More Starhub Woes

Further signs of Starhub struggling to manage its overspending on acquiring the rights to broadast the English Primier League. ESPN Starsports (ESS), the sports channel that has been broadcasting premier league matches on Starhub's cable network, has failed to reach an agreement on fees this season. ESS obviously decided that it will not overpay for Starhub's mistake.

Analysts had earier predicted that bids for the rights to broadcast the EPL from ESS, Singtel and Starhub would top S$150m. However, Starhub shocked everyone when it won the competition with a whopping S$246m bid. Starhub has apparently been struggling since to try and recoup from its miscalculation. Much to the ire of its subscribers, it raised cable charges by $4 across the board, then hammered its sports channel customers by almost doubling rates from $15 to $25 a month. Starhub probably tried to do the same to the fees it charges ESS. Like many unhappy customers who reportedly cancelled their sports subscription subsequently, ESS chose not to bow to Starhub's demands. So now Starhub will either have to spend more money to broadcast the games on its own, or find someone else willing to cough up the money to buy the games off its shoulders. There are unconfirmed news of a Dubai group considering a deal.

In addition to the EPL fiasco, Starhub has also failed in its attempts to launch the I-mode network here and is still struggling to penetrate landed property households. Will we see Starhub CEO stepping down soon? Looking at things, a golden handshake for its CEO might be the best thing for Starhub going forward.

Game Over For Checkers

What would happen if two of the best checkers players in the world met and both played the perfect game of their lifes? A draw, according to scientists. After 13 years and 500,995,484,682,338,672,639 moves later, 50 computers have come to the conclusion that a perfect game of checkers cannot be won or lost but will inevitably end in a draw. Scientists say that this is proof that the best player can't count on executing a cunning move to win, but can only hope not to make a mistake to lose a game.

Talk about an anticlimax...

BBC: Computers crack famous board game

How The Internet Has Changed Me

Then: I read Sports, Home News, World News, Life Section, Finance Section (in order)
Now: I read Sports, World News

Then: I watch CNA before I sleep in bed
Now: I watch Taiwanese variety on Channel U before I sleep in bed

Then: I know Ministers by their full name
Now: I refer to Ministers by their acronyms

Then: MIW is what you use when you go overseas
Now: MIW is a swear word

Then: I like porn
Now: I'm tired of porn

What about you?

Marrying Venus

Aaron Ng tries to tackle a question from a friend - when does one know if its time to marry someone. Is there such a thing as being too early, or too late?

The best answer is - there's no good or bad time to get married (if you ignore the fact about one's biological clock). You will KNOW in your heart if you've met someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. Marriage is not logical. Trying to rationalise it is like trying to understand women. (Insert exemption clauses... Note to self: check personal accident insurance.)

If you have doubts about marrying someone, then he/she is obviously not the ONE. Yup, I believe in the ONE theory. Its the only logical explanation for someone making such an irrational decision, marrying someone.

I'd better stop here or else I'll be sleeping in the living room tonight!

So my answer - if you have to think, don't do it!