why wy?

For those following the short but eventful NKF vs SPH trial, chlim01 has a good roundup of articles about it. Of course, if you are enjoying warm tropical weather and a kopi-peng right now, there is more than enough about it in the local papers.

I guess the crux of the issue is how a charity should be run. Run as a business, the CEO is underpaid (only $600k a year), the 12-month bonus is standard along with the first-class travel and perks. However, when you are the public head of a charity which bombards people with appeals, stages expensive and dangerous stunts to raise money, inflicts guilt on those that don't donate... things are different.

I don't begrudge TT Dorai his basic salary, because he did turn NKF into a massive money generator, with reserves of over $200 million. Which charity wouldn't want to have access to that kind of money? But because it is a charity at the end of the day, I would expect the people working there to be socially conscious, and really, no one needs gold taps in the office.

I've actually met the man, who came across as tall and distracted, in an arrogant fashion. He did have, as one journo told me, a nose that can cut cake (ie aquiline) and I've always remembered him with that comment in mind.

Of course, the actual moral of the story is don't throw stones at people if you live in a glass house, and, don't sue a powerful media company that prides itself on digging up stories (the journalists), has ex-civil servants in management and a big team of very nice lawyers working for them.

link of the week (and weeks to come)
The kingdom of loathing is a very funny online adventure game, where meat is currency, beer is a restorative and you get attacked by ninja snowmen and a sabre tooth lime.