So after all that talk about bridging the income gap, who's going to pay for all the poor ppl to catch up to a higher income level? (as opposed to making the rich give more money and thus driving the rich indons, chinamen, overpaid ang moh expats, and senior member of the community away to greener pastures)
Of coz, the poor themselves! what genius! we raise the consumption tax so it looks like everyone will kena. poor ppl or rich ppl, also hv to eat wat.
but. a consumption tax is a regressive tax. the poor will pay proportionally more. lemme illustrate.
Every mth has 30 days. and how much you pay for food = how much you pay tax.
Poor man: earns $1000/mth, eats $2 economical rice every lunch and dinner, $1 for breakfast. no drinks. spends $5 x 30 = $150 on food a mth. 15% of his income.
Rich man: earns $5000/mth, eats $5 fast food every meal, which includes drinks. spends $15 x 30 = $450 on food a mth. less than 10% of his income.
See?
public transport fares also go up. who takes public transport? definitely not those rich who can afford cars.
and we never have any say in it. we just keep Paying And Paying. but don't worry. we'll all get CashBack Rewards in 4-5 yrs, and we'll all forget abt this little episode.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Meat High
Why get high on drugs, when you can get high on MEAT?!?!?
went to carnivore w vj for birthday dinner. shiokest meal i had this yr!!
for those of u who dunno, there's a salad bar, and the chefs (i think) will come round with HUGE skewered hunks of beef/pork/lamb/chicken meat/pineapple, rows of sausages/chicken hearts/bread, and whether or not they slice some of it on ur plate with their sharp shiny short swords depends on whether ur little paper disc on the table says "yes, please" or "no thank you" - which sometimes doesn't work coz u change ur mind upon seeing the succulent lamb or juicy pineapple that goes so well with the honey baked ham coming ur way.
i ate sssssoooooo much that i felt like a xmas turkey... one false movement and i wld explode and my meaty stuffings wld fly all over the restaurant. we sat there and chatted (i.e. stalled) for a good half hr before i took a few morsels of fruit and cocktail onions/olives before throwing in the napkin.
then, standing up and walking out to the toilet, i experienced wat vj warned me abt - getting stoned. watever blood my body cld spare all rushed to disgest all the shiok-shiok meat... leaving my brain with less to work with. i cldn't work 100% straight, felt woozy, and things took longer to make sense.
- vj remarked the glass in the shop window was clean 3 times before i got it.
- i asked him twice whether we were taking the right train.
- at no point of time after the meal i was dictating where we were going. i was just following him blindly.
it felt mildly like the magic mushroom feeling - just without the hysterical laughter. even right now as i type this, the monitor is floating around. either due to the meat, or the morning's sailing, i'm not sure. it's also better than alcohol, coz u dun get the bitter taste nor the blood rush or headache. just that lovely floating feeling, the one that makes u wanna float out of ur 3rd storey window and peek into ur neighbour's, 30m across.
why drink expensive alcohol or take harmful drugs? just eat meat!! woohoo.......
went to carnivore w vj for birthday dinner. shiokest meal i had this yr!!
for those of u who dunno, there's a salad bar, and the chefs (i think) will come round with HUGE skewered hunks of beef/pork/lamb/chicken meat/pineapple, rows of sausages/chicken hearts/bread, and whether or not they slice some of it on ur plate with their sharp shiny short swords depends on whether ur little paper disc on the table says "yes, please" or "no thank you" - which sometimes doesn't work coz u change ur mind upon seeing the succulent lamb or juicy pineapple that goes so well with the honey baked ham coming ur way.
i ate sssssoooooo much that i felt like a xmas turkey... one false movement and i wld explode and my meaty stuffings wld fly all over the restaurant. we sat there and chatted (i.e. stalled) for a good half hr before i took a few morsels of fruit and cocktail onions/olives before throwing in the napkin.
then, standing up and walking out to the toilet, i experienced wat vj warned me abt - getting stoned. watever blood my body cld spare all rushed to disgest all the shiok-shiok meat... leaving my brain with less to work with. i cldn't work 100% straight, felt woozy, and things took longer to make sense.
- vj remarked the glass in the shop window was clean 3 times before i got it.
- i asked him twice whether we were taking the right train.
- at no point of time after the meal i was dictating where we were going. i was just following him blindly.
it felt mildly like the magic mushroom feeling - just without the hysterical laughter. even right now as i type this, the monitor is floating around. either due to the meat, or the morning's sailing, i'm not sure. it's also better than alcohol, coz u dun get the bitter taste nor the blood rush or headache. just that lovely floating feeling, the one that makes u wanna float out of ur 3rd storey window and peek into ur neighbour's, 30m across.
why drink expensive alcohol or take harmful drugs? just eat meat!! woohoo.......
Sunday, November 05, 2006
4th November 2006
Currently Playing: My Zero7 CD - last yr's birthday present
1 year has passed. of coz it always seems fast on hindsight. but it's due to the things that u didn't attend to that you realise time really creeps up quickly. Just before writing this, i took out this CD to play as I type. i opened the cover and - HORRORS!! the CD wasn't there~!! horrors coz i immediately realised i must hv left it in the CD player for months... and sure enuff, there it was, with a thick outer ring of dust testament to my neglect.
I play the CD now coz i read my previous yr's birthday entries... and i realise some things still haven't changed. dunno - maybe its coz i've been leaving the CDs in the players for too long.
My occupational environment has changed considerably, thank goodness. 1 year ago i was mugging and wondering when it would ever end. Now, it finally has. and to make it sweeter, i just filled out the graduate employment survey this afternoon, and i didn't have anything good to say about how the education received helps me in my current job. pooi ah.
Although the pay isn't much, i can't stand ppl moaning abt how low their pay is, so i shall not do the same. can't complain anyway - the work is fun, the colleagues are nice, and the coffee is excellent. plus the potential opportunities i have been given are astounding. when the time is right, the only thing that can stop me would be my inability to fight for it. so for now, i shall learn fast, work hard, lay low, stay humble, and be nice.
Frens-wise, things hvn't changed much at all. 1 grp celebrated with me, while another went missing - disappointing my "high expectations", like last yr. hahah well i wldn't say i expected, just hoped. maybe its too early to pass judgement, surprises may come later... but then again i might be saying this coz of hope.
but anyway, this is the end of initiative liao. i don't need recognition, i just want cooperation, and hope for reciprocation. but since i get neither more often than not, i'm too tired to continue. received an sms from one earlier: "we all appreciate you and wish you all the best..." don't tell me. show me.
maybe i'm a little low coz of that impt issue as well. it is not the only one, but it is impt. nothing the whole day. no upcoming plans either. i don't know wat happened. i guess if i don't hear anything soon, i will hv to do something abt it.
else, things are ok. out-of-work hours are picking up. family is very fine. work is enjoyable. frens are here and there. life is ok. just ok, nothing more. i wld think it sucked long enuff to warrant something better than ok.
oh well. thanx go out to:
- zz, girl, qz, yb, alw, sop, leilei, shanz, for jioing me for dinner, coffee, ktv. long time since i had so much fun.
- misa, zow, an old fren, my brudder, my YEP nurse, kok, bowl, and consultant (in order of timing) for birthdae smses. zow and girl for birthdae nicks as well.
- ally, for sms and last min damn shiok jap dinner treat
- my brother for remembering even though he's too busy to come home for 2 days.
- my parents, for obvious reasons and more.
i have much to be thankful for, that i agree. but i just want the missing foundation piece. then everything else on top is just a bonus.
i'm missing that piece, in more ways than one.
1 year has passed. of coz it always seems fast on hindsight. but it's due to the things that u didn't attend to that you realise time really creeps up quickly. Just before writing this, i took out this CD to play as I type. i opened the cover and - HORRORS!! the CD wasn't there~!! horrors coz i immediately realised i must hv left it in the CD player for months... and sure enuff, there it was, with a thick outer ring of dust testament to my neglect.
I play the CD now coz i read my previous yr's birthday entries... and i realise some things still haven't changed. dunno - maybe its coz i've been leaving the CDs in the players for too long.
My occupational environment has changed considerably, thank goodness. 1 year ago i was mugging and wondering when it would ever end. Now, it finally has. and to make it sweeter, i just filled out the graduate employment survey this afternoon, and i didn't have anything good to say about how the education received helps me in my current job. pooi ah.
Although the pay isn't much, i can't stand ppl moaning abt how low their pay is, so i shall not do the same. can't complain anyway - the work is fun, the colleagues are nice, and the coffee is excellent. plus the potential opportunities i have been given are astounding. when the time is right, the only thing that can stop me would be my inability to fight for it. so for now, i shall learn fast, work hard, lay low, stay humble, and be nice.
Frens-wise, things hvn't changed much at all. 1 grp celebrated with me, while another went missing - disappointing my "high expectations", like last yr. hahah well i wldn't say i expected, just hoped. maybe its too early to pass judgement, surprises may come later... but then again i might be saying this coz of hope.
but anyway, this is the end of initiative liao. i don't need recognition, i just want cooperation, and hope for reciprocation. but since i get neither more often than not, i'm too tired to continue. received an sms from one earlier: "we all appreciate you and wish you all the best..." don't tell me. show me.
maybe i'm a little low coz of that impt issue as well. it is not the only one, but it is impt. nothing the whole day. no upcoming plans either. i don't know wat happened. i guess if i don't hear anything soon, i will hv to do something abt it.
else, things are ok. out-of-work hours are picking up. family is very fine. work is enjoyable. frens are here and there. life is ok. just ok, nothing more. i wld think it sucked long enuff to warrant something better than ok.
oh well. thanx go out to:
- zz, girl, qz, yb, alw, sop, leilei, shanz, for jioing me for dinner, coffee, ktv. long time since i had so much fun.
- misa, zow, an old fren, my brudder, my YEP nurse, kok, bowl, and consultant (in order of timing) for birthdae smses. zow and girl for birthdae nicks as well.
- ally, for sms and last min damn shiok jap dinner treat
- my brother for remembering even though he's too busy to come home for 2 days.
- my parents, for obvious reasons and more.
i have much to be thankful for, that i agree. but i just want the missing foundation piece. then everything else on top is just a bonus.
i'm missing that piece, in more ways than one.
