How important is a degree today? Well it probably depends on whether you believe it’s safe to consume fish from the Fukushima sea.

Today someone asked me whether, a degree is necessary as he heard the government has been pushing the idea, a degree is no longer necessary these days for one to be successful in Singapore.

I told this person quite frankly. We can debate this question till hell freezes ten times over and one more just to spare and it’s very unlikely we would ever reach a satisfactory answer. The pertinent question in my opinion is not whether a degree is worth pursuing or even whether it’s even a precondition for personal success these days in Singapore….that’s a red herring, in my opinion.

The cogent question is: how many ministers are grooming their own children to turn the wheel of life without a degree in Singapore?

That is the ONLY question.
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‘Some time back ago, one of my regular readers asked me whether it’s safe to consume food products from Japan. This lady was particularly anxious about the nuclear fallout after the tsunami in Fukushima and it’s effects on adjacent perfecturates. As she is a especially fond of Japanese plums that are grown in Sukagawa.

Since this lady is a scientist. She started peppering her questions to me with technical information such as how the Japanese government approves of shipments of food that test below 100 becquerels (units of radioactivity) per kilogram, lower than its original 500 Bq limit (and in line with global standards) etc etc etc which all ended with the question….so if the experts say it is safe…it must be safe right farmer?

I told this lady. I am not a technical expert in nuclear matters. I went to stress. I am just a simple farmer, so I don’t really know whether it’s safe to consume food products from Fukushima and it’s adjacent perfecturates.

I did however share with this lady – if I really wanted to gauge whether the food grown and harvested in Fukushima and it’s adjacent perfecturates is safe for human consumption. I would probably never rely on what the experts have to say.

I went on to stress to this inquisitive lady that was just my nature. I never ever take anything at face value.

I would probably conduct my own line of queries by logging into the many farming forums where Japanese farmers regularly hangout to chat about herbicide and where to get value for money shiatsu massage and ask simple question like: whether the farmers in Fukushima who grow and harvest these plums are regularly consuming their own produce?

Or ask very basic questions along the common sense school of thought, like if these produce are not tainted – why don’t the Japanese eat ALL these ‘suspect’ food themselves? Why are they exporting them elsewhere for other nationals to consume?

Better still I will personally whip up a seafood Tom Yam delight consisting of foodstuff exclusively from fuckshima! And invite the entire Cabinet and all the top decision makers in AVA for a seafood gala night. It will be very cheap. As since the humans will all be glowing like light bulbs. I hardly need to spend money on night time decorations. I will even insist they bring along their families and see whether they go for second helpings of atomic fish ball or stick to mineral water.

She exclaimed, ‘how very true! Why didn’t I think of asking those simple question?’