Demise of the stockbroking industry is imminent

With the trading volume petering off other than non commission generating computer trades, broking houses are finding it tough going to cover their overheads. Remisiers too are sleeping on their jobs literary with hardly a phone call daily. Many would have qualified as low wage earners going forward and should be entitled to workfare subsidies.

Someone would have to bear the operating costs of brokerages and pressure has been put on remisiers to push their clients to trade more or they would have to cough up the difference in operating cost. Some houses are dangling the carrot to induce sleeping clients to start trading.

All these are meant well measures but failing to understand the real cause of the dying market and are futile efforts, grasping at shadows. Not many investors have much money left to feed the big funds and their gambling computers. When entering the market is a certain loss, who would want to trade even if it is for free? Unless the real cause of the systemic flaws in the market are recognized and removed, the stock market will collapse in increasing speed.

Within a matter of months there could be an exodus of remisiers out of the industry. More would be applying for taxi driving licence as the last resort. Employees of brokerages are bracing up for the red letters as retrenchment is on the card when revenue fails to match operating cost.

How could a healthy and lucrative industry reach such a pathetic plight? Actually the writings were on the wall several years back when all the changes were introduced into the market. Anyone in the industry would know what is happening but no one would want to do anything, and the slide to the bottom and self destruct is only a matter of time.

The white mice syndrome

The famous white mice lab experiment is turning into reality in jam packed Sinkie land. This was an experiment on communal living and how a crammed environment could lead to the inevitable violence and mice eating mice.

A number of mice were introduced into a caged environment. They got along well when there were lesser mice and more space to move around, and more food available. As the population of mice increases, personal space for each mouse gets smaller, and food gets scarcer. At a point when living together becomes a competition for food and space, the mice became violent and even started to eat one another.

The increasing violence in the trains and buses is testimony to the findings of this experiment. The Sinkies are getting more irritated and agitated in the crammed environment and would grow increasingly intolerant and violent. Fighting for seats and space in buses and trains will become a more common daily encounter. Thanks but not thanks to this unthinking drive for growth through the addition of more people into this piece of rock.

Is there no other better solution than this ‘one and only’ solution of increasing population for growth? Is this why the people pay out of this world salary for this out of this world solution? Is this the solution that the people want or reject? Should it be time to find better talented people to run the country with alternative solutions? If there are no better people to lead, and no better solutions other than this ONE solution to solve all problems, this is the beginning of a downward spiral into the abyss.

There are definitely many more talented Sinkies available in this island.

My Holy Order

This is my Church, this is my Holy Order. I run my Church the way I run my Church. I spend my Church’s money the way I spend my Church’s money. Who dares challenge or question what I do with my Holy Order?

Apparently this appears to be the way the Holy Order was run and who dares challenge will be sued and disgraced. One did, was sued and was disgraced.

But time vindicates the righteous. Or is it that there is a bigger God who will take his time to deal with the abusers of power? When time is ripe, Holy Order or whatever, time to go. Time waits for no man.

Which Holy Order will be next to face the maker, the final arbiter of righteousness? Only God knows.

My apologies for the sermon. I am not religious and do not subscribe to any Holy Order.

A decent lawyer, a decent plea….

And a decent man. Some may disagree but that is a matter of opinion.

Howard Shaw pleaded guilty for having sex with an underage prostitute. That’s it. And this is his lawyer’s statement to the court, “Mr. Shaw is not asking for any special treatment” given his family background, said his lawyer Harpreet Singh, who asked the judge to impose a fine instead of a prison term as he had made a “honest and reasonable mistake” in believing the girl was at least 18 at the time of the offence.

Howard knew that his indiscretion had infringed the law and would accept the punishment for it like a man.

Welcome to Sin City

It was a joke, a pun, to call Singapore Sin City. It is no longer a pun and neither joke. The newspapers are splashed with news of corruptions in high places, and sex scandals. They don’t have enough space to write about them.

The clean and green and squeaky prude city is passé. The streets are dirty with litters. The trains smelt of human stench. The monks and priests and those wearing white robes are tarnished and stained.

Sin City is getting more vibrant and colourful. We have achieved as the City of happenings, fun and excitement.