When I saw the running ticker on Channel News Asia last night about a ferry sinking accident in Mersing/Sibu where 3 Singaporeans died, I laughed out loud and then I cursed.
How bloody stupid, I said.
Then I heard the details in the news bulletin later. Sadly, the details confirmed my suspicions all along.
29 passengers and 2 crew members on a bumboat designed for 12 peeople.
No one donned life jackets.
The ferry sank less than 300 m from the jetty.
So clever lor, Singaporeans.
Aiyah, never mind lah... sunny weather, short distance (to shore). Let's just squeeze a bit. Can one lah.
So "mah fun" (troublesome). No need to wear lah. All of us good swimmers right?
Thank you you, you all lor. For your heroic acts, your insurance covers are all void. Yay...
Man, I'm still seething from their sheer stupidity that I'm not even coherent here.
El stupido Singaporeans. Stupid, dumb, kayu, bodoh, gila, jiak sai tua...
More
Showing posts with label news headlines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news headlines. Show all posts
Monday, December 27, 2010
Friday, September 25, 2009
Sooner or later... BOOMZ
Miss Singapore/World 2009 needs no one to introduce her. I am going to unleash her to my readers and let her tell you about herself on Youtube.
Notwithstanding her zip-bra preens and how her red bigini goes boomz when she feels the need to be naughty, Miss Low was a bad hat.
According to the local tabloids, Miss Low was found guilty of credit card fraud in May; she was convicted of five charges of misappropriation, cheating using illegally obtained credit cards, and impersonating their users' identifies, and sentenced to 24 months of supervised probation. It went on to say that "it is unclear if Ms Low, crowned Miss Singapore World on July 31, will be able to leave Singapore to take part in the Miss World pageant to be held in Johannesburg in December, for which she will need court permission."
I think the zip-bras in Johannesburg will miss her if she isn't there. And Simba too. And how would one get light in the safari without Miss Low going BOOMZ?
Notwithstanding her zip-bra preens and how her red bigini goes boomz when she feels the need to be naughty, Miss Low was a bad hat.
According to the local tabloids, Miss Low was found guilty of credit card fraud in May; she was convicted of five charges of misappropriation, cheating using illegally obtained credit cards, and impersonating their users' identifies, and sentenced to 24 months of supervised probation. It went on to say that "it is unclear if Ms Low, crowned Miss Singapore World on July 31, will be able to leave Singapore to take part in the Miss World pageant to be held in Johannesburg in December, for which she will need court permission."
I think the zip-bras in Johannesburg will miss her if she isn't there. And Simba too. And how would one get light in the safari without Miss Low going BOOMZ?
Monday, August 17, 2009
Elections Coming?
The annual National Day Rally by the Prime Minister last night was a nicely veiled work review of the tasks his cabinet and members of parliament have been given and a report of the updates and achievements. As I sit through the entire speech, the signs of an upcoming elections are obvious. The Prime Minister is not different from a director making an annual update to his upper management the jobs he has assigned to his deputies and folks. Time to give me a promotion. Or for that matter, time to return me to office one more time. Otherwise, why would anyone have to do that at a NDR?
The usual slew of topics - bitching about Singaporeans not giving birth and announcing bonuses - is absent. Of course, what my government and I cannot achieve, we pay less attention to it. Let's showcase our successes instead. So, there were takes on issues such as religious tolerance, the AH1N1, Singapore past and now and possibly the future, and infrastructural updates. PM highlighted the work of all the ministries and gave them kudos.
Of course, in a speech like this, there were no lacking in certain understated but not to be missed moments.
PM Lee envision Singapore to be a Garden of Eden state. If I am not wrong, God owned the Garden of Eden. Enough said.
PM Lee said that people should be inclusive enough so that it is possible for people of different faiths to have a meal at the same table. Even if you don't eat what I eat, it is still possible to share a table. As yourself how many times certain meals must be from a particular religion and every one is forced to eat that, regardless? If there is inclusiveness, then let me eat what I want. In fact, I have asked my neighbour if he minded food that are free of his religious taboos but is cooked in my kitchen. His answer was yes, he minded. So there. Again, enough said.
PM spoke of how a clash between a funeral and a wedding took place. The wedding folks eventually acquiesced and chose an alternative, nearby venue and the town council waived utility charges. Er... I'm pretty sure if the dead person could walk, s/he might want to change a venue to save on charges too? Why not be fair and waive both charges?
PM spoke of the importance of the government to remain secular and the NGOs be that way too so that no one religious group can use such platforms to spread any of their (fanatic) agenda. He also wanted common space to exist. If that is the case, then why is Section 377A still in existence. The government and the laws should be above the religion! Anyone running afoul of Section 377A is a violation of "contract" between the person and the government; what have strong religious sentiment got to do with it? Why even use groups of fervent opposers as an excuse not to overturn the outdated law?
PM spoke of how the picture depicting the NS man (in the Mount Faber SAFRA) is appropriate - his wife is behind him and his kids beside. And how many NS men aren't married, can't even keep a wife, are divorced, don't want the kids they have, have a broken family etc? The rosy pictures are always nice. But show how it really is for the real NS man out there. Do you actually see us struggling with our IPPT? Do you actually see us losing out because of our ICT? Do you even see us?
PM spoke of how the PAP government brought the people out of slums and squatters. The audience laughed when PM spoke about Lim Kim San's visit to Chinatown where he faced a man lying in bed wrapped up in his blanket who claimed that he was being courteous to Mr Lim: his bunk mate and him shared a pair of trousers (gay??) and his mate has worn those trousers out to work then. What's with the laughter? What is so funny? Have we really moved out of poverty? If it were funny sharing trousers in the 1950s, then why is it not funny not having enough money to pay utility bills, pay children's school fees, pay town council charges, or even buy food for a proper meal? Haven't these people who should live with a d*mned paper bag over their heads for living beyond their means have even more to laugh about? Yet, why are they queueing up for handouts? Did they really live beyond their means or have they really no choice but have to live that way? Have we really rid Singapore of poverty? Are our lives really better now than before?
PM spoke of how people benefited from the government housing programme but he plain forgot that the very same government deprived most single Singaporeans from being able to benefit from any housing subsidies. (To qualify for any subsidy, a single must earn less than $3,000 per month. Pray tell how is that possible?) Worse, single Singaporeans now face housing prices that are way beyond their reach. Remember, singles can only buy from the open market and not directly from the Housing and Development Board. Open market flats which cost less than $100 000 from HDB when the owners first bought them cost at least 3 to 5 times as much in the open market. Singles who are attempting to own a unit will be saddled with a mountain of lifetime debt!
There are even more that I can talk about but the bottom line is this. We are busy building and rebuilding and even remaking Singapore into something more and more vibrant and cosmopolitan. However, little provision is made for the common man and its rapidly aging population. Step down facilities to be twinned with acute care hospitals are just one measure for the aged. How about other measures? What happens when I decide to retire? Even if the government raises retirement ages up to 80 years old, there will be one day when I cannot get out of bed any more. Or I simply won't. Then what? Am I condemned to work from 18 to 80 just because I am Singaporean, am poor and have no way to go?
There is little doubt that the PAP government will continue to rule Singapore for at least the next 15 to 20 years. I am no prophet and I am not in the business of speculation so I won't project beyond that. My only question is a simple one: When I am ready to go, where should I be so I can afford to die?
The usual slew of topics - bitching about Singaporeans not giving birth and announcing bonuses - is absent. Of course, what my government and I cannot achieve, we pay less attention to it. Let's showcase our successes instead. So, there were takes on issues such as religious tolerance, the AH1N1, Singapore past and now and possibly the future, and infrastructural updates. PM highlighted the work of all the ministries and gave them kudos.
Of course, in a speech like this, there were no lacking in certain understated but not to be missed moments.
PM Lee envision Singapore to be a Garden of Eden state. If I am not wrong, God owned the Garden of Eden. Enough said.
PM Lee said that people should be inclusive enough so that it is possible for people of different faiths to have a meal at the same table. Even if you don't eat what I eat, it is still possible to share a table. As yourself how many times certain meals must be from a particular religion and every one is forced to eat that, regardless? If there is inclusiveness, then let me eat what I want. In fact, I have asked my neighbour if he minded food that are free of his religious taboos but is cooked in my kitchen. His answer was yes, he minded. So there. Again, enough said.
PM spoke of how a clash between a funeral and a wedding took place. The wedding folks eventually acquiesced and chose an alternative, nearby venue and the town council waived utility charges. Er... I'm pretty sure if the dead person could walk, s/he might want to change a venue to save on charges too? Why not be fair and waive both charges?
PM spoke of the importance of the government to remain secular and the NGOs be that way too so that no one religious group can use such platforms to spread any of their (fanatic) agenda. He also wanted common space to exist. If that is the case, then why is Section 377A still in existence. The government and the laws should be above the religion! Anyone running afoul of Section 377A is a violation of "contract" between the person and the government; what have strong religious sentiment got to do with it? Why even use groups of fervent opposers as an excuse not to overturn the outdated law?
PM spoke of how the picture depicting the NS man (in the Mount Faber SAFRA) is appropriate - his wife is behind him and his kids beside. And how many NS men aren't married, can't even keep a wife, are divorced, don't want the kids they have, have a broken family etc? The rosy pictures are always nice. But show how it really is for the real NS man out there. Do you actually see us struggling with our IPPT? Do you actually see us losing out because of our ICT? Do you even see us?
PM spoke of how the PAP government brought the people out of slums and squatters. The audience laughed when PM spoke about Lim Kim San's visit to Chinatown where he faced a man lying in bed wrapped up in his blanket who claimed that he was being courteous to Mr Lim: his bunk mate and him shared a pair of trousers (gay??) and his mate has worn those trousers out to work then. What's with the laughter? What is so funny? Have we really moved out of poverty? If it were funny sharing trousers in the 1950s, then why is it not funny not having enough money to pay utility bills, pay children's school fees, pay town council charges, or even buy food for a proper meal? Haven't these people who should live with a d*mned paper bag over their heads for living beyond their means have even more to laugh about? Yet, why are they queueing up for handouts? Did they really live beyond their means or have they really no choice but have to live that way? Have we really rid Singapore of poverty? Are our lives really better now than before?
PM spoke of how people benefited from the government housing programme but he plain forgot that the very same government deprived most single Singaporeans from being able to benefit from any housing subsidies. (To qualify for any subsidy, a single must earn less than $3,000 per month. Pray tell how is that possible?) Worse, single Singaporeans now face housing prices that are way beyond their reach. Remember, singles can only buy from the open market and not directly from the Housing and Development Board. Open market flats which cost less than $100 000 from HDB when the owners first bought them cost at least 3 to 5 times as much in the open market. Singles who are attempting to own a unit will be saddled with a mountain of lifetime debt!
There are even more that I can talk about but the bottom line is this. We are busy building and rebuilding and even remaking Singapore into something more and more vibrant and cosmopolitan. However, little provision is made for the common man and its rapidly aging population. Step down facilities to be twinned with acute care hospitals are just one measure for the aged. How about other measures? What happens when I decide to retire? Even if the government raises retirement ages up to 80 years old, there will be one day when I cannot get out of bed any more. Or I simply won't. Then what? Am I condemned to work from 18 to 80 just because I am Singaporean, am poor and have no way to go?
There is little doubt that the PAP government will continue to rule Singapore for at least the next 15 to 20 years. I am no prophet and I am not in the business of speculation so I won't project beyond that. My only question is a simple one: When I am ready to go, where should I be so I can afford to die?
Friday, May 08, 2009
Welcome to Singapore
I'm sure some of us are waiting with open arms to have Mas Selamat back in our jails. I'm sure some people would have rolled out the red carpet when his convoy arrives. Alas, it's too late to save their careers?
Mas, Selamat Datang Ke Singapura. Balik rumah, bagus eh?
(Mas, welcome to Singapore. Good to come home, no?)
But, honestly, the Mas Flu fatigue has set in. I hardly saw any enthusiasm today about his capture. No one even cares. Have we become complacent or apathetic? Perhaps both.
Perhaps the peacetime (A)war(E) at Suntec is more exciting that capturing an almost impotent terrorist...
Mas, Selamat Datang Ke Singapura. Balik rumah, bagus eh?
(Mas, welcome to Singapore. Good to come home, no?)
But, honestly, the Mas Flu fatigue has set in. I hardly saw any enthusiasm today about his capture. No one even cares. Have we become complacent or apathetic? Perhaps both.
Perhaps the peacetime (A)war(E) at Suntec is more exciting that capturing an almost impotent terrorist...
Friday, April 24, 2009
My view
You know how I see the AWARE Saga?
It's something like "From barebreasted straight back into the Victorian corsets."
What's your view?
And no, I don't think I'm a male chauvinistic pig.
It's something like "From barebreasted straight back into the Victorian corsets."
What's your view?
And no, I don't think I'm a male chauvinistic pig.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
You Spin Me Round
Ferris wheel size queens of the world should take note - when the Singapore Flyer stopped spinning, everything else started spinning.
People trapped in the world's largest flyer (on borrowed time) started feeling so hungry they had to eat a lot of pizzas "roped" in by the staff, some had to pee in plastic bags shielded by their family (funny, the capsules are all glass), one's head spun so bad and another puked and both landed in the hospital.
And a Russian tourist, the poor man, missed his flight home to spend a cold and dreary Christmas at home. Instead, he got to spend it on the sunny, balmy shores of Singapore. I wonder who's paying for it.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force had to be roped in to supplement efforts of the designated recovery firm. Hey, that makes me go right round round round because taxpayers money like mine are used to save people have a spin on the wheel when I have not even stepped foot in it!
And Singapore once again gained international infamy when newspapers from Australia to UK to Canada to China to Malaysia (hey, that is AROUND the world, if your geography sucks) reported the unfortunate event.
Even more interesting - the wheel is powered by 6 "rotary" units and can turn as long as 3 are working. This is what Singapore Flyer describes a 100% redundancy. Technical guys love such nonsense speak. But an electrical fire wiped out power to all 6 units. Is the fire at a 100% redundancy too?
Like many things in life, I wish 100% redundancy is so easy to achieve. Like when I lose a kilo of weight, the 100% redundancy rule wipes out 2 kilo when I stand on the weighing machine. When I gain a kilo, it shows up 500g of increase (100% redundancy, in case I really didn't gain a kilo.) Maybe Bernard Madoff also reported a 100% redundancy. He really lost USD 100 billion.
But I digress. As usual. If there is a disaster to be mocked, I must mock it with 100% redundancy. Nothing less. So, I wonder why our commandos were not called in. With their 'elicopters and rappelling skills, they should be able to save the trapped folks. Oh, they are the 100% redundancy that cannot be activated until people start dying in the capsule, I guess.
Of course, the greatest mockery of it all - the SCDF's ladders from their fire engines could reach up to capsules of only a certain height. And for good redundancy. The capsules were EMPTY! And the next capsule up (apparently, the third one up) cannot be reached.
With all these redundancy speak, it's no surprise that my head is spinning round round like a record baby right round round round....
People trapped in the world's largest flyer (on borrowed time) started feeling so hungry they had to eat a lot of pizzas "roped" in by the staff, some had to pee in plastic bags shielded by their family (funny, the capsules are all glass), one's head spun so bad and another puked and both landed in the hospital.
And a Russian tourist, the poor man, missed his flight home to spend a cold and dreary Christmas at home. Instead, he got to spend it on the sunny, balmy shores of Singapore. I wonder who's paying for it.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force had to be roped in to supplement efforts of the designated recovery firm. Hey, that makes me go right round round round because taxpayers money like mine are used to save people have a spin on the wheel when I have not even stepped foot in it!
And Singapore once again gained international infamy when newspapers from Australia to UK to Canada to China to Malaysia (hey, that is AROUND the world, if your geography sucks) reported the unfortunate event.
Even more interesting - the wheel is powered by 6 "rotary" units and can turn as long as 3 are working. This is what Singapore Flyer describes a 100% redundancy. Technical guys love such nonsense speak. But an electrical fire wiped out power to all 6 units. Is the fire at a 100% redundancy too?
Like many things in life, I wish 100% redundancy is so easy to achieve. Like when I lose a kilo of weight, the 100% redundancy rule wipes out 2 kilo when I stand on the weighing machine. When I gain a kilo, it shows up 500g of increase (100% redundancy, in case I really didn't gain a kilo.) Maybe Bernard Madoff also reported a 100% redundancy. He really lost USD 100 billion.
But I digress. As usual. If there is a disaster to be mocked, I must mock it with 100% redundancy. Nothing less. So, I wonder why our commandos were not called in. With their 'elicopters and rappelling skills, they should be able to save the trapped folks. Oh, they are the 100% redundancy that cannot be activated until people start dying in the capsule, I guess.
Of course, the greatest mockery of it all - the SCDF's ladders from their fire engines could reach up to capsules of only a certain height. And for good redundancy. The capsules were EMPTY! And the next capsule up (apparently, the third one up) cannot be reached.
With all these redundancy speak, it's no surprise that my head is spinning round round like a record baby right round round round....
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Why disasters are good for us
Too often, people are lulled into complacency when things go as planned. People take comfort afforded by the relative calm and, by and large, believe that if nothing is on fire, then everything is fine. Many people go by the adage, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Unknown to many people, things may not be "broke" at the moment but there could be people who are trying to "enhance" the "ain't-ness" by tampering with the products. For each and every expose that shows who the real bad guys are, I am pretty certain that there are many other heinous acts that have gone unnoticed. All too often, to be constantly on our toes to monitor the entire market is untenable because of the massive effort required. However, if we need a shake-up quickly, a disaster may be the best option because of its wide-ranging impact.
Disasters in aviation lead the way in showing how a slip-up can shake up an entire industry. One does not have to look far to realise that the ultimate outcome of aviation disasters was a much safer flying environment for travellers. From zero, investigators learnt about metal fatigue, autopilot limitations, aircraft limitations, pilot training manual mistakes, substitution (of parts) problems, wind shear, bird strikes and so on. Each and every disaster precipitated immediate rounds of aircraft checks and aviation practices reviews. It forces industry players to review and propose new updates, changes, training checks, flight safety improvements and most importantly, renew their respect for human lives in the knowledge that human beings are ultimately at the mercy of the equipment they create. Who would have expected, for one, that the black box on the aircraft is given more protection than the pilot and the passengers?
Similarly, the recent Sichuan Earthquake showed us that Chinese engineers have achieved a world's first in civil engineering - they managed to use "soy pulp" (aka toufu zha) to build houses. The race to trace the history of this practice has led to an ongoing review of the building codes in the region. People are concerned how they could be sold such houses and how public buildings such as schools could also be built in this way with such material. People around the world wonder how such houses are built too. But I am also rather sure that engineers in regions that are immune to earthquakes must also be reviewing their bulding codes - do they really need to reinforce their concrete beams and piles with steel rods since the Chinese have showed that under non-earthquake circumstances, these are not necessary? Some people may be able to get cheaper soy pulp houses in the near future.
People living in the hurricane/typhoon zones and tornado-afflicted areas may especially be interested in these kinds of houses. Imagine, you get soya milk after the disaster. You will be swimming in soya milk! And think of all the benefits that you get from these houses - people get crushed to death by concrete beams and pillars. But do you see or hear of people crushed to death by tofu pulp? No! These people are buried because they added concrete to reinforce their pulp. See? The moral of the story here is not to be too smart!
Talking about additives, the latest melamine additive scandal hit the Chinese dairy market right in the balls, I mean bull's eye. The practice was aimed at "showing" a higher nutritional value of the milk during its decomposition through the emission of more nitrogen, a measure of milk with higher nutritional value. Of course, many of us would have realised that the milk is so nutritious that Chinese, Hong Kong and other babies taking them have ended up with kidney stones. And some of them were so over-nourished, they died. The whole world and China are now looking to check if there are other melamine enhanced milk or related products. Looking back, I do not recall steriods killing that many people, even though WWE wrestler Chris Benoit's death did raise a hue and cry in the North American media. By the way, it was the Chinese media leaking the story of the tainted milk (how I hate the English term; the Chinese call it du-nai, which sounds like tonigh(t)) that led to the expose of this latest scandal; had it not for them, Chinese Dairy apparently would have kept quiet about the entire issue. But how does one add melamine to milk? Imagine melamine is what my chopsticks are made of. How could anyone add that to food? And is it in solid or liquid form? Or did the farmers rub melamine to cow udders to promote milk growth? Or maybe it is injected to make the udders harder so milking can take place more often? Sigh, to quote my favourite "philosopher" from beside Down Under, "I really don't know". Oh, it's the male, not the female, though he has threatened the hanky act too! I wonder what's with the southern hemisphere folks and their handkerchiefs.
Disasters are usually broadcast by the media. In at least one case, I am sure the media has a hand in - the recent Wall Street meltdown. Yes, I blame the media. The media has been guilty of not calling it when they had the ability to. While earning big bucks for themselves is important, the media should blow the whistle when they see the obscene subprime rape. They did not; there was defintely insufficient media expose - isn't that their job - of the issue and I wonder who the guy was who short-sold Lehman until the brothers lost their shirts of their backs. Maybe one day, time (or maybe Time) will tell. I am pretty sure that that story will sell for many bucks. I cannot wait to learn more about the guy who changed Wall Street's landscape. (I am sure many investors are cursing me now, after seeing their investments crash into the proverbial wall! Oh yes, I think some Walls' ice-cream is also being recalled for having used tainted milk.)
As my examples show so far, the world loves a disaster. Diana died - disaster. Mother Theresa died - disaster. Michael Jackson's nose collapsed - disaster. Pope dropped dead - disaster. Hurricane Katrina struck - disaster. 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami - disaster. George Bush got elected for a second term - disaster. Al Gore didn't win - disaster. September 11 - disaster. Sichuan Earthquake - disaster. Hurricane Ike - disaster. Obama wins - disaster. McCain wins - disaster. AIG collapes - disaster. AIG saved - disaster. Marking assignments - disaster. So what's new? What is not a disaster these days?
With the spate of "disasters" now, everything is being checked and rechecked. People are suspicious of everything. You know what is truly a disaster? I received a free - yeah, FREE! - packet of chocolate hazelnut bars in my pigeon hole courtesy of the welfare committee where I work. The first thing I did, I read the packaging from the first word to the last trying to see if the word China appeared anywhere. Or tainted milk. I'd eaten the thing without a second thought in the past.
I think I'll let the rest eat first. If they don't die...
PS. I won't be held responsible for anyone attempting the "Chinese Building Feat - the Soy Pulp Building Method" because it is more an analogy of their concrete being non-reinforced rather than literally being a soy pulp structure. That, would have been a tremendous eye popper!
Disasters in aviation lead the way in showing how a slip-up can shake up an entire industry. One does not have to look far to realise that the ultimate outcome of aviation disasters was a much safer flying environment for travellers. From zero, investigators learnt about metal fatigue, autopilot limitations, aircraft limitations, pilot training manual mistakes, substitution (of parts) problems, wind shear, bird strikes and so on. Each and every disaster precipitated immediate rounds of aircraft checks and aviation practices reviews. It forces industry players to review and propose new updates, changes, training checks, flight safety improvements and most importantly, renew their respect for human lives in the knowledge that human beings are ultimately at the mercy of the equipment they create. Who would have expected, for one, that the black box on the aircraft is given more protection than the pilot and the passengers?
Similarly, the recent Sichuan Earthquake showed us that Chinese engineers have achieved a world's first in civil engineering - they managed to use "soy pulp" (aka toufu zha) to build houses. The race to trace the history of this practice has led to an ongoing review of the building codes in the region. People are concerned how they could be sold such houses and how public buildings such as schools could also be built in this way with such material. People around the world wonder how such houses are built too. But I am also rather sure that engineers in regions that are immune to earthquakes must also be reviewing their bulding codes - do they really need to reinforce their concrete beams and piles with steel rods since the Chinese have showed that under non-earthquake circumstances, these are not necessary? Some people may be able to get cheaper soy pulp houses in the near future.
People living in the hurricane/typhoon zones and tornado-afflicted areas may especially be interested in these kinds of houses. Imagine, you get soya milk after the disaster. You will be swimming in soya milk! And think of all the benefits that you get from these houses - people get crushed to death by concrete beams and pillars. But do you see or hear of people crushed to death by tofu pulp? No! These people are buried because they added concrete to reinforce their pulp. See? The moral of the story here is not to be too smart!
Talking about additives, the latest melamine additive scandal hit the Chinese dairy market right in the balls, I mean bull's eye. The practice was aimed at "showing" a higher nutritional value of the milk during its decomposition through the emission of more nitrogen, a measure of milk with higher nutritional value. Of course, many of us would have realised that the milk is so nutritious that Chinese, Hong Kong and other babies taking them have ended up with kidney stones. And some of them were so over-nourished, they died. The whole world and China are now looking to check if there are other melamine enhanced milk or related products. Looking back, I do not recall steriods killing that many people, even though WWE wrestler Chris Benoit's death did raise a hue and cry in the North American media. By the way, it was the Chinese media leaking the story of the tainted milk (how I hate the English term; the Chinese call it du-nai, which sounds like tonigh(t)) that led to the expose of this latest scandal; had it not for them, Chinese Dairy apparently would have kept quiet about the entire issue. But how does one add melamine to milk? Imagine melamine is what my chopsticks are made of. How could anyone add that to food? And is it in solid or liquid form? Or did the farmers rub melamine to cow udders to promote milk growth? Or maybe it is injected to make the udders harder so milking can take place more often? Sigh, to quote my favourite "philosopher" from beside Down Under, "I really don't know". Oh, it's the male, not the female, though he has threatened the hanky act too! I wonder what's with the southern hemisphere folks and their handkerchiefs.
Disasters are usually broadcast by the media. In at least one case, I am sure the media has a hand in - the recent Wall Street meltdown. Yes, I blame the media. The media has been guilty of not calling it when they had the ability to. While earning big bucks for themselves is important, the media should blow the whistle when they see the obscene subprime rape. They did not; there was defintely insufficient media expose - isn't that their job - of the issue and I wonder who the guy was who short-sold Lehman until the brothers lost their shirts of their backs. Maybe one day, time (or maybe Time) will tell. I am pretty sure that that story will sell for many bucks. I cannot wait to learn more about the guy who changed Wall Street's landscape. (I am sure many investors are cursing me now, after seeing their investments crash into the proverbial wall! Oh yes, I think some Walls' ice-cream is also being recalled for having used tainted milk.)
As my examples show so far, the world loves a disaster. Diana died - disaster. Mother Theresa died - disaster. Michael Jackson's nose collapsed - disaster. Pope dropped dead - disaster. Hurricane Katrina struck - disaster. 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami - disaster. George Bush got elected for a second term - disaster. Al Gore didn't win - disaster. September 11 - disaster. Sichuan Earthquake - disaster. Hurricane Ike - disaster. Obama wins - disaster. McCain wins - disaster. AIG collapes - disaster. AIG saved - disaster. Marking assignments - disaster. So what's new? What is not a disaster these days?
With the spate of "disasters" now, everything is being checked and rechecked. People are suspicious of everything. You know what is truly a disaster? I received a free - yeah, FREE! - packet of chocolate hazelnut bars in my pigeon hole courtesy of the welfare committee where I work. The first thing I did, I read the packaging from the first word to the last trying to see if the word China appeared anywhere. Or tainted milk. I'd eaten the thing without a second thought in the past.
I think I'll let the rest eat first. If they don't die...
PS. I won't be held responsible for anyone attempting the "Chinese Building Feat - the Soy Pulp Building Method" because it is more an analogy of their concrete being non-reinforced rather than literally being a soy pulp structure. That, would have been a tremendous eye popper!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
News headline peep
Saw on the Chinese tabloid today that 54% of Singapore workers are "riding on donkeys (while) looking for horses."
Sad eh?
Sad eh?
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Kudos to Tony Snow (1955 - 2008)
Tony Snow was George W Bush's Press Secretary. In layman's terms, he was the spin doctor, the President's mouth piece and the country's chief propagandist.
Snow died of cancer recently. In the Washington Post obituary, he was given a glowing write-up on his life. I produce an extract below:
In his brief tenure as Bush's public advocate, Snow became perhaps the best-known face of the administration after the president, vice president and secretary of state. Parlaying skills honed during years at Fox News, he offered a daily televised defense of the embattled president that was robust and at times even combative while repairing strained relations with a press corps frustrated by years of rote talking points.
He was lively and entertaining, he could be disarmingly candid when ducking a question, and he did not hesitate to retreat when it became clear he had gone too far. He could tell reporters to "zip it" one minute and defuse tension the next by admitting that he knew so little about a topic that he was "not going to fake it." He enjoyed the give-and-take of a tough briefing, but his smile, upbeat energy and glib repartee seemed to take the edge off sometimes rough rhetoric on behalf of an unpopular leader and unpopular policies.
Perhaps we tend to be kinder to people in their deaths but to say this of a person whose daily job is to give out less than palatable news speaks volumes of him as a person.
I've never got to see him in action much, but I'm sure he must have been a great entertainer and press sec.
RIP, Tony.
Snow died of cancer recently. In the Washington Post obituary, he was given a glowing write-up on his life. I produce an extract below:
In his brief tenure as Bush's public advocate, Snow became perhaps the best-known face of the administration after the president, vice president and secretary of state. Parlaying skills honed during years at Fox News, he offered a daily televised defense of the embattled president that was robust and at times even combative while repairing strained relations with a press corps frustrated by years of rote talking points.
He was lively and entertaining, he could be disarmingly candid when ducking a question, and he did not hesitate to retreat when it became clear he had gone too far. He could tell reporters to "zip it" one minute and defuse tension the next by admitting that he knew so little about a topic that he was "not going to fake it." He enjoyed the give-and-take of a tough briefing, but his smile, upbeat energy and glib repartee seemed to take the edge off sometimes rough rhetoric on behalf of an unpopular leader and unpopular policies.
Perhaps we tend to be kinder to people in their deaths but to say this of a person whose daily job is to give out less than palatable news speaks volumes of him as a person.
I've never got to see him in action much, but I'm sure he must have been a great entertainer and press sec.
RIP, Tony.
IndyMac, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac
Watching with bated breath how the mortgage lenders are dealing with the subprime woes which are hogging the prime slots in the news.
I wonder if I should be indignant that the world's economy is beseiged by this lending fiasco or I should be celebrating. After all, the recent boom is a little too much to bear and things are getting so so so damned expensive because people, with more disposable income during the boom, are consuming like there is no tomorrow.
20 years ago, I already knew we will be looking at an oil crisis around the 2010s. Not difficult to imagine - thanks Samsung! - because 20 years ago, we were already taught that oil is going to run out in 50 years. And people only started mining oil like when?!
At the rate we are consuming oil and the world's resources, it does not take a rocket scientist to realise that the reserves are not going to last beyond my generation.
So, those around my age who have decided not have kids, I think you've done the world a great service. For those who have decided to have kids, I think you've done the world a great service too. Like yin and yang, there must be a balance.
(Every time this yin and yang thing comes up, I feel compelled to tell this joke. I think the Singaporeans and those following Singapore politics would appreciate it: In life, there needs to be a balance between yin and yang. Like we have the Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin), we also have (Lee) Kuan Yew. No get it? Never mind.)
For the longest time, we use an auxillary power battery to power the gadgets in our cars. But for the longest time, we know that oil and non-renewable energy reserves are running out. So, why aren't our cars carrying solar energy panels on the tops and sides so that solar energy can be harnessed to power the lights, the radio, the whatever and possibly run the car too?
That's just an example.
People complain that developing technology is expensive. But compared to the amount of money that you're paying the oil companies, who are in turn paying the oil barons, wouldn't those money be well spent?
People are afraid to break out of their comfort zones and innovate because of many reasons. One over-riding factor for that is financially driven. One does not have to go to far to see how Big Pharma is touting their branded patents as opposed to acknowledging that generics work as well (or even trying to hamper other competitors developing generics) to admit that a market economy is really only for the rich.
But now, many of the rich are also getting poorer. But most of them are still rich beyond compare.
Beijing Olympics are around the corner. The Chinese have shown themselves to be a resilient people in the face of the disasters they had and are still facing. They should also realise that even if it were not for bad karma over Tibet - thanks Sharon. Luckily you didn't say it of the oil rich nations or they'd have stoned you already - they had been disaster magnets. The rain in Spain, at least this year, stayed mainly on the yellow plains (China).
There was this recent news article about how parts of China are already in the doldrums, with many people out of job. This is the Olympic curse. In the years leading up to the games, the frantic pace of building new infrastructure - mostly white elephants *after* the games - spurs the city's economy to boom. The projects' completion means the demise of the construction sector. During the games, thousands are hired as PR folks. After the games, the people are happy to keep a half-filled tummy.
So, we should add to the list of IM, FM and FM. If China the lumbering giant takes a misstep in its path of economic growth, I am sure we will all be dragged under this time. And perhaps all for a good cause.
Without consolidation, without destruction, without catastrophes, how can there be new growth? And how do you think oil had come about in the first place?
I wonder if I should be indignant that the world's economy is beseiged by this lending fiasco or I should be celebrating. After all, the recent boom is a little too much to bear and things are getting so so so damned expensive because people, with more disposable income during the boom, are consuming like there is no tomorrow.
20 years ago, I already knew we will be looking at an oil crisis around the 2010s. Not difficult to imagine - thanks Samsung! - because 20 years ago, we were already taught that oil is going to run out in 50 years. And people only started mining oil like when?!
At the rate we are consuming oil and the world's resources, it does not take a rocket scientist to realise that the reserves are not going to last beyond my generation.
So, those around my age who have decided not have kids, I think you've done the world a great service. For those who have decided to have kids, I think you've done the world a great service too. Like yin and yang, there must be a balance.
(Every time this yin and yang thing comes up, I feel compelled to tell this joke. I think the Singaporeans and those following Singapore politics would appreciate it: In life, there needs to be a balance between yin and yang. Like we have the Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin), we also have (Lee) Kuan Yew. No get it? Never mind.)
For the longest time, we use an auxillary power battery to power the gadgets in our cars. But for the longest time, we know that oil and non-renewable energy reserves are running out. So, why aren't our cars carrying solar energy panels on the tops and sides so that solar energy can be harnessed to power the lights, the radio, the whatever and possibly run the car too?
That's just an example.
People complain that developing technology is expensive. But compared to the amount of money that you're paying the oil companies, who are in turn paying the oil barons, wouldn't those money be well spent?
People are afraid to break out of their comfort zones and innovate because of many reasons. One over-riding factor for that is financially driven. One does not have to go to far to see how Big Pharma is touting their branded patents as opposed to acknowledging that generics work as well (or even trying to hamper other competitors developing generics) to admit that a market economy is really only for the rich.
But now, many of the rich are also getting poorer. But most of them are still rich beyond compare.
Beijing Olympics are around the corner. The Chinese have shown themselves to be a resilient people in the face of the disasters they had and are still facing. They should also realise that even if it were not for bad karma over Tibet - thanks Sharon. Luckily you didn't say it of the oil rich nations or they'd have stoned you already - they had been disaster magnets. The rain in Spain, at least this year, stayed mainly on the yellow plains (China).
There was this recent news article about how parts of China are already in the doldrums, with many people out of job. This is the Olympic curse. In the years leading up to the games, the frantic pace of building new infrastructure - mostly white elephants *after* the games - spurs the city's economy to boom. The projects' completion means the demise of the construction sector. During the games, thousands are hired as PR folks. After the games, the people are happy to keep a half-filled tummy.
So, we should add to the list of IM, FM and FM. If China the lumbering giant takes a misstep in its path of economic growth, I am sure we will all be dragged under this time. And perhaps all for a good cause.
Without consolidation, without destruction, without catastrophes, how can there be new growth? And how do you think oil had come about in the first place?
Friday, July 04, 2008
Let those who drive and talk on their cellphones DIE
Hands-free cellphone use while driving won't make the roads safer, studies show. Why? Brain overload.
Scientists say that when mixing cellphones and driving, the number of hands available for the tasks is not the limiting factor.
Instead, it's a driver's attention and processing capacity. These are often stretched beyond safe limits when someone juggles the complex tasks of negotiating traffic and conversing with another remotely.
Worse than being drunk
"There are limits to how much we can multi-task, and that combination of cellphone and driving exceeds the limits," says David Strayer, a University of Utah psychologist who has found that by many measures, drivers yakking on cellphones are more dangerous behind the wheel than those who are drunk, whether the conversation is carried on by handset or headset. More...
There you go! The people who allowed talk-driving ought to be shot. With TF's phallic gun, no less. Screw them all, senseless bunch of idiots!
Scientists say that when mixing cellphones and driving, the number of hands available for the tasks is not the limiting factor.
Instead, it's a driver's attention and processing capacity. These are often stretched beyond safe limits when someone juggles the complex tasks of negotiating traffic and conversing with another remotely.
Worse than being drunk
"There are limits to how much we can multi-task, and that combination of cellphone and driving exceeds the limits," says David Strayer, a University of Utah psychologist who has found that by many measures, drivers yakking on cellphones are more dangerous behind the wheel than those who are drunk, whether the conversation is carried on by handset or headset. More...
There you go! The people who allowed talk-driving ought to be shot. With TF's phallic gun, no less. Screw them all, senseless bunch of idiots!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Everyone has an opinion
On politics that is.
The Taiwanese are about the most politically sensitive people on earth and it is no wonder. There is a vocal group who fights for independence and there is a more moderate group who is happy with status quo. The independent, nationalistic sentiments for the former is very strong while the latter group is more concerned about materialistic enjoyment and staying rich.
There is no correct or wrong in this little island province. Everyone just speaks of the need for an identity, each manifestation different from the other.
The Taiwanese are about the most politically sensitive people on earth and it is no wonder. There is a vocal group who fights for independence and there is a more moderate group who is happy with status quo. The independent, nationalistic sentiments for the former is very strong while the latter group is more concerned about materialistic enjoyment and staying rich.
There is no correct or wrong in this little island province. Everyone just speaks of the need for an identity, each manifestation different from the other.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Post Sichuan quake thoughts
Long before (well, about 3 to 4 days before) the quake, I was already feeling unwell. I knew something big was coming. It wasn't different from the 2004 tsunami. But I only wished I knew where it was going to be.
Or would that have made a difference?
It's been almost three weeks after the quake. News are still coming in about the death toll, the quake lakes threatening to burst their barriers and the arduous reconstuction journey ahead.
These are normal, although, honestly, fatiguing to hear so much of all these... I somehow have this thought that come 1 Jun, there might be another biggie. It'll be 68 days to the Olympics. I don't know... It seemed to be a rather bad year for China.
Another development that is getting rather out of hand is fund raising for the quake victims. I guess Singaporeans have to capacity to be overflowing with love, since the last major catastrophe we had was the New World Hotel collapse. After that, we hardly had anything to bleed the country's coffers or the gullible Singaporeans' wallets. We weren't hit by the tsunami or any other natural disasters, except for ever increasing oil and food prices.
But what bugs me is the fact that people are organising fund raising events wave after wave after wave... like many small little tsunamis that take turns to hit different coasts, each time requiring a mass evacuation. It's plain tiring to be constantly bombarded. And there are confidence tricksters out to make a quick buck. Fraudsters apart, people raising money begin to look at you in a funny sort of way when you decide and tell them that you have had donated enough to such causes.
Hey, how much can ONE person donate? I am neither Jet Li or Jackie Chan. How am I going to find so much moolah to give away, especially when I need to worry about where my next meal is coming from? I don't go around telling people that I gave $x at y to the Sichuan victims, do I? So, don't assume that if I say I am not giving, I hadn't given.
The Chinese, as with many other peoples, are very expressive people and know how best to tug at heartstrings. The two poems below, with their laymen translations (from me), are case in point. If you need drama-mamas, try getting the Chinese. It some times make me wonder how people in Singapore could be bawling their eyes out when the only things they recognise in Sichuan are the pandas. And yet they speak of their suffering and their misery, as though they were a part of the entire catastrophe. To outsiders looking in, this is so... hilarious.
I am not a callous person. But I believe to be believable and to be above board, you need to temper your willingness to help with good sense and good taste. Otherwise, your emotions are most ill-placed.
Or would that have made a difference?
It's been almost three weeks after the quake. News are still coming in about the death toll, the quake lakes threatening to burst their barriers and the arduous reconstuction journey ahead.
These are normal, although, honestly, fatiguing to hear so much of all these... I somehow have this thought that come 1 Jun, there might be another biggie. It'll be 68 days to the Olympics. I don't know... It seemed to be a rather bad year for China.
Another development that is getting rather out of hand is fund raising for the quake victims. I guess Singaporeans have to capacity to be overflowing with love, since the last major catastrophe we had was the New World Hotel collapse. After that, we hardly had anything to bleed the country's coffers or the gullible Singaporeans' wallets. We weren't hit by the tsunami or any other natural disasters, except for ever increasing oil and food prices.
But what bugs me is the fact that people are organising fund raising events wave after wave after wave... like many small little tsunamis that take turns to hit different coasts, each time requiring a mass evacuation. It's plain tiring to be constantly bombarded. And there are confidence tricksters out to make a quick buck. Fraudsters apart, people raising money begin to look at you in a funny sort of way when you decide and tell them that you have had donated enough to such causes.
Hey, how much can ONE person donate? I am neither Jet Li or Jackie Chan. How am I going to find so much moolah to give away, especially when I need to worry about where my next meal is coming from? I don't go around telling people that I gave $x at y to the Sichuan victims, do I? So, don't assume that if I say I am not giving, I hadn't given.
The Chinese, as with many other peoples, are very expressive people and know how best to tug at heartstrings. The two poems below, with their laymen translations (from me), are case in point. If you need drama-mamas, try getting the Chinese. It some times make me wonder how people in Singapore could be bawling their eyes out when the only things they recognise in Sichuan are the pandas. And yet they speak of their suffering and their misery, as though they were a part of the entire catastrophe. To outsiders looking in, this is so... hilarious.
I am not a callous person. But I believe to be believable and to be above board, you need to temper your willingness to help with good sense and good taste. Otherwise, your emotions are most ill-placed.
孩子快抓紧妈妈的手 (Child, quick grasp Mother's hand)
孩子快
抓紧妈妈的手
去天堂的路
太黑了
妈妈怕你
碰了头
快
抓紧妈妈的手
让妈妈陪你走
妈妈
怕
天堂的路
太黑
我看不见你的手
自从
倒塌的墙
把阳光夺走
我再也看不见
你柔情的眸
孩子
你走吧
前面的路
再也没有忧愁
没有读不完的课本
和爸爸的拳头
你要记住
我和爸爸的摸样
来生还要一起走
妈妈
别担忧
天堂的路有些挤
有很多同学朋友
我们说
不哭
哪一个人的妈妈都是我们的妈妈
哪一个孩子都是妈妈的孩子
没有我的日子
你把爱给活的孩子吧
妈妈
你别哭
泪光照亮不了
我们的路
让我们自己
慢慢的走
妈妈
我会记住你和爸爸的模样
记住我们的约定
来生我们一起走
Child, quickly grasp Mother’s hand
The road to heaven is turning dark and Mother’s afraid you’ll hurt yourself along the way.
Quick, grasp Mother’s hand
Let mother accompany you
To walk to heaven before it gets too dark and I not to be able to see your hand
Ever since the walls collapsed, I am no longer able to see again your thoughtful eyes
Go on, Child. There is no more misery in the road ahead, no more endless books and daddy's fist
I want you to remember Daddy and my looks
So that we can carry on our journey in our next life.
Mother, don’t worry. The road to heaven is a little crowded.
My friends and I have resolved not to cry
Each child’s mother is everyone’s Mother
Each mother’s child is every Mother’s child
In your days without me around, please give your love to all the other children
Mother, please don’t cry, for your tears will not light up our path to Heaven.
Let us find our way to complete our own journeys
Mother, I will remember Daddy and your looks
And remember our promise
So that we can carry on our journey in our next life.
抓紧妈妈的手
去天堂的路
太黑了
妈妈怕你
碰了头
快
抓紧妈妈的手
让妈妈陪你走
妈妈
怕
天堂的路
太黑
我看不见你的手
自从
倒塌的墙
把阳光夺走
我再也看不见
你柔情的眸
孩子
你走吧
前面的路
再也没有忧愁
没有读不完的课本
和爸爸的拳头
你要记住
我和爸爸的摸样
来生还要一起走
妈妈
别担忧
天堂的路有些挤
有很多同学朋友
我们说
不哭
哪一个人的妈妈都是我们的妈妈
哪一个孩子都是妈妈的孩子
没有我的日子
你把爱给活的孩子吧
妈妈
你别哭
泪光照亮不了
我们的路
让我们自己
慢慢的走
妈妈
我会记住你和爸爸的模样
记住我们的约定
来生我们一起走
Child, quickly grasp Mother’s hand
The road to heaven is turning dark and Mother’s afraid you’ll hurt yourself along the way.
Quick, grasp Mother’s hand
Let mother accompany you
To walk to heaven before it gets too dark and I not to be able to see your hand
Ever since the walls collapsed, I am no longer able to see again your thoughtful eyes
Go on, Child. There is no more misery in the road ahead, no more endless books and daddy's fist
I want you to remember Daddy and my looks
So that we can carry on our journey in our next life.
Mother, don’t worry. The road to heaven is a little crowded.
My friends and I have resolved not to cry
Each child’s mother is everyone’s Mother
Each mother’s child is every Mother’s child
In your days without me around, please give your love to all the other children
Mother, please don’t cry, for your tears will not light up our path to Heaven.
Let us find our way to complete our own journeys
Mother, I will remember Daddy and your looks
And remember our promise
So that we can carry on our journey in our next life.
Friday, May 30, 2008
妈妈别哭 (Mother, do not cry)
妈妈别哭，我现在已没有痛苦
不用再看我，你一辈子也会记住
地震来得那么唐突
没有什么可以遮护
幸存的同学真让人羡慕
那一刻，求生的愿望强烈却茫然无助
妈妈别哭，我不能陪你走今后的路
这么多人陪我我不会孤独
却担心你悲痛地泪流如注
我多么希望你能幸福
我多想长大了孝敬父母
我真的不想早走这一步
妈妈别哭，地震是大地在发怒
也许是它一时糊涂
才伤害了这么多无辜
我只是不幸中的一卒
还有更多的人惨不忍睹
泪水掀不起压我的混凝土
妈妈别哭，别再抱着我幼小的身躯
我已没有往日的温度
呼吸和心跳已经止住
请给我换上爱穿的衣服
拿来我爱读的书
假如天堂里还有学府
我会在梦中告诉你考试的分数
妈妈别哭，天灾人祸是对圣灵的荼毒
你柔弱的身躯无法挡住
只要妈妈你还活着
就是上天对我们的眷顾
因为有你，每年清明那小坟上，会多一锹土
Mother, do not cry. I am no longer in pain now
You will not need to look at me again to remember me for a lifetime
The earthquake came suddenly;
Nothing could shield us from its destruction
We really envy our schoolmates who survived
At that moment, the desire to fight for life was intense but alas, futile
Mother, do not cry. I cannot accompany you on life’s road any more
There are many people with me and I won’t be lonely
But I worry that sorrowfully tears flow endlessly
How I hope that you can be happy
How I want to grow up and be filial to you
I really do not want to leave this early
Mother, do not cry. The earthquake is but Earth’s anger
Perhaps it was muddled for a while
Not realizing how it wrought misfortune to that many
I was only one of the unfortunate ones;
There are more worse off than me
Your tears cannot raise the concrete slabs off me
Mother, do not cry. Do not hold my young body
I no longer have the warmth of the days past
Breaths and heartbeats have already stopped
Please put on my favourite clothes
And bring me my favourite books
If there is a school in the heaven
I will tell you my examination score in your dream
Mother, do not cry. Natural and man-made disasters are our tribulations
Which your delicate body is unable to block
So long as, Mother, you are also living
It is Heaven’s blessings on us
Because of you, at each All Souls, a new layer of soil will be added to our little graves
不用再看我，你一辈子也会记住
地震来得那么唐突
没有什么可以遮护
幸存的同学真让人羡慕
那一刻，求生的愿望强烈却茫然无助
妈妈别哭，我不能陪你走今后的路
这么多人陪我我不会孤独
却担心你悲痛地泪流如注
我多么希望你能幸福
我多想长大了孝敬父母
我真的不想早走这一步
妈妈别哭，地震是大地在发怒
也许是它一时糊涂
才伤害了这么多无辜
我只是不幸中的一卒
还有更多的人惨不忍睹
泪水掀不起压我的混凝土
妈妈别哭，别再抱着我幼小的身躯
我已没有往日的温度
呼吸和心跳已经止住
请给我换上爱穿的衣服
拿来我爱读的书
假如天堂里还有学府
我会在梦中告诉你考试的分数
妈妈别哭，天灾人祸是对圣灵的荼毒
你柔弱的身躯无法挡住
只要妈妈你还活着
就是上天对我们的眷顾
因为有你，每年清明那小坟上，会多一锹土
Mother, do not cry. I am no longer in pain now
You will not need to look at me again to remember me for a lifetime
The earthquake came suddenly;
Nothing could shield us from its destruction
We really envy our schoolmates who survived
At that moment, the desire to fight for life was intense but alas, futile
Mother, do not cry. I cannot accompany you on life’s road any more
There are many people with me and I won’t be lonely
But I worry that sorrowfully tears flow endlessly
How I hope that you can be happy
How I want to grow up and be filial to you
I really do not want to leave this early
Mother, do not cry. The earthquake is but Earth’s anger
Perhaps it was muddled for a while
Not realizing how it wrought misfortune to that many
I was only one of the unfortunate ones;
There are more worse off than me
Your tears cannot raise the concrete slabs off me
Mother, do not cry. Do not hold my young body
I no longer have the warmth of the days past
Breaths and heartbeats have already stopped
Please put on my favourite clothes
And bring me my favourite books
If there is a school in the heaven
I will tell you my examination score in your dream
Mother, do not cry. Natural and man-made disasters are our tribulations
Which your delicate body is unable to block
So long as, Mother, you are also living
It is Heaven’s blessings on us
Because of you, at each All Souls, a new layer of soil will be added to our little graves
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Why is it always money money money?
Why do we always give or get asked to donate money during disasters and crises?
Why not send school kids who need to chalk up community involvement hours for points over? We could give them a 10X multiplier bonus for going to ground zero.
Maybe this would help some no-hopers get an opportunity to at least submit a university application, since universities now (pretend to) look at applicants' holistic achivements.
I can just imagine the application essay:
I was a volunteer at Ground Zero of the Pacific Ocean Sea Bed earthquake which sent tsunamis to all sides of the Pacific, drowning all the coastal cities that ringed the ocean. I was bopping up and down the ocean trying to find survivors. I had to fish for squid and fish to keep myself alive. After it was decided that there were no human survivors of the quake in the ocean, I returned home. In recognition of my efforts, I have a million, billion, trillion, gazillion CIP points. I know the esteemed university gives great emphasis to applicants outside of their academic achievements and in this regard, dedicates 5% of the entry score to personal achievements in other areas. I hope my million, billion, trillion, gazillion CIP points will help in my application.
Although I am an average student in school (GPA 1.00), I am an all-rounder in other fields such as partying, boozing, puking, dancing, singing, bitching, volunteering, doing CIP... etc etc etc... I hope you could consider my application most favourably. I hope to hear from you soon.
Why not send school kids who need to chalk up community involvement hours for points over? We could give them a 10X multiplier bonus for going to ground zero.
Maybe this would help some no-hopers get an opportunity to at least submit a university application, since universities now (pretend to) look at applicants' holistic achivements.
I can just imagine the application essay:
I was a volunteer at Ground Zero of the Pacific Ocean Sea Bed earthquake which sent tsunamis to all sides of the Pacific, drowning all the coastal cities that ringed the ocean. I was bopping up and down the ocean trying to find survivors. I had to fish for squid and fish to keep myself alive. After it was decided that there were no human survivors of the quake in the ocean, I returned home. In recognition of my efforts, I have a million, billion, trillion, gazillion CIP points. I know the esteemed university gives great emphasis to applicants outside of their academic achievements and in this regard, dedicates 5% of the entry score to personal achievements in other areas. I hope my million, billion, trillion, gazillion CIP points will help in my application.
Although I am an average student in school (GPA 1.00), I am an all-rounder in other fields such as partying, boozing, puking, dancing, singing, bitching, volunteering, doing CIP... etc etc etc... I hope you could consider my application most favourably. I hope to hear from you soon.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Li Bai's Prediction
Somehow, I have the nagging feeling that the poem is fake. To be honest, I put that up despite not being able to corroborate that the poem actually exists.
Well, for the fun of it. I won't be held responsible for this, whether or not it is geunine.
True, however, was my giddiness which started three days before the actual Sichuan earthquake. And after the quake, I began to feel better.
I wonder why I am not that accurate about striking lottery for myself.
I mean, if I said, Al, Fraser, I have this weird feeling. I think you're going to win US$20 million this weekend. I wonder if Al and/or Fraser would go out and buy a ticket just for the fun of it because they read this. And I wonder what would happen if they really struck the lottery as I foretold.
I bet if Al and/or Fraser did buy and won, my blog would explode. I bet then that everyone would want me to name them for striking lottery...
Well, for the fun of it. I won't be held responsible for this, whether or not it is geunine.
True, however, was my giddiness which started three days before the actual Sichuan earthquake. And after the quake, I began to feel better.
I wonder why I am not that accurate about striking lottery for myself.
I mean, if I said, Al, Fraser, I have this weird feeling. I think you're going to win US$20 million this weekend. I wonder if Al and/or Fraser would go out and buy a ticket just for the fun of it because they read this. And I wonder what would happen if they really struck the lottery as I foretold.
I bet if Al and/or Fraser did buy and won, my blog would explode. I bet then that everyone would want me to name them for striking lottery...
China's Nostradamus - Poet Li Bai
1.25 snow disaster = disaster of the heavens
3.14 Tibetan independence = man-made disaster
5.12 earthquake = disaster of the lands
1+2+5=8
3+1+4=8
5+1+2=8
The Olympic Games 08.08.08 are away from for 88 days.
When it happened is a afternoon 2.18 point .8 suffix.
What happened is a 7.8 magnitude of earthquake .8 suffixes.
China has the superstition that 8 is a propitious digit. Actually when one reviews history, most inauspicious matters are related to the digit 8.
We thought frequently 8 means "prosperous" (or a direct translation means good tidings occur). However, what "tidings" have really occurred?
A Li Bai's actually foretold the happening in a poem he wrote:
The first words of the 4 verses read: Beijing Olympic Games
whereas the last words of the corresponding lines read: Sichuan earthquake.
- Bad English courtesy of BabelFish; decision to use the bad English is mine.
3.14 Tibetan independence = man-made disaster
5.12 earthquake = disaster of the lands
1+2+5=8
3+1+4=8
5+1+2=8
The Olympic Games 08.08.08 are away from for 88 days.
When it happened is a afternoon 2.18 point .8 suffix.
What happened is a 7.8 magnitude of earthquake .8 suffixes.
China has the superstition that 8 is a propitious digit. Actually when one reviews history, most inauspicious matters are related to the digit 8.
We thought frequently 8 means "prosperous" (or a direct translation means good tidings occur). However, what "tidings" have really occurred?
A Li Bai's actually foretold the happening in a poem he wrote:
The first words of the 4 verses read: Beijing Olympic Games
whereas the last words of the corresponding lines read: Sichuan earthquake.
- Bad English courtesy of BabelFish; decision to use the bad English is mine.
中国的诺斯特拉达姆士（Nostradamus)
1.25 雪灾=天灾
3.14 藏独=人祸
5.12 地震=地灾
1+2+5=8
3+1+4=8
5+1+2=8
奥运会 08.08.08 距离88天。
事发时间是下午2点18分，8后缀。
发的是7.8级地震，8后缀。
中国有迷信传统，说8是吉祥数字。
其实回顾历史，很多事情都和8有关，而且是不好的。
我们常常认为8是"发"，反问下，到底"发"出来的是什么。
李白的一首诗
北幕苍山兰州四，
京无落下缀清川；
奥年叶落缘分地，
运水微漾人却震。
李白早知道【北京奥运，四川地震】。
3.14 藏独=人祸
5.12 地震=地灾
1+2+5=8
3+1+4=8
5+1+2=8
奥运会 08.08.08 距离88天。
事发时间是下午2点18分，8后缀。
发的是7.8级地震，8后缀。
中国有迷信传统，说8是吉祥数字。
其实回顾历史，很多事情都和8有关，而且是不好的。
我们常常认为8是"发"，反问下，到底"发"出来的是什么。
李白的一首诗
北幕苍山兰州四，
京无落下缀清川；
奥年叶落缘分地，
运水微漾人却震。
李白早知道【北京奥运，四川地震】。
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Delaying the inevitable
I may be jumping the gun here but I think the woman is really trying to delay the inevitable.
She's already so far behind and she's already lent her campaign US$6 million!
But perhaps that's small money.
I hear Billy gives talks at USD 250k per pop. And given his prowess and the practice that he had with and on his intern, he could probably take on a sideline.
What made me amused was the fact that he did not ask her to back down. Or did her. Because the numbers are hard to deny and overcome. The opponent had a significantly strong hand.
Party members would also realise that even if she wins, her winning margin would make her target for opposition gunfire because of her highly fractious campaign. If people really wanted her, she wouldn't have had to settle for such a nomination on such pathetic numbers.
In fact, both her and her opponent are either so damned good that the party is having a hard time to decide or are so damned that the party is having a hard time to decide. Finally, the whole people will have a hard time trying to decide as well.
If she threw in the towel now and graciously backed him, she could probably claim credit as a "king-maker".
But only time will tell if this post has jumped the gun.
She's already so far behind and she's already lent her campaign US$6 million!
But perhaps that's small money.
I hear Billy gives talks at USD 250k per pop. And given his prowess and the practice that he had with and on his intern, he could probably take on a sideline.
What made me amused was the fact that he did not ask her to back down. Or did her. Because the numbers are hard to deny and overcome. The opponent had a significantly strong hand.
Party members would also realise that even if she wins, her winning margin would make her target for opposition gunfire because of her highly fractious campaign. If people really wanted her, she wouldn't have had to settle for such a nomination on such pathetic numbers.
In fact, both her and her opponent are either so damned good that the party is having a hard time to decide or are so damned that the party is having a hard time to decide. Finally, the whole people will have a hard time trying to decide as well.
If she threw in the towel now and graciously backed him, she could probably claim credit as a "king-maker".
But only time will tell if this post has jumped the gun.
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