Well Thought Out Afterthoughts

I would like to clear up some terms I may have used or am using so readers do not get flummoxed. First this blog may be an "afterthought" but it is a carefully thought through one. Second, evangelical in one of my blogs is taken to mean "preachy turning militant".

Third, "liberal" means one of its several contexts which here I advocate the "freedom of individuals" and "social, political views or policies favouring nonrevolutionary progress and reform". I am not agreeing to its other contextual significance which is the belief in laissez-faire economic policies, wholly unfettered, unabated, unchecked and unreined.

Fourth, why educators have to ensure their charges are using terms and words correctly, fully cognisant of their meanings and implications, would be the sole reason of not conveying a false and wrong impression.

Otherwise Louis would be yelping that a woman's natural bio-rhthymic mentsrual cycle is "disgusting". This is scientifically wrong. But it would be his "personal" belief that it is and it is he alone who decides if he is turned off by it. Much as a non-scat would a scatological fetish which in the first place is a potential medical health hazard anyway. One man's meat is another man's poison.

The quality of life, on my personal level, would be heightened by living near water with some natural greenery. I feel I am an artist very much at heart. My best work and thoughts would be born in such a tranquil, peaceful , perfect blend and harmony of nature and man.

If economic benefits and financial feasibility were the sole measure of all our activities, then we are sadly living on the economy alone. No great nation lives on bread alone. It would be on very shaky and wobbly bedrocks that we are treading on.

We have utterly ignored the moral, social and public good . Strip clubs , bordellos and gambling dens have social and moral negative consequences, being the satanic but alluring forbidden fruits that they are. But they do reap bountiful economic harvests. Gay-sex marriages and civil unions would stablise and root out philandering. See how a social and moral good this is?

In fact M/s Black Widow (remember her from my early blogs) would have benefited from a re-marriage. She was swell-looking, given her age, and she had no lack of suitors, judging from the Ah Peks who gather round her counter desk, whenever she tempts all with her translucent attire, donning a black bra inside for outstanding contrasting effect.

My only evangelical encounters were attending several charismatic services. The singing and music certainly must have attracted the younger parishoners but the homily was contrived. If we only had a demagogue continuously peppering his delivery with "Alleluia", "Praise the Lord", "Amen" and no real God's biblical message filtering through, it was showmanship at its best. It reminded one of the World Wrestling Federation devilish Undertaker and his angelic counterpart, Brother Joy.

Continuing with my thread on how the army was a bickering, bitching and back-stabbing outfit, at least where I worked. If the Officer-In-Command appoints two chief clerks, it is the rapidest way to two antagonistic management philosophies akin to two Prime Ministers running one country. I distance myself from all the rivalry and bad blood brewing an evil broth of Mcbeth's witches. It was also about holding on to one's territorial jurisdiction and not taking on more payload than one can handle.

Incidentally the allowance was paltry back in those days amounting to about a hundred dollars or so. Don't forget all the deductions for SAFSA, pioneer magazine and what-not and we have very little left. Lunch is on our own expense and so is transport.

I am not about to put forth suggestions like what everyone else was doing in order to earn their stripes faster and better. The suggestions should make sense, not complicate and for the general good . They can all carry on and be awarded the "Three Star"upon public commendation.

The continuing NKF reports show the lack of sufficiently good governance with power vested in one and only one man. Though there were no lack of regulatory bodies overseeing its functions, ranging from the IRAS to the Ministry of Health and Home Affairs, none had intervened. It was a clear cut case of "passing the buck".

In light of this, let me relate my own two personal experiences.

One, the Ministry of Education's Private School Section has engaged in similar tactics with it devolving audits to CASETRUST and the financial insurers, both of whom are saddled with their own work and not in any capacity to comment on academic rigors. As I have said before and I am repeating it now, the Private School Section cannot "register" private schools, thus conferring authencity and a stamp of approval of sorts, and then meander its way out by leaving other judicial functions in the hands of other regulatory outfits.

It must assume the full responsibility for the private schools as we are involving education here. Education of the mind, body and soul, no less. How is CASETRUST and the financial institutions able to play the roles, given theirs are not of educational concerns?

Two, the real estate agents in the industry are also not regulated if they choose not to be accredited. Accreditation is not mandatory. Just a check yesterday had me going on one wild goose chase after another just to seek out a regulatory body which could bring a rogue agent to bear.

The only recourse will be to have her "nominal employing accomplice" (afterall all real estate agents are associates of their parent company) dispense justice. It is akin to complaining to parents about their errant son who most likely would be let off with just an admonition. The case for neutrality would be certainly diluted when you are speaking of flesh and blood kinship here.

Life as it is now isn't quality life at all. We are stooped or hunched at our work, leading to rigor mortis of sorts in our bodily joints and a bad posture makes for a seriously stressed spine. Bleary and red-eyed from staring at a blinking monitior or pint-sized fonts both on-screen or on print. Over-extended by deadlines and plumping for ever-increasing profits. Worn out from office politics and rumour mongering. Obese from a sedentary life filled with sugary and cholesterol-laden diet, which usually lead to health complications like hypertension, diabetes and so on.

If this is quality of life, then living in a cess pool of vermins and viruses seems no more worse.