A Levels congratulations!

Academy Awards?

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!

Tuas fire.... nobody noticed....

Kim Jong-Nam murder case

Jixiao-ing in Bukit Batok

Bukit Batok does its bit for global warming

Pikachu appears in Ang Mo Kio

Minister Yaakob apology.

I applaud Minister Yaakob for the prompt apology and U-turn with respect the unfortunate naming of the Syonan Gallery. Make mistake, apologise, all is forgiven and we can move on.

Now, if only AVA will just apologize for the rash act of culling those beautiful jungle fowls.

New Generations - Introducing Gen Z

If you are like me, you'd be confused by all the references to generation names that are thrown about in the media. The above graphic may help you contextualize much of the discussions you come across. Oldies like me are the Baby Boomers. Following our generation is what has been called Gen X, born between about 1961-1980. Gene X, which includes my younger colleagues and some of our kids tend to be tecnologically more competent and liberal in their attitudes. Gen Y or more commonly called the Millennials, are those born between 1981 and 1995, and are today aged between about 22- 36. They would be the senior university students and young working adults. Millennials tend to be very techo-savvy and a lot more global and 'tolerant' and liberal with respect to a broad range of issues. Much of the conflict that is being played out in the US at the moment, post Presidential-elections, may well be the result of the conflict between the more conservative spectrum of societal values versus the liberal (anything goes) kind of attitudes held by the Millennials. If so this conflict may not last because we are already approaching the end of Millennial generation. Gen Z, the next generation is already poised to make an entrance. These are the kids who were born from about 1996 onwards. 

Gen Z are distinct from the Millennials in that they take technology and IT for granted having been brought up immersed in technology. Compared to Millenials, they tend to be a bit more insecure and more conservative. According to the Annie E Casey Foundation, "Generation Z youth had lower teen pregnancy rates, less substance abuse, and higher on time high school graduation rates compared to Millennials. .. a 40% drop in teen pregnancy, a 38% drop in drug and alcohol abuse, and a 28% drop in the percentage of teens who did not graduate on time from high school." 

According to The Daily Telegraph, Generation Z is keen to look after their money and make the world a better place. "Unlike the older Gen Y, they are smarter, safer, more mature and want to change the world."

Could it be that the extreme anxiety that you see among liberals today may be attributable to the apprehension that the baton for changing the world may already be passing to Gen Z, a generation that are likely not aligned to them with respect to social values and mores.Perhaps there is hope for the future.

Unidentified falling trees

Disppointing CFE (Committee on the Future Economy) Report

Full report can be downloaded here

Like a number of other commentators, I found nothing to inspire or excite in the recent CFE Report. Not that the report was wrong in anyway. These are challenging and uncertain times. The global economy not yet really out of its tailspin. Globalization and free trade on the retreat in the face of increasing ideological extremism and protectionism. Singapore caught in the crossfire between an increasingly belligerent China and a dysfunctional US political climate. Lastly the exponentially rapid changes brought about by the transformational growth of IT. I can well imagine the difficulties the CFE had in trying to formulate a strategy going forward.

Nonetheless, I had hoped that the CFE would at least come up with a bit more clarity of vision and strategy, than just articulating the same tired motherhood statements about what we need to do. On the ground the civil service and schools has been charged to chase after the latest sexy technologies, regardless of the real improvements in efficiency and productivity, for no other reason than to look like they are at the leading edge of development. Sad. These cannot be our means of riding out this turbulent period.

But what to me was fundamentally missing in this report was the failure to consider the impact such changes have on the average Singaporean (citizen, of course, not just residents!). No doubt this was a report on future economics, but these strategies cannot be considered in vacuo. Any response to the rapidly changing global market and economic trends have major impact in terms of how the local population can adapt, find meaningful work and prosper. The usual government solution to just import ready-made employees must not be the norm.

Find the Pikachu!

From TODAY

How not to say anything about this chicken fiasco? Seems like AVA cannot get their story together. Regardless of what they publicly claim, the sequence of events leads me, and I suspect, most of Singaporeans who have been following this tragicomedy, to conclude that AVA unthinkingly reacted to public complaints about the noise and culled the free-roaming chickens in Sin Ming. Poor things. All the posthoc scrambling by AVA to rationalize their actions just make them look pretty inept. Poor things! Hah!

Who, me?

Always wanted to do this, and now finally gotten round to setting up a blog. A bit of an achievement for a non-techie like me.😁

Why? Well, seems like lately the world has gotten pretty screwy. I guess it wasn't really an overnight development, but perhaps precipitated by the unveilng of the inherent dysfunctionality in the US system following their presidential election. Fake news, alternative facts and what not. Seems like everybody from President to mass media, politicians to lobby groups are lying through their ivory-white teeth. It's a real battle for our minds. And we are all being manipulated.

And mind you, it's not just the US. This little red dot we're living in isn't immune to playing games with information. Bear in mind, our mainstream media are all singing the same songs. Meanwhile opposition media are all opposing anything vaguely government.

So Auntie Kaypoh can't help being very confused.... and just needs to ventilate. Feel free to join in the discussion. I won't be offended if you don't call names and tell lies, or use objectionable language.