Making It Harder to Measure So Customers Spend More

A disgraced local director has produced a movie 'Money not Enough' in 1998 to portray the financial problems in this now the most expensive city in the world.

Besides wages being suppressed by massive influx of foreign workers, corporations are using discreet ways to wring more profits out of people. They are pretty successful in making more profits by making consumption hard to measure.

I'm an old-fashioned guy when it comes to washing myself. I still use soap. Many people have switched to shower foam which is costlier. Not only is it costlier, people use more of it since liquid form squeezed onto their palm are hard to measure.

The container of shower foam is often opaque as well reducing consciousness. End result: Hard to measure so use more(spend more). Along the same reasoning behind more spending via credit cards (not seeing cash) than cash(more prudent).

I'll bring a small sized soap(cut to size if necessary) with me during overseas trips on budget accomodations. Is more practical than packing a small bottle of shower lotion which the bottle might spill inside the luggage.

1.5l plastic bottle = 4.6 cans of 325ml aluminium cans

1.5l @ $1.40 (sale)

48cans @ $17.90 (sale)

Did you realise there's less & less aluminium can drinks sold in 24 pack-cartons at supermarkets? The plastic 1.5l bottle has become the de-facto way by which drinks are sold. I very seldom order drinks even when eating at hawker centres due to the absurd markups. I might buy natural drinks like sugar cane but not the others.

Drinks are often sold in 1.5l bottles at supermarkets instead of aluminium cans for the same reason - people don't measure when pouring unlike a limited can. End result: pour more to drink so spend more.

The thoughts of others be it not-close friends, acquaintances, coworkers of me being so hard-up on not spending money on a drink during meals doesn't bother me. In the journey to financial security, hard choices have to be made. It doesn't make much sense for me to pay for a severely mark-up drink with ice when i drink to my heart's content(still find it hard to do so) by buying a large bottle or a few cans more for the same price at the supermarket.

If one succumb to peer pressure to look good by spending money on too much unnecessary stuff early on, the financial journey will be even tougher ahead.

Winners Create/Play by Their Own Rules - Indonesia's Haze Weapon

Hazardous air quality in western part of the island during the afternoon today before a thunderstorm brought a bit of respite. For a reminder of how terrible the visibility is at hazardous air quality do refer to a 2013 blogpost: Worst Haze, Decline of Condensed Milk & Emergence of Creamer.

The worst is on last thursday night(hari raya haji) when the haze reached hazardous zone leading to the closure of primary & secondary schools the next day on friday. Thus it became a 4 day long weekend for pupils.

Here is how it is at very unhealthy levels when i took the photo during the thursday afternoon before it worsened to hazardous levels at night:

For a clear day comparison please look at Dismal Few Flags Displayed in 2015 for Singapore's 50th Birthday (open in new window)

The hybrid regime spends a whopping amount on defense. In the elections earlier this month, its gargantuan machinery printed rebuttals to S'pore Democratic Party's policy proposals. Massive manpower are mobilized to distribute those rebuttals to peasants. Among which is that it is dangerous for SG to cut defense spending by 40%.

I've already blogged just days before the election campaigning start that South Korea's Vietnam War Era Aircraft Shows How Absurd Singapore's Defense Budget Is. Unfortunately, many peasants believed the hybrid regime's drivel. Few realize that the opponent might not follow rules as what we peasants are trained by the hybrid regime's education system to be obedient rule followers.

Why Play By the Winners' Game?
Using the haze to damage SG without mobilizing a single armed soldier is the smart way to do things by Indonesia since their armed forces are so much weaker. Get creative & no absurd military defense budget needed.

History is replete with examples of the underdog who is outgunned/outnumbered who win by refusing to play by the game rules of their strong opponents:

• Impressive Maginot Line built at enormous costs - Hitler simply invaded neutral Belgium & then thrust into France(surrender after 6 weeks).
• Vietcong refuse to fight conventionally with US forces during the vietnam war as much as possible. They resort to guerrilla warfare.
• Sept 11, 2001 - Terrorists using their creativity in turning jetliners into flying missles.

Winners are winners because they are good at playing the game in a particular way. Why engage them in ways they are good at?

Majority of Peasants Playing a Losers Game Set-up by Hybrid Regime
Foreign workers are to a huge extend very obedient in following instructions. Why would they risk rocking the boat? Just shut up & earn as much S$ to retire back home. Their strong obedient trait coupled with their cheaper salaries is very appealing to bosses. Locals attempting to outcompete them by being even more obedient are a wishful thinking lot.

If competing with obedient foreign workers by being even more obedient is not enough, there's machines as well which would do a person in - Being Obedient & Follow Instructions Mindlessly = 'Die' Even Faster (blogpost)

Swing Voters Not Thinking Logically & Long Term in Singapore 2015 Election

I volunteered as polling agent(am shift) for S'pore Democratic Party(SDP) in the general election held last week. Although i don't support lebian/gay, the policy papers published by SDP is better than the Workers Party which is the preferred alternative party among peasants. Manifesto 2015 of the Workers Party(WP) has improved over its 2011 but i still consider SDP's proposal better than WP's.

Another reason i chose to volunteer for the SDP is they are the best hope in the west for winning parliamentary seats.

History Repeat Itself

Duties of Polling Agent (am shift)
I was the only polling agent(am shift) at the polling station i was assigned to. The hybrid regime has 4 polling agents & they rotated once during my 6 hour shift, hence there's 8 of them. All the hybrid regime polling agents are busy with their work of striking voters name out on their list by referring to the polling coupon number called out by the presiding officer. eg. 001 Tan Ah Kow called --> Strike out 001 from list.

Alternative party polling agents don't have the list(required to buy). This is an uneven playing field besides shortage of manpower by alternative parties (1 vs 8).

I was dressed in party colors(red shirt & khaki pants) as we're told to do so. The presiding officers who are from the civil service all wore neutral colors. To my surprise the hybrid regime polling agents also wore neutral colors as i read from forum on a thread calling for volunteers that they are all 'white'(previously). Perhaps they themselves are prepared about the reduction in votes for the hybrid regime hence is better to wear neutral colors.

The most important task of a polling agent is to arrive early at 7:30am to inspect the ballot boxes to make sure they are empty prior to sealing at 7:50am. Thereafter the work of an alternative party polling agent is akin to an invigilator during exams. Polling agents can listen in to presiding officers explaining voting procedures to their 'blur' people. Nobody is supposed to tell voters who to vote in the polling station.

During the slightly more than 6 hours i was there, i didn't go to toilet(emptied before start). Preferably there should be 2 polling agents(alternative party) at a polling station. I had to watch over 4 ballot boxes & luckily all 4 boxes are in straight row.

My shift ended when a girl(red shirt) relieved me. At end of my morning shift, around 75% of voters have voted. Went back to my constituency to vote.

For the pm shift polling agent, the most important task is that there are no fake boxes on the transport bus. Witness the proper sealing of the box slot. If possible, board & accompany the transport bus to the counting center.

Dismayed at 70% Voting for Hybrid Regime
Even though Singfirst is the alternative party standing in Clementi, i voted for them anyway. I went to bed early due to sleepiness as i didn't get much sleep in the hours leading polling agent duty.

It is to my shock the morning i wake up to learn that practically all the swing voters voted for the hybrid regime.

The rot in the country is there for everyone to see (blogposts):

• Dismal Few Flags Displayed in 2015 for Singapore's 50th Birthday
• Cancerous GDP Growth in Singapore Has Reached Terminal Stage
• Rot & Decay in Orchard Road Shopping Enclave Beside Istana
• JCube - Reactor Core Meltdown cum Cancerous GDP Growth

And yet these fencesitters chose to give a strong mandate to the hybrid regime! How daft can they be?

Even the hybrid regime itself doesn't expect such a landslide win as they:

• field a suicide team in Adjunied & yet they lost by a thin 1.9% (1% swing & they would recapture)
• carved out sacrificial small areas such as Fengshan, Macpherson, Bukit Batok (yet win handsomely)

I would say the fencesitter voters are daft. They are not thinking logically & not looking at the bigger picture. Why?

• Those rot & decay i mentioned earlier.
• Manifestos/policy papers by SDP & WP are better than the hybrid regime's picture book with little details.
• WP contesting 28 seats out of 89 parliamentary seats. Even if win all, still need another 2 seats to be captured by another party to form 33% alternative voice in parliament. Hence hybrid regime with majority seats would still form the government.

So with these logic, i don't see a reason not to vote for alternative party to reduce the popularity of the hybrid regime. Yet practically all the middle ground vote for the hybrid regime...

Repeat in 2015 election

......but even more despicable are those swing voters' blind devotion.

Why Swing Voters Ought be Prioritized for Retrenchment
Imagine you are a boss/supervisor. Would you want to have daft workers working for you despite all those logically reasons presented to him/her & yet they still chose to be bullied by the vendor/supplier by giving a strong mandate?

All these kiasu(scared lose) , kiasi(sacred die)  & daft workers who are not thinking logically & not looking at the bigger picture would eventually give you more trouble. The single engine dominated jetliner is performing poorly & the daft passengers still don't want to have an alternative engine as backup.

How can you compete if your competitors are hiring & surrounding himself with workers who are better able to think long-term for themselves?

Why People Who Take Pictures with Highly Unpopular Minister Are Dangerous

Today is the last day of campaigning for the general election before polling day on Friday. The hybrid regime knows it is a sure win in Jurong constituency where i live. Same goes for West Coast constituency so they don't bother holding rallies in both. Hottest contest are raging in the east against the Worker's Party challengers.

The closest contest near where i live is Holland-Bukit Timah constituency which is a few hundreds metres away. I have mentioned in 2 blogposts about the US embassy inviting Chee Soon Juan of SG Democratic Party to their independence day celebrations. So far i would say the american diplomats are right on in their ground sentiment assessments of SG.

The first day rally video of CheeSJ have gone viral with over 500,000 views on youtube(1 of duplicate video is now removed). It is a marvelous comeback for CheeSJ who has been cast as a baddie by the hybrid regime & many sinkies are brainwashed into thinking so.

Many have awoken from the brainwashing after watching the Day 1 video as the audience for SDP's rallies grew day by day by day. During the early days of the campaign, the hybrid regime has concentrated its guns on Worker Party in the east over the town council issue. As the audience for SDP rallies surge over the days, the hybrid regime found another headache in the west & thus turned most if not all their guns to SDP in the west.

To show how scared shitless the hybrid regime is towards CheeSJ & his team, one just need to watch 2 videos of the 2(out of 4) defending hybrid regime candidates.

Vivian Bala fled from CheeSJ on Sunday morning at Bukit Timah hawker centre.

• At 4:11 he scared take pics facing CheeSJ (he turned his back).
• Made his escape at 5:40.

Why People Who Take Pictures with Highly Unpopular Minister Are Dangerous

Vivian Bala is infamous for:

• $104M budget for Youth Olympic Games but overspent to $387M
• You want 3 meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant? as reply to request for $1 extra in allowance a day for the needy.
• Only rich or corrupt people work for free (how the heck does Wikipedia succeed then?!)

With these 3 obnoxious stains on him, it bewilders me that peasants would want to take photos with him. Even the US embassy would rather invite CheeSJ to their national day celebrations than associate with Vivian Bala.

Imagine you are a supervisor, boss, friend, acquaintance & saw a person you recognize taking photo with Vivian Bala. Would you dare give that person higher responsibility and/or promote him? If he/she can betray his/her conscience just for a photo, he/she can betray the boss/company, friendship.

Blind devotion from peasants who still associate with that obnoxious minister by taking photo with him.
Do those blind devotees know they just took photo with a coward who fled when phototaking is done?

If those blind devotees can disregard their conscience by taking photo with an obnoxious minister, what else can they disregard with respect to their supervisor, company, friends? It also shows those peasants are emotional if they still proceed to take photo to be "associated" despite Vivian Bala being an obnoxious minister.


Now, let's go on to his constituency teammate- Sim Ann. I'm sure glad she shoot rubbish out of her mouth to boost her chances of losing in the election. It shows how desperate the hybrid regime is having resorted to gutter politics.

She represent the epitome of gutter politics for the hybrid regime- "......pattern more than badminton. Orh hor hor hor ;) "


For this general election, the hybrid regime is clueless. Their manifesto is pathetic compared to workers party & democratic party manifestos which are fleshed with details.

What the disarrayed hybrid regime do is:

• a picture book manifesto with little details.
• harping on town council issue against worker's party.
• legacy of the dead lee kuan yew
• dangle carrots like swimming pool, childcare centres, hawker centres
• gutter politics

It will be a close contest in Holland-Bukit Timah. Peasants & rich folks(a major area) in this constituency ought to vote out these 2 aristocrats who look down on peasants.

Slow Construction Time for Extra MRT Station Entrance/Exit

Overcrowded tiny island. Construction for an extra entrance/exit for Clementi station has just completed. There are other stations along the line like Commonwealth station with this addition as well.

Oh gosh! It took at least 15 months. I just took the completed photo & went back searching for the early construction photo & found the picture file dated back to June 2014.

At least 15 months to be done up for for this simple addition compared to 4 years for 2 super expensive casinos to be completed. Clearly the completion time ratio of the 2 indicate the hybrid regime does not consider it an urgent task to relieve the peak hours congestion.

With the slow construction speed of a simple addition, the aristocrats would prefer the peasants to have more clusterfucks during rush hours:

With the frequent breakdowns & clusterfucks going on, the hybrid regime has to sacrifice the transport minister(sacked) in addition to gerrymandering the constituency he is in for the upcoming election scheduled to be held in slightly less than 2 weeks time.

The green patch of grass parallel to the road has been sacrificed for the building of the extra bridge linkway. Notice the road curving to the right.

Ramp on the left is for the wheelchair disabled/ babies on prams.

Notice the other bridge linkway further up ahead.

The bridge has to be high enough for double decker buses to pass under. Then peasants have to walk just under the elevated train track on the bridge linkway to the extra entrance/exit.

You can see a security camera on the ceiling. Monitor traffic. Detect/deter terrorist? There are plenty targets of opportunity such as infested shopping mall. A determined suicide bomber terrorist can detonate himself/herself on the moving train, blow up a supporting track column or just blow him/herself up on the stairs under the elevated track.

Is a waste spending excessively on defense. A smart enemy would utilize asymmetrical/unconventional methods to cause damage/cripple infrastructure. Why play by the rules of the much richer opponent? The sept 11th 2001 event showed the world how terrorists used 2 hijacked airliners as flying missiles.

South Korea's Vietnam War Era Aircraft Shows How Absurd Singapore's Defense Budget Is

South Korea held a live firing exercise earlier this month. What shocked me is that they are still using vietnam war era weapons such as F-4 fighter-bombers & Cobra helicopter gunships.

We all know how serious a threat the north korean hermit kingdom is with its provocative shelling & its massive artillery force within striking distance of Seoul.

Yet despite facing a serious threat, South Korea still spend prudently with their defense budget. In the early days of S'pore, we had a prudent defense budget as well. Our AMX-SM13 light tanks were upgraded a few times. Ditto for A-4 Skyhawks instead of buying latest expensive weaponry.

South Korea sent substantial troops to assist the US during the vietnam war. However their subsequent South Korean governments psyche were not affected by greed due to their political structure. In S'pore however, the hybrid regime mutate into the present greedy one.

As greed comes into play, defense spending shoots up. Much of taxpayers $$ are channeled into the government linked defense companies. Hence taxpayers $$ flow into the private shareholders of which the sovereign wealth fund(SWF) benefit the most. There's nothing wrong with keeping the money inside S'pore. Problem is that the SWF lost substantial sums in overseas investments.

How ridiculous is our defense spending?

According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, we spend 3x more than South Korea per capita. And we are not even facing a hostile North Korea.

Tax Increases? Just Reduce Defense Spending & Reallocate
There have been rumors about GST 10% should the hybrid regime win the upcoming elections. People question the alternative parties about how to fund citizen-centric policies without increasing taxes.

The answer is simple. If South Korea still have vietnam war era weapons in its arsenal, there's certainly no need for the latest weaponry for this tiny island. With reduction in defense spending, the $$$ can be diverted to spend in discounted travel for our soldiers on public transport, educational grants for financially struggling students etc...

With a 3x difference in spending compared to South Korea, there is certainly room to improve citizen's well-being through reallocation. The key is to have a different political party at the helm. Forget about the hybrid regime changing for the better due to its heavily entrenched self-interest over decades of rule unless it suffer a major defeat the polls.

New ruling party, new mindset, new priorities.

Lastly, enjoy watching South Korea's 10min youtube clip August 2015 Living Firing Exercise.

Dismal Few Flags Displayed in 2015 for Singapore's 50th Birthday

I slacked a lot in blogging this month. With SG50 & election being announced this month, this blogpost will attempt to highlight what i consider significant about these 2 events.

First of all, the 50th birthday of the country. As usual i can't be bothered with watching the parade cum propaganda on tv. Despite the incumbent ruling party throwing the kitchen sink like pioneer package, merchandise on SG50 discounts & all the SG50 hype, the number of flags displayed is again appalling.

Throw out so much SG50 hype, how many flags can you see on this photo taken on national day? Does a different coat of paint make more citizens fly the flag?

Compare it with last year(2014) - Record Low Flags Display in 2014 Before 50th Anniversary (open in new window)


Before the 50th national day celebrations, hordes of sinkies are leaving the country for a rare 4 day long weekend. It's supposed to 3 days but the hybrid regime declared an extra public holiday & urge the peasants to stay behind & join in the celebrations.

When taking precious leave for a short vacation becomes a terrifying thought with the fear of being replaced by a cheaper foreign worker, the 4 day long weekend provide a nice respite out of the overcrowded island. Only ordeal are the horrible jams through immigration.


Then to the announcement of election 2015 to be held on 11th Sept & their candidates rollout. Which white scums get my blood boiling most?

斯文败类 when hospital beds not enough.

My mum & dad(passed away) were victims of insufficient beds.

Coming down from his ivory tower & pretending to empathize with peasants. End up getting easily exposed - his fox tail revealed.

狐狸尾巴漏出来 at 21st second.

Almost said Tan Payoh, then said Toa Payoh mall when no such place exist. Only a normal coffeeshop.

伪君子.

I'm somewhat disappointed that Workers Party is contesting 28 seats which is just 1 seat short of 33% parliamentary seats needed to veto toxic policies. They are playing the safe route to get those fence-sitter voters to vote for them. Why the safe route? The blame is on those daft fence sitters who are kiasu, kiasi(scared lose, scared die) when the rot(some of which i've blogged about) in the country is already staring them in the eyes.

As for the S'pore Democratic Party(SDP), i hope they win at least 1 seat. With 1 seat serving as a base, SDP can then follow the route of WP's initial Hougang base spreading out to capture more.

For the other alternate parties, it is unlikely they would win but it is imperative for voters to decrease the hybrid regime's vote % to as low as possible.

Email Marketing from a Cinema Chain Done Right

Was clearing out old emails & came across this marketing email from MBO Cinemas, a malaysian cinema chain. I do catch a movie or two when leaving the country to have haircuts from traditional barbers - Chop Passport to Cut Hair blogpost.

The email is something done right in the sense that it offer something for free with no strings attached. You can redeem the medium sized popcorn without watching a movie but the cinema chain already bet that most would naturally buy a movie ticket.

Title of the email is: Enjoy a complimentary popcorn on us!‏

Top of email also display my loyalty reward points. - Nice touch of personalization.

Unfortunately it disappeared when i reopened the email 2+ months later.

With no strings/ gimmick attached, it breaks the cycle of the promotional emails being deleted without being read. Many times i delete emails from eBay, Aliexpress, Qoo10 without opening to read. Why? Because their emails are focused on selling more stuff to the reader. As time goes on, the reader is 'conditioned' to ignore these 'selling emails' - thus delete without opening to read.

Another issue is frequency. I find the promotional emails from MBO Cinemas is like fortnightly to once a month so i don't find it irritating. Coupled with its freebie email thrown in to break the vicious cycle, i would commend on the current MBO email marketing team on a job well done.

Not too many & not too frequent. Freebie thrown in once in a while to 'train' people to open their emails. They got the right mix for the formula, something which unfortunately is lost among many companies.

A few pennies on free popcorn to keep customers to continue opening to read their emails. A cheap investment considering the dreadful scenario of customers being trained to 'no need read their stream of selling emails; just delete'.

Gerrymandering of Jurong GRC in 2015 Election

It's been close to 2 months since i last blogged. The upcoming election is speculated to be 12th Sept during the 1 week school holidays.

Attention are focused on the eastern parts of the tiny island where the hybrid regime's territories are weak & expected to fall for some. What is neglected in the gerrymandering news is the western part where i stay which is a stronghold area for the incumbent.

Apparently the hybrid regime has thrown the 'Mickey Mouse' area out of Jurong Group Representation Constituency(GRC) due to mickey mouse infestation late last year. Throw out the weak support area & then gerrymandered in much of Clementi.

As such i now belong to a different GRC. Nevertheless i will still vote against the incumbent to bring down their vote %.

Daft sinkies have to understand that even though the incumbent would still win in the area, it is important to bring their vote % down to keep the 'Mafia In White' on their toes & to boost the hopes of alternative parties in future election(eg. eastern sg)

For gerrymandering comparisons:
- SG Electoral Map 2011

- SG Electoral Map 2015

Why 'Mickey Mouse' area thrown out? Refresh back to late 2014:

Thank you Mickey Mice!

Rewinding further back to 1991 when i was clueless about politics - too young:

Despicable tactics by the Mafia in White. When close to losing, make the single area disappear by absorbing it into a group constituency. Now when support is low due to 'Mickey Mouse', the area is carved out to be discarded. Nevertheless, it would be wonderful if SDP could win the area & establish a foothold in western SG.

Whatever the reason/rationale spewed out by the Mafia in White, you can bet that's not the main reason. It is more of a secondary reason brought to the front & sold to the masses.

Examples are:

• GRC are to ensure minority race representation(secondary reason) when primary real reason is to parachute useless MPs in to remain as dominant party.
• Increase public transport fares for better service(secondary reason sold to masses). Primary real reason is to fatten the regime's pockets. Breakdowns getting more & more.
• Foreigners create good jobs for sinkies(secondary reason sold to masses). Primary real reason is to collect more levies & taxes nevermind that more & more locals are displaced from their jobs.

This year, the American Embassy invited Chee Soon Juan & his wife again to their independence day celebration. They were invited last year. Perhaps they were invited in 2013, 2012? Even the americans working in the embassy can see the rot in SG. They know the hybrid regime's days are numbered so is better to make friends with people from other parties.

For Chee Soon Juan's picture in 2014's 4th July USA embassy celebration, see

Record Low Flags Display in 2014 Before 50th Anniversary

Lessons from reading Monkey King comic series

After finishing the 3 kingdoms comics, I proceeded to devour the Monkey King comic series which is published earlier by the same comic publishing company.

I'm not too familiar with Journey to the West. Like the Romance of the 3 Kingdoms novel which I have not read, I didn't read Journey to the West as well. My understanding is from the 1^st drama series many years ago (ok forgotten enough) & a movie last year starring Donnie Yen as the Monkey King wrecking havoc in heaven & Chow Yun Fat as the jade Emperor.

It is harder to borrow this Monkey King comic series from libraries as people find it easier to understand due to fewer characters (5 travelers) & unique demons compared to the hundreds in 3 kingdoms which people tend to avoid.

Again I like the themes at the end of each volume which try to extract the lesson..

The Meaning of the Journey – Volume 20

The Mahayana sutras have been referred to throughout the story as the textual key to mankind's salvation. The sutras of law, discourse & scripture are powerful texts & they will provide humanity with the tools necessary to escape the suffering of the world. But Buddha expresses reservations about the sutras power to change the world right at the moment when one expects the journey's end to be greeted triumphantly. The supreme being believes that humanity has descended so far into a living hell that it will be unable to understand the message of the sutras. Simply providing the answers doesn't mean that people will be able to comprehend them.

Reminds me of Warren Buffett's advice:.

"Rule No.1: Never lose money.

Rule No.2: Never forget rule No.1."

As simplistic as it is, I didn't understand the concept until recently. A tortoise making slow & steady gains would trounced the many rabbits of the world striving to get rich quick which in the process end up poorer.

Losing $$$ is one thing, losing time which the $$$ is earned is another which is irrecoverable. Nevertheless I still have no regrets as earlier setbacks sought to make the learning of Buffett's free advice sink into me.

This is why it was essential for Sanzang & his disciples to go through what they did. Over the course of the journey, Sanzang, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie & Sha Wujing & Yu Long have each confronted situations that tested their courage, wisdom, empathy & will to succeed. Each of them has had to reconsider everything he thought he knew about himself & the world around him. Each of them has to confront what it means to live in a world meaning meaning or purpose, a world bereft of morality or a sense of justice. As a result of this, the 4 travelers who arrive at the gate of West Heaven are not the same 4 travelers who came together a decade earlier; they are each wiser & better able to understand a scripture that speaks to the need of every individual to be selfless, courageous, patient & intelligent about how to navigate the path to enlightenment. Of course, not every single person in the world could make the journey to the West; but when these 4 friends finish their mission, their experience will help them convey the true meaning of the sutras to those who would have no way of knowing what it took to bring them back to China.

This is what I consider the most glaring flaw of the hybrid regime's concocted Group Representation Constituency(GRC) scheme which allows newcomers to be 'parachuted' into parliament by hiding behind a minister.

Without going through groundwork with the peasants, we now end up with a bunch of ministers & MPs who have little idea of what the peasants are going through.

No baptism of fire:

• Wiser? Definitely not.
• Better able to understand? Another no.

A thing that puzzled me since young when i watched the drama is how come the travelers must travel laboriously across vast stretches of dangerous terrain when each of the disciples can simply & quickly arrive at the West by 'riding clouds'? The answer in bold:

The journey to the West began with a clearly stated objective: to recover the Mahayana Sutras from India & return them to China so that mankind could be saved from madness & suffering. But what is clear by the end of Journey to the West is that recovering the sutras is only part of the journey's larger purpose; in order for the wisdom of the sutras to be understood, 5 unlikely companions had to journey both to the farthest reaches of the world & to the very edge of existence. Their success or failure would determine whether the sutras would ultimately save the world, because understanding the path of enlightenment requires making a remarkable journey.

GRCs need to be dismantled – Workers Parrty manifesto & S'pore Democratic Party manifesto

Parachute into parliament through GRC. No journey needed & thus no enlightenment:

• $1000 can buy a flat.
• A couple both working to pay 30 years housing loan is affordable.
• Overcrowding not an issue with 7M population target

US$9.99 per volume

US$199.80 for 20 book series.

Save $$$ & shelf space by borrowing from library.

Ha ha ha. The answer to what puzzled me. How come the Monkey King needed help to defeat certain monsters when he was practically invincible against the heavenly beings, their weapons & magics.

Where Monsters Come From ---Volume 19

All of the monsters encountered by Sanzang & his disciples fit 1 of 2 groups. The 1st group consists of the monsters who originate from the natural world, who evil deeds stem from an animal urge to rule the land & hunt prey. These are the monsters that Sun Wukong can identify when others can't possibly because as the product of the collision between the earth & the heavens, he can sense a natural-born monster, even in disguise. These monsters tend to be weaker. Sometimes Wukong can kill the monster with a single swing of his staff(the White Bone Goblin). Other times, the monsters are destroyed through a battle of wits (Tiger, Sheep & Elk Oracles). In either case, Wukong & his companions are able to defeat the monsters on their own. And since the 'evil' impulses of these monsters have been with them since birth, once the monsters are defeated, the natural forces of evil die with them.

The other & far more dangerous group of monsters usually go undetected by Wukong. Once detected by Wukong. they are almost impossible for him to defeat without help. These monsters began their lives in the heavens, usually as servants to one of the major Buddhist deities, & their evil deeds stem from a misplaced sense of ambition; most of these monsters became envious of their masters & decided to escape their servitude & come to earth, where they exercise dominion over people using magic & the threat of violence.

The heavenly origins of these monsters make them difficult to fight, since they tend to have weapons infused with heavenly energy- for instance, the Rhino Kings armor makes them impervious to attack from anyone other than the heavenly guardians who are their sworn enemies. Also when these monsters are defeated, they often are not killed; they are subdued by the heavenly beings whom they once served & returned to the heavenly kingdom to atone for their crimes. For these monsters, killing innocent people is not a crime punishable by death. This complicated sense of justice in turn complicates the standard understanding of evil. 

When it comes to the monsters of heavenly origin, their evil is not innate; it's an acquired condition. In other words, it is possible for virtuous beings to do evil things. Understanding this is important for Sanzang & his disciples, because to save the world from evil, the 4 chosen travelers will have to know the nature of the evil they are fighting. In the case of the heavenly monsters, evil cannot be met merely with death; it must be met with a knowledge of its origins, which lie outside the life of the monster & will continue to exist even if the monster is destroyed. In these cases, the monster's life can be, & often is spared.

Sanzang & his disciples have encountered a wide variety of monsters on their journey to the West, but the nature of the evil they have confronted tends to fall into one of two categories: innate evil & acquired evil. Successful completion will require understanding how a virtuous being doing evil can create an even more dangerous monster.

Pros & Cons of this Monkey King comic series:

Pros:

• More colorfully illustrated than 3 kingdoms
• 5 travelers & a bunch of unique monsters compared to 3 kingdoms
• Brief intro of characters at start of each volume.
• Covers practically everything from the drama (I suppose novel as well)
• Dose of humor (taunting by Monkey King & monsters):

- Oh, don't wet yourselves.

- You moron.

- You filthy slug.

- If this mountain is sacred, then a cockroach is a butterfly!

- You were the cretin wiping horses' rears before being buried under a mountain! Ha ha ha!

- You rabid oaf!

- You must be the buffoon.

- Hey! Slum dog! Rise & shine!

- If that's a human being, then i'm the Goddess of Mercy! She's a monster!

- Where is that miserable fleabag?

- That stupid baboon.

Cons:

• Book binding kinda poor.

Even 3 Kingdoms Comic Themes Spell End of PAP

It's been a lull in blogging for me. Part of it is i've become a comics maniac binging on comics since last month. I've never read so many comic books in my life & 3 kingdoms is just the start.

Stumbled upon the comic series from the library's online catalogue. There's a company in China publishing the classics in color. However the names of the characters are all inverted during the translation which sucks. eg. Yu Zhou(wrong) instead of Zhou Yu(correct).

In order to read them in sequence, i've to go to 3 libraries to get them. This is my 3^rd comic series reading on the 3 kingdoms. I borrowed the bulk of it at Queenstown library - isolated library helps a lot.

I have never read the 3 kingdoms novel. I just find the voluminous text too overwhelming. All I did was reading 2 different comic series, watching 2 drama series, its cartoon & playing the games. With these one can grasp around 90% of it.

The Romance of the 3 Kingdoms offer many lessons although it happened close to 2 thousand years ago. I've used several of its cutscenes from the drama to make my point in blogposts when necessary.

I find the themes in the last 2 volumes interesting as i related it to the founding prime minister(dead) of SG's hybrid regime.

The Solitude of Zhuge Liang - Volume 19

It is common & accepted wisdom that Liu Bei would not have achieved what he did were it not for the unshakeable trust he had in Zhuge Liang. This trust was established because Zhuge Liang filled a very specific gap in Liu Bei's abilities as a leader: Where Liu Bei was a man of passion, committed to a dream, Zhuge Liang was a man of logic & shrewdness, committed to victory. Once they had formed a partnership, Liu Bei's fortunes in the ongoing war for the throne of China took a dramatic turn for the better. As was apparent to anyone who witness this startling turn of fortune, passion alone was not enough to achieve Liu Bei's dreams.

But now that Liu Bei is gone, a very unexpected truth reveals itself, that as much as Liu Bei's passionate dream depended on Zhuge Liang's shrewd tactics, those tactics alone cannot achieve the dream unless paired with a similar passion. Only after it's too late does Zhuge Liang realize that he needed Liu Bei as much as Liu Bei needed him.

A individual cannot achieve much without help from others. There's way overdose of credit splashed out regarding the old man who passed away 2 months ago. He hasn't reach the highest 5^th level of leadership as i've blogged about in 5 Levels of Leadership. Where Does Lee Kuan Yew Stand?

The problems are apparent soon after Liu Bei dies. Where once he could call upon advisors & generals who shared Liu Bei's dream, Zhuge Liang now finds himself surrounded by a new generation of men, most of whom have no memory of the Han Dynasty that Liu Bei fought so hard to restore. These men are far less likely to put a selfless cause before their own interests, particularly when they have no appreciation of the cause. This makes it very difficult for them to comprehend some of Zhuge Liang's strategies which have always been carried out by men for whom the goal of restoring the Han Dynasty was worth being confounded by Zhuge's plans.

The issue with the passing of the old guards. Connecting the dots back to SG, we can similarly relate to the decline when the old guard ministers are gone or 'retired early' by the old man in order to consolidate his family power and/or hoard the glory.

With independence from Malaysia, the cause among the old guards was to create better lives for the populace......

Wei Yan & Ma Su are examples of this. Both men are eager to wage war on behalf of Shu Kingdom, but neither acts with the focus or clarity or purpose that Liu Bei & his brothers did. They may have sworn an oath to figth for Shu, but their greatest fidelity is to themselves. This is why Wei Yan cannot understand Zhuge Liang's hesitation to launch an attack that would cost innnocent lives. This is also what seals Ma Su's doom. Zhuge Liang's execution order seems quite severe - he pardoned Guan Yu when he spared Cao Cao's life but the truth is that Zhuge Liang had no choice. When he pardoned Guan Yu, he knew that the legendary soldier would never betray Liu Bei's cause again. There are no such assurances with Ma Su.

with the old guards gone & replaced, we are seeing a bunch of people whose greatest fidelity is to themselves -self serving greedy ministers.

When Zhao Yun tells Zhuge Liang of his mortal wound, the latter weeps for several reasons. For one thing, he's losing the last connection he has to Liu Bei's generation, the last person who can recall what it was they fought so hard to preserve. But he also weeps because he understands that once Zhao Yun is gone, he will be well & truly alone. Zhuge Liang was never vain enough to believe he could carry on Liu Bei's dream by himself. However, once the last of the 5 Tiger Generals has passed away, he realizes that he relied on others for more than most will ever know.

US$9.99 per volume.

Saved US$199.80 through library.

Not to mention shelf space at home.

A Matter of Time – Volume 20

During the century-long contest for supremacy that was the era of the 3 kingdoms, an epic array of characters have come & gone, a tyrannical despot, two devious kings, 3 sworn brothers, several puppet emperors, dozens of noble bloodlines, hundreds of battle-tested generals & scheming advisors, thousands of soldiers & countless innocent civilians. All have endured a seemingly endless conflict marked by the constant rearrangement of battle lines & alliances, most have fallen at precisely the moment when they believed they had transcended the conflict & became invincible. Ultimately, only 2 opponents are left to determine how history will remember Liu Bei's efforts to restore the Han Dynasty.

But they are not Zhuge Liang & Sima Yi.

Zhuge Liang is one of the adversaries, certainly, but his true opponent at the end of the story is not Sima Yi. It's time itself. From the moment Liu Bei died, Zhuge Liang was struggling to impress upon a new generation of citizens & warriors why it is important to continue the selfless work of restoring the Han Dynasty. This task is hard enough when there are still people in the world who can remember the Han Dynasty. But as time drags on, fewer & fewer people are left who can remember the ideal Liu Bei strove to restore. Thus the final conflict is Zhuge Liang versus time. The longer the battle drags on, the less likely he is to honor his pledge to carry out Liu Bei's dream. Zhuge Liang's sense of urgency increases with each failed campaign to conquer the northern territories, but not because he fears that Sima Yi will become stronger than him: he knows that Sima Yi will never deafeat him. But that doesn't matter, because Sima Yi needs only to outlast him to emerge victorious. Thus Sima Yi is but an accomplice, the beneficiary of decades of stalemate, a few sudden moments of tremendous fortune, & time's unceasing ability to replace the old with the new.

As time drags on, fewer & fewer of the pioneer generation are alive. The hybrid regime recognizes this crucial vote bank which is why this week we have the announcement of free entry to zoo, night safari, bird park, gardens by the bay for 2-3 months this year, $50 transport vouchers.

Thus the final conflict is PAP vs time. The new citizens while enamored during their early years would turn against the regime at the polls after suffering the same policies inflicted on the natives. I supposed the dead old man saw this point too as he said the coming election is the last time his party would win.

There is much to learn from this, As time marches on, many struggles to maintain lifestyles & ideas that have fallen by the wayside because of progress. For those children who have ever sat on a grandparent's lap & heard them speak about their childhood, the events & places & people they describe can seem as strange & distant as ancient myths. Ultimately, this was Zhuge Liang's greatest challenge: ensuring the restoration of something long past while the true opponent, time, moved relentlessly forward, evermore obscuring the necessity of what he was fighting for, & clearing a path for an altogether different order to be built.

Ultimately, it was only a matter of time.

As the pioneer generation are dwindling, tales of struggle during the country's formative years are disappearing as well. Children & grandchldren are concerned with crushing levels of housing debt, stagnating real income levels, overcrowding & job insecurity.

Ultimately, it was only a matter of time(for PAP).

Pros & Cons of this Comic Series:

Pros:

• In color.
• Offers theme thoughts at end of each volume (which I used in this blogpost)
• Brief summary of characters at start of each volume as introduction for 1^st timers.

Cons:

• Book binding is kinda poor.
• Inverted names in translation.
• Many parts of novel left out in order to condense to 20 volumes

Probably My Last Ride on Original Changi Airport Park Connector

Cycled to a bikeshop at Changi Village to buy a 8speed chain as standby replacement on the morning of the last weekend of March. I rode all the way there because it is sold at $13.50  Treated the long ride there as a morning workout.

It is probably my last time riding back on the changi coastal road park connector (airport park connector) as there are many dump trucks on that stretch of road & into the reclaimed Terminal 5 area.

On the journey back, i saw trees being chopped down for Terminal 4 expansion. The ground where i stand to take the pictures is soon going to be runway/taxiway or some airport infrastructure.

Look at the brown patches remaining where no grass grow. Trees block sunlight before chopped down.

Changi Coastal Road parallel to the runway.

A plane belonging to Tiger Airways on the runway.

According to Urban Redevelopment Authority's plan for the airport expansion:

• Changi Coastal road to be demolished & relocated further east.
• Same fate awaits the airport park connector cycling path.

Trees are being cleared for Terminal 4. And yet the reclaimed land is also being cleared for Terminal 5. This just shows that when it comes to the hybrid regime's profit they are far thinking. Isn't it too far fetched building Terminal 5 when current 3 terminals combined are not full capacity?

Why Terminal 5 when terminal 4 is not even finished? It puzzled me for a while before i recall that the regime plans to close Paya Lebar airbase & shift it to Changi. Then Paya Lebar airbase can be cleared for squeezing more peasants onto the island. With building height restrictions around the airbase gone - again more squeezing of peasants.

Look at the trees being chopped down beside the airport park connector. Entire stretch is deforested.

More trees 'killed'.

The land beyond the fence is reclaimed land slated for Terminal 5 & the relocated airbase.

I will stress again that the hybrid regime is very far-sighted when it comes to matters affecting its profit be it airport expansion or water supply.

Population explosion = Increased water consumption.

Look at the light yellow mud stains. That's how much water level drop in canal leading to Pandan reservoir.

For a few more pictures please refer to Dredging of Sungei Ulu Pandan & Dry Spell blogpost.

Peasants don't experience electricity nor water shortages because the elites need these critical resources. However when it comes to hospital beds for the peasants, we have bed shortages. Same for housing shortages to induce astronomical prices to suck dry the peasants retirement funds.

It is a deliberate act over the years. It amazes me so many fools still adore the old man (senior minister & then mentor) who just passed away last month when he is the mastermind behind all these acts to screw the populace.

A good man in the early years of independence who turned bad after prolonged cling to power.

Being Obedient & Follow Instructions Mindlessly = 'Die' Even Faster

I collected my new passport from the passport collection machine last month. Even though i received the reminder letter to apply for a new passport last year, i dragged it on so as to use up a bit more pages. I also don't foresee myself away on further destinations which require >6 months prior to expiry.

My last usage was 5 weeks prior to expiry on a daytrip of Johor, Malaysia. As it was still more than a month, i consider it okay else i'll just persuade the malaysian customs officer to let me through one last time. No word from the officer & i was let through.

The amusing thing after i collected my new passport from the machine was that a staff came up to me & asked for my old passport. She then proceed to punch holes to void my old passport.

Ha ha ha. Civil serpent reduced to hole puncher. The hole punching part is the only part that isn't replaced by the machine which can be done if the authorities want to further streamline the process.

Those civil serpents and those who think that by being obedient & follow instructions mindlessly would be safe are just deluding themselves. Exception are those elite serpents who are very good in Yes Yes Yes to their political masters. For the peasants the formula is:

Being obedient & follow instructions mindlessly = 'Die' even faster

Being obedient & follow instructions mindlessly =

1. Hire a cheaper foreigner who is even more obedient zombie. Remember what the bus driver hired from China who led the strike said: "他们认为他妈的中国人真多，去一趟就能招来几百号人，用完了，不听话了就滚蛋."
2. Automate it.
3. Move the work overseas where it is cheaper.

Although the PRC bus driver was fired, i consider him a leader who is not easily replaced with automation. How to automate leadership trait? His inspiring speech to his comrades is valuable that i archived a copy at Leadership of Lowly Educated Bus Driver Vs 3 Star General's.

Dangerous Cog Labor Mentality - Inflexibility whereby a worker follows instructions mindlessly also invites complaints instead of being safe.

Since the passport is an important document, it is foolhardy for the hybrid regime to hire cheaper foreigners. It cannot be moved overseas so that leaves automation. More productive compared to civil serpent who need toilet breaks.

Right now there are 2 self-collect machines which are launched 2 years ago in 2013. They are situated on the ground level. Like bank's atms & coin deposit machines, more collection of passport & ICs through machines is an eventual trend.

The 2 civil serpents stationed near the machines as hole punchers also provide some guidance to those unsure users & those who fail facial recognition(rare). I reckon they are former counter staff or staff rostered to do duty downstairs. Further costs can be cut as the jobscope can be done by a retiree.

Why waste taxpayers' $$$ to pay decent salaries to civil serpents who are there mainly to punch holes?

Which Business I Consider Profited the Most from Lee Kuan Yew's Funeral

Florists are doing a roaring business with the demise of the old man with peasants buying flowers as tribute. However i don't think the florists profited the most because of the competition among florists.

The business that profited the most is one that i suspect many didn't take notice of. Before i reveal what i consider is the most profitable, let's first take a look at the BreadTalk bakery spam chain.

Make Sure their Bread Cannot Talk! Boycott!
The BreadTalk bakery spam chain got into hot soup from selling an overpriced bread (eat & shit out) commemorative of the old man. Many netizens consider BreadTalk to be a crony business because the boss support the hybrid regime's high salaries (see search results below). The boss like to hire pinoys as cheap workers instead of locals.

Sell overpriced bread + cheap workers = Laugh all the way to the bank

Personally i have never bought nor eaten any bread from that overpriced & pro-pinoy bakery spam chain. The spam chain open its outlets in shopping malls marketing itself as an upscale bakery business. When their bread business open in shopping malls, it disqualify itself from my wallet because i loathe paying for the killer rental component of an item.

Later on due to the hybrid regime's massive population influx, the boss hired many cheaper pinoys in his outlets which had led me & many others to detest the BreadTalk bakery spam chain even more.

Unfortunately, many gongkias(fools) still support the overpriced & pro pinoy spam chain else it would not have spam so many outlets islandwide. The likely reason i would use to explain is they love to show others they can afford to eat overpriced bread just like Starbucks coffee. To malaysians working here, they would certainly consider those sinkies buying overpriced bread as stupid which i will write about in another blogpost.

For others, they boycott. They vote with their wallets. Boycott the business & its associated business & the group will close shop.

Closed shop = those foreign workers can go back home countries.

Lesser foreign workers = Less crowded trains/space for populace.

Those who loathe BreadTalk spam chain would patronize those neighborhood bakery chains that hire locals & sell at a lower price, This is the right way to vote. In fact we vote practically everyday. No need to wait until the general election.


Barricade Fences Business Is Best During Lee Kuan Yew's Funeral
I first took notice of the company S-Lite during the Chingay at Heartlands. The last performance is supposed to be in the north but the old man passed away so the performance was canceled. However the profit is certainly not canceled due to the contract with the government.

Is highly likely that this barricade fence company, S-Lite is the contractor to go to for events like marathon, F1 since they are relied on for a big event like Chingay. As i cannot run a marathon nor attended F1, i never heard/notice this company until the Chingay at Clementi 2 weeks ago.

Why Being In a Boring Business/Industry Helps a Lot
Florists got many competitors but it seems to me this barricade fence company got very few. Such is the great thing about being in a business/work that is boring/unglamorous as very few people notice it. Keep a low profile & continue to rake in the profits - this is something Warren Buffett certainly likes about 'hidden gems'.

I reckon profits come from the distance or number of fences deployed so the more the merrier. It is labor intensive loading & unloading the barricade fences from the lorries. But hey it is a grand funeral for the founding prime minister so being pressed for time, the army boys activated to load, setup the barricades.

S-Lite boss delighted because:

• Charge higher price to govt(us taxpayers) due to very urgent & few competitors.
• Plenty of free labor from army boys to do the barricade fences.
• Sterling reputation being able to provide so many fences for massive operation.

Instead of that crony bakery spam chain boss that earn more detest from the hybrid regime's supporters, this barricade fence boss is in a much better position as very few notice his business.

Unprecedented Carpet Bombing of Propaganda in Singapore with Lee Kuan Yew's Death

Yesterday's funeral procession marked the end of a week of massive bombardment of the old man's greatness. Even though i don't watch tv, it is hard to avoid the propaganda when the tv at neighborhood coffeeshops are playing video clips of the old man.

On train stations, there's pictures of the old man on monitor screens. On buses, the bus numbers are partially obscured with a phrase dedicated to the old man. At libraries, a special table was setup with books by you guess it - the old man.

Even at POPStation which is a parcel self-collection kiosk which i passed by, the screen shows the old man.

Grassroot volunteers distributed papers of the funeral procession route & slipped it under the doors. My mum picked it up after waking up in the morning & naturally chucked it into the malaysian newspapers pile - she doesn't read propaganda & msian papers are cheaper. The funeral procession route is already pasted on the noticeboard near the elevators. Being kiasu(scared lose), the grassroots went further by slipping the leaflet under the doors hoping to gather more peasants to line the funeral route.

In order to gather more peasants to see the old man while lying in state at parliament house, civil serpents are given time off work to go pay their respects. You can bet there's peer pressure involved being in the civil service.

I didn't inform my mum about the old man's passing away when i read about it online. She naturally found out as she went out. There is no sadness after having been through insufficient hospital beds at A&E(1 reason among others). Insufficient hospital beds amid a massive population influx situation which we are suffering now can be traced to the old man as he still rules behind the curtain. Unfortunately this fact has been forgotten as the regime hype his greatness to unprecedented levels.

How unprecedented is the carpet bombing online?

Just a small sample. The list could stretch on...

All govt ministries/stat boards - U guess it.

Many govt-linked companies - U guess it.

Among the govt-linked companies websites which i've checked not succumbing to the hype:

• S'pore Airlines, Tigerair Dun have
• Neptune Orient Lines Dun have
• Singtel Dun have

I consider the elevation of the old man's greatness to be overly done be it offline & online. He's considered to be a level 4 good leader according to Jim Collins' criteria in 'Good to Great'. Not yet a level 5 great as i've written in my earlier blogpost.

5 Levels of Leadership. Where Does Lee Kuan Yew Stand?

Too much credit is given to old man Lee Kuan Yew for building up the country. With his passing away, the media be it online or offline are presently filled with plenty of stories to shore up his legacy.

He has also written many books & while i have not read any book written by him from front to back, i would say his mind is still clear & sharp as i flipped & quick read a couple of pages of his 'One man's view of the world' published in 2013 at a bookstore. The only book i read in its entirely is an interview book done by Tom Plate.

How does Lee Kuan Yew rank as a leader?

According to Jim Collins, author of 'Good to Great', there are 5 levels of leadership.

Why Lee Kuan Yew Has Not Reached Level 5 Leadership
I consider him to be a level 4 leader. Why not level 5? Because there's no enduring greatness for the company/country as we can see in the problems of insufficient hospital beds, frequent train breakdowns, declining productivity level from the result of the current 3rd generation management.

If you look at the commitment/sense of belonging from the number of flags flown for national day last year- Record Low Flags Display in 2014 Before 50th Anniversary blogpost, it is dismal.

1st generation -- greatness in uplifting the masses lives.
2nd generation -- greatness wanes as greed among the leaders sets in.
3rd generation -- greatness bank account more or less empty.

Many peasants are brainwashed through the state controlled media that the old man is hugely responsible for building up the economy. A netizen used the example of the big budget overruns for the 1st Youth Olympic Games showing that the minister/scholars ain't got a clue. Likewise the old man ain't got a clue to running the economy at the beginning & scared the economy can't support the country's population & thus the 'Stop at 2 births' policy .

A Level 4 Leader He Is
His pursuit of his garden city vision is a legacy the peasants & tourists enjoy today.

On the economic front, economist Albert Winsemius provided advice on massive industrialization. In executing the advice, the old man is able to catalyze commitment from his 1st generation ministers & stimulates them to high performance standards.

There's a few historical signboards on the history of Jurong a few meters outside CashConverters at Jurong East Central. Have a look if you passed by the area.


Albert Winsemius provided advice for free for 25 years. How's that for his economic contribution to our country? Yet his valuable contribution is something that is not registered in the minds of most peasants who are brainwashed into thinking that the old man is hugely responsible for the country's economic development.

Certainly the old man is good at harnessing commitment & stimulating the ministers to high performance on acceptable salaries. The same cannot be said for the 2nd & 3rd generations despite highly paid & obscene salaries respectively.

Where got enduring greatness(level 5) when after relinquishing premiership, the country started to stagnate & then decline(not in gdp terms though)?

After getting used to the power of premiership, he was hardly willing to let go of the reigns. He stayed on in the advising roles of Senior Minister & Minister Mentor. Does greatness endure despite a change in premiership?

By Jim Collins's criteria, Lee Kuan Yew is a good leader who hasn't made the leap to great.

• A level 4 leader is often more bothered about his greatness than his company/country's greatness. 
• Level 5 leadership is attained when the company/country continues to be great even after its founder is absent/dead.
• Level 5 leaders expect their organizations to be even better after they leave. (he didn't even dare to leave.)
• A level 5 leader accomplish great things for their organizations but they seldom take credit (doesn't this resemble Albert Winsemius?)

A New Chapter Begins with the Death of Singapore's Strongman

The govt controlled mass media is doing a carpet bombing of propaganda with the passing away of the old man who died at age 91 at 3:18am today. One of its news media has audio automatically playing upon loading the website - hard to escape.

The hybrid regime has given ample time for its traditional news machinery to prepare articles as his condition deteriorates. There are still those old conservatives who are still deluded to the old man's past achievements despite the rot taking place over the last couple of years in the country.

No doubt he achieve spectacularly with the 1st generation ministers following the advice of dutch economist Albert Winsemius. They are a bunch of folks who care more about the welfare of the populace compared to the current bunch consumed with their obscene paychecks.

My mum said that the old man started off being good but turned bad & badder as power has corrupted him. Among his policies that my mum hate are the 'Stop at 2 kids' & graduate mothers give birth more. The stop at 2 kids disastrous policy is being felt today with massive importation of immigrants into this tiny island to shore up the demographics.

On 19 August 1977, a newspaper article on the old man:

• 'we must lower our birth rate in order to absorb foreign workers on a permanent basis'
• 'annual intake of many thousands...... expected to marry a singaporean & add to population'

Article screenshot from national library archives.

which originated from LKY's idea to replace us with foreigners on TRE

Some people call him a Sith Lord. To a young kid who has never watched Star Wars & he start watching from Episode I then II. He would think the chancellor(prime minister) is a good guy. In episode III, it was revealed that he is actually a bad guy -sith lord concentrating power in the Republic to himself.

Whatever respect i have for the old man's earlier achievements have been cancelled out by the policy mishaps of the current greedy bunch of his regime.

Neutral it is not(yoda style), for i hold negative view of the incumbent hybrid regime he controls. A reason why......

Tentages holding area & patients lying on trolley beds. This is something in 1^st world SG that the ministers are paid world's highest salaries because they are the best?

The greed of his political party has led to suffering among the peasants. I am not spared either especially when it comes to insufficient hospital beds. Patients have to wait 8-12 hours for a bed in the ward to be available as I have experienced.

My mum & dad suffered when they were hospitalized in 2013 & 2014. If the old man has to wait for a bed like the peasants he would already have died!

As for now, the hospital bed shortage is still ongoing. It is a deliberate attempt by his party to screw the peasants. I've written earlier using the water issue to make my point in Dredging of Sungei Ulu Pandan & Dry Spell blogpost.

Think about those patients suffering due to insufficient hospital beds...

those who lost their jobs to foreigners with fake qualifications...

those squeezing in crowded public transport with increasing breakdowns...

Yesterday(Sun) late afternoon had a strange weather phenomena. Prolong continuous thunder amid dark skies. Is as though Heaven is angry. And guess what? Several hours later, it is over for the old man.

It is the 1^st time this year such prolong thunder occurred. Normally heavy downpours are not accompanied with such prolonged continuous thunder.

While the old man is around, nobody in his party dares to defy him. He is the glue that holds the party together & the person controlling affairs from behind the curtain. Now the glue is gone.

With the performance of the current bunch of ministers lagging far behind the 1^st generation ministers, they are now ripe for defeat in the coming election.

Hence a new chapter begins... There's much work to be done to repair the damage done by the incumbent party. The current issue in the spotlight is the collapsing retail sector due to the regime's bloodsucking rents.