Observations - 7th February 2011

"I cannot call to mind a single instance where I have ever been irreverent, except toward the things which were sacred to other people." - Mark Twain

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If Dragon Age is the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, Mass Effect is the same for Knights of The Old Republic. The Old Republic doesn't count - it's an MMO.

Perhaps people like pets and kids as they're a socially sanctioned arena to regress to childish behavior (with significant others, one regresses less often, and has other benefits)

People who threaten to kill themselves just want attention. Those who are serious don't give you a chance to stop them. This is why women attempt suicide at a greater rate than men, but fewer die in the process

I'm even more lukewarm to Lieder than Opera as it has even less for me. Besides drama and emotion, Opera has story, sets, cheap tunes interaction

If nurses are the pride of Singhealth, what're the doctors?


Do people who keep talking about self-fulfilling prophecies buy insurance?

Comparatively little work seems to have been done applying postcolonial theory to Latin America, even though many of the familiar criticisms are very applicable. The most likely reason for this is that Latin American countries had white elites, which eliminates the raison d'être of postcolonialism.

With regard to Ladies Nights, if you go by the sex stated on the Identity Card, transsexuals are oppressed. Meanwhile, if you use external appearance, non-feminine women will be the ones who have structural violence inflicted upon them. What's a club to do? You can't win (even if men, recognising that Ladies Nights are in their interests, don't also protest)!

Amused that there're 97,800 results for "christianophobie" but only 37,300 for "christianophobia". Meanwhile the corresponding numbers for "islamophobie" and "islamophobia" are 318,000 and 5,210,000. Telling.


Is it more effective to vote with your feet or with your wombs?

Given that prostitution is legal and regulated in Singapore, talking about "vice" is sheer hypocrisy

I am saddened that when injustice is accepted, attempts to escape injustice are branded unjust (this originally applied to Slavery, but I can see it in other contexts as well).

I was amused to learn that the 1950 Maria Hertogh riots (always trotted out as an example of why what passes for "racial harmony" is important) were actually anti-colonial, only whites were attacked and that Chinese also joined in the fun.

Observation seems to show that in Singapore at least, expatriate families (not the same as foreign ones) have more children than locals. I theorise that this is due to high pay, low stress, mothers who don't have to work, as well as a view of children not as resources to develop and exploit, but bundles of joy. Someone points out that perhaps children offer expats the only real sense of being rooted. I don't think the claim that "wanting children could be a big reason why they want to work overseas for a high-paying job" is plausible, though.

RT @Fake_PMLee: Will U confuse TemasekHldgs w TemasekReview? IncompleteDisclosures, PatchyRecord & suspicions ard Who'sBehindIt?


We don't have real barbecues in Singapore: by the time your food's half cooked, your booking is up

Has KF Seetoh lost all credibility in endorsing KFC breakfast?

"Galettes et Palets pur beurre à la fleur de sel" de Biscuiterie Guillaume de Val André. Les joyeux mots pour ceux mangeant l'huile de palme!


@rachelpharunee: La nuit, tous les chats sont gris.
Moi: La nuit, toutes les chattes sont mouillées

RT @brainopera At a coffeeshop, an old man tosses Yu-Sheng alone, while a bottle of tiger beer stands ready for him.

RT @chiefsanjay You should understand you are getting old when people start telling you how young you look.

RT @almightygod The Odyssey mentions cities that archaeologists have discovered, therefore Poseidon and Athena are real.
(In the same vein: "Spiderman is set on in a real city (NYC). Does that prove that Peter Parker has superpowers?")

RT @JIMICRAYON To the man who got on the bus dressed as a wizard who had removed the chip from his oyster card and put it in a magic wand. I salute you
I want to try this

RT @realFASS Sorry, but I refuse to give up my MRT seat to a pushy kiasu old aunty who runs onto a train to try to grab a seat. Can run, you can stand.