Learning to trust yourself

Do you know what’s really strange. Everyone these days talks about building trust with people who you hardly want to know if you really had a choice….they even talk endlessly about building trust with dogs, the planet and ten other things that have nothing whatsoever to do with the business of improving your and my lot.

But do you notice no one ever talks about building trust with the most important person that has the highest impact on their lives – themselves.

Now don’t you think that is very very odd?

The way I see it. The only reliable way to build trust with yourself is to cultivate the art of being alone.

When one approaches the study of being alone, the first thing you will notice is there’s no one to blame for the things that go wrong in your life. As since everything is really in your hands….you have no choice but to take responsibility for everything that eventually comes or doesn’t come your way….it all begins and ends right there…YOU!

In the beginning you kick yourself plenty for the things that belly up…if only you were smarter…if only you were cleverer…if only your parents didn’t drop you on your head as a baby…but after getting thru all that emotional baggage and clarifying what you really have to deal with along with what’s really expected to make your life better…it really just comes down to YOU and no one else – and one day should the Mother of shits hit the fan – you would learn how to be kind to yourself….you even learn not to beat yourself up all the time or to wallow in self pity….above all one of the most valuable lessons you learn being alone is how to laugh at yourself….no. You’re not going stark raving mad….you’re finally come to terms with what you can and cannot do to make things right.

And that’s the first lesson you learn when you begin the journey to build trust with yourself.

How to first accept yourself warts and all for who you really are and not what the world insist you should be.

To know this is to be an awakened being….not to know this is to still be asleep dreaming.

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‘When you are comfortable being alone. The first thing that you will notice is the vast majority of people will begin to think that you are a weirdo.

But I want you to understand this! You are not weird. Far from it. The real weirdo’s are those who think you’re weird because you don’t seem too bothered by loneliness.

Learn to forgive them. As like cripples who have no choice but to get by the best they can with crutches. They too are compelled to manufacture their own lies concerning as a means to deal with their inadequacies in not being able to confront loneliness….don’t take it personally…if they don’t. The center in their known world will just cave right in and they’ll be overwhelmed by the terror of the truth.

That’s why I say forgive them…as once you understand the psychology of the masses it’s very easy to forgive…..

In truth most people are terrified by loneliness…it is akin to suffering….an unbearable state of being like being pit roasted or immersing oneself in an acid bath – a dark place where they can only fear like spiders and snakes. That’s the way most people deal with something they are unable to face or even imagine….so forgive them.

Where possible hide your super power to be alone. Where possible even pretend to be clingy and try your best to project the image of a social person – it’s very easy all you have to do is play Soduku on your smart phone and everyone will think you’re exactly like them…..everyone will believe you belong to the cult of perpetual connectivity….but never ever let them know that you can function 100% alone.

Because if you ever allow them to know this about you….they will all gang up and kill you!

That if you must really know is how insecure the world really is about their fears and phobias and people who are perfectly comfortable being alone.

Because when they look at you…they see someone that they can never ever be…it’s just too fucking scary…they will start hyperventilating and soon they will get angry with you soon they will get their ‘normal’…’functional’…’team orientated buddies’…’rah rah brigade’ to kill you….because you’re not like them…coming to think of it, you don’t even need them or anything they have to sell and that very notion by itself can only piss off the world in so many ways.

That’s why you need to work hard and get that Honda jet to enable you to fly high and far from those zombies…you need to work your way up and get one of those S600 Mercedes so two inch bullet proof glass so that if they decide to take pot shots at you…it’s just an occupational hazard….there is no possible way for you to seek oneness with the world once you have cultivated
The art of being alone.

It’s like vampirism or just waking up one day and realising you belong to the X man mutant community….you’re a square peg in a world with only round holes.

Because the world has no hold on you…all its tentacles have no dominion over you….you are above all that…you don’t need their childish validation. Or for that matter their affirmation for you to continue to live your life under your own terms….all that is just highly optional once you learn how to be alone.

Knowing this provides you with valuable insights as to how the world can only see you…remember….forgive them and never take it personally…you should cultivate the habit of wearing sunglasses even at night…better still superglue it to your ears…you must hide this sign of vampirism…it will show in your eyes…that you have finally learnt to how to be comfortable alone…you must never ever let others know this about it. Or they will turn against you like wild dogs and tear you to tiny pieces.

So whenever you go into the dream world that is the world – hide your superpowers.’

lightning strike

My plantation house has just been hit by a massive lightning strike. All electricals are down. I need to switch over to auxiliary power. This means I will have to conserve appliance usage….I will have to go offline for a while.

Did the law minister overreact?

Many people have asked me this question. As recently a law professor from the LKY school accused the law minister of pandering to populism and mob rule when it comes to sentencing.

The perceptive reader would have picked up on the word ‘accused.’ As that is an accurate description when words along with meaning not intended are imputed by another.

In my opinion the law professor is so bloody koyak and half past six (incompetent). He doesn’t even seem to demonstrate the presence of mind to appreciate the elementary level legal aphorism – justice needs to not only be done….it needs to be seen to done in the eyes of the public.

What does buttressing this time honoured legal maxim have to do with populism and mob rule?

How is it possible for one with the benefit of ‘superior’ legal training to even make such an incredulous perceptive leap that goes off the tangent in so many different directions to the extent of putting words in the mouth of the law minister….to me it’s bloody inexcusable at this level of the game.

I nearly fell off the chair on King Kong when I read what the professor of law had to share….I never once imagined that any nonsense could possibly make its way into the public domain with such callousness and what I can only describe as willful neglect to jurisprudential underpinnings. As it is very clear to me that not only did the academic fail to delieanate the limits of the legal maxim and confine his arguments within the legal framework of what is generally meant by – justice needs to be not only done…it needs to be seen to be done.

But he even glossed over this legal maxim by a literal interpretation of what ‘justice needs to be seen to done’ meant….and that is not acceptable.

Should one be happy natured and forgiving that mistake may perhaps be considered an oversight by a law undergraduate. But for a professor of law to take that mainstay aphorism beyond case law and the doctrine of precedent is really tantamount to gross dereliction of professional duty of care to the law itself.

It’s like another farmer arguing with me that a spade is something other than a spade!

Inexcusable mistake!

As while reasonable allowances can certainly be provisioned for contextual mistakes. In this particular instance the case law on this subject is so exhaustive and well documented that it leaves no room whatsoever for tangential interpretation on what is actually meant…it’s remit along with spirit of intendment is so well documented in case law – justice must not only be done…it must also be seen to be done.

All the law professor did was to confuse the public no end. At a time when the lay public such as myself was even considering a criminal career in Singapore because of the spate of super duper discounted ultra low sentences.

So given that such a fundamental flaw was even broadcasted by a professor of law into the public domain – I really don’t see how the law minister could have reasonably held back on a robust rebuttal without possibly causing further confusion to fester in the public domain…..let us all be reasonable.

People who want to debate should first do their home work otherwise they should be prepared to roll with the punches….I don’t really see anything wrong with issuing a correction especially in a case that is so clear cut and straightforward as this.

After all justice must not only be done…it must also be seen to be done as well.

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‘Gentlemen I want you all to pay special and close attention to how the law minister dressed down that half baked derelict of an academic…he mentioned, you do no credit to yourself and the institution that you belong too….this is a double repartee…first to the deficit of his professionalism and secondly by invoking the power and politics of the institution that the rank is supposed to represent….in other words, what the law minister is saying in diplomatic lingo is – not only are you so fucked up as a law academic, but I don’t even know how a fucked up beyond all recognition case like you managed to weasel into such a high position in a reputable and prestigious outfit!

Why is this so important gentlemen? Because at times….you simply need to learn the art of dressing down a man with class.

This is the correct way. As it is not personal…that it is most definitely not…read it carefully.

First the law minister dresses him down for conduct unbecoming of a professional i.e he did not apply himself astidiously to the discipline of the law that he claims to be a subject matter expert in…you’re ineffect telling him in very clear terms – hello, you seriously need to hit the books lah!

Thereafter the law minister invokes the power of the institution that the associated professor derives his authority from to censure him….this time for his lack i.e he’s not saying I am disappointed. As disappointment is a lover’s word. It should never be used in a professional context. Otherwise people will think there is sicko relationship between you and that person. What the law minister is saying is the associate professors lack is inconsistent with the high standard of intellectual rigor and philosophy of the esteem institution that he derives his authority from i.e you fall short of the bench mark of performance.

So it’s not personal….it’s the very cold and metallic language of diplomacy designed to hit very hard.

It is so concise, economical and succinct it is as compact as a cyanide pill – my advise to all of you is to print out what the law minister wrote, laminate it and carry it around in your wallet.

From time to time should you feel the line is crossed or others are out of order please use it….no need to write ten pages of Lamentations (no one has time to read it), just copy and paste.’

On what ‘Patience’ really means…..

A few crooked landowners have set up an elaborate trap just for me….it is like a poison laced juicy steak placed invitingly before me.

How do I know this? Because it’s too bloody good to be true…..so good that it’s a dream come true…I will wait them out….patiently like a hunter.

Only when the time comes when everything is just perfectly right and meets my terms will I strike decisively. Meanwhile I will dive deep and silent like one of those nuclear subs….I will keep so very still that there’s hardly any sign at all…above all I will wait, wait and wait till their water breaks.

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‘Patience is all too often misunderstood and in some cases it even has nothing whatsoever to do with patience and everything to do with making clever excuses – why you can’t seem to get your act together….or find the motivation to get off your fat ass and do something meaningful to fix the things that is wrong in your life….that’s to say patience is not an excuse to do nothing or an absence of action; rather it has alot more to do with the study of how everything if it is to come out righter than right needs to be done with “timing” in mind – it is really like hunting. Hunting is always misrepresented in books and the movies where a man goes out into the wild to stalk a prey….that’s a fiction. As how is it possible for an ill equipped modern man with all his inborn hazards to stalk a creature that has well honed senses where the wild is his office and home?

In truth hunting is quite a boring affair where the best man can ever do is just find a place where he thinks the prey will past by. That’s all he can do! Nothing more or less. Sit in one place and remains as still like a lifeless rock for hours on end. And hope that he prey crosses his kill zone – but even should the prey appear. Frequently it is either too far for a clean kill or it’s obstructed or that it’s just the not the right time to loose the arrow….and this is where patience acquires a deeper meaning that even goes beyond the dictionary meaning. As it is quite difficult to remain still and steady when the prey suddenly presents itself – harder still is it to remain calm…..but that is what is required. To wait and wait and frequently to wait till the act of waiting itself becomes unbearable…..and only to only spring into action when everything is just right…the position….light….wind and above all to remain steady under pressure.

So when we talk about being patience….we are automatically talking about the critical nature of how timing features as well. To talk about being patient without ever once discussing the right or wrong time is like to talking about baking a fruit cake without once touching on the subject of raisins….that’s not right….not to me at least.

If you observe around very carefully with your family, friends and colleagues many don’t know the deeper nuanced relationship between patience and timing…this are actually things they should teach you in Wharton or Harvard. But for some inexplicable reason they don’t…that could probably explain why if you put any of these people in the jungle in they will die within 48 hours – you know to me it is very strange for one to indulge in talk about strategy…competitive advantage or for that matter how to create value when one doesn’t even know how much of patience is premised on the study of finding the right timing…..study and research this well. As when you miss out on this basic point – I can almost guarantee you, you’ll find yourself going around in only small and big circles all the time……your arrow will never find its mark!’

The power of nature’s consistency – King Kong

The pace of life in a plantation is incredibly rhythmic. It’s like a heavy grindstone that turns and sets the pace of life. There is a time for every occasion it seems…a time to wake up…cook…sweep the yard….play with the dogs…rest…work….eat…sleep etc etc – this mood is very hard to pin point or to even describe by mere words…it is just climatic and everything it seems is naturally drawn to the gravity of nature’s rhythm.

Nothing can escape it’s pull…resistance is futile it seems. Yes you can certainly put up a fight if you like, but it will just wear you thin like water rounding a rock into a smooth pebble…absolutely nothing can stop it working its way and permeating deep into the being of things…plants…animals…humans.

They’re all shaped by this climatic iron curtain of nature.

Even King Kong is slowly immersing into the depths of this balm of calmness…this happy pressure of being constantly shaped by nature in mind, body and spirit.

Dogs can sense this natural call of the wild keener than humans as they don’t just see the world with their eyes – they can sense it all in the completeness of three dimensions thru their sharp sense of smell and animal instincts….nature is working furiously….it is relentless.

For my part. I really don’t need to do very much to fix anything….not at all – all I need to do is step back and allow nature’s consistent rhythm to slowly work her magic to heal King Kong.

Knowing when to bow out is very important….as sometimes when we want to do something…anything and we are not mindful of greater forces in our midst…we are likely not only to miss out on good things and opportunities. But we may even step on the hose the delivers all that goodness.

King Kong seems to be considerably calmer now….gone is his guarded demeanour, restlessness along with aggressive bent and he has even taken a shine to Mabel.

Mabel is a Spiff, she guards the back portion of my plantation house.

King Kong likes to sit beside her all day in the cool of the shade.

He’s very happy.

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‘We learn….or maybe we just heard….could well be we just assume…that for things to actually get better. We have to work at it – put in the effort…talk a lot…move around all the time…sweat…worry…mull over…shout…run here and there…bark out orders etc etc.

But at times…not all the time….but those some times, for things to really get better….all we really need to do is know WHEN to bow out humbly and take a seat.

By just doing that and that alone we are no longer constricting the healing powers that can work to heal the broken things in our lives.

We are suddenly in the flow of things….we can even feel it canalimg thru our soul.

Knowing when to bow out and keep quite and to be still is not weakness….it is wisdom.’

A General Announcement 27-04-17

Due to the prevailing economic slow down – all mining and plantation operations have been scaled down dramatically. This year we are not able to accommodate the new cohort.

Gentlemen. There is a Cantonese saying – mah seih lok teih hang (horse die man walks) – it is very prosaic.

The economy will get worse.

I encourage you all not to be chossey about work…if the opportunity arises it is better to work than to mope around the house doing nothing.

Gentlemen we will improve, adapt and we will win!

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‘Never be ashame to work with your hands. Never! As when you work with your hands you will begin to trust yourself in ways that you have never trusted before and trust can only build belief and with belief ONLY then are all great things possible.

Do not get hung up on the many falsehoods that society has imposed upon you…discard it all away – the idea that manual work some how makes you less of a man. Or that it is beneath you or even that you’re settling for less than what you deserve.

All these are lies that will only diminish your aperture for opportunities.

All those mental restrictions are just imaginary boundaries created by stupid people to perpetuate their stupid way of life.

If you believe in them….it is as good as taking poison…a little goes a very long way to stop you dead in your tracks!

Believe me when I say this.

As when you begin to trust your hands. Eventually people will see the quality of your craft and you will take immense pride in your labor and to be part of this experience can only be intensely edifying for ANY man.

So take my advice. Don’t grumble that the good jobs are far and few these days. Take whatever comes your way.

Dedicate yourself to work…work is religion.

The wisdom of Pope Francis – Try to lead a simple life free from illusions

TORONTO – Pope Francis made a surprise appearance at a TED talk conference on Tuesday, urging powerful leaders “to act humbly” and said he hoped technological innovation would not leave people behind.

The 18-minute video was filmed in Vatican City and broadcast to the audience at the annual TED 2017 conference in Vancouver.

“The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly,” said the pontiff, while seated at a desk.

“If you don’t, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other.”

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‘Theoretically the superior man who is fortunate to come to wealth and influence would also attain enlightment by merely being there (long enough) – how the mere act of living his life and going about his daily business can so often inflict pain and misery on those who may not be quite as fortunate a him.

This attitude is especially sharpened against the backdrop of the digital age in which we live in where never before in the history of mankind has the have not’s being able to peer with remarkable ease into the lives of those who may appear to be better off than them….they marvel no end at how the rich live…they dream to live like them….but there is cruel twist to all this.

There will always be a glass ceiling between yearning and fulfilment….only this time round the divide between have’s and have not’s is amplified maybe a thousand fold.

I believe it is this growing divide between the have’s and have not’s that is responsible for much of the anxieties and disruption of our age.

We can of course attribute Brexit, Trumpism or the general sentiment towards parochialism, insularity and nativism to other causal factors real or imagined ranging from the advent of the post truth age or any other phenomenon….but at the nucleus of this divide is a conflict between have’s and have not’s and most importantly the failure of the former to craft an all inclusive philosophy that the masses can believe in to nurture hope.

In summary this divide or class war is not merely predicated on just the valence of money alone rather it is in essence a philosophical divide.

At some point of intellectuality and deep reflection the superior man would realise the overwhelming need to craft a moral code of conduct where ideally he should be able to see himself as part of an intricate social network within society – that is to say he must remain mindful even his merest thoughts and actions would often have a preponderant influence on both the directional and instructional course of where mankind will finally end up.

It is only when the superior man weans himself completely from the narcotic of avarice, greed and perpetual consumption is he able to purify his purpose to lead a meaningful life that can nourish the common good.

Without this basic understanding of what I refer to as social economic ecology ….man is just an animal eternally slaved to the stimuli of all the negative influences of money.

The outcome would seem benign if only it did not come at such a terrible cost to people and planet.’

Being honourable?

Last month I was approached by a broker who wanted to sell me land. When this chap approached me. I told him politely it is not convenient for me to speak right now. As I walked away I suggested he call me. When he called and asked whether I was free for dinner. I said yes of course. He was delighted. One hour before the appointed time. I phoned up and told him that it is most unfortunate but I seem to be having a spot of car trouble and I regret not being able to keep our meeting. That was when I suggested he send me the details of the land deal. I promised to give it my upmost attention. The following day the broker couriered the package to my address which contained the details of the land deal and that same evening he called up again to ask whether I am interested. This time I apologised profusely to him that I had not had time to review the land deal. But I shall undertake to do so first thing tomorrow. That was when he asked, when can you come back to me. The broker added, this is a very good offer and I have offered you the first bite. To which I replied, yes I am very grateful….why don’t you call me tomorrow at lunchtime. The next day when he called again. I told him in a regretful tone my dog had chewed up the parcel….and again I apologised for my carelessness and having inconvenienced him. I suggested he resend it. He did. And again this was followed by another phone call later on in the day.

This time the broker informed me in a despondent tone an anonymous buyer had purchased the parcel of land.

Before the broker put down the phone he asked, do you happen to know who bought the land and for what price?

To which I replied, ‘I have absolutely no idea..but moving forward. Next time I promise to move faster on the deal.’

Before the broker put down the phone he asked in a grave tone…do I have your word of honor. To which I exclaimed, ‘yes that you most definitely have and I shall make good on my word next time.’

Of course I lied thru my teeth.

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‘If you are honourable to people who have no conception and appreciation of honor. Then you are not so different from a man who takes his seat on a poker table with villains who will resort to any means including lying and cheating just to win.

You have broken the cardinal rule of the art of war – you did not study the terrain.

You can only be cleaned out!

You can say, you played a fair and square game…but you were still cleaned out! You can even say, you were honorable in words and deeds…but hey! You were still epically cleaned right out!

The moral of the story is one can really only be honorable to people who have a deep appreciation for honor and fair play.

To extend the same courtesy to rascals and cheats is akin to walking into a gun fight with a butter knife.

As for villains and cheats – they only deserve the law of the jungle…that is not only fair….it also puts you in parity…and most definitely the only reliable way for one to emerge as the winner whenever one has to deal with inferior men who do not understand the meaning of honor.

There is no shame whatsoever in taking steps to protect oneself when dealing with crooks and villains…there is no shame even in masterfully deploying the art of war along with the entire apparatus of deception, misdirection, disinformation, double dealing, espionage and the element of surprise to secure a decisive victory when dealing with inferior men…there is however great shame in assuming the world should be this and that when it’s all together something else very far from your childish conception….

Research and study this well…..as there seems to be a lot of misconception concerning this aspect of personal conduct.

Business is war!’

The power of observation

In the moment of my youth I didn’t talk at all. Most of the time I seemed to be in my own world, spaced out from all worldly affairs. Or so that was how it must have came across to most people.

The truth was I had nothing much to say….but all the while I observed those around. I learnt to wear an expression like a frozen smile of dolphin whenever those around me spoke as if I wasn’t even there. I witnessed first hand their indifference, cruelty and callousness.

One day the school bully asked me for my pocket money. I gave it to him. On the following day he did the same and this would continue for as long as I could remember…..so long even that I had grown accustomed to going hungry during my lunch breaks.

I can’t remember what it was…maybe it was the color of the bully’s bicycle that drew me to it….I remember it as a deep metallic blue like paraffin.

That day I spoke for the very first time in my life, I told the bully in a stammering voice – I would very much like to have his bicycle to keep…you see in my known understanding of the world – this was really quite normal. Just as I had handed my pocket money to the bully every time he asked….I just thought if I asked him for his bicycle…he would do the same….instead he looked quite shocked when I spoke and at first he didn’t know what to do.

But you need to understand. You see I just didn’t look at him – but I really really looked at him if you know what I mean….with very unusual eyes that day that could well have burnt holes like laser beams into bricks….it was a look that even he knew somewhere in his pea sized brain, if he had said, no….it would certainly have been a very colourful for him.

I don’t remember very much else after that, but I do remember that I was very happy to ride that blue bicycle for many many years.

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‘In the moment of my youth. I had great difficulty in understanding the way of the world. For instance I could never quite understand why whenever I worked, all the boys were paid except me….even if I was paid…usually I only received a fraction of what they were paid despite putting in the same hours.

One day thru the influence of one of my relatives who worked as a clerk in the dockyards. I managed to secure a position as a kennel janitor in a sprawling rubber warehouse depot. My job required me to clean out the kennels, bath the dogs and cook for them.

The chief supervisor of security didn’t like me very much…he used to murmur to the other dog handlers….that boy is a weirdorama, but he has a way with dogs. They like him too much. So during pay day he would usually take seventy percent of my salary.

One day when the supervisor caught me training a German Shepard to play catch – he got so infruriated he held me by the collar. When I cried out the pack proceeded to tear furiously at him. The other dog handlers rushed to the scene but even they were powerless to stop the carnage…there were too many of them…and they were all very angry.

I just looked on impassively.

After that the supervisor was hospitalised for a very long time. I remembered visiting him with my Mother in the hospital. He looked like an Egyptian mummy. It was hard to say whether he was happy to see me. All I could remember was his eyes darting around frantically like pin balls from side to side….maybe that’s his way to signal to us how happy he was to see me – after all it was an awlfully long journey by bus just to be by his side in his hour of need.

To cut a very long story short soon thieves descended on the warehouse and proceeded to cart of rubber bales by the ton load. Eventually the owner approached one of my relatives asking whether I would like to fill the vacant position of the supervisor.

It seems after repeatedly advertising…there were still no takers although a Russian emigre who once worked in Moscow circus did apply, but since he could only communicate in sign language. He was deemed unsuitable. Despite upping the salary substantially….still no takers…it would remain one of the enduring mysteries of my youth.

This man who interviewed me was a planter who wore a handsome Savile Row bush jacket, smoked a briar pipe and wore sunglasses which he rarely ever took off – they said he wore a glass eye and had once fought valiantly against the communist during the Malayan emergency deep in the jungle in Grik.

The great planter looked briefly at me and after a few puffs he patted me on the head and said,

‘Pay day is on the first Wednesday of every new month. Be there to make your mark.’

I worked hard, keeping the kennels clean like a whistle, let out the dogs at night, slept in the pantry and in the morning counted in the dogs and went to school….soon all the thieving stopped.

Every Wednesday of every new month. I would stand in line with men taller than I as a heavy table was placed under the shade of a sprawling ficus tree and when my turn came the planter would always ask me to make my mark on a ledger while an Indian clerk counted out crisp notes grudgingly all the while complaining quite openly what an unheard travesty it was for a boy to earn a full wage of an adult and every time the planter would ignore his ramblings and hold out his hand smilingly whereupon I would kiss it as a sign of utmost respect to his person and institution that would eventually be my benefactor.

Thereafter he would whip out a Mars bar from England lean towards me and pat my head with the words…good boy…carry on.

I can recall vividly even today, the planter had the faint aroma of ancient wood.

At the end of my first year of employment I was voted by all the dock managers as the most diligent worker and won a Telenfunken Color TV set.

These were my only lasting observations in the moment of my youth….it seems we all learn to live by just observing.’

The paradox of the Singapore courts

Do I agree with Shanmugum’s latest clarification on how sentences meted out by the Singapore courts need to take cognizance of public opinion so that justice is not merely done…but more importantly it is SEEN to be done.

Absolutely. Infact I agree with the law ministar to such an extent where if you want the reasons why I agree with him….kindly just read what he has to say concerning this subject. I really have nothing further to add.

Infact the degree of my agreement is so complete and total I have even abandoned all plans and aspirations to start a criminal career in Singapore as church leader or director of a Football club.

But…yes there is a BUT I am afraid…and a very big BUT at that.

As how is the courts supposed to go about gauging public opinion when in the last 6 years, the government has relentlessly clamped down on all commentaries concerning court proceedings – this it continues to do by holding the proverbial sword of Domacles over anyone or institution that comments on, on going court proceedings by leveraging on the law of contempt of court. To exacerbate matters the enforcement of this legal structure has been administered in such a arbitrary manner approaching strictly liability that even the most casual opinions concerning on going court proceedings can be interpreted as tantamount to scandalising the judiciary.

As a consequence hardly anyone these days will venture a comment, opinion or even anything approaching a complete sentence on, on going court proceedings – given that the narrative is already bracketed in earnest.

This should prompt the perceptive reader to ask, HOW can one indulge in talk about capturing accurately public opinion when it doesn’t even exist in the first place and if that is the case HOW the hell is the courts supposedly to accurately scale their sentences in such a way where justice is not only done…but it is also seen to be done in the court of public opinion?

It cannot..there is a fundamental cognitive flaw in Shanmugums logic. As the instrument to gauge public opinion is well and truly shuttered.

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‘When I first heard about the move to clamp down on all discourse about court proceedings. I was quite surprised. As doing that is akin to killing the proverbial canary in the mine. Because even if there exist strict laws to stop people from talking about the courts and even if there are attempts to bracket the narrative – it doesn’t mean no one talks about the subject any longer. Don’t be immature that is not how the real world works not even in Looney tunes. It just means when they talk it is probably in some place that you don’t even know about and can’t hear what the substance of the conversation is or even how big or small it is and that is all it means. Neither do you have the slightest idea where that conversation might be going….it is just a big black hole.

If this comes as a big wallop of a surprise to you….you should try growing up.

Time and again history has shown the narrative cannot be effectively bracketed. As even under the panoptical pineapple eye of soviet era surveillance the conversation continued thru the samizdat movement.

So the question is how can officialdom be part of that conversation? – it cannot….not in my opinion at least, because the traditional conversational pathways have all been short circuited.

So this idea of talking about gauging public opinion can only conducted contemporaneously, it cannot be conducted in real time and for anyone to try to do so is akin to having a conversation about snakes in Norway…the bloody thing doesn’t exist over there!

And if it doesn’t exist. Then how can one reasonably go about the business of intelligently gauging public sentiment?

Do you see the cognitive flaw in logic?’

King Kong in the plantation & the jailing of Amos Yee

Dogs like The King are NOT natural born killers…..I may not know for instance how old King Kong is…or even where he was born…but this much I am 100% certain……someone deliberately planted that evil seed called violence into his being.

I realise it’s very hard for many to see Rottweilers in an endearing light. After all, they do suffer from a grevious perception problem. Infact I even believe this breed should only be strictly restricted to the security and military services, not because it is elementally violent. As margin for error is incredibly slim for the lay dog owner not to mention those dearly unfortunates who may be around the vicinity this blur sotong is simply too high – the ignominious reputation of Rottweilers hardly any elaboration it is after all a macabre story.

Breed originally for combat and entertainment in the colliseum. Rottweilers used to gobble Christians for sport. The ancient Romans who first deployed this fearsome breed in battlefields to tear thru enemy ranks like a hot knife thru butter…. Tacticus the Roman strategist once recommended the use of Rottweilers to blunt cavalry attacks – since they are stocky and have an unusually low center of gravity. They were especially adept in blunting a Greek phalanx by sneaking below the shield and bringing a man down. Once a Rottweiler bites, it is like a hydraulic claw it’s almost impossible to wriggle free. They can drag out a man like a tractor using their short and powerful legs and that’s followed by a lightning bite to the back of the neck – knowing the origin of the breed is a form of intelligence as it will allow the dog handler to get into the mind of the dog.

Even the most accomplished dog handlers can get blindsided by this breed…as usually they make the mistake of going in with a John Wayne Gung Ho attitude….the results are usually catasthrophic.

I need to break The King’s mindless aggression as soon as possible….I need to go deep into his brain and erase that evil program that someone once callously programmed into his being……otherwise power without the means to gainfully exert control over it is simply too dangerous to have around – the King needs to be transformed into a highly discipline soldier dog.

To accomplish this. I will leverage on the collective psyche of the pack – the pack will break The King down to zero and he will be rebuilt back again…..it is a very long process.

Once I have finished with The King hopefully he will know that real power comes only from iron discipline…..should I fail.

King Kong would have to put down….I wish it’s possible to paint a happier story, but under the given circumstances there is no way to lighten the facts…it is what it is…..that is why those who once planted that evil seed called violence into such a beautiful creature knoweth not what they do…they are like fools giving children hand grenades to play with…as they have robbed them of their inherent innocence thereby opening up the horrendous gates of hell to such cruel possibilities….foolish people.

Power without responsibility is dangerous….it needs to be destroyed.

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‘I realize, it is very difficult to argue the case persuasively to most Singaporeans even those who may be reasonable that locking up master Amos like some wild animal was a great mistake.

But to me it will always be a travesty of humanity only because when one is young – one can only see the world thru very innocent eyes….even a potty mouth child will see the world thru this fairy tale lens I imagine.

But once innocence is summarily snatched away….even should you say in a righteous tone, he broke the law….even should you insist, he knew what he was getting into.

I say when a child can no longer see the world thru those innocent eyes – then it’s almost impossible to get them excited over anything else – he can only grow up to be mistrustful, cynical, resentful, angry and destructive.

That is why I hope master Amos does not spent too much time in jail….as once a boy cultivates a bent to only see the world thru the eyes of cynicism…then it could be said he will take a very wrong turn in life at so young an age and that would be very difficult to turn around.

He would be lost for many many years….during that time he can only be destructive to himself and others.

What I wonder was accomplished…again, yes you can very well say in that righteous tone – he broke the law…he knew what he was getting himself into.

But pray tell…what is the final outcome?

And this is where I will turn to you and ask, do you know how hard it is to turn it all around when one so young takes a bad turn?

Maybe you don’t care to know or even feel that’s hardly an issue worth considering since you can’t possibly see how your attitude is in some way part of the problem…..and that to me will always be the real problem with Amos Yee.

Like I said, I hope he is released soon for his sake and…..of course…ours.’

Crime pays very well in Singapore?

Those of you who regularly read by blog will probably know that I have taken a vow to renounce my evil ways. However, lately I am not being able to resist the dark side….just the other night I woke up quite suddenly at half past four and for some inexplicable reason began to flesh out the rough outline of starting either a church or Football club in Singapore.

I began to simulate the pay outs at first thru a series of very simple decision trees….nothing too eleaborate….just a series of rudimentary scams – on virtually every occasion since the penalties were so darn low…this led me to the logical conclusion that even should I end up in jail for a 3 year and a bit sentence. It would most probably be a kacang puteh price to pay for my criminal activities…after all providing I keep my nose clean in jail and don’t get into any fights. I would probably be walking as a free man in two a bit years….which isn’t bad considering hotel Changi is FOC so this would probably allow me to stash my ill gotten gains in some high interest off shore account.

Of course I don’t want to go back to my evil ways again….but given the high pay outs and the remarkable ease at which the system can be gamed right to the hilt providing one has the means to hire good Lawyers along with the irresistible incentives of ultra Low penalties….the criminal way of life in Singapore is certainly a very tempting proposition that takes a lot of will power to resist.

I must take more cold showers these days. Go for regular jogs and not allow my mind to wander to far of the beaten path….I must really try….I must.

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‘Am I

Finally a cure for Citysystis?

CEBESA cost about $1. I add one to my coffee every morning…seems to work.

Since I am an acute sufferer of Citysystis. I’ve had to develop an anti serum against the death rays of the city.

I first came across squid ink when I noticed it was an active ingredient which is widely used as the tribal equivalent of Prozac. In most tribal mythology the color black is associated with mysticism that’s because it’s a color that is very closely associated with the paradox of death and renewal…darkness represents the end of light, but since without it there can be no appreciation of light it also signifies the beginning of all life.

Squid ink* is widely used in Italian and Spanish cooking as it adds a very distinctive flavour and adds an inviting sheen to food. The ink itself is composed mainly of melanin (the pigment that influences skin color), but it also contains proteins, lipids, minerals (especially iron) and the amino acid taurine, as well as dopamine – a neurotransmitter associated with positive mental states.

Usually I add a whole sachet of squid ink to black coffee….it helps a lot and I am hopeful that I may have finally stumbled on a cure for Citysystis.

*Squid ink is currently not expensive, not at all. But I am sure it will be. As the health boffins begin to take more interest in the magical properties of squid ink – that is why I seldom ever share much concerning jungle cures and much rather keep the circulation small and tight to curb commercialisation.

Having said squid ink is cheap it does however take some effort to seek out in Singapore. There is a speciality food shop in Singapore…it’s called Culina. They were located somewhere on the Thai embassy side of Orchard Rd. Maybe you can try there.

Kong Hee’s hour of reckoning

I do not agree with what Mr Kong has done. Infact, I happen to believe he is a confidence trickster par excellence. Nonetheless, from what he and his family had to endure for the last gruelling six years.

I can only say I have the upmost respect for the way he has managed this affair with dignity, respectability and stocism.

This aspect of his character cannot be taken away from Mr Kong.

Regrettably the same cannot be said about how the courts have handle this Mother of all flip flops.

They had two bites at the cherry and they still can’t seem to get it right….and now we are told this is not over (whatever that may mean) and presumably they’re planning for a third to nail it right – this really makes me wonder why would the third bite be any different.

The fact that in both occasions there was no unanimous decision suggest there is something either fundamentally wrong with the charge sheet, statute or interpretation of the spirit and intendment of the statute.

Besides even if they managed to get their act together. It’s conceivable all they would really accomplish is to only discredit the entire judicial process by running afoul of the doctrine of double jeopardy. If it exist in Singapore that is…and even if it didn’t some one in authority (hello is anyone there?) should at least bear the onus of clarifying how black became white or a square with 90 degree corners became a round circle….after all even the holy office of the AG owes the reasonable befuddled man on the street – a fiduciary duty to explain how a case that was eventually sunk on a ‘technicality’ proceeded so far and so long as it did with so many inherent flaws and at I can only imagine to be a monumental cost to tax payers. We after all live in a world where money and opportunity cost doesn’t grow on trees. Not to mention how the judgement of this case would have an impact on all other contemporaneous and future cases relating to cheating.

There is of course that other cogent consideration whether the sentences did infact the reflect the gravity of the offence accurately along with whether justice was seen to be done – will it serve as an effective deterrent. Or will it merely broadcast the message crime does indeed pay?

All that I imagine is water under the bridge – as it stands, they had two bites at the cherry and they egged it up royally thereby allowing a con man and his gang to walk short of their full term…bear in my mind all I have said here is my lay opinion – at the end of the day, they would have to live with that in the court of public opinion.

As for Kong Hee and his unfortunate associates I wish them and their family well – it must be tough for them all. But the same must also be said of many who donated only to feel cheated by the final outcome….but depending on how one may interpret, ‘it’s not over yet.’

Who except maybe God really knows what might finally happen.

Hello is anyone there?

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The return of King Kong

I took some time off on the first half of the day to bond with King Kong. He seems to be still reeling from his harrowing experience – but after taking him thru his paces Kong seems to be coming very much into his own.

Dogs like Kong have incredibly strong personalities – they cannot be forced to do anything they don’t want to do.

The trick is to just be consistently calm. Still internally to such a point where there are no fleeting thoughts….nothingness like a still mirrored lake that only radiates serenity. Nothing except for maybe what’s happening in nowness. Dogs can sense nervousness, fear and a range of emotions – they are very sensitive and can easily pick up and feed on negativity only to mirror it back.

Being genuinely calm is key and from my experience that is really all it takes to establish a strong bond with an abused dog…..it is a very gentle and quiet process. One where it’s jugular for the handler never to show fear. No shouting or yanking on the leash is required….all it takes is patience and above all understanding.

Calmness is not nothing….it is a form….and it is this form that will allow the dog handler to step into the heart and mind of the troubled beast.

Once the dog feels comfortable then everything becomes possible. He will step forward by himself and “stake a claim” to a particular space, area, or object by marking it with his urine…in dog lingo it just means, ‘I like it here, I might just stay here a while.’

I am very confident, in no time King Kong will forget his painful memories and all that will exist is sunny days rolling carefree in freshly cut grass and freaks of juicy bones….he is finally home.

Very few things in life gives me more pleasure than to have the power to bring happiness to animals.

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‘I have long realised there is a constant battle raging between two battling creatures within every man. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is what the tribal elders call the good, noble and benevelont creature – he is the cool breeze that blows on a scorching day. As he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

If you are wondering which of the two will win in the epic fight that is raging in every person – the answer is very simple….it is the creature that you choose to feed.’

Citysystis – an allergy to city life

The city and everything about it is like a giant krytronite rock that slowly weakens me from deep within. I can feel it’s invisible life sapping rays deadening everything within me deep down to the marrow of my bones – the pavements are all too flat and features….my feet are always in pain. I am afraid of crowds and I can’t take too many colors in one go….I get a splitting headache.

But since I am compelled from time to time to go to the city for business. I have no choice, but to develop some way to this live in peace with this disorder.

Usually when I feel my life force is depleting to a dangerous level. I will lumber to the nearest park and sit there while I slowly recharge. In the event none is available, it is not unusual for me to knock on the doors of mansions in leafy neighbourhoods with lush gardens to ask the mistress of the house for permission to recharge my life force in her garden. I seldom ever encounter problems. Some initial curiosity and hesitation perhaps. But this soon passes. In a while mistress of the house will usually serve me a cool drink with cakes. Based on my numerous experience, most people can usually be counted to be quite reasonable and understanding even if they consider my request somewhat peculiar.

Women I find tend to be very understanding and also very curious at the same time. Men on the other hand have a tendency to express reservations and even outrage, but this soon passes when their wife’s remind them there is no need to be rude….that is because all women have natural ESP, they can sense danger better than men….and they know I am genuine and my need is very real and urgent.

If it gets really bad. It’s not unusual for me to climb over walls of stately mansions. It is not a matter of choice!

As the death rays of the city can at times be relentless and ravage me mercilessly. Fortunately dogs of all known denomination and breeds are also born with very sensitive ESP powers – they can intuit once they see me, I mean them and their masters no harm…..I just need to rest in their garden. To commune with nature. So even the large breeds will usually give me sympathetic looks of quiet understanding, some especially the alpha killer breeds will even stand guard over me. As it is vampire thing. They can sense a kindred spirit is in a weakened state and requires looking after.

Recently a kind lady whose garden once I climbed over quite a while back ago was so thoughtful as to compile a list of addresses of stately mansions thru out the length and breadth of the city with lush gardens – when this fine lady handed me the list, she said, I can rest in any of the listed addresses and be reassured ‘no misunderstandings of any kind will ever occur.’

This angelic soul who I understand to be a very powerful, influential and wealthy socialite told me in a tone of gentle concern, that should I ever get myself into any trouble with the law on account of my ‘unusual’ habit of climbing over the walls of private property. As according to her, my actions can be so easily be misconstrued. She would never be able to forgive herself for the travesty. I assured her, I too don’t ever want to ever end up in Block 7 of IMH as well. I just want to rest in a garden and recharge my life force till my power bank reaches five bars.

As a consequence this lady has taken the liberty of circulating my photo along with a short explanation in her facebook account to inform all her high society friends that should any of them encounter a strange man attired in a bushjacket knocking on their door driving a four wheel drive with oversized tires, asking for permission to rest in their garden…they should always remain calm and make every possible effort to fulfil my request promptly, as it is a matter of life and death that pertains to my mental, psychical and spiritual well being…I should be treated like a kind and gentle soul always with the upmost patience, consideration and thoughtfulness.

I now finally have a passport to enjoy all the beautiful gardens in the city. I told this lady, from today onwards, I am so happy I no need to climb over walls again. I am really so happy and grateful to her.

Very stressful driving in the city & kitchen skills

I started late hoping to avoid the city jam….but no luck. Soon found myself crawling like a snail with other snails. I am not used to stop and go driving. Not at all. I am more accustomed to driving desolate plantation roads where one seldom ever sees traffic for miles at a stretch…. it takes all my concerntration just to remind myself I am in the city….very stressful.

I was called to share my culinary skills with a group of aspiring chefs on how to properly prepare Norwegian salmon – salmon just happens to be one of those dishes that comes across as deceptively simple….but it’s really more complicated than just throwing a slab of fish in a skillet.

For one even in commercial kitchens 99 out of 100 it’s done all wrong – result: the skin has a tendency to come across as slimy and the meat is very often dry and flavorless.

The right way to pan fry salmon is to first pat dry the fish completely on both sides and set it aside for fifteen minutes spread out on a paper towel with a light sprinkling of flour to create a crispy outer shell – usually salt and pepper and a dash of thyme is enough. Less is more when it comes to oily fish. As salmon has a natural flavour and over spicing it tends to rob the fish of its elemental aroma and sweetness.

Just let the fish do 99% of the job.

Heat up a dollop of butter, lash with finely chopped garlic and set it skin side to fry for a whole minute while pressing it gently down with a spatula….professional tip: NEVER place the raw salmon in the middle of the pan. That dries it out. Always fry in one corner of the pan, as this will allow for more heat control by removing the pan from the flame and tilting the pan so that the fish oils are further infused into the fish during the frying process. Doing it this way also allows for the fish to be flipped with minimal movement to avoid breakage. Always use a spoon to ladle oil to further fry and render the top side brown and crispy – this ensures the meat doesn’t dry out too much thereby retaining all its juices. Avoid the temptation of moving the fish too much with a spatula. Instead shift and tease by moving the pan, otherwise the fish will break and juices will seeped out. Do the same for the otherside and don’t forget to fry the sides as well.

This was the best of the lot…the color is just right. As for the taste it’s not overcooked and done to perfection retaining the springiness and crumbly texture of salmon without coming across as too dry and flavorless. The presentation is simple and elegant depicting a fern in lightly whipped mustard vinegarette,

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‘Youths absolutely need to take pride in their craft….once the element of pride has been successfully incorporated into a trade then and only then will it acquire the capacity to transform the mundanesss of work into some thing mythical, curious and magical.

Without this one vital X factor…work will just be a trudge…litany and grind and soon everything will begin to decay into mediocrity.

To convey this lasting attitude concerning the dignity of labor is seldom easy especially to a fickle minded audience such as youths – as usually this requires a certain level of showmanship and story telling skills.

But once one is able to successfully plant the magic seed there is an opportunity for every worker to find himself in work and that journey of self discovery can often be an intensely happy and edifying experience…suddenly the entire field of possibility IN work becomes much more than just work. Suddenly it is imbued with thinking quality…suddenly the worker isn’t just a monkey trained to pick coconuts.

As the labor has become a thinking thing….a delightful mystery filled with endless possibilities and wonder and curiosities.

The sleeper must awake…..’

The story of a Monster dog called King Kong

It’s the same sad story. Owner was a passionate animal lover. It seems he’s especially fond of large and dangerous breeds. Dog since birth has been raised as a one master dog and is devoted to only him and no one else. One day owner suddenly dies of a heart attack. No one else seems to be able to control the Monster dog. Not even the house servants who have muzzled him so tightly blood is dripping from his mouth. Dog is angry, confused and anxious. He hasn’t seen his owner for days. He doesn’t know what is happening. Dog prowls around the neighborhood – one of the Uncle’s insisted the dog has been terrorising everyone….he shouts out, it needs to be put down. The rest cheer him on. Everyone looks to me as they all know I seem to be able to live with exceptional harmony and happiness with all animals….I tell them all in a soft tone please strive to be patient…let us explore what is possible calmly.

Meanwhile no one dares to go out….not even for a walk. To complicate matters none of the deceased servants seem to be able to communicate with the locals. They are all foreigners who no one seems to understand – from what I can make out, they seem to converse in only a curious variant of Francaise that the Guinea spice merchants use, the older generation at least…a French Creole called ‘parkour’- a language once considered dead and was last used three hundred years ago during the Atlantic slave trade in Africa.

To cut a long story short….I was called in by the neighborhood committee.

I was able to subdue King Kong with just a bucket of water and a quarter of a chicken….apparently the house servants have not removed his muzzle for four days! So the dog was famished.

After the meal. I told King Kong in Parkour – I am so sorry. Your owner has begun his long one way journey….he will never ever return….but I have more important things to tell you – you are in a crazy place, yes that is what the city is…it is so crazy that everyone even thinks they’re sane…that is what makes the city especially dangerous to your kind….and since you don’t seem to be able to pretend to be crazy like this crazy people…they will hate and fear you…even if they have to manufacture their own version of the truth…they will do it…and there can really only be one possible outcome – men with shot guns are going to shoot you dead King Kong….you best follow me back to my plantation…..you will be happy there…you see it’s really quite simple King Kong…You and I…we just don’t belong here…things will be OK for a while….but the more they look at you. At some point all they will ever want to do is kill you! It’s the same old story.’

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The importance of being well dressed and groomed

Paying homage to being well dressed, neat and groomed simply means you are very serious about how the parts fit together in the right sequence for it all to come together very nicely…so seriously infact do you regard this social convention – that you are even willing to go that extra distance to come across as someone who regularly gives the highest level of respect to people and institutions and especially yourself…as the CEO of your personal brand.

When the serious men of this world give you nods of approval – they are not just saying….he’s well groomed and neat and knows how to give respect to people and institutions.

Please wise up! What they’re saying to themselves and their peers is simply this – this man knows how all the parts fit together in their correct sequence to all come together nicely….he is one of us…he can be trusted…he is worth investing in.

‘I am never ever said, you don’t have a right to dress in a T shirt and sneakers for a power meeting. Never!…that is not what I said. Infact you have every right to dress like that PROVIDING you earn the privilege to do so. But it should be only AFTER you’ve put a down payment on a a Honda jet…that’s all I am saying. AFTER that you can even dress in even a gunny sack. Or Pokemon Go jump suit. Better still go around stark naked….no one will frown on you…no one will even consider putting you in IMH.

All they will probably say is you’re slightly eccentric and that is all.

Know how the parts fit together in the right sequence for it all to come together…that’s all I am saying.

Did I ever say no one has a right to munch on banana’s keep their hair long like a caveman and strut around in public in pyjamas while shouting profanities like Amos Yee…No! Never ever said that either…not even so much as once. All I said was if you want to dress and talk like him – you better have the largest portfolio of equity in every shipping firm in the world….AFTER that you can grow your hair as long as you want and even wear your pyjamas to work.

Know how the parts fit together in the right sequence for it all to come together…that’s all I am saying.

Did I ever say you don’t have the right to screw around like Alvin Tan till your dick drops off? Or take selfies of yourself and your ding dong and post them for the whole world to marvel at. Never!….all I said is you can only do that AFTER you own all the majority shares in Time Warrner along with possibly CNN and for safe measure at least three other Fortune 500 companies.

Know how the parts fit together in the right sequence for it all to come together…that’s all I am saying.

We don’t do stupid things like pull the rip cord three quarters of the road down a degree….or for that matter out the cart before the horse…only really stupid people would make life hard instead of easy for themselves.’

Please save the turtles of the world

Look carefully! This is not just another mountain of random garbage – it’s an artistic redention of a giant leatherback turtle fashioned from hundreds of plastic bottles and non bio degradable nick nacks that regularly make their way like silent killers to the food chain of turtles and fishes in the seas.

Both the giant leatherback and Olive Ridley are facing imminent and certain species extinction due to mankind’s callous culture of unmitigated and mindless consumption of plastic.

Soon these great and magnificent animals will certainly go the way of the dodo bird….when will mankind learn?

When?

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‘Man will always be a destroyer. He is like a child. He cannot help it as this child is addicted to the narcotic of the profit motive like sweets. That is why I am internally convinced never before in history of mankind has there been such a real and urgent requirement for the rich and influential to subscribe to a code of ethic – a guiding philosophy not only of how best to live without hurting people and planet, but a superior logic where man might perhaps begin to reverse his corrosive lifestyle that is the cause of so many of the problems of our tumultuous age.

If it is not the rich and influential who should rightly lead the masses – then may I ask who else is best predisposed to do so?

There are many people who label me a communist – they say, he was enamoured by Franco’s simplicity towards life as a youth. That is why he takes exceptional pride in living a spartan’s existence…of military utility like a Templar knight.

But how else would one go about the business of convincing the masses that money is meaningless except perhaps for one to dedicate oneself wholly to this way of life to demonstrate to the masses money is chimeric.

The paradox is even I least of all can absolve myself totally from the blame of being associated with the culture of mindless consumption…after all I yearn to own a Honda jet. It is in my sights….and I imagine that sort of corrosive attitude must have rubbed off on so many of you.

After all I am hardly a normal person. When I walk into a room full of frontier men – They all stand up. I can even see the admiration they all have for me….but I say only this.

We need to tone down….above all we need to be grounded to the fundamentals…the basics of life.

If I had the opportunity to do it all again….maybe I would simply say to all of you what I have already Long known – money is not a big deal…it’s really quite meaningless infact. To be perfectly honest with all of you….I really don’t know what the fuss is all about…..I really don’t know.

To me it’s just a big nothing….and that’s the truth.

We simply need to hold on to that reality….it’s nothing.’