Syonan - Syo WHAT?

http://forums.asiaone.com/showthread.php?t=91838#1

And so another moment where we have screamers on one side saying WE NEED TO BE SENSITIVE and the rest who say TELL IT AS IT WAS.

SO what's up with this being 'sensitive'?  Doesn't telling HISTORY, in all it's correctness, matter anymore?
I have had enough of people who are nothing more than a bag full of tears.

My grandparents lived through the Japanese War.  I was told stories about life After the Fall, how every male in the 'kampong' said their goodbyes to their families because 'males were being rounded up'.  That remained a firm reminder in my head that Singapore and the World needs to focus on making the world a better place for all and not about blowing one's trumpet, which we see too often, going on, in this present world.

With the change in the name of the Museum/Exhibition - we have regressed into a re-invented state.

Take the example of a Recovering Alcoholic - they are generally able to even sit through dinner, watch others enjoy a glass of wine and NOT need to have one.

What just happened here about SYONAN is the Pseudo-hurt, people have created for themselves.
If a child falls and smashes his knee-cap - I would say, learn from how careless you were so it never happens again.  When the child forgets I will remind him - Remember the time when you smashed your knee-cap?
That's how learning takes place.
Not by shoving the facts under the door-mat, but by looking at it squarely and making sure it never happens again.

So I guess, after all those movies from the West, a lot of us Asians, prefer to follow the model which promotes growing up sheltered because our FEELINGS will be hurt.

The Pioneer Generation here, survived and started to build the city-state we are now - they shed tears, they worked to the bone.  And what have we got to show for that? A heart too easily broken.

Tsk Tsk Tsk!

Heartwarming & Heartbroken

http://mashable.com/2017/02/06/cat-strawberry-milk-vet/?utm_cid=hp-h-5#N65J95NgVaqc

HEARTWARMING !

I first found this story here: http://news.asiaone.com/news/lifestyle/concerned-child-writes-vet-cute-email-after-her-cat-drank-strawberry-milk

HEARTBREAKING = DISGUST

After reading about the masking tape cat, and in today's print edition of the local main paper, a cat killer who was sentenced, my day went awful.

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/cat-killer-admits-hurling-feline-from-sixth-storey

What's disgusting is, after throwing the cat down 6 floors, he went to the ground floor to continue slamming the half-dead cat on the ground twice - I guess he just wanted to make sure the cat is dead, perhaps so that the cat CANNOT file a police report against him. Ridiculous!

On the right is the FACE of this CAT ABUSER.

This is an excerpt of the report.

"A food and beverage captain hurled a cat from a sixth-storey staircase landing after first luring it with cat food, a court heard.

In the early hours of May 26 last year,

Fajar Ashraf Fajar Ali, 25,  lured the female shorthair cat into a lift at Block 884, Tampines Street 83 to play with it.

He took the lift to the sixth storey and led the cat to the staircase landing. At first he played with the cat but when it tried to escape, he lured it back with more food."

All that INTELLIGENCE of killing off the victim (he must have watched too many CRIME drama), didn't protect him.  Perhaps the crime series he watched didn't have a story-line in a built up city with CCTVs and neighbours in close proximity.

To put it bluntly, a young girl, young in age, young in maturity demonstrated more COURAGE and MORAL CODING than this 25 year old wannabe.

Questions to ask:

Where did he school?

What did he do in school, in terms of activities?

It's time someone take stock of how apples go bad, because ONE BAD APPLE SPOILS THE BUSHEL.

In a society so tight in terms of people per square km, it's better to be discerning, even with the people we see everyday.  Had a witness thought it was just a man playing with a stray cat, he would have walked away a free man.  Never mind that, he would have walked away thinking he did very well for himself i.e. murdered a cat and escaped.

Is it paranoid to take a second look? NO.

There are many wolves in sheeps clothing.

So, I salute that little girl for giving me faith again, that the world might have gone to putts, but there is still salvation.

More Cat Abuses here

http://news.asiaone.com/news/crime/ubi-cat-found-wrapped-masking-tape-unusual-animal-abuse-case

The latest - some coward low-life, taped up a cat's entire body with masking tape.

This is what happens when society generally DO NOT SPEAK UP & STAND UP on animal abuse but instead just pay lip-service.

What ever happened to their upbringing?  Did they miss some lessons in moral and ethical coding?  It doesn't matter how old the perpetrators are.  They missed this entire part of learning.  At least a bully would pick on another of the same species.  Animal abusers are cowards, preferring to prey upon a 'no rights' life form.

I am proud to be where I am from.  But I am so ashamed that our society is lagging far behind in this area.  As a Psychology major, I have read many research papers which have found animal abusers to be from the same sack as individuals with conduct disorders.

It should not surprise me actually, since just standing by the side-lines and watching the general behaviour of people has told me a lot about what's lacking.

But I am no President scholar or any scholar for that matter having paid for all my fees with my hard earned money so I guess that's why what's obvious to me, or has been for decades, isn't remotely alarming for those who are in the curriculum planning department.  Hell, I am not even a 'qualified' teacher here, not having chosen teaching as a profession so I'm not trained to be a teacher to comment on where the teaching went wrong.  I'm not blaming the education system, but I also say, it has to take partial blame.

Children are coddled these days.  Any harsher a punishment will be deemed abuse, yet mocking a stray is nothing but kids fun.  Look at people from generations before.  They were punished hard, but seem to have a better moral coding built in.

I have always kept away from greater society, because alarm bells have been ringing in my head for too many years.
I did not want to loose faith in the good so I stayed away from people in general.  I have friends, but very select ones.  It's difficult to find thinkers these days.  Fortunately for me, the few discerning pals fill in the gaps for me to not be in want for more.  Quality > Quantity.

I have also been reading terrible crimes being reported these days.  It's not because the internet has made reporting easier so we read more of it.  This is news - which is reported in our conservative newspaper.  There was an idea that we think there are more spousal abuses because people are more aware of what it is and will report it.  True and not true.  The abused never think they are being abused.  Same for this cat. He probably thought it was a game.  Lucky for him, some kind soul brought him to the vet to be treated.

As we grapple with reports of murders, cat abuses - the entire world is focused on racism.

Perhaps if the world tried to look in the right places, the second-tier issues will never surface.  Fix the fundamentals and the rest will fix itself.
How's that from a non-scholar?

Mid CNY

Already we are halfway through the CNY.  Friends tell me that they felt even Malaysia was quieter this time around.  I thought so too until.....

I was picking up groceries from Cold Storage and wah lah! Tons of people were sieving through the flower rack as if all were free.  Seriously.  It wasn't unusual since Cold Storage does carry fresh flower stocks.  I have never seen a withered stalk there BUT it was also strange since this wasn't the only supermarket there and Cold Storage prices are not always at bargain rates.  Across the road was a more affordable supermarket, selling the more common stalks of flowers.  But it was a good feeling for the CNY, to see people of all ages, walks of life, grabbing whatever that was there.  That little section was almost like Chinatown!

Today should be EVERYONE's BIRTHDAY, day.  So that explains the rush.  That's also why I ended up there to pick up fish for dinner and to top up on Hokkaido Milk.

Perhaps everyone just reverted to spending quality time with family at home.  Of course eating joints will be filled up as well this evening, but there are still a lot of families, like mine, who prefer a more quiet observance.

I would have forgotten if not for good friends who sent their best wishes for the day.  Never could really understand the Chinese calendar.

It's good to know that CNY is still alive, quiet but alive.
Happy Birthday Everyone!

Goodbye 2016 and good riddance to the US mess

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Another year ticks by.  I heard about the 'leap second' which will make 2016 hang on for a heartbeat - what is a second right?

2016 was a year which kept me busy busy busy - I remember January, dragging her feet - and I was thinking, jeez, this is gonna be a long year.  Busy has it's advantages in that, it zips by very quickly.  

I can't wait for 2017 - it's supposed to be a year of promises for the world.  My schedule is the same, but better since we are all in the business of getting better and not stagnating.  So I am looking forward to a more manageable level of craziness.

No love lost on years gone.  It's what life is about.

We move forward and we get better, in reality, not the 'hi/bye I'm good' better but truly better in our souls.

Just reading about the mess Obama is making just tells me that sometimes, having a chip on one's shoulder isn't a good thing because one skews towards being emotional and irrational.  Many who voted for him or supported him did so because he shares the same minority status as they do, thus clearly voted/supported out of emotion rather than intellect.

I knew people who didn't know **** about Obama but rallied behind him, back in the day i.e. birds of a feather syndrome.

2016 was terrible for friendships in politics and although the Democrats tried to use the woman's card and race card, it failed.  They had a female candidate, who lied all the way to the top.  Yet, the ignorant, ignored a key character flaw and still supported her.
I thought at first, that I was the only Asian, who felt the repercussions of the US Election, when not living on American soil.  I was wrong.  Many of my close friends, were cautious when bringing up the subject and most were relieved to find us on the same camp.

Close as we are, one never knows what lurks behind that persona.  It's a relief, to eventually find out, weeks before their polling day, that we are close friends, because we did not have an alternate persona.

As the year 2016 drew to a close, I met my closest friends for lunch, dinner - to say our thanks to each other for the friendship.  I even managed to ride in a brand new car, to the furthest part of this island on a sunny morning.

I will not miss 2016, but I will remember it.  It was a year, people could no longer contain their unintelligent selves from the rest of the thinking people.  Why bother to make race an issue, when it's not about what colour our skins are, but more whether we have societal, moral, ethical sense.
Colour matters only when there is no other logical argument left.

Civic Education/Social Studies must continue to impress upon the school-goers that our duty must be to keep the respect and peace in our society first.  We are all exposed to similar laws and thus, we should not expect liberties anywhere else.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Welcome 2017 - I've been waiting for you for a long time.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The season of Christmas has lost it's meaning, years and years ago.

It has been over-taken by commercialisation and the need for the ignorant to belong to the world's most observed celebration, Easter aside.

It's easy for the Ignorant to jump in, to join the festivities.  Shopping Malls worldwide have their windows decked in Christmas Splendor - it's the season to be Merry.

Back in the day, Christmas Eve dinner was a family thing.
These days, it's time for food outlets/restaurants to cash in. They can't be blamed, because the bottom line does count.

Some families invite very close family friends for Christmas Eve dinner.  Once over, Christmas Dinners/Lunches, are just for the masses.  Alcoholics love this season, because they are allowed to drink senseless, although, they generally are senseless because getting drunk every week isn't being an alcoholic, right?

Few understand the concept of Christmas for the Christians, preferring to just go there for the free food and booze, not in the preferred order, of course.

My message to those, who just see Christmas as that is, get real.  Christians go to Church to celebrate Christmas Mass, because that's where it begins - the message of God.

That's why I detest the wannabes - they are probably worse than the weebos.

As I grabbed my Christmas shopping yesterday, I saw many non-celebrants grabbing stuff and talking loudly, as if, they understood what a present meant.  I'm all for tolerance, but I do have my moments of disgust, especially when people just talk about attending a Christmas party/dinner invite without really knowing why there is Christmas in the first place.

Then there are those who talk about not ever wishing Christians a Merry Christmas, because it isn't in their religion.

Well, this world isn't about ONE religion, but about many.  The important thing is the belief in God and doing what's right by His Name.

People who think they just showed up in this life because they are that good, ought to address how ridiculous they sound, because nothing ever just pops up.  I'm into Science, but I'm also aware that God has surrounded me with His Love, all my life.  There was never a moment in my life, where I felt abandoned by God - my life isn't a fluke.

This is the reason, I am always at peace.
And I wish for the world to be at peace.
If you're not a Christian, don't mock Christmas - there is no religion better than another.  God never taught anyone to take a life/lives.  If there is a religion which preaches taking a life/lives, it isn't one with God at the pinnacle.

Merry Christmas.  Spread the love and cheer, because of His Love.

Christmas soon

Almost at the Eve of Christmas Eve.  My new additions, of air plants in my kitchen, are doing very well - The pink buds are now twice their size and it's lovely just to admire in the morning.  The others have grown in size and length.  Makes me wonder why I took so long to get 'into' them.

As usual, I wind down the year meeting friends who are valuable.  Today, the process begins, with a close family friend.  Because everyone is busy, celebrating and observing Christmas with huge family dinners, the more important people meet outside these gatherings - it gives us all time to appreciate the years of friendship and love our families have shared - noisy dinners are for loud laughs at crude jokes.

This year was true madness.  I was so busy, I didn't have time to really spend long hours with them for meals.  I did my travelling done as usual but that aside, I get friends asking me what the hell's keeping me busy.

Besides putting home cooking on the table every day, I do need to take care of the pets, 2 x ND rabbits; 1 x Holland Lop; 4 x cats; 1 x Amazon parrot - which means, vacuum, mop, feed.  Then there's the re-decorating, love to always keep the home looking fresh (since it's the home I purchased) - paint, wallpaper, new accent pieces - fresh rugs - and yes I'm aware the economy is going into a technical recession.

The difference is, this home, is almost fully paid.  I do not respect people who are permanently on home mortgage but boast they own properties.  Well, you are a mortgagee until you fully pay for your property - so get real people, those who keep re-financing their home loan so that they can appear to be in the upper income bracket group.  

I don't buy counterfeit goods for use or consumption - I shop at Cold Storage and I have time to game for 6 hours each day.
THAT, my friends, is God's wonderful Blessing, for which I am always grateful for.

Next year, I'm hoping to actually help friends help a South American orphanage.  Time will permit, now that I have put this down in writing.

Time to get some Christmas goodies!

A Merry Christmas Week

Wow another 2 weeks to 2017!

The year has passed so quickly, that I'm stumped.  It felt like just a heartbeat away, when I was settling into my schedule for 2016 and wished it would pass quickly because the first quarter of the year was too draggy.

Since it's the season of Christmas, I have had friends come over.  They remember when I just moved in and got excited about having a potted 'garden'.  Well, they saw flowers and basically, my plans come to fruition.  It must be how I grew up, tending to herbs and fruit trees, that gave me this desire to always have plants around me.  The orchids, for once in my life, are really doing well.  I was hesitant, when the plant shop lady insisted I try to grow a pot - when that did well, a friend gave me another and now I have 3 - all doing great.  I have sprays of orchids every day, cheering up the corridor.

Christmas is a personal holiday for me - I am done having huge dinner dos at my place - for the past decade, I have observed the holiday, giving Thanks to God for all the goodness he has bestowed upon me and my son.  The many Blessings we have received and the laughter that rings from my home daily.

How many people can say, they feel Blessed with their life?
I can.

I have had many disappointments, but never with the decisions I make, but more from the failure of people.  But as we get older, we learn to discount them and let Karma be their teacher.  Why try to walk in shoes not meant for us, right?

I used to think I could 'save' everyone.
That is a myth.  No one can 'save' anyone really.  It took me a long time to figure that one out but I did figure it out and I'm living better.

So, begins the count down to Christmas Eve and the sumptuous Dinner and several Christmas lunches that will mark the ending of 2016.

And then we begin again.....and look forward to closing 2017 just as well, if not better!

Korean Drama - On the Way to the Airport

In my opinion, this is a great story, except that the Finale was just too rushed.

For starters, I don't care much about the fast-forward idea.  It leaves too many questions, guesses and frankly, not fair to die-hard followers of the series.

This is a story about 2 married people.
Some who have posted on forums, thought that it glorifies adultery.

To these people I say, GROW UP.
In this world today, too many people are trapped in bad marriages.  The person they are married to may be ok but when in combination, they don't complement each other, instead, becomes a deadly, toxic relationship.

Some couples, just cannot divorce - because of finances, housing, children.  It doesn't make having an OUTSIDER friend of the opposite sex WRONG.
Sometimes, these outside friends, keep the bad marriage intact for longer, or at least until the children, finances, settle.

So, I don't have issues with the storyline.

Just because a lot of people maintain such marriages, doesn't make it BIBLE right, or ETHICALLY RIGHT by SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS.  Yet this situation is mainstream these days, to the horror of the many who subscribe to the moral high ground.

Unlike many, I am a realist.
So, for those, who have no issues watching 2 married people share supportive moments with each other, because they have no such support from their spouses, watch this.

Who doesn't like to live the Cinderella story?
Who doesn't like to be the perfect human?

But, we are not perfect creatures.
We do not keep just pure thoughts in our minds.
We do not always tell the whole truth.
Every time we are politically correct in our replies means, we tell a white lie.  It's still a lie.

So I don't take the moral high ground.
I call a pot a pot.

I don't believe in the 'for better or for worse', because where we are is a result of the choices we made and if anyone knows my life story, it's been hell.  BUT each time, I spend a few minutes, raging.  Only a few minutes.  After that, I choose to move forward and get down to 'business'.

That few minutes of rage - is enough.
I may dwell on that, every now and then - but I never make that the reason for my failings as a person.

People don't change.  So if you're stuck with one bad seed, get out.  Whatever it takes.  Remember, you are just one person who has the power to steer your life onto another path.

I don't believe in love, but I do believe that people are put in our lives for a good reason.
They may no longer be around, once they have 'served' their purpose in our lives, but that's just how things are.

If you let the bird go, it flies.
If it comes back, it's yours.

Great TV series.  My first Korean drama, and all I can say is, it's real.

Donald Trump 45th President of the United States!

Congratulations!
It's the best news I have heard since the start of the Presidential Run.

I am glad that majority of the American people do not subscribe to lying and cheating.  When I was in college, my GP lecturer, a British man, spoke of the complex US Democratic System, so complex that it's sometimes impossible to change anything....that was the first I heard about what it means to be a Democracy.

Today, I see Democracy at it's working peak.

The American people have been cheated, short-changed and unknowingly, misled by the power of Money.  With Money, comes corruption and Wikileaks have given evidence to the world, how Money has corrupted people who were entrusted to be honest and working for the betterment of the world.

I am not American, yet I wondered for many years, what happened to the solid American Dream, for the average American.
My friends, who are Americans, have 'suffered' for too many years.  Today, I celebrate their victory in reclaiming what is their right - their right to be open and transparent.

It is true, this election has caused friendships to break - I have been shocked, disappointed and appalled that friends who are teaching Social Studies in high school, couldn't see past the Clinton and Soros combination of lies.  They didn't want to talk about the laundering of millions.  They didn't want to talk about illegal arm sales.  They didn't want to understand that wanting to keep illegals OUT is every Nation's sovereign right.

So many people, faceless, nameless have offered prayers for Good to Trump over Evil (every pun intended).

Trump it did indeed!
Congratulations America.  You will be Great Again!

THE GREAT DIVIDE - US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

THE GREAT DIVIDE

The US Presidential Elections have essentially divided the world further.

'The World' began fighting off Terrorists. But now, 'the world' splintered into ............

• The group interested in actually getting rid of Terrorists.
• The group fighting to keep themselves in the position of Power.
• The group fighting all the odds to Clean up America.

I'm not sure which group has the easier task, but for sure, the wishes for WORLD PEACE suddenly do not seem to be a cliche anymore.

Broadly, the CAMP on the MONEY & POWER side, tend to have supporters who verbally attack non-supporters by name-calling.  They do not have an answer or excuse for Clinton being morally, ethically, criminally wrong and thus unfit to stand for Election - as such, they jump in loudly and are aggressive. 

Had they armed themselves with substantial evidence to support their choice, there would be no need to fire away at others with childish, immature statements.

A friend told me OBAMACARE is great.  He's not American by the way, but he knows it's great. My American friends are struggling with this, and they have decent earning power - they told me OBAMACARE is unaffordable for most and that they themselves do not have healthcare.

Who knows better?  The layman American or minority Asian who has never lived or worked in America?

Obamacare premiums are spiking 25% next year. How bad is that?

http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-obamacare-premiums-20161025-snap-story.html

I do feel terrible for my American-born friends.  They already don't have Health Insurance - and unless they get a Republican as President, they will continue to pray for Excellent Health since they cannot afford to fall ill.

It's strange how people generally are divided according to how their mind works.

If anyone has gone deep into discussions about the 2 candidates, one cannot help but notice that the Money & Power camp (Democrats) think that Money buys them everything, so they don't need to use their BRAINS to think about why their ideas don't work.
Money buys them Power - and that is what they are trying to prove with a Democratic win.

WHO WOULD THINK, that Poll Machines can be donated by a Major Funder of a Presidential Campaign?

Which Idiot cannot see how UNJUST, UNFAIR, and CHEAP it is, to blatantly CHEAT the voters?  I suppose the message is, MONEY CAN ALSO BUY CHEAT SHEETS.

If Americans vote for the Democrats after all this - then GOD SAVE AMERICA, because what's going to happen is, the TERRORISTS will never be defeated, because the LEFT HAND provides them sustenance, and the RIGHT HAND pretends to fight them.  The end result will be a world, plagued with confusion and mistrust.

People should use their GOD-given BRAIN to think through this carefully.
Leaked emails/correspondences - what these people did to cover up their wicked deeds with more wickedness - should not be taken lightly.

There is a reason, why and how, the entire world was given this SNEAK PEAK.
THINK ABOUT IT!

This is not about Russia trying to spy on the America - this is about America, having lost favour with the good karma, and now have to face the karma of EXPOSURE.

The camp of MONEY & POWER practices deception.
They have always done that and are still doing that, because it is all they know - Money helps them clean up their mess all other times before - which is why, they don't know how to fix this except by the process of unfair elimination.

VOTERS should start thinking deep and hard.
IF DEMOCRATS WIN - the message to the world is, MONEY & POWER wins over TRUTH.

None of my business, but even from way over here, the CAMPS are clear.  I support people who are always willing to discuss and fairly argue out an issue because I know that I'm among people who can THINK, DISCERN and still be impartial.

Expensive Brains

We are given a brain - one which we should use, since we are not animals who can only function instinctively.

Unfortunately, by the time a child reaches young adulthood, he already stops using it - just going over the type of trouble/crimes they get into, is a good indication.  This is not just about having a moral compass - it's about thinking over CHOICES to make.

I have lived a good part of my life already.  It will not matter to me, who becomes the next US President, because I'm not American (thankfully) and I'm not European (thankfully).

I have watched their election with great amusement - how people over there, buy into bullshit - it's like you can have all the evidence and they just fail to see it for what it is.

People like that, deserve to always live in fear of loosing their freedom, because they don't really know what that means.  To them, to have a complicated government system is freedom.

FREEDOM, to me, living in Asia is about - being able to feel safe, any time of the day - not having to worry that I will get mugged in an alley, because we don't have alleys for low-lifes to lurk about.  We actually have laws that are enforced - no amount of money can buy someone a seat to rule this country.  We run, fair and square - of course, the occasional tossing of tuna back and forth, is to be expected, but it's all just politics.  No trying to sway minority votes by appealing just to their inability to integrate.

It's no wonder, the Asian students do so well in these foreign Universities.  It's a shame that many more do not get the opportunity to study there - Asian Universities are just as good, but because we are generally younger, and Colonialism has been branded into our heads - we always think being us, means we have to kowtow to them.  B

In this world muddle, Asia is doing great.

So I guess, people over there, who are voting Democrats - probably have the most expensive brains.

Expensive because, they hardly use it.

Pot calling the kettle black

If us, lay people, are confused about what is going on in the US Presidential Election - this clip puts it accurately, in a nutshell.

Never mind, that Hilary Clinton is backed by George Soros - the man who is dead sure, his ill-gained money from the last financial crisis and more, can buy him a spot to be the US President's advisor.  The same, laughable DEMOCRATS, flew their Kerry to UK so UK can share the karmic hit back, when it happens.

People in the world need to read what George Orwell said.  People have rights to think freely, speak freely and stand corrected.  What we have seen, is the US DEMOCRATS, building one lie upon another - of course, UNTHINKING American Citizens are buying that lock, stock and barrel.

What the internet world is dubbing the UK to be, is accurate - UK left their FREEDOM OF SPEECH in the EU.  

TO thinking people of the world.
Kerry lands in London and a whole pile of COMMUNIST practices surfaces from London.

The US and Britain and everyone, should really stop calling N.Korea names, since they are far worse - WORSE because they are communist practising under the guise of Democracy.  At least N.Korea is not hiding what they practice.

From the Gulf War, we all could see, that there were NO WMDs.  The lie started there, and they kept it up.

Till today.

And years on, NO ONE FROM THE WEST REMEMBERS?

I do not support terrorist activities AND what Kerry and company are doing AMOUNTS UP to TERRORIST ACTIVITIES because they are enforcing their choice upon their people, their citizens.  They have taken away the rights of their citizens, by labelling people who chose TRUTH as DANGEROUS.

To all these humans who believe their MONEY bought them POWER, I tell you, you will meet your Maker in due time and then we'll see what your money really bought you.

Making babies, but not giving them a roof?

I was surprised, to have read that people don't need a huge space to make babies.

Surprised because it's not about the process of making one that bothers me, but the ability to nurture the child i.e. feed, educate, teach.

In Singapore, we need MONEY, a lot of it, just to survive.

Ok, so a couple makes a baby in the park, with no home - what happens to the child?

This is the present situation today - A LOT OF STUDENTS are on FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

I am all for helping those who have less, but there is this thing called the POVERTY CYCLE.  In Singapore, the poverty cycle may look different from another 3rd world country, but it's poverty all the same.

So assuming we go down this track, then we have our government, paying for the child's education in mainstream - what about additional classes? Tuition? Not every child will be able to cope in school, given their home environment isn't conducive to study i.e. they don't have one?  So some make it some don't.  Can I then conclude that we are going for 'survival of the fittest?'

I have been very disturbed that families have so many children, to take advantage of the government's child bonuses, yet go on financial assistance in school.  Where is the honesty?  These families have been making babies as suggested and dumped the care and education of their children to the government, through schools and the different Ministries.
Gone are the days, where mostly, children look at their struggling parents and say "I WILL STUDY HARD TO HELP THEM".  Has someone missed something in our society that changed?

Having a roof over your head, maintaining it, even in a struggle, gives the child a chance.  We have good public housing policies which can help the homeless and childless, start off by giving them a roof over their heads first.  That is also teaching them responsibility - if parents do not know responsibility, how are they to pass that on to the child?

I can just imagine, our school-going generation today, growing up and thinking, I can survive if I know how to bleed our government of money.

Is that going to take our society another 50 years?
Any idiot knows we are doomed if we keep this attitude.

So, it's not that people do not know the process of making a baby, it's the inability to maintain the new life well, decently well.

Space - children need their own space to create, to dream, to make something for themselves.  They need space to learn.
Families need space they can call theirs, so they work harder to make it a home.

The sorry state of GULLIBLE

https://www.christart.com/clipart/image/stupid-belief

I used to be able to just IGNORE people who believe what they read WHOLESALE - people who worship PROPAGANDA - people who function with so much of discrimination that they become obsessed about wanting to fit in with the popular voice.  These days, I can't because I am swamped with them.

I'm not one to 'join them'  because I do USE my thinking ability, BRAINS and my ability to discern.

THE US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION is a disgrace to democracy.

Just because the US subscribes to DEMOCRACY, it doesn't mean they abuse it.
The Democrats are right now being chaired by a money-driven old man who thinks he's GOD because money has come his way too many times at the expense of others...so he must be GOD right? The Democrats' candidate is not a woman, it is this dried up old man, who has bought journalists, tv stations and a whole lot of people so that he can rule a nation, from his living room and not the oval office - he will be the first to do that!  POWER CAN BE BOUGHT BECAUSE HE IS DOING IT!

Voters being unthinking and stupid, are going to make his dream come true.
I pray that the real GOD, will do something about it.

Me on the other hand, prefer the underdog.  A man who engages in men locker room talk like other normal men.....a man who used the law to salvage his business and that worked out well....a man who could not have succeeded had he not been unscrupulous when he had to be.  Is that wrong?

There is NO PERFECT PERSON walking this earth - but let's all start thinking deep.

How would anyone understand the man on the street if he isn't from the street?

It's none of my business, I have said it many times before.  In fact, this US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION has told me one sure thing - THAT a lot of my casual friends, are really NOT THINKING PEOPLE and they are just too superficial that I really should drop them as casual friends.

How will I look at them now, knowing that they are actually quite gullible - just as well, I found out at the close of the year.

I guess when you never have been with money, you have no idea, how money really talks.
SO I can't expect them to know what I know.

To be proven, RIGHT

Everyone loves to be 'RIGHT'.
It's human nature - to desire the attention from family, peers, colleagues, neighbours and people around us in general.

In my life, I have never, ever, wanted to be a 'hive mind'.  I work hard to make sure I maintain my individuality.

Some 15 years ago, I threw out an ungrateful teen, who was bent on being with her biological dad, who never paid a cent in maintenance for her since the day she was born.  But because he had since remarried with 3 new children in tow, she was pretty much stuck with me, in my house, with my rules.
Of course, she was found out and even after many warnings to behave and focus on her GCE, she persisted in betraying my trust by getting an abortion.

Once I pieced everything together, I decided to grant her, her dream and wish.  I sent her packing to her biological father.

6 years after the fact, she text me, and in that message, claimed for me to be a tyrant, always angry.
Now, I am not always angry - I'm only like that, with her - she is BAD NEWS.

2 years ago, I found out she was in touch with my 2nd ex-husbands' family and him, of course.  She was always hung up to have a unique surname - my 2nd Ex, is Eurasian.  It was obvious she was, because in his late mothers obituary, her name was included in the list of grandchildren.

I didn't care about anything, as long as I didn't have to see her.  I don't care much about being in some social event with people I don't care about - funeral or not.

2 days ago, my son, received a call from the CID here.  For the record, CID here does not investigate petty crime.

They asked him about this failure of a person, who is his half-sister by birth.

Apparently she is involved in some crime and they are searching for her.


I have lived my life, till today, with not a shred of regret for throwing her out.  I cut ties with family, because people there thought I was being harsh.

TODAY, they have been proven wrong.
I am RIGHT.

Had I taken their advice, I'm sure my son, would have been influenced and exposed to her deceit and lies.  One can only guess what values he would have to balance.

Had I taken their advice, the police would have broken down my door, in search of her.

SO, Karma may be slow sometimes to show us her hand, but when she does, victory is more than sweet.

My son told me, MOM, YOU ARE RIGHT.

Yes I am.

It pays to do your own thinking - don't be sheep.  Do what you have to do, because you have to do it. In the end, no one is going to solve your troubles for you.  People never show up when you need them.  So the sooner you figure that out, the better.
I learnt that when I was a teenager, watching my emotionally unbalanced mother being totally uninterested in being a parent.

I know I turned out right - only because I burnt bridges.
To be proven RIGHT, for burning a HUGE BRIDGE, is simply awesome.

Pokemon Go

It is true what some locals have said about this new craze.
All the campaigns, posters on diseased organs or people who are less ambulant - didn't quite succeed to get a lot of us off our comfy seats and out there to get some much needed exercise.  We had Brisk Walking clubs from as far back as 15 years ago, yet mostly, retirees are the ones into it.
Given that most of us are out of the door, before sunrise, or just barely 2 hours after sunrise, where is the time to do that much needed run or walk lest we are late catching the train.

I'm one of those super lazy ones - prefer the comfort of my own home, cool aircon all day - hot coffee within reach -

Last weekend, CHANGED EVERYTHING!

I was out, not just on a freak day out...but every day over the weekend and public holiday - beads of perspiration popping like pimples - getting a suntan - and that much needed 5km walk.

All because I downloaded POKEMON GO.

I had to hatch the 5km eggs.....by walking....plus the one way to level up from 1 is to catch POKEMONs.

Just when I thought, this is what semi-retiring is like - wake up late when there are no chores/work, water the plants, watch tv, cook, bake.
This weekend, changed all that.
I was OUT THERE in between chores - trying to perfect a POKEBALL throw.

I am so bad, it took like almost 20 POKEBALLS once, to catch the furry.

It's been 4 days and my life has evolved.
I'm not nuts to walk 5km a day, but half of that is doable - given that the app must be opened - and since I don't have a power bank, my time outside, is limited.

So I ordered a new iPhone, which is arriving tomorrow.  New phone, new battery.

A lot of my friends, colleagues are playing this too - gives us something to laugh about besides the 'normal' stuff.

It will take me a long time, to understand what needs to be done etc, but that's ok.  I'm getting plenty of exercise in the meantime.

To all who play, let the game bring us all closer - or get to know each other....
I hope that people who are not gamers, but more social type people, to please don't have this GOD COMPLEX about yourself.

I did come across a grouch, who told me to please don't suddenly stop in my tracks.

I wanted to say something rude, but I chose not to, because I was too busy catching a POKEMON.  Catching that Pokemon was more important than his comments - that should be a brush off enough.

I wanted to tell him, well, if you're driving, the car behind is always in the wrong for tailgating, should the car in front suddenly hit the brakes.

People should stop thinking that Pokemon Go is bad.  I think playing useless games like the swipe all 3 to clear the board, is a lot more time wasting than this game.  So if people are into it coz their grandchildren are, and they are not really gamers, please don't send your ugly comments to those who are just having fun - I was in a huge Shopping Mall - people stop walking abruptly, not just because of this game, but also when they are looking at the wares for sale, or just changing their mind in the direction they are taking.

Stop trying to exert your importance where it's not needed.

Walking the Talk

This is a proud moment for me, a 'regular' citizen here.

Our PM's wife, used a clutch, not 'designer' by world standards, but one designed by a special needs boy.

For many years, she was always in the background during official visits.  I am sure, Ms Ho Ching did not think that we would make such a huge deal of it.

We did.

This is what we call, WALKING THE TALK.

I found it amusing that our PM's wife caught the attention of everyone and outshone the exorbitant dress of Mrs Obama.

In her simple way, she made us all here stand tall.

It is true what the saying is : it's not how expensive the thing is, that will make you classy.

Thank you Ms Ho Ching, for making me believe in this simple basic principle again.

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/pathlight-student-who-designed-mrs-lee-hsien-loongs-dinosaur-purse-surprised-by-media

Make America Great Again

I believe that this picture should be etched in history because the USA needs Heads of State, who works for the people.

I'm not American and my opinion doesn't matter - but I like to put it out there, if anything, for me to read this back someday.
I'm fortunate to be from a country, where we are not subject to low-ball tactics of using MONEY, lots of money to buy influence, bias and everything unfair, because of the idea of TOTAL FREEDOM.

For all of my life, I had to put up with friends from other regions, who define our way of life here, too socialist for them.  For me, it works.

I can walk home safely anytime. Hail a cab anytime. Never have to wonder why my cell doesn't work, provided the bills are paid.  WE may not have the freedom to say what we want to say when it may affect another social group living here, but that has taught us RESTRAINT and RESPECT for others.

We do not need to shout out our need for TOTAL FREEDOM because we already have it - our Heads of State, has ensured that.  I have never felt unsafe here.  I have never felt marginalised here.  My son grew up not knowing which ethnic group his friends in school belong to, because it doesn't matter.

What matters are individuals.
What does matter is, we seek the same goals as citizens - safety and the capacity to find employment, no matter how menial.  I know a lot of people who work 2/3 jobs - to put their kids through school - life may be hard, but WE HAVE A LIFE HERE.

My American friends are disgusted that some candidates use the power of money, to censure their competition.  To them that is unfair.  I agree.  They have done this by buying out any information provider so that their competition would seem to be the unfavourable one.

I hope Americans vote right, because they deserve to have a fraction of our humble life here, there.
DONALD TRUMP vows to make America Great Again.

It's an apt pledge because American Soil, was where I wanted to be, a long time ago.  Now, not so much because from the outside, all I see is bickering, the use of money unethically and how one group wants to be more important than the other, when they should be shouting as ONE NATION - only then can they say, America is about FREEDOM.

Hilary Clinton accuses Trump of BIGOTRY

I wonder if she knows what that word means.

BIGOTRY is who the prevailing terrorists are.
They, the terrorists, are intolerant, expecting everyone who holds differing beliefs to be either beheaded or extinguished from life.

I can only assume that she used this word because many have no clear idea of the word's definition.

I have many Muslim friends who are not bigots.  They too, hold the same dislike for terrorists.  It probably hurts them more than it does us, non-Muslims.

The people who know about living in harmony is this little nation I write from.  Even as these terrorists run rampant in the name of their supposed religious beliefs, I sit and eat with my Muslim friends at lunch.

This candidate is lost in her super delegates, financial backing that her desperation shows.  Instead of calling a pot a pot, she prefers to confuse everyone and make the election about something else.
Mind you, she compromised security, lied to cover her error and yet she thinks she's the better candidate.

Months ago, I thought, it would be great to have a Clinton again - perhaps it will make lives better in the US for my friends.  Lately, after all the cover-ups, I have changed my mind.

I take honesty over everything else.
If one cannot trust the leader of the government, who is left?

The Americans must and should vote sensibly - they have to stand up and say, MONEY CANNOT BUY US A GOVERNMENT.

My Muslim friends here, support Trump, because he says it, like it is.