High COE prices going to disrupt family life

Hooray, my old car has appreciated in value. Many old car owners are jubilant and praying that the COE prices will continue to rise, to hit the $100k mark. And in tandem the value of their old cars will rise as well. But beware, this orgasm is short lived. Just one last time. No more orgasm subsequently for many. After the old car’s life span is expired, some would not be able to cough out another $100k for a new COE and a new car. Many have the same experience in owning HDB flats. Prices going up, happy like hell. But don’t ever sell, no chance to buy back unless one still got one more chance with the HDB. What is disturbing in the two great price hikes is how they will eat up the limited disposable incomes of many families. Some families rely heavily on the car for their mobility, to bring children/seniors to schools, to care givers, to all kinds of classes and activities. Minus the car, life is going to be very disruptive and miserable. But there are convenient and easily accessible public transports available, the MRT, buses and the taxis. When time is an issue with tight schedules, shuttling between work, home, schools, tuition centres, parent’s homes etc etc, it is going to be hectic and a frustrating waiting game for taxis even if they can afford to. Our social system is getting to be less caring and less family friendly. Can families who really need the car make do without them? Is the high COE prices really unavoidable, like high HDB prices, high medical prices? Where are we going? For the sake of the poor motorists and those who really need a car, the present COE bidding system must be changed. No more stupid explanation that it is the best system. For one, no bidding by car companies. Two, the bidders shall pay the price they bid and not the lowest. This will prevent the crazily rich from bidding $100k or $200k for his COE knowing that they need not pay for what they bid. And neither can the car companies bid as high as they want while the helpless real buyers suffered in silence. Let’s hope the super talents will use their talents for the good of the motorists. But worst is to come. When more people give up car ownership, the MRT is going to be bursting in the seams. And they would be another good opportunity to hike fares to provide better services!

Lessons from WikiLeaks

When the Americans come a calling, and pretending to be seeking advice and tapping one’s wisdom, the best thing is to shut up. The second best thing is to say only good things, even about your foes. This will save a lot of embarrassment when what is said in confidence is aired in the open. Giving advice is a great honour only reserved for the wise ones. Being asked to give advice and opinion is quite flattering. But beware of the ego and don’t get carried away. What is spoken can be used to compromise one’s position and standing in the eyes of friends and foes. With hindsight, I think all diplomats would be wiser now. The Americans have blown their wicked intent for the last time and never will be given a second chance. But suckers will be born everyday and some will still think very highly of themselves and will continue to offer more advices and more opinions to the Americans. The Americans will be laughing themselves silly that these were given free of charge, and willingly. All they to do is to stroke the ego a little to get it excited.

From one scam to another scam

The New York Attorney is taking Ernst and Young to task for its role in misleading the public that led to the collapse of Lehman Brothers. The fall of Lehman Brothers resulted in a worldwide financial crisis culminating in several big banks going under as well. Many investors lost heavily from the fiasco. The first strange thing about this is that it will be a civil suit brought by the New York Attorney General against Ernst and Young for aiding Lehman to mislead investors. Why it is not a criminal suit in the first place is quite funny. Maybe it is meant to be a joke. Whatever, it is good that finally the law is catching up with the most important partner of crimes against the innocent masses at a scale that is beyond comprehension. The auditing companies have so far been left untouched in many cases of fraud or misleading the investors across the world. Somehow they are always free from prosecution. They are blameless when in reality they were the one that played a vital role in hiding all the frauds in the financial statements. More needs to be sued and put behind bars. This brings me to the second strange thing in this civil suit. The accused is the inanimate institution and not any of the senior executives. The humans who made all the decisions, committed all the frauds, were free from blame. It is the lifeless institution called Ernst and Young that was at fault. How ridiculous can it be? Sounds very familiar too, huh! So, from one big scam, the New York Attorney is going to create another bigger scam. No human bean is at fault or to be held responsible. It is very, very neat indeed. This is first class American rubbish. And the robbers are still wining and dining in their mansions and yachts around the world.

More colourful words in the media

Not many days ago Tommy Koh was said to have commmented that India was half in and half out. Quite an interesting expression that left many wondering what he meant. Today I read that India is deeper into Singapore. Hmmmm, what does that mean: ) Tomorrow the media may report that Singapore is getting wet. Too much rain in the December season I suppose. Or it may be India is pulling out!

The psychopaths in South Korea at it again

South Korea has announced that it will be holding the biggest live firing drill this Thursday 50km from the North Korean border. The scale of the drill is unprecedented. If this is not provocation, what is? The failure to lure the North Koreans to retaliate last Monday seems to have agitated the psychopaths in South Korea to a point of frenzy. They must do more to provoke the North Koreans. These irresponsible and reckless lunatics in Seoul need to be put in an asylum for the good of the Korean people. The UNSC must act to stop all the provocations from the South Koreans. The other two third of the evil Trinity are keeping mum. The western media are keeping mum. They are all waiting for the North Koreans to react. I thought the insanity is over and the Korean race is safe. I am being too presumptious and too optimistic about the psychopaths in charge. When will the South Koreans rise in revolt against them? When will the UN stand up to stop this madness? Don't count on the Americans and the Japs to stop the South Koreans. They are part of the evil scheme. Go on, blame the North Koreans!