Forgiveness and the Freedom of Letting go

In The Land of the Equals

Respect and care; the more you give, the more you get...


What did Hitler and the Japanese Red Army have in common? They built their dreams from scratch. They indoctrinate, built, inculcate and thoroughly changed their people's mindset with a "ME superior" first attitude.

Nationalism? World domination? Whatever, but they believe that only a fairly homogeneous race, through unity, can be a force to reckon with!

Unity and common goal were what made Napoleon Bonaparte, Alexandra the Great and Genghis Khan walked the globe almost unrestrained.

We need a common goal and a unifying figure to unite Singapore and Singaporeans; not to conquer the World but to consolidate our strengths, our fundamentals and our identity. The disenfranchisement, the misplaced loyalty and the unmet material needs will slowly, but surely, dissipate if we strive for a common goal.

A goal where many differences are immersed as one, where the commoner reclaims his livelihoods and dignity, where the leader sacrifice for his men, vice versa, and work with and not 'talk down' and make demand of/from his fellowmen.

We were happy then, less happy now but shall, and can be, happier going forward.

Spare a thought for the common man and have his welfare at heart. He is not seeking fame and fortune but merely asking for meaningful and dignified living. Help make everyone's life as pleasant and light as possible; a stressful nation of restless youths and displaced commoners will implode.

There are enough to go around for the 'have', the 'have but inadequate' and the 'have not but seeking'.

Integration of the populace must start now and dilution stops. It takes time, patience, tolerance and plentiful of commonsense to unite and integrate. Any further influx of foreigners will ultimately destroy the very fabric which we have built over time.

'Survival of the fittest' are for the animal kingdom. As human, we need one another to survive, live harmoniously and live for, and with, one another. A/Any selfish leader who surrounds himself with 'yes man' will be displace and replace in due course for his 'yes man' will lead him to self-destruction.

Spare a thoughts for the common man and make their life easier and lighter. If you cannot, please do not make it any worse.

...thoughts of a tiny army ant 

What's in the game of life...

Only two things that we cannot decide, life and death. We didn't come here by choice neither can we delay nor choose the mode of leaving when the time is up...




During the Japanese occupation, it was a trying, torturous and challenging environment unimaginable to mankind. Most made it but many were sacrificed.

Before the plane crash landed onto the icy Hudson River on US Airways, 155 people reflected on their lives and recalled and 'wished they had done ... many things' - everyone lived to tell a tale.

Steve Jobs made Apple an arch rival to conventional PCs, created iPhone and iPads despite challenging health conditions; a rare achievement for someone fairly ill.

Someone I know was held against his will in a faraway land by some burly men, negotiated with them, signed some documents, convince them to let him go ... he returned alive and continue living a happy, healthy life and try not to leave things undone until tomorrow.

Its better to live rich and die poor than to live poor and die rich. Whatever money not used does not belong to you. Are you happier that someone signs you a cheque for the balance (total estate) unused money and bury it with you?

The most inspiring moments are normally done by ordinary people leading normal life. Did Dr Sun Yat Sen wanted to be the ruler of China? History indicated he was a leader by accident.

How did Alexandra the Great, Genghis Khan and Napoleon conquer and rule half the globe when its quite an impossible task to accomplish today despite advancement in technology and firepower?

Its all in the mind.

You can live luxuriously happy or poorly rich; its not about money. Its a state of MIND.

难得糊涂

The poor worries about his next meal while the rich worries about making the next dollar. It will never be enough!!

David Agus: A new strategy in the war on cancer | Video on TED.com

David Agus: A new strategy in the war on cancer | Video on TED.com

Stockmarket - Anomaly or Normalcy

What goes up must come down as what goes down will come up... its just when


When US raised their debt ceiling, market caught a chill

- If US debt negotiation remained in deadlock, the reaction will be worse. The fact is US will, and have, approved the creation of more 'monies' (fiat money is the opposite of honest money) for continued survival.

When S&P downgraded US debts, market went virally down

- S&P downgrading of US debts is only normal as the quality of debts have decline with more 'fiat money' (currency that a Government declared as legal tender, not necessarily backed by gold or reserves)!

The writings were on the wall for some time and when reality strikes, adverse reactions occur. Its simply 'buy' on rumour and 'sell' on facts.

Hot monies will move into rising and/or appreciating currencies and by extension, their stock/capital markets and Asia and other emerging economies will be the main beneficiaries.

There will be a flight to quality.

In the short to medium term, there is no 'safe haven' currency. The stronger currencies are not back by gold nor growth; its back by a sense of security - its the strength of the bullet that walk the talks! What else, love it or hate it, but US$. People fear changes.

The volatility of the stockmarket augurs well for traders. As for long term investors, its a time to 'buy cheap'; what happened to US has been waiting to happen for some time.

Everyone wants to make money but few wants to do homework.

The capital markets are not casinos and you need to do homework and be prepared. If you are rushing in and out like everyone at rush hours, chances are you are neither bullish nor bearish. You are a plain sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

How do you reconcile the argument that when commodities prices decline, recession is imminent as rising commodities is inflationary?

These terms are coined to keep research analysts right, either side of a coin; got it?

Did the dramatic fall in the markets come early? Cyclically, it is not totally unexpected. The reaction in stockmarkets is a reflection of mass psychology - 'the herd instinct'. You better be the shepherd than the sheep

The underlying problems - US debts, Euro bankruptcies, Mid-East spring uprising - will take time and political will to clear; in the meanwhile, hot monies will slug it out in the capital markets.

Trade at your own risks 危机 - there are opportunities in the eye of danger!

If you cannot take the heat, leave the kitchen. Do not gamble for the stockmarkets are not casinos...

Simple Yet Complex : Simplex

What a wise man see as simple but many find confusing...




A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be - Albert Einstein 
- thats the difference between an excuse and a reason


A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough - Bruce Lee 
- many regrets cannot be rectified




To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear - Buddha 
- the stoic house of the Soul 


Any man may easily do harm, but not every man can do good to another - Plato 
- selflessness versus selfishness




Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for - Socrates 
- learning painlessly with the right choice




The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing - Walt Disney 
- achievements are actionable




When my mind is blank, I do not attempt to fill in; rather let it be than to fill with regrets - PK

My Choice

The bucks stop when we stop breathing...

Every challenges we face are relative;
If its too big to handle, maybe it was not meant to be handled.
If its too small, chances are it was never a problem (in the first place).
If its something proportional and manageable, nobody's need to complain.

Education, like living, is a lengthy affair; either you learn from books or from experiences. Books will help you minimize, not necessarily avoid, pitfalls and costly errors, whereas experiences are what you learn along the way, painful at times though!

The roads less traveled are not necessarily the toughest.




When life is tough and the going is rough, you learn faster because of survival穷人孩子早当家




Once I was in a two-man canoe in the open sea. On the return journey, the wind was strong and the current was against us. We did all we can to paddle home against all odds; suddenly my buddy stopped paddling! He gave up!
I doubled my strength, tripled the strokes and with a cool, enhance spirit, I journeyed on. . . soon we were back on shore. 


Lucky? Yes. Its also because I decided NOT to complain but to move on.




Providence may have defined your endpoint but you can plot your journey and choose the your routes. 






Be happy, be healthy

CPF : i accept changes but universal promises must be kept

Change is the only constant...

In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present - Lao Tzu 

Social contracts though not legally binding has a moral face.
Universal promises are social contracts that must be kept, especially those that do not come with an option except acceptance; CPF is one example.

When we started working 20-30..40years ago, CPF withdrawal age was 50 years old.

Not only it has so many forms of deductions and schemes to retain the monies, the withdrawal age is moved to 60/62 years old. Omigosh, the goal post keep changing!

i. Why set the retain amount at >S$100,000? 


ii. How many people have that amount of money in their CPF when they reaches say 50, 60 or 62 years old after providing for the mandatory deduction or schemes?


iii. If they do not have the net retainable amount, shouldn't they be allowed to withdraw, say 1/2 or 2/3? Surely at that age, they know how to manage their monies. Whats the point of saving all the monies and never get a chance to use them? It is no different to say "I am asset rich but cash poor"


iv. Trust is a like a sword that cuts both ways. I rather get my monies and spend it than receiving a cheque, delivered/burnt to me after death. 

I believe the Government will continue to do alot of good as they have done before. They will continue to implement and execute good, not necessarily popular, policies.

But, like marriage, a promise is a promise; you cannot say "I promise but subject to ... "social contract or universal promise"

Any monies that cannot be taken out or used before the person passes on is a 'disguised Tax', ceteris paribus!

I can accept that CHANGE is the only norm but I also believe that TRUST is a two-way sword.

Will the leader or leader-to-be stand up and read aloud;
"There is nothing about which I am more anxious than my country, and for its sake I am willing to die ten deaths, if that be possible" - Queen Elizabeth I 

劉若英-後來

The Perils Of A Controlled Environment

The only constant is CHANGE...

The Universe is in a constant flux of changes and manifestation; for each action, there is a reaction.

Quantum theory, a fairly abstract probabilities, not unlike Schrodinger's Cat - a thought experiment - the cat is either alive or dead, not both alive and dead; simultaneously dead and alive.

HDB - The concept of providing an affordable 'roof over the heads' for Singaporeans was admirable and it not only solved the housing problems but also allow vacated lands to be rezoned and redeveloped.

HDB built ahead of demand in lieu of resettlement needs.

Its noble intent has outlived its relevance as there is a dearth of resettlement. Nevertheless, HDB should continue with its role as a public housing provider. 

1. Continue to offer reasonably priced HDB flats to first time married couples
(Unlike private developers, when you buy an apartment, you get a strata-title which means you buy the apartment and it comes with the land. In HDB, you only buy the shell in the air. If this argument does not hold water; isn't it true that during an Enbloc sale, your valuation include the land you sit-on whereas if HDB does an enbloc, you are barely compensated, like those under SERS?)

2. HDB can, rather than should, practice discriminate pricing; charges and collect a premium mirroring private housing market when a HDB unit is sold to a non-Singaporean, including PRs.
(HDB for Singaporeans by true blue Singaporeans; you make money from non-Singaporeans and not bleed our citizens dry)

3. The 'two children' policy was, perhaps, right at the time of implementation but it has outlived its relevance. You 'cannot turn the tap on' and start or increase 'production' to reverse the course; that's why its called procreation not production.
(Didn't someone knew or 'ought to know' that when the policy is successfully implemented, at some point in time, the natural population will drop)

4. If Singaporeans and/or married couples can have a safe abode, the procreation rate will naturally rise as they do not feel inhibited or restrained by 'ears on the walls' syndrome.

5. Foreign workers and 'FTs' are welcome to work in Singapore in areas that Singaporean workers are hard to come by, not because of depressed salaries but because of choice. Hardworkingness in Singaporean is a 'norm'; better still if he is paid reasonably well. Who wouldn't work hard and smart to 'protect his position' and progress if he is well cared and rewarded?
(Now that the population is at an optimal level to allow economic multiplier, it is time to look after the well being of Singaporeans).

6. Cost of Living - The high cost of living is caused partly by inflation and partly by direct and indirect taxes. Our taxes come in all forms; water tax, fuel tax, GST, property tax, ERP, road tax, COEs - you name it, you have it!

If all, or most Ministries, make money, by extension, the people have to foot the bill. For example, i) do we really need so many Ministries? I don't know! ii) We have hospital complexes for the restructured hospitals; are they necessary? Is hardware the definitive features or the software (doctors with passion) important?

Any policies, however noble and well-thought, that remain stagnant and non-progressive will ultimately loss its relevance and come back to haunt the 'thinker'.

We have high IQs but where is the EQs? Every right policies will not stay right permanently. At some point in time, it will become irrelevant.

Like the Universe, we need to change and adapt for the better. More importantly, any controlled environment, will implode over time as Society progresses.

Also, every Singaporeans is a talent, or talent-in-the-making; do you care to discover?

If you cannot make others lives a little better, please DO NOT make it worse!

Care and share; the wealthy man cannot sleep well and soundly if surrounded by all the poor, hungry and less privilege. You cannot take along anything when you die as "You Come Naked; Shall Return To Dusts"

Stockmarket - Update

Sell in May and Go away...


In June 8, I wrote that stockmarkets will spike down anytime soon around the Lunar Eclipse. True enough market was soon in disarray; with everyone hitting for the exits.

I have mentioned (to those who care to ask) that this is a 'buy' opportunity especially the last week or so. Market has done a dramatic U-turn up (nearing a Solar Eclipse) and shoot for stars (DJIA has one of the Best Weekly performance recorded).

Market react against orthodox arguments, not necessarily bad news = market down; good news = market up!

What's install for the weeks and/or months ahead? I wager an Upside bias !!! Get out of the market by Oct/Nov. 


The fundamentals may change but the technicals indicate a final push upwards before a dramatic turn-down in/by Dec. GOD knows!!!

The charts are a collective reflection of broad human psychology.

Stockmarket thrives on HOPEs - its hope that moves prices upwards.
Commodity markets thrives on FEARs - the fear of shortages forces price to rise

Trade with care and wager at your own risks; if in doubts check with your financial advisors... a short note from an armchair observer!