The nonsense that passes for Op-Eds in the Temasek Review

"Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half the time." - E. B. White

***

I think that this is a new low, even for them:

The SAF Intelligence Corps: “The Blinds Leads The Blind”

"The limitations of the SAF Intelligence Corps are weakened by the increase of the retirement age of the SAF Intelligence personnel to 60 years old under the MDES scheme introduced by MINDEF in 2010. By increasing the retirement age of the SAF Intelligence personnel, it implies that the SAF Intelligence Corps will comprise of a large pool of elderly military personnel, whose sharpness of eyesight and hearing ability will be affected by their old age and whose mind will be less quick thinking in analyzing the information obtained intercepted from radio communications and air photos captured by UAVs and satellites...

With the limitations of Signal Intelligence and Imagery Intelligence capabilities of the SAF Intelligence Corps, coupled with the increase in retirement age of the SAF Intelligence personnel, the SAF Intelligence Corps has “Eyes that do not see, Ears that do not hear.” Hence, will the SAF become like “a man without ears and eyes” and a national institution with the blinds leading the blinds?"


The blinds leading the blinds

(Somehow a Google Image Search for "blinds leading the blinds" got me a lot of pictures of women's fashion and shoes)

A picture I am trying to figure out

(from the down and out squirrel « Elephants Kill God)

Random pictures - 1st July 2010

"When you are eight years old, nothing is any of your business." - Lenny Bruce

***


Short Chinese composition exercise


"Men: No Shirt, No Service
Women: No Shirt, Free Drinks"


"Nice Ass"


My attempts at ChatRoulette Trolling (you can tell the site has lost its popularity - most of the entries on ChatRoulette Trolling come from Yahoo Answers [or other sites] now)

Most retarded story I've read all day

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." - Oscar Wilde

***

STOMP - Courtroom - Wife had sex with lover while husband was in same flat

"HE WAS often home when his wife returned with a man, took him to her room and closed the door.

Suspecting that his wife of one year-plus was committing adultery, the man secretly installed a camera inside her bedroom.

It captured her having sex with her lover.

The husband, 33, applied to divorce his wife, 29, and submitted the video footage as evidence.

In granting the divorce earlier this month, the judge found that what the wife had done was “more than just a case of adultery”.

Said District Judge Angelina Hing: “(This) is a case of exceptional depravity on the part of the wife.”

The judge had no doubt the husband had suffered exceptional hardship because his wife did not try to conceal her adulterous acts.

“To see his wife bring home a man and have him come and go as he pleased, in the husband’s words, ‘like I was totally transparent’ and to actually view the images of his wife having sex with the man is, in my view, exceptional hardship,” the judge said.

The husband, who is now unemployed, was so devastated that he was observed to be “significantly depressed”, according to a report from the Institute of Mental Health dated Feb 9 this year.

The court heard that the couple got married on July 23, 2008. But there was little marital bliss and they often quarrelled over money.

The husband claimed his wife, who has a polytechnic diploma, refused to look for a job after 2007.

Instead, she ran an Internet business from home, selling old items through an auction and shopping website. It was not clear exactly how long they knew each other before they got married.

The husband said that in early September last year, she left their home without a word and later SMSed him to say she wanted a divorce.

The wife denied this, claiming that she merely said she wanted a separation.

Less than two weeks later, on Sept 14, she returned home, but slept in a separate bedroom in their three-room flat.

The court heard that after returning to the flat, the wife started to bring a man home regularly, even when the husband was around. She would take the man into her room and close the door.

As a result, the husband became depressed and could not concentrate on his work as a driver.

He did not go to work for four days in a row and was later dismissed by his employers.

After confiding in his sister, he decided to install a camera in his wife’s bedroom.

The video footage confirmed that his wife was having sex with the man in the room.

The wife did not deny this, but insisted through her lawyer that she was not trying to provoke her husband.

She claimed that every time she brought her lover home, she thought her husband would either be out or in his own room, and so would not notice what they were up to.

She said her husband was possessive.

She stopped working as a sales assistant in 2007 because he didn’t like her to have contact with many people.

According to her, she had left their flat after a quarrel over his insisting on having sex even when she was tired and ill.

She said she moved back in because she wanted to salvage the marriage and give her husband another chance. Through her lawyer, the wife indicated that she was willing to attempt to reconcile with her husband and has since left the third party.

Criticised

But Judge Hing slammed the woman over the way she had treated her husband.

She said: “Bringing a man to the matrimonial flat where her husband was residing is a blatant disregard for his feelings and the marriage. She did not try to conceal her adulterous acts in any way.”

The wife’s explanations cut no ice with Judge Hing, who accepted the husband’s assertion that his wife’s actions were done to provoke him.

She said: “It was a modest three-room HDB flat...Is it possible that he would not notice a man walking in and around the house and spending time with his wife in the next room behind closed doors?”

Judge Hing added that although the wife claimed she was prepared to reconcile with her husband, there was no evidence of any effort for this on her part.

The husband had said through his lawyer, Mr Tan Cheng Kiong, that he was devastated and had lost all hope or desire for reconciliation.

The husband added that he was mentally tortured by his wife’s wanton behaviour and was unable to concentrate on his daily activities.

He had to see a doctor for anti-depressants.

The wife’s lawyer submitted that there was no medical evidence to suggest the husband was suffering from any psychiatric condition.

To that, Judge Hing said: “The effect of (exceptional hardship) was apparent...If he was resilient enough not to lose his mind, that surely should not be used against him.”"

New blog picture - 30th June

Hide your children boys away!

Links - 30th June 2010

"The more you read and observe about this Politics thing, you got to admit that each party is worse than the other. The one that's out always looks the best." - Will Rogers

***

Rome to let tourists see Colosseum underground
Time to visit the Eternal City once more - but not in Summer

Paper Rater: Free Online Grammar Checker, Proofreader, and More - "Grammar Checking, Plagiarism Detection, Writing Suggestions"

Woman in sumo wrestler suit assaulted her ex-girlfriend in gay pub - "The row developed as the victim tried to wave at a man dressed as a Snickers bar... Ms Martin told Dublin District Court how she was left with a large lump on her temple and still suffered from panic attacks because of the incident... During the evening Talbot, who was wearing an inflatable sumo suit, bumped into her. When she turned around, the accused said to her: "Keep smiling, c**t"... The accused was escorted out and had to be asked to partially deflate her costume so she could get out the door"

“Chinese Women, Please Don’t Sleep With Foreigners” – chinaSMACK - "Chinese men’s biggest problem isn’t physiology at all. Then what is it? Lack of sexual skill. The reason that those eight western men are great in bed, is that they don’t just marry someone from the same village. They have sexual counseling and STD clinics, and they are very open when it comes to sex. If there’s a problem they seek professional help. To give an inappropriate example, the cooking skills of an old lady who has cooked all her life is inferior to a young cook, so we can see how important professional training is... If you’re in the sports industry, stop helping Real Madrid earn money from Chinese, or at least stop inviting bastards like Mike Tyson to come here... If you’re a movie director, don’t spend money on frivolous things. Make a movie where the Chinese girl rejects the foreign man, or where the Chinese guy conquers a foreign girl"
HAHAHAHAHAHA

Barbara Kay: First, kill the husband. Second, claim sympathy as a widow - "After being released from prison in 2004, the would-be murderer is awarded half the couple’s property, $70,000, just as though they were any other divorcing couple with, say, “irreconcilable differences.” I guess you don’t get more “irreconcilable” that when one partner tries to whack the other and fails... Most people are unaware of the fact that although women rarely kill their intimate partners directly, that doesn’t mean they don’t harbour intentions that are equally murderous. Women are far more likely to use surrogates to kill their boyfriends or husbands than men... But here’s the rub: When these murders succeed, the homicide is not classified under the heading of Domestic Violence, but as a general homicide. As a result, the stats on spousal homicides don’t reflect a true picture"

Thomas the Tank Engine attacked for 'conservative political ideology' - "The show's right-wing politics shows the colourful steam engines punished if they show initiative or oppose change, the researcher found. She also highlighted the class divide which sees the downtrodden workers in the form of Thomas and his friends at the bottom of the social ladder and the wealthy Fat Controller, Sir Topham Hatt, at the top... She was critical of the fact the show only has eight female characters out of the 49 who feature... Her study shows programmes for children are not as harmless as many parents think if they look more closely, she concluded, and she called for tighter controls of what is broadcast to them"

Bangkok Post : A dubious distinction - "Media watchers FACT Thailand said that the number of blocked and blacklisted websites had passed 100,000, making Thailand the first country in the world to hit that goal; since April alone, said a FACT study, the Ministry of Internet Censorship of Thailand (MICT) and the emergency authorities have blocked 65,000 websites, bringing the total of blacklisted sites to 113,000 by June 15, with sites being added every day; the Orwellian Bureau of Prevention and Eradication of Computer Crime has added another layer of Net censoring, supposedly in the name of protecting the monarchy; one new tactic is to censor any site that mentions actual names such as former PM's office minister Jak***ob Pe***ir or the Marxist professor G***s Ung***orn - two of 200 such blacklisted names that are to be wiped from Thai memory like a Russian encyclopaedia on Josef Stalin."

Remembering The Day Team Rocket Won - "One man last year created art by destroying dreams. It seems only fair to recognize his evil genius. A 2009 Pokemon Platinum event in NY was merely a sandbox for him to wreak havoc in."

Apple Design vs Apple Engineering - "Steve [Jobs] started critiquing the layout on a purely esthetic basis. "That part's really pretty", he proclaimed. "But look at the memory chips. That's ugly. The lines are too close together". George Crow, our recently hired analog engineer, interrupted Steve. "Who cares what the PC board looks like? The only thing that's important is how well that it works. Nobody is going to see the PC board"... So we invested another $5,000 or so to make a few boards with a new layout that routed the memory bus in a Steve-approved fashion. But sure enough, the new boards didn't work properly, as Burrell had predicted, so we switched back to the old design for the next run of prototypes."

The Amazing Stories of 6 Sudden Savants - "Most savants are born with their unique abilities, but a small number are what Treffert calls “acquired savants,” people who had their talents unlocked after an illness or injury affected the brain. These cases have led Treffert and other researches to theorize that we might all have these capabilities lying dormant in our minds"

Iran slams Canada human rights abuse - "Iran has strongly condemned the Canadian police for arresting hundreds of protesters during the recent G20 summit in Toronto, describing the move as an inhuman act."
SPOING!

Unraveling Singapore: Farewell Singapore! - "Singapore... has to be one of the most racist places on Earth. The level of racism disgusts me. People from 3rd world countries are treated like crap, thought of as crap, and are exploited more often than not. The most glaring example of this poor treatment is with the domestic helpers that are brought into the country... You’ll see it in job advertisements on online job portals, using thinly veiled phrases like “female working environment”. Sometimes it just blatantly says “female only”. I have a feeling it’s set up that way because the employer only wants attractive women in the office to make the company look good... What I miss are the services, but not the country itself...so much emphasis is placed on appearances rather than actual value or quality. That concept of appearance before quality permeates the whole island, including workplace practices. I find it disturbing. A large segment of Singapore’s population seems to be fixated with shopping and brand-whoring... everything there seems overpriced, with the exception of electronics. It’s way too expensive to live there. I remember looking at a pair of running shoes once, checking the retail price in USD online with my phone and realizing that the Singapore merchant had added over 100 USD to the price of the shoes. You can’t tell me all of that is shipping"

One reason why humans are special and unique

"Formerly, when religion was strong and science weak, men mistook magic for medicine; now, when science is strong and religion weak, men mistake medicine for magic." - Thomas Szasz

***

One reason why humans are special and unique: We masturbate. A lot

"This conjuring ability to create fantasy scenes in our heads that literally bring us to orgasm when conveniently paired with our dexterous appendages is an evolutionary magic trick that I suspect is uniquely human. It requires a cognitive capacity called mental representation (an internal “re-presentation” of a previously experienced image or some other sensory input) that many evolutionary theorists believe is a relatively recent hominid innovation...

In a now-classic, pre-Internet-porn (I’ll get to that later on) study by British evolutionary biologists Robin Baker and Mark Bellis, male university students were found to masturbate to ejaculation about every 72 hours, and “on the majority of occasions, their last masturbation is within 48 hours of their next in-pair copulation”...

Baker and Bellis’s quite logical argument for this seemingly counterintuitive state of affairs... is that because there is a “shelf-life” for sperm cells – they remain viable for only 5-7 days after production – and because adult human males manufacture a whopping 3 million sperm per day, masturbation is an evolved strategy for shedding old sperm while making room for new, fitter sperm...

Unconvinced? Well, Baker and Bellis are clever empiricists. They also apparently have stomachs of steel. One way that they tested their hypotheses was to ask over 30 brave heterosexual couples to provide them with some rather concrete samples of their sex lives: the vaginal “flowbacks” from their post-coital couplings, in which some portion of the male’s ejaculate is spontaneously rejected by the woman’s body...

As the authors predicted, the number of sperm in the girlfriends’ flowbacks increased significantly the longer it had been since the boyfriend’s last masturbation -- even after the researchers controlled for the relative volume of seminal fluid emission as a function of time since last ejaculation (the longer it had been, the more ejaculate was present)...

We are the only primate species that seems to have taken these seminal shedding benefits into its own lascivious hands... As anybody who has ever been to the zoo knows, there's no question that other primates play with their genitalia; the point is that these diddling episodes so seldom lead to an intentional orgasm...

Several groups of wild gray-cheeked mangabeys were observed for over 22 months in the Kibale Forest of Western Uganda. There was plenty of sex... but just two incidents of male masturbation leading to ejaculation were observed. Yes, that’s right. Whereas healthy human males can’t seem to go without masturbating for longer than 72 hours, two measly cases of masturbating mangabeys were observed over a nearly two-year period...

E.D. Starin didn’t have much luck spying incidents of masturbation in red colobus monkeys in Gambia, either... a 5.5-year period of accumulated observations totalling more than 9,500 hours, she saw only 5–count ‘em, five –incidents of her population of five male colobus monkeys masturbating to ejaculation, and these rare incidents occurred only when nearby sexually receptive females were exhibiting loud courtship displays and copulations with other males... What did the monkeys do with the “product”? Well, they ate their own ejaculate—and in one case, a curious infant licked it off the adult’s fingers...

Earlier in the article [Hamilton] reports that one of his female monkeys named “Maud” liked to be mounted (and entered) by a pet male dog out in the yard until one day poor, horny old Maud offered her backside to a strange mongrel that proceeded to bite off her arm. More disturbing is Hamilton’s description of a monkey named “Jimmy” who one sunny afternoon discovered a human infant lying in a hammock: “Jimmy promptly endeavoured to copulate with the infant,” observes Hamilton matter-of-factly. It’s unclear whether or not this was the author’s own child...

So why don’t monkeys and apes masturbate even nearly as much as humans? It’s a rarity even among low status male nonhuman primates that frustratingly lack sexual access to females–in fact, the few observed incidents seem to be with dominant males... The answer for this cross-species difference, I’m convinced, lies in our uniquely evolved mental representational abilities—we alone have the power to conjure up at will erotic, orgasm-inducing scenes in our theater-like heads … internal, salacious fantasies completely disconnected from our immediate external realities...

Frequency of erotic fantasies correlates positively with intelligence... Lukianowicz argues that erotic fantasies involve imaginary companions not altogether unlike children’s make-believe friends. But unlike the more long-lived latter, he concedes, the former is conjured up for one very practical purpose: “… as soon as the orgasm is achieved the role of the imaginary sexual partner is completed, and he is quite simply and quickly dismissed from his master’s mind”...

In one study with 141 married women, the most frequently reported fantasies included “being overpowered or forced to surrender,” and “pretending I am doing something wicked or forbidden.” Another study with 3,030 women revealed that “sex with a celebrity ,” “seducing a younger man or boy,” and “sex with an older man” were some of the more common themes... According to one study, the top five lesbian fantasies are “forced sexual encounter,” “idyllic encounter with established partner,” “sexual encounters with men,” “recall of past gratifying sexual encounters,” and—ouch!—“sadistic imagery directed toward genitals of both men and women.”

One of the more intriguing things that Leitenberg and Henning conclude is that, contrary to common (and Freudian) belief, sexual fantasies are not simply the result of unsatisfied wishes or erotic deprivation:

Those with the most active sex lives seem to have the most sexual fantasies, and not vice versa. Several studies have shown that frequency of fantasy is positively correlated with masturbation frequency, intercourse frequency, number of lifetime sexual partners, and self-rated sex drive.

... Leitenberg and Henning’s piece was written over fifteen years ago, summarizing even older research. The reason this is important is because it was still long before the “mainstreaming” of today’s Internet pornography scene, where zero is left to the imagination."

What doesn't kill you only makes you suffer

Why no one takes feminists seriously: "Toy Story 3 is 'carelessly sexist' claims feminist magazine"

"Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin

***

Toy Story 3 is 'carelessly sexist' claims feminist magazine

"It’s on course to be the blockbuster movie of the summer, but there’s one group who won’t be snapping up tickets to see Toy Story 3 when it hits British cinemas next month.

Feminists at an influential magazine have accused the film of being ‘carelessly sexist’ and argue it may damage children.

U.S. publication Ms claims the seven-to-one male-to-female character ratio is ‘unfair’ and that women are depicted negatively in the movie, from toy owner Andy’s nagging mother to the ‘overly emotional’ Barbie.

The plastic doll is also called a ‘traitor’ in the film for leaving the gang to live with Ken in his dream house.

What’s more, the magazine points out that Ken is depicted ‘as a closeted gay fashionista with a fondness for writing in sparkly purple ink...(making) this yet another family movie that perpetuates damaging gender and sexuality norms.

‘Pairing homophobia with misogyny, the jokes about Ken suggest that the worst things a boy can be are either a girl or a homosexual.’

The magazine also points out that Bo Peep has been dropped for the third installment of the franchise, which took £73 million at the U.S. box office on its opening weekend.

According to writer Natalie Wilson: ‘Kids who grow up watching sexist shows are more likely to grow up internalising stereotypical ideas of what men and women are supposed to be like.’

She added: ‘Yes, the film is funny and clever. Yes, it is enjoyable and fresh. Yes, it contains the typical blend of witty dialogue as well as a visual feast-for-the-eyes.

‘But, no, Pixar has not left its male-heterocentric scripts behind. Nor has it moved beyond the “everyone is white and middle class” suburban view of the world.’"


Comments in the article:

estella: Yes sexism is a problem, but in a kids film?!?! Do me a favour.

As though children are even going to pick up on the ratios or perhaps even that Ken is supposed to be a 'closeted gay'!

Mark: I think that these so called femenists are single handidly doing more to create a divide between the sexes than anyone else does. They should just leave it be and try focusing on problems that really matter.

Frida: I fail to understand why these feminists don't spend their time helping the victims of gang rape in DR Congo instead of spouting such rubbish from the comfort of their offices. What hope do the millions of oppressed women across the world have if this lot have nothing better to do than blether on about Barbie and Ken?


Here is some similarly entertaining hysteria from another esteemed feminist:

"The mind is always out of balance with the body [where a homosexual lifestyle is chosen]. Intuitively speaking, homosexual intercourse is clearly forced ... Unlike the vagina, the anus is not self-lubricating, so an artificial lubricant must be used. The vagina is self-cleansing, while the anus is a fiIthy wasteland of bacteria ... any reasonable thinker [should know] that the anus ought not to be used as a receptacle for a penis"

--- Homosexuality: Truths and Myths / Feminist Mentor Thio Su Mien, Ph.D. (Law)

Pictures - August 2009

"An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today." - Laurence J. Peter

***


"Shopping delights @ Pasir Ris Interchange"
This is how sad Singapore is - even bus interchanges are packaged as shopping destinations.


Car counting (this bridge is above the AYE)


Celebrate National Day - come as a cross between the Joker and Darth Maul


I'd previously complained about ToastBox encouraging cannibalism. They fixed it!


My favourite fruit stall - everything is advertised as "sweet"


A dégustation menu - with finger sandwiches and pastries. Gah.


"Hi pretty! :D I'm Damien. Today is my 23rd bday celeb! Can I take a picture <>w you?"


Ma Maison - not for Beer-drinking ladies. Or dessert-eating men.


"Milo Hi-Cal"
If this stands for "High-Calorie", I don't know why it gets the "Healthier Choice" stamp.


Freaky maraschino cherry at Red Star


Parking FAIL


Queue for Arnold's. I don't know why it's so long. Spicy fried chicken - ugh.


This is something about women and what underwear does for them. Uhh...


Orchard Hotel was having a promotion - come in red and get a 44% discount. So naturally everyone turned up in red.


Insincerity at Sin Hoi San - no personal farewell, but a pre-printed one.


NUSS's kiam siap promotion. I love how Indochine Topshell Pizza went from $12 to $11.80, a saving of all of $0.20.


The concept of "frozen thawed chicken" baffles me


Carrefour accent FAIL


"Abandon bicycles at Ground Floor Bicycle Racks"


Scumminess from Manhattan Fish Market, implying that they were established in 1822.


"The Seven Wonders". Presumably 7 cutlets was too much.


An incoherent refund policy, which I don't understand.


"From Japan, a land that highly regards the beauty of snow, comes a lotion that captures it in a bottle... Sekkisei lotion"
I think this means that they use tap water


Around the World in a Hawker Centre (Depot Road)


$20 for Chicken Food at Kko Kko Nara


Suspicious particles in their Korean porridge


Topless guy in Chinatown; Compare exhortation not to cross the road with the people doing so, aided and abetted by the construction workers


Churros at Alegro, Clarke Quay


"Surpassing Good Taste Elegant" - not the most convincing praise for your product


Questionable food offerings at Tampopo: "Our pig is free from stress", "Teppan Mabo Tofu. 100% used Hokkaido Bean"


"Sign at airport: "If you are carrying cash or bearer negotiable instruments more than S$30,000 or its equivalent, you will need to make a report to the Immigration officer.
This is not a currency control measure.
However, failure to give a full and accurate report is an offence under Singapore Law."
One of the many ways Singapore has of controlling/punishing you without formally controlling/punishing you


Korea Snake Oil to "protect electromagnetic waves for your health"
I wonder what will happen if you stick it in the microwave


Topless mannikins disturb me, especially when they're not bottomless (and vice versa)


Ambrosia in the Arab Street area: "Government taxes would be paid by Ambrosia"
On reflection, maybe they don't actually charge GST; "Government taxes" can mean anything


Ambrosia again. Presumably the chef's recommendation is not vegetarian (by induction).


Hello Kitty balloon My Toy gave me for my birthday, to go with my Hello Kitty Vibrator


"Livita gets you going. Taisho Pharm. Co., Ltd"
I didn't think the Japs knew what Levitra was, so there was no point making allusions to it


"HIS Military Products"
Quite clever shop at Pasir Ris interchange - last minute shopping before you book-in on the Island of Doom (and nearby slavery camps)! They even have tips for death marches (road/route marches). They don't seem useful for field camp though, advertisement notwithstanding.



"Guaranteed Results *otherwise exchangeable in 10 days... 7 days, firms & improves elasticity, smoothens skin. 28 days, lift breasts, turns nippe & areola pinkish.
* Your results may vary"


"Talika. +1 cup in 6 weeks. Bust Serium. + 2 to 4 cm in volume, + 18% lift, +70% firmness"
2-4 cubic cm is pathetic. A breast pump would be better. Hey, if it works for penises...




QiXi

"The bright crescent in the shimmering lagoon
Reflects our love, dear, like the glowing moon

Our hearts sing in blissful union
Our love binds in utter brilliance

Love increasing, joy unceasing
My beloved is mine, and I am his

Forever, I love him, he loves me lots...
He loves me, I love him lots..."

This sounds like a really creepy (and bad) love spell