Knock knock, who’s there

Hi, it’s your friendly MP. Please open the door.

Yes MP, what can I help you?

Oh, is this yours?

What is that?

It’s a diaper?

No, that’s not mine.

Then what about this pad?

No, not mine either. Thank you and good day.

And the MP moved on to the next door. Knock knock, who’s there. It is really tough and labourious job to be an MP. The latest chore is to carry a piece of soiled diaper or sanitary pad going door to door looking for the owner. And the more capable ones would have to deal with little puppies put to sleep prematurely and pricking the conscience of dog lovers. There are plenty of expensive and pedigree stray dogs that need attention and tender loving care out there.

What else is expected of our talented MPs with a string of degrees and being top professionals in their fields? Catching snakes or catching spiders or chasing wild boars and monkeys straying into housing estates? Checking longkangs for mosquitoes is also an important part of a MP’s duty too.

Now who else, with all their high qualifications and income would want to be a MP and to do this kind of work? The pay is good though, $16k for a part timer. Cannot hiam right?

Reinvitation for Obama

A few days back Simon Tay wrote about a reinvitation or a standing invitation to Obama to visit Asean again after he missed his last fling because of the govt shutdown. Asean countries really missed him and the Asean Summit turned out to be so dull, no threats, no call for sanctions, no thumping of fist, no American fleet floating around.

Among the things that Simon Tay reminded Obama to bring along should he take up the reinvitation are: 1. No need to bring economic presents like Xi Jinping did. 2. No need to bring anti Chinese rhetoric. 3. Be mindful of American allies like Japan and the Philippines egging for a fight with their maritime dispute with China. ‘…keep it soothing , rather than possiblky stirring more actions or proclamations.’ 5. Better to update the Asean countries of US China relations as this really matters to Asean countries.

Indeed the last Asean Summit was a dull one without Obama’s presence and his leadership to stir up more shit to offer the military might of the 7^th Fleet to back any Asean country that is willing to take on the Chinese or to claim more of the islands that the Chinese are claiming. Without the tension the adrenalines failed to flow and the leaders ended up partying and making friends instead of threatening each other.

Obama’s absence was greatly felt and is greatly expected to return to show that the Americans are the boss and to set the agenda and lead the Asean states to military glory. For those who are expecting more fireworks, it was a big disappointment. Abe must be feeling that he had wasted him time for attending the Summit. The Pinoys must be feeling empty for not given the chance to demand a couple of mothballed American battleships to battle the Chinese coastguards.

Hail Obama, you are missed by your Asean friends.  We need your fireworks. The Chinese would not be able to colonise the area. We were reminicising on our good old colonial days and perhaps the American Empire could help us to relive those glorious days to be colonies again.

Ang Hin Kee – Don’t blame external factors…

And Hin Kee, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, said, ‘ I have been to crowded places and seen how people accommodate one another. You have a choice. Don’t blame external factors for our behavior.’ Ang was referring to the anti social behavior of the hooligan who spat at the two female commuters and threatening to hit one of them if not stopped by a SMRT staff.  Ang should experience the rush hour crowds at MRT interchange and then ask if the commuters have a choice not to be there.

I would like Ang Hin Kee to read the study on how white rats behaved when overcrowded and the comments by psychologist Joel Yang, ‘that commuters may become “increasingly angrier” and tend to react negatively to minor annoyances as Singapore’s population density increases.’ Yang also added, ‘It has been widely researched in major, densely populated cities that crowding is linked to anxiety, frustration, aggression, and inappropriate social interaction.’

Do Sinkies have a choice on whether the island should continue to get more crowded and not less? Do Sinkies have a choice on the 6.9m population planning number or the unceasing influx of foreigners here?

Ang Hin Kee said, ‘You have a choice.’ Now what this choice? Can Sinkie stop the 6.9m population from happening? Did anyone give the Sinkies a choice? Who should Sinkies blame for the crowded environment? Yes don’t blame external factors. The foreigners can only come here to flood this place because of internal factors. They are invited to be here like swarms of locusts. And Sinkies have a choice to stop this.

How to turn friends into enemies the American way

Beginning of the week we heard the Saudis were so angry with the Americans that they were reassessing and realigning their security arrangements to distance themselves from them. And to think that the Saudis have been the staunchest American allies among the Arabs in the Middle East, excluding Israel, must be a cause for concern.
 
What happened flowing this episode is more astounding. First the Mexicans, than the Brazilians, then the French, followed closely by the Germans, all blooming mad about the Americans spying on the conversations of their leaders. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff had cancelled an official visit to meet Obama. French President Hollande is reconsidering how to respond to his American threat. German Chancellor Merkel was furious and had called Obama direct on the hotline. This is not how to treat your allies, snooping at their conversations like they were enemies. Obama has assured her that the CIA would stop doing it and not to do it in the future. Quite a comforting thought.
 
Thanks to Edward Snowden, all the worms of American treachery and betrayal are crawling all over. The ugly Americans and their disregard and disrespect for their allies are making their allies turning red in embarrassment for being treated so badly and dismissively.
 
No one can destroy the Americans. Only the Americans can do it themselves. The rot and decline have appeared on the surface and looking very ugly. Who else will be next to know that the Americans have been screwing their arses while they were in bed together?

Swee Say - minimum wage is a zero sum game

This is what Swee Say said and I fully agree with him. Setting a minimum wage is a zero sum game. When you have to make sure the low level workers be paid a minimum wage that is higher than what they are getting, it affects the overall payroll. With a cake of fixed size, the rest will have less to share.
 
I dunno if this same logic applies to the high pay and bonuses of top management. Is it also a zero sum game, that when they are paid so much, the low level workers must get less. Zero sum game is like that. The total sum is fixed, and when someone gets more, someone must get less.
 
But there are exceptions. In some circumstances, the top can get as much as they want without affecting the zero sum game formula, because the cake can be blown bigger if the supply of income is unlimited. Talented top management would know how to ensure that the money coming in is always growing and so it is alright if they are paid millions and millions. It would not affect what the low level workers would be paid. Tiok boh? The zero sum game formula thus does not apply.
 
What do you think?