"A lot of fellows nowadays have a B.A., M.D., or Ph.D. Unfortunately, they don't have a J.O.B." - Fats Domino

***

u r wt u wr:

- '*Picture of a boy and dog in a rowboat* Everyone needs a good paddling' (I wonder if she was into motorboating also)
- 'REWARD for anyone who can entertain me'
- 'I ♥ cherry' (7 year old girl)
- 'When I falling love with you'
- '*Play button*er' (YouTube shirt)
- '0-Naughty in 3 drinks'
- 'Our feeling will glow together before long'
- 'Kiss *whole mouth lipstick mark covering word*'
- 'University s of m fashionista'
- 'I'm single just don't tell my boyfriend'
- 'Men are like commercials. You can't trust a word they say'
- 'Gorgeous'
- 'It's delicious you need this'
- 'I only look sweet and innocent'
- 'Popular doll girl teenage style'
- 'One girlfriend is not enough' (Maybe she was lesbian)
- 'Devil on vacation'
- 'Rule. Adorable girl'
- 'Want me Need me Kiss me'
- 'Bikini girls are everywhere, but where are the... guys?'
- 'Pussy. The only part of a woman I don't eat ♀'
- 'Mr just be friends *picture of broken hand*'
- 'Trust me. I am a doctor' (Strangely, the guy beside her had the same shirt, sans bolding)
- 'You're the guy my dad warned me about!'

"The incompetent with nothing to do can still make a mess of it." - Laurence J. Peter

***

Quotes:

[On 'teaching' and reading to each other] After your teacher finishes you will have a nice chance to take your revenge. Because she has to read to you now.

[On disputes] "C'est télé de ma mère!" Today, for the first time, we are promoting conflict.

Gabriel et Gabriel et Gabriel, the 3 Gs. The father's name is Gabriel, the director's name is Gabriel, the future son's name is also Gabriel.

There's no lift in the apartment... C'est bon pour la santé. It's good for health.

[On practicing French by talking to yourself] If you don't want to do it with a robot, you do it with a plant.

You all are English speakers. There is a French speaker, which is a little weaker. Be careful, don't develop a double personality... if you see some people at Orchard Road doing that, you know they are also students at Alliance... I want you to train your robot for next week. (who, split)

The best thing, about French is you see how it works when you are tired... When your system is giving up, how does your language hold up?... Conversation avec un homme fatigué... Conversation with a tired man, sometimes we want to talk to tired people.

Conversation avec une fille énergique. Salut! [Male student: Do I have to be a girl too?]

X... Xylophone. [Student: It's not in the book] When he said 'une fille publique', you didn't object... 'Give more'

Z [Student: Zebra] *All laugh* In French, we say Zèbre.

U. [Me: Une fille publique]... Une fille publique... 17th century term... We know where he gets his sources from. He's not happy with Taxi [the textbook]

[On à vélo] We also accept "en vélo". Because some people's bicycles are bigger.

[Student: Je vais à L'Alliance Française en voiture à Mama]... The Italian Big Mamma.

[Me: Je vais à la fac en ski] Which university is this? [Me: En Suisse] [Other student: Je vais à la cafeteria en roller] The dynamic team.

[On j'y but elle y] There's no contraction. It makes the language more interesting.

[On La Francophonie] Deux cent million... Even though there are: un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six. 6 of you are very important in the community of 200 million people.

French is popular in Asia, useful in America and important in Europe.

There's a joke in French. 'Bonjour. Je m'appelle Jacques'... 'It's not your fault'

J'habite à Grand Château

Le principal is the English system... In France it's le proviseur. They won't understand le principal in France.

L'armoire. We have to be careful. Le morte is the dead. La mort is death. L'amour is love. All of these can be related to a cupboard.

Deuxième, troisième, quatrième. [Student 1: cinquième] Next. [Student 2: sixième] Next. [Student 3: septième] Then. [Student 4: huitième] [Student 5: neuvième] [Student 6: Vingtième]

[On sentence matching] 'I'm looking for a hotel in Bordeaux.' 'Go to Montmartre'... What do I know? Maybe there's a very good hotel agent in Paris.

There's no air-conditioning in your room. Maybe you want to take a taxi.

[On directions and confidence] If you're a travel agent, you cannot sound like you yourself are looking for the way.

After the test, you have one week of holidays. We have prepared a set of activities for you, so you don't forget French. [Student: Watch movie?] No, that's something you do with your Belgian girlfriend (reference to his earlier sentence making). We do not want to interfere.

[On the test] We don't want any SMS support. Our school system checks the toilets for secret devices... Make an IDD call to France for answers.

The conversation between X and Y did not sound like 2 people talking about the cinema and talking about Juliette Binoche. It sounded like 2 persons talking at the ICU... 'Next week they will remove all my bandages'

"We live in a moment of history where change is so speeded up that we begin to see the present only when it is already disappearing." - R. D. Laing

***

Me: "moral intuitions" are just our prejudices
so people work backwards to justify them

MFM: actually the working backwards to justify thing comes from a trust in reduction ad absurdum

so for e.g. one takes it that if one's moral theory results in hitler being a good person, there is something wrong with that theory

I think that's an ok position actually, so long as we can agree on what is patently absurd

Me: that's one way of looking at it
well that's if you assume what humans agree on is a necessary and sufficient criterion

MFM: the problem is that for many issues people don't agree on what's absurd

Me: aiyah the pomos will always come up with some funny thing
like saying some people say genocide is okay

MFM: it may not be but we really have no better way to proceed. the alternative is to not do ethics (my choice)

it's a case of making the best of what we've got

I just can't be bothered with ethics b/c I think it's too difficult and quite likely imposisble to get around the sceptical problem


MFTTW: Free BJ today! Unfortunately there isn't one near campus...

Me: Unfortunately my time is worth more than free ice cream now, hurr hurr. And was studying French during lunch =D

MFTTW: I want the old gssq back. This one is no good.


MFTTW: u need to find a girl like ***'s mum
who enjoys sitting at home and cooking random things more than shopping
ahhaha

she doesn't shop
chasing girls who don't shop is cheaper on budget
just sit home and have sex

Me: ...

...

MFTTW [on the Public Service]: iron rice bowl leh!

Me: iron makes rice taste bad

MFTTW: er but it's good for menstruating women. ahahhaah.

Me: ..........


HWMNBN: i'm trying to download fallout 3 add-ons
which are only available in the us and uk

but my credit card won't validate after setting up us and uk accounts
rage

i have points
but the dlc isn't available
scumbags

Me: too bad
how do you want them to tie it to geography then

HWMNBN: they should releease in all 3 locations then

i don't know why asia hasn't released DLC yet
when the original DLc came out months ago

i'll ask jk if i can borrow his credit card

and they have the nerve to show the advertisement fo rthe DLC on the windows live front page even in the asian portal

fuck i'll just download the torrent
if they won't even let me pay for it...

i woudl ike to support bethesda soft for their great games
but sinec they won't support me as a consumer
they can go fuck themselves


PPBI (Princess of Peach Blossom Island): another friend has a potential girlfriend test

he'll offer to pay for movie tix

if she offers to pay back, he'll consider her
if she doesn't, he won't


Someone: sigh.. eh be my sugar papa
i need a better [internet] connection

Me: err
sorry I'm not into little boys :)

Someone: thanks anyway


MFTTW: i've never had really good food in m'sia before

cos i never know wehre to go
esp in KL


Someone: yeah i'm just kinda disturbed at your friend skinnylatte

because all along i believed in what the gay community has been saying: that sexual orientation is immutable
it's not by choice, it's just who they are, they didn't ask to be gay

that's fine by me

but it seems that what the gay community thinks isn't what the lesbian community thinks

one of the things i was told about gay men is that they would never make moves on anyone other than fellow gay men

but it seems that lesbian girls seem to think that straight girls are fair game and that they can be 'converted'

now that rings a lot of alarm bells

Me: women are more complicated than men

Someone: agreed

Me: eh
gay men don't wish cute guys were gay meh
they do lah

but somehow it's okay for them to go "I wish he were gay"
and not for guys to go "I wish [lesbian girl] were straight"
this is called heterophobia

Someone: no they wish, yes. but they won't go out and try to convert [straight] men

Me: oh active conversion
not many people actively convert lah

Someone: like i wish some gay girls were straight (not like they'd be with me lah) but i don't go out and try to convert them
or even question why they think they're gay

haha so skinnylatte is one of the rare minority?

this is impt to me because everything i've been saying in defence of the gay community hinges on this specific point: that sexual orientation is immutable and the gay community is not going to convert straight ppl

Me: haha
I dont think they are rare
but they're probably a minority

she says she doesn't try to convert people
they come to her

Someone: yeah right
like i believe straight girls would turn gay without her doing anything

Me: anyway I think immutability is irrelevant

Someone: haha that's the thing. the moment they start to convert people, i have no basis to defend them
maybe this is why i trust the gay community more than the lesbian one

Me: ><
you can defend their right to exist what

just not their right to resist conversion haha

Someone: hahahaha

"Whoever ceases to be a student has never been a student." - George Iles

***

Malaysia Delusion: Military of Malaysia: KOMANDO MALAYSIA INTRUSION INTO SINGAPORE MISSILE COMPLEX - "Malaysia has quietly shown Singapore over how weak her security is. She has slapped the Singapore armed forces in ways that caused it to come unstuck. The most dramatic was when its commandos invaded its high security air missiles base in Bukit Batok overlooking the Straits of Johore and pasted Malaysian stamps on the missiles and replaced the Singapore flag on the commanding officer's table with the Malaysian flag. Several Singapore officers resigned or were reassigned or demoted. The major who carried it out, who is known by his nickame, Sam, is still around and in the business."
I like this comment: you are really cute : >
the is no missile base anywhere in Singapore, and Bukit Batok is no where near the Straits of Johore
By the way, Sam is American.

10 Even MORE Ads to Disturb & Disgust You!

Volcano finds followers aflutter on Twitter - "Alaska's Mount Redoubt towers more than 10,000 feet above sea level, is an active volcano and can send clouds of ash so high that jetliners could be at risk. Oh, and Redoubt is huge on Twitter."

Steampunk Segway Looks Much Cooler Than The Original

I'm Still Working On Being Offended - "The National Organization of Women has come up with a bunch of ads we're all supposed to find terribly offensive to women, like this Dolce & Gabbana ad, which supposedly shows a woman being gang-raped by a bunch of guys, most of whom look preoccupied with whether they did their ab crunches before they left the house. Um...if five buff gay men are actually going to gang-rape anyone...I don't think that person will have a vagina... If the pictures are what cause violence, how come, as Gad Saad points out in his recently published book, with "exponential growth in the availability of sexually explicit materials available on the Internet from 1995 to 1999, the rate of forcible rape (as obtained from FBI data) during that period has steadily declined"?"

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex and Were Not Afraid to Ask: From the first porno movie to the "a-spot" to the world's oldest sex toy, our columnist tackles a decade's worth of your bedroom conundrums - "Q: What's the deal with pinching nipples? All these how-to books say it's something women enjoy... but whenever I've done it, the only sound I've elicited is a yelp. There must be something I'm missing.
A: Ask yourself, Was I pinching nipples in the heat of the moment, or was I doing it in line at Urban Outfitters? Remember, everything is relative: Hanging from meat hooks in a dungeon is a form of torture, but with the right lighting and a DJ, it's a decent Tuesday night."

Strip off worries at new German nudist hotel - "The new hotel in the town of Freudenstadt (German for “City of Joy”) caters only to nudists. And house rules stipulate that guests must strip off when on the premises, according to a report in the Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper."

Study: Children Exposed To Pornography May Expect Sex To Be Enjoyable | The Onion - "'That's depressing to me. I mean we expect pornographers to teach children about the reality of sex and to teach them that it's anything less than humiliating and frightening experience is wrong.' 'It is, sex leaves you numb and shivering for days.'"

Reflections on Virginia Tech - "The gun nuts’ thesis is unlikely to be tested. Few teachers would feel comfortable in a gun-filled classroom. How do you give an “F” grade to an armed adolescent?... With hindsight, it is easy to blame the university for not taking her concerns more seriously. But what, exactly, should it have done? The warning signs were hardly conclusive. Until the last two-and-a-half hours of his life, the killer committed no crimes. He stalked some female students, but they did not press charges. When Ms Roy first heard about the massacre, she did not guess that the killer was her former pupil. He was not the only creepy young man on campus. Ms Roy describes another student who scared people by, for example, anonymously posting a poem celebrating the rape of a disabled woman to a teacher’s door. As far as Ms Roy knows, this student never hurt anyone. “The assumption that it is easy to identify potential threats is faulty; almost all the students who write about homicide have absolutely no intention of killing anyone,” she says."
The last always applies in hindsight, as people cry out 'why wasn't anything done?!', ignoring all the false positives

Metrosexual, retrosexual & now 'neosexuals' - "First there were the SNAGs (sensitive new age guys), then came the metrosexuals, retrosexuals and now, the latest male breed making ladies go weak in the knees is 'neosexual'. A typical neosexual has been identified as one having shrugged off the femininity of the metrosexual and returned to his more masculine, primitive roots. A research, which was commissioned by a deodorant company, found 81 percent of females wanted guys to be sensitive without losing masculinity... "They want the manliness of a James Bond, the looks of Hugh Jackman, the humour of Jim Carrey and the youth of Zac Efron," he added."
Women are impossible to satisfy. On the other hand, men want the breasts of Pamela Anderson, the figure of Claudia Schiffer, the nose of Jessica Alba, the home skills of Martha Stewart, the sweetness of Miley Cyrus and the sexual appetite of Annabel Chong

MFTTW: wah
indon got internet
so advanced

Me: yah
except the shift key is like shit

we even have air conditioning herer you know
amazing right

MFTTW: yeah
air con is real one
or there is an indon standing behind the vent with a bucket of ice and a fan

Me: I'll look out for someone waving a banana leaf

MFTTW: yah
or 10 indons waving banana leaf -- central air con

Pliny the Elder on the Basilisk:

The like propertie hath the serpent called a Basiliske: bred it is in the province Cyrenaica, and is not above twelve fingers-breadth long: a white spot like a starre it carrieth on the head, and setteth it out like a coronet or diademe: if he but hisse once, no other serpents dare come neere: he creepeth not winding and crawling by as other serpents doe, with one part of the bodie driving the other forward, but goeth upright and aloft from the ground with the one halfe part of his bodie: he killeth all trees and shrubs not only that he toucheth, but that he doth breath upon also: as for grasse and hearbs, those hee sindgeth and burneth up, yea and breaketh stones in sunder: so venimous and deadly is he. It is received for a truth, that one of them upon a time was killed with a launce by an horseman from his horseback, but the poison was so strong that went from his bodie along the staffe, as it killed both horse and man: and yet a sillie weazle hath a deadly power to kill this monstrous serpent, as pernicious as it is [for may kings have been desirous to see the experience thereof, and the manner how he is killed.] See how Nature hath delighted to match everything in the world with a concurrent. The manner is, to cast these weazles into their holes and cranies where they lye, (and easie they be to knowe, by the stinking sent of the place all about them:) they are not so soone within, but they overcome them with their strong smell, but they die themselves withall; and so Nature for her pleasure hath the combat dispatched.

If you used apologetic logic, you would say that this was clear proof of the existence of the Basilisk, since:

1) All the accounts agreed on the basic characteristics of the Basilisk
2) The fact that there were minor variations proved that the Basilisk existed, since if it was made up everyone would've copied each other's stories so they would sync up
3) If the Basilisk had not existed, lots of people would've objected to the stories and accounts of Basilisks floating around - but no one did
4) The fact that people passed on tales of the Basilisk shows that they found them credible, so the Basilisk must've existed

Of course, we all know historical argument doesn't go like this. Unless you're an apologist.

"To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the biggest mistake of all." - Peter McWilliams

***

From the Gamebooks mailing list, on the problems in Sci-Fi and why it is often another form of magic (with reference to Arthur C Clarke)


"The intrinsic problem with sci-fi is the "science" bit. For example:

Sci-fi author: The ship travels at 10 times the speed of light.
Einstein (and me): That's not possible!
Sci-fi author: Ah, well, in the near future people discovered a way to
do it that involves . . . uh . . . crystals and . . . new metals . . .
and stuff. But it's scientific! Honestly!

The same holds true for superhero sci-fi.

Superhero author: Superman flies across the city.
Newton (and me): Not possible!
Superhero author: Character X is exposed to huge levels of radiation and rather than dying of cancer, they somehow develop strange, mysterious powers.
Me: That's not possible!
Superhero author: But it is! It is because it's "scientific"! And it's "scientific" because I say so!

"Science" in these stories is basically "magic", but because it is called "science" that causes whatever to happen, it's somehow less "lazy" and more "realistic"?

In fantasy, "magic" can do anything--that's an integral part of the genre. Sci-fi claims to be scientific; but a great deal of it is as much "fairy stories" as the Arabian Nights or The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. I therefore find most sc-fi to be lazy. Invent as much guff as you want about FTL Drives and their Beryllium Crystals--it's still just "magic" tarted up as pretend science."

"Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur" - Petronius (attr.)

***

Something I quoted from Chinasmack:

"Although I really want to slap you, what you say actually makes a lot of sense"

Someone: HAHAHAH. Something you hear regularly I'm sure.

Someone else: I've lost count of how many times I've thought that during grad school.

Although I think that number is way less than for "I really want to slap you, because what you say actually makes no sense at all..."

Someone (2): How about "It would make a lot of sense for me to slap you right now"?

Someone else (2): What about "I really want to slap you, simply because you think you are making a lot of sense?"

Links - 28th April 2009

"Cynically speaking, one could say that it is true to life to be cynical about it." - Paul Tillich

***

HENTAI dictionary: japanese perversions, fetishes, and AV terms - "[The salariman is] wearing an Airline Stewardess uniform and boxing gloves, watching a DVD of broccoli being put up someone's butt. Let's face it, Japanese porn consumers are so utterly perverted that the industry can't invent new kinks fast enough. Why are Japanese so enthusiastic about giving names to every possible kinky act or combination of acts? In general, Japanese are much more SINGLEMINDED and focused in persuit of their hobbies. For instance, if you're a good Japanese pervert, you don't want to walk into some porno store and just get any old panty-fetish DVD, you specifically want to get a DVD of panties being 'flossed' between the lady's pudenda in a sort of labial tug-of-war. And you want ALL the DVDs of this fetish EVER MADE. Since you don't want to spend 5 minutes explaining that to the drunk grandmother behind the counter, isn't it handy to be able to simply say, "kuikomi, please?""

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Barack Obama's progress | Coming down to earth - "All presidents run for office promising to change Washington and end up becoming its captives. But few have reversed themselves as quickly as the Hope-meister... Mr Obama is now enthusiastically engaged in something that he foreswore as a candidate: the art of the permanent campaign... Mr Obama is squandering his political capital doing exactly what Mr Clinton did so often in his presidency: justifying his mistakes, trying to get the better of the 24-hour news cycle, and demonising opponents... To add to the impression of business as usual, Mr Obama is continuing the long-standing trend of amassing ever more power in the White House."

The end of American labour mobility? | The road not taken - "A decade ago Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick in Britain argued that excessive home-ownership kills jobs. He observed that, in Europe, nations with high rates of home-ownership, such as Spain, had much higher unemployment rates than those where more people rented, such as Switzerland. He found this effect was stronger than tax rates or employment law. If there are few homes to rent, he argued, jobless youngsters living with their parents find it harder to move out and get work. Immobile workers become stuck in jobs for which they are ill-suited, which is inefficient: it raises prices, reduces incomes and makes some jobs uneconomic. Areas with high home-ownership often have a strong “not-in-my-backyard” ethos, with residents objecting to new development. Homeowners commute farther than renters, which causes congestion and makes getting to work more time-consuming and costly for everyone. Mr Oswald urged governments to stop subsidising home-ownership. Few listened."

School's 'halal zone' ruling causes stir - "A PRIMARY school in Jurong West that upset non-Muslim parents by insisting that only halal food could be eaten or taken into its canteen will now overturn its policy. The Ministry of Education (MOE) told The Straits Times yesterday that Boon Lay Garden Primary had made a mistake, and would let its pupils' parents know. In a letter to all parents last Friday, principal Wan Imran Woojdy said that since the school canteen had been certified halal, children would not be allowed to bring non-halal food onto the premises. The school security guard and discipline master had also been checking lunch boxes since last week to ensure pupils complied... Madam Esther Chia, 36, who has two daughters in the school, said one of them resorted to hiding a pork floss bun in her pocket last week to avoid being caught for flouting the new rule... 'We decided to make the whole canteen halal to provide a common eating space for all our children, whatever their race,' he said... A spokesman for Muis clarified yesterday that the council certifies only the food stalls in a school canteen, not the premises as a whole."
Evidently they don't have any Sikhs

Careers And Marriage - "Professional women are more likely to get divorced, more likely to cheat and less likely to have children. And if they do have kids, they are more likely to be unhappy about it. A recent study in Social Forces, a research journal, found that women--even those with a "feminist" outlook--are happier when their husband is the primary breadwinner... the more successful she is, the more likely she is to grow dissatisfied with you. Sound familiar?... If a host of studies are to be believed, marrying these women is asking for trouble. If they quit their jobs and stay home with the kids, they will be unhappy ( Journal of Marriage and Family, 2003). They will be unhappy if they make more money than you do ( Social Forces, 2006). You will be unhappy if they make more money than you do ( Journal of Marriage and Family, 2001). You will be more likely to fall ill ( American Journal of Sociology). Even your house will be dirtier ( Institute for Social Research)... Women's work hours consistently increase divorce, whereas increases in men's work hours often have no statistical effect... So why not just stay single?... a good marriage is associated with a higher income, a longer, healthier life and better-adjusted kids."
Interestingly, while the man who says you shouldn't marry career women has loads of statistics and studies to suport him, the woman who tells men to "own up to their responsibilities, too" has only anecdotes and rhetoric
[Addendum: Response showing that most of the points made by the guy in "Don't Marry A Career Woman" were flawed]

By the time this post is published, I should be on my way to Yogjakarta.

I will fly out of there on Saturday and, thanks to an absence of suitable transport flight timings, sleep overnight in KL's LCCT and return on Sunday morning.

(I have scheduled posts throughout the week, so business will continue as usual in my absence)

"Another possible source of guidance for teenagers is television, but television's message has always been that the need for truth, wisdom and world peace pales by comparison with the need for a toothpaste that offers whiter teeth *and* fresher breath." - Dave Barry

***

Quotes:

They had a Hay'gern Daze vending machine (Haagen Dazs)

[On social sex like social drinking and smoking] It's what happens when you're married.

I met this Egyptian guy... 'The fruit of the vine is evil... The Holy Koran does not say one thing about Kentucky Bourbon, though. Cheers!'

[On my hair] It looks like a mix between pudding bowl and Spock

[Me: Your legs are very pale. You should get out more.] My everything is very pale. [Someone: Are you an Albino?]

[Me: Open you damn thing] I hope you don't say that to your wife on your first night.

Can you imagine being beheaded while being assraped?

I've never knowingly gone after someone I've known is attached. [Me: I'm very proud of you] [nw.t: He hasn't stopped going after a girl after he found out she was attached] Yeah. [Me: I'm slightly less proud of you]

[To me] Have you met Annabel Chong? You should go and hook up with her.

I don't like the Québécois. To me their French sounds ugly. [Me: I'm sure to them your French sounds ugly. Actually to the French in France your French might sound ugly too.]

Hello my jaded senior. [Me: Hi] I wasn't talking to you [Me: I'm jaded also] Hello my jaded seniors.

[Me: Why are groupies always girls?]... I think it's because girls are more bo liao. Only girls are susceptible to being insane.

9 guys streaked in Temasek... [Me: You always walk around with your towel right] It's different. I've never dropped it.

[On the guys doing most of the cooking and dishwashing] This is called female mate choice. The guys who do this aren't the ones who will get laid.

When girls get angry, just say 'I'm sorry'. [Someone: 'I'm sorry, I won't do it again'] 'I'm sorry' I will do it again

[On Kokomo] It's quite a nice song. [Me: It's the song for seducing women with. Is it working on you all?]

You know in Lexicology... I should do the Lexicology of Gabriel Seah.

My face is so dirty. *eats lettuce* [Someone: I thought you were going to rub it on your face]

[On brown sugar] What's the sugar made of? [Someone: Sugar]

Goosepimple effect. When a piece is really good. [Me: So transcendental? In your words, they need to get laid.] Band people have very high sex drive, let me tell you.

I like the fact that the men are in the kitchen. [Me: Yeah, Singaporean women are useless]

[On someone with a high voice] When he was young he fell into a vat of liquid helium

You look at ***, he looks like he has a bomb on him. Who will mug him?

Do a lot of girls throw themselves at guys? [Someone: Have you ever been thrown on, Gabriel?] (Has anyone ever thrown herself at you)

[Me: You all heard about the RGS girl and the test tube right?] [Someone: How can we be your friends for 3 years and not know about it?] I don't know [Someone else: You're weird] In Year 1 and Year 2 I was very innocent. [Me and Someone (2): Yeah right]

I think sex is not bad... In KR there was a gang. 'There's a guy masturbating in his room'... Some china guy.

[On a hall sex scandal] She was moaning... He was saying something like 'I want to conquer your hairless area'

[Me: What does the winner of the bet (to lose 2kg) get?] A free meal.

[Me: I'm very proud of myself. I ironed 4 shirts today.] I'm very proud of myself. the maid ironed 4 shirts for me today. Economics of specialization. My time is better spent masturbating and watching Heroes.

[Me: Learning dance is a great way to meet women] It's a great way to meet a certain type of women. [Me: Well, if you're not fussy...] In Singapore, you have to be fussy. Let's just say that.

In Physics, when you don't understand something, you invent something... Dark matter.

I've been through one Methodist institution. That's what made me atheist. I think the secret to making more people atheist is more Methodist institutions.

The weirdest are those soci people. In school, so anti-government, anti-government. When they come out, all join ministries. [Me: That's cos no one else will employ them] 'I want to change the system' (they all)

Jail term cut on appeal

"FORMER investment analyst Russell Tan Rui Leen, 39, has succeeded in his appeal against his sentence of four years' jail and eight strokes of the cane for slashing and stabbing his wife.

Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong on Monday set aside the sentence of caning and reduced the jail term to three years.

Giving his decision, CJ Chan said Tan had committed the offence against a domestic backdrop of prolonged marital conflict and verbal abuse by his wife.

Tan believed the actions of his wife, Ms Jann Goh Hwee Suan, 35, were harmful to the welfare of the children, the various maids whom the couple had employed and himself.

Before the stabbing, Tan had been on the receiving end of derogatory remarks about him in the children's presence as well as numerous police reports she made against him.

This led to the build-up of severe mental stress in Tan, and he lost his self control on the day of the incident in the face of more taunting.

'It is common experience that verbal abuse can be more hurtful and provocative than physical abuse,' said CJ Chan, adding that a deterrent sentence of caning and a long jail term was 'pointless' in a case in which an offence is committed as a result of loss of self control.

On Sept 30, 2007, Tan had grabbed a knife from the kitchen to repeatedly slash and stab his wife. Ms Goh spent 18 days in hospital."


Before the feminists start going on about sexism in the justice system (the original sentence was handed down by a female District Judge, May Mesenas), here're some points to consider:

- An IMH report described the couple's history as "deep marital discord during which Russell had to endure spousal abuse"
- Tan got a personal protection order against his wife
- As his lawyer observed, "Russell was asked on a number of occasions by well-meaning friends to consider a divorce. The fact he did not take the easy way out says a lot about this man."
- As a doctor from Raffles Hospital noted, Ms Goh "knew with accurate precision how to bring out the worst in Russell"
- His wife made fun of his genitals in front of one child, "called him a homosexual and accused him of molesting the maid"
- He also said she had "assaulted five of their maids"

That said, the account is quite gruesome:

"He disregarded her pleas and even those of his six-year-old son. In reply to his son, he said: "No, she must die. She must not live. I must kill her." At one stage, DPP Kam said, Tan even tried to saw off her head."

She's also suing him for S$136,000 in damages, so his saga is not over yet.

Discretion in public order

Mr Shamugam stressed that the Public Order Act "applies only to cause-based activities". Moreover, it does not ban such activities per se; "it only requires the getting of permits".

AseanAffairs: The Voice of Southeast Asia:

"The wealthy Southeast Asian country's draconian rules against public demonstrations currently require a police permit for the staging of public protests anywhere in the city-state. As these are almost never granted and any assembly or procession of five or more people without a police permit is regarded as illegal, this has effectively banned public protests."

Another point of contention: The powers granted to the police to stop the filming of ongoing security operations and to seize such materials.

Citing the Mumbai terrorist incident, Mr Shanmugam reiterated that such powers were necessary in the face of new media technologies. Otherwise, intelligence or counter-terrorism operations could be compromised.

Video reveals G20 police assault on man who died: Exclusive footage obtained by the Guardian shows Ian Tomlinson, who died during G20 protests in London, was attacked from behind by baton–wielding police officer

"The Guardian has handed a dossier of evidence to the police complaints watchdog...

The submission to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) includes a collection of testimonies from witnesses, along with the video footage...

The man who shot the footage, a fund manager from New York who was in London on business, said: "The primary reason for me coming forward is that it was clear the family were not getting any answers."

The Guardian's dossier also includes a sequence of photographs, taken by three different people, showing the aftermath of the attack...

The witness accounts contradict the official version of events given by police."

Giving his assurance that police would not exercise such powers during routine activities, Mr Shanmugam stressed that Mr Siew's assumption was based on a "fundamental disagreement that our officers are honest and upright".

EurLIFE - Trust in the police

"Percentage of people aged 15 and over who tend to trust in the police. United Kingdom: 72% in 2005"

Mr Shanmugam argued, it boils down to how much Singaporeans trust the Government – bearing in mind the limitations and geo-political challenge that a small country faces.

"The Executive needs to be given power and discretion and the voters will judge, at the end, how the powers have been exercised. It means striking a balance in such a way that quick, effective, efficient action is possible to take our country forward," he said.

George W. Bush on the Protect America Act, which authorised wiretapping of "massive, wide-ranging information gathering with no oversight":

"Every day that Congress puts off these reforms increases the danger to our Nation. Our intelligence community warns that under the current statute, we are missing a significant amount of foreign intelligence that we should be collecting to protect our country. Congress needs to act immediately to pass this bill, so that our national security professionals can close intelligence gaps and provide critical warning time for our country."

In setting out his case for the Bill, Mr Shanmugam posed another balance to be struck: Between enough space for political expression and society's need for stability. And, he made it clear, "stability has to be given greater weight".

THE USSR IN THE 1960s - EARLY 1980s: BREZHNEV'S STAGNATION AND ANDROPOV'S REFORMS

"As a politician, Brezhnev was very conservative, he was very much afraid of big changes and deep reforms. Having enounced Khruschov's ill-considered reform, he primarily put an end to all Khruschov's undertakings...

The idea of stability was introduced instead, which met the interests of the administration...

The 1970s - are known as the period of stagnation in the history of the [USSR]. In that period the economical and social development of the country constantly slowed down."

"To die for an idea; it is unquestionably noble. But how much nobler it would be if men died for ideas that were true!" - H. L. Mencken

***

Someone else: josie lau and dr chin are experts of misreading

what they have claimed to be a 'death threat' is supported only by two ambiguous sentences, probably quoted out of context

Me: 'Wait for the day to come. I may not hurt you but someone you love most, that will cause you great pain.'

hello. not death threat ah?!
this is hardly ambiguous

Someone else: 1. Hurting is not the same as threatening to kill.
2. The sentence could mean that he (the letter writer) may not be the one who will hurt her, but someone else, someone whom she is very close to or loves most, may hurt her, and thus cause great pain to her. He could be referring to the possibility that if someone close to her (e.g. her own children) comes out of the closet one day, she will be deeply hurt because of her deep-seated homophobic beliefs.

However, without the context in which the rest of the letter was written, it is difficult to justify this interpretation. But it seems plausible to imagine that the letter writer meant to warn her about being the danger of being so rabidly anti-homosexual that one day she could be forced to reject someone close to her if this person comes out of the closet.

If that was the intention of the letter writer then it is very easy to see how they (either the media or Josie Lau and Dr Chin) have deliberately quoted these two sentences out of context to support what they would like the public to see as a death threat, to see them as victims of hatred.

Me: .................

that's rubbish lah
"*I* may not hurt you"

if you say "I will hurt you" is not a death threat you might as well say "we wouldn't want anything to happen to your wife" is not a death threat

Someone else: depends on the overall tone of the letter
what else was written in the letter

Me: somehow I doubt it was a satirical take on "I will piss on your grave"

Someone else: i don't mean to say it was a satirical take
i just think it is plausible that they have intentions to misrepresent the letter writer and portray themselves as victims

Me: I find it hard to believe how those lines could not be taken as threats
this is why literary critics are not called upon as witnesses in courts of law

Someone else: they choose to read it (or present a reading of it) as a death threat

if decontextualized i agree that they sound like threats
as "it is" i entirely support reading it as threats

but we could, and the police ought to, question if the letter is written with such malice
if it is justified to call for an arrest warrant and interrogation at the station

they have strenuously presented themselves as victims

[Ed: What has been revealed of the threats:

"MY hatred towards Dr Thio (Li-ann) and all Christians is so strong that... you are now on my hit list... wait for the day to come. I may not hurt you but someone you love most, that will cause you great pain."]


adri: none of the half a dozen straight girls who became my girlfriend did so because I showed them a stupid movie. Not even the L Word.

Me: Har?! So easy to convert straight girls to like girls? Does the reverse work? And I thought sexual orientation was immutable!

adri: not immutable with women. just about every straight woman i know has slept with a woman these days. it's not me i'm not so powerful
(it's just better with women, see)

Me: yeah I think female sexuality is more fluid, but pro-gay lobby claims orientation is immutable

adri: sexual orientation not same as sexual behaviour. makes you tend to sleep with 1 gender. but not always. harder to turn gays straight.

and. ask any of the straight girls i've been with :) just cos they sleep with me doesn't mean they IDENTIFY as gay. or bi. rarely ever

Me: Hah! Why so convenient ah? Straight guys've a fantasy of turning a gay girl straight. But gay girls also have a turning fantasy

adri: in the case of gay girls, straight girls more obliging to turn for us :) straight men+gay girls=over my dead body.

and i never hit on straight girls. they hit on me :) i'm only happy to oblige, if they're hot.

Another interesting nugget:

DEFAMATION ACT
(CHAPTER 75)

Slander of women.
4. Words spoken and published which impute unchastity or adultery to any woman or girl shall not require special damage to render them actionable.

New blog picture:


M-I-C. See you again! K-E-Y. Why? Because we like you!

"Hindsight is always twenty-twenty." - Billy Wilder

***

u r wt u wr:

- 'I eat bananas'
- 'Tonight I am single'
- 'Will do ___ for a backstage pass'
- 'i. am. the. queen.' (maybe she's looking for someone to call King)
- 'For sale. My parents. Buy 1 get 1 free'
- 'It's your MOVE'
- 'Flaunt. rock star super co'
- 'Hot number'
- 'I give pleasure' (worn by 40 year old auntie)
- 'Flattery will get you everywhere *lipstick kiss mark*'
- 'One boyfriend is not enough'
- 'Deadline is over if you want it'
- 'You are the first and only boyfriend I have'
- 'Kiss! *picture of teddy bear with open arms*'
- 'Do you believe in destiny? *picture of 2 teddy bears sitting down with their backs to the viewer, but slightly inclined to face each other*'
- 'Giddy Up' (The U is in the shape of a horseshoe, with a star inside)
- 'What's good?'
- 'Squeeze me *cartoon of bacterium and microscope*'
- 'How can I kiss you you don't away?'
- 'Today might just be your lucky day'
- 'Little witch in the past. Good girl at present'
- 'I am the best girlfriend of the year'
- 'Lovc you. Quickies lady *picture of 2 smiling cherries floating in heart signs*'
- 'Supermodel'
- 'Don't miss me by' (auntie in her mid-30s)

"I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." - Mary Chase

***

Why you should not cancel your DBS cards because of Josie Lau

Led by Mr Wang, it seems quite a few people are cancelling their DBS cards and services.

I actually think that this move is neither justified nor prudent.

It is not justified because DBS is not in any way involved with Josie Lau's private life. Over last year's Focus on the Family brouhaha, a case could be made for boycotting DBS, because it was a corporate decision (even if it was silly to assume that everything a religious group did would be religiously-tainted), but what Josie Lau does in her free time should not concern DBS.

Furthering the logic of endangering the jobs of people whose actions you disagree with, one could do the same to people whose opinions you disagreed with (e.g. racists, misogynists, homophobes and the whole shebang) and in so doing, effectively criminalise thoughtcrime (in contrast, Operation Leper has the lesser aim of ensuring the group of 9 are not "appointed to future leadership posts in politics, voluntary/social welfare groups, and NGOs"). Ironically one could imagine, not so long ago, that it was those who were seen as gay or gay-friendly who would have their jobs threatened, but the moral here seems to be that it's okay as long as you're the one doing it - and not the one it's being done to.

Furthermore, a boycott is a very blunt tool indeed. If I oppose Israel's colonization of the West Bank, is a boycott of Israeli products the best way for me to express my displeasure, especially considering the wonky Israeli political system which gives minority parties a lot of political power (i.e. a majority of Israelis might be in favour of dismantling settlements)? In the urge to make a political point, lots of innocent people are affected; this puts me in mind of the old file sharing site Putfile (which seems to have been taken over by ebaumsworld) which, in protest of hanging, blocked Singaporean IP addresses from accessing it until "any positive move from the government of Singapore towards abolition of hanging as an execution method".

Meanwhile, it is not prudent because it just makes gays and gay-supporters look bad - spiteful and angry, and plays into the hands of the anti-gay lobby.

Even worse, the attempt to force a clash between work and personal life is a spectacular own goal for the cause of civil society since, if enough people cancel their DBS cards and services, DBS and other organizations are going to enact even stricter policies about their staff serving various causes outside the organization, even in their personal capacities.

The end result?

Gays and gay-supporters look bad and the pool of individuals active in civil society shrinks (as if it wasn't already small enough)