Sunday, January 27, 2013

Reliable Plumber in Singapore

Reliable Plumber in Singapore

Sometimes our house/flat water pipe can get choke due to whatever things got stucked in the water pipe. If we have a water rubber pump, we can simply do it ourselves to clear the choke.

If it still choke, next thing to do is to pick up a phone and call.

Who to call ?

I ever refer to the Chinese newspaper commercial section and call from there.

My First Encounter in 2011

This plumber where I found him in the newspaper came one night in June 2011. After assessing the situation, he asked for S$280 if I want to let him clear the choke. It was already 9pm, so I let him do and pay him.

My 2nd Encounter on 26 Jan 2013

Yesterday, I was out in Pasir Ris in the afternoon, my mum called me and complained the shower water got choke again. I told her to look for a plumber in the newspaper and call him to come down. My mum did and a 2 plumbers came. After assessing the situation, I think they thought my mum is not experience in such repair, they asked for S$800 - S$1,200. They said need to remove the toilet bowl also in order to repair. My mum tried to called me but I was busy so I did not answer her call. Luckily, she called my elder brother and he said pay them the transport fee and he has a friend who knows a reliable plumber. My mum pay them S$30 and they left.
Today, the reliable plumber came, he use his pump and 2 pails from my house and helped to clear the choke. He only asked for S$40. I bought a new pump from him for S$15 and a filter for S$2.50.

Anyone need a plumber can contact this gentleman. He is the boss and a Singaporean.
Mr Lee Choon Kwee. Tel : 9679 7102, 6764 9497.
Jadde Renovation Contractor
21 Bukit Batok Crescent, #17-71, WCEGA Tower, Singapore658065.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Why I Raise My Children Without God

Posted on CNN 14 Jan 2013
Why I Raise My Children Without God
CNN PRODUCER NOTE: TXBlue08, a mother of two teenagers in Texas, blogs about raising her children without religion. She said she shared this essay on CNN iReport because 'I just felt there is not a voice out there for women/moms like me. I think people misunderstand or are fearful of people who don’t believe in God.'
-
dsashin, CNN iReport producer
     When my son was around 3 years old, he used to ask me a lot of questions about heaven. Where is it? How do people walk without a body? How will I find you? You know the questions that kids ask.
     For over a year, I lied to him and made up stories that I didn’t believe about heaven. Like most parents, I love my child so much that I didn’t want him to be scared. I wanted him to feel safe and loved and full of hope. But the trade-off was that I would have to make stuff up, and I would have to brainwash him into believing stories that didn’t make sense, stories that I didn’t believe either.
     One day he would know this, and he would not trust my judgment. He would know that I built an elaborate tale—not unlike the one we tell children about Santa—to explain the inconsistent and illogical legend of God.
     And so I thought it was only right to be honest with my children. I am a non-believer, and for years I’ve been on the fringe in my community. As a blogger, though, I’ve found that there are many other parents out there like me. We are creating the next generation of kids, and there is a wave of young agnostics, atheists, free thinkers and humanists rising up through the ranks who will, hopefully, lower our nation’s religious fever.
     Here are a few of the reasons why I am raising my children without God. 
God is a bad parent and role model.
     If God is our father, then he is not a good parent. Good parents don’t allow their children to inflict harm on others. Good people don’t stand by and watch horrible acts committed against innocent men, women and children. They don’t condone violence and abuse. “He has given us free will,” you say? Our children have free will, but we still step in and guide them. 
God is not logical.
     How many times have you heard, “Why did God allow this to happen?” And this: “It’s not for us to understand.” Translate: We don’t understand, so we will not think about it or deal with the issue. Take for example the senseless tragedy in Newtown. Rather than address the problem of guns in America, we defer responsibility to God. He had a reason. He wanted more angels. Only he knows why. We write poems saying that we told God to leave our schools. Now he’s making us pay the price. If there is a good, all-knowing, all-powerful God who loves his children, does it make sense that he would allow murders, child abuse, wars, brutal beatings, torture and millions of heinous acts to be committed throughout the history of mankind? Doesn’t this go against everything Christ taught us in the New Testament?

     The question we should be asking is this: “Why did we allow this to happen?” How can we fix this? No imaginary person is going to give us the answers or tell us why. Only we have the ability to be logical and to problem solve, and we should not abdicate these responsibilities to “God” just because a topic is tough or uncomfortable to address.
God is not fair.
     If God is fair, then why does he answer the silly prayers of some while allowing other, serious requests, to go unanswered? I have known people who pray that they can find money to buy new furniture. (Answered.) I have known people who pray to God to help them win a soccer match. (Answered.) Why are the prayers of parents with dying children not answered? 
     If God is fair, then why are some babies born with heart defects, autism, missing limbs or conjoined to another baby? Clearly, all men are not created equally. Why is a good man beaten senseless on the street while an evil man finds great wealth taking advantage of others? This is not fair. A game maker who allows luck to rule mankind’s existence has not created a fair game.
God does not protect the innocent.
     He does not keep our children safe. As a society, we stand up and speak for those who cannot. We protect our little ones as much as possible. When a child is kidnapped, we work together to find the child. We do not tolerate abuse and neglect. Why can’t God, with all his powers of omnipotence, protect the innocent?
God is not present.
     He is not here. Telling our children to love a person they cannot see, smell, touch or hear does not make sense. It means that we teach children to love an image, an image that lives only in their imaginations. What we teach them, in effect, is to love an idea that we have created, one that is based in our fears and our hopes.
God Does Not Teach Children to Be Good
     A child should make moral choices for the right reasons. Telling him that he must behave because God is watching means that his morality will be externally focused rather than internally structured. It’s like telling a child to behave or Santa won’t bring presents. When we take God out of the picture, we place responsibility of doing the right thing onto the shoulders of our children. No, they won’t go to heaven or rule their own planets when they die, but they can sleep better at night. They will make their family proud. They will feel better about who they are. They will be decent people.
God Teaches Narcissism
     “God has a plan for you.” Telling kids there is a big guy in the sky who has a special path for them makes children narcissistic; it makes them think the world is at their disposal and that, no matter what happens, it doesn’t really matter because God is in control. That gives kids a sense of false security and creates selfishness. “No matter what I do, God loves me and forgives me. He knows my purpose. I am special.” The irony is that, while we tell this story to our kids, other children are abused and murdered, starved and neglected. All part of God’s plan, right?
    When we raise kids without God, we tell them the truth—we are no more special than the next creature. We are just a very, very small part of a big, big machine–whether that machine is nature or society–the influence we have is minuscule. The realization of our insignificance gives us a true sense of humbleness.
     I understand why people need God. I understand why people need heaven. It is terrifying to think that we are all alone in this universe, that one day we—along with the children we love so much—will cease to exist. The idea of God and an afterlife gives many of us structure, community and hope.
     I do not want religion to go away. I only want religion to be kept at home or in church where it belongs. It’s a personal effect, like a toothbrush or a pair of shoes. It’s not something to be used or worn by strangers. I want my children to be free not to believe and to know that our schools and our government will make decisions based on what is logical, just and fair—not on what they believe an imaginary God wants.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Happiness Rating by Prof Tommy Koh

Happiness Rating by Prof Tommy Koh 

Professor Tommy Koh who is Ambassador-at-Large with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote this article on how to be happy.  There are 10 rules.  Rate yourself on each rule, with 10 as the maximum, and 0 the minimum.  Thus if you follow these rules very well, your score should be 100.

If your score is >70, then you are happy most of the time.
(My score is 79.)


Tue, Jan 01, 2013
The Straits Times

The results of the recent Gallup poll, as well as other surveys, seem to indicate that Singaporeans are an unhappy people. This surprises me because, objectively, we should be a happy people.

I consider myself a happy person.  I would therefore like to share with my fellow Singaporeans 10 rules which may help to make them a more happy people.

RULE NO.  1Be a positive, optimistic and kind person.
Whether you are a happy or unhappy person depends largely on yourself.
Negative and pessimistic people are generally unhappy people. Be kind to others. Kindness begets kindness.  Try to do a good deed every day.
You will find that by brightening the lives of others, you will brighten your own life.

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RULE NO.  2Have a happy family.
Be good to your parents. If they are elderly and living by themselves, try to visit them at least once a week and share a weekly meal with them. One of the problems encountered by our older folks is loneliness.
Be on excellent terms with your spouse. Whenever I am asked to speak at wedding dinners, I always advise the groom to do three things: Be faithful to his wife, treat her as if they were still courting and give her all his money. The last advice does not apply in cases where the wife is a spender and not a saver.
As for how to behave towards one's children, I have always liked the advice given by Kahlil Gibran: "And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.  You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts."
If you are lucky enough to have grandchildren, love them with all your heart.

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RULE NO.  3Find a job you enjoy doing.
I think one of the reasons so many Singaporeans are unhappy is that they do not like their jobs. Since we spend so much of our lives at work, it is important to find a job which is not a chore to endure but a pleasure to do.
In recent years, I have noticed a trend of many Singaporeans leaving their jobs for other jobs which pay them less but give them greater satisfaction. This is a good thing.
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RULE NO.  4Treasure your friends.
In your life journey, you will make many friends - at school, at university, in sports or other activities and at work. I hope you will develop a small circle of very good friends, friends who will stand by you in good times and bad times.
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RULE NO.  5Exercise regularly.
My wife and I try to swim every day. Exercise not only makes you healthier, it also makes you feel better. Therefore, make regular exercise a part of your lifestyle.
You can't be a happy person if you are not in good health.
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RULE NO.  6Enjoy eating but eat healthily and avoid the sin of gluttony.
Singapore is a culinary paradise. Food is abundant, diverse and affordable.
You can eat well on any budget. Let us enjoy our food but let us also exercise some discipline when choosing what to eat. I have always tried to follow the ancient Asian wisdom of stopping when I feel 80 per cent full.
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RULE NO.  7Be a volunteer and support philanthropy.
I once heard a speech by Mrs Barbara Bush, the wife of the 41st President of the United States. She said there was a period in her life when she suffered from depression. Instead of seeing a psychiatrist or taking medication to overcome her depression, she decided to be a volunteer. She found that by helping others less fortunate than herself, her depression gradually disappeared.
Whether we are rich or poor, we should contribute to a cause or causes close to our hearts. In spite of our favourable tax regime and the presence of many wealthy people in our society, I was very disappointed to see how lowly Singapore ranked in the table of countries for philanthropy.
A wise man once said that no man could be truly happy if he lives only for himself.
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RULE NO.  8Read books and listen to music.
Reading is an excellent habit. Books keep me company when I am alone. Books transport me to another country, another culture, another time and into the lives of other people. Reading is an endless source of happiness.
So is music. I listen to music every day. I thank 92.4 FM for bringing me so much joy every day.
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RULE NO.  9Take pleasure in the little things in life.
My wife and I love our regular walks in the Botanic Gardens. I love to watch the sunset.
I find joy in meeting an old friend, attending a concert at the Esplanade and visiting a wonderful exhibition at one of our museums.
Most of all, I enjoy being with my grandson.
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RULE NO.  10Don't envy others.
I received this good advice from a wise man, Dr Wee Kim Wee, our sixth President.
Dr Wee once told me that one of the reasons which caused people to be unhappy was that they were envious of others.  Dr Wee said he never envied his friends who had a better education or earned more money or lived in bigger houses or owned more expensive cars.
His rule was to be contented with what he had. I think this is a good rule.
Philosophically, it would be even better if you could feel vicariously happy when you see your friends and former students doing well in life.
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