Picture time
BJ - the reflexology studio. "Why go to JB when you can relax at BJ?" What a great name for a massage parlour! (Benjy first told me about it, and a few weeks later I happened to see it while I was in Geylang)
Someone's dress has caught a spot of measles. How dreadful.
Evil Torture Device offered as a free gift with a one year SPH subscription at the World Book Fair.
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It seems that my banana rant has gotten a response of sorts, though instead of addressing my original points, he has gone off on a tangent.
In any case, my original points still stand. If one wants to learn a language to understand one's "roots" (however possible that is with mere linguistics), your ethnic group's dialect, and not Putonghua, is *the* tongue to learn.
The bottom line: We didn't choose to be born into our ethnic group, so it should dictate our choice of language and lifestyle as much as it should dictate our religious beliefs or attitudes towards women/foreigners/ethnic minorities or what not.
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Hot news on the Darkness Demo!
"Response to the Darkness Demo has been encouraging. So I hope that you'll be pleased to hear that production of level 2 has started. Here are some questions that I thought people might ask... but they didn't so I ask them myself =P
Q: Why is there a red fish sticker on the handheld torch?
A: Because the handheld torch is a... wait for it... RED HERRING! It doesn't work and is there to mislead you. Red herring! Geddit? Geddit? *crowd boos*
Q: Is there a nude cheat?
A: Try typing "i am a pervert" as password. LOL!
Some interesting comments from various people.
ChinX asks "Can you include the St. Nicks Girls School (SNGS) school uniform next? I like the blue."
Yes, will do. For all your fetish needs. Ahahaha. Expect nurses in the next level too. Lazyeye (or is it Teo?) finds nurses' unform sexy because he likes the zip that goes down all the way in front. Haha. Whatever rows your boat and flys your kite. LOL!"
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"Cynicism, after all, springs not from cruelty or viciousness, but from precisely the opposite: a fatal love of virtue. If we were mere realists, we'd have no need for cynicism; the world would never disappoint us because we'd expect so little of it. But the best cynics are still idealists under their scarred hides. We wanted the world to be a better place, and we can't shrug off the disappointment when it lets us down. Our cynicism gives us the painful power to behold life shorn of its sustaining illusions"
The Cynic's Sanctuary
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From Bush, Unprecedented Negativity
"Scholars and political strategists say the ferocious Bush assault on Kerry this spring has been extraordinary, both for the volume of attacks and for the liberties the president and his campaign have taken with the facts. Though stretching the truth is hardly new in a political campaign, they say the volume of negative charges is unprecedented -- both in speeches and in advertising."
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"Warning Signs of an Abusive Relationship:
Controlling behavior.
Jealousy and possessiveness.
Misogyny.
Mood swings and short temper.
Threats, intimidation, and physical violence.
Emotional abuse and putdowns.
Blaming the victim.
Hypercritical nature/Unrealistic expectations.
The causes of Stockholm syndrome are actually quite simple: when victims see themselves as helpless, unable to escape, they begin to believe that their only chance for survival is the good will of their captor. Even small kindnesses shown to them become, in their minds, evidence that the captor is "not so bad", and for their own sake they begin to make an effort to keep the captor happy and fulfill his desires. Over time, this can grow into an actual emotional bond that ultimately leads to the captive taking their captor's side. Stockholm syndrome frequently appears among prisoners of war, members of cults, and other, similar situations - but most significantly, it is very common in abusive relationships.
How can this insidious condition be cured? The most important thing to keep in mind is that getting angry at the victim of an abusive relationship, demanding that they recognize the wrongs being done to them and "snap out of it", does no good. As maddening as it may seem to watch a fellow human being live in thrall to an abuser, even to turn against people who try to help, it must be remembered that it is not their fault; they are only doing what they believe they must do to survive. Even if it would be for their own good, concerned outsiders are simply not capable of "saving" them against their will, and to try would only drive the person deeper into the abuser's clutches. As in so many things, the initial decision to walk away must be the victim's; only once they have made this choice for themselves can others help, by providing safe harbor and a place for them to go where they will be accepted."
Source: Is the Christian "Relationship with God" Healthy?
"Ask this atheist why he spends the time on pursuits such as this website, and my answer is simple - because I want to help."
Truly.