Gun Culture in USA - Time to Stop This

I'm sure many of us are stunned that week in week out there are reports of angry people, mainly from the good old USA who are pulling out rifles and shooting indescriminately or targetting people (love rivals,ex-bosses etc.) and causing substantial loss of life, injuries and massive grief for those affected. However, one thing strikes me, in almost all cases, the shooters are MEN.

Young, old, all races and dispositions they are MEN.The saddest thing is that, according to the documentary film-maker Michael Moore, the number of gun related deaths in the USA is 11,000 per year as compared to that of Britain or other so called developed societies like UK or Germany where the deaths are only in their 'teens. Psychologists also need to study the reasons for a) why only men or young men go berserk with the massive collateral damage inflicted on the population ever so often b) the desensitisation of death due to popular computer games making "killing" by beheading and shooting a Worldwide Online Multiplayer game.
Games such as Gunz, Counter Strike and Warcraft all come to mind.

Killing people is good, the more you do it the higher your score and status in the game. That is the indirect message played out again and again, of course the 'bad guys' are carrying swords or warlocks or guns of different tribes.

Somehow, there seems to be a blurring between the lines of reality and virtuality so much so that ONE cannot differentiate between one or the other. That can easily happen to mentally unstable or depressed people.

"After you die I will take over your game OK ? " is a phrase many kids waiting to play after their friends have used up their *Health, * Power or *Lives. Its so easy to kill and be killed in the virtual world and come back to life in the next frame.

IN THIS WORLD, YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE. MAKE THE MOST OF IT.

In the 2nd Amendment of the United States Constitution US Bill of Rights, it says it "protects a right to keep and bear arms". Yes, well and good when you have a war going on against the British 200 + years ago (1770s...1790s).

When you have semi-automatic and sub-machine guns, long range high powered rifles(OK, they have banned the use of these but people can still get them if they have the right 'connections'),when owning a handgun or a rifle is as easy as going to a shop and buying it off the shelf, it is a recipe for DISASTER.

I am thankful that Singapore is a tightly regulated country with total bans on guns and drugs as these 2 items seem to go hand-in -hand. We might appear too controlled but it is strict control with excellent results. "Land of the Free" - refers to Singapore in my opinion as our citizens, women and children can wander FREE from fear of being robbed, harassed,molested or worse. It is that FREEDOM FROM FEAR is the Ultimate Freedom.

"With great power comes great responsibility" - from the Movie "Spiderman"

Give a person a gun and he assumes the power to take many lives with a small amount of effort. If he is clinically depressed, has low self esteem, antisocial or just had a bad day there is this immense danger that a shooter can cause untold damege physically and for sure scar mentally all those involved in a mass shooting.Just look at the Columbine University, University of Techmology Virginia shootings. Many of those teenagers and adults involved will have psychological problems for years to come.Mental depression or insomnia can lead people to 'snap' and having a weapon of tremendous power at one's disposal can cause a tragedy.

The killers' rationale were simple : "Hey I live a screwed up life, but at least I can go down in infamy, most remembered by being a mass killer, the more killed the better." TWISTED LOGIC, TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES.

If you can get the psychiatrists and psychologists fast enough to counsel these guys the better, but look at the root causes : a) Pop culture glorifying violence and b) the 2nd Amendment. We can't do much about the first as each generation will have their own pop culture.At least the Powers that be must attempt to do one thing.

Its time to Demolish the real Weapon of Mass Destructon : the 2nd Amendment.

C'mon Mr. Obama, how many more innocent people will have to die or be haunted for decades in the name of Freedom ? !!

Legends in Our Own Minds ?

Several recent events by colleagues have left me thinking,some of us have a very high perception of ourselves and can literally 'walk on water'. Some claim to have predicted the wordlwide financial crisis, some know for sure the cure for cancer and next week's 4D Toto numbers and even some can tell me 'next week the stock market surely will go up'. The reality is that they can be so prescient but can't be productive enough or realistic enough to either do something about their predictions or make some capital gain from their ideas. They are most often located in the coffeshop or lounging around in cyberspace on various chatlines when the boss is not around.They have so grandiose thoughts that they forget the very mundane or obvious aspects of their life like a) coming to work on time, b) taking care of customers c) taking care of their boss or principals d) work colleagues emails e) being reliable and can be counted upon.

There seems to be a correlation between the Coffeshop Nostradamus (Accurate Predicter of the Future) and his Current Financial Status (which is quite desperate) normally. So I can Prredict this Principle :

Nostrudamus Socrates Principle : The more you Predict or Philosophise about things, the Poorer you will be !

That is because you will be so busy stoning or worrying about the future trends that you have no time to do a decent job and hence you will be fired, or have no time for a proper job. Come to think of it, the Greek gods were so full of themselves that one wonders if they could ever be gainfully employed !

The message here is : "Get Real, Legends are Created by Other People About You, Not by Yourself !!".

Meeting with ISKU President

Senior Black Belt Roland Teo, Sensei Chia Kwek Fah, Sensei Robert Burgermeister,Me

Yesterday I was honoured to be invited to have a meeting and dinner with Sensei Robert Burgermeister, President and CEO of Motobu-ha Shitoryu International Seishinkai Karate Union (ISKU) who dropped in to Singapore for a 1 day courtesy visit calling upon my Karate Sensei (teacher), 7th Dan Shitoryu Black Belt holder and Sports Coach, Mr. Chia Kwek Fah. It was a historic meeting as both Mr. Chia and
Mr. Burgermeister had known each other formally for over 20 years. Each was involved in many aspects of Shitoryu Karate in Asia and Worldwide with Mr. Chia founding the Ken Shin Kai Club in Singapore in 1997 (with hundreds of members) and Mr. Burgermeister, first with the World Karate Federation (WKF) and now with the ISKU.



The meetings and discussions were very warm and cordial reflecting the degree of respect and deference both these gentlemen have developed over the years.Sensei Chia has been very instrumental in wanting to evolve the ancient art of Shitoryu Karate under the legendary Sensei Mabuni adding sports science and physiological elements to our training so that overuse injuries and wrong training techniques can be minimised if correct KNOWLEDGE and APPLICATION is implemented. Senior trainees like myself (above 40) have different physiological makeup than the junior members in their teens and twenties (20s) and having a customised training for the senior trainees is very critical for the enjoyment and development of our art.



My dojo (class)mate,Roland Teo and myself were in attendance. We are all optimistic of our future cooperation and look forward to a mutually successful future.Like Sensei Robert put it so aptly :

"Karate belongs to Everyone".

Free Electric Band - Albert Hammond

This Song from Youtube is from the early 70s, when I was about my early teens. It was recommended by Roland Teo.Thanks Roland. They don't make songs like these anymore. It was the ultimate Anti-Establishment or Young Rebel Song by Sir Albert Hammond.

I almost forgot how great Pop Music was in my day and the lyrics were about simple life,love,anti-establishment and living without any care.

Long Live the 70s Music !

GM to Kaput ? Then there will be 2.

GM chief Rick Wagoner (no pun intended) and Chrysler and Ford Chiefs during the grilling by Congress in December 2008.

In early December 08, in an earlier blog, I mentioned that the US Government should 'bite the bullet' and let the inefficient car companies fail - ie. go bankrupt. Sure there will be major food chain implications but just early this week, President Obama said that the changes in GM were not fast and widespread enough to warrant another bailout funds so was prepared to let them go bankrupt but support the warranties and parts of those cars from the Feredal budget. Its about time I say.

In a free capitalistic market,companies which do not make money over the long run will run in into cashflow problems and ultimately wind up or have to fail or go bankrupt.To bail out these inefficient companies will be tantamount or equal to keeping already brain dead people on life support - a very costly exercise. Of course,human life and companies are totally different entities.

The fallout will no doubt affect the cities where GM,Chrysler and Ford
all locate their factories all over the world where tens of thousands will be affected directly and perhaps millions indirectly will be affected.

Early this week, Richard Wagoner the CEO was forced to resign and given a nice severance package of US$ 20 million.Will the ordinary folk on production line at GM get something after 10,15 20 or even 25 years at GM ? I wouldn't bet on it.

Back to Camp - 25 Years Later

Yesterday I took a step back in time, when I went to view some equipment which was located in the Singapore Armour Center at Sungei Gedong Camp. Coincidentally it was the SAME camp which I was posted to from late 1980 to mid 1983 way back when I was young (sigh). Unfortunately cameras were not allowed into the camp so this is the only photo.

I had a walk-around and a feeling of 'deja vu' came to me. The Old B**** or the Standard Obstacle Course was where it used to be where we young NCOs trained our Armoured Artillery Men - alot of them where "Hokkien Ping" or "Chinese Helicopter".
These men were called "helicopter" because they could not say the word "educated" properly and so it came out as "helicopter". Though alot of them had little education and some looked like thugs and gangsters (they probably were 'outside' (the camp), I know most of them (where are they now I wonder?) to be kind and gentle souls.

We were the famous Armoured Artillary Battery of Charlie Company in the early 80s. Famous because Charlie Company had alot of jokers and major cockups (including one very unfortunate death of my friend tank Commander Shu Tai Yong).


"Yes Corporer !"

The Parade Square, Company Barracks and the Cookhouse looked EXACTLY like they were 25 years ago, no makeover or building amendments except for some new paint by the looks of it. The ever present 'chinup bar' - the bane of my Army time doing National Service as I had weak arms, the best I could do is 12 chinups was all over the place. Memories come back like it was just yesterday.

The were many of the decommissioned AMX tanks as reminders of the past but now with the latest Leopard tanks in service,Singapore is well protected any time of the year.

I guess I will make it one of my Missions this Year to Locate my Platoon and Section Men ; 25 years after ROD (Run Out Date). Where are We Now ???

Pattaya = Old Folks Home for Western Men

I am visiting the seaside town of Pattaya for business with my staff. Our customer is located about 30 minutes drive in the Eastern Seaboard town of Chonburi,Rayong Estate,or "Detroit of the South East Asia" (China,India and Japan surpass the scale and size of the car manufacturing industry many times). After the workday, we headed down to Pattaya for drinks and dinner. To some people, the image conjures up the Biblical towns of Soddom and Gomorrah where sleaze, prostitution,and all manner of vices are available. On only my 5th ever visit, I am still trying to find a word that typifies it but the only word is 'unique'. No, I wouldn't come here on a family holiday or even a holiday because its NOT my idea of entertainment and interest,EVER.
Perhaps for something totally different from the face of this earth is what I would call it !



However, I am struck that there are literally tens of thousands of Western (read White mainly) men of middle age to very old men and some aged Caucasion women who call this place home. They hail from many parts of Europe but looking at the restaurants menus and by the signboards there are many Germans, Russians,British and American. Every second couple is a Caucasian Man with a Thai wife/girlfriend and they have frankly boosted the Thai economy for decades by setting up the bars,restaurants and enntertainment outlets with their EUROs,Sterling Pounds and American Dollars. In a way, its like the perfect Old Folks Homes for these guys as they are a) not a burden for their 'home countries' when they fall sick and die b) things are very cheap by the Western standard or even Singapore standards, a chilled Singha beer goes for B 15 or S$ 0.60 or 60 cents at one of the countless bars. Unbelievably cheap. The Thai women coming here also flock to these Westerners like bees to honey as a union would prove 'win-win' to both the lonely man and the economically disadvantaged woman.



The relationship or marriage situation though convenient for the poor Thai woman who relies on the Westerner for the improvement of her standard of living does not sit well with many Thais who accept this as a sad fact of their society,but are not comfortable with it. The reason could be that the men are normally past the 'economic due' date and are not the 'foreign talents' which countries like Singapore,United States and Europe seek but are the old,widowers,divorcees, pensioners, socially inept failures and of course the sex tourists. White Trash is a phrase which comes to mind.

On top of that, there are additional busloads of gawking tourists who come from all parts of the world from China,Vietnam
and South America enjoying the beach, the muay thai shows (see pictures),walking street and lots of shopping.



So,at the end,Pattaya still remains relevant and even more dominant than when it was just a outpost for American GIs and sailors during the 60s and 70s.



Do the Thais want it ? Depends on who you ask. Does the World want it ? Again depends on who you ask.