lamp go kaput?

A solar storm comes in three parts (see graphics right), harmful in various ways.

It is the third and main force, a sledgehammer of an electrified gas cloud called the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), that delivers the killer punch.

By upsetting the Earth's magnetic field, the CME induces currents in the long wires of power grids.

The grids were not built to handle this kind of destructive overload.

So disaster will strike at transformers in power grids worldwide - where voltage is converted up or down for the transport and consumer use of electricity respectively.

The increased currents create strong magnetic fields that saturate the transformers' magnetic cores.

This gives rise to runaway current in the transformers' copper wiring, which rapidly heats up and melts.

Replacing a fried transformer is not like replacing a spark plug on a car engine. They are expensive machines, and no one keeps a spare transformer around the house in case a solar storm hits.

It will take years before the transformers are painstakingly rebuilt, and the world fully recovers.

Hope may lie in an ageing satellite named Ace.

Short for Advanced Composition Explorer, Ace is a space probe positioned directly between the sun and the Earth, built precisely to study solar storms.

Ace plays a crucial role because no matter how large the solar storm approaching Earth is, we can only predict the potential damage it causes once we know its polarity.

Just like a magnet, a solar storm has either a north or south polarity. If it's north, the storm may bounce off the Earth's magnetic field harmlessly.

But if it's south, we'll have to brace for fried transformers.

There is one way to save these transformers - shut them down before the storm arrives. But that will be a big gamble.

Ace is able to provide between 15 and 45 minutes of warning. But a power station needs about an hour to shut down.

This means the decision to shut down a power station must be taken before the destructive nature of the storm is known.

At stake are billions of dollars in lost business and millions of saved lives.

The sun goes through a 22-year cycle of fluctuating solar activity. The next peak is expected in 2012.

What if the perfect storm arrives then?

The report does not offer solutions. It is intended to spark a discussion but even that is an uphill task.

'It is hard for people to worry about solar storms when there are empty stomachs to feed,' said Mr Ang Poon Seng, vice-president of The Astronomical Society of Singapore (Tasos).

Mr Hapgood agrees that it is hard to prepare for Low Frequency High Impact Events (lingo for catastrophic but rare events like solar storms), but it would be foolish not to.

Apocalypse may be near. But it is perhaps also necessary to maintain some perspective in matters of such colossal nature.

Said Mr Albert Lim, president of Tasos, half in jest: 'You have a higher chance of getting knocked down crossing the road than getting fried in a solar storm.'