Why is Singapore so safe?

Arkaneh Urairat

 

Know Singapore and Malaysia

Why is Singapore so safe?

Let’s get to know Singapore Police Force (SPF) then you got a feel why Singapore is so safe.

“ Today, we are a strong Force of 15,000 regular officers, civilian staff and Full-time Police National Servicemen, augmented by volunteer police officers and Operationally…. that has kept Singapore as one of the safest countries in the world.“—Unquote.

• So what? The Indonesian Quora bros may shout, “The INP is made up of more than 400,000 police officers and civilian employees.” The Thai laughs “ The RTP has 230,000 officers who are ready to shoot and our Hanuman unit is deadly, Ok guys!” Also, the siblings ‘across the causeway” feel disgusted and walks away “ kita ada 106,500 polis yang menakutkan okay!”

Wait! Let’s read on:-

The US has S.W.A.T teams right? The STAR Unit is one of the three main units of the Special Operations Command (SOC), in addition to the Police Tactical Unit and the K-9 Unit…Here is the S.T.A.R. unit!

Are there real in action or like Thailand’s Hanuman units’ acting like a props?—

Why don’t you shout out of the window for the fun “I have a bomb in my bag?” see if those dudes will come to you.

Are those SPF, The Home Team sitting in the police station or in tents like the Royal Thai Police Force during a countdown where the 100,000 New Year’s crowd was going mad in Bangkok?

Are you kidding me? —-They are roaming Singapore 24/7, guys! They spread out in a battalion to control the crowd.

When you dial 999 do they answer you, “Sorry, the police are all out on duty, and no vehicles available”? It’s like my bro-in-law told me about the trick he used in Pattaya’s police station, he said ‘not again, a drunk Farang!—-:

You’ve got to be kidding me!- You will see them in a pair within 10 minutes.

How serious are the Singapore’s traffic cops?

Do they say, $400 fine for you, and hand you a ticket to pay within 3 days, or “$100 PayNow”?—the famous words of their counterparts ‘across the causeway.

Sure or not? - My Thai Quran may say: “Here, I flashed my father’s mane card, I got a ‘Krub Phom’ salute already.”

You must be joking dude!— SPF is angelic-like and trained in heaven, guys!I

If you don’t feel safe in Singapore you must be a crook yourself. 

Is there any parallel in history where a leader is so charming that he develops a zombie like loyalty among his followers?

Jean-Marie Valheur

lover of history

Is there any parallel in history where a leader is so charming that he develops a zombie like loyalty among his followers, despite the fact that he is a known liar, cheater, philanderer, narcissist, convicted felon, and con artist?

Oh, definitely. America isn’t so ahead of the curve — the Philippines did it first! Ferdinand Marcos was his name. Like Trump, he was married to a glamorous former model, Imelda Marcos. And Marcos, too, was a convicted felon. Only in his case the charge wasn’t financial in nature… Ferdinand Marcos was a murderer. As a teenager he assassinated his father’s political rival, Julio Nalundasan.

Surely that would be the end of Mr. Marcos, you’d think? Not at all — he was jailed, studied law while in prison and eventually walked free. During WWII, Marcos served as a resistance fighter against the Japanese occupying forces. Unlike “Sargeant Bonespurs”, Ferdinand was a genuinely brave man. He was also a notorious liar, because he later falsely claimed to have served the American army and received a Medal of Honor… he didn’t; he served with a rag-tag band of outlaws, waging guerilla warfare on the Japanese.

As for the rest of your question? Yes, Marcos was a philanderer — he had a common-law wife and four kids before he met model Imelda. He abandoned her, and then gave his children by Imelda the same names(!) as his first batch of kids. Narcissist seems to fit the bill, too. Marcos was a con artist in the sense that he created a lot of myths about himself. Like the Medal of Honor he never won. Or the rumor that he supposedly found “Yamashita’s Gold”, a mythical treasure of gold lost by the fleeing Japanese upon the surrender of the Imperial Army. His heavily embellished war record helped carry him to presidency, and once he assumed power he declared a state of emergency that allowed him to stay in power for two decades as a dictator.

Marcos died in 1989, exiled to Hawaii, disgraced and overthrown by his own people in a revolt. And while the city-dwelling elites of the Philippines turned against him and removed him from power, the name Marcos remained popular in the provinces. In 2022, his son Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Junior was elected President. All he had to do was be his father’s son. His last name was all it took. Everyone endlessly talks about Trump but Marcos is a far more compelling figure to study… and if history does repeat itself, America may one day elect another Junior. 

Wonder and Awe Before the Eucharist

Sunday, June 2, 2024 Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Year B) Thursday after Holy Trinity or, where this is not a holy day of obligation, on the following Sunday In the United States it is always transferred to the Sunday after the Most Holy Trinity May 30, 2024 (Where celebrated Thursday) June 2, 2024 (Where transferred to Sunday) Readings for Today

Video While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.” Mark 14:22–24 (Year B Gospel) At the holy Mass, as soon as the priest pronounces the words of the consecration, transforming the bread and wine into the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ our Lord, he genuflects, rises, and then says, “The mystery of faith.” What is “the mystery of faith?” Oftentimes, when we say that something is a mystery, we mean that the conclusion is hidden but that there are certain clues to help solve the mystery. And once the mystery is solved, everything is clear and it is no longer a mystery. “The mystery of faith” is much different. Those words are spoken at Mass immediately after the consecration as a way of drawing the faithful into a holy awe and amazement of what just took place. But this mystery can only produce wonder and awe if the reality of what just took place is understood through the gift of faith. Faith is knowing and believing without perceiving the reality before us with our five senses or through logical deduction. In other words, faith produces true knowledge of a spiritual reality that can only be known, understood and believed through spiritual insight. Therefore, if we attend the Mass and have been gifted with the knowledge of faith, then as soon as the consecration of the bread and wine takes place, we will cry out interiorly, “My Lord and my God!” We will know that God the Son is present before us in a veiled way. Our eyes do not perceive, nor do any of our senses reveal to us the great reality before us. We cannot rationally deduce what just took place. Instead, we come to know and believe that the Son of God, the Savior of the World, is now present before us in His fullness, under the veil of mere bread and wine. In addition to the divine presence of our Lord and our God, the entire Mystery of our Redemption is made present. Saint Pope John Paul II tells us that in this moment there is a “oneness in time” that links the Paschal Mystery, that is, the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, to every moment that the Eucharist is celebrated and made present through the words of consecration. And that unity between each Mass and the Paschal Mystery “leads us to profound amazement and gratitude” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, #5). Do you sense and experience this profound amazement and gratitude each time you attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? Do you realize as you attend the Mass and as the words of consecration are spoken that the entire Mystery of your redemption is made present before you, hidden from your eyes but visible to your soul by faith? Do you understand that it is God the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity Who descends to us to dwell with us in that moment of time in this glorious Sacrament? Reflect, today, upon the hidden but real Mystery of Faith. Allow yourself to be drawn into a wonder and awe at what you are privileged to attend. Let your faith in the Most Holy Eucharist grow by being open to a deepening of this gift of faith through spiritual insight and belief. Behold this great Gift of the Eucharist with the eyes of faith and you will be drawn into the wonder and awe that God wants to bestow upon you. My ever-glorious Eucharistic Lord, I do believe that You are here, made present in our world under the form of bread and wine, every time the Holy Mass is celebrated. Fill me with a deeper faith in this Holy Gift, dear Lord, so that I may be drawn into wonder and awe every time I witness this holy Consecration. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

What are some important and generalizable life lessons?

Spring knowledge

Posted by 

Yahiya Ali

 

What are some important and generalizable life lessons?

1. Patience is the key. Crocodiles don't go hunting. The prey comes to them.
2. Listening is the greatest life skill. Talking and not listening is the greatest folly.
3. If you don't want other people to control your life avoid looking for a job no matter how high the pay.
4. Life has its irony. In school, people who succeed are those people who excel academically. In real life, people who succeed are those people who failed in school.
5. Don't worry or stress yourself when you wake up each morning feeling like a failure or things are not working for you. That's how life is designed. To feel bad when life is working for you.
6. The school of life is strange. People who actually succeed feel like they're total failures. And in fact, they fail multiple times until they lose count.
7. Don't hate anyone no matter how you feel about them. They have no idea that you hate them. You're only hurting yourself.
8. In this life, your life is not sealed by fate. That's the wrong way of looking at life. Your life is really like a blank cheque for you to fill with any number you decide.
9. We’re all born clean from debt. However, the lifestyles and paths we decide to choose puts us in all manner of debts that we will probably never recover from.
10. Be thankful for what you have, and don't stress yourself about what you don't have. Life won't give you what you don't have until you're grateful for what you have.

ADVICE FROM OLD PEOPLE

Psychological Behaviour

Posted by 

Ayaz Ali

 

20h

ADVICE FROM OLD PEOPLE

1. The most important person in your life is the person who agreed to share their life with you. Treat them as such.

2. You might live a long life, or you might live a short one — who knows. But either way, trust me when I say that you’re going to wish you took better care of yourself in your youth.

3. Stuff is just stuff. Don’t hold onto material objects, hold onto time and experiences instead.

4. Jealousy destroys relationships. Trust your significant other, because who else are you supposed to trust?

5. People always say, “Make sure you get a job doing what you love!” But that isn’t the best advice. The right job is the job you love some days, can tolerate most days, and still pays the bills. Almost nobody has a job they love every day.

6. If you’re getting overwhelmed by life, just return to the immediate present moment and savour all that is beautiful and comforting. Take a deep breath, relax.

7. Years go by in the blink of an eye. Don’t marry young. Live your life. Go places. Do things. If you have the means or not. Pack a bag and go wherever you can afford to go. While you have no dependents, don’t buy stuff. Any stuff. See the world. Look through travel magazines and pick a spot. GO!

8. Don’t take life so seriously. Even if things seem dark and hopeless, try to laugh at how ridiculous life is.

9. A true friend will come running if you call them at 2am. Everyone else is just an acquaintance.

10. Children grow up way too fast. Make the most of the time you have with them.

11. Nobody ever dies wishing they had worked more. Work hard, but don’t prioritize work over family, friends, or even yourself.

12. Eat and exercise like you’re a diabetic heart patient with a stroke — so you never actually become one.

13. Maybe this one isn’t as profound as the others, but I think it’s important… Floss regularly, dental problems are awful.

14. Don’t take anyone else’s advice as gospel. You can ask for advice from someone you respect, then take your situation into consideration and make your own decision. Essentially, take your own advice is my advice…

15. The joints you damage today will get their revenge later. Even if you think they’ve recovered completely. TRUST ME!

16. We have one time on this earth. Don’t wake up and realize that you are 60 years old and haven’t done the things you dreamed about.

17. Appreciate the small things and to be present in the moment. What do I mean? Well, it seems today like younger people are all about immediate gratification. Instead, why not appreciate every small moment? We don’t get to stay on this crazy/wonderful planet forever and the greatest pleasure can be found in the most mundane of activities. Instead of sending a text, pick up the phone and call someone. Call your mother, have a conversation about nothing in particular. Those are the moments to hold onto.

18. Pay your bills and stay the hell out of debt. If I could have paid myself all the money I’ve paid out in interest over the years, I’d be retired already.

19. If you have a dream of being or doing something that seems impossible, try for it anyway. It will only become more impossible as you age and become responsible for other people.

And finally, the last piece of advice:

20. When you meet someone for the first time, stop and realize that you really know nothing about them. You see race, gender, age, clothes. Forget it all. You know nothing. Those biased assumptions that pop into your head because of the way your brain likes categories, are limiting your life, and other people’s lives. 

"The world will not change who we are---we will change the world."

True Love Conquers All

 

Posted by 

Bethany Fletcher

"My three-and-a-half-year-old son likes to play trucks. He likes to do jigsaw puzzles. He likes to eat plums. And he likes to wear sparkly tutus. If asked, he will say the tutus make him feel beautiful and brave. If asked, he will say there are no rules about what boys can wear or what girls can wear.

My son has worn tutus to church. He has worn tutus to the grocery store. He has worn tutus on the train and in the sandbox. It has been, in our part of the world, a non-issue. We have been asked some well-intentioned questions; we've answered them; it has been fine. It WAS fine, until yesterday.

Yesterday, on our walk to the park, my son and I were accosted by someone who demanded to know why my son was wearing a skirt. We didn't know him, but he appeared to have been watching us for some time.

"I'm just curious," the man said. "Why do you keep doing this to your son?"

He wasn't curious. He didn't want answers. He wanted to make sure we both knew that what my son was doing---what I was ALLOWING him to do---was wrong.

"She shouldn't keep doing this to you," he said. He spoke directly to my son. "You're a boy. She's a bad mommy. It's child abuse."

He took pictures of us, although I asked him not to; he threatened me. "Now everyone will know," he said. "You'll see."

I called the police. They came, they took their report, they complimented the skirt. Still, my son does not feel safe today. He wants to know: "Is the man coming back? The bad man? Is he going to shout more unkind things about my skirt? Is he going to take more pictures?"

I can't say for sure. But I can say this: I will not be intimidated. I will not be made to feel vulnerable or afraid. I will not let angry strangers tell my son what he can or cannot wear.

The world may not love my son for who he is, but I do. I was put on this earth to make sure he knows it.

I will shout my love from street corners.

I will defend, shouting, his right to walk down the street in peace, wearing whatever items of clothing he wants to wear.

I will show him, in whatever way I can, that I value the person he is, trust in his vision for himself, and support his choices---no matter what anybody else says, no matter who tries to stop him or how often.

Our family has a motto. The motto is this:

We are loving.

We are kind.

We are determined and persistent.

We are beautiful and brave.

We know who we are. Angry strangers will not change who we are. The world will not change who we are---we will change the world."

A cat named Trixie

Wild geography

 

Posted by 

WilD GEOGRAPHY

 

11h

I adopted a 14 year old cat from my sister’s neighbor, sight unseen. The neighbor was 93 years old and was being put into assisted living. Her family planned on taking Trixie (the cat) to the shelter, not caring if she found a home or was euthanized. My sister called me and I, obviously, said that I would take her. At the time, I had six other cats ranging from six yrs to 14 yrs so I brought her home and placed her into a room by herself with a screen door instead of a room door so they could see and smell each other, but not get to each other.

For a while, things were a little strange. Trixie didn’t know where she was, who we were, or who these other cats were. But within a few months, the screen door was open during the day and then closed at night—so we could monitor what was going on. But we didn’t really have to worry. Even our big oaf of a cat, Brenin, who was 18 lbs to her 5.5 lbs was put in his place when she hissed and swatted at him.

And pretty soon, although she preferred to sleep in her room where her bedding and food/water was, she had free run of the house—screen door open. And none of the cats caused her any trouble. Even one of my cats—an 11-year-old ex-feral named Cooper—took to her and they started eating side-by-side from her bowl. And the hissing and swatting stopped completely between everyone except when she would occasionally lift a paw as if to say “Don’t make me smack you” and that was good enough.

Unfortunately, at age 16, she passed away. But we gave her a,. hopefully, happy home with other cats (who she had never even seen before) and lots of love rather than having to spend her remaining years in a metal cage surrounded by stressed out barking dogs, not knowing where she was. She was a sweet, wonderful old girl and we truly miss her. (Trixie pic below)