Dear Readers,

 

I have moved to the following addresses:

 

I am maintaining 2 blogs, one is lighthearted reading, the other is more "self righteous" as commented by some.

 

Peace Out,

Isaac

Grandpa and Grandma got married when they were 25 and 16 respectively. They had 13 children and worked very hard, sacrificed lots, to raise all their children... sending some to uni too! That took quite a bit of borrowing and repaying... Man I admire their resilence.

 

I start to think about what keeps them together through it all. I guess it's all grit teeth drag ass and faith that times will get better, that saw them through till today. Marriage for sure isn't a bed of roses. Sacrifices and downplaying one's self-serving gratifications are definitely part of it all.

 

The Greatest Act of Love is Sacrifice

The Greatest Sacrifice of All

Is One's Own Life

 

Sacrifices comes in all shapes and sizes. Some are big and some are small. Just how many of them do we make each day for the people we love, and for the things we want to achieve?

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.

 

If you are kind, people may accuse you of having ulterior motives and being selfish; Be kind anyway.

 

If you are successful you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.

 

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.

 

What you spent years building, someone could destroy it overnight; Build anyway.

 

If you find serenity and happiness, people may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

 

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

 

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you got anyway.

 

Don't you see, child, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and others anyway!

 

~My Grandfather is terminally ill. His parting wisdom will be an everlasting gift... Love you Grandpa!

 

Cheers,

Isaac

TRYING TIME: Mr Lee says it has been a trying few days. The Government took issue with his column titled "Singaporeans are fed, up with progress", saying it distorted the truth.

 

Ms K Bhavani, press secretary to the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, mentioned in her parting words,"If a columnist presents himself as a non-political observer, while exploiting his access to the mass media to undermine the Government's standing with the electorate, then he is no longer a constructive critic, but a partisan player in politics."

 

How would you draw the line to separate a constructive critic from a partisan player?

 

It appears to be the presence/absence of offering a credible solution to the problem of the widening income gap in the midst of revising transport costs and all, that separates the two. If solution present, then constructive. Else partisan player! Harsh programming logic I personally feel.

 

The burden of substantiating...Haiz

 

Yes it is a burden to substantiate one's stand, views and ideas. It is time consuming and yes... despite all efforts, people can still choose to perceive otherwise. The majority perception will always be deemed "correct". Just as any critic that the Government has challenged, the critic lacks strength to shoulder the burden, and it does not mean that the Government's stand is "correct".

 

So similarly, the Government does not want to shoulder the burden of substantiating why the increases in taxi fare and electricity tariffs had come after the polls and at a time when a government survey showed a widening income gap. Government fears further public debate. The Government calls for an individual or a party to make a stand, but everyone knows what happens to that person or party. Politics as MM Lee acknowledged, is not fair to begin with.

 

This unfairness, is inherent I agree. But I must say that the Government has a tough job to think of a win-win scenario for all. I admire the Government for what Singapore has achieved. On top of this tough role, it now has to win the public's support to justify its actions. Perhaps in this respect, engaging these critics and painting the larger picture to them might help these critics understand the Government better, and perhaps from there constructive criticisms might spring forth. Partisan players are the enemy, but the best way to destroy the enemy is to make the enemy your friend. Engage them. The longer the bigger picture is hidden, the layers upon layers of reasonings get thicker and thicker, and it gets harder and harder to explain it all as time passes such that the public might just become distant from the Government like any boy-girl relationship that breaks down due to lack of communications. Reassurances are needed on both sides and I mean both sides.

Who Could Understand Me?

Who Could Be The Mirror

In Which I Could Study My Reflection

And Thereby Judge My Own Growth

 

I am complicated and I know I am

I can think and analyze so deep that...

It's a frightening complexity...

 

Imagine standing at the edge of a bottomless pit

You know it's deep

You are standing by the edge

Peering down

Fear grips and frightens

Should you step off the edge?

Do you dare?

And if you decide to descend

How far would you descend with me?

 

I am deep in the bottomless pit

I know how deep I have gone

In my descent I have seen layers of logic/reason/ideas buried over time

At this depth I am now alone

Few have tread this far down

Faith in the Heavens is all I have

I have traced back up to deliberately seek the company of others

I have described what I saw during my descent

I have asked that they follow me

But alas

Fear of the depth

 

Come with me

I hold a torch to illuminate the darkness.

The Straits Times Saturday June 24 2006 on S15 Review Page has an article that tickled my brain. The article is titled: The World needs more foxes and fewer hedgehogs.

 

The artcle opens by stating Historian of ideas Isaiah Berlin who made a distinction between the the intelligence of the hedgehog - which knows one big thing - and the fox - which knows many small things. Firstly, hedgehogs fit what they know into a world view. Foxes improvise explanations case by case. Essentially, they are reasoning styles.

 

"Foxes are better at prediction than hedgehogs because they derive information from many sources, adjust their views in line with events and see a range of perspectives on each situation. Hedgehogs have one clear view, seek evidence that confirms that view and have ready explanations for apparent failures of foresight."

~Base on this, I think I am more of a fox.

 

"But these hedgehog characteristics are exactly those that politicians, journalists and business leaders demand of advisers and commentators.", "Fund managers want specific forecasts. Business audiences do not want to hear that the world is a complex place. But it is. Leaders need many hedgehog qualities."

~On that note.. I have to agree.. as such with NLP, I am cultivating hedgehog tendencies.

 

My Bestest Friend J, did mention before I cultivate my own reasonings (a fox) and then hold on to them (Hedgehog). I have good analytical skills... but a bit stubborn sometimes... :-) But I am changing... some of my friends have noticed!

 

Cheers,

Isaac

 

 

Many a times, people understand that they have to take ownership for the yes(s) they commit to. Well probably some people are irresponsible to deny such ownership because it entails negative consequences, or they are simply boh-chup and are just plain irresponsible.

 

To avoid taking ownership, some people have a default no to every situation thrown to them. Well, it is good that it avoids taking on resposibilities, avoids commitment, blocking away any ills associated.

 

To me, everything has it's pros and cons, and many people have the unrealistic expectation of wanting things to be all pro and good before saying yes. They want the pros without the cons, com'on it comes together, accept it and mitigate the cons. That is life.

 

In saying no, we also block out good from happening to us too! And sometimes saying no may even be more detrimental than saying yes! And the best part, people feel "snooked" when they say no and realise it's detrimental later on.

 

Take ownership of yes and no. Face consequences courageously.