I once lived in a cave, hunt for food and neighbours were far and few. My threats were wild animals but they were also my food ... hate them, love them!
Over time I moved to the village and ploughed the land for food and the sea for fishes. Heaven willing, we survived and prospered...
When we started, it was a fishing village and sparsely populated. Sea and river boats were our mode of transport whereas bullock carts and rickshaws served on land.
There was this place call 'Home' and there were plentiful to share! There was little, or no, conflicts as there were minimal contacts. Happiness, fairness and calm rules the Land. A house is a home where warmth is!
As more people settle down, population increases and stress built up, socially, physically, structurally and mentally.
Today, we not only have to 'fight' among ourselves for housing, food, jobs and survival, we have foreigners who walk in as the door was deliberately left wide open.
Worst still, whatever their qualifications, they come in branded as "Foreign Talents" (FT); now we have talented labourers, waiters, cleaners, not to mention entry-level grads as well.
Fortunately some gates to higher offices are locked, otherwise we may be able employ higher-up civil servants, professionals, others for, maybe, 35% of what they are currently paid!
Unfortunately, these are the same persons whose positions are protected and who decide that our door must be left OPENED and theirs CLOSED; fairness in the Animal Farm is also fairness in the Animal Land! But, omigosh!! we are humans!!
I have yet to find God, Fairies and Immortals on Mother Earth...
We lived in a house which is no longer a home.
We struggle to built a career yet we must fend off consistent challenges for these hyenas who flood our shores waves upon waves (with a World population of 6.6bil today, there are no lack of FTs). Even the King of the Jungle, the Lion, is food for the hyenas when its down and out.
It is academic to say that we can, and must be, better, faster and cheaper. We are NOT machines neither are we digits in the system.
To all decision makers, let us make this place a home; a home with warmth and belonging.
Sure, there are some jobs that Singaporeans want and can do as there are some that we shun. It is NOT just about economics, its about the sense of belonging and a place called "HOME".
Foreigners are welcome as our forefathers were! But, when it is a grab and a 'Free for All', its time to stop before the 'extinction of a race called "Singaporean"
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
StockMarket - Up, Down, Flat
You can increase the probability of making money through technical & fundamental analysis, topped-up with plentiful of commonsense...
Stockmarkets move in cycles. Guesswork & gut-feel rules; Everyone wants to make money but few spend time to do some homework.
Chinese companies that were listed in the US had brought hopes and hype, once upon a time, but are becoming nightmares - Puda Coal, Longtop Financial Technologies Ltd, China MediaExpress. Singapore and Hong Kong has a fair share too. From time to time, local companies fail too.
Capital markets are greased by liquidity as much as by hot money.
Of late, there were little, or no, leads to drive stockmarkets in either direction. Most were hopeful but cautious.
The shadows of US slowdown and deficit, Euro debt issues, Chinese banks overexposure to loans, the reining in of property markets in China, Hong Kong and Singapore, unemployment and underemployment issues globally, the Middle-East political uncertainties - you name it, you find it...
Guess, stockmarkets have 'overlived' its rebound from the 2008/9 financial crisis; henceforth challenging.. However, this is not fatalistic. It is NOT unexpected for the markets to experience a spike down (worse than expected numbers, debts/political failures, gamesmanship, others) anytime soon. By extension, a re-rating shall follow.
The Game is OLD but the Players are NEW.
A total lunar eclipse will take place on June 15, 2011; will this be the time honored turning point of the market? I will NOT be surprised!
Hot money must find safe haven; have fun wagering
A Fool & His Money Will Soon Part
Stockmarkets move in cycles. Guesswork & gut-feel rules; Everyone wants to make money but few spend time to do some homework.
Chinese companies that were listed in the US had brought hopes and hype, once upon a time, but are becoming nightmares - Puda Coal, Longtop Financial Technologies Ltd, China MediaExpress. Singapore and Hong Kong has a fair share too. From time to time, local companies fail too.
Capital markets are greased by liquidity as much as by hot money.
Of late, there were little, or no, leads to drive stockmarkets in either direction. Most were hopeful but cautious.
The shadows of US slowdown and deficit, Euro debt issues, Chinese banks overexposure to loans, the reining in of property markets in China, Hong Kong and Singapore, unemployment and underemployment issues globally, the Middle-East political uncertainties - you name it, you find it...
Guess, stockmarkets have 'overlived' its rebound from the 2008/9 financial crisis; henceforth challenging.. However, this is not fatalistic. It is NOT unexpected for the markets to experience a spike down (worse than expected numbers, debts/political failures, gamesmanship, others) anytime soon. By extension, a re-rating shall follow.
The Game is OLD but the Players are NEW.
A total lunar eclipse will take place on June 15, 2011; will this be the time honored turning point of the market? I will NOT be surprised!
Hot money must find safe haven; have fun wagering
A Fool & His Money Will Soon Part
Monday, June 6, 2011
Being Compassionate 人在做，天在看
Experiencing the 'life of the less able, destitute, less well-off, less fortunate...
I have friends who are rich, very rich indeed; poor and some, indeed very poor
Most are helpful and friendly despite the wealth gap
Some with wealth that can last a few generations while for a few the next meal is a problem
This is the real World
I have met many who are selflessly helpful yet some whose help comes with strings attached
Fortunately, the former are superior in numbers
Sad? Yes, very sad! I am sad not because there are more helpful persons around; i am sad because there are hypocrites whose masks remain
Guess, they are hoping for, and be recognised as, the fame, 'powerful' and be identified with the 'who's who'
I call this 'Vanity'
Be compassionate
Give your time if you have time to spare
Donate money if you can afford it
Serve personally; your efforts will win hearts and move mountains
I am not here to say 'Who is right or wrong?'
I am no moral judge
Like everyone else, I am not perfect neither am I looking for perfection
Let us not blame anyone, any system nor anything, nor to lay blame on whatsoever, 'cos we are all made unequal, with unequal abilities and opportunities
You may be born poor but you can live 'rich'
Help others while you can with a mind/heart wider than the ocean
Offer help to the needy,the less able and the less fortunate; your Soul will brighten and rise higher that the Himalayan
Do not seek advantage and fleece others around you and your Mind and spirits will soar to the sky like that of an eagle taking flight!
Its good to pray
But, its no point praying yet doing all the evils that harm mankind
When Providence seek you out, that's fairness
When your seeds of evil are reaped by your descendants thats punishment
When you are immobilized and bedridden with all the wealth you have, its too late ...
Too late to say sorry, too late to know you can't enjoy all the material collections you have accumulated
Its known 'We come naked and shall/will return to nothingness'
Spare a cent
Spare some thoughts
Lend a hand
SOMEONE/He is watching you up there
人在做，天在看
I have friends who are rich, very rich indeed; poor and some, indeed very poor
Most are helpful and friendly despite the wealth gap
Some with wealth that can last a few generations while for a few the next meal is a problem
This is the real World
I have met many who are selflessly helpful yet some whose help comes with strings attached
Fortunately, the former are superior in numbers
Sad? Yes, very sad! I am sad not because there are more helpful persons around; i am sad because there are hypocrites whose masks remain
Guess, they are hoping for, and be recognised as, the fame, 'powerful' and be identified with the 'who's who'
I call this 'Vanity'
Be compassionate
Give your time if you have time to spare
Donate money if you can afford it
Serve personally; your efforts will win hearts and move mountains
I am not here to say 'Who is right or wrong?'
I am no moral judge
Like everyone else, I am not perfect neither am I looking for perfection
Let us not blame anyone, any system nor anything, nor to lay blame on whatsoever, 'cos we are all made unequal, with unequal abilities and opportunities
You may be born poor but you can live 'rich'
Help others while you can with a mind/heart wider than the ocean
Offer help to the needy,the less able and the less fortunate; your Soul will brighten and rise higher that the Himalayan
Do not seek advantage and fleece others around you and your Mind and spirits will soar to the sky like that of an eagle taking flight!
Its good to pray
But, its no point praying yet doing all the evils that harm mankind
When Providence seek you out, that's fairness
When your seeds of evil are reaped by your descendants thats punishment
When you are immobilized and bedridden with all the wealth you have, its too late ...
Too late to say sorry, too late to know you can't enjoy all the material collections you have accumulated
Its known 'We come naked and shall/will return to nothingness'
Spare a cent
Spare some thoughts
Lend a hand
SOMEONE/He is watching you up there
人在做，天在看
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Soul searching --- please spare a thought for me
Its June ...stock taking time.................
June - name of a month
June - a person's name
June - almost half year has past since January arrived
What have you achieved after 150 days gone by? Time flies, mortals die
Election - The deck of cards have been reshuffled; wager your bets, show hand time
Housing - More housing, speedier housing; you order, you pay, I build
CPF - Oops! more in the tills, longer time to get back yet smaller amounts.
Medical - Stay healthy as its very costly to be sick; some said 'you can die, but you cannot afford to be sick!' The costs of treatment and medicine is skyrocketing. The are budget hotel, budget travel, budget meals...why no budget hospital?
Cost of Living - Up, up and (more) ups. Omigosh, Its not just here, its happening all over the world except/maybe Japan (deflation) and USA (recession-type). ERP, Carbon-tax to be, water tax, GST, fuel tax, tax upon tax ... two things in life you can never run away i) taxes and ii) death. After death, I need not pay taxes but DON'T tax me to death
Foreign Talent - Lets call a spade a spade. Foreign workers is the correct term. How much talent, or talented, do you think these people possess : food court cleaners, sweepers, nurses, IT data-entry, waitering jobs, machine operators ... the list goes on. We welcome talent but NOT everyone that comes to Singapore is talented.
Jobs - While there are unemployment all over the world, we are opening the gates wide to foreign workers. A fresh grad from India (S$1=36.5Indian rupees) or China (S$1=5.35Rmb) or Philippine (S$1= 35 pesos) will take a job for S$1,500 - S$2,000 because he cannot find an equivalent paying job, let alone jobs, back home. Multiply by the exchange rate, they are in wonderland.
Public transport - Come August 2011, when the Authorities enforce to safety rules on ferrying workers in lorries, many will switch to public transports further aggravating and stressing the already inefficient MRT/bus services. The sweat, the smell, the shoves; the sardine-can MRT/buses will be in overdrive!
When I write again in June next year, I hope I need not repeat above (copy & paste) because the issues are still well and alive.
Spare a thought for the less fortunate and less able and make their life alittle lighter and living easier. The Able and the Power & Powers-to-be must look after the less able and less fortunate.
You CANNOT win a war if you have all generals and no foot soldiers just as the wealthy will never sleep soundly and peacefully if he is surrounded by massive poor and hungry; right?
Care & Share
June - name of a month
June - a person's name
June - almost half year has past since January arrived
What have you achieved after 150 days gone by? Time flies, mortals die
Election - The deck of cards have been reshuffled; wager your bets, show hand time
Housing - More housing, speedier housing; you order, you pay, I build
CPF - Oops! more in the tills, longer time to get back yet smaller amounts.
Medical - Stay healthy as its very costly to be sick; some said 'you can die, but you cannot afford to be sick!' The costs of treatment and medicine is skyrocketing. The are budget hotel, budget travel, budget meals...why no budget hospital?
Cost of Living - Up, up and (more) ups. Omigosh, Its not just here, its happening all over the world except/maybe Japan (deflation) and USA (recession-type). ERP, Carbon-tax to be, water tax, GST, fuel tax, tax upon tax ... two things in life you can never run away i) taxes and ii) death. After death, I need not pay taxes but DON'T tax me to death
Foreign Talent - Lets call a spade a spade. Foreign workers is the correct term. How much talent, or talented, do you think these people possess : food court cleaners, sweepers, nurses, IT data-entry, waitering jobs, machine operators ... the list goes on. We welcome talent but NOT everyone that comes to Singapore is talented.
Jobs - While there are unemployment all over the world, we are opening the gates wide to foreign workers. A fresh grad from India (S$1=36.5Indian rupees) or China (S$1=5.35Rmb) or Philippine (S$1= 35 pesos) will take a job for S$1,500 - S$2,000 because he cannot find an equivalent paying job, let alone jobs, back home. Multiply by the exchange rate, they are in wonderland.
Public transport - Come August 2011, when the Authorities enforce to safety rules on ferrying workers in lorries, many will switch to public transports further aggravating and stressing the already inefficient MRT/bus services. The sweat, the smell, the shoves; the sardine-can MRT/buses will be in overdrive!
When I write again in June next year, I hope I need not repeat above (copy & paste) because the issues are still well and alive.
Spare a thought for the less fortunate and less able and make their life alittle lighter and living easier. The Able and the Power & Powers-to-be must look after the less able and less fortunate.
You CANNOT win a war if you have all generals and no foot soldiers just as the wealthy will never sleep soundly and peacefully if he is surrounded by massive poor and hungry; right?
Care & Share
Sunday, May 29, 2011
ERP - electronic road pricing
ERP - Everyone's Real Pain ...
2. If owning a car is expensive and using the car is even more expensive, why allow cars on the roads? If the sincere intent of ERP is traffic regulation, the mechanism for control of car, by extension cars population, is already in place. Price the costs of Certificate of Entitlement (COE) at stratospheric level such that it is beyond the reach of most.
What was the purpose of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP)? The altruistic reason was for traffic flow regulation so as to ensure a smoother traffic flow.
Over the years, we have seen the sprouting of ERP gantry points; on roads least expected and in 'unearthly' hours. Why do we need to charge for road use in evening hours if the mainstay argument was to prevent clogging of roads whilst going to work. The economics of time, and/or, versus money.
The fact is ERP is a money spinner! The motivation has moved from traffic regulation to profit maximixation.
The worse is yet to be if the Land Transport Authority (LTA) were to implement the next generation of the ERP system, which will embrace the global navigation satellite system(GNSS), a technology that makes use of satellites to determine the position of a vehicle.
There are serious concerns on GNSS;
1. Are we encouraging a 'police state', where all our movements are being monitored? Is there zero respect for citizenry rights and privacy. Isn't anyone concern about this?
2. If owning a car is expensive and using the car is even more expensive, why allow cars on the roads? If the sincere intent of ERP is traffic regulation, the mechanism for control of car, by extension cars population, is already in place. Price the costs of Certificate of Entitlement (COE) at stratospheric level such that it is beyond the reach of most.
If the counterargument is that the average Singaporean may be deprived of owning a car, then implement (2) above but set aside, say 30% of the COEs for citizen's lucky draw. Win some, lose some; the value proposition.
But, before this move, please ensure that the public transport is as seamsless and punctual, as it claimed to be so that people will not be unnecessarily inconvenienced and delayed. Take a look at Hong Kong. When I was working in Hong Kong, I need not drive. I travel in the comfort of public transport (wearing suits). You have the MTR, taxis, buses, mini-buses,the trams not forgetting the waterbase transport system too. We may not be the best yet but certainly we can learn from others lessons and be better.
3. What is the real problem? Is it economic costs or opportunity costs due to congestion, increasing car population, limited number or stretches of roads, revenue issues, security issues? Or that the use of gantry points had outlived their relecance? It pays to reflect for a moment the real intention of the intended policy and to spare a thought for the affected. Every gadget adopted and used will affect the social equilibrium.
4. The use (against ownership) of cars may be a luxury to some but a neccesity to others. When public transport, namely taxis, lorries and buses, is classed together with privately owned cars, the incremental costs of ERP will translate into higher operating costs, and by extension, the costs of living; should the population be further burdened with additional costs?
Finally, if every government agencies must make money, who pays (suffers)? The population; the man in the street like you and me. It affects all, the rich, the poor and the sundry.
When changes affect someone or the mnority but for the betterment for all, proceed. When changes affect everyone, think again and thnk deeply. Is this what everyone wants?
The Moment Of Truths Lies In The Heart ...spare a thought for the less able and the less fortunate
Friday, May 20, 2011
A Citizen's Prayer
Pray...
I pray that ...
- I have enough to eat, a proper place to sleep and a little excess amount of money to keep; I found a job, a HDB and a POSB account.
- I am safe, have sufficient income and savings to start a family, provides for the family, live in a fairly stable and healthy environment; I found myself on an island called Singapore, found insubstantial income but with high Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), manages to start a family and live in a HDB within a clean, healthy and humble surroundings.
- I long for belongings; Life was a low-strung struggle, enough to eat, sufficient to go round, adequate rest and spent time enjoying peers support and company, with little to nil, or friendly, competition.
- I seek mobility and found progress and mutual respect; the more I give, the more I get.
My prayers were answered and I have lived half my lifespan!
In my next half or quarter life expectancy, there is a consistent need to find income, a roof over the head, the ability to be mobile,both socially and physically, and a yet to be realized DREAM. Its trying!
Living is getting expensive; costs - food, housing, transport, utilities, taxes - have gone up, real income has gone down, stagnated or evaporated!
I pray
- I remain able, capable and healthy; that the 'Power' and all 'Power-To-Be' will spare a thought for me when formulating policies that affect me - the man in the street. Whether the Gini coefficient is 0 or 4.2 has little effect on me as I enter my winter years but I still need to live humbly and in harmony and to die with dignity.
- For the better or worse, I am Singaporean; I shall live and die here - my Motherland. To my fellow Singaporeans, if you can't make the place any better, please do not make it worse. Spare a thought for our fellowmen, the less able and less fortunate and make living lighter, livelier and easier.
Society will always have the Good, the Bad & the Ugly; the Able, the Less able and the Dis-able. Care and share with one another. We come (born) naked and shall return (die) with nothingness.
I pray that ...
- I have enough to eat, a proper place to sleep and a little excess amount of money to keep; I found a job, a HDB and a POSB account.
- I am safe, have sufficient income and savings to start a family, provides for the family, live in a fairly stable and healthy environment; I found myself on an island called Singapore, found insubstantial income but with high Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), manages to start a family and live in a HDB within a clean, healthy and humble surroundings.
- I long for belongings; Life was a low-strung struggle, enough to eat, sufficient to go round, adequate rest and spent time enjoying peers support and company, with little to nil, or friendly, competition.
- I seek mobility and found progress and mutual respect; the more I give, the more I get.
My prayers were answered and I have lived half my lifespan!
In my next half or quarter life expectancy, there is a consistent need to find income, a roof over the head, the ability to be mobile,both socially and physically, and a yet to be realized DREAM. Its trying!
Living is getting expensive; costs - food, housing, transport, utilities, taxes - have gone up, real income has gone down, stagnated or evaporated!
I pray
- I remain able, capable and healthy; that the 'Power' and all 'Power-To-Be' will spare a thought for me when formulating policies that affect me - the man in the street. Whether the Gini coefficient is 0 or 4.2 has little effect on me as I enter my winter years but I still need to live humbly and in harmony and to die with dignity.
- For the better or worse, I am Singaporean; I shall live and die here - my Motherland. To my fellow Singaporeans, if you can't make the place any better, please do not make it worse. Spare a thought for our fellowmen, the less able and less fortunate and make living lighter, livelier and easier.
Society will always have the Good, the Bad & the Ugly; the Able, the Less able and the Dis-able. Care and share with one another. We come (born) naked and shall return (die) with nothingness.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Budget Life
It's getting costlier to be alive and breathing...
Cost of living is rising; out pacing income at most times.
Medical cost is rising faster as the population ages, newer technologies are adopted, more tests are readily available but not necessarily relevant.
The best defense against medical cost is to exercise and remains healthy; preventive medicine and early detection also reduces costs.
A newly acquainted doctor gave me this; "The... patient should be made to understand that he or she must
take charge of his own life. Don't take your body
to the doctor as if he were a repair shop - Quentin
Regestein"
Non-reliance on medicine and/or food supplements will diffuse the 'dependency' syndrome.
Interestingly, you have heard of 'budget hotel', 'budget travel', 'budget meals' but why isn't there a 'budget hospital'?
Guess, when it comes to a life threatening situation or sickness, you want the best; whether you can or cannot afford it (becomes secondary).
The priority must be to live healthily, eats well and have enough rest rather than live 'budgetly' - budget travel, budget holidays, budget meals!
Relax; live like a King, live like there is no tomorrows...
Our role on Planet Earth is to enjoy and experience every facets of life.
It is a total failure to live like a church mouse and to have a luxurious sendoff.
It is great to be rich but if you leave behind plenty without a chance to spend a dime, the money is NOT yours; at best, you have lived, but to most, you lived stupidly!
Live within your means, live healthily and happily.
Relax, whats yours shall be yours, whatever isn't shall never be!
Cost of living is rising; out pacing income at most times.
Medical cost is rising faster as the population ages, newer technologies are adopted, more tests are readily available but not necessarily relevant.
The best defense against medical cost is to exercise and remains healthy; preventive medicine and early detection also reduces costs.
A newly acquainted doctor gave me this; "The... patient should be made to understand that he or she must
take charge of his own life. Don't take your body
to the doctor as if he were a repair shop - Quentin
Regestein"
Non-reliance on medicine and/or food supplements will diffuse the 'dependency' syndrome.
Interestingly, you have heard of 'budget hotel', 'budget travel', 'budget meals' but why isn't there a 'budget hospital'?
Guess, when it comes to a life threatening situation or sickness, you want the best; whether you can or cannot afford it (becomes secondary).
The priority must be to live healthily, eats well and have enough rest rather than live 'budgetly' - budget travel, budget holidays, budget meals!
Relax; live like a King, live like there is no tomorrows...
Our role on Planet Earth is to enjoy and experience every facets of life.
It is a total failure to live like a church mouse and to have a luxurious sendoff.
It is great to be rich but if you leave behind plenty without a chance to spend a dime, the money is NOT yours; at best, you have lived, but to most, you lived stupidly!
Live within your means, live healthily and happily.
Relax, whats yours shall be yours, whatever isn't shall never be!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
The Road To Success
Only 1/9th of the iceberg is seen above water because of the density of pure ice...
Gastric, ulcer, cancer - a mild treatable illness, if left untreated, may manifest into serious terminal illness.
The Long March "长征" that Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai led eventually returned to haunt Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek and sent him packing to Taiwan.
The Imperial Japanese Navy sank the battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse in WW2. The British were very confident that their impregnable fortress, Singapore, will not fall.
Manny Pacquiao, the tiny boxer from the Philippines, was an unknown and unrated boxer when he started. Boxing was a career crafted out of poverty, necessity and hunger.
Originators, discoverers, conquerers - start small & start somewhere
If you don't try, you are guaranteed of failure; only those who dares have a chance to succeed
General Patton advanced farther, captured more enemy prisoners, and liberated more territory in less time than any other army in military history.
Nobody is a born winner or loser
The trophy is always there for you
Circumstances and environment may favor you but inaction will decimate Providence
Is Providence yours to make or does Providence decides your end journey? I choose the former
The road(s) to success(es) is(are) paved with blessings and abundance
Do you DARE??!!
Gastric, ulcer, cancer - a mild treatable illness, if left untreated, may manifest into serious terminal illness.
The Long March "长征" that Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai led eventually returned to haunt Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek and sent him packing to Taiwan.
The Imperial Japanese Navy sank the battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse in WW2. The British were very confident that their impregnable fortress, Singapore, will not fall.
Manny Pacquiao, the tiny boxer from the Philippines, was an unknown and unrated boxer when he started. Boxing was a career crafted out of poverty, necessity and hunger.
Originators, discoverers, conquerers - start small & start somewhere
If you don't try, you are guaranteed of failure; only those who dares have a chance to succeed
General Patton advanced farther, captured more enemy prisoners, and liberated more territory in less time than any other army in military history.
Nobody is a born winner or loser
The trophy is always there for you
Circumstances and environment may favor you but inaction will decimate Providence
Is Providence yours to make or does Providence decides your end journey? I choose the former
The road(s) to success(es) is(are) paved with blessings and abundance
Do you DARE??!!
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This Time It's Different - Wealth Preservation
strip off emotions & everything is the same... This time it's different. Sure, every time "it is different", not just this...
