The Wannabe Economist

First, i have to state my disclaimer clearly. 

The friend did not request for such an entry to appear. Neither will i benefit from this post in any way. But if you comtemplating going to an image consultant, do consider talking to Alexis as well.

And of course, if you prefer free image tips from Alexis that may help you decide on engaging her corporate image / personal image / school events, you can access them here.

While i’m at the CNY mood before the reality of mid term exams hits, i would like to bring your attention to one of the spring-cleaning issues.

If you are having trouble with your wardrobe - there is a wardrobe detoxication service to help you solve all the possible problems you might have.

I have decided against going on further on the wardrobe issue. It is a touchy issue alright. I won’t want to offend anyone in any way intentionally, or not intentionally.

So that’s about it. Go on and get your free image tips.

This article from The New Paper summed it all.

MEET the demons that turn the Singaporean driver into a devil - impatience and inconvenience.

Both have played a part in the spike in traffic offences.

…

But of these offenders, drivers who beat red lights take the cake.

They accounted for an astounding 86 per cent jump from about 13,000 summonses issued in 2006 to about 24,300 last year.

That the traffic demons are at work is also evident in the number of parking offences.

These jumped 22 per cent, from about 211,500 in 2006 to about 260,000 last year.

When confronted, most motorists usually say they flout the law because they are in a rush.

…

Is trying to save time an acceptable justification of traffic-rule violation?

Mr Noah Hon, chairman of the Singapore Kindness Movement, has this to say: ‘Whether in a hurry or not, a mistake done at high speed could be fatal, cause injury to someone innocent, or even to the driver.

‘The car is a high-powered machine, and damage to life or property could be significant.

‘The question is, ‘Is saving a bit of time worth these risks?’ he asked.

Mr Hon observed that Singapore drivers often like to change lanes just to get a few feet ahead.

‘They tend to be more aggressive and more inconsiderate than those in other countries,’ he noted.

‘Discourtesy on the road is definitely against the concept of a gracious society.’

Assistant Commissioner Ng Guat Ting, the Commander of the Traffic Police, said: ‘Ungracious, impatient or reckless motorists not only make motoring a stressful experience, they are also endangering the lives of other road users, including themselves.’

…

Sums up everything, doesn’t it?

I don’t want to make any sweeping statement and put the blame on the society, culture etc. I also hate to think that there is somewhere else better to live in, where people are more gracious and crime rate slightly higher. (More gracious peers in the society gives me a higher utility than low crime rate, though both are equally important in my opinion.)

I reckon Singaporeans could be more vocal in condemning and thereby create a social expectation on graceful behaviour.

Easier said than done, isn’t it?

I used to be really sceptical about the cleaniness of stuff i touch or use. As such, i would almost never go on a holiday and drink boiled water from the hotel room.

This report further confirms my suspicious that nothing is clean, unless you wash it yourself.

And this is of course, strong evidence of agency problem in hotel industry.

http://www.bestviral.com/video/6629/dont_ever_drink_from_hotel_glasses

I figured out while i’m in the mood to blog, i should take the chance to help a friend’s business venture.

The Rose Box is having CNY discount on some of the handmade accessories. If you have been seeking out the handmade accessories at bazaars, do drop by and take a look at the discounted items.

Friday - coffee treat day. With 10 minutes left after paying double (to the private bus operator) of what i usually pay for bus fare (on the public SBS bus route), of course i should make use of that 10 minutes i have bought (the other 15 minutes were spent sleeping) and head for a well-deserved coffee treat at the end of the week.

The economies of taking bus. LOL.

SBS is of course doing a great job here. It’s just that the private bus operator does a better job by having a service in the peak hours that goes up on the highway. I would cycle to school of course, but i won’t take the chance of parking the bicycle in the school car park for the entire day and risk getting it being loaded up some car / wheels being removed through the quick release mechanism.

Reminder to self: (1) file for graduation (2) apply for a job (3) scrap the idea of cycling in Alaska or South Coast

I might as well set a deadline. Sunday.

I quote this blog that appeared on Mr Brown.

After a particularly unpleasant commuting experience, I wrote to the Straits Times Forum about two idiots who violated bus lane hours and passed me way too closely. Surprise, surprise, one response was the ‘you don’t pay road tax so get off the road’ argument. I’ll accept the argument the day when you stop polluting the public air, raising the collective air temperatures of the island, increasing noise levels on the island, and killing people. None of the road taxes you pay goes towards removing your negative influences on our shared environment. It only goes towards building more roads and hence encouraging more pollution.

And another ‘if other people swerve to the right to avoid you they endanger other people and it’s your fault’ comment. Right. If it’s not safe for you to either pass me without swerving or swerve to the right, yet you choose to swerve to the right, it’s my fault?

It’s funny how people can think that they own the entire damn road just because they pay road tax. I guess it’s not an abstract idea that public road is a public good, regardless of having road tax or not. Tax is just a mechanism for the government to increase revenue and add on to the cost of owning motorized vehicle in this tiny sunny island. If i follow the flawed arguement of keeping off the road if you did not pay road tax, i guess there should not be any marked crossing on the road since you and i who cross the road may not have paid road tax. Or should i propose gantry at the crossing and some form of ID for road tax payer who are allowed to pass the gantry, while you and i who are not paying the tax should use other overpass or underpass.

While the public good cannot be excluded from anyone’s use, laws are in place to ensure proper use of the public facility for the greater good of the society. Since the law allows and requires bicycle of travel on the road, who are we to complain and harbour resentment towards cyclist?

Disclaimer: the author is an avid cyclist who wishes he has more opportunity to cycle to school without incuring more nagging from Mrs Chongky.

Weather doesn’t look so good at Bondi today, with wet floor and all. The crowd of the beach yesterday did not reappear. A class of surfers was sighted walking across the beach, heading back to the only surf shop on the beach at around 11.11am Singapore time, or your 2.11pm, local time.

The unusually empty Bondi Beach…

Bright and sunny at Bondi Beach. Dark and gloomy in the SR throughout the 3 back to back lessons…

Fantastic. I love my student life.

Last i checked (because the webcam doesn’t load properly all the time here in Singapore) 2 days ago, Bondi Beach looks like this in the evening.

Empty and quiet. And cloudy too.

And currently, it looks like this.

Damn. Wish i was there.