2nd day of my FB acct deactivation, and yes, I'm suffering some withdrawal symptoms but not enough for me to reactivate it. For one, it's much less painful not to know that some "friends" are blocking you and some "friends" don't really care. So, for now I will not be tempted to reactivate the account.
There so much to talk about nowadays: the tsunami hitting Japan (my condolences to all who lost their lives), the nuclear plant in Fukushima being close to another Three Mile Island or Chernobyl incident ( my respects to those workers risking their lives so that others may live) and the upcoming GE. Life sure is interesting - much more interesting than proclaiming one's passing of a simple driving theory test and the chest thumping that followed.
I was reading an article about how the Japanese were reacting to this calamity, and I'm in awe. The calmness, orderliness and dignity with which life went on even at ground zero is beyond commendable. It really serves as a great example to us here in Singapore where even giving up one's seat on the MRT to someone who needs it more is a big deal for most of us. And what about the Fukushima 50 as the media calls them. I'm sure there are more than just the 50 who deserves special mention.
To risk your life and risk suffering unimaginable pain from radiation sickness is testament to the Japanese people's strength and courage. I am reminded of the nuclear accident aboard the Soviet nuclear submarine, K-19 in 1961 where the actions of a handful of men, some of whom gave their lives, were responsible in averting a nuclear disaster. The major difference is the level of preparedness that the Japanese had and that allowed them to react positively in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
Some time ago, there was talk of Singapore building our own nuclear plant to supplement the existing energy plants currently in operation. In light of the events of Fukushima, I hope that plan gets canned permanently. While other countries has the land mass to cope with such a disaster, where are we to go if an accident ala Three Mile Island or Chernobyl were to happen. Like they say, accidents happen.
Talking about accidents, is it me or is the recent "generous" budget announcements came at such a time to coincide with the upcoming GE? A sweetener to entice our votes perhaps. To some, $600 or $800 they are getting are a reprieve. But do these people really care about politics or are they more concerned with the daily grind of everyday life? Does one really think that the cash handout will make a difference, economically or socially?
They way I see it, the people who need it aren't concerned with the politics. The people who are concerned with the politics dun need it as much. To the poor, $600 or $800 makes a whole lot of difference. To the rich folks with a Bentley, Merc and 2 Lambos in their driveway, that $200 isn't even enough to cover their manicure sessions monthly, not like they need it in the first place.
Those who know me will testify that I'm a very vocal person. I like to speak my mind. I like to debate though I may not be as eloquent as some of my contemporaries. Hence, this GE is a very exciting one for me, since the last time I voted, we were not faced with issues such as million-dollar pay for our ministers who keep extolling "cheaper, better, faster", high income disparity, perpetually rising costs of living, higher housing prices and stagnating salaries. The last GE, my constituency had a walkover - what a bummer.
So, I await the start of the campaigning with bated breath. No guesses where my vote will go tho.
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