ThE AlPhA MaLe

May you read this well and in the best of health, Yesterday's watershed election is the cause of this post. Pardon me for the brevity as it is intended to be made plain simple. WHAT HAPPENED It was Australia's 2019 federal elections yesterday. Held once every 3 years, the country's eligible population will get to vote who represents their interest and aspirations in the Senate and House of Representatives. THE RESULTS In a surprise outcome, the Liberal/National party came out tops after defying Newspolls (small-scale pollster) over the past 3 years. It looked as if the Labour party may return to power but in wasn't to be.  WHY THE LOST FOR LABOUR For a number of reasons, 1) Below is a chart of Australia's fiscal history since federation [1] There isn't many surplus years and most of it came from Liberal governments. So when the Liberal government announced budget surpluses before the election, it is a big issue to Australi...

Peace Be Upon You, Just a few moments ago, my patience was tested by my toddler's antiques. I could have swore he behaved better (and stick to his usual routine) when at school than home. With time ticking away and work that needs to be done (work that I planned to perform while he sleeps), the heart rate went up, the mind had negative thoughts and the breathing was quicker and shallower. If not for that thing called patience (Praise to God), the actions could have had a negative outcome. Anxiety and anger are often entwined (but not always). The body will react physically and emotionally. Physically - shallow and quick breathing, heart rate increases, the skin on the face may turn red (in extreme cases) and to top it off, the body starts shaking at the most extreme end Emotionally - the mind races to extreme outcomes (often negative) which are unlikely to eventuate, fear takes over based on these far-fetched consequences, the emotion takes over and passes to our physical...

In this day and age of information, be it through mainstream news or otherwise, the ability to read and write does not suffice to block out false information nor half-truths. The ability to think critically, filter and comprehend a complete story requires a certain skillset. It is an important skill as the outcome of the process will shape a person's perception and draw the appropriate responses. Why is media literacy important 1. Democracy is central to processing information. Citizens need to think critically, express their views while participating in the entire democratic process. Informed decisions are based on these 3 qualities. 2. Print media, radio and television are no longer the only source of news. The internet has caused an explosion of information sources and our exposure to them is unavoidable. The lessons we draw from them needs an entire set of new skills that will have an impact for the rest of our lives. 3. Influence can be wielded enormously by the media. How a...

May you read this in the best of health It is my beliefs that as a democratic society, we need to let our local MP or Minister know of our predicaments if we come across any. In fact, as a community, we can band together to highlight the challenges we face in our daily lives to the person/s nominated to represent us. And finally, thanking or pointing out incorrect facts to the relevant members put forward our collective principles as a member of society to any issue we deem close to our hearts. Living in democratic societies has led to my position that members of a democratic society have the right to contact their respective representatives of parliament. Therefore, I have collated a summary of how best to write to your local MPs and/or Senators or Ministers to get your point across so as to assist you or your community better. As the parliamentary systems where I have lived or is currently living has its roots to the British system, the information gathered is suitable to apply...

May you read this in the best of health. Keppel unit to pay $422 million to resolve Petrobras bribery probes (Reuters 23rd Dec 2017) The above was the headline from Reuters a few days ago. 13 contracts were awarded totalling >USD$300m with the help of "dirty" monies. To put into context, the practice saw USD$55m paid out to different persons of influence between 2010 to 2014. Present and past employees have been disciplined and the most guilty of all are still facing investigations. One has spilled the beans to US authorities in exchange for leniency while the company has been fined across 3 countries worth >USD400m. Keppel FELS (Far East Levingston Shipbuilding) – a subsidiary of Kepple Offshore & Marine - was once awarded the largest rig builder in the world 2013 for delivering 21 rigs in a calendar year. While the corruption case centered on awarding the contracts to Keppel, there is no mention of the engineering integrity of the rigs delivered;...

Singapore, don’t blame the players, blame the incompetent local game " n late 2014, the FAS commissioned a survey that showed one out of every two children wanted to play football, but only 5.9 per cent of boys and 1.6 per cent of girls actually did so. The paucity of nearby pitches, inadequate coaching, too much studying and society’s twin towers of  kiasuism  and snobbery are still pushing kids towards more prestigious pastimes, like swimming and gymnastics" Read more at https://www.fourfourtwo.com/sg/features/singapore-dont-blame-players-blame-incompetent-local-game?page=0%2C1#FWvt4lKWiBbKylI2.99