FHM Magazine held a party at Zircon in the old MoS (Ministry of Sound). I got tickets for free. The drinks were also free. Afterwards we went to eat bah-ku teh at midnight. God, I love Singapore.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
FHM Party March 2009
FHM Magazine held a party at Zircon in the old MoS (Ministry of Sound). I got tickets for free. The drinks were also free. Afterwards we went to eat bah-ku teh at midnight. God, I love Singapore.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Finding a life partner. And for God sake don't marry for love
This is one of the most hardest choices that people have to make today, esp. in today's modern society.
Its a hard choice. And not many people get it right (the first time) - as seen by the rising number of divorces and single people around.
The problem to a certain extent is ironically - "choice". In the past, people's spouses were determined by outsides forces - ie parents or clan and custom. (In certain parts of the world, esp. in Middle Eastern societies - women have no choice in the matter - and have to marry their cousins or distant kinsman).
The whole idea of divorce was anathema. Women were forced to stick with their men by law and custom. King David, for example, had many wives - but his wives couldn't have sexual relations with other men. Then there is Judah and Tamar, David + Uriah's wife.... Tainted men still used by a Holy God but that's another story.
In the Bible its written that God took from Adam's ribs and formed Woman. God didn't take from the feet so that she would be under him. God didn't take from Adam's seed so that she would be a sexual plaything for him. God didn't take from Adam's head so that Eve would be over him.
God took from Adam's ribs - so that Eve would be close to his heart.
In some respects, life for women - in modern society - has vastly improved. No longer are they the property of their fathers, husbands, tribe or clan. No longer are Japanese peasants selling their daughters to brothels to pay for their debts to rice merchants. No longer are European princess beheaded or imprisoned because their Prince wants another wife to bear a son. No longer do women have to put up (and remain silent) with a husband who is unfaithful, abusive, a drunkard, a wife-beater or just an obnoxious vile arsehole. Abuse takes various forms.
For modern men - they face a problem. The divorce courts (in western societies) usually favor the female - even if she is the one at fault. The other problem is the feminist movement. Too often men marry women and end up finding they've married another guy - ie someone who wants to wear the pants in the house. I seen it before - guys who get bossed around by their wives - being treated like a dog. Its ugly from both sides of the fence.
So what's it all about?
Question: who the heck are you getting married to? That's an important question. Do you know the person well? Are you overlooking their faults, ie. pride, anger, jealousy, envy, lust, selfishness, bitterness? Honestly, if the person has serious problems in any of those prime areas, shout fire-in-the-hold and run away. Its probably going to get worse.
Marriage is like taking a very long long distance car ride. You want a car and fellow passengers that are OK (well, more than OK) and can stand the distance. If not, you could very well be stranded on a desert road and facing a long walk to the end alone.
I like the silence test. Do you enjoy being in the presence of the girl? Can you enjoy the moments of silences with her. Are you comfortable being in each other company? That's not easy. Some people can't even stand being alone by themselves.
Yeah, whatever you do - don't marry purely for love. Love meaning - the modern sense - an emotion, a feeling - not St. Paul's definition of love. Humans are fickle. Emotions change. Beauty fades. And please stop listening to the love songs that are regularly played on the radio. They'll just brainwash you into marrying someone without thinking it through carefully. The other thing about love songs is that they usually idolize the lover - placing them in the same place as God. "I love you. I want to be close to you. I can't live without you....blah blah." Its true, think about it. Your lover is not God. Its just another fallible human being. Don't put them on a pedestal.
Direction issues. Where is the person heading and can you deal with it? There are some very silly people who buy a sports car - then complain every bloody second about the relatively high fuel consumption and maintainace costs. There are also some people who marry and then expect their partner to be different, very different. If you're going to marry a high flying executive - it should cross your mind that the person would probably be spending more time at the job than with you. If you're going to marry a bimbo who is a Paris Hilton wannabe - you should be prepared to pay for her high spending ways.
If you're going to marry a whale hunting, ocean going sailor, you should realize that the bugger would be spending a considerable part of his life out at sea - hunting whales. It doesn't matter whether the bugger is hotter than Brad Pitt - but if you can't reconcile that part of his life with yours - then surely why the hell are you in that relationship?
Let's cut to the chase. Marry someone who respects you - someone who will help you - someone who you enjoy doing things with - someone who truly loves you - and fits the description in Paul's letter to the Corinthians - love is patient, kind etc.. Love is a partnership. Its about giving and taking. You're got to see whether the other person has what it takes to deal with your own character. Example - if you're a girl and hate cleaning - marry a man who loves to clean. (There are actually people who enjoy doing that.haha)
And for God sake don't marry someone who is a nutjob who has major anger, bitterness, pride, selfish issues or worse, a violent temper. Strike them off your dating list. Its like buying a car that has a serious engine and brake defect for a long road trip. You're gonna live to regret it.
Its a hard choice. And not many people get it right (the first time) - as seen by the rising number of divorces and single people around.
The problem to a certain extent is ironically - "choice". In the past, people's spouses were determined by outsides forces - ie parents or clan and custom. (In certain parts of the world, esp. in Middle Eastern societies - women have no choice in the matter - and have to marry their cousins or distant kinsman).
The whole idea of divorce was anathema. Women were forced to stick with their men by law and custom. King David, for example, had many wives - but his wives couldn't have sexual relations with other men. Then there is Judah and Tamar, David + Uriah's wife.... Tainted men still used by a Holy God but that's another story.
In the Bible its written that God took from Adam's ribs and formed Woman. God didn't take from the feet so that she would be under him. God didn't take from Adam's seed so that she would be a sexual plaything for him. God didn't take from Adam's head so that Eve would be over him.
God took from Adam's ribs - so that Eve would be close to his heart.
In some respects, life for women - in modern society - has vastly improved. No longer are they the property of their fathers, husbands, tribe or clan. No longer are Japanese peasants selling their daughters to brothels to pay for their debts to rice merchants. No longer are European princess beheaded or imprisoned because their Prince wants another wife to bear a son. No longer do women have to put up (and remain silent) with a husband who is unfaithful, abusive, a drunkard, a wife-beater or just an obnoxious vile arsehole. Abuse takes various forms.
For modern men - they face a problem. The divorce courts (in western societies) usually favor the female - even if she is the one at fault. The other problem is the feminist movement. Too often men marry women and end up finding they've married another guy - ie someone who wants to wear the pants in the house. I seen it before - guys who get bossed around by their wives - being treated like a dog. Its ugly from both sides of the fence.
So what's it all about?
Question: who the heck are you getting married to? That's an important question. Do you know the person well? Are you overlooking their faults, ie. pride, anger, jealousy, envy, lust, selfishness, bitterness? Honestly, if the person has serious problems in any of those prime areas, shout fire-in-the-hold and run away. Its probably going to get worse.
Marriage is like taking a very long long distance car ride. You want a car and fellow passengers that are OK (well, more than OK) and can stand the distance. If not, you could very well be stranded on a desert road and facing a long walk to the end alone.
I like the silence test. Do you enjoy being in the presence of the girl? Can you enjoy the moments of silences with her. Are you comfortable being in each other company? That's not easy. Some people can't even stand being alone by themselves.
Yeah, whatever you do - don't marry purely for love. Love meaning - the modern sense - an emotion, a feeling - not St. Paul's definition of love. Humans are fickle. Emotions change. Beauty fades. And please stop listening to the love songs that are regularly played on the radio. They'll just brainwash you into marrying someone without thinking it through carefully. The other thing about love songs is that they usually idolize the lover - placing them in the same place as God. "I love you. I want to be close to you. I can't live without you....blah blah." Its true, think about it. Your lover is not God. Its just another fallible human being. Don't put them on a pedestal.
Direction issues. Where is the person heading and can you deal with it? There are some very silly people who buy a sports car - then complain every bloody second about the relatively high fuel consumption and maintainace costs. There are also some people who marry and then expect their partner to be different, very different. If you're going to marry a high flying executive - it should cross your mind that the person would probably be spending more time at the job than with you. If you're going to marry a bimbo who is a Paris Hilton wannabe - you should be prepared to pay for her high spending ways.
If you're going to marry a whale hunting, ocean going sailor, you should realize that the bugger would be spending a considerable part of his life out at sea - hunting whales. It doesn't matter whether the bugger is hotter than Brad Pitt - but if you can't reconcile that part of his life with yours - then surely why the hell are you in that relationship?
Let's cut to the chase. Marry someone who respects you - someone who will help you - someone who you enjoy doing things with - someone who truly loves you - and fits the description in Paul's letter to the Corinthians - love is patient, kind etc.. Love is a partnership. Its about giving and taking. You're got to see whether the other person has what it takes to deal with your own character. Example - if you're a girl and hate cleaning - marry a man who loves to clean. (There are actually people who enjoy doing that.haha)
And for God sake don't marry someone who is a nutjob who has major anger, bitterness, pride, selfish issues or worse, a violent temper. Strike them off your dating list. Its like buying a car that has a serious engine and brake defect for a long road trip. You're gonna live to regret it.
Finding a life partner. And for God sake don't marry for love
This is one of the most hardest choices that people have to make today, esp. in today's modern society.
Its a hard choice. And not many people get it right (the first time) - as seen by the rising number of divorces and single people around.
The problem to a certain extent is ironically - "choice". In the past, people's spouses were determined by outsides forces - ie parents or clan and custom. (In certain parts of the world, esp. in Middle Eastern societies - women have no choice in the matter - and have to marry their cousins or distant kinsman).
The whole idea of divorce was anathema. Women were forced to stick with their men by law and custom. King David, for example, had many wives - but his wives couldn't have sexual relations with other men. Tainted men still used by a Holy God but that's another essay.
In the Bible its written that God took from Adam's ribs and formed Woman. God didn't take from the feet so that she would be under him. God didn't take from Adam's seed so that she would be a sexual plaything for him. God didn't take from Adam's head so that Eve would be over him.
God took from Adam's ribs - so that Eve would be close to his heart.
In some respects, life for women - in modern society - has vastly improved. No longer are they the property of their fathers, husbands, tribe or clan. No longer are Japanese peasants selling their daughters to brothels to pay for their debts to rice merchants. No longer are European princess beheaded or imprisoned because their Prince wants another wife to bear a son. No longer do women have to put up (and remain silent) with a husband who is unfaithful, abusive, a drunkard, a wife-beater or just an obnoxious vile arsehole. Abuse takes various forms.
For modern men - they face a problem. The divorce courts (in western societies) usually favor the female - even if she is the one at fault. The other problem is the feminist movement. Too often men marry women and end up finding they've married another guy - ie someone who wants to wear the pants in the house. I seen it before - guys who get bossed around by their wives - being treated like a dog. Its ugly from both sides of the fence.
So what's it all about?
Question: who the hell are you getting married to? That's an important question. Do you know the person well? Are you overlooking their faults, ie. pride, anger, jealousy, envy, lust, selfishness, bitterness? Honestly, if the person has serious problems in any of those prime areas, throw a grenade his/her way and run away. Its a real "fire in the hold" scenario and its probably going to get worse.
Marriage is like taking a very long long distance car ride. You want a car and fellow passengers that are OK (well, more than OK) and can stand the distance. If not, you could very well be stranded on a desert road and facing a long walk to the end alone.
I like the silence test. Do you enjoy being in the presence of the girl? Can you enjoy the moments of silences with her. Are you comfortable being in each other company? That's not easy. Some people can't even stand being alone by themselves.
Yeah, whatever you do - don't marry purely for love. Love meaning - the modern sense - an emotion, a feeling - not St. Paul's definition of love. Humans are fickle. Emotions change. Beauty fades. And please stop listening to the love songs that are regularly played on the radio. They'll just brainwash you into marrying someone without thinking it through carefully. The other thing about love songs is that they usually idolize the lover - placing them in the same place as God. "I love you. I want to be close to you. I can't live without you....blah blah." Its true, think about it. Your lover is not God. Its just another fallible human being. Don't put them on a pedestal.
Direction issues. Where is the person heading and can you deal with it? There are some very silly people who buy a sports car - then complain every bloody second about the relatively high fuel consumption and maintainace costs. There are also some people who marry and then expect their partner to be different, very different. If you're going to marry a high flying executive - it should cross your mind that the person would probably be spending more time at the job than with you. If you're going to marry a bimbo who is a Paris Hilton wannabe - you should be prepared to pay for her high spending ways.
If you're going to marry a whale hunting, ocean going sailor, you should realize that the bugger would be spending a considerable part of his life out at sea - hunting whales. It doesn't matter whether the bugger is hotter than Brad Pitt - but if you can't reconcile that part of his life with yours - then surely why the hell are you in that relationship?
Let's cut to the chase. Marry someone who respects you - someone who will help you - someone who you enjoy doing things with - someone who truly loves you - and fits the description in Paul's letter to the Corinthians - love is patient, kind etc.. Love is a partnership. Its about giving and taking. You're got to see whether the other person has what it takes to deal with your own character. Example - if you're a girl and hate cleaning - marry a man who loves to clean. (There are actually people who enjoy doing that.haha)
And for God sake don't marry someone who is a nutjob who has major anger, bitterness, pride, selfish issues. Strike them off your dating list. Its like buying a car that has a serious engine and brake defect for a long road trip. You're gonna live to regret it.
Its a hard choice. And not many people get it right (the first time) - as seen by the rising number of divorces and single people around.
The problem to a certain extent is ironically - "choice". In the past, people's spouses were determined by outsides forces - ie parents or clan and custom. (In certain parts of the world, esp. in Middle Eastern societies - women have no choice in the matter - and have to marry their cousins or distant kinsman).
The whole idea of divorce was anathema. Women were forced to stick with their men by law and custom. King David, for example, had many wives - but his wives couldn't have sexual relations with other men. Tainted men still used by a Holy God but that's another essay.
In the Bible its written that God took from Adam's ribs and formed Woman. God didn't take from the feet so that she would be under him. God didn't take from Adam's seed so that she would be a sexual plaything for him. God didn't take from Adam's head so that Eve would be over him.
God took from Adam's ribs - so that Eve would be close to his heart.
In some respects, life for women - in modern society - has vastly improved. No longer are they the property of their fathers, husbands, tribe or clan. No longer are Japanese peasants selling their daughters to brothels to pay for their debts to rice merchants. No longer are European princess beheaded or imprisoned because their Prince wants another wife to bear a son. No longer do women have to put up (and remain silent) with a husband who is unfaithful, abusive, a drunkard, a wife-beater or just an obnoxious vile arsehole. Abuse takes various forms.
For modern men - they face a problem. The divorce courts (in western societies) usually favor the female - even if she is the one at fault. The other problem is the feminist movement. Too often men marry women and end up finding they've married another guy - ie someone who wants to wear the pants in the house. I seen it before - guys who get bossed around by their wives - being treated like a dog. Its ugly from both sides of the fence.
So what's it all about?
Question: who the hell are you getting married to? That's an important question. Do you know the person well? Are you overlooking their faults, ie. pride, anger, jealousy, envy, lust, selfishness, bitterness? Honestly, if the person has serious problems in any of those prime areas, throw a grenade his/her way and run away. Its a real "fire in the hold" scenario and its probably going to get worse.
Marriage is like taking a very long long distance car ride. You want a car and fellow passengers that are OK (well, more than OK) and can stand the distance. If not, you could very well be stranded on a desert road and facing a long walk to the end alone.
I like the silence test. Do you enjoy being in the presence of the girl? Can you enjoy the moments of silences with her. Are you comfortable being in each other company? That's not easy. Some people can't even stand being alone by themselves.
Yeah, whatever you do - don't marry purely for love. Love meaning - the modern sense - an emotion, a feeling - not St. Paul's definition of love. Humans are fickle. Emotions change. Beauty fades. And please stop listening to the love songs that are regularly played on the radio. They'll just brainwash you into marrying someone without thinking it through carefully. The other thing about love songs is that they usually idolize the lover - placing them in the same place as God. "I love you. I want to be close to you. I can't live without you....blah blah." Its true, think about it. Your lover is not God. Its just another fallible human being. Don't put them on a pedestal.
Direction issues. Where is the person heading and can you deal with it? There are some very silly people who buy a sports car - then complain every bloody second about the relatively high fuel consumption and maintainace costs. There are also some people who marry and then expect their partner to be different, very different. If you're going to marry a high flying executive - it should cross your mind that the person would probably be spending more time at the job than with you. If you're going to marry a bimbo who is a Paris Hilton wannabe - you should be prepared to pay for her high spending ways.
If you're going to marry a whale hunting, ocean going sailor, you should realize that the bugger would be spending a considerable part of his life out at sea - hunting whales. It doesn't matter whether the bugger is hotter than Brad Pitt - but if you can't reconcile that part of his life with yours - then surely why the hell are you in that relationship?
Let's cut to the chase. Marry someone who respects you - someone who will help you - someone who you enjoy doing things with - someone who truly loves you - and fits the description in Paul's letter to the Corinthians - love is patient, kind etc.. Love is a partnership. Its about giving and taking. You're got to see whether the other person has what it takes to deal with your own character. Example - if you're a girl and hate cleaning - marry a man who loves to clean. (There are actually people who enjoy doing that.haha)
And for God sake don't marry someone who is a nutjob who has major anger, bitterness, pride, selfish issues. Strike them off your dating list. Its like buying a car that has a serious engine and brake defect for a long road trip. You're gonna live to regret it.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Amazing Dive Photos
Check out Alvin's photos. He's an amazing undersea photographer.Click on the photo to take you to his recent Dayang trip album.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Glorianna Concert
| Start: | Mar 29, '09 2:00p |
| Location: | St Mark’s Anglican Church 250 George Street Fitzroy Melway 2CC9 |
William Byrd (1543-1623)
Infelix ego
Tomás Luis de Victoria (c1548-1611)
Vadam et circuibo
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710–1736)
Stabat Mater (transcription for 8-part choir and continuo by Andrew Raiskums)
Sunday 29 March 2009 at 2:30pm
St Mark’s Anglican Church 250 George Street Fitzroy Mel 2CC9
Tickets $25 pre-purchased or $30 at the door
Chai Tow Kwai Conversations (Carrot Cake Conversations)
Chai Tow Kwai conversation (Carrot cake) is about 2 men and 2 women lost in (different ways) in Singapore and eat carrot cake.
I liked Andrea Fonseka - but whats there not to like? The film could be all about her taking a shower and complaining that the conditioner is too rough on her skin - and I would still watch it... droool.
Basically its about two rich losers and two pretty chicks with no visible means of support. The men are screwed up inside, despite being super rich, and are conversationally challenged. The women are pretty... oh yah, when Andrea got into the shower... uh, wait, wrong movie. V.V
Anyways, they meet up - have deep and meaningful conversations about life over a plate of carrot cake. And at the end - find resolution.
Actually, I like my shower story better...
Why I didn't like the show: its a monotone. Same drone. Same beat. The only time there was a registered heart beat was when the two old people talk about their kids in dialect. The old chai tow kway seller was probably the best actor in this show. Sorry Andrea.
And the conversations - aiyah, try hard man. Nail board scratching time. Way too pretentious. Its like that time I tried to build a complex model tank that had like one million parts and botched it up with too much glue.
(Nesxt movie - Olive Depression 6:30pm)
I liked Andrea Fonseka - but whats there not to like? The film could be all about her taking a shower and complaining that the conditioner is too rough on her skin - and I would still watch it... droool.
Basically its about two rich losers and two pretty chicks with no visible means of support. The men are screwed up inside, despite being super rich, and are conversationally challenged. The women are pretty... oh yah, when Andrea got into the shower... uh, wait, wrong movie. V.V
Anyways, they meet up - have deep and meaningful conversations about life over a plate of carrot cake. And at the end - find resolution.
Actually, I like my shower story better...
Why I didn't like the show: its a monotone. Same drone. Same beat. The only time there was a registered heart beat was when the two old people talk about their kids in dialect. The old chai tow kway seller was probably the best actor in this show. Sorry Andrea.
And the conversations - aiyah, try hard man. Nail board scratching time. Way too pretentious. Its like that time I tried to build a complex model tank that had like one million parts and botched it up with too much glue.
(Nesxt movie - Olive Depression 6:30pm)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Chai Tow Kwai Conversations (Carrot Cake Conversations)
Chai Tow Kwai conversation (Carrot cake) is about 2 men and 2 women lost in (different ways) in Singapore and eat carrot cake.
I liked Andrea Fonseka - but whats there not to like? The film could be all about her taking a shower and complaining that the conditioner is too rough on her skin - and I would still watch it... droool.
Basically its about two rich losers and two pretty chicks with no visible means of support. The men are screwed up inside, despite being super rich, and are conversationally challenged. The women are pretty... oh yah, when Andrea got into the shower... uh, wait, wrong movie. V.V
Anyways, they meet up - have deep and meaningful conversations about life over a plate of carrot cake. And at the end - find resolution.
Actually, I like my shower story better...
Why I didn't like the show: its a monotone. Same drone. Same beat. The only time there was a registered heart beat was when the two old people talk about their kids in dialect. The old chai tow kway seller was probably the best actor in this show. Sorry Andrea.
And the conversations - aiyah, try hard man. Nail board scratching time. Way too pretentious. Its like that time I tried to build a complex model tank that had like one million parts and botched it up with too much glue.
(Nesxt movie - Olive Depression 6:30pm)
I liked Andrea Fonseka - but whats there not to like? The film could be all about her taking a shower and complaining that the conditioner is too rough on her skin - and I would still watch it... droool.
Basically its about two rich losers and two pretty chicks with no visible means of support. The men are screwed up inside, despite being super rich, and are conversationally challenged. The women are pretty... oh yah, when Andrea got into the shower... uh, wait, wrong movie. V.V
Anyways, they meet up - have deep and meaningful conversations about life over a plate of carrot cake. And at the end - find resolution.
Actually, I like my shower story better...
Why I didn't like the show: its a monotone. Same drone. Same beat. The only time there was a registered heart beat was when the two old people talk about their kids in dialect. The old chai tow kway seller was probably the best actor in this show. Sorry Andrea.
And the conversations - aiyah, try hard man. Nail board scratching time. Way too pretentious. Its like that time I tried to build a complex model tank that had like one million parts and botched it up with too much glue.
(Nesxt movie - Olive Depression 6:30pm)
Chai Tow Kwai Conversations (Carrot Cake Conversations)
Chai Tow Kwai conversation (Carrot cake) is about 2 men and 2 women lost in (different ways) in Singapore and eat carrot cake.
I liked Andrea Fonseka - but whats there not to like? The film could be all about her taking a shower and complaining that the conditioner is too rough on her skin - and I would still watch it... droool.
Basically its about two rich losers and two pretty chicks with no visible means of support. The men are screwed up inside, despite being super rich, and are conversationally challenged. The women are pretty... oh yah, when Andrea got into the shower... uh, wait, wrong movie. V.V
Anyways, they meet up - have deep and meaningful conversations about life over a plate of carrot cake. And at the end - find resolution.
Actually, I like my shower story better...
Why I didn't like the show: its a monotone. Same drone. Same beat. The only time there was a registered heart beat was when the two old people talk about their kids in dialect. The old chai tow kway seller was probably the best actor in this show. Sorry Andrea.
And the conversations - aiyah, try hard man. Nail board scratching time. Way too pretentious. Its like that time I tried to build a complex model tank that had like one million parts and botched it up with too much glue.
(Nesxt movie - Olive Depression 6:30pm)
I liked Andrea Fonseka - but whats there not to like? The film could be all about her taking a shower and complaining that the conditioner is too rough on her skin - and I would still watch it... droool.
Basically its about two rich losers and two pretty chicks with no visible means of support. The men are screwed up inside, despite being super rich, and are conversationally challenged. The women are pretty... oh yah, when Andrea got into the shower... uh, wait, wrong movie. V.V
Anyways, they meet up - have deep and meaningful conversations about life over a plate of carrot cake. And at the end - find resolution.
Actually, I like my shower story better...
Why I didn't like the show: its a monotone. Same drone. Same beat. The only time there was a registered heart beat was when the two old people talk about their kids in dialect. The old chai tow kway seller was probably the best actor in this show. Sorry Andrea.
And the conversations - aiyah, try hard man. Nail board scratching time. Way too pretentious. Its like that time I tried to build a complex model tank that had like one million parts and botched it up with too much glue.
(Nesxt movie - Olive Depression 6:30pm)
"The Days" & "Certain Chapters": Singapore film about Gangsters
I thought both were alright. The acting was a bit uneven at times. But it wasn't that bad. I thought some of the fighting scenes were actually very harrowing to watch.
"The Days" is a story of two brothers who get involved in Gangs and Secret Societies. I liked the supporting actors: Tauper (Kevin Tan) and Dog (Derrick K.)... I thought they had screen presence. They didn't say or do much - but when they came on screen - I just liked watching them.
The main lead - Taizi (Justin Chan) - did alright- but he could do with perhaps a bit more intensity in his performance.
Certain Chapters: is an Indian short film about Indian gangsters. The male rape scene at the start was pretty gruesome to watch. The actor who played the Gang Boss had great personality (and great lines) and did a fine job with his dialogue. It could have done with better editing however.
"The Days" is a story of two brothers who get involved in Gangs and Secret Societies. I liked the supporting actors: Tauper (Kevin Tan) and Dog (Derrick K.)... I thought they had screen presence. They didn't say or do much - but when they came on screen - I just liked watching them.
The main lead - Taizi (Justin Chan) - did alright- but he could do with perhaps a bit more intensity in his performance.
Certain Chapters: is an Indian short film about Indian gangsters. The male rape scene at the start was pretty gruesome to watch. The actor who played the Gang Boss had great personality (and great lines) and did a fine job with his dialogue. It could have done with better editing however.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Independent films in Singapore
Hmmm... there's an art house cinema near my place in Singapore. Housed in the old MGS school, it also has a few nice cafes. I think I'll walk up there tonight and watch a few films. Its only a few metres from my apartment.
Monday, March 23, 2009
50 for oral, 80 for sex, $100 for both: A Child Sex Worker's life
A very sad and disturbing story of a child who once had a normal life - had a pet fish, pet dog, went to school. Her parents divorced, she was sexually abused and got sent to government care. It proved so flawed and inadequate that she found herself on the streets giving head jobs to strangers in dark alleys - and being horribly hooked on drugs.
A 2004 study by child protection group found that more than half of the young sex workers interviewed were introduced to under-age sex work while in state care. Interviews with 30 young people found that 18 of them had started sex work by 14. Four were on the streets from age 12. All had drug addictions.
Its not Bangkok. Its Australia.
Click here for the whole sad story.
A 2004 study by child protection group found that more than half of the young sex workers interviewed were introduced to under-age sex work while in state care. Interviews with 30 young people found that 18 of them had started sex work by 14. Four were on the streets from age 12. All had drug addictions.
Its not Bangkok. Its Australia.
Click here for the whole sad story.
Kids, don't smoke pot. Seriously
A heavy marijuana user was unable to get married because he couldn't find the old marriage papers to his previous marriage to his flat mate.
However, in a bizarre twist, it turns out he was never married to her. The document he signed 10 years ago was the apartment lease.
In other FAUX News, we learn the man is also a regular contributor to the UANUS, the UFO Alien News United Service.
However, in a bizarre twist, it turns out he was never married to her. The document he signed 10 years ago was the apartment lease.
In other FAUX News, we learn the man is also a regular contributor to the UANUS, the UFO Alien News United Service.
50 for oral, 80 for sex, $100 for both: A Child Sex Worker's life
A very sad and disturbing story of a child who once had a normal life - had a pet fish, pet dog, went to school. Her parents divorced, she was sexually abused and got sent to government care. It proved so flawed and inadequate that she found herself on the streets giving head jobs to strangers in dark alleys - and being horribly hooked on drugs.
A 2004 study by child protection group found that more than half of the young sex workers interviewed were introduced to under-age sex work while in state care. Interviews with 30 young people found that 18 of them had started sex work by 14. Four were on the streets from age 12. All had drug addictions.
Its not Bangkok. Its Australia.
Click here for the whole sad story.
A 2004 study by child protection group found that more than half of the young sex workers interviewed were introduced to under-age sex work while in state care. Interviews with 30 young people found that 18 of them had started sex work by 14. Four were on the streets from age 12. All had drug addictions.
Its not Bangkok. Its Australia.
Click here for the whole sad story.
Kids, don't smoke pot. Seriously
A heavy marijuana user was unable to get married because he couldn't find the old marriage papers to his previous marriage to his flat mate.
However, in a bizarre twist, it turns out he was never married to her. The document he signed 10 years ago was the apartment lease.
In other FAUX News, we learn the man is also a regular contributor to the UANUS, the UFO Alien News United Service.
However, in a bizarre twist, it turns out he was never married to her. The document he signed 10 years ago was the apartment lease.
In other FAUX News, we learn the man is also a regular contributor to the UANUS, the UFO Alien News United Service.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
50 for oral, 80 for sex, $100 for both: A Child Sex Worker's life
A very sad and disturbing story of a child who once had a normal life - had a pet fish, pet dog, went to school. Her parents divorced, she was sexually abused and got sent to government care. It proved so flawed and inadequate that she found herself on the streets giving head jobs to strangers in dark alleys - and being horribly hooked on drugs.
A 2004 study by child protection group found that more than half of the young sex workers interviewed were introduced to under-age sex work while in state care. Interviews with 30 young people found that 18 of them had started sex work by 14. Four were on the streets from age 12. All had drug addictions.
Its not Bangkok. Its Australia.
Click here for the whole sad story.
A 2004 study by child protection group found that more than half of the young sex workers interviewed were introduced to under-age sex work while in state care. Interviews with 30 young people found that 18 of them had started sex work by 14. Four were on the streets from age 12. All had drug addictions.
Its not Bangkok. Its Australia.
Click here for the whole sad story.
Kids, don't smoke pot. Seriously
A heavy marijuana user was unable to get married because he couldn't find the old marriage papers to his previous marriage to his flat mate.
However, in a bizarre twist, it turns out he was never married to her. The document he signed 10 years ago was the apartment lease.
In other FAUX News, we learn the man is also a regular contributor to the UANUS, the UFO Alien News United Service.
However, in a bizarre twist, it turns out he was never married to her. The document he signed 10 years ago was the apartment lease.
In other FAUX News, we learn the man is also a regular contributor to the UANUS, the UFO Alien News United Service.
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Solution to the Financial Meltdown
One reason why the financial system has melted down is the lack of long term accountability for the management.
Its all very well to say - yeah, we'll let Lehman Brothers, AIG, Citibank go bankrupt.
But the main culprit is NOT the organization. It is the management, esp. the upper management who are running the show.
You can close down the organization - which will devastate the lives of thousands of people including customers who had no part whatsoever in the financial mischief. But the organization itself - is not the problem.
The key culprits are the CEOs, the traders who took risky trades, the accountants who fudged the books, the bankers who gambled the company's money, and their staff who DON'T GIVE A DAMN.
Do you honestly think they really give a rat's arse if they get fired/ or the company goes bust ? Why the hell would they care?
They are getting paid in cold hard cash - and therefore, it is of little relevance to them at all about the long term viability of the company... or even in the case of AIG - its short term viability. There is no serious impact on their lives if the organization fails.
Bankrupt AIG awarded $165,000,000.00 in bonuses to the same bunch of bastards who ruined the company. And they are being paid using the Govt Aid Package. The company claims it was part of their contract - written before the crash.
Do you think they care?
The problem is systemic. Its all over the civilized world.
10 years ago, in Australia - the CEO of the biggest bank - involved the company in a risky derivatives scheme. He had just stepped into the company and wanted to make a name for himself. His scheme failed and the bank lost over a hundred million dollars. The CEO resigned - and was awarded with $17 million dollars as severance pay.
That's just plain immoral. No one is going to complain if the man has a good plan and it succeeds. But if he screws up, why reward him?
However, that was the system.
The problem is with the reward. If you are going to pay them cash. Hard cash - preset amounts - contractually binding, there is virtually no incentive for them to do the right thing. Even if you pay them out in share scripts - the shares would still be worth something (in most cases).
Do you think someone who is getting paid one million dollars a year is actually going to really care if after (say) five years, his company goes bust. He's got 5 million dollars in cash - enough to last him a comfortable lifetime - and he'll probably land himself another cushy job somewhere else. He may be unemployed for a period of time - but his massive cash payment cushions him very comfortably.
The solution to this - is to not pay them in cash but in stock options or preference shares which are non-tradable and will be worthless if the company suffers from major reversals. Its that simple.
Of course they should receive a modest cash wage - but nothing approaching the million dollar payouts these people are receiving.
90% of their wage should be tied to those stock options or preference shares. They should get a good dividend if the company continues making profit. But should the company become insolvent or becomes unprofitable - then their stock options are worthless.
You have to find some way to tie the future of the top employees to the future of the organization. Right now - there is none - they come in, do their 3 - 5 years of work - then move off. The issue of ethics, sound business practices are irrelevant. They can cook the books, make up figures, sell off profitable sections of the company - then claim credit for this short term success. The shareholders - none the wiser - reward them with their fat cash bonuses. And the bastards ride off into the sunset leaving behind a company with hidden problems. Whether the company succeeds or fails in the future is totally immaterial to them.
But by giving the employees - from middle management to upper - the bulk of their pay in stock options or preference shares - you force them to care. They aren't going to turn a blind eye if their CEO is pulling some shit with the accounting books. They would want to "get involved" if they hear of traders doing unusual deals to hide their losses. And they will definitely want to be careful over who they select for promotion. In this case - they would want to choose someone who is competent and skilled as opposed to someone who is a great friend.
I had a friend who was in the Royal Navy in WW2. He said he loved the navy as opposed to the army. In the army, he said, you had fat cat generals sitting in the comfort of their bunker miles away from the battle directing men to their deaths. However, in the navy, everyone was in the same boat, from the admiral right down to the ship cook. Everyone cared about the boat.
Its got to be the same way with corporations. If it sinks, everyone's fortunes goes down with the bloody ship - including the CEOs.
Its all very well to say - yeah, we'll let Lehman Brothers, AIG, Citibank go bankrupt.
But the main culprit is NOT the organization. It is the management, esp. the upper management who are running the show.
You can close down the organization - which will devastate the lives of thousands of people including customers who had no part whatsoever in the financial mischief. But the organization itself - is not the problem.
The key culprits are the CEOs, the traders who took risky trades, the accountants who fudged the books, the bankers who gambled the company's money, and their staff who DON'T GIVE A DAMN.
Do you honestly think they really give a rat's arse if they get fired/ or the company goes bust ? Why the hell would they care?
They are getting paid in cold hard cash - and therefore, it is of little relevance to them at all about the long term viability of the company... or even in the case of AIG - its short term viability. There is no serious impact on their lives if the organization fails.
Bankrupt AIG awarded $165,000,000.00 in bonuses to the same bunch of bastards who ruined the company. And they are being paid using the Govt Aid Package. The company claims it was part of their contract - written before the crash.
Do you think they care?
The problem is systemic. Its all over the civilized world.
10 years ago, in Australia - the CEO of the biggest bank - involved the company in a risky derivatives scheme. He had just stepped into the company and wanted to make a name for himself. His scheme failed and the bank lost over a hundred million dollars. The CEO resigned - and was awarded with $17 million dollars as severance pay.
That's just plain immoral. No one is going to complain if the man has a good plan and it succeeds. But if he screws up, why reward him?
However, that was the system.
The problem is with the reward. If you are going to pay them cash. Hard cash - preset amounts - contractually binding, there is virtually no incentive for them to do the right thing. Even if you pay them out in share scripts - the shares would still be worth something (in most cases).
Do you think someone who is getting paid one million dollars a year is actually going to really care if after (say) five years, his company goes bust. He's got 5 million dollars in cash - enough to last him a comfortable lifetime - and he'll probably land himself another cushy job somewhere else. He may be unemployed for a period of time - but his massive cash payment cushions him very comfortably.
The solution to this - is to not pay them in cash but in stock options or preference shares which are non-tradable and will be worthless if the company suffers from major reversals. Its that simple.
Of course they should receive a modest cash wage - but nothing approaching the million dollar payouts these people are receiving.
90% of their wage should be tied to those stock options or preference shares. They should get a good dividend if the company continues making profit. But should the company become insolvent or becomes unprofitable - then their stock options are worthless.
You have to find some way to tie the future of the top employees to the future of the organization. Right now - there is none - they come in, do their 3 - 5 years of work - then move off. The issue of ethics, sound business practices are irrelevant. They can cook the books, make up figures, sell off profitable sections of the company - then claim credit for this short term success. The shareholders - none the wiser - reward them with their fat cash bonuses. And the bastards ride off into the sunset leaving behind a company with hidden problems. Whether the company succeeds or fails in the future is totally immaterial to them.
But by giving the employees - from middle management to upper - the bulk of their pay in stock options or preference shares - you force them to care. They aren't going to turn a blind eye if their CEO is pulling some shit with the accounting books. They would want to "get involved" if they hear of traders doing unusual deals to hide their losses. And they will definitely want to be careful over who they select for promotion. In this case - they would want to choose someone who is competent and skilled as opposed to someone who is a great friend.
I had a friend who was in the Royal Navy in WW2. He said he loved the navy as opposed to the army. In the army, he said, you had fat cat generals sitting in the comfort of their bunker miles away from the battle directing men to their deaths. However, in the navy, everyone was in the same boat, from the admiral right down to the ship cook. Everyone cared about the boat.
Its got to be the same way with corporations. If it sinks, everyone's fortunes goes down with the bloody ship - including the CEOs.
Transpotter 3: Longest Ever Audi Car Ad
| Rating: | ★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Action & Adventure |
Sort of like a James Bond on wheels - except that the hero, the very well built, Jason Statham doesn't seem to use any firearms whatsoever and relies on fancy martial arts and his amazing Audi car.
I wouldn't buy the DVD at all - and if my friends give it to me - I'll take it to the 2nd hand shop and sell it or use it as a clay pigeon.
The problem with this film is that they casted as the main female lead the most annoying and rather unattractive actress with an irritating European accent. Half thru the film, she gets high, drunk and tries to have sex with Frank (Jason) with a bombs tied to their wrist. I am almost tempted to rate this film as a minus 4 stars due to that female character.
Of course its not all all the actress fault. (But her acting still sucked ass) Its really the imbecile who wrote the shitty character's dialogue and character onto the movie script. That guy ought to be sentencing to writing scripts for ABC for the rest of his life.
20 minutes into the damn film, and I was just praying that Frank (Jason) would kick the stupid harpie out of the car and drive off and then she would blow up in a huge ball of flame. If he had done that - this would have been one hell of a magnificent film!!! Sadly he didn't.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
What is this sea creature
I found it at Dayang on the weekend. I thought it was part of a sea coral - then it moved.
Singaporeans aren't the only complainers
Singaporeans love to complain when traveling (like most people). They travel to Europe or Australia during Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter and complain that its too cold and they can't find Cha-Kway Teow.
Well, the British love to complain too. Here are some classic complaints:
Thanks to Tim Blair.
More complaints here: click here.
Well, the British love to complain too. Here are some classic complaints:
• “We bought ‘Ray-Ban’ sunglasses for five euros (£3.50) from a street trader, only to find out they were fake.”
• “No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled.”
• “On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don’t like spicy food at all.”Thanks to Tim Blair.
More complaints here: click here.
A Solution to the Financial Meltdown
One reason why the financial system has melted down is the lack of long term accountability for the management.
Its all very well to say - yeah, we'll let Lehman Brothers, AIG, Citibank go bankrupt.
But the main culprit is NOT the organization. It is the management, esp. the upper management who are running the show. Its the people at the top that are making the decisions. Its the managers that allow their traders to take massive leverages in high risk trades. etc..
You can close down the organization - which will devastate the lives of thousands of people including customers who had no part whatsoever in the financial mischief. But the organization itself - is not the problem.
The key culprits are the CEOs, the traders who took risky trades, the accountants who fudged the books, the bankers who gambled the company's money, and their staff who DON'T GIVE A DAMN.
Do you honestly think they really give a rat's arse if they get fired/ or the company goes bust ? Why the hell would they care?
They are getting paid in cold hard cash - and therefore, it is of little relevance to them at all about the long term viability of the company... or even in the case of AIG - its short term viability. There is no serious impact on their lives if the organization fails.
Bankrupt AIG awarded $165,000,000.00 in bonuses to the same bunch of bastards who ruined the company. And they are being paid using the Govt Aid Package. The company claims it was part of their contract - written before the crash.
Do you think they care?
The problem is systemic. Its all over the civilized world.
10 years ago, in Australia - the CEO of the biggest bank - involved the company in a risky derivatives scheme. He had just stepped into the company and wanted to make a name for himself. His scheme failed and the bank lost over a hundred million dollars. The CEO resigned - and was awarded with $17 million dollars as severance pay.
That's just plain immoral. No one is going to complain if the man has a good plan and it succeeds. But if he screws up, why reward him?
However, that was the system.
The problem is with the reward. If you are going to pay them cash. Hard cash - preset amounts - contractually binding, there is virtually no incentive for them to do the right thing. Even if you pay them out in share scripts - the shares would still be worth something (in most cases).
Do you think someone who is getting paid one million dollars a year is actually going to really care if after (say) five years, his company goes bust. He's got 5 million dollars in cash - enough to last him a comfortable lifetime - and he'll probably land himself another cushy job somewhere else. He may be unemployed for a period of time - but his massive cash payment cushions him very comfortably.
The solution to this - is to not pay them in cash but in stock options or preference shares which are non-tradable and will be worthless if the company suffers from major reversals. Its that simple.
Of course they should receive a modest cash wage - but nothing approaching the million dollar payouts these people are receiving.
90% of their wage should be tied to those stock options or preference shares. They should get a good dividend if the company continues making profit. But should the company become insolvent or becomes unprofitable - then their stock options are worthless.
You have to find some way to tie the future of the top employees to the future of the organization. Right now - there is nothing that ties to the future of the firm. They come in, do their 3 - 5 years of work - then move off. The issue of ethics, sound business practices are irrelevant. They can cook the books, do creative accounting, sell off profitable sections of the company - then claim credit for this short term success. The shareholders - none the wiser - reward them with their fat cash bonuses. And the bastards ride off into the sunset with their loot leaving behind a company with hidden problems. Whether the company succeeds or fails in the future is totally immaterial to them. Why should they? They got their money already.
But by giving the employees - from middle management to upper - the bulk of their pay/bonuses in stock options or preference shares - you force them to care. Instead of cash, they get stock options. If the company does not perform - and the share price goes down - their options are worthless. (The options can only be exercised after various set periods of time, ie. 2 years, 4 years, 10 years etc..)
If the company does not make a profit - their preference shares return them absolutely no dividend.
By doing this - you tie their future to that of the firm.
They aren't going to turn a blind eye if their CEO is pulling some fancy crap with the accounting books. When they hear of their colleagues doing unusual transactions, they would want to clarify the issue. And they will definitely want to be careful over who they select for promotion. They would want to choose someone who is competent and skilled as opposed to someone who is a great friend.
I had a friend who was in the Royal Navy in WW2. He said he loved the navy as opposed to the army. In the army, he said, you had fat cat generals sitting in the comfort of their bunker miles away from the battle ordering his men to their deaths. However, in the Navy, everyone was in the same boat, from the admiral right down to the ship cook. Everyone cared about the ship. If they sank, they all got wet.
Its got to be the same way with corporations. If it sinks, everyone's fortunes goes down with the bloody ship - including the CEOs.
Its all very well to say - yeah, we'll let Lehman Brothers, AIG, Citibank go bankrupt.
But the main culprit is NOT the organization. It is the management, esp. the upper management who are running the show. Its the people at the top that are making the decisions. Its the managers that allow their traders to take massive leverages in high risk trades. etc..
You can close down the organization - which will devastate the lives of thousands of people including customers who had no part whatsoever in the financial mischief. But the organization itself - is not the problem.
The key culprits are the CEOs, the traders who took risky trades, the accountants who fudged the books, the bankers who gambled the company's money, and their staff who DON'T GIVE A DAMN.
Do you honestly think they really give a rat's arse if they get fired/ or the company goes bust ? Why the hell would they care?
They are getting paid in cold hard cash - and therefore, it is of little relevance to them at all about the long term viability of the company... or even in the case of AIG - its short term viability. There is no serious impact on their lives if the organization fails.
Bankrupt AIG awarded $165,000,000.00 in bonuses to the same bunch of bastards who ruined the company. And they are being paid using the Govt Aid Package. The company claims it was part of their contract - written before the crash.
Do you think they care?
The problem is systemic. Its all over the civilized world.
10 years ago, in Australia - the CEO of the biggest bank - involved the company in a risky derivatives scheme. He had just stepped into the company and wanted to make a name for himself. His scheme failed and the bank lost over a hundred million dollars. The CEO resigned - and was awarded with $17 million dollars as severance pay.
That's just plain immoral. No one is going to complain if the man has a good plan and it succeeds. But if he screws up, why reward him?
However, that was the system.
The problem is with the reward. If you are going to pay them cash. Hard cash - preset amounts - contractually binding, there is virtually no incentive for them to do the right thing. Even if you pay them out in share scripts - the shares would still be worth something (in most cases).
Do you think someone who is getting paid one million dollars a year is actually going to really care if after (say) five years, his company goes bust. He's got 5 million dollars in cash - enough to last him a comfortable lifetime - and he'll probably land himself another cushy job somewhere else. He may be unemployed for a period of time - but his massive cash payment cushions him very comfortably.
The solution to this - is to not pay them in cash but in stock options or preference shares which are non-tradable and will be worthless if the company suffers from major reversals. Its that simple.
Of course they should receive a modest cash wage - but nothing approaching the million dollar payouts these people are receiving.
90% of their wage should be tied to those stock options or preference shares. They should get a good dividend if the company continues making profit. But should the company become insolvent or becomes unprofitable - then their stock options are worthless.
You have to find some way to tie the future of the top employees to the future of the organization. Right now - there is nothing that ties to the future of the firm. They come in, do their 3 - 5 years of work - then move off. The issue of ethics, sound business practices are irrelevant. They can cook the books, do creative accounting, sell off profitable sections of the company - then claim credit for this short term success. The shareholders - none the wiser - reward them with their fat cash bonuses. And the bastards ride off into the sunset with their loot leaving behind a company with hidden problems. Whether the company succeeds or fails in the future is totally immaterial to them. Why should they? They got their money already.
But by giving the employees - from middle management to upper - the bulk of their pay/bonuses in stock options or preference shares - you force them to care. Instead of cash, they get stock options. If the company does not perform - and the share price goes down - their options are worthless. (The options can only be exercised after various set periods of time, ie. 2 years, 4 years, 10 years etc..)
If the company does not make a profit - their preference shares return them absolutely no dividend.
By doing this - you tie their future to that of the firm.
They aren't going to turn a blind eye if their CEO is pulling some fancy crap with the accounting books. When they hear of their colleagues doing unusual transactions, they would want to clarify the issue. And they will definitely want to be careful over who they select for promotion. They would want to choose someone who is competent and skilled as opposed to someone who is a great friend.
I had a friend who was in the Royal Navy in WW2. He said he loved the navy as opposed to the army. In the army, he said, you had fat cat generals sitting in the comfort of their bunker miles away from the battle ordering his men to their deaths. However, in the Navy, everyone was in the same boat, from the admiral right down to the ship cook. Everyone cared about the ship. If they sank, they all got wet.
Its got to be the same way with corporations. If it sinks, everyone's fortunes goes down with the bloody ship - including the CEOs.
The Solution to the Financial Meltdown
One reason why the financial system has melted down is the lack of long term accountability for the management.
Its all very well to say - yeah, we'll let Lehman Brothers, AIG, Citibank go bankrupt.
But the main culprit is NOT the organization. It is the management, esp. the upper management who are running the show.
You can close down the organization - which will devastate the lives of thousands of people including customers who had no part whatsoever in the financial mischief. But the organization itself - is not the problem.
The key culprits are the CEOs, the traders who took risky trades, the accountants who fudged the books, the bankers who gambled the company's money, and their staff who DON'T GIVE A DAMN.
Do you honestly think they really give a rat's arse if they get fired/ or the company goes bust ? Why the hell would they care?
They are getting paid in cold hard cash - and therefore, it is of little relevance to them at all about the long term viability of the company... or even in the case of AIG - its short term viability. There is no serious impact on their lives if the organization fails.
Bankrupt AIG awarded $165,000,000.00 in bonuses to the same bunch of bastards who ruined the company. And they are being paid using the Govt Aid Package. The company claims it was part of their contract - written before the crash.
Do you think they care?
The problem is systemic. Its all over the civilized world.
10 years ago, in Australia - the CEO of the biggest bank - involved the company in a risky derivatives scheme. He had just stepped into the company and wanted to make a name for himself. His scheme failed and the bank lost over a hundred million dollars. The CEO resigned - and was awarded with $17 million dollars as severance pay.
That's just plain immoral. No one is going to complain if the man has a good plan and it succeeds. But if he screws up, why reward him?
However, that was the system.
The problem is with the reward. If you are going to pay them cash. Hard cash - preset amounts - contractually binding, there is virtually no incentive for them to do the right thing. Even if you pay them out in share scripts - the shares would still be worth something (in most cases).
Do you think someone who is getting paid one million dollars a year is actually going to really care if after (say) five years, his company goes bust. He's got 5 million dollars in cash - enough to last him a comfortable lifetime - and he'll probably land himself another cushy job somewhere else. He may be unemployed for a period of time - but his massive cash payment cushions him very comfortably.
The solution to this - is to not pay them in cash but in stock options or preference shares which are non-tradable and will be worthless if the company suffers from major reversals. Its that simple.
Of course they should receive a modest cash wage - but nothing approaching the million dollar payouts these people are receiving.
90% of their wage should be tied to those stock options or preference shares. They should get a good dividend if the company continues making profit. But should the company become insolvent or becomes unprofitable - then their stock options are worthless.
You have to find some way to tie the future of the top employees to the future of the organization. Right now - there is none - they come in, do their 3 - 5 years of work - then move off. The issue of ethics, sound business practices are irrelevant. They can cook the books, make up figures, sell off profitable sections of the company - then claim credit for this short term success. The shareholders - none the wiser - reward them with their fat cash bonuses. And the bastards ride off into the sunset leaving behind a company with hidden problems. Whether the company succeeds or fails in the future is totally immaterial to them.
But by giving the employees - from middle management to upper - the bulk of their pay in stock options or preference shares - you force them to care. They aren't going to turn a blind eye if their CEO is pulling some shit with the accounting books. They would want to "get involved" if they hear of traders doing unusual deals to hide their losses. And they will definitely want to be careful over who they select for promotion. In this case - they would want to choose someone who is competent and skilled as opposed to someone who is a great friend.
I had a friend who was in the Royal Navy in WW2. He said he loved the navy as opposed to the army. In the army, he said, you had fat cat generals sitting in the comfort of their bunker miles away from the battle directing men to their deaths. However, in the navy, everyone was in the same boat, from the admiral right down to the ship cook. Everyone cared about the boat.
Its got to be the same way with corporations. If it sinks, everyone's fortunes goes down with the bloody ship - including the CEOs.
Its all very well to say - yeah, we'll let Lehman Brothers, AIG, Citibank go bankrupt.
But the main culprit is NOT the organization. It is the management, esp. the upper management who are running the show.
You can close down the organization - which will devastate the lives of thousands of people including customers who had no part whatsoever in the financial mischief. But the organization itself - is not the problem.
The key culprits are the CEOs, the traders who took risky trades, the accountants who fudged the books, the bankers who gambled the company's money, and their staff who DON'T GIVE A DAMN.
Do you honestly think they really give a rat's arse if they get fired/ or the company goes bust ? Why the hell would they care?
They are getting paid in cold hard cash - and therefore, it is of little relevance to them at all about the long term viability of the company... or even in the case of AIG - its short term viability. There is no serious impact on their lives if the organization fails.
Bankrupt AIG awarded $165,000,000.00 in bonuses to the same bunch of bastards who ruined the company. And they are being paid using the Govt Aid Package. The company claims it was part of their contract - written before the crash.
Do you think they care?
The problem is systemic. Its all over the civilized world.
10 years ago, in Australia - the CEO of the biggest bank - involved the company in a risky derivatives scheme. He had just stepped into the company and wanted to make a name for himself. His scheme failed and the bank lost over a hundred million dollars. The CEO resigned - and was awarded with $17 million dollars as severance pay.
That's just plain immoral. No one is going to complain if the man has a good plan and it succeeds. But if he screws up, why reward him?
However, that was the system.
The problem is with the reward. If you are going to pay them cash. Hard cash - preset amounts - contractually binding, there is virtually no incentive for them to do the right thing. Even if you pay them out in share scripts - the shares would still be worth something (in most cases).
Do you think someone who is getting paid one million dollars a year is actually going to really care if after (say) five years, his company goes bust. He's got 5 million dollars in cash - enough to last him a comfortable lifetime - and he'll probably land himself another cushy job somewhere else. He may be unemployed for a period of time - but his massive cash payment cushions him very comfortably.
The solution to this - is to not pay them in cash but in stock options or preference shares which are non-tradable and will be worthless if the company suffers from major reversals. Its that simple.
Of course they should receive a modest cash wage - but nothing approaching the million dollar payouts these people are receiving.
90% of their wage should be tied to those stock options or preference shares. They should get a good dividend if the company continues making profit. But should the company become insolvent or becomes unprofitable - then their stock options are worthless.
You have to find some way to tie the future of the top employees to the future of the organization. Right now - there is none - they come in, do their 3 - 5 years of work - then move off. The issue of ethics, sound business practices are irrelevant. They can cook the books, make up figures, sell off profitable sections of the company - then claim credit for this short term success. The shareholders - none the wiser - reward them with their fat cash bonuses. And the bastards ride off into the sunset leaving behind a company with hidden problems. Whether the company succeeds or fails in the future is totally immaterial to them.
But by giving the employees - from middle management to upper - the bulk of their pay in stock options or preference shares - you force them to care. They aren't going to turn a blind eye if their CEO is pulling some shit with the accounting books. They would want to "get involved" if they hear of traders doing unusual deals to hide their losses. And they will definitely want to be careful over who they select for promotion. In this case - they would want to choose someone who is competent and skilled as opposed to someone who is a great friend.
I had a friend who was in the Royal Navy in WW2. He said he loved the navy as opposed to the army. In the army, he said, you had fat cat generals sitting in the comfort of their bunker miles away from the battle directing men to their deaths. However, in the navy, everyone was in the same boat, from the admiral right down to the ship cook. Everyone cared about the boat.
Its got to be the same way with corporations. If it sinks, everyone's fortunes goes down with the bloody ship - including the CEOs.
Who Watches the Lawmakers?
I had a conversation sometime ago regarding a man who beat and threatened his wife. He was placed in jail here in Singapore. After serving his time - he was released and went back and beat up his wife again and was of course sent to jail.
My friend opinionated that the wife-beater should have received counselling and should not have been sent to prison. I can see his point of view. Perhaps he should have received more counselling or getting psy treatment. But at the end of the day - the law should protect the weak and defend their rights. For example - in Australia - there's a serial child rapist - known as Mr Baldly. He's committed a number of henious crimes. Occasionally he gets caught - put in jail - sent for counselling - then he is released and reoffends again and again. IIRC, he claims to be totally innocent and has done no wrong.
If I was king of the land- I'd have tar and feathered the fucker before impaling him in public after his 1st or 2nd offense. My friend is very glad I am not king.
We are living in a fallen world. There are evil men out there. If society, if the govt does not punish them - then who else will? In the Bible - it is written :
Romans 13:3-4 (New International Version)
3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
The Govt is supposed to be there to protect us. It is not there to turn the other cheek. It is not there to show compassion to a child rapist or murderer. It is not there to hold hands or negotiate with terrorist or rioters.
But in today's crazy world - esp. in the Western World - the Govts are weak on crime. Instead of carrying a sword to punish the evil doers - they carry "Hug Me" badges. And it seems to be a society where there is no sense of personal responsibility, sense of shame, or honor.
Today, bankers who bankrupt their company and ruin the lives of their shareholders - walk away with multi-million dollar handshakes. In the past, they would gone into a room and hung themselves. In today's society the same bankers can later start a new life and begin afresh - with no restitution to the pensioners they ruined.
And I read about this - in Austria - a father imprisoned his daughter for 24 years and raped her - fathering 7 children.
The mayor of the town, instead of cowering in his office in shame - is out on the street - beaming like a fuckwit and boasting that
"Sankt Poelten (the rapist's town) has never been in the spotlight like this before, and I hope to use this opportunity to make good contacts with the media for the future."
@#$%!!!!! WTF??? WTF????!!!!!! Goddamn it. Who the hell elected the idiot - the reincarnated citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah???
The rapist defended himself - "I had a very difficult childhood," Fritzl told the court. "My mother didn't want me. I was beaten." His attorney, Rudolf Mayer, added that a "man who put so much effort into keeping two families cannot be called a monster," urging the jurors to "keep emotion out of this.
His shrink wants us to believe that his difficult childhood made him the person that he is. He's just as much a victim as the victim.
The shrink is a person in need of a good beating.
My friend opinionated that the wife-beater should have received counselling and should not have been sent to prison. I can see his point of view. Perhaps he should have received more counselling or getting psy treatment. But at the end of the day - the law should protect the weak and defend their rights. For example - in Australia - there's a serial child rapist - known as Mr Baldly. He's committed a number of henious crimes. Occasionally he gets caught - put in jail - sent for counselling - then he is released and reoffends again and again. IIRC, he claims to be totally innocent and has done no wrong.
If I was king of the land- I'd have tar and feathered the fucker before impaling him in public after his 1st or 2nd offense. My friend is very glad I am not king.
We are living in a fallen world. There are evil men out there. If society, if the govt does not punish them - then who else will? In the Bible - it is written :
Romans 13:3-4 (New International Version)
3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
The Govt is supposed to be there to protect us. It is not there to turn the other cheek. It is not there to show compassion to a child rapist or murderer. It is not there to hold hands or negotiate with terrorist or rioters.
But in today's crazy world - esp. in the Western World - the Govts are weak on crime. Instead of carrying a sword to punish the evil doers - they carry "Hug Me" badges. And it seems to be a society where there is no sense of personal responsibility, sense of shame, or honor.
Today, bankers who bankrupt their company and ruin the lives of their shareholders - walk away with multi-million dollar handshakes. In the past, they would gone into a room and hung themselves. In today's society the same bankers can later start a new life and begin afresh - with no restitution to the pensioners they ruined.
And I read about this - in Austria - a father imprisoned his daughter for 24 years and raped her - fathering 7 children.
The mayor of the town, instead of cowering in his office in shame - is out on the street - beaming like a fuckwit and boasting that
"Sankt Poelten (the rapist's town) has never been in the spotlight like this before, and I hope to use this opportunity to make good contacts with the media for the future."
@#$%!!!!! WTF??? WTF????!!!!!! Goddamn it. Who the hell elected the idiot - the reincarnated citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah???
The rapist defended himself - "I had a very difficult childhood," Fritzl told the court. "My mother didn't want me. I was beaten." His attorney, Rudolf Mayer, added that a "man who put so much effort into keeping two families cannot be called a monster," urging the jurors to "keep emotion out of this.
His shrink wants us to believe that his difficult childhood made him the person that he is. He's just as much a victim as the victim.
The shrink is a person in need of a good beating.
Fritzl is expected to be sentenced to at least 15 years in prison, but he will most likely be sent to an institution for the criminally insane, where he will probably spend the rest of his life receiving therapy and counseling, in circumstances far more comfortable than those of high-security prisons normally reserved for repeat sex offenders. And then, as Stadler hopes, the press pack will remember Sankt Poelten for its pear brandy and its wine, and its new nightclubs and gourmet restaurants.
That's all folks! No one is to blame here. Look away now.We're living in a world that wants to divorce cause and effect, a world with no consequences, a world of false tolerance and compassion. It won't work.
Modern Society is a fragile thing. A lot of it depends upon trust. The Trust and Kindness of Strangers. In the past, we used to depend upon the help of the Village, the Clan, the Family etc.. In today's modern society, that support is gone.
The Guardian that holds the society together is the Government whom we the citizens elect. If the Govt., the Judiciary, the Police do not fulfill that vital function - what else is there except a call for anarchy?
Its interesting that the Govt seeks to remove weapons and other means of defense that law abiding citizens can draw upon. But if the law does not serve the public, if it does not protect even women and children - who does it serve? And whats there to stop normally law abidding citizens from taking the law into their own hands?
A solution to the AIG bailout bonus scandal
(For those who are unaware: AIG the Insurance Giant which went bankupt recently and received billions of dollars in Federal bailout cash - awarded bonuses of 165 million to the same traders who were partly to blame for its financial demise.)
The solution - pass a law retrospective - which stipulates that such awards/golden handshakes/ payouts to all traders/bankers - have to meet the approval of a Federal inspector. They can't be given for no reason either. Obviously they have had to do something profitable to have earned it. If all else fails - subject such bonuses to a 99.99% tax. Yeah, go ahead - make my day.
I think the only way forward for the AIG and the rest of the corporate world - is to issue licenses and score cards to all financial operatives - bankers, accountants, traders, dealers etc.. These licenses and report cards have to show their track record. And it should be listed in a public data base which anyone can access. The Federal Govt should also have the ability to refuse the license of the financial operative if he screws up big time or has committed some crime - like insider trading etc..
The solution - pass a law retrospective - which stipulates that such awards/golden handshakes/ payouts to all traders/bankers - have to meet the approval of a Federal inspector. They can't be given for no reason either. Obviously they have had to do something profitable to have earned it. If all else fails - subject such bonuses to a 99.99% tax. Yeah, go ahead - make my day.
I think the only way forward for the AIG and the rest of the corporate world - is to issue licenses and score cards to all financial operatives - bankers, accountants, traders, dealers etc.. These licenses and report cards have to show their track record. And it should be listed in a public data base which anyone can access. The Federal Govt should also have the ability to refuse the license of the financial operative if he screws up big time or has committed some crime - like insider trading etc..
Dayang March 14th - 15th
A trip to Dayang. Strangely, the best part for me was leaving the Port of Mercing on Friday night. I wandered to the top deck and gazed out at the stars. I felt a strange sense of peace and optimism.
Singaporeans aren't the only complainers
Singaporeans love to complain when traveling (like most people). They travel to Europe or Australia during Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter and complain that its too cold and they can't find Cha-Kway Teow.
Well, the British love to complain too. Here are some classic complaints:
Thanks to Tim Blair.
More complaints here: click here.
Well, the British love to complain too. Here are some classic complaints:
• “We bought ‘Ray-Ban’ sunglasses for five euros (£3.50) from a street trader, only to find out they were fake.”
• “No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled.”
• “On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don’t like spicy food at all.”Thanks to Tim Blair.
More complaints here: click here.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Singaporeans aren't the only complainers
Singaporeans love to complain when traveling (like most people). They travel to Europe or Australia during Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter and complain that its too cold and they can't find Cha-Kway Teow.
Well, the British love to complain too. Here are some classic complaints:
Thanks to Tim Blair.
More complaints here: click here.
Well, the British love to complain too. Here are some classic complaints:
• “We bought ‘Ray-Ban’ sunglasses for five euros (£3.50) from a street trader, only to find out they were fake.”
• “No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled.”
• “On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don’t like spicy food at all.”Thanks to Tim Blair.
More complaints here: click here.
Who Watches the Watchmen?
I had a conversation sometime ago regarding a man who beat and threatened his wife. He was placed in jail here in Singapore for 2+ years. After serving his time - he went back and beat up his wife again. And of course was was sent to jail again - this time for 5.
My friend opinionated that the wife-beater should have received counseling, anger management sessions, and should not have been sent to prison. He's a human being too and has rights. To an extent. I can see his point of view. Perhaps he should have received more counselling or getting psy treatment. But at the end of the day - the law should protect the weak and defend their rights.
For example - in Australia - there's a serial child rapist - known as Mr Baldy. He's committed a number of heinous crimes with kids. Occasionally he gets caught - put in jail - sent for counseling - then he is released and reoffends again and again. He claims to be totally innocent and has done no wrong. After his release, the State will pay for his accommodation and the police will protect his whereabouts and hide his real address.
If I was king of the land- I'd have tar and feathered the fucker before impaling him in public long ago. My friend is very glad I am not king.
We are living in a fallen world. There are evil men out there or men who are out of control. If our watchmen, the Govt/the Judiciary/the Police do not punish them - then who else will? In the Bible - it is written :
Romans 13:3-4 (New International Version)
3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
The Govt is supposed to be there to protect us. It is not there to turn the other cheek. It is not there to show compassion to a child rapist or murderer. It is not there to hold hands and sing kumbayah with terrorist or rioters.
But in today's crazy world - esp. in the Western World - the Govts are weak on crime. Instead of carrying a sword to punish the evil doers - they carry "Hug Me" badges. And it seems to be societies where there is no sense of personal responsibility, sense of shame, or honor.
Today, bankers who bankrupt their company and ruin the lives of their shareholders - walk away with multi-million dollar handshakes. In the past, they would gone into a room and hung themselves. In today's society the same bankers can later start a new life and begin afresh - with no restitution to the pensioners they ruined.
And I read about this - in Austria - a father imprisoned his daughter for 24 years and raped her - fathering 7 children.
The mayor of the town, instead of cowering in his office in shame - is out on the street - beaming like a fuckwit and boasting that:
"Sankt Poelten (the rapist's town) has never been in the spotlight like this before, and I hope to use this opportunity to make good contacts with the media for the future."
@#$%!!!!! WTF??? WTF????!!!!!! Goddamn it. Who the hell elected the idiot - the reincarnated citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah???
The rapist defended himself - "I had a very difficult childhood," Fritzl told the court. "My mother didn't want me. I was beaten." His attorney, Rudolf Mayer, added that a "man who put so much effort into keeping two families cannot be called a monster," urging the jurors to "keep emotion out of this.
His shrink wants us to believe that his difficult childhood made him the person that he is. He's just as much a victim as the victim.
The shrink and lawyer are people in need of a good beating.
Many officials, all the way up to the Chancellor, have insisted that the Fritzl case is an isolated affair, although one of the chief investigators in the case has expressed a belief that there may be other cellars in Austria where captives are being held.
Bullshit.
Yet at the end of the day - its a failure of the government. In our case we live in a democracy. The people vote for the government that they want. But perhaps if the society is twisted and corrupted or filled with soft-hearted idealists - then what sort of politicians are they going to vote for?
My friend opinionated that the wife-beater should have received counseling, anger management sessions, and should not have been sent to prison. He's a human being too and has rights. To an extent. I can see his point of view. Perhaps he should have received more counselling or getting psy treatment. But at the end of the day - the law should protect the weak and defend their rights.
For example - in Australia - there's a serial child rapist - known as Mr Baldy. He's committed a number of heinous crimes with kids. Occasionally he gets caught - put in jail - sent for counseling - then he is released and reoffends again and again. He claims to be totally innocent and has done no wrong. After his release, the State will pay for his accommodation and the police will protect his whereabouts and hide his real address.
If I was king of the land- I'd have tar and feathered the fucker before impaling him in public long ago. My friend is very glad I am not king.
We are living in a fallen world. There are evil men out there or men who are out of control. If our watchmen, the Govt/the Judiciary/the Police do not punish them - then who else will? In the Bible - it is written :
Romans 13:3-4 (New International Version)
3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
The Govt is supposed to be there to protect us. It is not there to turn the other cheek. It is not there to show compassion to a child rapist or murderer. It is not there to hold hands and sing kumbayah with terrorist or rioters.
But in today's crazy world - esp. in the Western World - the Govts are weak on crime. Instead of carrying a sword to punish the evil doers - they carry "Hug Me" badges. And it seems to be societies where there is no sense of personal responsibility, sense of shame, or honor.
Today, bankers who bankrupt their company and ruin the lives of their shareholders - walk away with multi-million dollar handshakes. In the past, they would gone into a room and hung themselves. In today's society the same bankers can later start a new life and begin afresh - with no restitution to the pensioners they ruined.
And I read about this - in Austria - a father imprisoned his daughter for 24 years and raped her - fathering 7 children.
The mayor of the town, instead of cowering in his office in shame - is out on the street - beaming like a fuckwit and boasting that:
"Sankt Poelten (the rapist's town) has never been in the spotlight like this before, and I hope to use this opportunity to make good contacts with the media for the future."
@#$%!!!!! WTF??? WTF????!!!!!! Goddamn it. Who the hell elected the idiot - the reincarnated citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah???
The rapist defended himself - "I had a very difficult childhood," Fritzl told the court. "My mother didn't want me. I was beaten." His attorney, Rudolf Mayer, added that a "man who put so much effort into keeping two families cannot be called a monster," urging the jurors to "keep emotion out of this.
His shrink wants us to believe that his difficult childhood made him the person that he is. He's just as much a victim as the victim.
The shrink and lawyer are people in need of a good beating.
Many officials, all the way up to the Chancellor, have insisted that the Fritzl case is an isolated affair, although one of the chief investigators in the case has expressed a belief that there may be other cellars in Austria where captives are being held.
Fritzl is expected to be sentenced to at least 15 years in prison, but he will most likely be sent to an institution for the criminally insane, where he will probably spend the rest of his life receiving therapy and counseling, in circumstances far more comfortable than those of high-security prisons normally reserved for repeat sex offenders. And then, as Stadler hopes, the press pack will remember Sankt Poelten for its pear brandy and its wine, and its new nightclubs and gourmet restaurants.
That's all folks!!!! No one is to blame here. Its all society's fault. Look away now. Nothing to see here!!!Bullshit.
We're living in a world that wants to divorce cause and effect, a world with no consequences, a world of false tolerance and compassion. It won't work.
Modern Society is a fragile thing. A lot of it depends upon trust. The Trust and Kindness of Strangers. In the past, we used to depend upon the help of the Village, the Clan, the Family etc.. In today's modern society, that support is gone or weak. So we place our children in day-care, we send our children to school to be taught by strangers, we commute with strangers, we work largely with people we have no biological links with, we walk our streets trusting that the person walking next to us won't knife us in the back and rob us, we sleep unarmed trusting that the police will keep us safe from robbers etc.. We leave our 2nd most valuable material possessions - the car - unguarded in public. We trust the bank to keep our money safe. We trust our superannuation fund to keep our pensions safe. We place our faith and hope in strangers to do the right thing.
But what happens when they fail. Who gets punished? As you can see- - the people who caused the problem get rewarded. No one get punishes.
The Guardian that holds the society together is the Government whom we the citizens elect. The Government serves to punish people who commit injustice. It serves to met out punishment to offenders. It serves to protect us from people who do not follow the rules and harm their fellow stranger. If the Govt., the Judiciary, the Police do not fulfill that vital function - what else is there except a call for anarchy?
Its interesting that the Govt seeks to remove weapons and other means of defense that law abiding citizens can draw upon. But if the law does not serve the public, if it does not protect even women and children - who does it serve? Then what moral imperative prevents law abiding citizens from taking the law into their own hands or even to protect themselves when violent men attack them?
Sometimes back two sisters were raped and murdered by a released convict. He was placed next door to them without their knowledge. It was part of the State of Victoria's plan to rehabilitate criminals. The idea is to give the convict another chance at life. The Minister of Justice and the Premier defended the move - "Longer Sentences don't deter crime." Funny, how these criminals are never placed next door to the politicians' or judges' families but always next door to some poor unsuspecting woman or family.
Yet at the end of the day - its a failure of the government. In our case we live in a democracy. The people vote for the government that they want. But perhaps if the society is twisted and corrupted or filled with soft-hearted idealists - then what sort of politicians are they going to vote for?
The solution to the AIG bailout bonus scandal
(For those who are unaware: AIG the Insurance Giant which went bankupt recently and received billions of dollars in Federal bailout cash - awarded bonuses of 165 million to the same traders who were partly to blame for its financial demise.)
The solution - pass a law retrospective - which stipulates that such awards/golden handshakes/ payouts to all traders/bankers - have to meet the approval of a Federal inspector. They can't be given for no reason either. Obviously they have had to do something profitable to have earned it. If all else fails - subject such bonuses to a 99.99% tax. Yeah, go ahead - make my day.
I think the only way forward for the AIG and the rest of the corporate world - is to issue licenses and score cards to all financial operatives - bankers, accountants, traders, dealers etc.. These licenses and report cards have to show their track record. And it should be listed in a public data base which anyone can access. The Federal Govt should also have the ability to refuse the license of the financial operative if he screws up big time or has committed some crime - like insider trading etc..
The solution - pass a law retrospective - which stipulates that such awards/golden handshakes/ payouts to all traders/bankers - have to meet the approval of a Federal inspector. They can't be given for no reason either. Obviously they have had to do something profitable to have earned it. If all else fails - subject such bonuses to a 99.99% tax. Yeah, go ahead - make my day.
I think the only way forward for the AIG and the rest of the corporate world - is to issue licenses and score cards to all financial operatives - bankers, accountants, traders, dealers etc.. These licenses and report cards have to show their track record. And it should be listed in a public data base which anyone can access. The Federal Govt should also have the ability to refuse the license of the financial operative if he screws up big time or has committed some crime - like insider trading etc..
Who Watches the Lawmakers?
I had a conversation sometime ago regarding a man who beat and threatened his wife. He was placed in jail here in Singapore. After serving his time - he was released and went back and beat up his wife again and was of course sent to jail.
My friend opinionated that the wife-beater should have received counselling and should not have been sent to prison. I can see his point of view. Perhaps he should have received more counselling or getting psy treatment. But at the end of the day - the law should protect the weak and defend their rights. For example - in Australia - there's a serial child rapist - known as Mr Baldly. He's committed a number of henious crimes. Occasionally he gets caught - put in jail - sent for counselling - then he is released and reoffends again and again. IIRC, he claims to be totally innocent and has done no wrong.
If I was king of the land- I'd have tar and feathered the fucker before impaling him in public after his 1st or 2nd offense. My friend is very glad I am not king.
We are living in a fallen world. There are evil men out there. If society, if the govt does not punish them - then who else will? In the Bible - it is written :
Romans 13:3-4 (New International Version)
3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
The Govt is supposed to be there to protect us. It is not there to turn the other cheek. It is not there to show compassion to a child rapist or murderer. It is not there to hold hands or negotiate with terrorist or rioters.
But in today's crazy world - esp. in the Western World - the Govts are weak on crime. Instead of carrying a sword to punish the evil doers - they carry "Hug Me" badges. And it seems to be a society where there is no sense of personal responsibility, sense of shame, or honor.
Today, bankers who bankrupt their company and ruin the lives of their shareholders - walk away with multi-million dollar handshakes. In the past, they would gone into a room and hung themselves. In today's society the same bankers can later start a new life and begin afresh - with no restitution to the pensioners they ruined.
And I read about this - in Austria - a father imprisoned his daughter for 24 years and raped her - fathering 7 children.
The mayor of the town, instead of cowering in his office in shame - is out on the street - beaming like a fuckwit and boasting that
"Sankt Poelten (the rapist's town) has never been in the spotlight like this before, and I hope to use this opportunity to make good contacts with the media for the future."
@#$%!!!!! WTF??? WTF????!!!!!! Goddamn it. Who the hell elected the idiot - the reincarnated citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah???
The rapist defended himself - "I had a very difficult childhood," Fritzl told the court. "My mother didn't want me. I was beaten." His attorney, Rudolf Mayer, added that a "man who put so much effort into keeping two families cannot be called a monster," urging the jurors to "keep emotion out of this.
His shrink wants us to believe that his difficult childhood made him the person that he is. He's just as much a victim as the victim.
The shrink is a person in need of a good beating.
My friend opinionated that the wife-beater should have received counselling and should not have been sent to prison. I can see his point of view. Perhaps he should have received more counselling or getting psy treatment. But at the end of the day - the law should protect the weak and defend their rights. For example - in Australia - there's a serial child rapist - known as Mr Baldly. He's committed a number of henious crimes. Occasionally he gets caught - put in jail - sent for counselling - then he is released and reoffends again and again. IIRC, he claims to be totally innocent and has done no wrong.
If I was king of the land- I'd have tar and feathered the fucker before impaling him in public after his 1st or 2nd offense. My friend is very glad I am not king.
We are living in a fallen world. There are evil men out there. If society, if the govt does not punish them - then who else will? In the Bible - it is written :
Romans 13:3-4 (New International Version)
3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
The Govt is supposed to be there to protect us. It is not there to turn the other cheek. It is not there to show compassion to a child rapist or murderer. It is not there to hold hands or negotiate with terrorist or rioters.
But in today's crazy world - esp. in the Western World - the Govts are weak on crime. Instead of carrying a sword to punish the evil doers - they carry "Hug Me" badges. And it seems to be a society where there is no sense of personal responsibility, sense of shame, or honor.
Today, bankers who bankrupt their company and ruin the lives of their shareholders - walk away with multi-million dollar handshakes. In the past, they would gone into a room and hung themselves. In today's society the same bankers can later start a new life and begin afresh - with no restitution to the pensioners they ruined.
And I read about this - in Austria - a father imprisoned his daughter for 24 years and raped her - fathering 7 children.
The mayor of the town, instead of cowering in his office in shame - is out on the street - beaming like a fuckwit and boasting that
"Sankt Poelten (the rapist's town) has never been in the spotlight like this before, and I hope to use this opportunity to make good contacts with the media for the future."
@#$%!!!!! WTF??? WTF????!!!!!! Goddamn it. Who the hell elected the idiot - the reincarnated citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah???
The rapist defended himself - "I had a very difficult childhood," Fritzl told the court. "My mother didn't want me. I was beaten." His attorney, Rudolf Mayer, added that a "man who put so much effort into keeping two families cannot be called a monster," urging the jurors to "keep emotion out of this.
His shrink wants us to believe that his difficult childhood made him the person that he is. He's just as much a victim as the victim.
The shrink is a person in need of a good beating.
Fritzl is expected to be sentenced to at least 15 years in prison, but he will most likely be sent to an institution for the criminally insane, where he will probably spend the rest of his life receiving therapy and counseling, in circumstances far more comfortable than those of high-security prisons normally reserved for repeat sex offenders. And then, as Stadler hopes, the press pack will remember Sankt Poelten for its pear brandy and its wine, and its new nightclubs and gourmet restaurants.
That's all folks! No one is to blame here. Look away now.We're living in a world that wants to divorce cause and effect, a world with no consequences, a world of false tolerance and compassion. It won't work.
Modern Society is a fragile thing. A lot of it depends upon trust. The Trust and Kindness of Strangers. In the past, we used to depend upon the help of the Village, the Clan, the Family etc.. In today's modern society, that support is gone.
The Guardian that holds the society together is the Government whom we the citizens elect. If the Govt., the Judiciary, the Police do not fulfill that vital function - what else is there except a call for anarchy?
Its interesting that the Govt seeks to remove weapons and other means of defense that law abiding citizens can draw upon. But if the law does not serve the public, if it does not protect even women and children - who does it serve? And whats there to stop normally law abidding citizens from taking the law into their own hands?
A solution to the AIG bailout bonus scandal
(For those who are unaware: AIG the Insurance Giant which went bankupt recently and received billions of dollars in Federal bailout cash - awarded bonuses of 165 million to the same traders who were partly to blame for its financial demise.)
The solution - pass a law retrospective - which stipulates that such awards/golden handshakes/ payouts to all traders/bankers - have to meet the approval of a Federal inspector. They can't be given for no reason either. Obviously they have had to do something profitable to have earned it. If all else fails - subject such bonuses to a 99.99% tax. Yeah, go ahead - make my day.
I think the only way forward for the AIG and the rest of the corporate world - is to issue licenses and score cards to all financial operatives - bankers, accountants, traders, dealers etc.. These licenses and report cards have to show their track record. And it should be listed in a public data base which anyone can access. The Federal Govt should also have the ability to refuse the license of the financial operative if he screws up big time or has committed some crime - like insider trading etc..
The solution - pass a law retrospective - which stipulates that such awards/golden handshakes/ payouts to all traders/bankers - have to meet the approval of a Federal inspector. They can't be given for no reason either. Obviously they have had to do something profitable to have earned it. If all else fails - subject such bonuses to a 99.99% tax. Yeah, go ahead - make my day.
I think the only way forward for the AIG and the rest of the corporate world - is to issue licenses and score cards to all financial operatives - bankers, accountants, traders, dealers etc.. These licenses and report cards have to show their track record. And it should be listed in a public data base which anyone can access. The Federal Govt should also have the ability to refuse the license of the financial operative if he screws up big time or has committed some crime - like insider trading etc..
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
FHM Girl Next Door Competition
| Start: | Mar 27, '09 8:00p |
| Location: | Club Zirca, Singapore |
Dr Allan Ooi's suicide note
Click here for the full transcripthttp://wayangparty.com/?p=6244
He reminds me a bit of the character Jude Law played in Gattaca. Jerome Morrow had everything going for him. But a setback had him spiraling into depression.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Dr Allan Ooi's suicide note
Click here for the full transcripthttp://wayangparty.com/?p=6244
He reminds me a bit of the character Jude Law played in Gattaca. Jerome Morrow had everything going for him. But a setback had him spiraling into depression.
He should have gone and seen a counsellor or a psychtrist.
There's certainly no rock solid obstacle for him to have skipped Singapore and his bond - and gone to live in a foreign country and continued practicing as a doctor and live a full and happy life.
Dr Allan Ooi's suicide note
UPDATE:
Looks like the link to the suicide note is no longer available - the website mentioned has closed down.
The case interested me because here was a young man, intelligent, handsome - doctor some more - the real deal in a Chinese culture.
And then he decided to go to Australia - spend a few months there - and commit suicide by throwing himself off a site - which is an infamous suicide point.
The news report states that:
THE FAMILY of a Singaporean doctor who lived secretly in Melbourne for several months before taking his life is appealing for anyone who knew him to come forward.
Dr Allan Ooi, 27, was absent without official leave from Singapore's armed forces in October last year, after telling superiors he was unhappy with a locked contract as a medical officer.
Despite an international search by his family, Dr Ooi was not found until March 3 - when he was discovered dead in Melbourne.
The tragedy has sparked fierce debate in Singapore over regulations that force doctors who have trained with the armed forces to then serve for at least 12 years.
In a note left online for family, Dr Ooi claimed the Singaporean Armed Forces had bullied him into staying enlisted by extending his locked contract.
"My job was terrible - no joy, no satisfaction," he wrote in the time-delayed email sent after his death.
"Twelve years of bonded service became potentially 15 or 16, became unbreakable.
"How can it be extended by will by an administration, simply by passing a paper?"
SAF-trained doctors are required to serve 12 years after their studies to repay education and training debts.
Dr Ooi's distraught parents, who have returned to Singapore after collecting their son's body, are desperate to know more about his last months.
Cousin Katalin Blond, who lives in Ballarat, yesterday told how the family had frantically followed leads around the globe, but had no idea Dr Ooi was in Melbourne.
A receipt in his hire car, found on the West Gate Bridge, led to the young doctor's Punt Rd apartment.
His brother, Adrian, also a doctor in Singapore, said the behaviour was totally out of character for the intelligent and outgoing young man.
"From what we can tell, he did not even make contact with anyone he knew in Melbourne," he said.
Dr Ooi had never lived in Australia, but had friends in Victoria through two uncles who had lived here.
It is believed Dr Ooi flew into Darwin on a tourist visa.
****
He reminds me a bit of the character Jude Law played in Gattaca. Jerome Morrow had everything going for him. But a setback had him spiraling into depression.
I feel sad for him - esp. his family and the people that loved him. Suicide is never the answer to personal problems like this.
In his suicide note - he wrote that he wanted to see what was on the other side.
I think he would find disappointment. Disappointment that he ended his time on earth too early and missed out on so much more.
I have had to deal with disappointment too. The worse is when the person - my own mother - that you have loved and respected all your life - suddenly turns around and seeks to destroy you and everything the family has built up over two generations.
The hurt, the anger, the growing sense of rage is like an emotional tsunami that hits you - not once - but often in waves.
Sometimes you just have to let it go. Say a prayer and lift it up to our Creator and hand the pain over to Him.
The Bible has a verse: "Cast your anxiety and cares over to God because He cares for you."
Looks like the link to the suicide note is no longer available - the website mentioned has closed down.
The case interested me because here was a young man, intelligent, handsome - doctor some more - the real deal in a Chinese culture.
And then he decided to go to Australia - spend a few months there - and commit suicide by throwing himself off a site - which is an infamous suicide point.
The news report states that:
THE FAMILY of a Singaporean doctor who lived secretly in Melbourne for several months before taking his life is appealing for anyone who knew him to come forward.
Dr Allan Ooi, 27, was absent without official leave from Singapore's armed forces in October last year, after telling superiors he was unhappy with a locked contract as a medical officer.
Despite an international search by his family, Dr Ooi was not found until March 3 - when he was discovered dead in Melbourne.
The tragedy has sparked fierce debate in Singapore over regulations that force doctors who have trained with the armed forces to then serve for at least 12 years.
In a note left online for family, Dr Ooi claimed the Singaporean Armed Forces had bullied him into staying enlisted by extending his locked contract.
"My job was terrible - no joy, no satisfaction," he wrote in the time-delayed email sent after his death.
"Twelve years of bonded service became potentially 15 or 16, became unbreakable.
"How can it be extended by will by an administration, simply by passing a paper?"
SAF-trained doctors are required to serve 12 years after their studies to repay education and training debts.
Dr Ooi's distraught parents, who have returned to Singapore after collecting their son's body, are desperate to know more about his last months.
Cousin Katalin Blond, who lives in Ballarat, yesterday told how the family had frantically followed leads around the globe, but had no idea Dr Ooi was in Melbourne.
A receipt in his hire car, found on the West Gate Bridge, led to the young doctor's Punt Rd apartment.
His brother, Adrian, also a doctor in Singapore, said the behaviour was totally out of character for the intelligent and outgoing young man.
"From what we can tell, he did not even make contact with anyone he knew in Melbourne," he said.
Dr Ooi had never lived in Australia, but had friends in Victoria through two uncles who had lived here.
It is believed Dr Ooi flew into Darwin on a tourist visa.
****
He reminds me a bit of the character Jude Law played in Gattaca. Jerome Morrow had everything going for him. But a setback had him spiraling into depression.
I feel sad for him - esp. his family and the people that loved him. Suicide is never the answer to personal problems like this.
In his suicide note - he wrote that he wanted to see what was on the other side.
I think he would find disappointment. Disappointment that he ended his time on earth too early and missed out on so much more.
I have had to deal with disappointment too. The worse is when the person - my own mother - that you have loved and respected all your life - suddenly turns around and seeks to destroy you and everything the family has built up over two generations.
The hurt, the anger, the growing sense of rage is like an emotional tsunami that hits you - not once - but often in waves.
Sometimes you just have to let it go. Say a prayer and lift it up to our Creator and hand the pain over to Him.
The Bible has a verse: "Cast your anxiety and cares over to God because He cares for you."
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Good times.
I miss my father. I wish we had learnt to respect each other. In this photo, my Dad, Chiam Joon Tong. My baby sis, Hsien-ming, and me. We're sitting in our backyard in the house my dad built.
It didn't occur to me until many years later - how difficult it had been for dad to build that huge house. So very sad that it has been sold already.
Iceland - The Land where the Men are Men, and the Women fedup
For over a thousand years, Icelanders - yes that group of lost Vikings who got stranded on a volcanic island on their way to America - did nothing except fish and fuck.
Pardon the language, but really that's all they did, ... and of course raping and pillaging Christians until the Christians converted them.
So they fished and they made love to their cousins.
And being a Scandanaivan sort, they Volvoized their political and economic system. The banks, hospitals, schools were all state run. Fishermen required licensed set quotas. Everyone could see the Prime Minister. Criminals were sent to counseling sessions and victims got the blame... that sort of thing.
Then one day in 2003, they checked out Wall Street. And thought, hey, maybe we CAN do that! Maybe we should try that Capitalism crap for a change.
And so they privatized stuff. Then they realized they could borrow cash from the Japanese who had lower rates - and buy more stuff - and prices rose.
At that instant they realized that finance was not about catching more fish - but buying ALL the fish in the market and selling it to people at double the original cost. The latter would then sell the "fish" to others for profit too and so on.
"That was the biggest American financial lesson the Icelanders took to heart: the importance of buying as many assets as possible with borrowed money, as asset prices only rose. By 2007, Icelanders owned roughly 50 times more foreign assets than they had in 2002."
They were buying Turkish airline companies, Singaporean soccer teams, Indian Sari Factories, Lehman Brothers, anything and everything.
Its all fine until people refuse to buy the fish at the exorbitant prices. Then the whole place started to smell awfully fishy pretty quickly.
When credit dried up, asset prices fell. And so the pass the parcel game was up, and the winner found the prize was a stinky dead old fish.
And so Iceland and all Icelanders went totally bankrupt. This is what you get when you put fishermen in charge of banks and international finance. It looks easy to do. It seems anyone can do it. But to paraphrase a British admiral - it takes 1 year to build a bank building - it takes 100 years to create an efficient banking system.
But perhaps it has something to do with the Icelandic mindset. They think they can do it - and damn you if you say they can't.
Alcoa, the biggest Aluminum smelting firm, wanted to set up a plant in Iceland to take advantage of the natural volcanic energy. However, the problem was that the Icelandic men refused to follow safety procedures.
“In manufacturing,” says the Alcoa spokesman, “you want people who follow the rules and fall in line. You don’t want them to be heroes. You don’t want them to try to fix something it’s not their job to fix, because they might blow up the place.” The Icelandic male had a propensity to try to fix something it wasn’t his job to fix."
And they also believed in the existence of elves.
Before Alcoa could build its plant, it had to hire a government expert to study the area and make sure there were no elves living there. Hmmm... they should have called them workplace consultants like we do in Australia.
You can read the rest of the fubar story here:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/04/iceland200904?printable=true¤tPage=all
Pardon the language, but really that's all they did, ... and of course raping and pillaging Christians until the Christians converted them.
So they fished and they made love to their cousins.
And being a Scandanaivan sort, they Volvoized their political and economic system. The banks, hospitals, schools were all state run. Fishermen required licensed set quotas. Everyone could see the Prime Minister. Criminals were sent to counseling sessions and victims got the blame... that sort of thing.
Then one day in 2003, they checked out Wall Street. And thought, hey, maybe we CAN do that! Maybe we should try that Capitalism crap for a change.
And so they privatized stuff. Then they realized they could borrow cash from the Japanese who had lower rates - and buy more stuff - and prices rose.
At that instant they realized that finance was not about catching more fish - but buying ALL the fish in the market and selling it to people at double the original cost. The latter would then sell the "fish" to others for profit too and so on.
"That was the biggest American financial lesson the Icelanders took to heart: the importance of buying as many assets as possible with borrowed money, as asset prices only rose. By 2007, Icelanders owned roughly 50 times more foreign assets than they had in 2002."
They were buying Turkish airline companies, Singaporean soccer teams, Indian Sari Factories, Lehman Brothers, anything and everything.
Its all fine until people refuse to buy the fish at the exorbitant prices. Then the whole place started to smell awfully fishy pretty quickly.
When credit dried up, asset prices fell. And so the pass the parcel game was up, and the winner found the prize was a stinky dead old fish.
And so Iceland and all Icelanders went totally bankrupt. This is what you get when you put fishermen in charge of banks and international finance. It looks easy to do. It seems anyone can do it. But to paraphrase a British admiral - it takes 1 year to build a bank building - it takes 100 years to create an efficient banking system.
But perhaps it has something to do with the Icelandic mindset. They think they can do it - and damn you if you say they can't.
Alcoa, the biggest Aluminum smelting firm, wanted to set up a plant in Iceland to take advantage of the natural volcanic energy. However, the problem was that the Icelandic men refused to follow safety procedures.
“In manufacturing,” says the Alcoa spokesman, “you want people who follow the rules and fall in line. You don’t want them to be heroes. You don’t want them to try to fix something it’s not their job to fix, because they might blow up the place.” The Icelandic male had a propensity to try to fix something it wasn’t his job to fix."
And they also believed in the existence of elves.
Before Alcoa could build its plant, it had to hire a government expert to study the area and make sure there were no elves living there. Hmmm... they should have called them workplace consultants like we do in Australia.
You can read the rest of the fubar story here:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/04/iceland200904?printable=true¤tPage=all
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Dayang Island Scuba Dive
| Start: | Mar 12, '09 01:00a |
| Location: | An Island 500km east of the Malaysian Peninsula |
Should Children go hunting?
Or as the newspaper put it - "Should Children torture Animals" ?
Click here to vote:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/poll/1,,661-5038547,00.html
Click here to vote:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/poll/1,,661-5038547,00.html
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Young Handsome Singaporean Doctor commits suicide off Westgate Bridge
So sad. He came from a rich family. He was smart, intelligent, successful, army officer, a doctor. Friendly, charming, everyone who knew him said he was a great guy. He excelled in everything he did. The whole world lay at his feet. And then he flies to Melbourne, stays there for 5 months, then jumps off the Westgate Bridge, a notorious suicide spot. Why?
(Being in the army, he would have had to apply for an exit permit to fly out of the country. So he must had thought about going to Melbourne for awhile. No one knows where he stayed in Melbourne.)
*******
From the Straits Times
AN ALL-ROUNDER who excelled at everything, the death of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) doctor Allan Ooi shocked all who knew him.
The 28-year-old was found dead below a busy bridge in Melbourne on Tuesday. He had disappeared for months, including having gone AWOL (absent without official leave) from the army since October last year. The SAF had tried unsuccessfully to contact him, according to a spokesman.
A friend who went to medical school with Capt Ooi, speaking to The New Paper on condition of anonymity, said that Capt Ooi was the 'most brilliant' person he knew and 'excelled at everything he put his mind to'.
An alumnus of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College, Capt Ooi was a school water polo player and swimmer. TNP reported that he was a go-getter who also took part in pageants such as the International Man Singapore pageant where he was crowned Mr Continents in 2001, and the Mr Singapore pageant, which he won the same year.
Capt Ooi also emerged near the top of his cohort in Officer Cadet School and then Medical Officers Cadet Corps.
...The friend added that, unlike most medical school students he knew, Capt Ooi had a 'rich life' outside of school. 'He was a sportsman - he swam competitively, and was an excellent pool player. He was also really funny, with a great sense of humour,' the friend added.
It is believed that Capt Ooi had suddenly left home and flown to Melbourne, but it is not known who he had been living with there.
A family friend, who declined to be named, said it was known that Capt Ooi had been unhappy at work 'for a long time'. He had been serving his bond with the SAF and left friends and family bewildered when he left without a word. It is not known how many years of his bond he had served.
Melbourne police are still speaking to witnesses and are preparing a report that will be sent to the Melbourne Coroner's Court, TNP reported. A spokesman for the Melbourne police said Capt Ooi was seen getting out of his car on the bridge before 4am on Tuesday.
'Allan had a magnetic personality and loved his family deeply,' said a friend. A poignant statement, as his family is in Melbourne, making arrangements for his body to be flown back to Singapore." Straittimes interactive, March 6, 2009
****
He reminds me a lot of the character that Jude Law played - in the movie Gattaca. A brilliant handsome person too - but he had one defect - he was psychologically unable to accept being 2nd best. And when he got 2nd place in the Olympics he tried to commit suicide.
I am reminded of President Wee Kim Wee's advice to a young man - you won't win all the time, you have to keep trying.
Life is one big struggle I guess. Everyday we fall (asleep), everyday we have to get up :)
(Being in the army, he would have had to apply for an exit permit to fly out of the country. So he must had thought about going to Melbourne for awhile. No one knows where he stayed in Melbourne.)
*******
From the Straits Times
AN ALL-ROUNDER who excelled at everything, the death of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) doctor Allan Ooi shocked all who knew him.
The 28-year-old was found dead below a busy bridge in Melbourne on Tuesday. He had disappeared for months, including having gone AWOL (absent without official leave) from the army since October last year. The SAF had tried unsuccessfully to contact him, according to a spokesman.
A friend who went to medical school with Capt Ooi, speaking to The New Paper on condition of anonymity, said that Capt Ooi was the 'most brilliant' person he knew and 'excelled at everything he put his mind to'.
An alumnus of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College, Capt Ooi was a school water polo player and swimmer. TNP reported that he was a go-getter who also took part in pageants such as the International Man Singapore pageant where he was crowned Mr Continents in 2001, and the Mr Singapore pageant, which he won the same year.
Capt Ooi also emerged near the top of his cohort in Officer Cadet School and then Medical Officers Cadet Corps.
...The friend added that, unlike most medical school students he knew, Capt Ooi had a 'rich life' outside of school. 'He was a sportsman - he swam competitively, and was an excellent pool player. He was also really funny, with a great sense of humour,' the friend added.
It is believed that Capt Ooi had suddenly left home and flown to Melbourne, but it is not known who he had been living with there.
A family friend, who declined to be named, said it was known that Capt Ooi had been unhappy at work 'for a long time'. He had been serving his bond with the SAF and left friends and family bewildered when he left without a word. It is not known how many years of his bond he had served.
Melbourne police are still speaking to witnesses and are preparing a report that will be sent to the Melbourne Coroner's Court, TNP reported. A spokesman for the Melbourne police said Capt Ooi was seen getting out of his car on the bridge before 4am on Tuesday.
'Allan had a magnetic personality and loved his family deeply,' said a friend. A poignant statement, as his family is in Melbourne, making arrangements for his body to be flown back to Singapore." Straittimes interactive, March 6, 2009
****
He reminds me a lot of the character that Jude Law played - in the movie Gattaca. A brilliant handsome person too - but he had one defect - he was psychologically unable to accept being 2nd best. And when he got 2nd place in the Olympics he tried to commit suicide.
I am reminded of President Wee Kim Wee's advice to a young man - you won't win all the time, you have to keep trying.
Life is one big struggle I guess. Everyday we fall (asleep), everyday we have to get up :)
Should Children go hunting?
Or as the newspaper put it - "Should Children torture Animals" ?
Click here to vote:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/poll/1,,661-5038547,00.html
Click here to vote:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/poll/1,,661-5038547,00.html
Solving Reflux Indigestion Woes
12.28am, should be asleep. Feel the urge to write so here we go.A long time ago, I suffered from reflux. My stomach would cough up acid and bile. Eventually part of my esophagus, the part leading to the stomach, grew an extra lining. The valve didn't close properly. I thought I was doomed.
My dear sister however pointed out that the conditions leading to reflux - Bad diet, improper sleeping habits, lack of exercise etc.. - was all me.
I was drinking way too much coffee (ten to twenty cups a day). I love my filtered coffee. I was eating tons of junk food: people ate biscuits, I ate packets.
And of course the usual suspects - too much sugar, too much fried food, not enough vegetables, not enough fruits, waaaay too much processed stuff.
I think I must have nuked all the good bacteria in my stomach with the amount of caffeine I had been taking. And I was suffering badly from constipation. Yeah, I was full of it. :(
Now, I had been subsisting on this diet for quite a long while. It took me a long time to stop it. I took it a day at a time. I started eating more healthy stuff. I started cooking more meals where I could incorporate more fresh vegetables and make it all tasty, casserole dishes are great for that. I stopped buying the chips, packets of cookies etc.. I found that if I didn't have them in my larder, I couldn't eat them.
I stopped buying cheap crappy fruits that I did not eat. I only bought fruits that tasted good and I could finish within the week. I may have paid a bit extra but I could really feel where the money was spent.
Of course occasional I would indulge... but the memories of my reflux made me think twice before I made Pringles, Danish Butter Cookies and Columbian Coffee my staple food.
I think the exercising helped. I got into the habit of going to the gym, running, etc. Tread Mill Running with a good running CD/mp3 track is very very addictive. For some reason, exercising seems to have helped me cut down on my fat intake. I think my brain woke up to the fact that it took so much energy to burn off the fat.
I also found that my stomach doesn't digest fried oil very well. It'd take me a good 4 - 5 hours to digest the crap - otherwise if I did some hard exercising before the duration (admittedly with a kickass physical trainer) - I'd hurl.
I went to the gym for a whole year. I looked good. I felt good. Then...
The good news for all you lazy farts is I've stopped exercising and dieting, but my weight is stabilized and my reflux problem is gone.
Right now, I don't think I have a very optimal diet. I still drink too much coffee and tea. Probably eat too much biscuits. And I guess if I don't watch out - I'll be back at Square 1.
But I'm definitely more conscious over what I eat. It seems a very sub-conscious decision. Its like a light has been turned on in my brain and I'm very aware that eating certain foods too much or at certain times of the day is totally taboo.
And surprisingly its not a torture to avoid eating chips. I do get cravings but I've learnt to not give into temptation. Maybe I'm just lazy and can't be buggered driving down and buying the stuff. But there you go.
Stretching and maintaining a good posture also does help. No time to talk about that. But if you slouch, you are putting pressure on your stomach - and preventing it from operating effectively. Its like squeezing a toothpaste in the middle. Stuff gets stuck at the back; same principle.
Lastly, try and not worry so much. Worrying doesn't help you solve any problem. Try and be logical about it. Do what you can. And when you go to sleep at night, tell the problem to bugger off. You'll need a good night's sleep to do your work properly.
Sipadan Dive Trip Deferred
I was toying with the idea of going diving at Sipadan. I had very happy memories there.Mabul Water Village is having a 5 Days / 4 Nights package ( 4 Diving Days ) at a cost of SGD $895 - roughly the same in Aussie dollars.
1. Travel period is from 13 March 2009 until 13 March 2010, except for the following blocked-out dates :
a. 15 March 2009 – 25 March 2009
b. 20 April 2009 – 09 May 2009
c. 19 May 2009 – 24 May 2009
d. 15 July 2009 - 23 July 2009
etc..
The last time I went there I was rather shocked by the level of coral damage. It looked like Dayang. A bit disappointing.
I think I'll give this a miss for the time being. Besides I can't find anyone to go with me.
I hate traveling by myself. It feels terrible being in a room or boat filled with strangers who have no wish to talk to you. It think I'd rather be at the deepest depth of the sea.
Should Children go hunting?
Or as the newspaper put it - "Should Children torture Animals" ?
Click here to vote:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/poll/1,,661-5038547,00.html
Click here to vote:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/poll/1,,661-5038547,00.html
Solving Reflux Indigestion Woes
12.28am, should be asleep. Feel the urge to write so here we go.A long time ago, I suffered from reflux. My stomach would cough up acid and bile. Eventually part of my esophagus, the part leading to the stomach, grew an extra lining. The valve didn't close properly. I thought I was doomed.
My dear sister however pointed out that the conditions leading to reflux - Bad diet, improper sleeping habits, lack of exercise etc.. - was all me.
I was drinking way too much coffee (ten to twenty cups a day). I love my filtered coffee. I was eating tons of junk food: people ate biscuits, I ate packets and tins.
And of course the usual suspects - too much sugar, (HoneySmacks!!!) too much fried food, not enough vegetables, not enough fruits, waaaay too much processed stuff.
I think I must have nuked all the good bacteria in my stomach with the amount of caffeine I had been taking. And I was suffering badly from constipation. Yeah, I was full of it. :(
Now, I had been subsisting on this diet for quite a long while. It took me a long time to stop it. I took it a day at a time. I started eating more healthy stuff. I started cooking more meals where I could incorporate more fresh vegetables and make it all tasty, casserole dishes are great for that. I stopped buying the chips, packets of cookies etc.. I found that if I didn't have them in my larder, I couldn't eat them.
I stopped buying cheap crappy fruits that I did not eat. I only bought fruits that tasted good and I could finish within the week. I may have paid a bit extra but I could really feel where the money was spent.
I ate a fair bit of papaya. I stayed away from acidic fruits.
Of course occasional I would indulge... but the memories of my reflux made me think twice before I made Pringles, Danish Butter Cookies and Columbian Coffee my main source of daily nutrient.
I think the exercising helped. I got into the habit of going to the gym, running, etc. Tread Mill Running with a good running CD/mp3 track is very very very addictive. For some reason, exercising seems to have helped me cut down on my fat intake. I think my brain woke up to the fact that it took so much energy to burn off the fat.
I also found that my stomach doesn't digest fried oil very well. It'd take me a good 4 - 5 hours to digest the crap - otherwise if I did some hard exercising before the duration (admittedly with a kickass physical trainer) - I'd hurl.
I went to the gym for a whole year. I looked good. I felt good. Then...
The good news for all you lazy farts is I've stopped exercising and dieting, but my weight is stabilized and my reflux problem is still gone.
Right now, I don't think I have a very optimal diet. I still drink too much coffee and tea. Probably eat too much biscuits. Not as bad as before. And I guess if I don't watch out - I'll be back at Square 1.
But I'm definitely more conscious over what I eat. But you'll find it becomes 2nd nature. Its like a light has been turned on in my brain and I'm very aware that eating certain foods too much or at certain times of the day is totally taboo. The body has become aware of the consequences.
And surprisingly its not a torture to avoid eating chips or if I don't eat KFC for an entire year. I do get cravings but I've learnt to not give into temptation. And yes, it does become 2nd nature.
I also learnt not to overeat - and to attempt to eat smaller portions. Six smalls meals a day is better than one or two big ones.
Stretching and maintaining a good posture also does help. No time to talk about that. But if you slouch, you are putting pressure on your stomach - and preventing it from operating effectively. Its like squeezing a toothpaste in the middle. Stuff gets stuck at the back; same principle.
Lastly, try and not worry so much. Worrying doesn't help you solve any problem. Try and be logical about it. Do what you can. And when you go to sleep at night, tell the problem to bugger off. You'll need a good night's sleep to do your work properly.
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