plenty of charity money, still not enough

It is reported that 18 IPCs, Institute of Public Characters, or charitable organisations, have at least $10 mil in their reserves. Another 18 have less than $5 mil in reserves. These work out to be $180 mil plus about $90 mil or $270 mil in their savings. There are also hundreds of smaller charitable organisations. There are many govt or quasi govt charitable organisations with lots of funds. Comcare alone has $600 mil. Not sure how much savings the NKf still have. But together, there is a huge sum of money to help the needy and can do a lot of wonders. There is no reason for people to jump down from flats or onto MRT tracks. Why are these money not reaching the people who badly needed them? Is it because they are savings for another day just like our CPF? Don't spend first. Save for tomorrow. Must be prudent. Are we more concern about tomorrow than the plight of people who cannot feed themselves today, that today is the people's problem and tomorrow is the fund managers problem? For a rich country like ours, to have so much money for charity, and still not enough, looks like the problem of the needy is really a very big one. I think we should be more circumscribe in trying to raise money to send students overseas to have a smell of foreign air when they return only to be less desirable than the genuine foreign talents. They will still not be regarded as foreign talents.

more novel ideas to save water

For the hardlanders it is very important that they should save on everything. Every single cent counts and it is good that there are campaigns to help and teach them to save, including 1 litre of water a day. Actually there are many novel ways of saving waters and money. They can delay flushing their toilets if they urinate. Flush only when they shit. After all saving money is more important than a little cleanliness and a little personal hygiene. The pigstys were cleaned maybe once a week. So should be ok if people don't flush their toilet so often. Another way is to visit the neighbourhood kopitiams or MRT stations to use their toilets. That would save more water. What else can they save? When they take MRT or buses, try to alight one or two stations before the destination and walk the last leg. Walking is good too and can be regarded as an exercise. They can skip a meal a day. Now that will be big savings. About $3 a meal can be saved. If that is not enough, eat instant noodles. For 60c a pack a meal, 3 meals a day or $1.80 daily, wow, who says living in Singapore is expensive. But please don't look down on them or tell them to get out of your elite faces. They are trying very hard to live within their means. And they need to or else the next transport increase or charges on essential services will not be affordable. Please contribute your ideas to help them save more. A few cents are also important.

effective ways of saving water

The most effective way to save water. I used to bathe twice a day. Now I bathe once a day. But to get extra savings, instead of taking a 5 minute bath, I have reduced it to 3 minutes. If the water fee is going to go up further, I will make do with bathing once in 3 days. Now that should be great savings. And all my washing, crockery, clothing etc shall use lesser water. One pail of water for the whole house and wash once a month. One pail of water to wash all the clothing. Now where shall I go for my $200 dinner with all the savings?

NUS alumni

Only 1% of NUS Alumni donated about $960k to a fund set up to provide bursaries to undergraduates for enriching programmes. Presumably the bursaries will only be given to local students. The main reason given for the poor response is that it is the Govt's responsibility. Now we have the elite taking a stand against another elite organisation, ie the graduates against the graduate's alumni. Both are supposed to be thinking people. Now who is more thinking? Should the graduates donate to help undergraduates? Or should the govt do it? Or is this another duplication of charitable work, a bursary created because someone thinks that it is a good idea or they need to do something like a charity? It seems like a fad here that everyone given an opportunity would like to raise fund to do charity. Isn't it strange that a first world affluent nation needs so many charities to help so many people and still some falling through the cracks and like someone phrased it, into the track? Is charity or bursary about helping the needy to cope with basic needs and tuition fees? Or is it meant for some luxuries like overseas attachments or enriching programmes which are now regarded as a necessity while the products are always below par compare to foreign talents? Why waste all these money or ask for donations to pursue something that is good to have, but the past times of rich kids? Does the Alumni thinks that they have a good and reasonable cause to ask for donation? I would like to start a charity for our primary school children to have attachment programmes in American Schools in the US. Anyone want to donate? It will give them a very enriching experience. Why can't the govt provide these if it can provide for so many foreign students here?

I want my blue dolphin fountain.

I want my blue dolphin fountain. There is this resident by the name of Lucky Tan who voted for a blue dolphin fountain to be built in his estate. He got it and is so happy with it. Whenever he is down and unhappy, all he needs to do is to spend 10 minutes beside the blue dolphin fountain. And all his worries will disappear. In the next election I think all the residents will want a blue dolphin fountain in their estates. And whichever party offers this magical fountain will definitely win the election. It is a pity that the estate of Tan Jee Suan did not have a blue dolphin fountain. Otherwise all his worries will be gone. Well it is all gone now. If only Tan Jee Suan's estate has an upgrading programme. If only 75% of the constituents voted for upgrading, Tan Jee Suan will have his blue dolphin fountain. Never mind if he had only $16 in his pocket. They will make it so affordable and so easy to pay. 10 years or 20 years instalments using his CPF. And if he does not have sufficient CPF, they will send him a gentle reminder every month in the form of a pink letter and gently telling him about the consequences if he does not pay. For people like Tan Jee Suan, their letter boxes must be stuffed regularly with pink letters from HDB, PUB, Telecom, Schools, and what not. But they must have got use to them. Lets vote for a blue dolphin fountain so that it can take all their worries away.