Category: Random Musings

I just read the short life summary of Terrance Phang Ying Choy by his friend. His story is one of life’s cruel twists and clear indication that life is neither fun nor fair.

Here, we have a young man, who by all accounts worked his arse off and had to fight for his future. He’d finally gotten into Cambridge to study Engineering and was on his way to future success, to take care of his family.

Then, his fire was snuffed out. If there is anything to be learned from his short life, it is that hard work and clear vision will get you places.

I think that most of those kids who are crying for a scholarship, should just take a page from this guy. Most of them should be ashamed of themselves, thinking that they’re god’s greatest gift to mankind. This young man puts them all to shame.

He had the guts to overcome the hurdles that life throws in his way, all except one – which none of us escape.

Sarah Kaminsky: My father the forger – a very compelling story. It’s the little people like this, who do great things and save lives. I hope that I’ll be able to contribute to the world in my own little way.

The Economist carried an article recently that talked about the general decline in Marriage throughout much of East, South-East and South Asia. It was a generally pleasant read until I got right up to the end – it’s recommendations.

It made one recommendation that I felt was fair: “Governments should also legislate to get employers to offer both maternal and paternal leave, and provide or subsidise child care. If taking on such expenses helped promote family life, it might reduce the burden on the state of looking after the old.”

However, it made a real stupid recommendation that I felt would worsen the situation for marriage: “Relaxing divorce laws might, paradoxically, boost marriage. Women who now steer clear of wedlock might be more willing to tie the knot if they know it can be untied—not just because they can get out of the marriage if it doesn’t work, but also because their freedom to leave might keep their husbands on their toes. Family law should give divorced women a more generous share of the couple’s assets.”

That made me go – WTF??!!

As if the women do not get more than enough. In most legal jurisdictions, unless the woman is a sex-worker, an alcoholic, or drug-addict, the woman gets custody over the children by default and the man is saddled with alimony payments and parental visits.

How the frak is such an arrangement fair?

If anything, the rise of women in the workplace has shifted the power balance in the relationship and the laws should be modified to reflect this – i.e. the laws should be made more balanced and not less so.

Awesome, from someone who plays neither instrument! With the wonders of technology, we can apply this to all sorts of other endeavours.