Crowds at the Esplanade

All the foreign workers are there.

Colours of NDP

Pics of 21 gun salute

Ready, fire and smoke!

My take on Hsien Loong's ND message

Singaporeans from all walks of life shall unite and work together with the govt for a better future in challenging times. This is another version of an all inclusive society, where every man/woman counts, as family, the Singapore family. What can the netizens do to be part of this family, to be embraced as friends and not as foes? If the netizens are going to continue to criticise the policies of the govt, it is unlikely that they will be welcome for tea parties or as friends. Who needs criticisms when everything is being run so well, when the govt is working so hard for the people, who needs people to throw cold water or cast doubts into the works. What would the govt expect then of the netizens? Obvious, please sing more songs of praises, and stop criticising and post cynical remarks. Then we will be family. This, I think, will run counter to the call to Singaporeans not to be complacent, that they can go on holiday, or their grey matters can go on holiday, and not to worry. Everything is well taken care off. No need to be vigilant, trust the govt, have faith in the govt that nothing will go wrong? Is this what being a family, be united as one people is all about? If that be the case, the netizens will forever be enemy of the govt. For this is one role that netizens should do as the govt is inevitably surrounded by good people with good intention and good things to say. Anything that is unpleasant will not be spoken or will say it in a way that will not prompt any serious reactions. A system without complaints is like removing the pain sensory mechanism in our body system. Without the ability to detect pain, we will get into serious injury without even knowing. The criticisms of netizens is a feedback to the govt, a very strong feedback that is good for the govt to take note. A wise govt will not dismiss criticisms as simply bad, simply anti govt and the bearer of such criticisms or bad news as anti establishment, not with the govt, not for the govt and people. Will our govt be enlightened enough to accept and embrace the positive side of netizens or criticisms? Very difficult I think. Look at the national day honours, or invitation lists to govt functions, how many opposition politicians are honoured? The netizens or people with opposing views are also with the govt to want a better Singapore. It is for the govt to work with them, together, as a people, for the betterment of the country.

When verbal acrobatics rule the day

When monk tries to justify a high living lifestyle of a millionaire as acceptable in present day, when words were twisted or given new meanings to justify the unjustifiable to the point of being deceitful, it won't last very long when the truth will come crashing down on the philanderers. The people were told to live within their means, buy things only if they can afford while on the other hand people wanting to raise their million dollar salary because a Lamborghini is now priced beyond their reach. What kind of logic are we led to believe in? Put it in simple layman lingo, if you have $1, find what $1 can buy and be happy with it, you losers. But for me, when my toy is now $2m instead of $1m, I want my salary raise to get my toy. Get it? That is my logic. This is the meaning of affordability to me. I make my income affordable, to buy anything I want. For the losers, your income is fixed and you get what it can get for you. The meaning of affordable is being stretched, logically of course, to mean different things to different people. It is like shifting the goal post every year, today here tomorrow there. Let's see how this twisted definition of affordable means over time. Once, a 3 room flat can be paid up with a mortgage of 10 years by a single income worker. That was affordable. Then it needs a 20 year mortgage. A new kind of affordable definition. Without realising it, the meaning of affordable becomes a 20 year mortgage to be paid by 2 incomes. And it went on to a 30 year mortgage with 2 incomes. Still affordable, sure, correct sir. Soon affordability will be defined by 2 incomes from two generations or 4 incomes, including the parent's incomes to buy a 3 room flat. It will still affordable. What else is new?