NASA- The end of the world again?

‘With rising population, depleting natural resources and stretching social divide, civilization could be facing collapse within the next few decades, according to a scientific study funded by NASA. And if you think this is a load of scaremongering, it’s happened before. Remember the Roman Empire?
 
In the report conducted by applied mathematician Safa Motesharri, his “Human And Nature Dynamical” (Handy) model claims “the process of rise-and-collapse is actually a recurrent cycle found throughout history.”....
 
Our modern world might appear to be pretty sure of itself, with advanced technologies helping people live longer and revolutionizing everyday life, but this might be to blame. Using his theoretical model, Motesharri explored several factors and ran different scenarios that could lead to the collapse of industrial civilization, and found a breakdown of society could arise from rapid global population growth and unsustainable resource exploitation.
 
And as resources are depleted, they will become more expensive. This is where he further states that “economic stratification” — where society is further divided based on wealth — will create “Elites” (rich) and “Masses” (poor), with the Elites being responsible for over-consuming, leaving the Masses in famine....’
The above is extracts of a commentary posted in The Real Singapore. It quoted the source of this report as from a mathematician, Safa Motesharri, from NASA. How could this be true? We are still trying very hard to grow our population from 5m to 10m and some wanting more. Where got population explosion, where got problem with depletion of resources?
 
I think this Moesharri guy is referring to the rest of the world except Singapore. Singapore got all the resources money can buy, all the land to take in another 10m people and all the advanced technologies to make life even better. The rest of the world’s civilisation may perish but not in Singapore. Maybe that is the reason why all the billionaires are flocking here. Singapore will not expire because of population explosion or lack of resources.
 
We need more population for growth, so said our experts. What is this nonsense about the end of the world? Don’t believe in NASA. Obviously NASA did not have the best talents on earth. They are all here in Singapore.

Kopi Level - Green

3rd World descending onto Sin City

The unbelieveable happened. A few days ago it was a foreign woman letting her child shitting near a MRT station. The latest, a grown up woman shitting right in the middle of a passage way in Holland Village next to the MRT station, in broad daylight, in the midst of pedestrians passing by. She just squatted there with her pants pulled and faece on the smooth and clean polished granite floor. Can you believe it?
 
I really dunno what to say. In the case of the child, some bloggers even commented that when nature calls, what to do? Must shit means must shit. And here this woman did just that.
 
Please don’t blame it on the Singaporeans. I think this must be a once in 50 years incident. Have never heard of this kind of things happening here in the last 50 years! Real one.
 
I would suggest that all foreigners be invited for an integration party and be briefed that this is not the way we do things here. Just because it is normal in their countries, it is not normal here. Oh, please don’t accept this as the new normal.

Kopi Level - Green

America shall reap what it sowed

What the Americans had done to Iraq, Egypt, Libya and Syria and to the Palestinians are way too far from redemption. They have unleashed a force so vicious and deadly that they would not know what hit them when it hits them. The story is unfolding and America shall pay and pay dearly.

There is another act in East Asia, another uncontrollable and destructive force that the Americans could contain but chose to unleash for its short term interest. This short sightedness could cost the Americans dearly one day.

The Americans were victims of the most vile and vicious attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbour. The sneak attack, without warning, caught the Americans with their pants down and till today many are still crying under the water of Pearl Harbour, not knowing what hit them or who did it. And some silly Americans were still dramatising and praising the Japanese for their spirit of bushido, honour and righteousness.

When President Truman dropped the A bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he vowed that America would make sure Japan would not be able to make war again. And the Americans did that for 60 years. The Americans could not prevent the Japanese from making war in WW2. They did not know how ambitious and vicious were the Japanese. They believed the Japanese were honourable men of peace and let Japan developed into the biggest Asian power militarily, and the ability to wage war across the earth. No one could blame the Americans then for the aggression of the Japanese across Asia and across the Pacific Ocean to deal the Americans the deadly blow below the belt.

Today, the Americans could stop Japan from making war again. Instead, the Americans gave Japan the green light to make war, to have the power to wage war. And the short sighted Americans thought it was good. They forgot the lessons of Pearl Harbour. They are thinking that the new Japanese were also honourable men like their predecessors in WW2. Perhaps they knew that the Japanese have not changed but they were only using the Japanese to contain China, to fight the Chinese, and think the Americans could reap the benefits without having to pay a price. America must not forget that what it sowed it shall reap.

To allow Japan to remilitarise, to wage war far and wide, does not guarantee that the Japanese would not do a Pearl Harbour version 2.0. The Americans shall pay dearly, more dearly this time round, for their irresponsible act of allowing Japan the capability to make war. All things come full circle, and there is no exception.

American exceptionalism would not escape this exception when Japan is rearmed and again able to conduct war across the Pacific Ocean. Yes, what you sowed you shall reap. Japan was a rogue nation and is still a rogue nation given a chance.

Kopi Level - Green

How does an insurance company make money?

When you are young and healthy, they sell you life insurance. And they win if you live long long till the expiry date of the insurance. So they pray you live long long and pay your premiums long long.
 
And when you live long long, near your expiry date, they sell you annuities. And they make money when you don’t live long long, for they need not pay you annuities for long long.
In the first case they pray you live long long. In the second case they wish you well.
 
Interesting thought from a blogger who made a comment in TRE. The blogger said the insurance companies actually placed a bet on your life in both cases. First case play long, second case play short.

Kopi Level - Green

CPF savings not enough

‘According to a recent survey by Manulife, only one in 5 Singaporeans feel confident that their CPF savings will be sufficient for them to retire comfortably.
 
The survey, which was conducted online with over 500 respondents over the last three months, found that almost half (47%) believed that they didn't have enough CPF savings to meet even their basic retirement needs.’ Posted in TheRealSingapore
 
What to make out of this survey? The first thought, let’s make sure that the 80% would have enough CPF savings when they retired. Let’s help them! One way is to make sure that they save more. If 50% of their income not enough, make them save 60%. This should help. If not, increase to 70%. This should be easy. The second option is spend less, to stop them from buying properties that they cannot afford and at too high a price. This option may be a bit difficult to implement as all of them would swear the properties they are buying are affordable, especially HDB flats. And they will quote the ministers as the authority that HDB properties are affordable. The problem part is that the 80% most probably bought HDB flat and now say they would not have sufficient savings for retirement. Don’t ask me why. The third option, make sure they can only take out their CPF savings 5 years before they are about to die. As an example, if they are to live to 100 years, allow them to take out their savings at 95. Like that sure got enough. But problem is how to know they will expire in 5 years? Maybe can ask god.
 
Another way to look at this problem is to question what they meant by not enough? Are they thinking of living like a king, a minister, a civil servant or an ex PME? If they are thinking of living like the first 3, then even if they contribute 80% of their income to CPF also not enough. But if they think like living like an ex PME, willing to be taxi drivers until they expire, then whatever they have in their CPF, or don’t have, also got enough. Ex PMEs are more down to earth and would probably downgrade to eat in the hawker centres. They would also be happy to drive their taxis till the last day. So got or no got CPF, never mind as long as they can drive their taxis. Can’t imagine them be cleaners or security guards at 90 years old,
 
So, looks like the problem is about explanations or is it expectations. Want to eat in restaurant sure not enough. Want to eat in foodcourt maybe enough, maybe not enough. But if happy to eat in hawker centre, sure enough.
 
So, what is the problem with the survey findings? Want to tell them not enough and then help them by increasing their savings to 60% or 70%? Or want to tell them the hard truth, everything is enough if don’t buy expensive affordable HDB flats and eat in hawker centres? See, no problem right? Or shall I con them by agreeing with them that money not enough so that I can help them, to save more for the future and eat lesser now?
 
Tiok boh?
 
PS: I have not told them the secret formula…sell their homes, sure enough.

Kopi Level - Green