Not for love of money, but of Humanity. "Greater is he who works for the good of all, then he who works for the good of himself only" ~ Matthew 25:40: "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"- (NIV). I live in Singapore where the Emperor must not be disturbed.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Cycling (health, environmentalism) on Singapore roads is hazardous, and near impossible- here's why.

SMRT bus-drivers bitten by bed-bugs: a national road safety hazard?
"With regard to complaints from PRC drivers that there are bed bugs at the dormitories, which were provided by private operators, SMRT said that fumigation works were scheduled at the Woodlands dormitory but have not been carried out yet. SMRT acknowledged that swifter action could have been taken to improve the conditions of the dormitories." [Source: 'SMRT: We continue to value services of PRC drivers' (TR, 28Nov2012)]



[Bus crashes into traffic light at Woodlands(July2010)]

I think that something needs to be urgently done about this matter (amongst many other issues)- a bus driver who didn't sleep well the night before (bitten by bed-bugs) might not concentrate properly on driving his bus and thus might meet with an accident causing both fatalities and severe property damage- especially where SMRT bus drivers have to work 6 days a week and do not have guaranteed inflation protection on their salaries (e.g. if inflation is 5-10%, their salaries should be increased accordingly just to be fair).

That said, perhaps Singapore is really going for broke regarding GDP- once, bullock carts, hand carts, rickshaws and even horse carriages traversed our streets without hindrance, currently, with bug bitten bus drivers and the 'tail wag the dog' give way to buses scheme, even cycling on Singapore roads is now DANGEROUS.

Instead of striving ever harder each day to own a car buy only to scrap it when one's condo car-park floods due to global warming causing erratic rainfall and global sea level rise- wouldn't it be better if every Singaporean could be proud of his/her right both exercise and transport oneself by using cycling as a mode of transport- regardless of whether one owned a personal car?

Now foreigners will hate Singaporeans for exploiting them for cheap labour whilst having to endure inhumane living conditions whilst Singaporeans fear sleepy bus drivers as well as each other since everyone considers roads an F1 racetrack, getting full worth of the COE paid by burning up as much fossil fuel as humanly possible so as to accumulate the most money possible.
Singaporeans fighting each other and exploiting foreigners just to obtain a private car and the glamor of personal wealth.

Ultimately, all humanity will suffer, as Singapore leads the way,
cart before horse, tail wagging the dog, lipstick on the pig, all over, everywhere, Singapore aggravates global warming as it seeks to lead the way ['Singapore's dirty accolade: Asia-Pacific's biggest carbon footprint' (CNN, 06Mar2012)],
And all the $$$ will print/ own will earn no one a place in heaven.
Land of damnation, here we come.
Sigh.


[Millions in exotic cars go swimming in flooded Singapore garage(Jun2011)]

[1923 Hyperinflation in Germany: A woman burns German marks in the furnace to heat the home during the peak of the Weimar Germany hyperinflation. ]
==================
At:
A1:
04Dec2012: Cycling (health, environmentalism) in Singapore is hazardous, and near impossible- here's why.
SGC:
04Dec2012: Cycling (health, environmentalism) in Singapore is hazardous, and near impossible- here's why.
04Dec2012: Mother says cycling is dangerous.....
HWZ:
04Dec2012: Cycling (health, environmentalism) in Singapore is hazardous, and near impossible- here's why.
SBY:
04Dec2012: Cycling (health, environmentalism) in Singapore is hazardous, and near impossible- here's why.
Sbikes:
04Dec2012: Cycling (health, environmentalism) in Singapore is hazardous, and near impossible- here's why.
REACH:
04Dec2012: Cycling (health, environmentalism) in Singapore is hazardous, and near impossible- here's why.

04Dec2012: Cycling (health, environmentalism) in Singapore is hazardous, and near impossible- here's why.

04Dec2012: Cycling (health, environmentalism) in Singapore is hazardous, and near impossible- here's why.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

'Give Way to buses scheme'= senseless, draconian public policy?

Solution to long bus commuter times is more frequent bus services and bus lanes, not cart before horse 'Give Way to buses scheme'

Isn't it common sense that one easy way for a bus to exit a bus bay is for another to enter it?
A bus seeking to enter a bus bay would obviously block off all oncoming traffic so that the bus exiting it would then easily exit (where road dimensions do not permit the provision of bus lanes).

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Bank failure in Singapore- is PM Lee is sleeping with the enemy?

PM Lee says that he cannot regulate banks; time to put your $$$ in portions of $50k in different Singapore banks?
Saw the following news report about PM Lee saying that he cannot really tell the difference between retail banking and investment banking functions that some banks operate: 'Regulating tightly 'not always feasible'' [ST, 08Oct2012] : e.g. your savings earning 0.1% interest p.a. could be (mis)used by some banks to bet on extremely risky 'investments'- futures/ derivatives/ CFD/ CDO/ CDS etc etc, with potential benefits (banker's bonuses) but equally high downsides: see 'Rogue trader costs UBS $2 billion' [CNN, 19Sept2011] which losses cannot help but be translated into share holder losses, (SG inc. not being spared): 'Singapore Inc. Facing $7.4 Billion UBS Loss Tops Chain of Soured Bank Bets' [Bloomberg, 27Sept2011].

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Madam Vellama Marie Muthu and the health of democracy in Singapore.


Re: AGC seeks legal costs against resident in Hougang by-election case
by Kimberly Spykerman Updated 10:11 PM Oct 08, 2012
Having a constitutional case against SG govt (AGC) in court is like going to the casino, whomsoever has more $$$ to hire Senior/ Queens council (raise the stakes) will win the case, then bankrupt the opposition so that it would no longer exist. Happened before, still happens now.
Justice here it seems, sides with the wealthy in Singapore.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Govt S$1.1Billion public bus services cash injection, shouldn't commuters expect a 12.0% bus fare 'discount'?

According to 'S$1.1b bus services scheme not for operators' profit: Lui Tuck Yew' [CNA, 09July2012]: "Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew on Monday said the implementation details of the S$1.1 billion Bus Services Enhancement Programme (BSEP) to ramp up bus capacity over the next five years have largely been sorted out.... Mr Lui said the first of the 550 buses under the BSEP will go on the roads in September."

Monday, July 9, 2012

Current Foreign worker levy system- is it unnecessarily confusing, a waste of manpower and time?

The immediate problems with the current system ('Levies & quotas for hiring Foreign Workers') are multifold:
- Current problems with:
  • Phantom Singaporean/ PR workers [tremeritus. e.g.],
  • False declaration of qualifications,
  • False declaration of salary band and corporate tax evasion through salary refund schemes (worker refunding employer agreed portion of salary),
  • Misuse of one type of permit for other types of work: e.g. maids helping behind scenes with employer's hawker business.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Why most wealth in the world today is illusory to begin with.

Why most wealth in the world today is illusory to begin with.
Re Thread: Is more debt worth Keynesian policy?
Unless a country has previously held on to budget surpluses to cultivate a savings account, it will not be possible to pursue Keynesian policy in a recession (increasing government spending) without increasing debt in the near term.
[emphasis here and as follows= added]

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

For all accidents, insurers in Singapore compensate 3rd party victims first, reclaim eventual financial liability later.

View Post ponpokku wrote:
Re Thread:[Ferrari accident] Should assets of Ma Chi be frozen immediately for (re-)compensation?
u r making a mountain out of a molehill.
and no, personal pocesssions shall not be trespassed. if we allowed the govt to do that to ma chi's properties, it would happen to us one day with some dumb reasons. i can never under-estimate how low the govt can go.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

[Ferrari accident] Not reclaiming compensatory costs from Ma Chi's estate would be symbolism that in Singapore, crime does indeed pay.

Hospital/ Insurers not recovering compensatory costs from Ma Chi's (>S$3.4M) estate would be admission that crime in Singapore does indeed 'pay'.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

How giving up one's seat on the bus can save our economy and oneself some $$$.

How giving up one's seat on the bus to the needy can save our economy by reducing taxes for all.

[Img Source: Girl Refuses To Give Seat To Disabled, Slapped By 100 RMB]

Thursday, May 31, 2012

True religion is putting one's faith in sensible ideals/ things (/ right God :).).

Quote:
Originally Posted by knyghtryder (31May2012) View Post
Re: Is religion a mental illness?
I know what you are charging TS with. But I have other issues with what TS has posted, which are contained in my post. What I don't understand is why you don't seem to allow other people to post their own views if they differ from yours.
I do not agree that TS is making the mistaken premise of 'association fallacy' so why would I wish to charge him with something you've already charged him with especially when I do not share your point of view?

Friday, May 11, 2012

Political allegiance should never be factor in the provision of legal aid to needy Singaporeans.

I read with deep concern an article 'Subhas Anandan to offer free legal aid to Hougang residents if Desmond Choo is elected' [TemasekTimes, 11May2012]: "Prominent criminal lawyer Subhas Anandan has joined in the fray in Hougang by promising to set up a legal bureau at Hougang Community Club to offer free legal aid to Hougang residents if PAP candidate Desmond Choo wins the by-election on 26 May!"

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Higher, harmonized property taxes with asset re-distribution: the key to sustained national progress and cohesion.

... because rich in Singapore shouldn't luxuriate at the expense of the poor.

On 03May2012, a Singaporean offered to sell his 12000 sqft(built-in), 20000 sqft / (land) bungalow for $108Million 'S$108m for a Sentosa Cove home' [TODAY, 09May2012].

Is the FED USA's national mafia/ communist/ ponzi scheme?

The following is what some participants in HWZ forums said:


Orig thread: 'Interest rate' solution to inflation- a case of mere optical illusion?

The Fed can control both money supply and interest rates. Becuase they are the bond buyer of last resort if there is no buyer. ...
The only thing that the Fed cannot control is inflation.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

'Interest rate' solution to property price inflation- an illusion/ systematic deception?

Firstly, the general definition of inflation is "The rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising, and, subsequently, purchasing power is falling." [source: investopedia].

Singapore is understood to be using currency exchange (a strengthening Sing dollar) as its main means to combat inflation. ('Singdollar tipped to rise further' [ST,12Apr2012]

In his letter to the Straits Times: 'Use interest rates to control inflation' [ST, 14Apr2012], Mr Yeo Chee Kean mentioned: "However, over the last 10 years, .. inflation is becoming more of a result of a mismatch in domestic supply and demand. This is better addressed with managing interest rates than exchange rates."

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The rich want cheap maids, cheap FT so NO to minimum wage rule in Singapore?

High dependence on cheap maids and cheap foreigners in Singapore: one reason why government will not implement the minimum wage rule? and othr matters

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Interest income tax exemption: a hole in bucket in the Singapore taxation system?

Isn't interest akin to rent payable for the loan of a chattel/ 'property' (money) akin to 'income' as it is in this case?

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

A Simple dichotomy to understand the 2 principle causes of inflation.

A Simple dichotomy to understand the 2 principle causes of inflation.
 Just by my simple observation, though I'm no qualified 'economist'.
Firstly, the definition of inflation [wiki]: "In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time."

Friday, February 10, 2012

TTSH: Patient fell off the bed for his own good.

TTSH: Patient fell off the bed for his own good.
Me thinks that if TTSH is sued, it should be liable for at least 80% of damages sustained as a result of the fall to Ivy Teo's 74yr old father (Mr Teo).
References (Published ST forum: 08Feb2012):
Patient falls after wife's request goes unheeded
Patient reminded to use call bell if he needed help

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Compensate victims losses in Ponzi scheme from winner's profit, so nobody gains.


Thread: The End of SunShine Empire
"Between August 2006 and November 2007, more than 2,000 packages were sold, bringing in about $180 million to Sunshine's coffers.
"In 2007, the Commercial Affairs Department moved in to investigate its dealings. Only $21 million was seized by the authorities.
Where are the rest??

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

ECB/IMF announcement of Greek bondholders haircut- what is holding them back?

Greek bond holders have in recent times, become steadily more prepared for for a big haircut in the value of their bonds, what's stopping the ECB/IMF from declaring one?

Pict: Screen grab CNBC 6Sept2011: Greek bond yields [YouTube] (ps: 2Y@ EUR 52.120 means Greek bonds with 2 yrs to maturity, EUR100 in face value are being traded at EUR 52.120 a piece):

The latest prices I'm told are at: Sovereign debt question on 'yields'