What’s the point?

When Malaysia imposes its ban on sale of petrol around its borders to foreign cars, their economy will be affected - cos of the impact on other sectors such as tourism, shopping, food etc. But Malaysia says its subsidies are for their people. Yes, the economy will be affected but what is for Malaysians has to be kept for Malaysians.

MM Lee says that subsidies for Singaporeans is a bad thing. What we need is a dynamic economy to grow the economic pie, so that there is more to share. However, we do not hold back ’subsidies’ for foreigners in terms of subsidised education etc. And the issue with the growing income inequality as evidenced by our Gini coefficient is that when the pie grows, very little crumbs end up with the lower income group.

So, we dun get subsidies in our country … or in other countries.

Last night, i sorta ‘won’ something when i wasnt even trying. And when i boarded a cab, the driver told me that he had picked me up on Sat night as well. What are the odds?

Alas, that lucky streak did not materialise in other things.

However, a guy who spoke to me some time back at the club spoke to me again, but i was so zoned out i was caught off guard. I did not bother to maintain the conversation with him. Before you start flaming me for being a bitch, let me say that i find him disconcerting in a way i cant really explain. Actually, i find him scary. All he asked me was if i was heading back home.

Hmmm, i wonder what he meant …

Strangely enough, the latest question on everyone’s lips is when i think i will stop clubbing.

As much as we all agree that the scene is pretty boring and predictable cos we club like so many times each week, we still keep doing it. While we have discussed alternatives like catching movies, going to the beach, doing sports etc, we eventually find that none of these materialise and we invaribly find ourselves back in blaring music and glaring lights.

Theory is that clubbing goes down once you get hitched but that alas seems not a likely option for me. And of cos let us not forget those who are hitched and club regularly - cos 2’s company and 3’s a menage a trois.

Where are all the 30-somethings these days? Or for that matter, the mid-to-late 20-yr olds? Many seem to have ‘retired’ from the scene - and we are left with the 18-yr olds and the odd 40-yr old.

Perhaps, with rumours of how Play will have to close cos of plans to turn that stretch into hotels, i may have to rethink clubbing. Dun fancy being totally sardine-packed in a club - already enjoy that on my train rides daily.

On the usual unrelated note, had a very long dream starring the cute guy in office. This is not healthy, i know. Dream was totally PG thou.

And on another note, had another dream involving me and a bus that could not brake. Very ala Speed, minus the Reeves and Bullock and bomb. Think it was my subconscious telling me to go get my driving license.

When asked to watch a gay-themed movie, i had to feign total ignorance of the movie. It seems to me that this is my colleagues’ ploy to out me.

While that was a planned outing, an unplanned outing possibly happened too. As my colleague introduced me to her gay fren, i was squirming as i wondered if he would tell her about me.

All this while the guy who cant stand me is avoiding me like the plague and a colleague is raving non-stop about her wedding plans.

Argh! If only i had the willpower to do those things i am supposed to do to avoid all this. Alas, the flesh is weak.

A few bloggers and writers to the ST Forum have been touching on the issue of employer - maid relationship in Sg and the problems both face. One issue is that employers are fined $5,000 if the maid gets pregnant - which some employers state as the reason why they dun give their maids a day off. You try to be humane and give the maid a day off and she gets pregnant outside your house - and you are punished for it.

So, just to clarify … the issue isnt about the maid having sex, just about her getting pregnant, right? Perhaps, all can be happier if sex education (with special emphasis on contraceptions) is part of the induction package where maids are taught household tasks?

You may wish to note that control of the body and its functions, esp reproductive, is a hallmark of slavery.

It is usually on Mon mornings that i feel crappy and all depressed. Next week’s Mon morning arrived early. On this Fri evening to be exact.

Ran into an acquaintance earlier today and learnt that she had just switched jobs. And she chose this among several options. Meanwhile, the few options i sorta had all didnt work out. Am i that unemployable?

Ran into the cute guy in office around lunchtime. Yes, the one who avoids me. Spent the next 6 hrs thinking up excuses to approach him on something, anything. Eventually, just glad i did not become a total desperately seeking susan and embarrass myself.

I understand why people dun want to know me … but even companies dun want to employ me?

Feel more shitty than usual.

Oh, and enjoy your weekend.

I dunno how this case started - did the man get arrested in the act, did someone file a complaint, did the boy contract HIV from this man?

Nevertheless, while he is the test case for the amended Infectious Diseases Act, why did he also get charged for "committing an act of gross indecency" aka 377A? And if he got charged, did the boy also get charged? I mean, they blew each other right?

So what happens now to the ‘promise’ that it wont be actively enforced?

And one more thing. I think the Act only came into effect in Apr or May 08. How then does a guy get charged under this Act when the event in question was in Sep 07? Can these laws be applied retroactively?

Was checking out the blog of this guy whom i used to see occasionally in the scene. He didnt update very often and sorta went mia when he broke up with his then-bf. I had also stopped reading his blog when i decided not to read blogs of guys who made me feel bad about myself.

As i looked through his profile, started looking through the list of frens he had linked. And i noticed that all the frens he had linked had many others linked on their accounts likewise. Some had 100+ frens.

I have none. In fact, i did not tell anyone that i have a blog (except you, if you are reading this right now). Why is it so hard for me to make or keep frens? Ok, rhetorical, i know but there is a reason why this is categorised under Whining!

(ps. there are only 2 people i ever meet, if and when they are free and feel like meeting me)

Btw, i really like Britney Spear’s new album. Fav songs include Gimme more, Piece of me, Hot as ice, Ooh ooh baby, Radar, Get naked, Break the ice and Got me high. Obviously, i like almost anything dance-able. But compared to the albums of some of her closest competitors like Ms Jackson or Madonna, still am faithfully in her corner.

Maybe you noticed the articles that Mr Tan Kin Lian, former CEO of NTUC Income, has been publishing, in both the mainstream media and blogs like The Online Citizen. Similar to my 1st reaction, others are asking why he has suddenly turned into a consumers’ champion and criticising his former employer. Also, if he too was guilty of doing the very things that he is now denigrating, when he was CEO.

Then i figured it doesn’t matter.

Whatever his personal motivations are now, we only need to think about whether the perspectives he currently raises are of value to us. Fact is, he is contributing information that many of us would otherwise not have access to (eg. effect of deduction). Whether it is a personal feud or pure altruism that is fuelling this, as long as we can derive some value from his insights, let’s take the good and leave out the speculation on his character. Of course, if we suspect that the information is meant to be manipulative in a way that is detrimental to us, then by all means explore further on the motivations. However, i dun get that sense in the information shared so far.

As the saying goes, big people discuss ideas, average people discuss events and small people discuss people. Let’s be big people here.

Not here to talk about mine. You already know the reasons i hate those.

This is about others’ bday parties. Thing is, it is ‘obligatory’ to snap non-stop. It’s almost like if you dun have the pics, you din turn a year older. And you have to rearrange the guests into different compositions so that everyone appears in a photo at least once with everyone else who turned up. That basically means 142,948 flashes in your face in one night.

Given that i HATE being photographed, need i say more?

Add to that the fact that your photo appears on someone’s facebook when you are doing all you can to erase your presence online. Blood-boiling, i tell you.

Still on the topic of bday parties … is it strange to arrange your own party? Perhaps by arranging the event, you get to decide who attends, where it is held etc. It is your day and you should be the one calling the shots. But how about having to buy your own bday cake?