LIFT: Of reservist and basic economics

Alright! Here we go, the start of a brand new series. The prefix of this series will be "LIFT", which basically stands for Letters I Find Trashy and a short description follows. Most of the articles will be in pictorial format, for obvious reasons, and not typed out in text. So like, click on the thumbnails to read the full article. Before my comments, I will try to give the gist of letters.

Let's rewind to 6 days ago. A NSman wrote to the papers to complain about having to fulfil his national obligations. To date, Mindef has yet replied offically to him in the papers, or at least that's how I see it. If I'm wrong, do correct me. Thanks.



A politcally correct reply would be:

Dear Mr Tan,

As you know, it is of utmost importance to ensure the safety of Singapore at all times, ergo, it is absolutely necessary that you are being recalled at the age of 36, notwithstanding the fact that you were left to your own devices for those years that you were not recalled.

Of course, you made a very valid point by saying that most men of your age group are at the peak of their career. Then again, I'm sure your employer will understand Mindef's policy and give their support, would you not agree? Also, you mentioned that most NSmen have families with young children. This is another compelling reason for you to fulfil your national duty - to protect your loved ones. Do remind your son(s) and/or nephews of their duty to safeguard the nation; you can even compile a book of your reservist days to inspire them. Now, isn't that neat?

As for the difficulty in contacting the person-in-charge, we hereby furnish with this easy-to-remember number, 1800-NS IS GOOD or 1800-6747 4663. Please do contact us again.

herzberg

Please note that the above content is purely fictious. Now, a more in-your-face reply:

Dear Mr Tan,

Please check your identity card. Is it pink in colour? Does it say "Singaporean" under the nationality field? What? Yes? Then why are you complaining? You knew reservist is inevitable and just because you got lucky for a few years doesn't mean Mindef is gonna forget you. Tough luck, I say.

Alternatively, you can choose to migrate. Or find a job that pays so high that Mindef will not bother you forever. Or you can get yourself medically downgraded, which in my opinion, is the best option. Or you can simply continue writing to the papers to whine and making aimless calls to persons who doesn't care.

herzberg

The next LIFT is a woman complaining how she was "shortchanged" by Symantec for Norton Anti-virus.

Dear Miss Ow,

Aww... I'm so sad to hear that your colleague got a better deal. Apparently, you should have checked with your colleague first. In this digital age where information is so freely available, I'm alarmed to learn the fact that you did not manage to discover the price differences before purchase.

Economics 101 says discriminatory pricing are all over the place and what you have encountered is just the tip of the iceberg. Think of it this way: a can of Coke costs like 80 cents in the supermarket but the coffeeshop is selling it for at least a dollar. So, given this, would you still buy any canned drinks from the coffeeshop? And I believe cars are much cheaper overseas. But hey, they all come from the same manufacturer, so why the "discrepancies in pricing"? Would you still stick to your "point" when it comes to cars?

And what do you really expect Symantec to do by calling them up? Give you a refund? Or a "plausible" explanation? Writing to complain in the papers won't help. Out of 4 million Singaporeans, what is the readership of the Straits Times? Out of that number of readers, how many would be using Symantec Norton Anti-virus and land themselves in the same situation as yourself? Go figure. For that, I rate your letter as a LIFT. Do realize that Symantec is targeting the global market and a more effective way is to post your rants in a website, forum or blog that has high traffic.

However, I do empathize with you. So, I shall share some views. Personally, I don't use any anti-virus software and I don't see the need for one. Besides, anti-virus software, much like our immune system, does not guard against all forms of virus.

For a start, don't open attachments with dubious file extensions. Oh, do you know what "file extension" is? Go read up then. If the attachments from friends or colleagues screw your computer up, then you are entitled to scream expletives at them for 2 minutes. Secondly, don't visit naughty sites or click on anything within pop-up windows. Thirdly, do regular backups.

And lastly, remember that a computer is a machine with no free will. If it "catches a cold", it's undoubtedly that you permitted it. More precisely, it's all your fault. Same thing goes for your body right? You don't take care, you fall ill - as simple as that - regardless of how much vitamins or tonic you consume on an hourly basis.

herzberg

This concludes the first of the series. I have 2 more LIFT but I feeling kinda drained after writing 3 replies.