Singapore # 1 In Sorrow

Fresh on the failures of Gallup's presidential predictions the company releases the results of a happiness polls citing that Danes are the most satisfied people in the world and those from Togo are the least. Most bummed out was understandably tied between Greeks and Iraqis, however denizens of the Asian city-state Singapore responded negatively to many of the questions, saying that only 2% felt like they liked their jobs.

I understand that feeling.

Ten years ago I wanted to take the gun out of the safe and shoot my boss.

Singapore has much more stringent gun laws and an interviewee on Forbes stated, “We don’t clap very loudly. I’ve been to concerts where people don’t even applaud as much as they should.”

Yet back in 1991 I flew into Singapore from Sumatra. The transition from old Asia to new Asia was striking with the city-states' gleaming skyscrapers and shopping malls. I had heard people complain about the emotionlessness of the city. That evneing I went to the cinema to see CYRANO with Gerard Depardieu. The French was subtitled into Chinese and English. At the end of the movie there wasn't a dry eye in the house when Cyrano cries out, "I shall always have my panache."

Maybe emotion is something better saved for the dark of a movie theater or better yet a bedroom.

Plus who gives a shit what Gallup says?

The Smile Of Lies

Last week's debate between President Barack Obama and the GOP challenger Mitt Romney resulted in a bounce in the polls for the Republican candidate. Across the board pundits and citizens agreed that the incumbent put on a lackluster performance. Obama looked tired and disinterested, as if some pressing affair of state required his attention and not the man seeking to take over the Oval Office. Today's confabulation of Gallup Polls revealed that Americans in the crucial swing states had responded to Romney's strong showing, so that the gap between the two had narrowed to 3%. I have been constantly predicting that the contest is a fait-accompli, but as HL Mencken famously said, "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." He was able to get away with lies about the facts such as; “I’ve been in business for 25 years. I have no idea what you’re talking about. Maybe I need to get a new accountant, but the idea you get a break for shipping jobs overseas, is simply not the case.” That is not the case, but Romney defended himself from Obama's rebuttal by saying that he wasn't aware of those deductions, proving as James Steele once said about GW Bush, "If you don't know something, then it can't be the truth." The light will dawn on dumb and dumber later than sooner in this election, because intelligence is a sign of weakness when confronted by the smiles of a liar. Roofie a GOP voter on the election eve. It's your patriotic duty.