Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Before and after election

Before election, they are elite. Talk like "mu zhong wu ren". After election, they become "servant" and talk like they want to serve the people. This only confirm that a certain percentage of alternative party in the parliament to avoid this "elite" thinking. After all, competition is good for the people.

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Sunday, September 04, 2011

Is America under divine judgment?


Whenever a nation embraced God, the nation will receive God's blessings. America has already keep God out of their nation, and that's why America is suffering. On the other hand, China population is gradually embracing God the creator of the world, they are slowly becoming more prosperous as they receive more blessings.

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Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Go away PM Lee!

Can someone more competent please take over PM Lee's job? The current generation will never forget how lousy he is! Please get lost.

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Wednesday, August 03, 2011

It is not easy to be a Singapore-born male citizen in their own country!

I think Singapore-born male citizens are cursed in their homeland the moment they are born. Firstly, they will be liable for national service for 2 years (I did 2.5 years okay!!). Secondly, they will lose out to others (foreigner and Singaporean female) in terms of climbing up the career ladders. Thirdly, after finishing 2 years of national service, not only are they not recognized for the skills (mostly in private sector) acquired during national service, they are also liable for 10 cycles of reservist. Fourthly, employers (if your boss-to-be is a foreigner) tend not to like hiring Singaporean males because they may have to leave their work half-way for reservist.

Why did I suddenly write about this? Because I have a real life experience during a job interview. Well, the interviewer was a foreigner (I will not disclose the nationality) and most likely my boss should I be hired. The first question the interviewer asked was whether if I am liable for national service (I rephrase it in my own words) as the interviewer complained there is a Singaporean employee who is going for 2-3 weeks reservist! I will leave the story here and not continue the story for privacy purpose, though I feel the overall interview was a pleasant one.

On introspect, I really feel sad for Singaporean males who are "damned" in their homeland. Singapore is an international hub, open to international company doing business. It is inevitable that the bosses would be a foreigner. I understand where those foreign employers are coming from. I do not blame them for not favouring local male citizen to be their employee. If I were in their shoes, I might have made the same decision. Who wants to hire someone who will disrupt their work half way (probably annually) to serve the country to protect both the foreigner interests and the local interests?? Who will appreciate that huh?? Even the government shows "insincere" appreciation to our contributions - do our opportunity cost really worth so little??Then why would those foreigners want to show appreciation for our contributions to the security of Singapore? What incentive does the employer have to hire a Singaporean males over foreigner or Singaporean female?? To the best of my knowledge, I say none.

I think I would have to start thinking about my future. I need to start planning - What future would I want for myself and my children? All right, I admit it. Singapore is not a nice place to settle down for males. I do sometimes feel ashamed to be a Singaporean! I think it is better to be a new citizen or a PR than to be a Singapore-born male citizen. Time to strategize and plan ahead for my future; for goodness sake!

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Monday, July 04, 2011

22个人生道理.. ^^

Hmmm...........


1. 看穿但不说穿。很多事情,只要自己心里有数就好了,没必要说出来。

2. 高兴,就笑,让大家都知道。悲伤,就假装什么也没发生..

3. 在不违背原则的情况下 ,对别人要宽容 ,能帮就帮, 千万不要把人逼绝了 ,给人留条后路..

4. 快乐最重要,谁人、何物、何事使你快乐,你就同他们在一起。何物让你不快乐,你就离开他。没有条件,创造条件也要离开他。

5. 不要老在别人面前倾诉你的困境袒露你的脆弱..

6. 没有十全十美的东西,没有十全十美的人,关键是清楚到底想要什么。得到想要的,肯定会失去另外一部分。如果什么都想要,只会什么都得不到。

7. 我喜欢一位朋友说的这句 “善忘是一件好事。”

8. 两个人同时犯了错,站出来承担的那一方叫宽容,另一方欠下的债,早晚都要还。

9. 自己不喜欢的人,可以报之以沉默微笑;自己喜欢的人,那就随便怎么样了,因为你的喜爱会挡也挡不住地流露出来。

10. 不要做刺猬 ,能不与人结仇就不与人结仇 ,谁也不跟谁一辈子 ,有些事情没必要记在心上..

11. 学会妥协的同时,也要坚持自己最基本的原则。

12. 不要停止学习。不管学习什么,语言,厨艺,各种技能。

13. 钱很重要,但不能依靠男人或父母,自己一定要保持一定赚钱的能力。。。。

14. 不要太高估自己在集体中的力量,因为当你选择离开时,就会发现即使没有你,太阳照常升起….

15. 过去的事情可以不忘记,但一定要放下。

16. 即使输掉了一切,也不要输掉微笑……

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Sunday, July 03, 2011

Some random thoughts

I have come to believe that in every situation and case in life, there is always a ten year series - excluding those not happened situations or cases.

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If you’re on the wrong train, every stop is the wrong stop

‎"If you’re on the wrong train, every stop is the wrong stop." ~ Carat CEO, David Verklin

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Saturday, June 11, 2011

Hmm............

I still don't understand how does an interview can really determine if one can do well in the job. I see celebrities performing badly in interview, and people who do well for interview did not do the job up to expectation. How can the interview process really determine a candidate can do the job? Only people who have good memory and talk well can pass the interview and may not do the job well. -_- What you think?

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Monday, June 06, 2011

Food For Thought

Saw some interesting post by someone in FB:

Is it possible to believe that human beings have a function and purpose and yet deny that we are designed by someone or something?

Philosopher Alvin Plantinga argues that if contemporary evolutionary theory is true, then the probability of human beings becoming rational creatures with reliable truth-producing cognitive processes is rather low. so contemporary evolutionary theory cannot be an explanation for human intelligence
.

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Sunday, June 05, 2011

100 ways to uncomplicate life

100 ways to uncomplicate life

1. Don’t try to read other people’s minds

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Backstabbers specialize in saying the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person.



Backstabbers specialize in saying the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person. ~unknown

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Don't regret anything you do, cause in the end it makes you who you are!

Don't regret anything you do, cause in the end it makes you who you are!

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‎"Sometimes, it takes a really good fall to know where you stand."

‎Sometimes, it takes a really good fall to know where you stand.

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You will become way less concerned with what other people think of you when you realize how seldom they do.

You will become way less concerned with what other people think of you when you realize how seldom they do. -Unknown

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To aquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.


To aquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe. ~Marilyn vos Savant

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Friday, June 03, 2011

Knowledge = 96%, Hardwork = 98%, Attitude = 100%

Math is Fun

If: A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, D=4, …, Z= 26,

Then:

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E = 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

And:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K = 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

But to arrive at 100%, we need:

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E = 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%
in?

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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Kae Sim ah.. Singapore


The government blames the citizens for the slower growth.
The citizens blames the government for the social issues incured due to their FT policy.
One side of the "neutral" citizens say the government should not be blamed for the surviving problem they faced in life.
One side of the "neutral" citizens say the citizens should not be blamed for the slowing down the growth.

I look at Singapore.. really kae sim... haiz...

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Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Some reflections on the future

There are two actions that will appease my anger, annoyance, frustration and disappointment on the current state of this sinkingpore.

1) Change a new PM , a leader with new vision for Singapore leading us to new direction + reshuffle all the ministers in the parliament (be it dismissal, or re-allocation)

OR

2) Have a higher proportion of opposition members in the parliament, 40 to 50% would be reasonable to correct the current state of the island back to a brighter future.

~~

Haiz... I even thinking of going overseas to work for a few years with migration as the last last resort which in the past I never entertained that thought before...

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Sunday, January 30, 2011

PAP, from people’s advancement to pro-alien

One of the good articles:

PAP, from people’s advancement to pro-alien

In 1959, the PAP (People’s Action Party) was a achieved people’s advancement in socio-economic development. From 1984 onwards, the PAP regime promoted productivity to rely less on foreign workers. In 1990, the PAP promoted a Next Lap vision with immigration as a complement to make up for falling births.

More fast-track career path elite dominated the regime. They were excited about tapping the supposed talent pool of foreign talent around the world. In early 1993, the pro-PAP mainstream media heaped praise on Mr Sim Wong Hoo. He was perhaps Singapore’s only truly home-grown international entrepreneur.


The fast-trackers wanted to become Mr Sim in the fastest time. Under their unique style, they actively turned the workplace into a mini-United Nations (UN) at all levels. They reasoned if this would enhance Singapore’s global competitiveness and greater pay cheques for everyone, including themselves.


There was a huge increase in SPRs (Singapore Permanent Residencies) and citizenships. The beneficiaries included Temasek Review’s future favourite foreign talent Mr Sinha Shehkar. He became a citizen in 1994 at the age of 25 without having to perform National Service (NS). NS was military conscription or its equivalent for male citizens and certain SPRs.


More foreign students entered into the mainstream higher educational institutes such as NUS (National University of Singapore) and NTU (Nanyang Technological University). They were mainly concentrated in Engineering and Information Technology. Some received financial assistance from the PAP regime.


With the fast trackers’ promotion, these students soon had a rewarding career and SPR without serving NS. Some later assisted the PAP regime to bring in more foreigners between the ages of 21 and 35.


The supposed foreign talents had a future exit strategy for themselves and for their sons to legally avoid NS. The PAP regime knew about of NS avoidance but kept quiet as it gradually saw another value for immigrants. More naturalized citizens (about 7000 per year during the 1990s) meant political value.


The PAP regime was upset with certain younger home-grown locals’ interest in a 2 party system since the 1991 GE (General Election). The PAP repackaged itself as a party of both home-grown citizens and foreign immigrants. The fast-trackers wanted to maintain absolute political dominance at home.


After the Asian financial crisis of 1997, 45 year old lesser-educated workers became the 1st group of locals to lose their jobs. Requests for an immigration slowdown were rejected by the PAP regime. It emphasized retraining for reemployment but it was of limited use so long the massive immigration inflow continued.


During the regular wage rises from 1986 to 1996, many local workers benefited and assumed more good years. Some spent much of their money on eating, drinking and touring. After 1997, no 25-year-old high flyer in the civil bureaucracy wanted to spend much time on 45 year old obese and demoralized ex-workers.


A second elimination wave occurred to 45 year old senior managers from 1999 to 2000. In 1998, PAP legislator and NUS lecturer Dr Tan Boon Wan (http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/11/immigration-still-an-issue-12-years-on/) asked the Cabinet to define foreign talent in employment and career advancement.


The PAP regime became contradictory. It told locals to aim for high advancement while describing high-aspiring locals as pampered and choosy. It claimed there were chronic shortages of well-paid talents while emphasizing foreigners were brought in for low-paying jobs which locals were said to have avoided.


Nonstop and systematic glorification of foreigners by the PAP shaped the organizational mindset. Foreigners were employed and promoted at all levels, functions and sectors because they were foreigners. The employing organizations saw them as better, faster and sometimes cheaper. Improving productivity was nice but it took time. The massive inflow provided instant solutions.


Younger critics had little effect as they were in the minority in their age group. Many youngsters were still having good careers in both public and private sectors and did not care. Some such as Ms Jessica Tan (Information Technology) and Mr Teo Ser Luck (Logistics) would join the PAP regime.


In 1998, the TFR dropped below 1.5. According to the pro-PAP mainstream media, this was a sign that efforts to increase births had failed. The fast—trackers became more inclined to see immigration not just as a complement but a strategic portfolio. Massive immigration created a vicious cycle with less resident births.


While Dr Tan was voicing his concerns, NUS was planning for the next strategic initiative. In 2000-2001, his big boss,newly-installed Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Shih Choon Fong announced the formation of a NUS global knowledge enterprise. By 2005, NUS no longer resembled Singaporean.


The only barrier left was the 2001 GE. Young PAP leader Dr Vivian Balakrishnan talked about reaching out to the younger generation. Within the wider context, this also included the younger foreign immigrants. The PAP had a massive victory with 75.2% of the valid vote.


During the 2002 National Day rally speech, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong criticized unhappy emigrating locals and described them as quitters. The PAP transformation into the Pro Alien Party was complete.


Grey Hippo

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Christians Should Never Offend Anyone - Clearing Up Misconceptions


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Sunday, January 23, 2011

Less time spent on reflecting God's words

I'm a bit guilty that I have "neglected" God in terms of studying the bible, increasing my knowledge on God's word and Christian affairs though I sometimes still read some Christian related Q&A, articles and occassionally being pulled to engage in some discussions on Christianity issue and so on. I must say that I have put more time thinking on national affairs and my future career that the time spent on reflecting God's words is reduced. But I believe the future will get better and I will be able to put more time to reflect on quiet time.

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Friday, January 21, 2011

Christianity in China

Christianity in China

"Ironically," says Fu, "church history shows that the more the political persecution, the more believers there will be. This is the case in the Roman Empire, and also with China."


By Lauren Green

Published January 20, 2011 | FoxNews.com

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/20/christianity-china/#ixzz1BbLI751c


While religion in China may not be a big topic for discussion during President Hu Jintao's meeting with President Obama this week, many experts say that an explosive growth in Christianity may be transforming the officially atheist regime.


According to China Aid, a Texas-based human rights group, the number of Christians in China has increased 100-fold since 1949. Current estimates range from 80 million to 130 million active members. And one startling estimate from a Chinese Christian businessman has that number doubling or even tripling in the next generation.


Christianity could become one of the macro forces shaping Chinese culture, say experts like Dr. David Aikman, author of "Jesus in Beijing."


"If the Chinese become Christianized ... which doesn't mean you have a majority of people who are Christians, but it means about 25 to 30 percent of people in positions of influence, in politics, in culture, in the media. If you have that component of a major power that accepts Christianity enthusiastically as a guide to life, that is going to change the world view of the leaders of China."


Others argue that even if the more generous estimate of 130 Christians is true, it's still a drop in the bucket in a population of more than a billion people.


But Dr. Luis Palau, who has preached in China, says Christians are among the country's most cohesive groups.


"They all preach the same gospel. There are no liberals or conservative branches ... they all believe the same."


Supporters say even estimating 80 million Christians in China, a conservative figure, still has them outnumbering the membership of the Communist Party, which at last check, in June 2010, was 78 million, according to the ChinaDaily.com.


What's the origin of this faith explosion?


China Aid's Bob Fu says Christianity experienced a growth spurt after the Tiananmen Square conflict. Six of the 30 student leaders who were arrested converted to Christianity.


"Ironically," says Fu, "church history shows that the more the political persecution, the more believers there will be. This is the case in the Roman Empire, and also with China."


But Chan-Kei Thong, a businessman who lived and worked in China for 30 years, said Chairman Mao Zedong, Communist China's founder, may have unwittingly paved the way.


"What Chairman Mao did that the emperors did not do, he brought in a form of pseudo monotheism, a pseudo person to worship ... himself ... as a personal god. "The Christian God fits into that."


The Chinese government is not exactly overjoyed at the prospect of Christianity's growth. Officially, the government says there are 28.6 million Christians. That's because it only counts churches that are registered with the government.


Despite China’s recent easing of hostilities toward Christians, Beijing has had a harsh and violent history with the growing religious community. Beijing’s often brutal crackdown -- including roundups, blacklisting and jailing -- drove thousands of followers underground, spurring on the house church network.


While some of those followers have since registered with the government, Beijing continues to crack down on unregistered house churches.


But as many as 60 percent of Chinese Christians attend unregistered house churches, Palau says.


Palau, who says he is on good terms with the government, added that some party members acknowledge in the neighborhood of 120 million active Christians.


Others see a government fear of Christianity's traditionally anti-Communist power as a factor -- and along with it a growing concern over China's human rights record.


What Fu sees in Hu's visit is a rare juncture in this changing philosophical climate, to press China harder on those issues.


"I think this is an historical opportunity for President Obama to really represent the free world's universal values. ... "It will be a huge mistake for Mr. Obama to put human rights at the bottom of the agenda."


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/20/christianity-china/#ixzz1BbLE98s6

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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Retire on the cheap in China? Not so easy

I suspect that the concept / ideology of having China as a cheap location for manufacturing will be faced with problem in future as China is no longer a cheap place for living. Moreover, as cost of living increases, the wages of the workers must increase too. This concept or ideology is not sustainable..



Retire on the cheap in China? Not so easy

LEE CHOO KIONG | Thu, Dec 23, 8:33 AM

Dec. 23--HONG KONG -- When street hawker Ng Ching retired 13 years ago, he moved from Hong Kong to southern Chinese province of Guangdong -- where he thought he could stretch what little savings he had, with some help from his relatives there.

But when he returned to Hong Kong last month, the 82-year-old was desperate and destitute, his money long gone.

Mr Ng's dream of spending his retirement years in relatively cheap mainland China -- shared by hundreds of other ordinary Hong Kongers -- had been scuttled by the red-hot Chinese economy leading to soaring prices.

He was among the 100 destitute Hong Kongers who were escorted back to the Chinese city from the mainland by the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) in the first 11 months of this year.

The spokesman for the FTU's mainland consultation services centre told The Straits Times the federation had helped arrange for 110 retirees to return last year and another 90 in 2008.

In the four years from 2004 to 2007, there were only about 40 such cases in all.

"Rapid development, rising standard of living and high inflation are making life difficult for some of the elderly people living on the mainland," said the spokesman.

According to FTU figures, most of those who returned to Hong Kong were more than 75 years old. The oldest was 102.

"The bulk of these people are admitted into nursing homes, mainly because they have been away for a long time and no longer have property, relatives or friends in Hong Kong," the spokesman said.

About 40,000 elderly Hong Kongers in mainland China face the same grim prospect of outlasting their savings, Sing Tao Daily reported.

This problem is the most serious in Shenzhen and Dongguan, the top cities for retirement in Guangdong province for Hong Kongers.

There have been calls for the Hong Kong government to relax some of the conditions to qualify for the Old Age Allowance (OAA). Hong Kongers aged 65 and above receive a cash allowance of HK$1,000 (US$128) a month.

But currently, they must stay in the territory for at least 90 days to qualify.

Although the government is expected to shorten this to 60 days in February next year, critics say it should do away with the minimum residence period instead.

They reason that some senior residents have no choice but to forgo the allowance because of ill health, which prevents them from travelling back, or because they have nowhere to stay in Hong Kong.

Mr Albert Poon, assistant officer at the FTU's centre in Shenzhen, thinks it makes more economic sense for the Hong Kong authorities to give the money with no strings attached so the retirees can continue to live in mainland China.

"If these old folk check into nursing homes in Hong Kong, the government would have to take full responsibility for the monthly fees ranging from HK$8,000 to HK$10,000," he was quoted as saying in the Southern Metropolis Daily.

Most old folks' homes on the mainland charge well under 4,000 yuan (US$602) a month.

The Hong Kong government spent HK$6.32 billion on the OAA in 2009 to 2010, according to figures from its Labour and Welfare Bureau.

More than 500,000 people were under the scheme at the end of September this year.

A 2007 survey conducted by the Census and Statistics Department showed that almost 40,000 OAA recipients lived on the mainland.

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Sunday, January 09, 2011

Cheaper, Better and Faster

Copy the image from TOC. According to them, only the name of the staff is photoshoped..What the hell... Why is Singapore so obsessed with "Cheaper, Better and Faster" ??

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Saturday, January 08, 2011

I'm so dreaming of working overseas ....

I'm so dreaming of working overseas and come back once in a while!!! I think it would be beneficial for me (at least two things) and good to see more of the world outside the circumference of the little red dot!

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Saturday, January 01, 2011

My first post for the year 2011

I reiterate my stand which I wrote on 19th December:

The current ruling party should change name

If the current policies are the "best" for Singapore, I suggest the name of the current ruling party be changed as it is not consistent with their policies. It really a eye sore to me whenever I see a mismatch. Perhaps a name and logo change would make them more relevant in this latest stage of globalisation if they choose to continue to defend their ideology.

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