Current Affairs And Wassup 2012

Ministerial Pay

Everybody's talking about ministerial pay. Of course you must pay your ministers well so they must have enough and not worried about these things like us as they have bigger things to do and not get caught in a vicious cycle of mundane stuffs. We should not begrudge them. We want our leaders to stand tall and hold their own against the world's best. But I suspect that many like me feel strongly that while you do not want people to get into politics for power and other forms of  money, you do not  want people to go into politics asking what's in it for me. 

If you feel smaller because your salary is less than those you are working with or talking to, then there is no business for you to be there or anywhere. President Obama should then be ashamed to be talking to Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or even Michael Bloomberg. A policeman ought to be ashamed to issue a summon to the owner of a Jaguar. Meanwhile, corruption is of the mind and soul of a person no matter his status in life. In fact, I believe that poor people are seldom corrupted. Maybe they don't know how or have the opportunities. It is the love of power and money that got people corrupted. So, no matter what salary is paid, you can still be corrupt. 


Throw in women and they will sell state secrets. It is all in the history and folly of Man. Man can resist anything except temptation. Those who are incorruptible are those who do so by choice as everyone faces the same temptation. It takes a very strong man to flee from temptation as everyone is susceptible. The flesh is weak and at every corner there are temptations. 

Politics and such leadership should be no career option but for people who are leaders and truly wish to serve his or her nation and love and respected by the people. The old guards of our government is a good example. We may lament that Singapore is a small country and lacks talent but we still have our Water Polo champions in every SEA Games, we have a soccer team that sometimes beat the other bigger nations, we have table-tennis, we have the best sea port, airport, education system, etc. 


What we need is a birthplace for politics like we used to have for soccer in Farrer Park. We need goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, strikers, trainers, coaches, etc. Create a space and situation where people truly wish to come forward. Utopian? Think Lionel Messi. No player trained in methodical ways even given the best coaches can be a Messi. None. Never. Great players and true leaders emerged in a different way. Our soccer players are now professionals but are they really better than those of the 70s and 80s? No way!


Uncle Choo Seng Quee was well respected and well loved because of this. He never did it for the money. He was extremely knowledgeable, intelligent, a mover of man and patriotic. He would not ask for anything in return. We need people with a sense of mission and moral conviction and please stay away even if you are talented but lack these qualities. A soccer club should take players who want to play for the club and that makes a difference rather than those who can be bought with huge pay. Our politics died like Farrer Park in soccer. 


Life would really be better off, more comfortable and rewarding for people like Mr. Chiam See Tong and Mr. Low Thia Kiang had they not been in politics. But there again, some Ministers would really made 3 or 5 times more money had they continue in their private practice. The trick then is probably to moderate especially for junior ministers. When you are young and put in high places and get paid loads and commanding many people you may not know how to deal with it. Just like many young EPL soccer players simply because you do not have the experience and exposure.


I don't know all these complicated mechanisms of pegging to top 1,000 earners or what nots but to discover talents you will have to open up our minds, play grounds or find new fishing spots and I agree with MP Denise Phua's comment about elitism but why only slam opposition MPs when they raised questions? Even the same questions raised by their own party? 


A simple question - why find talent from the top 1,000 earners? Unconventional thinking? Yes it has been said that the government do not look at just from the top 1,000 earners group but the perception from the ground seems not and feel we have become elitist. 


Talents can be found in many places if we open our eyes and our minds. I am more concerned about the future of Singapore and what happens if a government goes wrong. Singaporeans would just have to be more politically savvy if not already. Engaging more Singaporeans politically would ensure that future. Having said all these, I think some of our ministers are really hardworking, flying around promoting Singapore's interests doing much more than ministers  in many other countries. Elitism plagues all people and all countries and all segments of society. We have to watch it. 

Malaysia Cup

Well, game one was over after all the build up and after 17 long years. In our days, the Malaysia Cup gave us time together and things to talk about. I saw the match on TV- Singapore v Kelantan. Singapore did very well in the first half. In fact, we made Kelantan looked ordinary and at times poor. Baihakki Khaizan scored a very good goal as Kelantan had trouble coping with those crosses. It should have been fully exploited.


But that is soccer when out of nowhere, Kelantan scored. Soon after a dubious penalty followed as our goalie Izwan Mahbud was adjudged to have fouled their striker. A fairer result would have been a draw. Kelantan was not M League Champions for nothing. They make their chances count. Singapore lacks experience. Baihakki Khaizan was certainly our best player. Cool and compose at the back, read the game well and made good clearances and interception and of course he scored with that glancing header. Singapore must learn to pace themselves better.


What I could not understand was why was Sharil Ishak replaced so often especially when he is the captain of the side and even when playing for Avramovic's team. It's a long season and every point counts especially when playing away and you will have to win at home. Then came the Kedah away game in which we got a point. If I were Agu I would be a frustrated soul being alone up front and got kicked so often no wonder he's injured. Singapore's play was often predictable and they lost the ball too easily. Lions XII will get better and though they won only 2-1, it was a much better showing against KL as there was greater confidence and urgency but they need to take their chances. Nizam was quite impressive with his play and when Khairul Amri is back from injury,we ought to be better. Finally to go to Sabah to win against such intimidation on and off the pitch was quite admirable. We will get better.


Lychee Beer


I have been told about chili beer and now Lychee beer. I first found out about this beer when I was told they have it at Wild Oats at Punggol Park but I think it costs $10! Then a friend passed me one and after trying it I like it very much as it was very easy to drink and has a nice fragrance about it. Lychee sorbet, lychee cake, lychee beer. Lychee is indeed quite a special fruit.

Sometime ago when I sent my car for servicing, I got to use this coffee machine. Pick the type of coffee you want, slot it in the machine and bingo! 

The ultimate caffeine machine!? Everything is so convenient, we don't know how to do things anymore.

Online Protests


Wikipedia, Google and other websites are staging online protests over legislation in the US congress to crackdown on online piracy. The draft legislation with the backing of Hollywood, the music industry and others pave the way for US authorities to shut down websites accused of piracy without due process and threatens the architecture of the Internet. In Singapore, we didn't have this problem. A nice change. Maybe one day they will wish to introduce Singapore style ministerial pay even though it looks unlikely due to their political situation. We are after all Uniquely Singapore.


Nightclub Used School Logo


A nightclub is in trouble for using or allowing school logos of ACS and CHIJ to be used with "highly inappropriate and demeaning" insinuations. The length people would go through to have fun. 


Kodak Moment


Kodak is special to me and to many of you. The first film I fumbled with was Kodak. When you realized that founder George Eastman had his picture taken with Thomas Edison in 18xx and that they invented the world's first digital camera but never further developed it, you know that the company has touched many lives and have come a long long way. Let me share with you those Kodak moments some of which were before I was born. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQChWiAfr4s (1958)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB3YqMPCpUM (60s - Instamatic)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QCBeZi0bRI (Times Of Your Life, Paul Anka)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVHJwMXlbrw (1977)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGGyxt7ar8E (1980, True Colours) 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkG18KiSMGk (Kodak Moment)


They say a picture paints a thousand words, a face can launch a thousand ships. Yes, a photograph too. Here is David Gates with Bread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a_4fBH_7dk


What about words? What are words?


What Are Words - Chris Medina


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQY4dIxY1H4