>I suspect this common complaint of the perils of subjectivity of
>feeling stems in part from the problem of the attempt at what Dworkin
>calls an Archimedean approach: trying to evaluate our human systems
>and human behaviour from some point outside these institutions,
>outside ourselves and outside our convictions... I have hinted at
>this before when I tried to ask Gabriel what "objectivity" really
>-meant- and had no satisfactory answer.
Maybe I shall have another spin at this.
"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of arguments I understand to be embraced . . . [b]ut I know it when I see it . . . "
Ok, that's the cheap answer, since I too can agree that what is objective to some people may not be considered such to others. Ergo Creation "Science" and the like.
We could also take the scientific/statistical approach: we are never 100% sure of objectivity, but we are at least reasonably sure of it. Of course the problem then is that objectivity and truth might become hobbled by a lack of data, or defined by majoritarianism and groupthink.
Some might take comfort in outlining everything in the syntax of logic, starting with premises and following them to their logical conclusion. But the real world is not a logic circuit, and people can dispute the premises, the deductions and/or the conclusions.
I doubt we can come up with a definition or foolproof yardstick of objectivity, really, since it could always be deconstructed and its assumptions/method of discourse/worldview questioned. The only way to come up with something immune to post-modernism is to start with no assumptions, no method of discourse and no worldview. But then we wouldn't even be able to take a simple step for fear of plunging into the void, let alone start the journey of a thousand miles.
"Even deconstructionism can be deconstructed... you get an infinite regress" (I can't believe I forgot to put this on my quotes page)
Truth be told, I find the Cartesian insistence on absolute certainty (in this case, perfect objectivity) puzzling, since it can never be attained. Do we spend our time chasing phantoms, searching for "The One Truth" in hope of solving all the problems of the world (at least those that arise from inter-personal disagreements)? Hell, even if someone managed to dig out "The One Truth", some people would refuse to believe it. Wherefore the dogged quest for it? Much more can be done for much less - just look at the guy who, instead of searching for absolute truth/certainty, accumulated the world's largest collection of navel fluff (certified by the Guinness World Records. No, not the totally non-affiliated, ersatz Ma-laysian version)!
So - no, I cannot offer anyone absolute truth/certainty/objectivity. Would you settle for bread and circuses instead?
"The modern world is characterized by a percentage of objectivity. The dark ages is characterized by a overwhelming percentage of faith. The post-modern world is characterized by overwhelming nihilism."
L'origine de Bert
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
There's this jokes mailing list called Buffalo's Chips, and the jokes come in clean (non-offensive) and adult (offensive) versions. The clean ones are all bad jokes and almost all are either corny jokes, puns or both. Meanwhile even stuff like "Murphy's Law For Witches", which seems totally harmless, goes on the adult list.
Are there good non-offensive jokes out there?! Perhaps, due to the march of political correctness, anything remotely funny is considered offensive, so to be safe, we are left with corny jokes (which offend no one except those with a sense of humour) and puns (which only offend the words themselves). Everyone is then happy, having escaped offence. Except for people with a sense of humour.
***
Toons on Drugs
Speedy Gonzales
Hey, c'mon. Was there ever a rodent when Amphetamine abuse is so obvious? And did you notice, he runs out and gets the food for everyone, but does he ever eat any?
Elmer Fudd
No question, the boy trips on Ecstacy. I mean, listen to that laugh, would you?
Wile E. Coyote
Now here's a total PCP burnout case. Not only does he feel no pain, but he's too brain damaged to know he's licked.
Yosemite Sam
Another Angel Dust suspect. His aggression knows no bounds, but despite being shot by cannons at point blank range, he just gets madder and meaner.
Snoopy
Of course, likes to trip out with grass. Mostly, he's pretty mellowed out, but when he gets his paws on that Hash Oil, hey, its WWI flying Ace time.
Olive Oyl
Probably Dexatrim abuse, maybe some amphetamines. Who is that skinny?! She might even be anorexic, she IS always giving her burger to her friend. One side question, what the heck are Popeye and Brutus thinking? They almost made the list for dating her.
He-Man
This is an easy one. I mean c'mon. Roid monkey #1. "BY THE POWER OF ANABOL!!!!!!" Makes me want to root for Skeletor. Alone in his castle, hitting the weights. And on top of that he even injects the stuff in his pet tiger. Animal Abuse!
Yogi and Boo Boo
We all know what is really in those picnic baskets. They go back to the cave and trip. Another side: Are they gay? I mean, take a look at BooBoo. Not that there's anything wrong with that.....
Droopy Dog
The number one downer abuser in toon land. Can't someone slip him an upper every year or two. The only time I ever saw him happy is when he sees the picture of the babe.
Dopey (Dwarf)
He openly admits it. The other dwarfs deny involvement but they are under investigation. Allegations are that Doc is writing some extra 'scripts' for Sneezy and all the guys partaking are afloat.
Daffy Duck
If he isn't using crack, Marion Barry is clean. He is so wired he bounces around on his head without pain. Blows his beak off all the time. Some symptoms might be from "daffiness" but Haldol wouldn't work for him.
Shaggy
By far the #1 suspect. His clothes, his hair, his bad goatee, the boy converses with dogs. But all of this is nothing until you go to the Munchie Factor. Anybody who averages 9.3 dog treats (scooby snacks) consumed per episode smokes pot. And look at the way he and his friends painted that van!
Are there good non-offensive jokes out there?! Perhaps, due to the march of political correctness, anything remotely funny is considered offensive, so to be safe, we are left with corny jokes (which offend no one except those with a sense of humour) and puns (which only offend the words themselves). Everyone is then happy, having escaped offence. Except for people with a sense of humour.
***
Toons on Drugs
Speedy Gonzales
Hey, c'mon. Was there ever a rodent when Amphetamine abuse is so obvious? And did you notice, he runs out and gets the food for everyone, but does he ever eat any?
Elmer Fudd
No question, the boy trips on Ecstacy. I mean, listen to that laugh, would you?
Wile E. Coyote
Now here's a total PCP burnout case. Not only does he feel no pain, but he's too brain damaged to know he's licked.
Yosemite Sam
Another Angel Dust suspect. His aggression knows no bounds, but despite being shot by cannons at point blank range, he just gets madder and meaner.
Snoopy
Of course, likes to trip out with grass. Mostly, he's pretty mellowed out, but when he gets his paws on that Hash Oil, hey, its WWI flying Ace time.
Olive Oyl
Probably Dexatrim abuse, maybe some amphetamines. Who is that skinny?! She might even be anorexic, she IS always giving her burger to her friend. One side question, what the heck are Popeye and Brutus thinking? They almost made the list for dating her.
He-Man
This is an easy one. I mean c'mon. Roid monkey #1. "BY THE POWER OF ANABOL!!!!!!" Makes me want to root for Skeletor. Alone in his castle, hitting the weights. And on top of that he even injects the stuff in his pet tiger. Animal Abuse!
Yogi and Boo Boo
We all know what is really in those picnic baskets. They go back to the cave and trip. Another side: Are they gay? I mean, take a look at BooBoo. Not that there's anything wrong with that.....
Droopy Dog
The number one downer abuser in toon land. Can't someone slip him an upper every year or two. The only time I ever saw him happy is when he sees the picture of the babe.
Dopey (Dwarf)
He openly admits it. The other dwarfs deny involvement but they are under investigation. Allegations are that Doc is writing some extra 'scripts' for Sneezy and all the guys partaking are afloat.
Daffy Duck
If he isn't using crack, Marion Barry is clean. He is so wired he bounces around on his head without pain. Blows his beak off all the time. Some symptoms might be from "daffiness" but Haldol wouldn't work for him.
Shaggy
By far the #1 suspect. His clothes, his hair, his bad goatee, the boy converses with dogs. But all of this is nothing until you go to the Munchie Factor. Anybody who averages 9.3 dog treats (scooby snacks) consumed per episode smokes pot. And look at the way he and his friends painted that van!
Post ID: 113023335330115514
Me: "humans’ motivational and cognitive bias for novelty can lead the modern man/woman to favor the perception of slimness."
Uhh, but in places like Singapore and Hong Kong where so many girls are anorexic, shouldn't there be a countervailing trend then in favour of a healthy weight?
A: Maybe not. Girls might be competing as to who is more anorexic than another - you are thin but I can be thinner than you :P .
During my JC days most girls weren't eating much anyways. One girl starts to skip lunch and eats like a bird all the time, and very soon the whole class of girls start eating less and then skipping lunches.
It's amazing. I was weighing 39 kg for a 1.63 m girl. That was down 13 kg from my heaviest in less than half a year. Same went for my classmates.
Eating like birds and waiting for the day we're skinny enough to take flight.
The worst thing is, the skinnier we get, the skinnier we strive to be. It's always relative. You need fat girls to reassure you of your skinniness. Slippery slope it is, the whole class of girls get skinnier.
There are those who maintained that healthy eating is good. But they fell for it all the same in the end. When everyone thinks skinny is good, you can get confused too.
Ed: The above was from an IVLE forum.
***
Someone: btw i watched 40 y/o virgin today
think a poster of ur Asian Prince appeared in it
Someone else: presumably religion for some people cannot be intellectualised.
Me: I don't mind that so much. admit your religion is irrational. I don't mind.
but when they claim it's logical then commit intellectual suicide - that's what I simply cannot stand
tell me 1+1 = 3 and I flip.
Someone (2): haha we should have a series like that
Blitz Science
or somethign like tht
we need it to be like 'on the go, spontaneous, out of the world kinda shit'
a 'will do anything with any thing available'
how about science-at-home, diy science,
or MACGUYVER SCIENCE!
we should do a study
correlation btwn weather and daisy dukes
daisy dukes = ultra short pants
denim pants
find out which fac has the most amt of daisy dukes too
hehehhe
we seriously need to have a series
***
Someone: so out of curiosity, what is the standard of students like at NUS? do you find classes challenging? stimulating?
Me: classes are challenging
stimulating *slightly* less so
the students are less inspiring
then again it's not just NUS
*** was from Brown. she complained people always talked rubbish or trivial things in tutorials
her tutors always said she needed to speak more
once she finally said something very profound, everyone was stunned.
Someone: heh Brown leh!
Me: haha JH [Ed: Johns Hopkins] how
Someone: well that's the impression i get here too, that the very lauded "US Model" that SMU is using isn't really that great
encouraging classroom participation is one thing, they do a lot of that here
but most of the time it's just gibberish and people trying to make themselves heard
not really that they have anything insightful to add
on the other hand encouraging discussion is not always bad, out of 10,000 crappy ideas you might get one good idea, better than everyone shuts up and get 0 good ideas
anyhoo... yar, JH undergrads are an impossible breed... classes aren't challenging because they just wear down the instructor to the bone until everything becomes somethign you can mug up
[Addendum: So why do we work harder for a degree worth less? Boo hoo.]
Uhh, but in places like Singapore and Hong Kong where so many girls are anorexic, shouldn't there be a countervailing trend then in favour of a healthy weight?
A: Maybe not. Girls might be competing as to who is more anorexic than another - you are thin but I can be thinner than you :P .
During my JC days most girls weren't eating much anyways. One girl starts to skip lunch and eats like a bird all the time, and very soon the whole class of girls start eating less and then skipping lunches.
It's amazing. I was weighing 39 kg for a 1.63 m girl. That was down 13 kg from my heaviest in less than half a year. Same went for my classmates.
Eating like birds and waiting for the day we're skinny enough to take flight.
The worst thing is, the skinnier we get, the skinnier we strive to be. It's always relative. You need fat girls to reassure you of your skinniness. Slippery slope it is, the whole class of girls get skinnier.
There are those who maintained that healthy eating is good. But they fell for it all the same in the end. When everyone thinks skinny is good, you can get confused too.
Ed: The above was from an IVLE forum.
***
Someone: btw i watched 40 y/o virgin today
think a poster of ur Asian Prince appeared in it
Someone else: presumably religion for some people cannot be intellectualised.
Me: I don't mind that so much. admit your religion is irrational. I don't mind.
but when they claim it's logical then commit intellectual suicide - that's what I simply cannot stand
tell me 1+1 = 3 and I flip.
Someone (2): haha we should have a series like that
Blitz Science
or somethign like tht
we need it to be like 'on the go, spontaneous, out of the world kinda shit'
a 'will do anything with any thing available'
how about science-at-home, diy science,
or MACGUYVER SCIENCE!
we should do a study
correlation btwn weather and daisy dukes
daisy dukes = ultra short pants
denim pants
find out which fac has the most amt of daisy dukes too
hehehhe
we seriously need to have a series
***
Someone: so out of curiosity, what is the standard of students like at NUS? do you find classes challenging? stimulating?
Me: classes are challenging
stimulating *slightly* less so
the students are less inspiring
then again it's not just NUS
*** was from Brown. she complained people always talked rubbish or trivial things in tutorials
her tutors always said she needed to speak more
once she finally said something very profound, everyone was stunned.
Someone: heh Brown leh!
Me: haha JH [Ed: Johns Hopkins] how
Someone: well that's the impression i get here too, that the very lauded "US Model" that SMU is using isn't really that great
encouraging classroom participation is one thing, they do a lot of that here
but most of the time it's just gibberish and people trying to make themselves heard
not really that they have anything insightful to add
on the other hand encouraging discussion is not always bad, out of 10,000 crappy ideas you might get one good idea, better than everyone shuts up and get 0 good ideas
anyhoo... yar, JH undergrads are an impossible breed... classes aren't challenging because they just wear down the instructor to the bone until everything becomes somethign you can mug up
[Addendum: So why do we work harder for a degree worth less? Boo hoo.]
Post ID: 113023031697189635
Monday, October 24, 2005
And so today I went around asking a few people if they had gotten their free samples yet of Kotex's latest product - Kotex Dri-Comfort. Most that I asked said no, probably due to the promoters' not adopting the hard sell tactics of other groups (pressing free samples into the hands of hapless girls). When I asked YC, an insane flicker came into his eyes, which I immediately recognised, since it very often comes to mine also. We then agreed to get our free samples together, and dragged Ling along in case they refused to give us the samples we were entitled to, to see if they were as good as advertised (since the posters didn't say they were for girls only).
We went to the area where they were giving out the samples, only to find a solitary guy pacing about. There were 4 people in his group, but apparently the 3 girls had run away and gone to the canteen, explaining the lack of the hard sell tactics. He gave us the samples readily enough, though he didn't let me take part in the lucky draw for the voucher giveaway. I chatted a bit with him and it turned out that he was the only guy in the finals of the Kimberly-Clark Young Marketer’s Award competition.
Returning to Chatterbox, YC broached the idea of carrying out an experiment, and several of us swung into action, with Justin kindly videotaping the whole process (yes, a second video in 2 days. And if everyone is good I will have another video tomorrow!)
[Addendum: Youtube videos follow
]
(Download a zip file with all the videos: http://s10.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3LET9UM2361XY1WHE4IPEJB2HS
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2MQ4IJP8)
A video transcript follows:
Narrator: And today we are testing a new brand of Kotex, uhh, sanitary pads. [Ed: Notice that the packaging is most misleading.]
YC: Between the overnight and the ultra-thin
Ultra-thin on right, overnight on left
Narrator: First, we have artificial blood (blue food colouring we found diluted with lots of water, like in the ads)
YC sticks some black coloured tape to mark on a glass the water level we will use for all the setups.
Girl: Too much and you have the red cheek (?)
YC shows off his jacket which proclaims "Busty"
Fake blood is poured over the control, a teabag (unfortunately, we could not readily find any other brand of sanitary pads, nor were we willing to spend the time, money and effort to rush down to the coop to buy a pack of 10, of which we'd only use 1)
Teabags suck at sucking up artificial blood
Me: Our control has evidently failed.
YC: A bad control anyway.
The ultra-thin is wet.
Me: Wow. Magic - it is all absorbed!
The overnight is wet.
We feel for dryness.
Oddly enough, the ultra-thin is dryer. [Ed: The ultra-thin was damp, the overnight was a little soggy]
YC: Yeah, because too much spilled over.
Me: As you can see, overnight pads are not as... better than ultra-thins. [Ed: I got confused by our screwy setup]
Incredulous, we feel the pads again.
YC: It's like wearing wet pampers when you were a young kid, y'know? That doesn't feel right. This, at least, feels dry.
Ling is upset because the flow simulation sucks (blame pad ads, not us!)
YC: We cannot control all the variables.
The cameraman (IIRC) simulates what happens if someone's water bursts while she's wearing a pad.
The soggy aftermath.
Someone in the background: Is this a group project?
Narrator/cameraman: ... is not recommended that you use these as chemical waste spillkits.
We dissect the pads.
YC: This is from the ultra-thin. As you can see, it's all crystalised
I detect no scent from the odourless, jelly-like crystalised semi-solid.
YC on the overnight: It seems different, so we shall tear it open... There're no crystals! It's just a pad.
Some of the jelly-crystal is taken out and put on YC's finger.
The two are compared side-by-side
We interview the guy who gave us the free samples
Why was the overnight pad damper than the ultra-thin?
Guy: I have no frickin clue.
He is very happy that we're helping promote Kotex products.
( ) is the quick ( ) that he conducted. Thank you for your great contributions to science and for your (diverse knowlege) [Note from transcriber: or something like that. garbled.]
[Ed: If anyone can transcribe what the Indian guy is saying, please leave a comment here, send me an IM message or use the feedback form. Thank you.]
Narrator: This video has been brought to you by anybody but the University Scholars Program. Thank you for your attention.
Someone: "what kind of video is it? does it involve gunther and his sunshine kids? does it involve (gasp) wo-hen??!
or is it (deep indrawn breath) kimberly, the pink ranger???"
Someone else: "eh, what's this video about sanitary pads
i thought nus upskirt
disappointing"
Kotex Dri-Comfort
Introducing the new revolutionary Extra Dry Cover - finally women don't have to choose between the dryness they love and the comfort they desire! It truly offers the best of both worlds!
Unlike other pads, Kotex Dri-Comfort keeps you dry and comfortable without being:
X Itchy
X Plasticky
X Sticky
X Hot & uncomfortable
X Irritating to the skin
1) NEW - Extra Dry Cover: Stay fresh and dry
2) NEW - Double Anti-Leakage Channels: Extra protection
3) Safety Zone: Fits securely and traps fluid
4) Quick Absorbing Pores: Better absorbency so you feel fresh and dry.
o 300% drier than other brands
o Luxuriously softer for ultimate comfort
o 100% better leakage protection
Sounds impressive, but I still think tampons are better.
Given how cheap and prevalent sanitary pads are, anyone who can think of an alternate use for them will be sure to strike it rich. To mop up rivers of sweat, perhaps?
We went to the area where they were giving out the samples, only to find a solitary guy pacing about. There were 4 people in his group, but apparently the 3 girls had run away and gone to the canteen, explaining the lack of the hard sell tactics. He gave us the samples readily enough, though he didn't let me take part in the lucky draw for the voucher giveaway. I chatted a bit with him and it turned out that he was the only guy in the finals of the Kimberly-Clark Young Marketer’s Award competition.
Returning to Chatterbox, YC broached the idea of carrying out an experiment, and several of us swung into action, with Justin kindly videotaping the whole process (yes, a second video in 2 days. And if everyone is good I will have another video tomorrow!)
[Addendum: Youtube videos follow
]
(Download a zip file with all the videos: http://s10.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3LET9UM2361XY1WHE4IPEJB2HS
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2MQ4IJP8)
A video transcript follows:
Narrator: And today we are testing a new brand of Kotex, uhh, sanitary pads. [Ed: Notice that the packaging is most misleading.]
YC: Between the overnight and the ultra-thin
Ultra-thin on right, overnight on left
Narrator: First, we have artificial blood (blue food colouring we found diluted with lots of water, like in the ads)
YC sticks some black coloured tape to mark on a glass the water level we will use for all the setups.
Girl: Too much and you have the red cheek (?)
YC shows off his jacket which proclaims "Busty"
Fake blood is poured over the control, a teabag (unfortunately, we could not readily find any other brand of sanitary pads, nor were we willing to spend the time, money and effort to rush down to the coop to buy a pack of 10, of which we'd only use 1)
Teabags suck at sucking up artificial blood
Me: Our control has evidently failed.
YC: A bad control anyway.
The ultra-thin is wet.
Me: Wow. Magic - it is all absorbed!
The overnight is wet.
We feel for dryness.
Oddly enough, the ultra-thin is dryer. [Ed: The ultra-thin was damp, the overnight was a little soggy]
YC: Yeah, because too much spilled over.
Me: As you can see, overnight pads are not as... better than ultra-thins. [Ed: I got confused by our screwy setup]
Incredulous, we feel the pads again.
YC: It's like wearing wet pampers when you were a young kid, y'know? That doesn't feel right. This, at least, feels dry.
Ling is upset because the flow simulation sucks (blame pad ads, not us!)
YC: We cannot control all the variables.
The cameraman (IIRC) simulates what happens if someone's water bursts while she's wearing a pad.
The soggy aftermath.
Someone in the background: Is this a group project?
Narrator/cameraman: ... is not recommended that you use these as chemical waste spillkits.
We dissect the pads.
YC: This is from the ultra-thin. As you can see, it's all crystalised
I detect no scent from the odourless, jelly-like crystalised semi-solid.
YC on the overnight: It seems different, so we shall tear it open... There're no crystals! It's just a pad.
Some of the jelly-crystal is taken out and put on YC's finger.
The two are compared side-by-side
We interview the guy who gave us the free samples
Why was the overnight pad damper than the ultra-thin?
Guy: I have no frickin clue.
He is very happy that we're helping promote Kotex products.
( ) is the quick ( ) that he conducted. Thank you for your great contributions to science and for your (diverse knowlege) [Note from transcriber: or something like that. garbled.]
[Ed: If anyone can transcribe what the Indian guy is saying, please leave a comment here, send me an IM message or use the feedback form. Thank you.]
Narrator: This video has been brought to you by anybody but the University Scholars Program. Thank you for your attention.
Someone: "what kind of video is it? does it involve gunther and his sunshine kids? does it involve (gasp) wo-hen??!
or is it (deep indrawn breath) kimberly, the pink ranger???"
Someone else: "eh, what's this video about sanitary pads
i thought nus upskirt
disappointing"
Kotex Dri-Comfort
Introducing the new revolutionary Extra Dry Cover - finally women don't have to choose between the dryness they love and the comfort they desire! It truly offers the best of both worlds!
Unlike other pads, Kotex Dri-Comfort keeps you dry and comfortable without being:
X Itchy
X Plasticky
X Sticky
X Hot & uncomfortable
X Irritating to the skin
1) NEW - Extra Dry Cover: Stay fresh and dry
2) NEW - Double Anti-Leakage Channels: Extra protection
3) Safety Zone: Fits securely and traps fluid
4) Quick Absorbing Pores: Better absorbency so you feel fresh and dry.
o 300% drier than other brands
o Luxuriously softer for ultimate comfort
o 100% better leakage protection
Sounds impressive, but I still think tampons are better.
Given how cheap and prevalent sanitary pads are, anyone who can think of an alternate use for them will be sure to strike it rich. To mop up rivers of sweat, perhaps?
Post ID: 113015489876853538
An 8 year old boy walks home from school each day past an 8 year old girls house. One day as he is passing by, carrying a football, he can't resist taunting the girl. He holds up the football and says, "See this football? Football is a boys game, and only boys can have a football!".
The little girl runs into the house and cries to her mother, "I want a football!" Being a woman of the 90's, her mother runs out and gets her one. The next day the girl is waiting for the little boy and he rides up on his bike.
She holds up the football... "Nah Na Nah Nah".
The little boy angrily points to his bike and says, "Oh yeah, well this is a boys bike and only boys get boys bikes and you can't have one!"
She runs in to mom and the next day is waiting for him on her new boys bike.
The little boy gets furious and pulls down his pants, and pointing to his most private of parts says, "Look, only boys have these and your mom can't buy you one!!!".
The next day he walks by and says to her, "Well, I guess I showed you!" to which she promptly pulls up her dress, points to her parts and proclaims "My mother tells me that as long as I have one of these I can have as many of THOSE as I want!
If 2 lesbians under the age of 16 have sex with each other, do both go to jail for underaged sex?
Unfortunately, there's no male to conveniently push the blame to here, not even one who is also underaged (since we know that underaged males are capable of informed consent even if underaged females aren't). The girl is always the victim, even if she's voluntarily selling her body or, even if you reject that reason, is the one extorting money from the male.
You can be smart enough to realise the power you have over men and then think up schemes for manipulating or deceiving them and/or asking for or extorting more money post-hoc from the men you have sex with, but that doesn't make you mature enough to consent to said acts in the first place. But then if you can conceptualise that underaged sex is illegal and then think up a grand scheme for blackmailing and extorting money from the males by threatening to go to the police (which seems to me a more complex principle for someone to grasp than that of informed consent), you should be prosecuted for knowingly aiding and abetting a crime (even if they can't get you for entrapment).
But I suppose no one can be blamed in the example above since there's no male, so both will get off scot-free.
A: haha they won't get caught
the policemen will be too turned on
B: maybe they'll charge the 'male'
thought one will play the male role the other the female
or do they swap roles each time
hahaa
C: i am of the view that underage girls should be convicted as well
for aiding and abetting the statutoy rape
Me: if it's voluntary
C: mostly it is innit?
otherwise they would be charged with actual rape
D: it's every man's fantasy to watch two lesbians get it on except mine. =/
E: woo
roxor
2 underage lesbians
woot
on a more serious note, I hear what you're saying
but then the law is always several decades behind the times
at least it's not as bad as the military though, which is always several centuries behind
The little girl runs into the house and cries to her mother, "I want a football!" Being a woman of the 90's, her mother runs out and gets her one. The next day the girl is waiting for the little boy and he rides up on his bike.
She holds up the football... "Nah Na Nah Nah".
The little boy angrily points to his bike and says, "Oh yeah, well this is a boys bike and only boys get boys bikes and you can't have one!"
She runs in to mom and the next day is waiting for him on her new boys bike.
The little boy gets furious and pulls down his pants, and pointing to his most private of parts says, "Look, only boys have these and your mom can't buy you one!!!".
The next day he walks by and says to her, "Well, I guess I showed you!" to which she promptly pulls up her dress, points to her parts and proclaims "My mother tells me that as long as I have one of these I can have as many of THOSE as I want!
If 2 lesbians under the age of 16 have sex with each other, do both go to jail for underaged sex?
Unfortunately, there's no male to conveniently push the blame to here, not even one who is also underaged (since we know that underaged males are capable of informed consent even if underaged females aren't). The girl is always the victim, even if she's voluntarily selling her body or, even if you reject that reason, is the one extorting money from the male.
You can be smart enough to realise the power you have over men and then think up schemes for manipulating or deceiving them and/or asking for or extorting more money post-hoc from the men you have sex with, but that doesn't make you mature enough to consent to said acts in the first place. But then if you can conceptualise that underaged sex is illegal and then think up a grand scheme for blackmailing and extorting money from the males by threatening to go to the police (which seems to me a more complex principle for someone to grasp than that of informed consent), you should be prosecuted for knowingly aiding and abetting a crime (even if they can't get you for entrapment).
But I suppose no one can be blamed in the example above since there's no male, so both will get off scot-free.
A: haha they won't get caught
the policemen will be too turned on
B: maybe they'll charge the 'male'
thought one will play the male role the other the female
or do they swap roles each time
hahaa
C: i am of the view that underage girls should be convicted as well
for aiding and abetting the statutoy rape
Me: if it's voluntary
C: mostly it is innit?
otherwise they would be charged with actual rape
D: it's every man's fantasy to watch two lesbians get it on except mine. =/
E: woo
roxor
2 underage lesbians
woot
on a more serious note, I hear what you're saying
but then the law is always several decades behind the times
at least it's not as bad as the military though, which is always several centuries behind
Post ID: 113014915391502520
Sunday, October 23, 2005
The group "Bliss" struck Law, Medicine, Computing and the Conservatory. "The KOTEXERS" were set loose on Science. "Team Ignite" preyed on Engineering girls (maybe they drew the short straw) with "Kotex Engineering Girls' Day Out" and now "Creative Juices Marketing" (IIRC - I know the first 2 words are right) is tackling what may be the most demanding market of all - Arts. Monday and Tuesday will see them pressing their wares into the hands of Arts girls (hell, since the whole school comes to Arts to eat, they'll probably be encountering some girls who have gotten their free samples before).
Since I don't visit other faculties except for an occasional sightseeing visit, I am not conversant with the other groups' advertising campaigns. Thus, I will evaluate "Creative Juices Markting"'s campaign purely on its own merits.
All of the posters had the slogan: "Has there been any revolution without bloodshed/discomfort?" (minor quibble: I don't think using the virgule in a slogan is entirely appropriate. The word "or" would've been better), and featured pictures of such events as the French Revolution. The occasional poster had a picture of what I assume is Kotex's latest sanitary pad offering (forgive me if they have newer ones - I do not make it my business to keep up with the latest developments in sanitary pad technology), with lines showing off its various features.
Obviously, the rhetorical answer is no. Yet, I can think of revolutions like the Agricultural Revolution and the Green Revolution which didn't discomfort anybody. Arguably, those who stuck to the old methods of agriculture were discomfited by the new technology. Yet, if that is the case then other companies making what are euphemistically known as female hygiene products are and/or will be discomfited by Kotex's latest offering. Either way, the slogan is a meaningless one (which shows that they've mastered the art of advertising).
More seriously, the entire business model of Kotex is based on bloodshed and discomfort. If bloodshed and discomfort did not exist, then they would all be out of a job (Side note: Whenever girls complain about their periods, I always recommend a good ole hysterectomy, but that suggestion is always met with a good deal of apprehension, accompanied with cries like "I love my uterus!").
The poster also promised satisfaction or your money back, yet it also promised free samples. Since you don't pay anything for free samples, you can't get your money back.
The biggest oversight of the campaign, I feel, is that it totally neglects tampon users. Tampons are:
- smaller
- take up less space in your handbag
- flushable (this is disputed by someone)
- odourless (I'm told odour and scent aren't the same. Scent is applied, but odour comes from within)
- don't need to be wrapped after use (this is also disputed by someone)
- more discreet
- cleaner (leaking less - "despite kotex and their wings side leakage is always a big problem")
- more comfortable
- don't give you pad rash
- make the bloodshed and discomfort end sooner ("because they are in there actively soaking up blood. pads just... lie there and absorb, tampons stanch the flow)
- free you to take part in more activities (like helping "users fulfill their aquatic tendencies", as someone poetically put it)
- give you more flexibility fashion-wise
- and, in extremis, can be used in the event of a severe nosebleed.
I'm sure you can think of many more examples. With all of these multi-purpose applications, how can anyone not want to use tampons? We say: use this unique, flexible female hygiene product more often in your daily speech. It will identify the quality of your character immediately. Use them often, and proudly! Switch to tampons today!
Since I don't visit other faculties except for an occasional sightseeing visit, I am not conversant with the other groups' advertising campaigns. Thus, I will evaluate "Creative Juices Markting"'s campaign purely on its own merits.
All of the posters had the slogan: "Has there been any revolution without bloodshed/discomfort?" (minor quibble: I don't think using the virgule in a slogan is entirely appropriate. The word "or" would've been better), and featured pictures of such events as the French Revolution. The occasional poster had a picture of what I assume is Kotex's latest sanitary pad offering (forgive me if they have newer ones - I do not make it my business to keep up with the latest developments in sanitary pad technology), with lines showing off its various features.
Obviously, the rhetorical answer is no. Yet, I can think of revolutions like the Agricultural Revolution and the Green Revolution which didn't discomfort anybody. Arguably, those who stuck to the old methods of agriculture were discomfited by the new technology. Yet, if that is the case then other companies making what are euphemistically known as female hygiene products are and/or will be discomfited by Kotex's latest offering. Either way, the slogan is a meaningless one (which shows that they've mastered the art of advertising).
More seriously, the entire business model of Kotex is based on bloodshed and discomfort. If bloodshed and discomfort did not exist, then they would all be out of a job (Side note: Whenever girls complain about their periods, I always recommend a good ole hysterectomy, but that suggestion is always met with a good deal of apprehension, accompanied with cries like "I love my uterus!").
The poster also promised satisfaction or your money back, yet it also promised free samples. Since you don't pay anything for free samples, you can't get your money back.
The biggest oversight of the campaign, I feel, is that it totally neglects tampon users. Tampons are:
- smaller
- take up less space in your handbag
- flushable (this is disputed by someone)
- odourless (I'm told odour and scent aren't the same. Scent is applied, but odour comes from within)
- don't need to be wrapped after use (this is also disputed by someone)
- more discreet
- cleaner (leaking less - "despite kotex and their wings side leakage is always a big problem")
- more comfortable
- don't give you pad rash
- make the bloodshed and discomfort end sooner ("because they are in there actively soaking up blood. pads just... lie there and absorb, tampons stanch the flow)
- free you to take part in more activities (like helping "users fulfill their aquatic tendencies", as someone poetically put it)
- give you more flexibility fashion-wise
- and, in extremis, can be used in the event of a severe nosebleed.
I'm sure you can think of many more examples. With all of these multi-purpose applications, how can anyone not want to use tampons? We say: use this unique, flexible female hygiene product more often in your daily speech. It will identify the quality of your character immediately. Use them often, and proudly! Switch to tampons today!
Post ID: 113007353415302438
Quotes:
[On writing on the OHT] My pen's so clear. I'm happy.
You attended yesterday's lecture. Then why are you here again?... *Is told that it's not the same person* I remember... something wrong with my memory.
It's so carefree to be a teenager. [Me: So what are we? Not teenagers, not yet adults.] We're half fucks.
Different slop. Slop is also different. (slope)
[On doing badly in the midterm] If you're hardworking, if you're consistent - you can do well [overall]. [Ed: But if you're consistent and you did badly in the midterm, you'd do badly in the final too...]
I have been told that, very sneakily, some of you tried to do the same question twice [using a different method]... Some of you tried to do the same question twice, in the same way. I don't know what you were thinking of.
[On underemployment] They spend 3 hours working. Th rest of the time they're talking.
This is a very exciting model, the RBC model. We're going to go on to another exciting model - the Keynesian business cycle model.
[On sticky wages] Can you imagine if you went to your mom and asked for your allowance to be indexed to wages? I mean inflation? Your mom would go crazy.
[On writing assignment answers on the board] From next week onwards, if you have not presented, I will ask you to present. If you have already presented, I will not let you volunteer.
My project mates - they do their work. That's all I ask for... They speak English. That's all I ask for. Very basic requirements - do you work and speak English.
We have some unknown ver'rye'er'berls (variable)
I saw this guy in Arts. He looks like the Obi-Wan Kenobi... the beard. (like)
Is the function of a wise choice (Y's)
You have to know how to get the results. We are economists, not mathematicians.
Last time, in NJ, after drinking a can of green tea I would run around the school, because I got super high.
[On the ultimatum game and economic irrationality] You may ask: If Player II cannot get [a better deal], why wouldn't he reject [it]? I don't know why... That is the definition. He cannot do better... If I play the game with you, if I want the whole pie for myself, you will reject [my offer]. I agree with you.
Delta cue'bee (cube)
[On Nach equilibria] You may ask why you choose [this module's code]. it's because you cannot do better in any other module.
[On the Jack Rabbit] I don't need it any more.
In the past, when I was a much more hornier bastard, SCGS was my first choice... That was 1996. Now SCGS girls all cannot make it.
[After going through the mid-term] Write your name, then you can leave. Enjoy your life. Exam is nothing.
Not everyone has the same level of sexual interest. To some of you this will be puzzling, to others it will be obvious.
[On Horrobin's theory about fat, creativity, eccentricity and schizophrenia] You have to be a little bit disconnected from reality to be creative. Really creative people are really quite strange.
[On forays out of the classroom] I had the opportunity to help with an orang utan... Not Ah Meng, another one.
We're nice people. We smile. Men are more likely to read too much into the smile. It is adaptive to risk a rebuff... If 9 out of 10 women slap your face and say 'bugger off', it doesn't matter if the 10th woman smiles and, you know?... Bad manners are good for genetics.
I was terribly tempted to bring in a snake this morning and present it in the middle of class... How many of you would leave now if I had a snake in my pocket? No?
[On depression] There's a risk you might kill yourself. Don't do it. It's a bad choice. You will always recover and feel better. Always.
[On hunter-gatherer societies] Suicide wasn't an easy thing to do, short of taking a large instrument and falling on it.
I've got free copies of Time Magazine's October 26th issue here. They're free... [Student: Will it be used in the exam?] That is such a disgusting reply... All you think about is passing exams. You're here to learn. [Me: You could make this a non-examinable module] [Other student: Or you could give us the A straight away]... If everybody is somebody, nobody is anybody.
[On the OHP screen's string blocking the whiteboard] This is so infuriating. World Class University dangles the string in front of the whiteboard.
How do you recognise a psychopath when you see one? [Student: When he starts charging at you] You've got a sort of mad ax murderer complex.
[On psychopaths] Imagine the worst sort of car salesman and magnify him 5 to 10 times.
We were just discussing Psychopathy... Failure of conscience... You, of course, are stricken with guilt for coming to class late.
You might want to see if 'executioner' is listed in the government directory. My money is that it's not there... Effort is made to distance themselves from it. (them)
I'm told that the hangman, the axman would always ask forgiveness from the victim to be, which was always given because the victim wanted a clean cut... No lingering doubts [on the axman's part]
Name reasons why people kill each other. *silence*... You have difficulty in thinking of reasons. I am encouraged [as to your lack of homicidal tendencies]
In India elephants raid distilleries to drink the alcohol. The caretakers come in and find them sitting around with their trunks in the air.
[On how drugs actually make you feel worse] I used to smoke... the way I gave it up was by smoking until I felt sick.
The burger is $1. Everything else is 4 or 5 times the price. So the guys eat 2 or 3 a day. [Professor: I'm getting an insight into student economics]
[On fat being in in human history] Ruben's women, Titian's women... were fat... Laughing Buddha - he's fat, there's no other way to describe him. He's globular... if you look at the advertisements before World War II, the women are voluptuous. Substantial, and big.
[On writing on the OHT] My pen's so clear. I'm happy.
You attended yesterday's lecture. Then why are you here again?... *Is told that it's not the same person* I remember... something wrong with my memory.
It's so carefree to be a teenager. [Me: So what are we? Not teenagers, not yet adults.] We're half fucks.
Different slop. Slop is also different. (slope)
[On doing badly in the midterm] If you're hardworking, if you're consistent - you can do well [overall]. [Ed: But if you're consistent and you did badly in the midterm, you'd do badly in the final too...]
I have been told that, very sneakily, some of you tried to do the same question twice [using a different method]... Some of you tried to do the same question twice, in the same way. I don't know what you were thinking of.
[On underemployment] They spend 3 hours working. Th rest of the time they're talking.
This is a very exciting model, the RBC model. We're going to go on to another exciting model - the Keynesian business cycle model.
[On sticky wages] Can you imagine if you went to your mom and asked for your allowance to be indexed to wages? I mean inflation? Your mom would go crazy.
[On writing assignment answers on the board] From next week onwards, if you have not presented, I will ask you to present. If you have already presented, I will not let you volunteer.
My project mates - they do their work. That's all I ask for... They speak English. That's all I ask for. Very basic requirements - do you work and speak English.
We have some unknown ver'rye'er'berls (variable)
I saw this guy in Arts. He looks like the Obi-Wan Kenobi... the beard. (like)
Is the function of a wise choice (Y's)
You have to know how to get the results. We are economists, not mathematicians.
Last time, in NJ, after drinking a can of green tea I would run around the school, because I got super high.
[On the ultimatum game and economic irrationality] You may ask: If Player II cannot get [a better deal], why wouldn't he reject [it]? I don't know why... That is the definition. He cannot do better... If I play the game with you, if I want the whole pie for myself, you will reject [my offer]. I agree with you.
Delta cue'bee (cube)
[On Nach equilibria] You may ask why you choose [this module's code]. it's because you cannot do better in any other module.
[On the Jack Rabbit] I don't need it any more.
In the past, when I was a much more hornier bastard, SCGS was my first choice... That was 1996. Now SCGS girls all cannot make it.
[After going through the mid-term] Write your name, then you can leave. Enjoy your life. Exam is nothing.
Not everyone has the same level of sexual interest. To some of you this will be puzzling, to others it will be obvious.
[On Horrobin's theory about fat, creativity, eccentricity and schizophrenia] You have to be a little bit disconnected from reality to be creative. Really creative people are really quite strange.
[On forays out of the classroom] I had the opportunity to help with an orang utan... Not Ah Meng, another one.
We're nice people. We smile. Men are more likely to read too much into the smile. It is adaptive to risk a rebuff... If 9 out of 10 women slap your face and say 'bugger off', it doesn't matter if the 10th woman smiles and, you know?... Bad manners are good for genetics.
I was terribly tempted to bring in a snake this morning and present it in the middle of class... How many of you would leave now if I had a snake in my pocket? No?
[On depression] There's a risk you might kill yourself. Don't do it. It's a bad choice. You will always recover and feel better. Always.
[On hunter-gatherer societies] Suicide wasn't an easy thing to do, short of taking a large instrument and falling on it.
I've got free copies of Time Magazine's October 26th issue here. They're free... [Student: Will it be used in the exam?] That is such a disgusting reply... All you think about is passing exams. You're here to learn. [Me: You could make this a non-examinable module] [Other student: Or you could give us the A straight away]... If everybody is somebody, nobody is anybody.
[On the OHP screen's string blocking the whiteboard] This is so infuriating. World Class University dangles the string in front of the whiteboard.
How do you recognise a psychopath when you see one? [Student: When he starts charging at you] You've got a sort of mad ax murderer complex.
[On psychopaths] Imagine the worst sort of car salesman and magnify him 5 to 10 times.
We were just discussing Psychopathy... Failure of conscience... You, of course, are stricken with guilt for coming to class late.
You might want to see if 'executioner' is listed in the government directory. My money is that it's not there... Effort is made to distance themselves from it. (them)
I'm told that the hangman, the axman would always ask forgiveness from the victim to be, which was always given because the victim wanted a clean cut... No lingering doubts [on the axman's part]
Name reasons why people kill each other. *silence*... You have difficulty in thinking of reasons. I am encouraged [as to your lack of homicidal tendencies]
In India elephants raid distilleries to drink the alcohol. The caretakers come in and find them sitting around with their trunks in the air.
[On how drugs actually make you feel worse] I used to smoke... the way I gave it up was by smoking until I felt sick.
The burger is $1. Everything else is 4 or 5 times the price. So the guys eat 2 or 3 a day. [Professor: I'm getting an insight into student economics]
[On fat being in in human history] Ruben's women, Titian's women... were fat... Laughing Buddha - he's fat, there's no other way to describe him. He's globular... if you look at the advertisements before World War II, the women are voluptuous. Substantial, and big.
Post ID: 113006933875101345
Someone: you should put up a personal ad on your site and see what kind of girls reply
just for the heck of it. i'd be interested in e results. hahah
Boo hoo, I'm a sociologist's experiment. Don't they typically pay lab rats to humiliate themselves in these things?
Xephyris the audiophile: haha, figures the mac guys don't know why 32 bit or 16 bit decoding is faster than 24 bit
Me: why?
Xephyris: your cpu bus is 32 bits wide
if you decode at 24 bits and send 24 bits of data to the soundcard, you'll end up sending 24 bits + 8 extra bits of the next "chunk" to the soundcard, which waits in the buffer until the next clock cycle - in 2 cycles, you have to wait 1 extra cycle to complete a full chunk
comparatively if you send at 32 bits, or 2 chunks of 16 bit each, you don't wait at all
Me: ah
mac experts?
Xephyris: yeah mac experts, they don't know what their soundcard is called and what resolution it supports either
not like it matters, because iTunes doesn't let you tweak anything anyway
Me: are you sure you were talking about mac experts?
or just normal mac users haha
Xephyris: aren't all mac users mac 'experts'? w
Me: uhh
experts at denouncing Wintel. Oops, but Mac is going to use Intel chips now.
experts at denouncing Windows then
just for the heck of it. i'd be interested in e results. hahah
Boo hoo, I'm a sociologist's experiment. Don't they typically pay lab rats to humiliate themselves in these things?
Xephyris the audiophile: haha, figures the mac guys don't know why 32 bit or 16 bit decoding is faster than 24 bit
Me: why?
Xephyris: your cpu bus is 32 bits wide
if you decode at 24 bits and send 24 bits of data to the soundcard, you'll end up sending 24 bits + 8 extra bits of the next "chunk" to the soundcard, which waits in the buffer until the next clock cycle - in 2 cycles, you have to wait 1 extra cycle to complete a full chunk
comparatively if you send at 32 bits, or 2 chunks of 16 bit each, you don't wait at all
Me: ah
mac experts?
Xephyris: yeah mac experts, they don't know what their soundcard is called and what resolution it supports either
not like it matters, because iTunes doesn't let you tweak anything anyway
Me: are you sure you were talking about mac experts?
or just normal mac users haha
Xephyris: aren't all mac users mac 'experts'? w
Me: uhh
experts at denouncing Wintel. Oops, but Mac is going to use Intel chips now.
experts at denouncing Windows then
Post ID: 113006183128727101
The Graduate, produced by The Video Renegades
Being a critique of the lamentable fact of intelligent, well-educated graduates being too choosey and holding out for good jobs instead of being entrepreneurial and retraining to fry gao laak (fried chestnuts) at hawker centres.
Unnamed sources close to the creators say: "Remember, we WILL hijack the nus convo one year and play this."
[Addendum: Youtube video:
]
Having just graduated, The Graduate is immensely happy, running through verdant meadows in his robe.
Facing the heavens, he utters his cries of delight at having, at last, escaped the Premier Institution of Social Engineering.
He proudly strikes a pose in front of his Alma Mater.
We see the 1.99 shop in the background.
The Engineering Graduate, despite having slaved for 4 years and being told that Engineering was the subject to major in if you couldn't get into Medicine or Law or go overseas, is unable to find a job. He should have learnt how to wash test tubes. He hawks his skills for $1.88.
An untrained man (perhaps foreign talent?) walks by and sees the sign.
He decides that despite or perhaps because of his lack of education, he can undercut The Graduate by offering his skills for a lower fee ($1.77), for what is presumably a similar job.
He smirks at how The Graduate has wasted 4 years slaving in Engineering, but both of them are now in the same situation.
The two undercut each other.
Since there is no minimum wage in Singapore, the untrained man can offer himself for below a living wage. Presumably he lives in a tent along the beach at East Coast and hasn't been evicted yet.
Patriotically offering employers the best value for their money, the graduate teams up with someone else to offer employers better value
Of course, the video has to be viewed in its full glory for maximum impact, so here are 2 download links:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TQJBE1OB
http://s9.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=38OGVYYEZ7FJ6272SPCM45TGK2
[Addendum: http://media.putfile.com/The-Graduate77]
Being a critique of the lamentable fact of intelligent, well-educated graduates being too choosey and holding out for good jobs instead of being entrepreneurial and retraining to fry gao laak (fried chestnuts) at hawker centres.
Unnamed sources close to the creators say: "Remember, we WILL hijack the nus convo one year and play this."
[Addendum: Youtube video:
]
Having just graduated, The Graduate is immensely happy, running through verdant meadows in his robe.
Facing the heavens, he utters his cries of delight at having, at last, escaped the Premier Institution of Social Engineering.
He proudly strikes a pose in front of his Alma Mater.
We see the 1.99 shop in the background.
The Engineering Graduate, despite having slaved for 4 years and being told that Engineering was the subject to major in if you couldn't get into Medicine or Law or go overseas, is unable to find a job. He should have learnt how to wash test tubes. He hawks his skills for $1.88.
An untrained man (perhaps foreign talent?) walks by and sees the sign.
He decides that despite or perhaps because of his lack of education, he can undercut The Graduate by offering his skills for a lower fee ($1.77), for what is presumably a similar job.
He smirks at how The Graduate has wasted 4 years slaving in Engineering, but both of them are now in the same situation.
The two undercut each other.
Since there is no minimum wage in Singapore, the untrained man can offer himself for below a living wage. Presumably he lives in a tent along the beach at East Coast and hasn't been evicted yet.
Patriotically offering employers the best value for their money, the graduate teams up with someone else to offer employers better value
Of course, the video has to be viewed in its full glory for maximum impact, so here are 2 download links:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TQJBE1OB
http://s9.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=38OGVYYEZ7FJ6272SPCM45TGK2
[Addendum: http://media.putfile.com/The-Graduate77]
Post ID: 113004398966261148
"I've got more faith in Hitler than anyone else [including God]. He's the only one who's kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people." - Elie Wiesel, Night
***
Someone on what the Virginia Atheists and Agnostics at the University of Virginia do: We have weekly meetings and past topics have included Intelligent Design (Flying Spaghetti Monsterism!) and the like. The committee has also organised several other talks given by notable speakers like this one priest who converted to atheism and wrote a book about it.
They also organise little community service projects and just random hanging out at this really funky hippie tea joint downtown from the university.
Unfortunately, I doubt FCINUS (Freethinkers' Community In NUS) would get much response for these activities.
***
The bazaar on the 17th of October had no stall selling flip flops. OMG (a source informed me the guy left). My world was overturned. And I need to revise the list of 7 things (almost) all NUS bazaars have - this year most seem to have food.
Visiting NUS's new University Hall, I understand why school fees are going up. There's a Koi Pond, a carved wall monstrosity which is supposed to evoke Homer's Odyssey (it looks like a typical piece of modern art), sculpture, gardens and lots of glass and empty space. Very nice. Oh, and a gallery where there's a rack with gongs (though apparently that was a gift from another University for our centennial).
Semi-confirmed rumour has it that module anonymous feedback is not truly anonymous: the Professors know the identities of commenters, and can let the TAs know them at their discretion. For example, for one module some student wrote about the tutor: "You are very pretty" (or words to that effect), and the Professor told the TA who had said this. Why NUS would do this is beyond me, since it jeopardises the integrity and veracity of the feedback they get and delivers no benefit beyond letting the staff spite and get back at students who diss them, and assuage the Professors' curiosity about comments.
The clack of multiple pairs of flip flops as the feet they adorn descend stairs is singularly annoying.
***
Someone on what the Virginia Atheists and Agnostics at the University of Virginia do: We have weekly meetings and past topics have included Intelligent Design (Flying Spaghetti Monsterism!) and the like. The committee has also organised several other talks given by notable speakers like this one priest who converted to atheism and wrote a book about it.
They also organise little community service projects and just random hanging out at this really funky hippie tea joint downtown from the university.
Unfortunately, I doubt FCINUS (Freethinkers' Community In NUS) would get much response for these activities.
***
The bazaar on the 17th of October had no stall selling flip flops. OMG (a source informed me the guy left). My world was overturned. And I need to revise the list of 7 things (almost) all NUS bazaars have - this year most seem to have food.
Visiting NUS's new University Hall, I understand why school fees are going up. There's a Koi Pond, a carved wall monstrosity which is supposed to evoke Homer's Odyssey (it looks like a typical piece of modern art), sculpture, gardens and lots of glass and empty space. Very nice. Oh, and a gallery where there's a rack with gongs (though apparently that was a gift from another University for our centennial).
Semi-confirmed rumour has it that module anonymous feedback is not truly anonymous: the Professors know the identities of commenters, and can let the TAs know them at their discretion. For example, for one module some student wrote about the tutor: "You are very pretty" (or words to that effect), and the Professor told the TA who had said this. Why NUS would do this is beyond me, since it jeopardises the integrity and veracity of the feedback they get and delivers no benefit beyond letting the staff spite and get back at students who diss them, and assuage the Professors' curiosity about comments.
The clack of multiple pairs of flip flops as the feet they adorn descend stairs is singularly annoying.
Post ID: 112999749139788475
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Someone gave me some encouragement in relation to some physical endeavor: "that's good. keep it up", and I suddenly felt sick. I suspect that the aversion I have to "encouragement" of that nature and phrasing comes from the Pavlovian conditioning I have gone through in the past. To wit, being physically tortured while being "encouraged" with a certain set of vocabulary, both during school PE lessons and more importantly during Slavery.
Ban Xiong thought that his phone's camera had the shutter sound hardcoded on to prevent people from taking upskirts, until I found the option and disabled it for him. What he is doing with it now, I do not know. In any case, disabling the shutter sound won't stop voyeurs - they'll just move to taking videos.
***
Did you ever hear one of those corny, positive messages on someone's answering machine?
"Hi, It's a great day and I'm out enjoying it right now. I hope you are too. The thought for the day is 'Share the love."
"Beep."
"Uh, yeah...this is the VD clinic calling...Speaking of being positive, your test is back. Stop sharing the love..."
***
The Madness of Adam and Eve - "To David Horrobin, a fellow of Magdalen College where he taught medicine, and an expert in schizophrenia during a long and distinguished career, such theories lack an actual mechanism to explain why such massive changes happened. Environmental pressures weren’t unique to humans or even primates: all species could benefit from increased brain power. He proposes instead that small genetic changes in the biochemistry of brain fat were sufficient to alter the way our nerve cells worked, vastly increasing the abilities of the brain. But, as we further changed our diet and our way of life, those very genetic changes which enabled creativity, intellectual prowess and the generation of religious belief could also instigate the madness of schizophrenia."
ID the Creep - Play as jailbait trying to find out who is trying to nail you. Uhhhh.
Breast implants may soon carry MP3 players! - "BT Laboratories' analyst Ian Pearson said flexible plastic electronics would sit inside the breast. A signal would be relayed to headphones, while the device would be controlled by Bluetooth using a panel on the wrist."
Jesus of the Week 2005
Ban Xiong thought that his phone's camera had the shutter sound hardcoded on to prevent people from taking upskirts, until I found the option and disabled it for him. What he is doing with it now, I do not know. In any case, disabling the shutter sound won't stop voyeurs - they'll just move to taking videos.
***
Did you ever hear one of those corny, positive messages on someone's answering machine?
"Hi, It's a great day and I'm out enjoying it right now. I hope you are too. The thought for the day is 'Share the love."
"Beep."
"Uh, yeah...this is the VD clinic calling...Speaking of being positive, your test is back. Stop sharing the love..."
***
The Madness of Adam and Eve - "To David Horrobin, a fellow of Magdalen College where he taught medicine, and an expert in schizophrenia during a long and distinguished career, such theories lack an actual mechanism to explain why such massive changes happened. Environmental pressures weren’t unique to humans or even primates: all species could benefit from increased brain power. He proposes instead that small genetic changes in the biochemistry of brain fat were sufficient to alter the way our nerve cells worked, vastly increasing the abilities of the brain. But, as we further changed our diet and our way of life, those very genetic changes which enabled creativity, intellectual prowess and the generation of religious belief could also instigate the madness of schizophrenia."
ID the Creep - Play as jailbait trying to find out who is trying to nail you. Uhhhh.
Breast implants may soon carry MP3 players! - "BT Laboratories' analyst Ian Pearson said flexible plastic electronics would sit inside the breast. A signal would be relayed to headphones, while the device would be controlled by Bluetooth using a panel on the wrist."
Jesus of the Week 2005
Post ID: 112999169454331417
An article on there being a distinction between methodological naturalism and philosophical naturalism, and the naturalistic fallacy:
Fundamentalism and Science
"The crucial point here is that a scientist is, essentially by definition, a methodological naturalist; however, she does not have any specific commitment (aside from her own metaphysical views) to philosophical naturalism. In other words, science does not necessarily entail atheism, which is the fundamentalist's fear. How can we explain this to the general public? One way to go about it is to point out that most people are in fact methodological naturalists when it comes to everyday life. Suppose your car doesn't start today: how do you react to such an annoying occurrence? Most likely you will not invoke supernatural explanations, and will not attempt to have the car exorcised. Rather, regardless of your religious convictions, you will bring it to a mechanic, assuming (methodologically) that there must be something physically wrong with it. Moreover, even if the mechanic will not find the answer, and will not be able to fix your car, you will still persist in the (reasonable) belief that there must have been something physically out of place, with no supernatural implications or intervention required. You will shrug your shoulders, grudgingly pay the bill to the mechanic, and go in search of a new car or another mechanic. That is exactly what scientists do, and are required to do by their profession -- no more, no less."
My letter to the writer:
Hi
Your piece on fundamentalism and science may be good for PR purposes, but your distinction between methodological and philosophical naturalism seems too clear cut.
Almost all people live their lives by methodological naturalism; the joke comes to mind about the man who relates a tale of a talking frog which he kisses, turning it into a young girl under the age of consent and concluding, "And that, your honor, is how the girl ended up in my room." Similarly, though many Christians praise Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to JHVH, claiming divine sanction as a reason to murder your children is untenable in a court of law, as Deanna Laney found out after being declared insane for using the same excuse.
However, is there not some fundamental dissonance between methodological naturalism and philosophical supernaturalism? If you believe in spirits and gods, it is entirely consistent to believe that they affect the natural world. Indeed, if they did not affect the natural world, why believe in them in the first place? If god created the world, why do we assume he cannot have moved our pendulum?
Are spirits/gods just convenient vessels for spirituality, magically robbed of their power and significance when they cross the line into another realm? When does the socially accepted and condoned spiritual comfort that someone gets from communing with his gods turn into a label of insanity when those same gods turn from teaching him yoga to telling him to kill people?
Perhaps the only religious theories which are compatible with both methodological naturalism and philosophical supernaturalism are variants on the modern "all religions are the same"/"all religions teach you to do good"/"god is a metaphor"/"we are god" rubbish and this, as Freud dryly noted, is in truth a deeply irreligious position; an impotent god which cannot (or does not choose to) affect reality at all cannot be said to be a god. Even a dust mite has more power to affect reality than the god(s) of a proponent of both methodological naturalism and philosophical supernaturalism.
Perhaps peripherally related to the issue is a piece by Natalie Angier called "My God Problem" (http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=angier_24_5).
Without being deeply disingenuous, I do not think that it's possible to prevent methodological naturalism from becoming philosophical naturalism, since it the latter is the natural corollary of the former.
As for the is-ought fallacy, the reason why so many fundamentalists get tripped up over it is precisely because they think that what is is what ought to be, for it is from this that they derive their system of morality and world view. They then engage in Freudian projection and accuse naturalists of endorsing the cruel state of nature. It's a failure of imagination on their part.
Fundamentalism and Science
"The crucial point here is that a scientist is, essentially by definition, a methodological naturalist; however, she does not have any specific commitment (aside from her own metaphysical views) to philosophical naturalism. In other words, science does not necessarily entail atheism, which is the fundamentalist's fear. How can we explain this to the general public? One way to go about it is to point out that most people are in fact methodological naturalists when it comes to everyday life. Suppose your car doesn't start today: how do you react to such an annoying occurrence? Most likely you will not invoke supernatural explanations, and will not attempt to have the car exorcised. Rather, regardless of your religious convictions, you will bring it to a mechanic, assuming (methodologically) that there must be something physically wrong with it. Moreover, even if the mechanic will not find the answer, and will not be able to fix your car, you will still persist in the (reasonable) belief that there must have been something physically out of place, with no supernatural implications or intervention required. You will shrug your shoulders, grudgingly pay the bill to the mechanic, and go in search of a new car or another mechanic. That is exactly what scientists do, and are required to do by their profession -- no more, no less."
My letter to the writer:
Hi
Your piece on fundamentalism and science may be good for PR purposes, but your distinction between methodological and philosophical naturalism seems too clear cut.
Almost all people live their lives by methodological naturalism; the joke comes to mind about the man who relates a tale of a talking frog which he kisses, turning it into a young girl under the age of consent and concluding, "And that, your honor, is how the girl ended up in my room." Similarly, though many Christians praise Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to JHVH, claiming divine sanction as a reason to murder your children is untenable in a court of law, as Deanna Laney found out after being declared insane for using the same excuse.
However, is there not some fundamental dissonance between methodological naturalism and philosophical supernaturalism? If you believe in spirits and gods, it is entirely consistent to believe that they affect the natural world. Indeed, if they did not affect the natural world, why believe in them in the first place? If god created the world, why do we assume he cannot have moved our pendulum?
Are spirits/gods just convenient vessels for spirituality, magically robbed of their power and significance when they cross the line into another realm? When does the socially accepted and condoned spiritual comfort that someone gets from communing with his gods turn into a label of insanity when those same gods turn from teaching him yoga to telling him to kill people?
Perhaps the only religious theories which are compatible with both methodological naturalism and philosophical supernaturalism are variants on the modern "all religions are the same"/"all religions teach you to do good"/"god is a metaphor"/"we are god" rubbish and this, as Freud dryly noted, is in truth a deeply irreligious position; an impotent god which cannot (or does not choose to) affect reality at all cannot be said to be a god. Even a dust mite has more power to affect reality than the god(s) of a proponent of both methodological naturalism and philosophical supernaturalism.
Perhaps peripherally related to the issue is a piece by Natalie Angier called "My God Problem" (http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=angier_24_5).
Without being deeply disingenuous, I do not think that it's possible to prevent methodological naturalism from becoming philosophical naturalism, since it the latter is the natural corollary of the former.
As for the is-ought fallacy, the reason why so many fundamentalists get tripped up over it is precisely because they think that what is is what ought to be, for it is from this that they derive their system of morality and world view. They then engage in Freudian projection and accuse naturalists of endorsing the cruel state of nature. It's a failure of imagination on their part.
Post ID: 112998678161557267
Caleb digs up an interesting nugget from the World Economic forum's 2005-2006 country rankings of economic competitiveness:
I could think of at least 1 conspiracy theory about why driving down your populace's wages is good, even if it doesn't help competitiveness all that much.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find the 2005-2006 competitiveness ranking - the site seems broken for now.
World Economic Forum - Global Competitiveness Report 2005-2006
Unfortunately, the whole thing is 65 pounds. I'm curious about what it says, but not quite that curious. Some extracts from the executive summary:
On why Finland is top in the Growth Competitiveness Index:
On decadent Western countries with unsustainable welfare systems remaining competitive:
A rebuke to Texas oilmen:
A breakdown of the various components of the Growth Competitiveness Index is instructive; Singapore ranks 10th on the technology index, 4th on public institutions and 1st for macroeconomic environment. The report distinguishes between factor driven, efficiency-driven, and innovation-driven productivity improvements, with increasing degrees of complexity. The data for Singapore is unavailable, but we can all guess where we lost out (I recall Krugman's criticism of our using capital investment to boost GDP growth, rather than technology).
As for the Business Competitiveness Index, Singapore ranks 1st in Institutions and Technological readiness, 4th in Market efficiency, 5th in Infrastructure, 8th in Higher education and training, and 9th for its Macroeconomy and Innovation.
What is more interesting, though, is that we got a dismal 20th for Business sophistication and a hideous 69th for Health and primary education. Time to drop a large dollop of government moolah into both Medisave and Medishield.
[NB: Some might point out that though at present Medisave and Medishield both are financed by the individual, pumping government money just shifts the burden from the individual to the representative tax payer so you're not getting a free lunch. Which is why I always wonder why people are so happy about tax cuts or pork barrel schemes and view them as gracious boons granted by the generous divine government at their own (great) expense - it's your own money after all.
However, presumably the World Economic Forum judges that self-funded medical provision is unwise, or we would not be 69th in the ranking for Health and primary education (this assumes that our primary schools are not similarly atrocious).]
[Addendum: The Slanted Times' take:
Sept 29: "Singapore's top-notch economic management has propelled the Republic one place higher to sixth spot in a closely watched ranking of global competitiveness conducted by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF)... And one of Singapore's long-standing economic rivals, Hong Kong, slumped seven spots to 28th this year.
... 'The Nordic countries have consolidated their position at the top of the league,' said the WEF's chief economist, Mr Augusto Lopez-Claros. 'The main reason is these countries enjoy very good management. They do not have fiscal problems like France, Germany or Italy,' he told reporters.
Faced with an ageing population, Nordic countries are reforming now in order to maintain their welfare systems, he said."
[Ed: Of course, there's no word about how they maintain generous welfare systems yet stay competitive in the first place.]
Oct 7: "Compulsory education was made law only recently. From 2003, parents must enrol their children in school from Primary 1 to 6, or face penalties... The good news is that as the compulsory education law kicks in, the issue about low primary school enrolment should eventually resolve itself.
Other areas that may need improvement would be those that Singapore does badly in the competitiveness ratings. A look at the 2004 report is instructive. There is one indicator in which Singapore fares even worse than in primary school enrolment.
In freedom of the press, Singapore is ranked a dismal 98th out of 104.
Now that's another rating we should all beaver away at together to try to improve."
[Ed: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. But then, just like North Korea, we have special cirumstances necessitating our unfree but nation-building press.]
Nordic countries like Finland and Sweden place highly, with Finland in first place, Sweden third and Denmark fourth... countries like Denmark and Sweden spend a lot on reducing poverty and have among the most generous unemployment benefits in Europe (and, let's face it, the world)...
Singapore ranks at number six, just below Taiwan. So yes, Singapore is competitive, but its competitiveness is not the product, as we are incessantly told by our Dear Leader(s), of artificially depressed wage costs or our effective lack of any social security or unemployment benefit (except for maybe CPF). If that were the case, we would be far more competitive than Sweden. It would also mean that a place like Hong Kong should be topping the competitiveness charts, which it isn't.
I could think of at least 1 conspiracy theory about why driving down your populace's wages is good, even if it doesn't help competitiveness all that much.
World Economic Forum - Global Competitiveness Report 2005-2006
Unfortunately, the whole thing is 65 pounds. I'm curious about what it says, but not quite that curious. Some extracts from the executive summary:
On why Finland is top in the Growth Competitiveness Index:
The country owes its strong showing to one of the most innovative business environments in the world, particularly critical to driving productivity in the country, given its advanced stage of development.This is coupled with a very healthy macroeconomic environment, at a time when many other industrial countries are struggling in this area. The willingness of Finnish governments to run budget surpluses, so as to be able to meet future social commitments linked to the aging of the population is particularly impressive.This approach to macroeconomic policy highlights a degree of political maturity in Finnish society worthy of emulation. Furthermore, Finland has an institutional environment that is among the world’s finest: the business community operates in a climate of respect for the law, unusually low levels of corruption, and an openness and transparency which other countries would do well to study.
On decadent Western countries with unsustainable welfare systems remaining competitive:
There is no evidence that relatively high tax rates are preventing these countries from competing effectively in world markets, or from delivering to their respective populations some of the highest standards of living in the world.
A rebuke to Texas oilmen:
In his intriguing paper “The Environment as a Source of Competitive Advantage,”Allen Hammond offers interesting counter arguments to the prevailing idea that environmental regulations place a potential constraint on, or worse, pose risks for business. Increasingly, he explains, environmental and social development issues are also coming to be understood as a source of opportunity for new products
and services, new technology, and new markets.
A breakdown of the various components of the Growth Competitiveness Index is instructive; Singapore ranks 10th on the technology index, 4th on public institutions and 1st for macroeconomic environment. The report distinguishes between factor driven, efficiency-driven, and innovation-driven productivity improvements, with increasing degrees of complexity. The data for Singapore is unavailable, but we can all guess where we lost out (I recall Krugman's criticism of our using capital investment to boost GDP growth, rather than technology).
As for the Business Competitiveness Index, Singapore ranks 1st in Institutions and Technological readiness, 4th in Market efficiency, 5th in Infrastructure, 8th in Higher education and training, and 9th for its Macroeconomy and Innovation.
What is more interesting, though, is that we got a dismal 20th for Business sophistication and a hideous 69th for Health and primary education. Time to drop a large dollop of government moolah into both Medisave and Medishield.
[NB: Some might point out that though at present Medisave and Medishield both are financed by the individual, pumping government money just shifts the burden from the individual to the representative tax payer so you're not getting a free lunch. Which is why I always wonder why people are so happy about tax cuts or pork barrel schemes and view them as gracious boons granted by the generous divine government at their own (great) expense - it's your own money after all.
However, presumably the World Economic Forum judges that self-funded medical provision is unwise, or we would not be 69th in the ranking for Health and primary education (this assumes that our primary schools are not similarly atrocious).]
[Addendum: The Slanted Times' take:
Sept 29: "Singapore's top-notch economic management has propelled the Republic one place higher to sixth spot in a closely watched ranking of global competitiveness conducted by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF)... And one of Singapore's long-standing economic rivals, Hong Kong, slumped seven spots to 28th this year.
... 'The Nordic countries have consolidated their position at the top of the league,' said the WEF's chief economist, Mr Augusto Lopez-Claros. 'The main reason is these countries enjoy very good management. They do not have fiscal problems like France, Germany or Italy,' he told reporters.
Faced with an ageing population, Nordic countries are reforming now in order to maintain their welfare systems, he said."
[Ed: Of course, there's no word about how they maintain generous welfare systems yet stay competitive in the first place.]
Oct 7: "Compulsory education was made law only recently. From 2003, parents must enrol their children in school from Primary 1 to 6, or face penalties... The good news is that as the compulsory education law kicks in, the issue about low primary school enrolment should eventually resolve itself.
Other areas that may need improvement would be those that Singapore does badly in the competitiveness ratings. A look at the 2004 report is instructive. There is one indicator in which Singapore fares even worse than in primary school enrolment.
In freedom of the press, Singapore is ranked a dismal 98th out of 104.
Now that's another rating we should all beaver away at together to try to improve."
[Ed: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. But then, just like North Korea, we have special cirumstances necessitating our unfree but nation-building press.]
Post ID: 112996858510133057
The drunken monkey hypothesis: the study of fruit-eating animals could lead to an evolutionary understanding of human alcohol abuse
I was investigating the biochemical origins of ethanol in fruit, and a very helpful source clarified that "fruits are ripened by ethylene, which is a volatile compound (vaporizes, then diffuses into tissues where it triggers certain reactions and pathways). the alcohol produced is created from by the fermentation of accumulated sugars in the ripe fruit."
Another source informed me that ethene can indeed be hydrolyzed to ethanol, but it's slow, so the yeast effect dominates.
From the article: "the unripe fruit of the Astrocaryum palm contains no ethanol; ripe hanging fruit is about 0.6 percent ethanol by weight; overripe fruit, often fallen to the ground, can have an ethanol content of more than 4 percent."
It would seem that fruit is haram (or grapes at least, according to the Hanafi school).
Addendum:
"The Principle of Istihlak (Extreme Dilution)
Let me first explain this principle with an example: if an animal urinates in a lake (which happens all the time), the water of this lake is still lawful for drink and ablution (wudu) so long as the colour, odour, and taste of the water are unchanged by the urine. This is an example of the principle of istihlak, or extreme dilution,
which can be stated as follows:
When a prohibited substance is diluted in a lawful medium to the extent that none of the known properties of the prohibited substance are noticeable in the lawful medium, then the prohibited substance can be ignored. This principle is based on analogous situations that happened at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). For example, some people asked the Prophet (sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam) about a well in which carrion fell. (Carrion is considered impure and anything contaminated by it is prohibited.) The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) responded that if the water was more than a specified amount then there was no harm in using it. Similarly, the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah be pleased with them) would continue to drink fruit juice until it showed signs of fermentation; thus, they would only stop drinking from the juice if its smell or taste indicated that it had become wine. Fermentation of fruit juice begins almost immediately, especially in the heat of the desert. However, these untraceable
amounts of alcohol, which do not affect taste or smell, were ignored by the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah be pleased with them)...
Similarly, most cheeses are formed with the help of milk-coagulating enzymes, such as pepsin or rennet, which can be taken from pigs and other animals. However, enzymes are catalysts, meaning that they do not actually become a part of the cheese but only aid in its formation. After the milk coagulates and the curds fall to the bottom of the basin, the remaining liquid and enzymes are drained off. While it is possible that some enzymes remain in the cheese, the concentration is minimal.... these principles are not my own conclusions or opinions. Rather, they are unanimously accepted principles of Islamic Law."
Going by the principle of extreme dilution, we wouldn't need to separate Halal and non-Halal cutlery and crockery anymore.
The use of haram ingredients in food, as long as it was in trace amounts and was unnoticeable, would also be permitted (I am put in mind of the "What is Ajinomoto made of" scandal in Indonesia in 2000).
In fact, according to this Muslim scholar (who claims to represent the weight of modern Muslim scholarship), going by the principle of Istihalah (Substantial Change), even chemicals derived from pigs are halal. Which makes me wonder why there are haram lists specifying which of the EXXX (where XXX can take a value between 1 and 999) flavourings/colourings are halal and which are haram. And which means that many of the questions floating around about whether this or that product/food is haram are moot.
I was investigating the biochemical origins of ethanol in fruit, and a very helpful source clarified that "fruits are ripened by ethylene, which is a volatile compound (vaporizes, then diffuses into tissues where it triggers certain reactions and pathways). the alcohol produced is created from by the fermentation of accumulated sugars in the ripe fruit."
Another source informed me that ethene can indeed be hydrolyzed to ethanol, but it's slow, so the yeast effect dominates.
From the article: "the unripe fruit of the Astrocaryum palm contains no ethanol; ripe hanging fruit is about 0.6 percent ethanol by weight; overripe fruit, often fallen to the ground, can have an ethanol content of more than 4 percent."
It would seem that fruit is haram (or grapes at least, according to the Hanafi school).
Addendum:
"The Principle of Istihlak (Extreme Dilution)
Let me first explain this principle with an example: if an animal urinates in a lake (which happens all the time), the water of this lake is still lawful for drink and ablution (wudu) so long as the colour, odour, and taste of the water are unchanged by the urine. This is an example of the principle of istihlak, or extreme dilution,
which can be stated as follows:
When a prohibited substance is diluted in a lawful medium to the extent that none of the known properties of the prohibited substance are noticeable in the lawful medium, then the prohibited substance can be ignored. This principle is based on analogous situations that happened at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). For example, some people asked the Prophet (sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam) about a well in which carrion fell. (Carrion is considered impure and anything contaminated by it is prohibited.) The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) responded that if the water was more than a specified amount then there was no harm in using it. Similarly, the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah be pleased with them) would continue to drink fruit juice until it showed signs of fermentation; thus, they would only stop drinking from the juice if its smell or taste indicated that it had become wine. Fermentation of fruit juice begins almost immediately, especially in the heat of the desert. However, these untraceable
amounts of alcohol, which do not affect taste or smell, were ignored by the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah be pleased with them)...
Similarly, most cheeses are formed with the help of milk-coagulating enzymes, such as pepsin or rennet, which can be taken from pigs and other animals. However, enzymes are catalysts, meaning that they do not actually become a part of the cheese but only aid in its formation. After the milk coagulates and the curds fall to the bottom of the basin, the remaining liquid and enzymes are drained off. While it is possible that some enzymes remain in the cheese, the concentration is minimal.... these principles are not my own conclusions or opinions. Rather, they are unanimously accepted principles of Islamic Law."
Going by the principle of extreme dilution, we wouldn't need to separate Halal and non-Halal cutlery and crockery anymore.
The use of haram ingredients in food, as long as it was in trace amounts and was unnoticeable, would also be permitted (I am put in mind of the "What is Ajinomoto made of" scandal in Indonesia in 2000).
In fact, according to this Muslim scholar (who claims to represent the weight of modern Muslim scholarship), going by the principle of Istihalah (Substantial Change), even chemicals derived from pigs are halal. Which makes me wonder why there are haram lists specifying which of the EXXX (where XXX can take a value between 1 and 999) flavourings/colourings are halal and which are haram. And which means that many of the questions floating around about whether this or that product/food is haram are moot.
Post ID: 112991634363041617
Friday, October 21, 2005
Quotes:
[On Eliade's affair with Dasgupta's daughter] I would love to talk more about this, I would love to show you the movie starring Hugh Grant... But we have to move on.
[On what Eliade learnt in India] The lessons he learnt - not from his affair with Dasgupta's daughter, but from India as a whole.
[On essays due in 2 weeks] I don't need to remind you that the essays are due - when? tomorrow?
[On essays] I know it's sort of given, but humour me anyway. It's fun to mention this. I would like to see an argument.
[On essay titles] Why Freud himself needs to be psychoanalysed. Something like that.
Maybe I'm naive. I have faith. Maybe I'm like John Lennon - imagining a world withou plagiarism.
Gabriel, you look very nice in pants.
Let's take a break. I'm going to read to you...
I don't want a lecture in which you're listening to me all the time. As exciting as that might sound.
Everything here is the sam. [Me: There's nothing new here.] [Student: There's nothing new here] There's nothing new here either. (same)
eview (eviews)
in this par (part)
Though you decree class size (decrease)
Under [a] 2 tailed test we must compute whether it is greater than 1.96. You remember that? [The] Mid-term is coming.
We can use this 'union' [sign] to represent 'or'. Is that okay with you?
[On a complication] So what does this mean? [Me: We're screwed lah] [Student: You sum up my feelings quite well]
So we need to learn something new... So we take a break, and after the break we learn something new.
good new (news)
[On a lecturer] My friend said he's very funny. He laughed at his own joke, then he fell off his chair.
Guess whether Williamson is Neo-classical or New Keynesian? New Keynesian? New Classical? No one thinks?... New Keynesian? *some put up hands* Why? That's the problem with putting up your hands. You can come and tell me why during my office hours later.
Doesn't do very well, is it? (does)
Each new unit of beehiver (beehives)
sub'sai'dee (subsidy)
seventy seven (thirty)
a rounce their own valuation (announce)
We don't have any restricted access [facilities]. Arts - we're like a prostitute. Everyone comes in and uses us.
backward in'daction (induction)
I want post the answer (won't)
Just don't change the odour (order)
Don't show your bubble form to your neighbor. Or I will come out with one question in your final exam about cheating... It will be very difficult.
[On religious objections to using donor mitochondrial DNA to replace the mother's damaged copy] Someone might complain that the baby has 1.5 souls.
[Professor: What might be the objection to designer babies?] Too expensive. That's the only thing I can think of.
Some of you have, as it were, been infected with memes for skeptical thinking.
If anyone is wondering, I support the idea that science is a memeplex. But as *** pointed out, science is the only memeplex whose results affect the memplex itself... In religion, new findings are only accepted if they support the theory.
[Student on man's experience of the sacred and Eliade's theory: How will he know it's sacred if he's never experienced it before?] You'll just now... Phenomenology, drugs... There's this light coming in from the window. Like, what are you on?]
Like, soccer games have lots of sacred moments. Seriously... You look at their faces when they score goals.
A sense of alienation which is akin to Mars (Marx)
I was saying that... Okay, I'm lost. [Tutor: So am I.]
Science and technology can be sacred as well. I remember when I first got my Nintendo. Wow... That's the word for today. Dialectic of sacredness. (phrase)
I don't really need to tell you to start talking among yourselves. We're having some technical difficulties, so talk amongst yourselves for a while.
If any of your friends have chosen to study overseas, which I think is a mistake, a very big mistake, because NUS is a very good university to study in, I'm sure you all agree...
Why is it Singaporeans in the SPL - is it Singapore Premier League?
[On a wink and a twitch] He starts winking at you... You think: 'He's really into me'... Another interpretation: the person could have some sort of eye problem.
Another interpretation of this twink and a witch (wink, twitch) [Ed: I think this is the first Spoonerism I've ever heard. At least in NUS.]
Geertz was very veer'ment (vehement)
[On the mid-term] I know many of you are disappointed. Don't be disappointed because many people did poorly... I was very shocked. Sample variance will be very large.
[On the lecturer] I really think he's like my ex-boyfriend.
[On delay in writing on the OHT] I got a new pen. it's good.
Which model do you want to run? There are many models. There are many menus. Menus at the restaurant.
[On advancing slides in Powerpoint] Annoying. I don't like the clicking noise.
[On 1+1=2 = 1+1+1-1=2] The most powerful skill in maths or economics - to add and subtract. I added this much, I subtracted this much - same thing.
one point two eight person't (percent)
[Me: Person't-Person't relationship] I didn't know we're taking a sociology module (percentage)
[On Eliade's affair with Dasgupta's daughter] I would love to talk more about this, I would love to show you the movie starring Hugh Grant... But we have to move on.
[On what Eliade learnt in India] The lessons he learnt - not from his affair with Dasgupta's daughter, but from India as a whole.
[On essays due in 2 weeks] I don't need to remind you that the essays are due - when? tomorrow?
[On essays] I know it's sort of given, but humour me anyway. It's fun to mention this. I would like to see an argument.
[On essay titles] Why Freud himself needs to be psychoanalysed. Something like that.
Maybe I'm naive. I have faith. Maybe I'm like John Lennon - imagining a world withou plagiarism.
Gabriel, you look very nice in pants.
Let's take a break. I'm going to read to you...
I don't want a lecture in which you're listening to me all the time. As exciting as that might sound.
Everything here is the sam. [Me: There's nothing new here.] [Student: There's nothing new here] There's nothing new here either. (same)
eview (eviews)
in this par (part)
Though you decree class size (decrease)
Under [a] 2 tailed test we must compute whether it is greater than 1.96. You remember that? [The] Mid-term is coming.
We can use this 'union' [sign] to represent 'or'. Is that okay with you?
[On a complication] So what does this mean? [Me: We're screwed lah] [Student: You sum up my feelings quite well]
So we need to learn something new... So we take a break, and after the break we learn something new.
good new (news)
[On a lecturer] My friend said he's very funny. He laughed at his own joke, then he fell off his chair.
Guess whether Williamson is Neo-classical or New Keynesian? New Keynesian? New Classical? No one thinks?... New Keynesian? *some put up hands* Why? That's the problem with putting up your hands. You can come and tell me why during my office hours later.
Doesn't do very well, is it? (does)
Each new unit of beehiver (beehives)
sub'sai'dee (subsidy)
seventy seven (thirty)
a rounce their own valuation (announce)
We don't have any restricted access [facilities]. Arts - we're like a prostitute. Everyone comes in and uses us.
backward in'daction (induction)
I want post the answer (won't)
Just don't change the odour (order)
Don't show your bubble form to your neighbor. Or I will come out with one question in your final exam about cheating... It will be very difficult.
[On religious objections to using donor mitochondrial DNA to replace the mother's damaged copy] Someone might complain that the baby has 1.5 souls.
[Professor: What might be the objection to designer babies?] Too expensive. That's the only thing I can think of.
Some of you have, as it were, been infected with memes for skeptical thinking.
If anyone is wondering, I support the idea that science is a memeplex. But as *** pointed out, science is the only memeplex whose results affect the memplex itself... In religion, new findings are only accepted if they support the theory.
[Student on man's experience of the sacred and Eliade's theory: How will he know it's sacred if he's never experienced it before?] You'll just now... Phenomenology, drugs... There's this light coming in from the window. Like, what are you on?]
Like, soccer games have lots of sacred moments. Seriously... You look at their faces when they score goals.
A sense of alienation which is akin to Mars (Marx)
I was saying that... Okay, I'm lost. [Tutor: So am I.]
Science and technology can be sacred as well. I remember when I first got my Nintendo. Wow... That's the word for today. Dialectic of sacredness. (phrase)
I don't really need to tell you to start talking among yourselves. We're having some technical difficulties, so talk amongst yourselves for a while.
If any of your friends have chosen to study overseas, which I think is a mistake, a very big mistake, because NUS is a very good university to study in, I'm sure you all agree...
Why is it Singaporeans in the SPL - is it Singapore Premier League?
[On a wink and a twitch] He starts winking at you... You think: 'He's really into me'... Another interpretation: the person could have some sort of eye problem.
Another interpretation of this twink and a witch (wink, twitch) [Ed: I think this is the first Spoonerism I've ever heard. At least in NUS.]
Geertz was very veer'ment (vehement)
[On the mid-term] I know many of you are disappointed. Don't be disappointed because many people did poorly... I was very shocked. Sample variance will be very large.
[On the lecturer] I really think he's like my ex-boyfriend.
[On delay in writing on the OHT] I got a new pen. it's good.
Which model do you want to run? There are many models. There are many menus. Menus at the restaurant.
[On advancing slides in Powerpoint] Annoying. I don't like the clicking noise.
[On 1+1=2 = 1+1+1-1=2] The most powerful skill in maths or economics - to add and subtract. I added this much, I subtracted this much - same thing.
one point two eight person't (percent)
[Me: Person't-Person't relationship] I didn't know we're taking a sociology module (percentage)
Post ID: 112990724262231411
Thursday, October 20, 2005
What an exciting day.
1) At Eunos, I noticed that stepping beyond the yellow line is now an offence punishable by a $500 fine. I'm not one to lament the moral decay of our fair society and hearken back to some idealised halcyon era where we all lived in harmony, did as we were told and worked at nation-building, but this is ridiculous.
2) Got stared at by 2 Malay girls wearing neither tudungs nor tube tops on the MRT home. I should've stared back, but didn't want to get beaten up.
3) This guy dressed in vaguely monkish trouser-robes accosted me as I was walking home from the MRT and offered me, gratis, some embossed squarish pieces of cardboard with Guan Yin and Buddha on them which I assumed were Taoist-Buddhist amulets. Naturally, I declined.
Today's post comes in a special edition too!
1) At Eunos, I noticed that stepping beyond the yellow line is now an offence punishable by a $500 fine. I'm not one to lament the moral decay of our fair society and hearken back to some idealised halcyon era where we all lived in harmony, did as we were told and worked at nation-building, but this is ridiculous.
2) Got stared at by 2 Malay girls wearing neither tudungs nor tube tops on the MRT home. I should've stared back, but didn't want to get beaten up.
3) This guy dressed in vaguely monkish trouser-robes accosted me as I was walking home from the MRT and offered me, gratis, some embossed squarish pieces of cardboard with Guan Yin and Buddha on them which I assumed were Taoist-Buddhist amulets. Naturally, I declined.
Today's post comes in a special edition too!
Post ID: 112979675841259075
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Two wheels: good. Two legs: terrorist suspect
"With her year-round tan, long blonde hair and designer clothes, Sally Cameron does not look like a threat to national security. But the 34-year-old property developer has joined the ranks of Britain’s most unlikely terrorist suspects after being held for hours for trespassing on a cycle path."
What lessons can we learn from this farcical episode? Perhaps that just bandying around the word "terrorism" to justify bureaucratic obstructionism and monumental acts of idiocy just don't cut it.
Actually I think the most important lesson that we can, nay, *have* to learn is that governments are wont to abuse whatever power they have, so vigilant checks on state power and the inevitable misuse thereof are essential.
***
The Time Travel Fund[tm] - "Morlocks aside, how would YOU like to visit, even live hundreds of years in the future? There may be a way, and that is the purpose of The Time Travel Fund(tm)."
$10 only for proof of concept! Consider that my magnifying glass cost $3.70 (with member discount)
The Sexual Organs of Dandelions - There's one vestigial organ I didn't know about.
"With her year-round tan, long blonde hair and designer clothes, Sally Cameron does not look like a threat to national security. But the 34-year-old property developer has joined the ranks of Britain’s most unlikely terrorist suspects after being held for hours for trespassing on a cycle path."
What lessons can we learn from this farcical episode? Perhaps that just bandying around the word "terrorism" to justify bureaucratic obstructionism and monumental acts of idiocy just don't cut it.
Actually I think the most important lesson that we can, nay, *have* to learn is that governments are wont to abuse whatever power they have, so vigilant checks on state power and the inevitable misuse thereof are essential.
***
The Time Travel Fund[tm] - "Morlocks aside, how would YOU like to visit, even live hundreds of years in the future? There may be a way, and that is the purpose of The Time Travel Fund(tm)."
$10 only for proof of concept! Consider that my magnifying glass cost $3.70 (with member discount)
The Sexual Organs of Dandelions - There's one vestigial organ I didn't know about.
Post ID: 112973188882606076
"Its major importance would appear to be financial support of the surgical profession." - Alfred Sherwood Romer and Thomas S. Parsons on the appendix
***
My favourite misanthrope sent me a Salon.com article on Real Dolls.
Some men treat them as the male equivalent of a romance novel. Others use them purely to enact their sexual fantasies. Still others pretend that they're getting some through the use of them.
Just like a woman
Thousands of men are shelling out $6,500 for hyper-realistic dolls that answer all their needs -- and don't talk back.
"Go ahead. Flinch at the notion of a man having sex with an imitation woman and classify him: lonely loser. Pathological creep. Misogynist. Potential rapist. Sicko. True enough, some men who have sex with Real Dolls are creepy, the kind of guys you wouldn't want to be alone with. But not all. Many are simply lonely -- some tragically so. Others are disfigured or infirm. Some are oddly sweet, like Davecat, for whom a Real Doll is a "teddy bear with benefits." And others proclaim their normalcy and defend their Real Dolls as no different than a 3-D version of a Playboy centerfold.
Many doll lovers -- or "iDollators," as some of them call themselves -- participate in a confusing online subculture where the lines between art and pornography, the ludicrous and the tender, and fantasy and fetishism blur like watercolors. Spend time talking to Real Doll aficionados as I have over the past year, and you come to understand that behind every Real Doll is a man with a reason."
My Favourite Misanthrope: so it's not just something that screwed up people would like?
as in, it could be a generic solution for 'loneliness', instead of simply satisfying perverts?
Me: of course.
well the guy on page 1 sounds a bit deluded
"People who are allergic to roses can enjoy artificial roses," he says. "In the same way, artificial women serve the same purpose for men who are, in whatever way, allergic to real women."
haha
what if real women are allergic to him?
MFM: I think all men are allergic to real women to some extent
Me: and the reverse?
MFM: I don't think women are AS allergic to men
men are less interfering
women are more meddlesome
and demanding
***
My favourite misanthrope sent me a Salon.com article on Real Dolls.
Some men treat them as the male equivalent of a romance novel. Others use them purely to enact their sexual fantasies. Still others pretend that they're getting some through the use of them.
Just like a woman
Thousands of men are shelling out $6,500 for hyper-realistic dolls that answer all their needs -- and don't talk back.
"Go ahead. Flinch at the notion of a man having sex with an imitation woman and classify him: lonely loser. Pathological creep. Misogynist. Potential rapist. Sicko. True enough, some men who have sex with Real Dolls are creepy, the kind of guys you wouldn't want to be alone with. But not all. Many are simply lonely -- some tragically so. Others are disfigured or infirm. Some are oddly sweet, like Davecat, for whom a Real Doll is a "teddy bear with benefits." And others proclaim their normalcy and defend their Real Dolls as no different than a 3-D version of a Playboy centerfold.
Many doll lovers -- or "iDollators," as some of them call themselves -- participate in a confusing online subculture where the lines between art and pornography, the ludicrous and the tender, and fantasy and fetishism blur like watercolors. Spend time talking to Real Doll aficionados as I have over the past year, and you come to understand that behind every Real Doll is a man with a reason."
My Favourite Misanthrope: so it's not just something that screwed up people would like?
as in, it could be a generic solution for 'loneliness', instead of simply satisfying perverts?
Me: of course.
well the guy on page 1 sounds a bit deluded
"People who are allergic to roses can enjoy artificial roses," he says. "In the same way, artificial women serve the same purpose for men who are, in whatever way, allergic to real women."
haha
what if real women are allergic to him?
MFM: I think all men are allergic to real women to some extent
Me: and the reverse?
MFM: I don't think women are AS allergic to men
men are less interfering
women are more meddlesome
and demanding
Post ID: 112965557705602072
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Shingo; Rolling Bomber Special
This is quite screwy:
*Masked characters clad in spandex run towards the camera and confront our protagonist*
*Protagonist drops a can of "Popsi"*
Red Fresh: We finally found you, Katori!
Green Fresh (presumably): Stop right there!
Blue Fresh: There's no escape!
All 5 Freshmen: Katori Shintaro!
Katori: Who are you?
Freshmen: We are the Earth Defender Freshmen!
...
Blue Fresh: Do you wish for world peace?
Yellow Fresh: You don't, do you?
Katori: Huh?
Blue Fresh: See? You are clearly intent on destroying the Earth!
*Red Fresh launches a flying kick, but is way off the mark and lands in a heap of garbage bags*
This is quite screwy:
*Masked characters clad in spandex run towards the camera and confront our protagonist*
*Protagonist drops a can of "Popsi"*
Red Fresh: We finally found you, Katori!
Green Fresh (presumably): Stop right there!
Blue Fresh: There's no escape!
All 5 Freshmen: Katori Shintaro!
Katori: Who are you?
Freshmen: We are the Earth Defender Freshmen!
...
Blue Fresh: Do you wish for world peace?
Yellow Fresh: You don't, do you?
Katori: Huh?
Blue Fresh: See? You are clearly intent on destroying the Earth!
*Red Fresh launches a flying kick, but is way off the mark and lands in a heap of garbage bags*
Post ID: 112965117197077384
"Life's too short to watch French films"
As either my sister or brother in law put it, in American movies, people do things. In European movies, things happen to people, then at the end of the movie nothing has changed. One might as well watch grass grow, or paint peel.
It's like the difference between active and passive tense, and we all know what we were told to use in our school compositions, since one was boring and one was more exciting.
Teacher: When you watch an action film, you want to watch the hero doing things. You don't want to see things being done to the hero.
Student (to another): Braveheart
***
The Apple Polishers - Explaining the press corps' crush on Steve Jobs and company.
"Apple manipulates several narratives to continue to make its products interesting fodder for journalists. One is the never-ending story of mad genius Steve Jobs, who would be great copy if he were only the night manager of a Domino's pizza joint. The next is Apple's perpetual role as scrappy underdog—reporters love cheerleading for the underdog without ever pausing to explore why it isn't the overdog. (This is why the Brooklyn Dodgers will always rate higher in the minds of writers than the superior New York Yankees.) Apple incites fanaticism about its products via ad campaigns and evangelist outreach programs designed to make its customers feel as though they're part of a privileged and enlightened elite. One unnamed loser at Slate says today's V-iPod news made her want to rush out and buy one, even though she already owns two iPods, one of which she bought three weeks ago...
If the press corps possessed any institutional memory, it would recall the introduction of the Apple III+, the Lisa, the Macintosh Portable, the Mac TV, the Newton, the Apple G4 Cube, and eWorld. All were greeted with great press fanfare before falling off the edge of the world. Hell, all the press corps really needs to put Apple products in perspective is a few short-term memory neurons focused on the fanfare visited upon recent, mediocre iPod releases. Only a year ago the company received excited press notices when it introduced the iPod Photo, now acknowledged to be a failed product. I searched Nexis to find a mention of the iPod Photo in the hundreds of V-iPod newspaper stories from today and found only one. Of the wildly heralded but totally average iPod Shuffle, released in January 2005, I found only two."
The reporter alleges that this is aimed only at press coverage, yet his criticisms of the press are equally applicable to Mac whores.
***
I've done so many interviews and surveys on blogging that I've long ago lost count. I will probably be publishing an FAQ soon which I will send to all who request that I fill out an interview.
Though actually the majority of such requests so far have come from friends doing modules on blogging. Boo hoo.
Next year I should take one of these modules and interview myself.
Someone: "an excellent decision
at the start of the module just declare to the whole LT
'Hi I am agagooga. Approach me for interview and you will get slimed all over my blog.'"
Someone was talking about how, if you did badly in your midterm, you should be consistent in your work so you can do better for the final. I don't understand why consistency is supposed to be good, for you can be consistently bad in your work as well.
As either my sister or brother in law put it, in American movies, people do things. In European movies, things happen to people, then at the end of the movie nothing has changed. One might as well watch grass grow, or paint peel.
It's like the difference between active and passive tense, and we all know what we were told to use in our school compositions, since one was boring and one was more exciting.
Teacher: When you watch an action film, you want to watch the hero doing things. You don't want to see things being done to the hero.
Student (to another): Braveheart
***
The Apple Polishers - Explaining the press corps' crush on Steve Jobs and company.
"Apple manipulates several narratives to continue to make its products interesting fodder for journalists. One is the never-ending story of mad genius Steve Jobs, who would be great copy if he were only the night manager of a Domino's pizza joint. The next is Apple's perpetual role as scrappy underdog—reporters love cheerleading for the underdog without ever pausing to explore why it isn't the overdog. (This is why the Brooklyn Dodgers will always rate higher in the minds of writers than the superior New York Yankees.) Apple incites fanaticism about its products via ad campaigns and evangelist outreach programs designed to make its customers feel as though they're part of a privileged and enlightened elite. One unnamed loser at Slate says today's V-iPod news made her want to rush out and buy one, even though she already owns two iPods, one of which she bought three weeks ago...
If the press corps possessed any institutional memory, it would recall the introduction of the Apple III+, the Lisa, the Macintosh Portable, the Mac TV, the Newton, the Apple G4 Cube, and eWorld. All were greeted with great press fanfare before falling off the edge of the world. Hell, all the press corps really needs to put Apple products in perspective is a few short-term memory neurons focused on the fanfare visited upon recent, mediocre iPod releases. Only a year ago the company received excited press notices when it introduced the iPod Photo, now acknowledged to be a failed product. I searched Nexis to find a mention of the iPod Photo in the hundreds of V-iPod newspaper stories from today and found only one. Of the wildly heralded but totally average iPod Shuffle, released in January 2005, I found only two."
The reporter alleges that this is aimed only at press coverage, yet his criticisms of the press are equally applicable to Mac whores.
***
I've done so many interviews and surveys on blogging that I've long ago lost count. I will probably be publishing an FAQ soon which I will send to all who request that I fill out an interview.
Though actually the majority of such requests so far have come from friends doing modules on blogging. Boo hoo.
Next year I should take one of these modules and interview myself.
Someone: "an excellent decision
at the start of the module just declare to the whole LT
'Hi I am agagooga. Approach me for interview and you will get slimed all over my blog.'"
Someone was talking about how, if you did badly in your midterm, you should be consistent in your work so you can do better for the final. I don't understand why consistency is supposed to be good, for you can be consistently bad in your work as well.
Post ID: 112964579238272738
And now a risque joke (ie not an anecdote) since I've handed up my second (and last) term paper. I couldn't find the phrasing in which I first heard it, so I have taken the liberty of reconstructing it as best I remember:
I went over to my sister and asked her,
"Would you wear gloves if you had no hands?"
"No, why do you ask?"
"So why do you wear a bra?"
I ducked for cover as a cushion flew at my head.
I went over to my sister and asked her,
"Would you wear gloves if you had no hands?"
"No, why do you ask?"
"So why do you wear a bra?"
I ducked for cover as a cushion flew at my head.
Post ID: 112962929248528307
Monday, October 17, 2005
Bennett et al, Genetic Counseling and Screening of Consanguineous Couples and Their Offspring: Recommendations of the National Society of Genetic Counselors
"Few studies document the actual risks to the offspring of consanguineous unions. The risks quoted for birth defects and mental retardation are often based on studies of non-Western populations where consanguineous unions are common, and they may not be applicable to consanguineous unions in the United States and Canada (Al-Abdulkareem and Balal, 1998; Al-Awadi et al., 1985; Al-Gazali et al., 1997; Bittles, 1998, 2001; Bittles et al., 1991; Bittles and Neel, 1994; Harper, 1998; Jaber et al., 1997, 1998; Kaku and Freire-Maia, 1992; Madhaven and Narayan, 1991; Schull and Neel, 1965; Shami et al., 1991; Vogel and Motulsky, 1996). Furthermore, in all such studies, the criteria for what is considered a significant medical problem in offspring are not standardized. Studies using excess mortality to measure the adverse effects of inbreeding often did not account for the effects of sociodemographic variables such as maternal age, birth interval, socioeconomic status, and maternal education, thereby exaggerating the adverse effect of consanguinity (Bittles, 1998; Kaku and Freire-Maia, 1992). The risk of adverse medical outcomes for the offspring of consanguineous unions, as compared to a baseline risk for the general population, is reviewed under Baseline Risk for the Offspring of Consanguineous Unions Compared to Those From Nonconsanguineous Unions.
... Given the almost universal cross-cultural stigma, social disapproval, and legal sanctions to incestuous unions, there is a paucity of data regarding adverse medical outcomes in the offspring of incestuous unions. Published studies are fraught with significant ascertainment biases. These biases, such as lack of paternity documentation, young maternal age, possible parental disease and/or intellectual impairment, parental socioeconomic status (or lack of report of this variable), and complications of unsuccessful attempted pregnancy termination (Bittles, in press). Table IV summarizes the four most comprehensive published studies of incest (Adams and Neel, 1967; Baird and McGillivray, 1982; Carter, 1967; Seemanova, 1971). Three of these studies were retrospective, and the controls for matched nonincestuous pregnancies were highly variable (Baird and McGillivray, 1982; Carter, 1967; Seemanova, 1971). These studies are also limited in the number of years that the incestuous progeny were followed. Although the highest risk for morbidity and mortality would be expected in the first year of life, moderate medical problems and mental retardation would not be evident until later."
"Few studies document the actual risks to the offspring of consanguineous unions. The risks quoted for birth defects and mental retardation are often based on studies of non-Western populations where consanguineous unions are common, and they may not be applicable to consanguineous unions in the United States and Canada (Al-Abdulkareem and Balal, 1998; Al-Awadi et al., 1985; Al-Gazali et al., 1997; Bittles, 1998, 2001; Bittles et al., 1991; Bittles and Neel, 1994; Harper, 1998; Jaber et al., 1997, 1998; Kaku and Freire-Maia, 1992; Madhaven and Narayan, 1991; Schull and Neel, 1965; Shami et al., 1991; Vogel and Motulsky, 1996). Furthermore, in all such studies, the criteria for what is considered a significant medical problem in offspring are not standardized. Studies using excess mortality to measure the adverse effects of inbreeding often did not account for the effects of sociodemographic variables such as maternal age, birth interval, socioeconomic status, and maternal education, thereby exaggerating the adverse effect of consanguinity (Bittles, 1998; Kaku and Freire-Maia, 1992). The risk of adverse medical outcomes for the offspring of consanguineous unions, as compared to a baseline risk for the general population, is reviewed under Baseline Risk for the Offspring of Consanguineous Unions Compared to Those From Nonconsanguineous Unions.
... Given the almost universal cross-cultural stigma, social disapproval, and legal sanctions to incestuous unions, there is a paucity of data regarding adverse medical outcomes in the offspring of incestuous unions. Published studies are fraught with significant ascertainment biases. These biases, such as lack of paternity documentation, young maternal age, possible parental disease and/or intellectual impairment, parental socioeconomic status (or lack of report of this variable), and complications of unsuccessful attempted pregnancy termination (Bittles, in press). Table IV summarizes the four most comprehensive published studies of incest (Adams and Neel, 1967; Baird and McGillivray, 1982; Carter, 1967; Seemanova, 1971). Three of these studies were retrospective, and the controls for matched nonincestuous pregnancies were highly variable (Baird and McGillivray, 1982; Carter, 1967; Seemanova, 1971). These studies are also limited in the number of years that the incestuous progeny were followed. Although the highest risk for morbidity and mortality would be expected in the first year of life, moderate medical problems and mental retardation would not be evident until later."
Post ID: 112954153775213481
"There's no inspiration like desperation"
Unfortunately, this semester my muses seem to be deserting me.
Today it can probably be attributed to an series of unfortunate events, but the origin of last week's drought was a mystery.
No matter. After Tuesday I will be free... to catch up on my other modules.
Unfortunately, this semester my muses seem to be deserting me.
Today it can probably be attributed to an series of unfortunate events, but the origin of last week's drought was a mystery.
No matter. After Tuesday I will be free... to catch up on my other modules.
Post ID: 112948026477737279
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Get this: For the last two days i've been posing outside the venue of a dance concert wearing a nametag that reads "USHER" and looking uber-cool. Okay, so maybe i lied about the "uber-cool" part.
-andrew
-andrew
Post ID: 112947102713482893
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Someone asked how long my hair was, so since I went to do an estimate I might as well post it here:
Fringe: When dropped down, it goes just past the chin
Side: When I pull it down and across my chin, it just goes beyond the vertical axis of my face
Back: It's hard to measure, but it goes some way beyond the collar. I've a short neck though, so compensating for that maybe it'd touch my collar if I'd a normal neck.
***
Almost all my female friends don't know what a jack rabbit is. I'm disappointed.
Someone: "I think I gave *** the wrong impression. OH NO
I can't remember whether it was her or ***. Anyway I was with one of them when I said that you told me that your friend received a jack rabbit and we were discussing how wild rabbits can be imported into singapore.......
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
*head desk*
well I always wanted a kitten so I assumed the girl genuinely wanted a real rabbit!
to hug and love!"
***
My favourite engineer suggested to me what the bust pillow was for, and to confirm her suggestion I did a Google translation of the company's page:
"Bust pillow
The う crush to sleep, the favorite to the hatchet
The face pillow we would like you to use by all means together, this Bust pillow. When the う crush having done to sleep, agony of the chest harmony
And others the げ, supporting softly, it invites feeling good sleep.
Shape recovery force of the rubber and unites the flowability of the ジェル the new material body which It disperses pressure, fits to the software. The う crush sleeping Lee Lax doing, please taste slowly."
Given how the woman is sleeping, I suppose she's right. Definitely on the Christmas want list of all the Jap AV stars. Though I am skeptical how much better support-wise this is than a normal pillow.
***
Meet A Tosser seems to have disappeared and been replaced by a blog by "leopold" from Munich, Bavaria, Germany. I don't know what's happened, but I think the last post I saw before it vanished was about A*STAR.
Sonic alarm. - "Simply pull the pin, yell an emphatic “fire in the hole” and lob the grenade into the sleeper’s room. After ten seconds a very annoying and piercingly loud noise (there are three volume settings) will blast out from the alarm."
Kit Makes Motorcycle Fly - "A new $19,800 product called the Flite Bike kit transforms a Honda Reflex scooter into a flying motorcycle."
Fringe: When dropped down, it goes just past the chin
Side: When I pull it down and across my chin, it just goes beyond the vertical axis of my face
Back: It's hard to measure, but it goes some way beyond the collar. I've a short neck though, so compensating for that maybe it'd touch my collar if I'd a normal neck.
***
Almost all my female friends don't know what a jack rabbit is. I'm disappointed.
Someone: "I think I gave *** the wrong impression. OH NO
I can't remember whether it was her or ***. Anyway I was with one of them when I said that you told me that your friend received a jack rabbit and we were discussing how wild rabbits can be imported into singapore.......
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
*head desk*
well I always wanted a kitten so I assumed the girl genuinely wanted a real rabbit!
to hug and love!"
***
My favourite engineer suggested to me what the bust pillow was for, and to confirm her suggestion I did a Google translation of the company's page:
"Bust pillow
The う crush to sleep, the favorite to the hatchet
The face pillow we would like you to use by all means together, this Bust pillow. When the う crush having done to sleep, agony of the chest harmony
And others the げ, supporting softly, it invites feeling good sleep.
Shape recovery force of the rubber and unites the flowability of the ジェル the new material body which It disperses pressure, fits to the software. The う crush sleeping Lee Lax doing, please taste slowly."
Given how the woman is sleeping, I suppose she's right. Definitely on the Christmas want list of all the Jap AV stars. Though I am skeptical how much better support-wise this is than a normal pillow.
***
Meet A Tosser seems to have disappeared and been replaced by a blog by "leopold" from Munich, Bavaria, Germany. I don't know what's happened, but I think the last post I saw before it vanished was about A*STAR.
Sonic alarm. - "Simply pull the pin, yell an emphatic “fire in the hole” and lob the grenade into the sleeper’s room. After ten seconds a very annoying and piercingly loud noise (there are three volume settings) will blast out from the alarm."
Kit Makes Motorcycle Fly - "A new $19,800 product called the Flite Bike kit transforms a Honda Reflex scooter into a flying motorcycle."
Post ID: 112938841653044673
Event Title: Kotex Campaign Week
Organizer: The KOTEXERS, finalist of Kimberly-Clark Young Marketer’s Award
Description:
If you are a female:
- aged 18-24
- confident
- aspired to be successful
Do you want to have a chance to get $100 cash in less than 5 minutes? Come down to our booth in front of LT26 Science Faculty
I guess using Kotex products robbed these girls of their aspirations to success. Or maybe it was studying in NUS that did the trick.
Couldn't they have come up with a better name?! I bet this is an all-girls team.
Organizer: The KOTEXERS, finalist of Kimberly-Clark Young Marketer’s Award
Description:
If you are a female:
- aged 18-24
- confident
- aspired to be successful
Do you want to have a chance to get $100 cash in less than 5 minutes? Come down to our booth in front of LT26 Science Faculty
I guess using Kotex products robbed these girls of their aspirations to success. Or maybe it was studying in NUS that did the trick.
Couldn't they have come up with a better name?! I bet this is an all-girls team.
Post ID: 112937788214200246
Someone: my friends saw you that time
wondered, who was that gay guy you were talking to?
i said, wtf, why you say he is gay??
then they tell me a lot of things
then they say, if not gay confirm metrosexual
then I say, why??
I say, he is not
basiclaly, i told them, you know agagooga
the blog name, balderdash
then they say, oh yah!!! that was him??!
see, you are famous
anyways
it was a number of things
1. the way you were flicking your hair -- I even pointed this out to you as you were doing it -- while you were talking to me. My friends said it's the sort of gesture GIRLS make to, well, attract guys they're interested in. And they should know. Because they are girls
This is so tragic.
***
The most useless useful (ie not deliberately designed to be useless but still so) Firefox extension I've ever seen:
censored
censored 2005.09.22, by Toronto, released on September 22, 2005
Censors words in webpages. Not for everyone.
First release, so enjoy with caution.
Someone's comment:
"My Analysis.
If you've downloaded this, you've already seen the problem. The title of this review is not a curse word. Now I can't read "I ran over a speedbump in the car." "I broke up with my girlfriend yesterday." "Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun." Frankly, it's rediculous. Please, make this more customizable. Allow the individual to decide what they want to censor and what they don't. I think something that could make this extension *great* would be to allow users to choose what the censored words turn into. Then I could censor certain things such as "lol" into more intelligent language. That would make me able to at least pretend that I wasn't talking to some idiot. But, as is, I can't even *tell* the idiot that he's an idiot."
***
A: My Comparative Politics textbook has a reading by Stanford Professor Larry Diamond under the "Authoritarianism" chapter. And Dr Diamond classifies Singapore's government as "Hegemonic Electoral Authoritarian". In the same category as us: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Cambodia and Pakistan.
B: Ooh I like Larry Diamond. His books on democratisation are good. And yeah his category 'hegemonic electoral authoritarianism' comes under his wider category of hybrid regimes (i.e. non-democratic regimes with certain democratic elements or vice versa) which I think is a useful idea. Perhaps democratic/non-democratic is too dichotomous.
Thanks for pointing that out
wondered, who was that gay guy you were talking to?
i said, wtf, why you say he is gay??
then they tell me a lot of things
then they say, if not gay confirm metrosexual
then I say, why??
I say, he is not
basiclaly, i told them, you know agagooga
the blog name, balderdash
then they say, oh yah!!! that was him??!
see, you are famous
anyways
it was a number of things
1. the way you were flicking your hair -- I even pointed this out to you as you were doing it -- while you were talking to me. My friends said it's the sort of gesture GIRLS make to, well, attract guys they're interested in. And they should know. Because they are girls
This is so tragic.
***
The most useless useful (ie not deliberately designed to be useless but still so) Firefox extension I've ever seen:
censored
censored 2005.09.22, by Toronto, released on September 22, 2005
Censors words in webpages. Not for everyone.
First release, so enjoy with caution.
Someone's comment:
"My Analysis.
If you've downloaded this, you've already seen the problem. The title of this review is not a curse word. Now I can't read "I ran over a speedbump in the car." "I broke up with my girlfriend yesterday." "Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun." Frankly, it's rediculous. Please, make this more customizable. Allow the individual to decide what they want to censor and what they don't. I think something that could make this extension *great* would be to allow users to choose what the censored words turn into. Then I could censor certain things such as "lol" into more intelligent language. That would make me able to at least pretend that I wasn't talking to some idiot. But, as is, I can't even *tell* the idiot that he's an idiot."
***
A: My Comparative Politics textbook has a reading by Stanford Professor Larry Diamond under the "Authoritarianism" chapter. And Dr Diamond classifies Singapore's government as "Hegemonic Electoral Authoritarian". In the same category as us: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Cambodia and Pakistan.
B: Ooh I like Larry Diamond. His books on democratisation are good. And yeah his category 'hegemonic electoral authoritarianism' comes under his wider category of hybrid regimes (i.e. non-democratic regimes with certain democratic elements or vice versa) which I think is a useful idea. Perhaps democratic/non-democratic is too dichotomous.
Thanks for pointing that out
Post ID: 112936287598402095
A hoax most cruel
"Summers, 51, conceded later that she had never known Ogborn to do a thing dishonest. But she nonetheless led Ogborn to the restaurant's small office, locked the door, and -- following the caller's instructions -- ordered her to remove one item of clothing at a time, until she was naked.
"She was crying," recalled Kim Dockery, 40, another assistant manager, who stood by watching. "A little young girl standing there naked wasn't a pretty sight."
Summers said later that "Officer Scott," who stayed on the telephone, giving his orders, sounded authentic. He said he had "McDonald's corporate" on the line, as well as the store manager, whom he mentioned by name. And she thought she could hear police radios in the background."
In the US examples 1/3 refused to follow the instructions of the callers. Since we're so compliant in the face of authority here, I figure it'd be more like 1/5.
***
Tongue-eating bug found in fish - "A gross creature which gobbles up a fish's tongue and then replaces it with its own body has been found in Britain for the first time."
Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. - "This thought-provoking collection of magical texts from ancient Egypt shows the exotic rituals, esoteric healing practices, and incantatory and supernatural dimensions that flowered in early Christianity. These remarkable Christian magical texts include curses, spells of protection from "headless powers" and evil spirits, spells invoking thunderous powers, descriptions of fire baptism, and even recipes from a magical "cookbook." Virtually all the texts are by Coptic Christians, and they date from about the 1st-12th centuries of the common era, with the majority from late antiquity. By placing these rarely seen texts in historical context and discussing their significance, the authors explore the place of healing, prayer, miracles, and magic in the early Christian experience, and expand our understanding of Christianity and Gnosticism as a vital folk religion."
This is available in the NUS library.
A post on Singapore Adventure about the tudung/butt crack exposure fashion dilemma led me to an article on the Plumber's Crack and thence to one on breast cleavage on Wikipedia. There're actually categories of breast cleavage: Cleavage Décolleté, Cleavage Centros, Cleavage Côté, Cleavage Underside and Cleavage Cleavy. You learn something new everyday.
Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman (2005) (V) - They're actually making a video!
I don't get the point of the Bust Pillow. Is it a pillow for the bust? Is it a pillow in the shape of a bust (so why is a woman lying on it?) All I can say: damn Japs!
"Summers, 51, conceded later that she had never known Ogborn to do a thing dishonest. But she nonetheless led Ogborn to the restaurant's small office, locked the door, and -- following the caller's instructions -- ordered her to remove one item of clothing at a time, until she was naked.
"She was crying," recalled Kim Dockery, 40, another assistant manager, who stood by watching. "A little young girl standing there naked wasn't a pretty sight."
Summers said later that "Officer Scott," who stayed on the telephone, giving his orders, sounded authentic. He said he had "McDonald's corporate" on the line, as well as the store manager, whom he mentioned by name. And she thought she could hear police radios in the background."
In the US examples 1/3 refused to follow the instructions of the callers. Since we're so compliant in the face of authority here, I figure it'd be more like 1/5.
***
Tongue-eating bug found in fish - "A gross creature which gobbles up a fish's tongue and then replaces it with its own body has been found in Britain for the first time."
Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. - "This thought-provoking collection of magical texts from ancient Egypt shows the exotic rituals, esoteric healing practices, and incantatory and supernatural dimensions that flowered in early Christianity. These remarkable Christian magical texts include curses, spells of protection from "headless powers" and evil spirits, spells invoking thunderous powers, descriptions of fire baptism, and even recipes from a magical "cookbook." Virtually all the texts are by Coptic Christians, and they date from about the 1st-12th centuries of the common era, with the majority from late antiquity. By placing these rarely seen texts in historical context and discussing their significance, the authors explore the place of healing, prayer, miracles, and magic in the early Christian experience, and expand our understanding of Christianity and Gnosticism as a vital folk religion."
This is available in the NUS library.
A post on Singapore Adventure about the tudung/butt crack exposure fashion dilemma led me to an article on the Plumber's Crack and thence to one on breast cleavage on Wikipedia. There're actually categories of breast cleavage: Cleavage Décolleté, Cleavage Centros, Cleavage Côté, Cleavage Underside and Cleavage Cleavy. You learn something new everyday.
Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman (2005) (V) - They're actually making a video!
I don't get the point of the Bust Pillow. Is it a pillow for the bust? Is it a pillow in the shape of a bust (so why is a woman lying on it?) All I can say: damn Japs!
Post ID: 112931057538483060
Friday, October 14, 2005
"People who work sitting down get paid more than people who work standing up." - Ogden Nash
***
My most quiet lecture group is at 8am. I think everyone is still asleep.
I found myself saying, for the second time in 8 days after a test, "the curve will pull me up". Gah.
I suspect some people deliberately leave their phones on, or on silent mode, during exams, and then place them with only the fabric of their bags separating them from the floor (so the vibrations will have maximum effect). They then either set a reminder to sound during the exam or ask people to call them repeatedly. This distracts other students who do not anticipate this noise.
You always hear of some people who like to ask other people for assignment answers, or consult with them when they are unclear, but in turn refuse to share any of their own knowledge or answers, usually providing lame answers to mask their selfishness. An effective strategy in dealing with such people is to provide a carefully calibrated set of specious answers to mislead them.
I am freaked out. On October 6 I blogged about a sign with bad grammar in the NUS Central Library, peripheral to bemoaning the floodgates of decadence academic privileges in watching uncensored productions were opening. On Wednesday morning, I noticed it had been reprinted, the grammar mistake had been corrected and the sign had been moved forward so it was now prominently displayed on the counter. If I complain about my modules being too hard, maybe they will be toned down in difficulty too.
Photocopying prices have risen to 3 cents at the Central Library. Since paper is a non-negligible cost, they should implement a 0.5 cent rebate for each double-sided sheet printed. So instead of 6 cents, a double-sided sheet would cost 5.5 cents. If nothing else, this would save some trees.
For one of my modules this semester, we get to bring in a 2-sided cheat sheet for the exams. I've always fantasised about bringing in a magnifying glass during such an exam, so I went to buy this huge (and rather ugly, I might add) magnifying glass from the NUS co-op. Unfortunately, I didn't get down to using it since, even though I squeezed everything into less than 1 page, I could read my handwriting. And since the test was so devilishly hard, I didn't get to twirl it around for fun. In any case, proof of concept has been demonstrated.
Apparently for some modules in Science where cheat sheets (A4-sized pieces of paper on which you can write anything you want - midway between an open-book exam and a closed-book one) are allowed, some smart people shrink A3 sheets to A4 size with photocopiers. And, catching on, some modules ban doing that.
***
My most quiet lecture group is at 8am. I think everyone is still asleep.
I found myself saying, for the second time in 8 days after a test, "the curve will pull me up". Gah.
I suspect some people deliberately leave their phones on, or on silent mode, during exams, and then place them with only the fabric of their bags separating them from the floor (so the vibrations will have maximum effect). They then either set a reminder to sound during the exam or ask people to call them repeatedly. This distracts other students who do not anticipate this noise.
You always hear of some people who like to ask other people for assignment answers, or consult with them when they are unclear, but in turn refuse to share any of their own knowledge or answers, usually providing lame answers to mask their selfishness. An effective strategy in dealing with such people is to provide a carefully calibrated set of specious answers to mislead them.
I am freaked out. On October 6 I blogged about a sign with bad grammar in the NUS Central Library, peripheral to bemoaning the floodgates of decadence academic privileges in watching uncensored productions were opening. On Wednesday morning, I noticed it had been reprinted, the grammar mistake had been corrected and the sign had been moved forward so it was now prominently displayed on the counter. If I complain about my modules being too hard, maybe they will be toned down in difficulty too.
Photocopying prices have risen to 3 cents at the Central Library. Since paper is a non-negligible cost, they should implement a 0.5 cent rebate for each double-sided sheet printed. So instead of 6 cents, a double-sided sheet would cost 5.5 cents. If nothing else, this would save some trees.
For one of my modules this semester, we get to bring in a 2-sided cheat sheet for the exams. I've always fantasised about bringing in a magnifying glass during such an exam, so I went to buy this huge (and rather ugly, I might add) magnifying glass from the NUS co-op. Unfortunately, I didn't get down to using it since, even though I squeezed everything into less than 1 page, I could read my handwriting. And since the test was so devilishly hard, I didn't get to twirl it around for fun. In any case, proof of concept has been demonstrated.
Apparently for some modules in Science where cheat sheets (A4-sized pieces of paper on which you can write anything you want - midway between an open-book exam and a closed-book one) are allowed, some smart people shrink A3 sheets to A4 size with photocopiers. And, catching on, some modules ban doing that.
Post ID: 112922615235500657
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Tossing out the changeling with the bath water
the truth is rarely pure and never simple at No Concept of Liberty reminds us of the delightful tale retold in Judges 19:
(Graphic depiction courtesy of The Brick Testament)
He concludes:
Some might argue that the passage ends with the words: "Everyone who saw it said, 'Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!'" (NIV), which is hardly approving of the deed. Yet, the mere fact that the conclusion of this sordid tale is absent of any trace of moral condemnation at all is a deafening indictment, considering how verbose the Old Testament is about condemning sin or what JHVH finds distasteful.
The problem, then, is deciding which bits of scripture to keep, and which to dump. For if everyone starts dumping the bits of the bible that they dislike or find repulsive, different people will have different views about which parts are veracious, and no one will have any idea who is right. In the final analysis, what's to stop you from throwing the whole thing out of the window?
Which is one of the main reasons why fundies decide to keep everything, and explain it away with intellectual suicide.
Far better, I think, to toss out the changeling with the bath water and find a real human.
(Cross-posted to Recovering Christians)
the truth is rarely pure and never simple at No Concept of Liberty reminds us of the delightful tale retold in Judges 19:
the first guy pushes his concubine out of the house and the mob gang-rape her through the night. By the time morning comes, the concubine is one the verge of death. She collapses on the floor outside the house, with one hand on the threshold. When her husband discovers her in this state, and when she does not give any response when he tells her to get up, he loads her onto his donkey and heads home. Thereafter, he cuts her body up into twelve pieces and sends one piece to each tribe of Israel.
(Graphic depiction courtesy of The Brick Testament)
He concludes:
So really the correct response when reading these things is not to try to argue them away by explaining how they are really about showing hospitality or whatever. The correct response is to regard them as the rabid tales of some barbaric ancient tribe and then toss them out of the window.
Some might argue that the passage ends with the words: "Everyone who saw it said, 'Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!'" (NIV), which is hardly approving of the deed. Yet, the mere fact that the conclusion of this sordid tale is absent of any trace of moral condemnation at all is a deafening indictment, considering how verbose the Old Testament is about condemning sin or what JHVH finds distasteful.
The problem, then, is deciding which bits of scripture to keep, and which to dump. For if everyone starts dumping the bits of the bible that they dislike or find repulsive, different people will have different views about which parts are veracious, and no one will have any idea who is right. In the final analysis, what's to stop you from throwing the whole thing out of the window?
Which is one of the main reasons why fundies decide to keep everything, and explain it away with intellectual suicide.
Far better, I think, to toss out the changeling with the bath water and find a real human.
(Cross-posted to Recovering Christians)
Post ID: 112919961934474852
Prophets and prophecies of doom abound, but the world still hasn't ended.
***
Apparently in secondary school NCC camps, one way girls fob off guys who are trying to buaya them is, when asked for their phone numbers, is to give them the number of Singapore Casket.
Much has been said about the benefits of a legal education, but for some reason I find that many lawyers are trapped in a legalistic mindset - if it is legal, it must be right; if it is illegal, it must be wrong.
One very sneaky way in which to express angsty sentiments in a cathartic fashion is to use song lyrics. Then, if people ask if you're okay, or what's troubling you, and you have no desire to reveal what is really bothering you, you can just say that "oh, it's just a song".
Very interesting sentence: "The florist sent the flowers was very pleased". I thought there was something wrong with it when I first read it. Sneaky.
Motivational emails and spiel always talk about how you should live your life so that if you die suddenly, it will be with no regrets. But then, if you have no regrets about dying, doesn't it mean that you've already done what you want to do in/with life? The corollary of all this being that if you would die with no regrets at any moment in time, since you wouldn't mind dying, you weren't really living for anything in the first place.
***
Apparently in secondary school NCC camps, one way girls fob off guys who are trying to buaya them is, when asked for their phone numbers, is to give them the number of Singapore Casket.
Much has been said about the benefits of a legal education, but for some reason I find that many lawyers are trapped in a legalistic mindset - if it is legal, it must be right; if it is illegal, it must be wrong.
One very sneaky way in which to express angsty sentiments in a cathartic fashion is to use song lyrics. Then, if people ask if you're okay, or what's troubling you, and you have no desire to reveal what is really bothering you, you can just say that "oh, it's just a song".
Very interesting sentence: "The florist sent the flowers was very pleased". I thought there was something wrong with it when I first read it. Sneaky.
Motivational emails and spiel always talk about how you should live your life so that if you die suddenly, it will be with no regrets. But then, if you have no regrets about dying, doesn't it mean that you've already done what you want to do in/with life? The corollary of all this being that if you would die with no regrets at any moment in time, since you wouldn't mind dying, you weren't really living for anything in the first place.
Post ID: 112917975069851051
I checked my NUS email just now and saw that there was a "Library Circulation Notice" from the NUS Libraries. Scrolling to the bottom, I saw that an RBR book (Reserve Books/Readings - these can be checked out for only 2 hours) was overdue.
Now, since these books are loaned out for only 2 hours, the fine for overdue books is commensurately steep - $1/hr. So when I logged in to my library account, I saw that I had a fine of $25 on my tab.
Currently there is a monitor placed beside the RBR book returning area which will display your name if the book has been detected as returned, and removed from your account. In my case, the problem might have been that, at the early hour I was there, no one else had returned RBR books in the 15 mins or so since I had returned a previous RBR book (since I had returned a book 15 mins before, my name was still displayed on the screen). So maybe the monitor should be tweaked to display the name of the book that has just been returned (it now displays only some cryptic serial number), as well as your name.
I called up the library, and the woman was very nice and helpful about it (they found the book in the end), but she asked me to check my account next time to verify that the book had been returned. Which would make having the monitor there quite redundant.
Now, since these books are loaned out for only 2 hours, the fine for overdue books is commensurately steep - $1/hr. So when I logged in to my library account, I saw that I had a fine of $25 on my tab.
Currently there is a monitor placed beside the RBR book returning area which will display your name if the book has been detected as returned, and removed from your account. In my case, the problem might have been that, at the early hour I was there, no one else had returned RBR books in the 15 mins or so since I had returned a previous RBR book (since I had returned a book 15 mins before, my name was still displayed on the screen). So maybe the monitor should be tweaked to display the name of the book that has just been returned (it now displays only some cryptic serial number), as well as your name.
I called up the library, and the woman was very nice and helpful about it (they found the book in the end), but she asked me to check my account next time to verify that the book had been returned. Which would make having the monitor there quite redundant.
Post ID: 112917824342005790
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