29 on the cusp of cynical.

One of my kids asked of me this:

"Do you see nothing optimistically?"

I was actually quipping about the rather sinister nature of the lyrics of "Santa Claus is coming to town" and I was rather taken aback about it. Then I thought about all the stuff I'd been talking to my classes about and I realised that deep down inside, I've gotten cynical and rather pessimistic. I guess that all these years of working under a government as a civil servant tends to bring out the worst in me and I guess that it also fuels the fire to fight the system. I blame the Aussie education as well as my career choice. I mean, having spent the formative years of my life in a country that prides itself on being anti-establishment and then returning to my draconian totalitarian one party state and then joining the civil service of all jobs, one really can't choose a quicker route to cynicism than that.

I wanted to retort that I actually am an optimist. If I weren't I wouldn't be fighting so hard to change points of view. If I weren't I wouldn't be trying to liberate the minds of the few (in my own little way) to make them see the truth. If I weren't I wouldn't be a patriot. (OK...you can stop laughing now)

As I head into my 31st year, having accomplished so little in my life (didn't even bother to fill in a things to do before 30 list) I intend to do a whole lot better.

Optimistically speaking that is...

Just call me Nostradamus.

Seems like this was something that I anticipated back in March this year. Seems like our dear government has slight problems actually distinguishing partisan politics and actual political responsibility.

And people call me cynical. Bah!

This is regarding, by the way, the PAP's Government's stand that opposition wards will not get funding (from Singaporean tax dollars) for upgrades that they should have gotten a long time ago BECAUSE they voted for the opposition. Nice one you bastards.

Conspiracies much?

Anyone wonder why our Minister Mentor was wearing a neck brace in the Channel Newsasia footage of him giving a speech in Kuwait? We haven't heard a peep in the news over here so I'm guessing that he wasn't injured in any way. (Unless they're keeping it under wraps.)

My theories:

1. That's a new fangled anti-beheading device. Body armour for the neck.
   
2. He's the replacement for Christopher Lambert in the fortress and if he gets 20 feet away from his security detail, his neck brace explodes, guarding state secrets.
   
3. It's the latest in wireless communication technology to keep in touch with his speechwriters.
   
4. Air conditioning to keep his head at 18 degrees in the harsh Kuwaiti weather.
   
5. That's pure oxygen that's keeping him young along with regular ginseng infusions to keep his mind alert.
   
6. The world's biggest nicotine patch.
   
7. That's his evil twin brother and the neck brace is to hide the Aerosmith Tattoo.
8. Either that or it's a real neck brace because of the horrific rock climbing incident in Iraq.
   

Any other theories? :)

Radio Personalities..

...Should have SOME personality. I'm looking at you Li Lin!

Of GST and Social Welfare.

Funny. Sometime ago, some idiot tried to tell me off for complaining about the PAP by saying that I should compare the paltry taxes we paid here in to the exorbitant taxes that were paid in Australia.

GST in Singapore: 7% and climbing.
GST in Australia: 10%

Shrug.

Seems like we're paying welfare state taxes for non-welfare state perks. Nice. Meanwhile, I'm just going to say that if we're raising the goods and SERVICES tax, we should then be getting a heck of a lot more service.

The Hummer H3

Because Singapore terrain is really that treacherous.

I mean, what with all the mountains and mudslides that we have to endure here on Singaporean roads, we need an all terrain, military grade, vehicle to get around in. Never mind that it gets about 500 meters on a liter of petrol and is probably more environmentally unfriendly than nuclear waste. We Singaporeans want, nay, NEED our all terrain vehicles.

Seesh!

The Simple(ton) Life.

Whoever had decided to put Paris and Nicole together and make them do all kinds of crazy shit together had a really good thing going. It appealed to the basest instincts of the general population and cried "watch me! I'm rich and stupid!". It worked as a phenomena while Paris and Nicole worked us over. They are of course the ones that are laughing their way to the bank on royalties.

Flash forward to today and we see Mediacorp decide to do the exact same thing. Xiaxue and a relative unknown are getting a TV show.

I don't even know what to say. Put one idiot on TV and laugh at her as she attempts to do things that one shouldn't attempt unless one looks remotely like Paris Hilton (or even Nicole Richie) may actually be funny to watch. But I think that it's pretty tasteless when someone who looks vaguely like a midget attempts a pole dance.

*Shudder*

Not a single one.

When the government pledges something like "We will build an inclusive society which leaves no one behind", they'd better mean it. Because as it stands, there are too many that are.

So you'd better be ready to make good on your promises. Because this is not acceptable.