Limit of My Intellect

Early morning today, I finished “Power and Interdependence.” Finished, but pages in the middle of the book left me blank-eyed, forcing myself very reluctantly to realise, 15 years after Albany, the limit of my intellect. The book mentions in several places non-state terrorism. Back then, it might refer to “Palestinian terrorism,” but again Keohane and Nye, or anyone else for that matter, expected anything like 9/11 to happen.

Somewhat encouraged by the two poli-sci books I have just ended, I decided to proceed with Ho Khai Leong’s “Shared Responsibility, Unshared Power: The Politics and Policy-Making in Singapore.” Contrary to my first impression of the book, especially on its unattractive layout, I have found it is written quite objectively and calmly, unlike those ass-licking writings prevalent here. Thus, I hope the pace of reading it will quicken. And let me choose Graham Greene’s “The Human Factor” to accompany it.

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About Al Gore again. I’ve known him since when he ran for presidency in 1988. Called “Prince,” he dropped out of the race after the Super Tuesday, if I remember correctly. Those days, he was more recognised as an expert of national security issues rather than environmental problems. Gore reappeared before me, of course, as the VP candidate in 1992 and, when I got hooked with Zappa, in the latter’s Porn War and Senate testimony against music labelling, which Tipper, with Jim Baker’s wife, was campaigning for. Perhaps I should watch the much-talked-about “An Inconvenient Truth” one more time. Gore’s sincerity and honesty (even humour) are demonstrated in the film. At the same time, I wonder what George W would be doing now if he had lost the race to Gore in 2000…

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Very public-minded government ministers’ salaries are going up.
(Figurehead) President: from S$2,551,700 (2006) to S$3,187,100;
Prime Minister: S$2,464,000 to S$3,091,200;
Senior Minister: S$2,680,600 to S$3,043,300;
Minister Mentor: S$2,656,600 to S$3,043,300;
Deputy Prime Minister: S$2,064,700 to S$2,454,500;
Other Ministers: S$1,202,600 to S$1,593,500
(Welfare payment to the elderly is S$260 per month.)

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Like most other people (I guess), I hate mosquitoes. These days, it seems I’m sharing this flat with a number of them. Dengue fever season is coming. What I don’t understand about those nagging flyers is why it is okay for them to suck different types of blood indiscriminately. It is totally against the transfusion principle. And another important matter is about male mosquitoes. As only females suck blood, what nutrients do males get? I don’t sympathise at all with mosquitoes, male or female, but males appear such poor creatures.