Just The Wei I Am

a tad pensive now, after reading a couple of blogs. And a little tempted to change my site design so that it looks text-based. Feel like just writing whatever comes to my mind.

I thought of a little song the other day.

----------------------------------
Ode to Photoshop

I was only fourteen years old
And you were two point five.
Back then, you didn't have layers
But we could all get by.
After all, you're the industry standard
After all, you are the top of the line...

Oh my Photoshop (you're right at the top)
Oh my Photoshop (I'm not gonna stop)

----------------------------------

Boohoo, I miss Photoshop.. Something that got my hopes up was that maybe I can afford it! I saw Adobe CS2 Educational at $678 last week at Sim Lim. Ahem, if you think that's expensive, it's not. The mainstream version sells for $2066, so there. I'm just hoping that Adobe Production Studio is also available in Educational. Comes with Photoshop, Premiere, Audition, and *drum roll* After Effects!! I think drumrolls are not enough.. *fireworks* *champagne* *fanfare* *laser show* *public holiday*

Elections
I watched the dialogue session MM Lee had with the bunch of journalists and undergrads on TV. Interesting. When asked whether walkovers meant a lack of mandate, MM Lee's reply was that a no-contest meant that they are doing such a good job, nobody thinks they can do better or that there should be a change - and now that is a mandate. True, true, very enlightening, sir. People complain about a "lack of choice" in Singapore's political economy, but why should we think this is a bad thing?

Perhaps Uncle Sam and his liberal democracy rhetoric, and a post-WWII phobia of anything vaguely authoritarian, has clouded our thinking. Or perhaps we humans are just plain covetous - we see other people having choices (and Uncle Sam saying it's good) and we want choices too. We don't care, we just want choices! Perhaps we should care to look around. Countries with much political choices do not have a stable political climate - we don't have to look very far, just look at Thailand and the Philippines. The average Singaporean is unlikely to take to the streets to protest or strike (yes I know it's illegal) but perhaps this is our fortune. I remember Felicia recounting a strike at the university library when she was on exchange. It just inconvenienced everybody.

We say that Singaporeans are politically apathetic. Well, if things weren't so good, they won't be. MM Lee reminded everyone that politics is not about elections and campaign debates, it is purely about everyday life. Politics is about food, water, shelter, jobs, transportation, quality of life. People in some other countries are politically active, because they're hungry or they're jobless or they're homeless. What we need are talented people in Government to keep ensuring that life is good in Singapore. What we do not need are political choices for the sake of having them.

To summarise :-

It seems good that other countries have political choices.

Reality is:
- their government is not good
- their needs are not met
- they are unhappy
- they want a new government
- they have new choices

For us:
- our government is good
- our needs are met
- we are happy
- we don't think we want a new government
- we don't need new choices

This is what we call apathy and lack of choices? Are we thinking that we should have what others have, without thinking that we don't have it because we have something else better?