What a night....

i couldn't remember for how long, but tonight, this friday night, i felt alone. There are no calls from friends, not even the usual ones. perhaps i've rejected them too many times. Don't feel like meeting any one, don't feel like being alone.

I felt like drinking. waiting for my bottle of white wine to cool in the freezer. 'breeze valley' is playing in the background, the harmony of nature and music seems to be the only one who could understand and sooth me.

i'm not sad. just a meeting with myself. that's all.

chill.

Looking for post

just some random thoughts when you have nothing to do on MRT:

Difference between confident and arrogant.
Confidence will say, "I can do it".
Arrogance will say, "I can do better than him".

Difference between rich and wealthy.
Rich will say, "what is the price of this?"
Wealthy will say, "what is the value of this?"

Difference between a good boss and bad boss.
Good boss, "See how we can get this work."
Bad Boss, "Get to work."

Difference between a good PC and a bad PC.
it's user.

Difference between a good movie and bad movie.
the price you pay for the tickets and who you watched it with.

Difference between a heaven and hell.
Heaven, you meet lots of people you want to know
Hell, you meet lots of people you already knew

That's it folks.

chill.

a week is gone

yes. my week was like a paper going through a shredder machine, loud, exhaustive, and scrambled. but with blessings, it has been fruitful. Managed to meet up over coffee with friends, contributed to the growth of my new business, studied like hell, worked-out in gym, attended church, golfed, and going to have dinner with the my family tonight.

viv got me my life's FIRST Levi's jeans. oh shit.. the alternation is done, yet to collect. anyway, thanks viv!

ros got a bad back problem. ros, i know you are standing up to read this (since you can't really sit long), at ease.. you may lie down. and if you need any help, call me name three times (horny type), and i will appear.. just let a rope down from your kitchen. haha. take care! get well soon, we like to see you well, more, let's say, agile. :P

dan is attached now, and being his gay friend, i must say that we (all gays) missed him very much, we would love to blow hold him again, but now, someone else is bl..... holding his hands now.. :P hahah.. joking only lar.

coming week will be even more heretic, with less than half of my appointments fixed, there are barely rooms for breathing.

Mon: Client site service, RMA to do, CEH lesson
Tue: Sale visit, site service, assignment
Wed: Gym, CEH lesson, assignment
Thu: Seminar whole day
Fri: assignment DUE!!! gym
Sat/Sun: Study, gym, church, golf

friends, if you want coffee, please book early to avoid disappointment. heh. :)

Chill.

Casinos can create 10,000 jobs. (Warning, Very Long Post) Political shit.

From ST.
April 17, 2005
TOP OF THE NEWS
Casinos can create 10,000 jobs

By Asad Latif

UP TO 10,000 jobs could be created if Singapore allows two resorts with casinos at Marina Bay and Sentosa.

That is labour chief Lim Boon Heng's estimate, based on what he saw during a recent trip to Macau.

'Hypothetically, if we have one at Marina Bay and one at Sentosa, then direct employment, I'll say up to 10,000. Indirect employment - shops, hotels elsewhere - I think several more thousands,' he said.

'That is not insignificant for us because, at the moment, we do have an unemployment problem.'

About 78,600 Singapore residents were unemployed at the end of last year. Without a casino, Mr Lim said, it was unlikely Singapore would be able to boost tourism to the levels needed to create those 10,000 jobs.

'I don't like gambling. I wish we don't have to have a casino but if we can revitalise our tourism and hospitality sector with only one, then maybe it is a price that we have to consider.'

Mr Lim's comments come a day after Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew indicated at a forum that Singapore could no longer afford to say 'no' to a casino.

The Government is widely expected to give the go-ahead to at least one casino when it announces its decision tomorrow after a year-long debate on the pros and cons of allowing gaming here.

Yesterday, Mr Lim, who is secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress, re-angled the debate. The issue at stake is not the casino per se, he said, but about how Singapore should revitalise its economy for the future.

In recent years, many less-skilled workers from the manufacturing sector have lost their jobs as firms relocated to lower-cost countries.

Many of these workers lack the skills needed for the new manufacturing jobs being created, so jobs must be found for them in the services sector, he said.

Singapore has developed itself as a hub for air, transhipment and financial services but many countries are now pursuing the same strategy. This leaves Singapore to 'play a defensive game in maintaining our jobs' in the services sector.

'So changes have taken place in SIA and the airport but we need a more active programme of revitalising the services sector so that we will have more jobs,' Mr Lim said.

And this means taking steps to draw in more tourists. One way to do so is to build an integrated resort that includes theme parks, museums and shows, or host events that draw big crowds such as Formula One races and international sports tournaments.

'So the debate should be over job creation,' said Mr Lim, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office. 'The problem is: Can we do all this without a casino?

'Those who want to develop this facility say that they will invest big money if they are given a casino licence. So we have to weigh that factor carefully.'

He also said that NTUC uses earnings from jackpot machines to subsidise its clubs to the tune of $1 million each a year.

Elsewhere, at an event at Rosyth School, Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam was also addressing the casino debate.

He said if Singapore wants to become a leading global city 10 to 15 years from now, new attitudes towards governing and being willing to try new things would be required.

But the core of society must be preserved: 'The fact that we are conservative, value the family, value hard work and thrift.'

Additional reporting by Sarah Ng

End
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My take? just go ahead la.. Just look at how ST actively portraits the "goodness" of casino. lots of advertising space i say. MM Lee, the old man himself has given his blessings to casino. And as expected, Mr Lim Boon Heng has to support support abit lah. Labour chief leh.. just one day difference, and all the statistics can be out. two casinos some more. wah. i think if i'm unemployed, can i get a job that fast. so you guys know how to keep yourself in job lar.

and being a minister is really not easy, you have to sell blood, not quite literally at times, go against your own good nature to accept casino. so noble. sure get more votes in coming election. even if less than half of singapore gets to vote.

Just look at the headlines, up to 10,000 jobs, wah. like some sale like that, more than $10,000 prizes to be won, only to find out that top prize is only $2000, and the rest are in discount coupons which only valid till next month and shared with 1000 other winners (losers). the best part is that you have to spend more than $2000 to get the chance to win. worth it.

the catch is that we must have 2 casinos to create "up to" that number of job, but what was not said is who are the jobs for. Singaporeans or foreign alike? so theortically one casino can create 5000 jobs lar; that's only 0.63% of the unemployed in singapore leh. very helpful hor?

if Mr Lim is right about his overnight statistics, i say why not just create 20 casinos? one in every GRC, (sorry opposition ones will have to wait like MRT and sheltered walk ways), not euough GRCs? draw new one (again) lar, the oppositions can take places with good view like kusu island mah. anyway, that will create 20 x 5000 jobs! wah. though not as many as the cows in new zealand, singaporeans can be employed for life man, 100,000 jobs leh... that is what i call a true hub.

we can also have a school, SG Pool of gambling policy, like one of those schools recently opened.. named after someone.. cant remember. To ensure that singapore gambling can remain top in asia. NTUC can also expand its reach to continue its effort in protecting singaporean by setting up a new credit services to gamblers, why borrow from loan sharks and get free pig's head when you have big NTUC protecting you. anyway, police are getting tough on loan sharks, so there must have to be a better way to get money. what perfect timing. i would love to invest in loan shark business, but now, sigh..

but freak, casino or not, it has been in the road map of our ever capable government. i mean, if a reservoir idea at kallang basin needs twenty years to hatch. surely our government could have thought about the idea of casino long time ago right? i don't know, but sounded logical to me.

Otherwise, who would be so nice to culture us bit by bit by increasing the number of days we could bet 4D from two to three days, increase the stake in big sweep from 1M to 2M, include local and even oversea soccer matches, sell tikam scratch and rebrand singapore pool into the most modern, younger and more appealing icon of singapore gambling industry. oh, there is only one icon.

with so many days and games to gambling, how can we argue with statistics (now) when our own government (again) says that even with casino (never say one or two or N) only 2% will be problematic? 0.63% saved, 2% condemned, don't sound like good business investments to me leh. How to break even like that?

Everyday for the past few years, we have been paving the way to casino ourselves. when we (may) have the say to increased number of bets and games and did nothing, why should casino be a problem now right?

every clever signaporean who got a knee-cap which can think will know of tomorrow's outcome from PM Lee, i mean, MM Lee mentors the ministers liao, who can don't listen? We always listen to our daddy right? ouch.

chill. pissed.

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wah. Dan was soooo thin.. .then. .

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heh.

The golden days when the "Dots" are still proudly hanging by the collars.

nights..

i was having a few light rounds of sake with some good old friends at mohd sultan last night. it was a real chill out that is not filled with loud music, but instead was constantly flooded with loud laughter. all of us practically chat through from our (more carefree) childhood days to the (less carefree) present days.

the weekends are finally here. as i'm typing this post, many of my friends are at bishan park, getting their hands dirty over WRCD. in the next few minutes, i'm going off to work.

exciting day with very little time nowadays.

No sound no count..

perhaps only those who are in my era will understand what "No sound no count" means. i was jogging my memory some ten over years back and familar phases like, "license", "bee-lis", "som", "short-hand", "no-kissing", "all-no", "all-yes" and etc, came back as though i was still playing the game of marbles with my friends.

i could still remember those time during my primary and secondary school days, every recess, before/after school, we will be playing games. there never seems to have homework, or perhaps we never really bothered by them. haha.

Games we played require large number of people, climbing trees, hide-and-seek, catching, police-n-thief, hatam bola, hop-scotch, marble, poison-leg, zero-point (girls play, guys drool), five stones, pesi-cola-1-2-3 and so on.. they all encourage the spirit of teamwork, community and risk of injuring yourself.

look at how times have changed. now kids are safe, so safe that they play alone, irc, messenger, emails all encouraged people to be "Alone", "Away" but "Socialise". Many did not really see the magnitude of ironic here.

How often we have to email those sitting opposite us in office? How many could face your girlfriends or boyfriends over certain topic that you have to do it over sms? how many times we email our feelings towards someone and it get misunderstood?

The kampong spirit did not survive after my years. with every advert of new communication means, we are drifting deeper into the myth of improved relationship. we are meeting less, we talk 'about' people more than talking 'to' people. we are finding harder to socialise. we are turning dead on creativity (anyway, if creativity can be taught, is it creativity?)

Now, we believe in money, in gaining social status, gaining recognition. Not all that is wrong, but perhaps, the priority of them makes hell of a difference.

Chill.

A gracious society, Singapore? (WARNING: VERY Long post)

Extract from ST Online:

April 9, 2005
NEIGHBOURS' DISPUTE
Friendly at first, then insults, complaints came
Plaintiff says he had even been invited to other family's home

TWO families now involved in a bitter legal dispute began their neighbourly life as friends, a court heard yesterday.

Mr Tay Poh Cheok, 57, and his wife, Madam Lim Beng Lay, 51, filed five charges accusing their Jalan Angin Laut neighbour, Mr Bobby Yeo, 50, of making insulting remarks against them and their autistic son.

They have also levelled similar accusations against Mr Yeo's mother, Madam Goh Pek Tin, 80.

But on the second day of the hearing yesterday, Mr Tay said that when he first moved into the house in January 2002, the Yeos invited him over to their house.

Things quickly turned sour, however.

The Yeos soon started to complain about the noise and dust from renovation work on Mr Tay's house. The work had to be extended by two months, Mr Tay said, to accommodate Mr Yeo's demands, such as making the contractors use one drill instead of three.

Shortly after they moved in, Mr Tay said, Mr Yeo became unhappy with the noise created by his 13-year-old autistic son and called the police. The boy sometimes banged doors and hit the window grilles.

Mr Yeo is alleged to have told Mr Tay that 'your son is your retribution'.

In a shaky voice, Mr Tay told the court yesterday: 'As a father, it felt like a needle poking me.'

Mr Tay also said that when his neighbour started to hurl Hokkien vulgarities at his family in May 2003, the couple decided to tape his profanities as evidence.

However, under cross-examination by Mr Yeo's counsel, Mr Peter Fernando, Mr Tay admitted the main source of antagonism was washing of the Tays' cars.

The Yeos felt the Tays - who own a Nissan Cefiro and a Mercedes-Benz - made no attempt to stop the dirty water from the Yeos car washes seeping into their driveway.

The accusations continued to pile up. Mr Tay said his maid had seen Mr Yeo sprinkle detergent powder on the driveway to create more soapy water.

He also admitted telling Mr Yeo: 'The road does not belong to your father. I have every right to use the public road to wash my car.'

On another occasion, Mr Fernando said, the Tays' maid had to restrain Madam Lim from hitting Madam Goh after the elderly woman allegedly called her autistic child a 'mad son'.

Mr Tay disagreed, saying the couple had only 'surged forward and stared hard'.

He also denies bringing three people to his house to intimidate Mr Yeo.

Mr Yeo's counsel has so far maintained that the insulting remarks were verbal exchanges between two angry men and were directed squarely at Mr Tay and not at his wife or son.

Therefore, he argues, there was no outrage of a woman's modesty, as laid out in the charges.

The case has been scheduled for a pre-trial conference next Friday.

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Ok, so its the entire story. as we march forward towards 40 years of independence and nation building this year, our supposingly "higher class" (richer) people are sueing each other over issues that thought only kids from primary schools would argue over. the difference is that in primary school, you don't bring each other to court, you just say, "don't friend you liao".

It is ironic and definitely an insult that our Courtesy Campaign which was launched in 1979 by then PM LKY. I don't know, i've never lived in such houses, but i think sharing a common corrider and having our main door less than 2 metres from our neighbour helps us to learn the value of patience.

We live in a community, we need to learn how to give and take. there are always opporunities to complain in everywhere we go, the problem is that many of us do not realise that it is not the situation that aggravate us, but its the defensive and selfish ways we choose to handle it irritates ourselves.

At the back of our mind, we are always motivated by, "hey, I cannot accept this", "hey, why should I tolerant such slow service?", "wah, I don't feel look leh". I, I, I, Me, Me, Me.

Apparently, it seems to be rich men (sweeping statement here) seem to have more of these problem. They hold high commanding (demanding) position in work, more often than not, their lives are paced by the minute (can you imagine that?!), they do things today hoping they had done it yesterday, they expect not to wait, they thought everyone is david copper field.

Pitiful lot i say. they are lonely, unhappy, and empty, no matter how much luxuries they have. A big house that you only come back home late to, a garden that only your dog enjoy it, and maid maintaining it, a pool that breeds mosqitoes. Yes, its a sweeping assumption, in real world; it could happen to anyone, including myself.

Losing balance and control of our lives, failing to achieve real happiness, we become less tolerant towards small irritants in life. Our minds are deprived and lost, and that's why we complain as an attempt to gain control, to stay right. it makes us feel superior, in control. But more often than not, our mind doesn't stop even if the matter is settled. That is the reason why the now infamous Joo Chiat neighbours kept going back to the court like its their second home.

That is the reason why Courtesy champaign don't work at all! the fundamental reason is that many of us don't find the reason to be nice to others. Our unique singapore identity, "We are number One", burns deep into everyone's mind, and become a living slogan for many. If we are always right, always number 1, why must we "bow" to others. We are crashing our own graciousness through our development.

i think i said enough.. too much in fact. if you have read so far. you are amazing.

A Sorrowful Week

the death of pope is still of a fresh memory. :(

attended two more funerals over the past three days :(

God have mercy on their souls.