Deflowering of Innocence

The Deflowering of Innocence
There was a time when we were brought up in an environment of love, trust and care. Naturally we trust our authorities that they have our best interest at heart. That everything they do, they do it for the good of mankind. We were brought in the home to trust our parents, to school to believe that the teachers were right, in the military that the generals do it to defend their rights, that the govt have the interest of the people, that the church cares for its people and are accountable to God. We are taught never to question the rights of the authorities.

Until one day when we are hurted and found that we lost our innocence. We realise that there are wicked people who take pleasure to destroy, that there are people who are blind to their zeal, that there are people who are devoid of justice, goodness and of unsound mind. Then we realise that there is no justice, no fairness, no truth in this God-forsaken world.

When we were young, we dream dreams. We dream of eliminating world hunger, of changing the world, or making the world a better place. But now we think of where to earn the next penny for our meal, clear our debts, making ends meet. Now we think about survival day to day, about keeping our sanity, and our the meaning of it all.

Everything that we were taught to be holy has been smeared. In fact, to be holy is to be out of place in this world. We don't call it sin anymore. They called it a mistake, a mistake of our birth, or the outcome of our upbringing. We blame it on the society except ourselves. What is wrong, they call it right and boast about it. They boast about how many people they have slept with, like it is a trophy. They justify war on a a reason that was non-existent. They kill in the name of peace.

Woe woe woe. My soul cries.
There is a time to live, a time to die. A time to build, a time to destroy. A time to dream, a time to awake. Suddenly, my life turn topsy turvy and now my life has stop. The writing project, my toastmastering and just about everything has stop. Probably my days in Toastmasters has stop as sudden as DTM Patrick Oei. The new generation has carry forward the touch into new grounds. Just as Moses pass the baton to Joshua, so must the new generation continues the movement. My days are probably over.

As I see my mother withered like a flower, in her old age, I see her time is coming coming to an end. I feel sad at the closing of a glorious era. I see the difficult childhood of my kids and I fear for their future. For what they turn out to be, I felt responsible and accountable as a father. For the happiness of my wife, I felt responsible as a husband.

The Art of Gibbering

The Art of Gibbering
Authorities loves to use gibberish language to explain away any policies they make. I think they may have learnt it from this website: http://www.andrewdavidson.com/gibberish/

Fail Your Way to Success

Fail Your Way to Success

“Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t all that. You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember, that’s where you will find success.

–Thomas J. Watson

Foreign Talent

Foreign Talent
What is the opposite of foreign talents?
Answer: local idiots

Best Toilets in Singapore

Map of Best 500 Toilets

You won't believe it! We had produced a map of the best 500 toilets in the country. Unique. Probably the first in the world.

The writer in me says, why not compiled a map of the 500 worst toilets in the island. Bad news is good news. Nowadays, bad news seem to sell better than good news - like confession of sex, scandals and sluts.

Bad Boy

Public Image

All the good that America have done for Iraq, if ever there is, no body knows cos the people of Iraq don't see it. All it takes is one rotten incident, and it is shown on TV for all to see, over and over and over again. And now America is the bad boy in the eyes of Iraq. Whatever credibility do they have when they talk about democracy and human rights? Nobody listens anymore. Bad boy, bad boy.

The moral of the story for the PR people? If you do something good, blow your trumpet on TV for all to see. Don't hide it in the closet and nobody knows about it.

Don't Waste Your Suffering

Don't Waste Your Misery

Whatever pain you suffer, don't waste it away. Turn it for good. A wife in China discovered that her husband kept a mistress. She collected evidence abou this affair and successfully file for divorce. Now she started an all female detective agency in her war against wife beaters and unfaithful husbands. Wife-beaters of Chengdu, watch out!

A man lost his dear son to a kidnapper. Out of pain and vengeance, he channeled his anger by starting the America's Most Wanted programme and put the evil ones behind bar.

A mother lost his child to a drunken driver and started MADD - Mothers against Drunk Drivers, to raise awareness of the danger of drunk driving.

A mother in Singapore lost his son to leukemia and started the Bone Marrow Bank.

These are instances of movements that are not started by the government or companies, but by the average individual, driven by a need to right a wrong, to raise awareness. These are not individuals who are armed with degrees or the money. They are driven by the passion deep in their heart. They are driven by the the tears of sorrow. That in their pain, others may find healing and comfort.

The Best of Oxymoron

Book of the Day

If you love oxymoron, here's a book that you must buy.
http://www.oxymoronica.com/thebook.shtml


In a singing competition, a black singer relates his hardship, as tears stream down his cheek.
He said that he went to New York with only $50 in his pocket. He got a job. With his first paycheck, he did use it to pay his rent nor for food. The first thing he did was to buy a keyboard so that he can perform at the subway. He survived on the generosity of the people.

As he stood on the stage and sang his heart out, I'm touched by his determination to make it, his hunger for success, and perseverance against all odds. I'm touched.

But looking inward at myself, I'm saddened by my lack of drive, the lack of hunger and a lack of urgency. Give me one week, and I'll finish in one week. Give me one month, and I'll finish in one month. Give me no deadline, and I'll never get it done. Too much of the good life is not good.

Shock Truth About Malay Language

The Shocking Truth about the Malay Language
The Straits Times dated 4 May 2004 said that "Language experts say there are not more than seven or eight originally Malay words in the national language. The rest of the language was borrowed".

That's shocking. I can't believe it

Passion to Profit

Turn Your Passion into Profit

Aristotle said, "When your passion and the market place intersect, you have found your vocation".

John D Rockefeller III said, "The road to happiness lies in two simple principles: Find what interest you and that you can do well, and put your whole soul into it - every bit of energy and ambition and natural abilility you have".

Jack Nicklaus, the golf legend said, "It is impossible to excel at something you don't enjoy"

Dave Rogers said that failure is simply the art of falling forward.

Bureaucracy Kills a Child

Bureaucracy Kills a Child

The rule in a certain Medical Centre states that children without evidence of legal guardianship will not be admitted.

That's how a 2-year victim of child abuse died when a child-care centre failed to admit her cos of bureaucratic rules. The medical centre refused to admit the child.

The Health Minister said to the staff, "Please use your common sense". You can't blame the staff. They are merely following rules otherwise they will be scolded or get the sack. He should give the lecture to the CEO and management instead.

Say What Should be Said
A top local surgeon wrote his biography to mark his 70th birthday. He has very strong views. I'm sure many share his sentiments.

"Doctors are taught a lot of things that are irrelevant to their practice", he said. Probably a lot of things we learn in schools are outdated because they are based on old syllabus that no longer relevant to the current scenario. An entrenched bureacractic system may not provide the flexibility to adapt to changes.

"Our service and rental costs are higher. We will lose out eventually". Not just in the medical field. Food business is pretty bad in my neighbourhood. One coffee shop wants to upgrade their environment and turn it into aircon foodcourt. Business boom while the other food stall is deserted. It's hard to get a decent bowl of noodle for less than $3.

"There is resistance to new people and new ideas. Call it arrogance," he said. Changes are seldom made bottom up cos somewhere along the transition, the suggestion get shredded and vanished into oblivion. But when directives comes from the top down, it's harder to shred it.

He is worred about the future of a national that lacks a vibrant public space for discussion. He said that the Speakers' Corner was designed to fail. "It's been structured such that no serious person would want to make a speech there".

"If people aren't prepared to say what they should say, then the country is finished. It is the fear of annoying the authorities. People want to ask more questions but would you dare? Singaporeans felt stifled, but they have no guts..If you want to disagree with establishment, you have to be prepared to be punished directly or indirectly", he said.

Strong words indeed.

"Our leaders are good overall, but I think the relationship has been more of fear than love."

He asked, "Why are young people leaving the country? Why are they not reproducing? Is there too much control? Is building a casino an answer?"

The issue of migration was serious enough for the Prime Minister to mention it in his Labour Day Speech. What does he think about them? Migrate and you are a quitter. At the coffee shop, some old men whispered that they are stayers cos they can't afford to quit. Those who quit are probably those who are young, the professional, and those who have the means.

The Next Bestsellers

The Next Best Sellers

Do you want to write the next best selling books in Singapore? As a trend watcher in book titles, here's my prediction. Well, if you are writing it, dont' forget to mention my name.

1. I Slept with William Hung (in my dreams)

2. Everything you want to know about William Hung

3. William Hung Says - The famous sayings of the most well known Chinese in modern times

4. Simon Cowell Says (What's American idol without Simon Cowell?)

5. Yes Minister - Everything you want to know about our New Prime Minister

6. Work Not enough (inspired by Money Not Enough)

7. Excuse Me, Are you a Singaporean Writer?

8. Move Aside Metrosexual - The Revenge of the Geek

9. Mastering Singlish in 30 Hours

10. The Dictionary of Political Correctness (PC)
e.g don't say skinny. Say Slim
e.g don't say fat. Say overweight
e.g don't say 'that's weird'. Say, "that's interesting"

11. The loser's Guide to Winning an Election - Learn it from the winners!

12. Poems for Obituary (People expires everyday. Everyone needs a poem on the last day)

13. Miss Singapore Universe Q&A - A 10-year series Questions with model answers

14. Dictionary of Acronyms

15. A Course in Ethical Scamming. (inspired by ethical hacking). A sucker is born every minute. A sucker a day won't keep the scammer away.

16. An Idiot's Guide to passing the Exam with 'A's.