India should not worry about university rankings

While Sinkies are all over trying to grasp the value and place for tuition, heard in the news that India is worried that none of its universities is among the top 200 universities in the world. And maybe they are going to game the system by bringing in more foreign students and lecturers to boost their rankings. I think this whole ranking thing is a farce and a paper victory and did not reflect the reality and quality of the products of the universities. In a way the good grades of students only tell one side of the story of the student’s ability with many things left untold.
 
The facts are contradictory and disappointing as far as university rankings are concerned. The inputs are variables, the factors are subjective and everything else are but a constrained effort to think they matter. Take the case of Singapore universities versus Indian universities. Oh, we are so proud of the top rankings of NUS and NTU while India has none. Then look at the employment opportunities of Indian graduates and our graduates and their employability in top management positions in MNCs and the govt and govt linked companies. The products of Indian universities put us to shame. Pandit used to be the top man in Citibank Group. And there are many like him in America and Europe. Can we find a Singapore graduate in such rarefied position? None!
 
Indian graduates are in demand and highly regarded in America and Europe and definitely in Singapore. Singapore even signed a free trade agreement that includes opening the door to practically all Indian graduates. As such they are gradually easing out the local graduates in top management positions in our home ground. Indian graduates are highly sought after here. Where do the graduates of our world class universities stand?
 
I will advise India not to waste time, money and resources to game a system that is hardly of value except on paper. Look at the reality here if not in Europe and the USA. Indian graduates beat Singapore graduates hands down. Still thinking of wasting money on some rubbish rankings?
 
Indian graduates are among the best in the world of banking and finance and IT. So, why this urge to want to look good in some make belief rankings that are worth only on papers and ended paying obscenely for the presence of foreigners in the universities? A farce is a farce. A good university or a good graduate is a good one regardless of whether the university is rank at the top or at the bottom. Maybe if the ranking is done by God it may mean something.

Raising the quality of private tutors

 

Someone saw this coming. Since private tuition is so prevalent and necessary, let’s make sure that the standards are high and private tutors are qualified. For a start, all private tutors must be registered with a professional body and have their qualifications and experience certified. So we need a professional body or something like that to certify them.

Private tuition must be conducted in a proper and conducive environment, not below the staircase or in the void deck. Not in the homes also, to give an image of professionalism and respectability.

There must be some regulations or self regulating bodies to maintain a certain standard for the tuition giver. Not everyone can give tuition without the approval of these bodies or organisations. They may have to sit for a test to be issued with a certificate to tutor students.

Tutors are not allowed to anyhow paste little slips of papers on letter boxes or walls for their services like unauthorised agents. Not good for public image and professionalism.

See, we have a new industry in the making. And tutors, please declare your income and pay your taxes, and rentals and fees to your professional bodies, and the media for advertisements. Tutors will henceforth be known as professional tutors and can print name cards with PT added to their names.

This is a multi million dollar industry and deserves some recognition as many tutors are paid much better than school teachers, a choice profession that is highly regarded for the best in the industry. How about a specialist Tuition Centre like Mount Elizabeth equivalent for medical services?

Sinkies, aren’t you lucky?

With the latest govt proposal to provide health insurance for Sinkies till they die, even if they live up to 120 years, what more do the Sinkies want? Aren’t they lucky? I don’t think any govt in the world can do such a thing, to provide healthcare to all it citizens regardless of their age. Got meh? You mean in Australia and other First World countries their govt provide free healthcare to their senior citizens? Don’t bluff can? There is no free lunch. We Sinkies know that this life time Medishield health insurance we must pay ourselves.

And not only the govt is helping the people, the foreigners are all here to help them. The best talents from the Third World are here to help the Sinkies who are obviously sinking. Many could not even find jobs with their high qualifications and experience. They are so lucky as more would be jobless without the foreigners here.

And not only they came to help Sinkies with the economy and provided them with jobs, many foreign celebrities are here to help raise funds to help the old and the sick Sinkies as well. At the rate it is going, soon God too will descend from heaven to help the Sinkies. Why not when the middle class are all in debt and needing help? Soon our middle class will go the Detroit Way. But God will send the immortals down first to do the helping. Just hope the immortals are not helping themselves first.

There was a little thought by Chua Mui Hoong in the Sunday Times today. Though she was talking about the hot issue of tuition, her main point actually was a revelation of the kind of group think within the party/govt. For once she was saying something quite enlightening, about the way the group think among themselves and closed up to put on a united false front to the public. And many real issues were swept under the cloud of unity, a common position. She listed all the grouses of the people, from housing, healthcare, education, PMETs and populations, all disgustingly buried liked an ostrich just because some gods have taken a position and all must close ranks and complied.

The interesting point she made about Medishield Life for all, sick and unsick, tells the thinking behind the half baked solution. It is not fully cooked yet and still a WIP. Yes, the high medical cost to the oldies and sick has been raised much too often like all other issues but disregarded quietly, not heard, not seen, thus dunno.

Now there is a change. They are going to tackle it. But you pay, not the govt. They are going to rope in everybody to pay for the oldies and the sick. The healthy and those who don’t mind dying would not be given a choice to opt out of the scheme. The govt is going to dip into the pockets of everyone to fish out whatever it can get hold of to help the oldies and the sick. What a generous gesture! Daylight robbery for a good cause, like Robin Hood.

What is the problem? The problem is high medical cost. The problem is that not everyone wants to live forever and has the money to pay for it. The problem is that the govt could have cough up the money for the sick and oldies, with some conditions and limitations to prevent a bottomless healthcare scheme from emptying the reserves. The problem is that the govt is collecting too many taxes but not using it in the right place. A few monuments built less could be more than enough to pay for this Medishield Life. Just the annual running cost of that Avatar Garden that is losing its novelty would be enough to pay for the premiums of the oldies and sick with spare to change. And the land could be put to better use.

But the change is really no change. The problem comes from the people and the people will pay for it, not the govt when the govt could well afford it without being extravagant on the ‘good to have’ and the wasteful.

Sinkies could be much luckier if the govt spend its money in betterer ways, for the good of the people. To be specific, for the good of Sinkies.

JEM ceiling collapsed - must be the tightening of foreign worker policy

I quoted below statement from an editorial article posted in TRE. ‘Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for National Development Lee Bee Wah said that sometimes developers and contractors compromise on the quality of construction materials in order to lower costs.

The tightening of foreign workers policy may also be a factor.

Ms Lee said, “Every time a contractor renews work permit for their workers, they face some difficulties and therefore keep changing staff. That could mean we don’t have experienced engineers or inspectors. The government should really look into this.”’

I think this is a good way of looking at the newly built shopping complex. It must have been built during the time when the govt was curtailing the import of foreign workers and thus the quality of the building is affected. Either shortchanged in material or quality of workers could be a factor. It is very likely the later as the only thing changed was foreign worker policy. Now, is this true? When was the building built and was it really affected by the foreign worker policy? Another question, is the foreign worker policy to curb bringing in of construction worker or white collar foreigners that the people were angry about, esp the PMET? I thought there was no problem with construction workers and everyone agreed that in this sector it is very difficult to get Sinkies to work? And another question, how could construction worker be such a big factor when there are engineers, supervisors and QCs overseeing the jobs?

Nevermind, got some small fries to take the blame. And good reason to bring in more construction workers, which was never an issue. Hope this would not translate into bringing in more foreign PMETs.
Another way of solving this problem is to borrow the logic of preventing corruption. You know what I mean. Then the work quality will improve and contractors would not take short cuts. And nothing will collapse. QED.

The need for tuition

This is going to be the hot topic for a while. It is the concern of every parent and their children. To have tuition or not to have. For those children who are better endowed, tuition may be just a little additive like chicken essence, a little booster to get that extra few marks. To some it is not really necessary. How fortunate for these parents and children.

As not every child is gifted the same way, some would really need that little help. Some are slower or develop a bit later. Some are just afraid to ask in class or not getting the attention of the teachers in a class of 40 children. Then there will be the teacher that may go too fast or just not getting the message across.

For the slower students or late developers, tuition helps a lot. Tuition becomes personalized and tailored to their individual needs and pace. Caveat, a good tutor is needed. A tuition teacher could give the personal attention to find out what really was needed to help a child to improve. The proviso here is that the child is willing to learn

But like all things, some children are just not gifted academically and tuition could not do much and literally a waste of money and time. Just hope no clever people will come up with a solution that fits all. It cannot be. There are so many variables that affect a child in his/her growth and acquisition of knowledge and information, the environment, the motivation and the nature of things.

This also applies to teaching, teaching methods and how to motivate children. Not everyone will be uplifted by the same approach. Please, no one size fits all solution. That is why there are so many variations of schools, Normal, Express, ITE, polys and universities. Different target at your own time, fire.

The problem today is that everyone expects every child to fit into one mould, or have an education system that fits every child. And no one is brave enough to say, look, we need to provide a big enough buffet spread to cater to different tastes and the likes and dislikes. For those who need tuition, let them have their tuition. For those who don’t, good for them.

One thing the govt can do is to provide the facilities and teachers to help those who need tuition at little cost, not affordable fees or more subsidies. Free would be better as this is an investment into our precious resources and you are talking about the young that needed help to make them better people for themselves and country.

How to go about it and how much would the govt cough out for this very important needs of the people? No hawker centre, foodcourt and restaurant analogy please. This is serious business.

My two kids were differently endowed. One was slower and needed a little help in maths. She flunked in her late primary class but enough time for me to repair the damage. All I did was to clarify her thoughts and mental blocks, explained the concepts to make sure she understood. And with some perseverance and motivation, she went on to ace her maths in O and A level. Without knowing her problems and lack of understanding of basic mathematical concepts, tuition would not help much. A tutor must know what is the problem or where is the problem.

The other type of tuition which is very popular is exam jamming, cramming to ace exams. This is only good for the exam but the effects are temporary, like an instant high but no residual or long term effect. My other kid is different, better endowed. He came to me only once for a maths problem in P6. I took too long to get the answer using the old method. Before I could complete he said he had worked it out and that was the last time he came to me. He aced his O and A level and aced his Masters with Distinction in Engineering in Imperial College.

Both my kids did not have a day of tuition. One just had 15 mins with me in his whole life as a student and never came to me again. They were lucky, or I was lucky. But not every kid is so lucky and has parents to guide or fall back on. Tuition is necessary to assist, to guide, to motivate and support a child. Showing them the way, opening up their minds and clearing road blocks are very important. That would pave the way for the child to find his own way ahead. Tuition to game an examination is another ball game.

Talent is an abused term in employment

The term talent has been shooting off everyone’s mouth like referring to gold or diamond. And often this term is prefixed with another word, foreign, and conveniently attached together as foreign talent. What does this mean to the users of these terms, the ordinary people, the employers, job seekers and the govt?

Very often we also heard people quipped that there is not enough or no Singaporean talents to fill a vacancy. And many do not pause to ponder what is this vacancy that needs talent and why are the talents not found locally. Take an example of a HR Manager. What kind of talent that is so rarefied that no Singaporeans are found to have them that this position must be filled by a foreigner? In the same vein, an Admin Manager, a Finance Manager, a Sales or Purchasing Manager, a Banking/Finance Manager, an IT Manager and so on, even politicians.

On more technical skills like Engineering, IT, Medical or Science, why are the local graduates not good enough as talents and foreign graduates are the right and suitable talents? Did their universities teach them different stuff that is useful to the industries and ours don’t? If that is the case, either we revamp what is being taught in our universities or we close them down and send our students to those universities that are teaching the right stuff.

In the more generic jobs as mentioned above, what talent is one talking about? A HR or Finance professional will have acquired the same basic training and knowledge to do the job reasonably well. All that makes the difference is the attitude and drive in the person, unless the applicant is a moron. And if one is to know the extent Singaporean students drove themselves to acquire good grades, that is telling in itself, that they have the drive, stamina and determination to do well. These graduates who worked so hard to get good grades cannot be the same employees that switched off when employed and paid to do a good job. They strove for good grades without being paid, and now refused to work when they are paid well?

Even those that do not have the good grades but rose to higher management, this fact is enough to show that they are able and capable of doing the job at that level. The knowledge and experience on the job are more valuable than the qualifications of a fresh graduate.

Now, what kind of talents that the foreigners have that the local talents did not have? The foreigners have two brains, three mouths and trained differently and acquired unusual skills from their universities and countries that made them better than the local PMETs?

For the very technical and highly skilled jobs that needed post graduate training, the expertise would set them apart. But many skills can easily be trained, be transferred with on the job or in house training that would not take more than a year to do so. What is so difficult about that?

The truth is that many jobs even at senior management level do not require this thing called talent or exceptional talent that cannot be found in local PMETs. The word talent is an abused word, a red herring that means nothing really.
Anyone who uses this term to justify his special needs as an employer, make him explain why it is a talent in the first place. Talents are needed in very special positions, in special appointments, in highly skilled fields that demanded gruelling years in academic discipline. Another type of talent is how to cheat which is inborn, how to get paid excessively without having to do the work or not knowing how to do the work but getting others to do it and claim the credit. This is unusual talent.

Actually one of the highest level of talent is to be able to con your way to success without acquiring any useful skills but by capitalising on connections, wealth, associations, politicking and conspiracy.

Boorish primitive genes are good

Most people are aware of the problems of inbreeding. The genes, no matter how superior, would degenerate with too much in breeding. Even the animals, we are no different, in the zoos need wild genes to keep the stock healthy. So the tigers and lions and the elephants need to have mates from the wild to retain the wildness in them.

The years of genetic engineering in developed countries like ours have created a breed of people that are very different from the days of old, or from those in less developed countries. There the people are hungrier and are mentally tuned to fight for their piece of meat or loaf of bread. They are mentally tough to fight for the right to live, to exist. They have little refinement, less care about niceties like gracious, little thought of what will be the consequences of their unrestrained and selfish acts.

The most obvious sign of the new breed of Sinkies is their spectacles. Then their nature, more careful and self restraint, the kiasu and kiasi traits. They would not go out to fight for food, or even their little rights. They withdraw from society, into their little world of comfort and safety. None of my business, I am comfortable and secure within my cocoon. That is the new sinkie, an inbreeding of the nerdy kind, intelligent intellectually but minus the brawn and muscles.

Flash back to the uncouth, boorish and aggressive Ah Tiong in the MRT. We will be no match for such aggressive. He is tough, bigger, louder and daring to pick up a fight. The Sinkies will shy away. I have seen a couple of such roughness this morning in the train, one likely to be a Malaysian and another a Pinoy, both getting hostile to two oldies. The same traits when imposed on an army of boys, specky, soft and tender, meek and weak, what would we have? An army of school boys, looking every bit like boy scouts. And they will have their favourite weapons in their hands, the mobile phones and ipads or something similar. These are the things they will be comfortable with. They would probably faint when they see blood, and screaming for mother.

Yes, we need to input some wildness into our degenerative gene pool. We have too much brains but lacking in brawns and muscle mass. We are shrinking in every area except a head that is getting bigger by the days, a swollen head, so they said. But this is no good in the face of aggression. We need to stand up to aggression individually, to protect self and the weak, and to defend the country.

We have lost that aggressive trait, we have lost that feeling of hunger. So the Ah Tiongs and the likes are a good thing to have here. We need more cross breeding with the wild and primitivity. Go and sow your wild oats or bring home some Ah Tiongs. It is good for health and the future of the people and the country.

Heheheh. Let’s welcome the Ah Tiongs and all the wild men and women from the hungrier countries. They are good tonics, ‘chiat poh’. Forget about being graceful when being so becomes disgraceful, to be bullied by the simpletons and the simple minded.

The case of the reappearance of empty ballot boxes

The official explanation so far, after the counting is over, the ballot boxes would be disposed off by contractors. So there would no longer be consequential to the election and not really meaningful or accountable. A few seen floating around and reappearing would just reflect that the contractors were ‘slaykay’ at most, nothing to worry about. There is no need to make a case out of the two boxes found and nothing serious really. Let’s move on, this part I say one.
 
Two of the Presidential candidates are still not happy and smelling foul. What is the real system of checks and balance? Would all the empty boxes be part and parcel of the election process and must all be accounted and destroyed together without any one left floating around. Did they claim that something is amissed?
 
Presumably, this part I guess one, since I have not been a polling agent and thus would not know what is the correct procedure. Presumably, at the end of the counting of the ballots, all the ballot papers would be placed in these same ballot boxes to be transported to the High Court for safe keeping. There was no need to pack them into the same boxes according to the area or groupings they came from, but in some of the boxes would do. Presumably they were not packed into new or different boxes that were brought in for this purpose. Presumably, some boxes would be empty if all the boxes were fully stuffed.
 
Presumably every box was a controlled item and there would be an officer to count them and check them out, X number used for ballot papers and Y number extra were empty. Presumably the total would match and all squared up.
 
Then the puzzling part, should all the boxes, as they were controlled items, be sent together to the High Court and eventually be destroyed together? Looks like this is not the case and those extra boxes were left behind to be removed and destroyed by the contractors after counting was done. They became not controlled items. If this be the case, then the reappearance of the five empty boxes needs not be an issue. It was just a slip by a slipshod contractor on non controlled items.
 
But if the procedure is for all the ballot boxes, empty or otherwise, to be destroyed together and kept together, then people may ask how come these controlled items could be left behind as they were countables and if missing would not do? But then again, as an after event, ie, after the ballot papers had been properly delivered on the counting tables, the missing boxes would just be a technical issue and would not affect the results.
 
This does not mean that imaginations cannot go wild like the boxes were already missing and switched before the counting. The understanding or assumption at the moment is that they were left there after counting. Is this assumption and understanding true or reasonable? Or is this proven, a fact? This, I presume, would be playing in the minds of those who wanted to see mischief. But this is highly impossible as the polling agents would have their eyes glued to these boxes and no one could take them away without being noticed. It could only happen if there was a gap in which the ballot boxes were out of sight from the polling agents while they were on the way to the polling stations. Presumably there was no such window to begin with.
 
So? What do you think?

USA – The warring state up to mischief again

When there is an opportunity to incite war, to create rivalry among nation states, to create tension, be sure the USA will be there. The USA has for many decades being trying to provoke the two Koreans to destroy and kill each other in North East Asia. It has repeatedly held provocative joint military exercises at the borders of the two Koreans, simulating an assault or landing into North Korea. And with the used of western media and reporters, continuously accused the North Koreans of being aggressive and unstable, unpredictable for reacting negatively to the joint military exercises at their doorstep. The most recent and closest attempt to start war between the two Koreans was of course the sinking of a South Korean Naval ship, the Choenan, and killing several tens of seamen in it.
 
Now sailing several thousand miles across the Pacific Ocean, the Americans are at it again holding joint military exercises with the Japanese to simulate attacking Chinese islands. And further south, it is conducting a more dangerous wargame with an equally trigger happy but top empty Filipino armed forces in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. And China would be blamed by Washington and all the western media for reacting to this hostile provocation at their front yard.
 
China cannot stay away and look the other way with such blatant and provocative acts of aggression. China must react firmly which is what the Americans wanted to be used as proof of China’s militancy against a small country like the Philippines. And China must react, like it or not, to keep these warlike countries away for good. Appeasement or taking a low profile will only embolden the Americans and the mindless Pinoys to think China is weak. It would not be surprising to see China showing its muscle and intent not to be pushed around by the Americans.
 
The American pivot to Asia is a hostile military strategy. Do the Asean countries understand this or pretending not to see it? How many Asean countries are welcoming this American move to stick its fingers in between the legs of the Asean countries and calling it a peaceful interference? The American lackeys would no doubt sing praises for the Americans to be the new master and ruler in the region. Asean and South East Asia will again be the chess board of American imperialism and Asean countries by its chess pieces for military dominance in the region.
 
China will not only protest, but will also have to stand up to push back this unwelcome initiative of the Americans. How many Asean countries will be on the Chinese side, to keep the region free of American power, provocation, intimidation and eventually war? Like it or not, China has to confront the warmongering USA and may have to risk a war in order to hold its ground and defend its territorial integrity. It is only a matter of when.

Talking Point – A special moment

I caught a couple of minutes of Tuesday’s Talking Point programme in CNA. I couldn’t remember what was the exact title of the discussion but it was all about public transport and how to improve it. The local counterpart Sinkie expert was a professori. And when probed, he gave the standard govt reply of all the shortcomings and excuses that we have heard for the last century. Oops, I am exaggerating.
 
One particular hilarious moment was the question of whether it would be better to nationalize the public transport system and then came the parroted answers, it would become inefficient, the operators would skive and lack the motivation to improve the quality of the service, service quality would fall. Basically it would just rot. They forgot to say that the operators or management would become marbok or would be waiting for bribes or else would not work. In short, once it became a public service run by civil servants they would all forget about working, about responsibility, about excellence, and spent their time drinking kopi. And nothing could be done to them. No one will be watching over them to kick their asses.
 
The Hongkie expert roared into hilarious laughter on hearing these. He was shock into disbelief that such stupid arguments could be uttered in public by supposedly respectable people and professionals, including very top people. I squirmed too.
 
How silly can Sinkies be to believe in such craps? The instant and spontaneous reaction of the Hongkie expert only showed how stupid Sinkies are to allow this nonsense to be repeated over and over again and for stupid people to say it again and again without knowing how stupid they sounded. Didn’t they know they looked silly saying it?
 
So? Never mind. It is group think like they said.

COPS IN MALAYSIA

Subject:  COPS IN MALAYSIA

My  friend sent us this information. Though we can't verify it it's a warning to take note as many of us drive in to JB for makan and provision.

Travelling is a wonderful experience when you want to get away from the humdrum daily routine.. It's just that the natives there can make it troublesome. Even if you take along the correct passport.

Blessings

James  

DON'T "DUIT KOPI" or BRIBE THE POLICE OR JPJ AND FALL INTO THEIR TRAP FROM NOW ON !!!To:  Friends, Heed the warning. Don't offer bribe to the police cos they get more than what you would give and you get into worst trouble.....   WARNING : DON'T OFFER DUIT KOPI FROM NOW ON!  DEAR FRIENDS If you have ever paid or are thinking of paying ' Coffee Money' when stopped for traffic or other offences, DON'T EVER Do This Again. The traffic department (JPJ) has recently started a campaign to be rid of corruption. Every Officer on duty will be rewarded with RM100.00 if they report each case of bribery to the department. This is how they do (trick you into) it. They will note down the details of your IC/MyKad, and ask you how you want to settle ( 'Macam mana nak selesai?') If you indicate yes or even offer to give them any money, they will report the incident by rejecting your 'Kopi Money' and get the RM100.00 instead as an incentive for their integrity and 'Honest' pubicity. This means that You will end up having a summon issued to you and perhaps a charge for bribery. SO DON'T PAY DUIT KOPI AGAIN, especially if you hope to go free with a lesser amount of money compared to the fine. Even if you want to pay over RM200, the JPJ Officers would rather have a 'good' name than to take your kopi money. Just beware of their trick because the cops are now accumulating 'cookies' points for their promotion and pay increment - with your help if possible. They should have done this to stop corruption long time ago... But anyway it's better late than never, right? SPREAD THIS MESSAGE TO EDUCATE OTHERS ON THIS NEW ANTI-RASUAH POLICY!  AND DON'T YOU DARE TO CORRUPT ANY JPJ OR EVEN POLICE OFFICERS AGAIN!

More help for senior citizens on the way

It was reported yesterday that Gan Kim Yong is leading another team to Japan to study how to deal with ageing problems and senior citizens. This comes quite soon after Boon Heng’s team went on a similar visit with a similar mission. With two big guns leading teams to Japan, it only shows how serious the govt is on the welfare of the senior citizens. With this additional trip, both Gan Kim Yong and Boon Heng could have a retreat with their teams to concoct some great solutions to help the senior citizens. The seniors can now rest at ease that the govt is taking them seriously.
 
One thought came to mind without needing to go for a study trip is to consider the income of senior citizens that are mostly out of jobs for 10 to 40 years. Should the govt offer them some kind of income to pay for 3 meals? Some would need a roof over their heads too. And now every one of them would have to pay for the compulsory Medishield Life Insurance. Where are they going to get the money to pay for it?
 
Maybe I am jumping the gun and there will be good news for the silver hair citizens after the return of Gan Kim Yong. Keep the fingers crossed, grand dads and mums. You will be able to enjoy your twilight years, your golden years bathing in golden light. Though the govt does not believe in free lunch, maybe this time the free lunch will be offered knowing that many would have nothing to live by given their lack of income.

The tuition woe or tuition blur

Parliament is debating seriously about the impact of tuition for school children and how tuition could create an uneven playing field with some getting a leg up in their academic pursuits. This is definitely unfair. Why should some students with parents having so much money be allowed to have the best tuition to score straight As and some got to struggle without tuition to just get by? Cannot right? Wrong?
 
And there is also a problem of good teachers quitting teaching to be tuition teachers for the monetary rewards. Like that also no good as the schools will be deprived of having good teachers. And parents are also spending too much money on tuition, another NG.
So, what is the problem? Dunno. So? Commission a study lah, or at least conduct a survey to know what is wrong and what are the implications then something can be done.
 
Ok, good idea. One finding I can guarantee will come out. Unlevel playing field. So? Level the playing field, so easy. One solution, tuition be banned henceforth, so every student will start from the same starting line. Or the govt will provide tuition, subsidized definitely, so that every child will have tuition. And make sure it is also compulsory. Like that the field will be leveled, surely.
 
As for good teachers leaving the teaching service, have a term included in the contract like those in the private sector. Teachers leaving the teaching service will be banned from providing tuition for 5 years. Like that good teachers sure would not leave. Not so good teacher can leave, never mind.
 
See, problem solved. No need to waste time and money to conduct study or survey. If the ministry is going to spend public money on such study and survey, they must be serious in what they want to do, to take remedial actions. It cannot be a look see, look see, and then nothing done. This is like sending them overseas to study what other countries are doing then come back and just make a report also can. No need any follow up actions or plans. But this also costs money and if it ends up as NATO, then what? Simply spend public money is very easy. But don’t forget money must be well spent. There must be clear objectives and follow up actions to improve something. 

Maybe institutionalized or nationalized tuition and tuition centres. Then it will be easier to level the playing field. Rich parents pay more, poor parents pay less or subsidized. Now I used the term subsidize like no body’s business. I am also getting used to the term compulsory with compulsory payments. No opt out.
 
What do you think?

Putin’s gambit backfiring

It was touted as a great manoeuvre that put Obama on the defensive, like a cornered man. Now the Americans are up to their tricks again, like they did in Iraq and Libya. All they need is a license to take one step and they will walk a mile. In Iraq, they first went in with the WMD inspectors who insisted that everything should come under their microscope, even Saddam’s pubic hair. Sure the Iraqis objected and that gave the impression that the Iraqis were unreasonable. And the rest is history. In Libya, the UN only authorized the western powers to keep a no fly zone over Libya. But they went ahead to bomb the daylight out of Libya and Gaddafi. They murdered both leaders and Assad is next on their wanted list.
 
So, what is new in this Putin gambit? The Americans and their two lackeys in Britain and France as usual went on to interpret everything to their advantage, agreed or not agreed, in the meeting between Kerry and his Russian counterpart Lavrov. They now wanted to impose all kinds of unreasonable terms on Assad to comply and failing which will justify an attack. So, what is so clever about Putin’s gambit?
 
Putin has in a way accepted that it was Assad’s fault, and so his chemical weapons much be destroyed while his enemies’ chemical weapons remain intact. The Americans, the Brits, the French, Israel and all the rebels will be allowed to keep their chemical weapons, in a way admitting that they are not guilty.
 
How clever is Putin to fix Assad up? If he is sure that it was the rebel or anti Assad’s forces that used the chemical weapons, why did he not do anything about it but willingly surrendered Assad to his enemy? It reminds me of Gorbachev and his glasnost that led to the breakup of the Soviet Union. Putin’s stupid gambit could lead to the breakup or downfall of Syria. He is showing a pair of weak hands while facing a bunch of treacherous gangsters who have a penchant for killing civilians and children and dismissing them as collaterals.
 
Now he must make up for it or else Syria and Assad will be history.

His name cannot be mentioned

It is not that his name cannot be pronounced or spoken that will incur the wrath of God. Mentioning his name will bring brickbats instantly, at least to me here in this blog or in any blogs or forum. And if I were to sing him praises, my blog will be torn apart and I may get rotten eggs thrown at me. I will be lucky if my bones are not broken. So I need to be careful when talking about Him.
 
He is the creator of wealth and brought good fortunes to many, and is held in high esteem, even prayed to. In His name many were blessed. Some may fall on their knees in his presence, in awe. That is how powerful he is. And all his opponents were blighted to oblivion. No one can be more powerful than Him.
 
He did what needs to be done, he has everything planned and executed as he wished. At the end of the day, his work is done, complete, and he rests. No one has such good fortune to be able to see everything done in his lifetime to near perfection. His son was installed. His enemies faded away, no one left standing in the name of enemy except the sly ones that passed off as friends. And he is adored by all around him, or feared by those on the dark side.
 
Just the ability to see through and to complete his job, nothing left undone that needs to be done, is such a blessing. He has all the time to do it, in grace and in a leisure pace. Yes He is the man. How many men have such good fortune to be able to call it a day at his own time and calling, and to see his own monuments being erected in his life time? He is untouchable even in his last breath, and surrounded by his loved ones and his admirers and beneficiaries.
 
God will envy Him.

Go to the promised land

Singaporeans are encouraged by a new group of Moses to go to their promised land, overseas. This little paradise that we have created is not good enough for our able and talented, or not meant for them. The talk is to go to all corners of the world. This sing song session is gaining in decibel and the Moses must really believe that this is the way to go.

Let me fast forward to see what it will be like if this call is to take its natural course. Our talented will be moving out to sell their expertises overseas, residing in foreign land, their new promised land. Some may leave their families at home with the maids. Some may rent out their precious and multi millions homes to the mosquitoes or to new tenants. Only the daft and less talented will be left behind in their near to a million dollar public housing.

In the general economy, our industries too will be moving overseas to make their pot of gold. There is no need to worry about hollowing out. Many foreign companies will be welcomed to take over their vacated places, same business or new business, all the same. And the foreigners will also bring in more foreign workers, talented and not so talented, to fill up the shortfalls of manpower as the citizens left for their promised land.

Our paradise and the beautiful and expensive homes will be occupied by foreigners, own or rent, to enjoy the first world city and facilities while our talented will be fighting it out in third world countries for their trophies, roughing it out and taking the risks in foreign land, away from the safety and comfort of the paradise they were used to.

What happens if 50% of the citizens left for their promised land and are replaced by foreigners? Is this a good thing? Why do we work so hard to build a paradise only to be encouraged to vacate it for third world people to share and enjoy? Logical?

When the Europeans were building their empires, they went overseas too. But their missions were different. They left their homes to conquer, to rob, to loot, to bring the resources and gold home for their loved ones to live a life of leisure and to pursue the good life. They went out to bring wealth home, not to abandon their beloved homes. They know where were their homes why they were out conquering the world. Their promised land is still home unless they could turn the foreign land into homes like the USA, Australia and other conquered land. They did not bring in foreigners to fill the vacuum left by them, at least during the glorious days of the empires. The Europeans built their era of renaissance by conquering the world and bringing wealth home. We are emptying our nest of talents.

What are we thinking when we want our talented to go out when paradise is here, when home is here, when all the third world talents or no talents want to be here? And the net effect is to leave a void at home to be filled by the dubious talents of third world countries.

What do you think?

Obama, the Whitemen's tool and pr0xy for mass murder.

Obama might have received the Nobel Peace Prize but right from the beginning he has shown to the world that he is a war monger and a mass killer. He is a willing tool and proxy for White Americans agenda to dominate and control the whole world under White men's hegemony. He takes instructions from his evil masters in the White House, The Senate, Congress and on top the warmongering masters in CIA and The Pentagon where all American wars of aggression and conquest are planned and carried out.

Strictly speaking, Obama has no say in international and foreign affairs . He is only a mouth piece for his White masters and he articulates and acts only what he is commanded to do so. He is only a smoke screen for all the evil designs of the West headed by the White Americans especially in their wars of aggression . When the American drones and military aircrafts and missiles kill thousands of other people their leaders like their president, senators, congressmen and military are praised and considered as heroes. They are all wanton killers and criminals and should be brought before the International Court of Justice for trial and be summarily executed. When  a fellow countryman of victims carries out revenge singulary in killing a white man , it is always blown out of proportions by them that he is a bad man, a killer and murderor.

America and many other European countries hold thousands of nuclear tipped missiles and bombers and store thousands of chemical weapons . They tell us their nuclear bombs and missiles and chemical weapons are clean and for peaceful purposes only. As of old, they are using their military might for aggression and to hold sway over other people  - other countries. Therefore other countries big or small must ensure they too have nuclear and chemical weapons to deter White men's aggression. The White Americans and the Europeans must remember that there is only one planet earth, and we either live together or die together. The White Americans and the Europeans have created enough trouble for other peoples and countries in the last few hundred years . They had genocided over eighty-five million native Americans in North American and over a hundred million in South America. With their military might they had created endless wars of aggression, conquests and destruction that culminated with the most wanton and destructive First World War ( 1914 - 1918 ) and The Second World War ( 1937 - 1945 ). The world has to put a stop to all these acts of wanton aggression or face a Third World War where no one can survive not even the White Americans and the Europeans wherever they may be.

Southernglory1

The Singapore Dream flying high

There was once the American Dream that made many Americans rich or at least promoted to the middle class with reasonably high pay, home ownership and cars and a good life of plenty. This American Dream was real and known world wide that people from across the world came knocking at the American shore. Many foreigners were equally happy with their American Dream.
 
The Chinese flocked to America once the barrier was lifted, to live the American Dream. The early birds caught the worms. Unfortunately the American Dream is crumbling. Many middle class Americans woke up to find the Dream gone. They became the new poor of America. Those from the Third World are still chasing the American Dream as the average American lifestyle is still worth many times their pathetic life in their home countries. This has changed for the Chinese who are starting to go home. Even the Hongkies are going home.
 
There is now a Chinese Dream where many became millionaires and billionaires within a generation, where jobs are aplenty. Many talented Chinese, trained and educated in the best American and western universities and systems are returning to China to chase the Chinese Dream.
 
Those who came to Singapore to chase the Singapore Dream are also returning except for the low level unskilled and semi skilled food court operators and those in Geylang. The Singapore Dream is also crumbling to the educated and professional Chinese. But to the Third World arrivals, the Singapore Dream is still much alive and flying high. Many are dreaming of becoming landlords and business men and women after making their little fortune here. What they earned may not seem much here but on going home they will be much richer and could start a new life with their new found wealth acquired chasing the Singapore Dream. Yes, the Singapore Dream is good to the Third World foreigners.
 
To the Sinkies, the Singapore Dream is changing. The latest is to stop dreaming of a car. Many have stopped dreaming of private properties or even a 5 rm flat. The Singapore Dream to the Sinkies is disappearing just like the American Dream to the Americans. Only the foreigners from poorer and less developed countries are cherishing this Dream, to be rich and to upgrade themselves to the middle class or better, to live better lives. To Sinkies, the new Singapore Dream is to downgrade, to downgrade their expectations, to downgrade their jobs, their homes, and forget about car ownership. Can’t believe it but the new Singapore Dream is all about downgrading.
 
Might as well call it the fleeting Singapore Dream.

Half baked survey or half baked analysts?

While many do not bother much about surveys and survey findings, the latest survey by the Institute of Policy Studies is gaining some traction to the extent that some took it quite seriously. We have a race relations problem. You mean we don’t have a race relations problem until this survey came about? Or do they mean that we won’t have a race relations problem in the future if the right things are done? Heheheh, I didn’t know there are so many children around.

I did a very interesting survey myself and the results were stunning. 10% of the respondents said they will kill their parents. 30% said they will like to swap their parents. 40% will want to sell their wives. 60% of women would want to change their spouses. And 30% are very happy with their mother in laws. This survey was conducted without the input of race, so it is race free. The respondents were from all the races. Would the result be different if race is added? I dunno, but for sure it will rub people up the wrong way and they will be many stereotyping of the races by the analysts and the readers. And they will tell you, see, all racists!

Why would there be 10% wanting to kill their parents? Don’t they love their parents? Should this simple question elicit a 100% result or near there, that they all loved their parents? And 30%, horror, so many want to swap their parents, not happy with the parents who gave birth to them. As for the men who wanted to sell their wives and the wives who wanted to change their spouses, shouldn’t this be the natural response, or should the number be higher given the fact that familiarity breeds contempt, or once you get too close the spots became obvious and more difficult to live with?

And there are 30% who are happy with their mother in laws, the most undesirable part of a marriage equation! Should this be down to 1%?

Should the survey findings be different? Nay, when human nature is concerned, the results are likely to be the same like among every few good men or women there will be a few creeps, a few mad, a few insane. Does anyone really expect a survey on human perceptions of things or opinions be perfectly skewed in one way or another? Just like the Institute of Policy Studies survey, are the 20 or 30% of so called undesirable traits bad, unacceptable or should not be there that people are alarmed by them?

Even if the same person is to take a survey questionnaire, his answers would be different by the days and by his moods or by his gains or losses in the casinos. Surveys or analysts or readers that do not understand the flirtatious and superficiality of human nature would be worked up by the findings of surveys when in fact the answers are just the norm, something that will hardly change because human nature is such, unreliable, fickle and full of themselves.

So is it the problem of half baked surveys, or half baked analysts or half baked respondents? Or is it the fault of half baked readers that find survey results disagreeable or enlightening?

Nobel Peace Prize recipient Obama is a joke

They gave him a peace prize without knowing whether he is a war monger or a peace keeper. Now in his second term as the President of the USA, Obama has proven to be just as eager to conduct war instead of peace. He continued to wage wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan only to shift the tension to East and South East Asia.

Now he is thinking of starting another war in Syria and he said he is going to attack Syria with or without the approval of the UN. In other words, he is defying the world and world opinion, just like George Bush. He is going to war in Syria and rejecting international law which needs the approval of the UN. And the reasons given for this new invasion is very similar to Georgie’s WMD lie. This time the lie is that Assad, the President of Syria, has used chemical weapons to attack the rebels.

The truth is still uncertain and in more probability the work of the Americans or its allies to give the justification for an attack on Syria. And the Americans arrogantly concluded that it must be the work of Assad and not themselves. They have already decided, or fixed the issue and no one is going to prove otherwise. They are the white knights, the good guys, going to save the Syrians. They are going to bomb Syria.

Are they? What if there is conclusive proof that it was the Americans and their allies that used chemical weapons? Would this Nobel Laureatte be prosecuted in the IJC for crimes against humanity?

Go view this interesting video, http://2012indyinfo.com/2013/09/08/obama-torn-to-shreds-by-fox-news-over-syria-seriously-a-must-watch/