"The trouble with facts is that there are so many of them." - Samuel McChord Crothers
***
An exchange that was contemporaneous with On Reason and Freud, and to which I was referring when I said "reading your posts gives me a headache":
Me: 'Doing away with race may be politically correct, but it does not necessarily eradicate race-related problems'
Someone: But that is nonetheless no reason for persisting in categorising people into races. Who, as implied here, is naive enough to think that "doing away" with race is a panacea for all race-related problems?
Me: You categorise people into races because you can use this data to examine and investigate social issues and problems. That's a great reason to do so.
People who think "doing away with race" will help solve race-related problems:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/world/48398-chinese-or-indian-what-about-chinese-indian
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/12/8/7151/42027
The French also thought that not collecting racial data would solve racial problems. Obviously that has not happened.
Someone: Does one need racial or ethnic categories in order for problems to become visible, and only when they are rendered visible then they become important enough to take action? If they are a way of rendering social issues and problems visible one can use them as if it's the only/"proper" lens through which one addresses "issues" and "problems", as if these are the only "issues" and "problems" worth attention. This may be loosely called legitimisation: one is legitimised to take action on this basis, but also legitimised to claim that one has no need to take action on any other basis, that there is nothing else to do except through such discourse.
Foucault's point was precisely that discourse and its categories PRODUCE a particular individual/person/subject for consideration. Political/affirmative/corrective action is legitimised by knowledge. The "knowledge" of "social problems and issues" can render certain actions possible, but it can also render other kinds of action unimportant or even unnecessary.
As it were, we have officially problems peculiar to Indians, Chinese, Malays, "Others/Eurasians"? We comfort ourselves that there are no others. Wthout the racial category "Malay" Chiam See Tong could not have raised the issue in Parliament of Malays being appointed to key positions in SAF in 1987, but it also enabled the PAP to say only Malays can solve Malay problems. Legitimisation is not only enabling, it can also disable.
There are always differences between people (sexual orientation, gender, race etc.), that is the way of the world, there is no denying it whatsoever. Taking this as given, and keenly aware of its potential for unjust discrimination, we should work towards rendering these differences INSIGNIFICANT regardless of situations. Make these differences as far as possible unimportant to how a person appears as intelligble *as a person*. No one needs reminding that every individual is different, in sexual orientation, gender, race etc., it is already apparent. Discrimination is a fact of life, but perhaps we can have justice regardless--in spite--of our powers of discrimination?
Me: If there is a problem peculiar to a race, of course you need racial categories in order to solve it. And of course problems need to be visible in order to take action.
If you can't see a problem and you are trying to solve it, then you are just shooting in the dark and hoping you hit something. Hell, you don't even know if there's anything there, so you're wasting ammunition (and you may hit passers-by)
If you are afraid of the misuse of a tool, the right thing to do is not to deprive yourself of the tool but to find ways of using it properly.
If you think a certain discourse is not the best way to deal with a problem, you don't censor that discourse - you come up with alternative (and presumably better) ones.
As I said, without official racial categories in France, we still have racial problems. Ignoring a problem does not make it go away.
Someone: You're confusing cause and effect, or the chicken-and-egg question. Does a problem exist before we form a concept to describe the problem, to bring it to consciousness? Or is a problem produced by the concept we formulate?
It's also similar to the saying that if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything is a problem of whacking nail-like objects or metal sheets or some like. What we call "problems" could very well be an effect of the "tool" we are forced to use. You posit a "problem" based on the tool available to you.
Certainly, actively banning or censoring such terms does not solve the "problems" you mention, but again--chicken-and-egg--that's because social conditions as such are always-already formed by discourse which have pre-existed for a very long time in language, culture etc. The "problem" will always be there because it is extremely difficult to abandon it completely and take up another "tool". In order to be able to speak coherently in discourse one is forced to use the very terms that has been laid down and formed before one was born. The collective past, our cultural memories and archives, are saturated with racial discourse which we always find tempting to reactivate and difficult to abandon--again because we pick up what is available and already-there.
And it is not simply a matter of wielding total control over how my own speech can be eradicated of racism: it is simply impossible. Just to raise an example: one can always be quoted out of context. We cannot control how our own controlled utterances can be re-appropriated into "undesirable"/racist utterances.
Yet it is also this uncontrollability that has potential to be re-appropriated into alternative discourses that you request. Is this not the realm of culture and the arts and social discourse to construct alternative ways of speaking-being? If we want the alternative discourses to proliferate, shouldn't we also stop promoting the singularising racial discourses that prevent one from being other than one's race? If I don't have a racial category to submit myself to, won't I be seeking some other multiplicity of identities or ways of speaking-being? If other don't have this racial category to trap me in, they might find some other way of capturing my identity/being that might not be a rehash of racism, but it's an open question as to where it might lead to. Maybe we can work for destabilising any essentialism so that one cannot be captured by, or capture, others.
Someone else: walao so much big words, so much hot air. its like both of you trying to bore each other to death. don't worry, gabriel always wins on this.
Me: Har?
It is an extremely bizarre claim that problems are brought into existence by the formulation of concepts.
I am not limiting myself to any one tool - you are the one who proposes to reduce the number of tools available, while I am in favour of having as many as possible. You say that we should "stop promoting" "singularising racial discourses". Yet, to talk about race is not the same as promoting it as a singularising racial discourse, any more than repealing 377A is "promoting" homosexuality. Again, I am against the degree of racial management that we see in Singapore - but I am for the idea of keeping statistics on it. If you want to promote alternative discourses, you should promote them - instead of trying to suppress others, which is intrinsically illiberal. Infant industries usually come to no good; protectionism just screws everyone.
While what we call "problems" could very well be an effect of the "tool" we are forced to use, I could very well be the King of England. It's no good speculating on what-ifs and what-might-have-beens - you have to give reasons for me to believe your assertions.
Since, as you point out, it is impossible to eradicate discourse, we seem to have a problem here. As with the proposition that the world was created a second ago and that we were created with all our memories intact, there is no way of proving it right (or wrong). Again, you need to *show* how discourse leads to the problems you claim it does.
Perhaps it suffices to say that the grand social experiments of Communism have shown us that trying to sweep away what we think are the debris of the past leads to disaster - either because it's impossible to sweep away such debris or such debris is an intrinsic part of being human (or of a life worth living; in other words sweeping away the debris causes more problems than it solves). As Popper observed, "the attempt to make heaven on earth invariably produces hell".
Someone: [Throughout this discussion I assume we're in the context of racial classification in Singapore, esp. wrt. the CMIO categories on the NRIC and Birth Certificate. I am against this racial marking. I assert we don't need it.]
It is also a bizarre claim that one can formulate problems without the concepts/terms one picks up at hand. I believe I tried to make my point sufficiently clear with respect to Michel Foucault: at the level of discourse, to explicitly counter racism in the first place one may need to use those very racial terms and enact the instances of racist speech. That is granted.
That's for *actively* countering and weakening racial discourse. Yet at the same time we also should limit and change the social conditions which incite racist speech. We can start by making these less visible and less prominent in our daily lives. We should in fact make them completely irrelevant, like height, weight, or hair length. We can try not to employ those terms more than is necessary for actively countering (as above) the discursive conditions that incite racist speech. Since we already know racist slurs are bad, let's try not to encourage the idea of race to be used, as far as possible. Why continue to bring up race more than is necessary? If we affirm that race is not important to our free and equal status as citizens, what purpose is served by continuing with this very racial marking?
There is no chicken without the egg, and vice versa. Maybe after all we have to say: chicken or egg, the cycle has to be broken somewhere. Is it a choice between destroying the egg OR the chicken? Ideally both. If not we intervene at both points.
What you seem to claim, however, is to have more chickens and eggs so that we can study the problem more effectively, let them multiply so that we can manage them. It's almost as if we need all those chickens and eggs to keep ourselves busy with problems. Or we need as many hammers as possible so that we can continue hammering and immerse ourselves in problems involving imaginary nails and metal sheets.
Yes, it's very difficult to eradicate racial discourse because it's deeply embedded in our cultures, much of it inherited from the colonial era. It seems like an impasse. But given sufficient time shooting the chickens and crushing eggs, keeping a very few in storage, we might very well change the cultural conditions such that it is very unlikely, and make racism as obsolete as the medieval ideas of the flat earth and witches. [I know it's a terribly lame analogy, but it works in a limited way. You said my previous replies gave you a headache.]
The homophobic sectors of society intentionally construe the repeal of 377a as promoting homosexuality. In order to counter homophobia, I have to talk about homosexuality and reluctantly enact its derogatory instances. Yet outside of this I don't see the need to constantly remind myself and consider a person's homosexuality when relating to him. When we politely and civilly refrain from asking if a person is gay, lesbian or queer, aren't we also trying to render homosexuality redundant in appraising his or her worth as a person?
L'origine de Bert
Sunday, January 17, 2010
On Reason and Freud
"I gotta work out. I keep saying it all the time. I keep saying I gotta start working out. It's been about two months since I've worked out. And I just don't have the time. Which uh..is odd. Because I have the time to go out to dinner. And uh..and watch tv. And get a bone density test. And uh.. try to figure out what my phone number spells in words." - Ellen DeGeneres
***
On Reason and Freud:
[Ed: This post is (kind of) followed up by Balderdash: On Freud, valid forms of Critique and valid types of Data]
Me: reading your posts gives me a headache
Someone: if i simplify it too much it's more open to misinterpretation
i try to anticipate somewhat counterarguments
Me: because people will actually understand what you're trying to say?
Someone: oh, yes and no
it's precisely th taken-for-granted undersatnding that needs to be questioned
i had a headache in questioning my own takne-for-granted understanding too
Me: so basically you managed to mindfuck yourself
and now all is good
Someone: why do you say i mindfucked myself?
im perfectly alright
Me: ...
Someone: and "all is good"???
look, gabriel. the easiest thing to do in the world is for people to simply ignore your posts
because...they understand it
"understand"
Me: what is easy is not necessarily good
conversely, what is hard is not necessarily good either
Someone: i can understand your POV, and i can ignore it too
so, what is good, is still not answered
Me: what is good is what is true
Someone: there are different notions of truth
Me: only in people's minds
objective reality does not change
Someone: i am completely conversant with, and still beholden to scientific truth
and what, precisely is "objective" reality?
Me: that would depend on what we are talking about
Someone: ok, in empirical science there is a fixed notion of objective truth
one can know everything about an object
study its chemcial composition etc.
Me: not true
and in any case you can always screw around with universal skepticism
Someone: i don't deny, within science, its "objective" truth
but when it comes to social constructions...
of human beings
that's a matter for debate
Me: that depends on what you mean by social construction
Someone: yes, race, being one
gender too
Me: not true
there is plenty of evidence that gender is objectively real
and race has quite a bit too, but it's a more politically sensitive subject so people don't usually talk about it
Someone: there is a biological basis for sex, yes, X and Y chromosomes and all that
but how do we experience gender?
Me: what do you mean by experiencing gender
men and women are wired differently
generally
Someone: yes
and it can also be, some men are more women than women can be
more "feminine"
how does a man appear as a man??
or woman as woman??
Me: some men are more women than some women can be
no one disputes these things
Someone: is sex = gender?
Me: race and gender do not consist of isolated and distinct islands
they are clusters along continua
sex is a large part of gender
Someone: one can have male sex organs and appear completely as a gendered woman
gendered, as a woman
human beings are gendered as they grow into adulthood
recall: the south african athlete who was recently disputed wrt her gender
Me: socialisation complements intrinsic sex
recall that Caster Semenya is a hermaphrodite
and that despite being raised female, she is very manly
Someone: yes
she appears masculine in many respects
Me: so your point is?
Someone: whatever her biological sex is, determinate or not, is quite independent of her gender
we perceive her gender depending on how we construct "masculine" and "feminine"
Me: we view her as a manly woman
Someone: yes, her higher testosterone levels make her muscles more developed
make her frame larger
Me: it's not just her physical appearance
it's also her behavior
Someone: but if we allow our construction of "woman" or "femininity" to have a wider range...
and likewise masculinity
it's like she cannot appear properly as a person without fixing her sex and gender
we cannot get over the "natural" idea that femininity must conform to XX chromosomes or certain physical characteristics
i am the first to admit i have problems myself
im trying to become aware of it myself too
allow people to exist in all their differences and multiplicity
Me: so what range of "woman" or "femininity" do you want?
won't your range be challenged?
unless your claim is that we should abandon categories altogether
but categories are something that people value. it's a cognitive tool that acts as a market of identity. by getting rid of it you are shortchanging the vast majority
just because some people do not resemble archetypes does not mean we should get rid of these archetypes
and it doesn't mean that these people are somehow bad or evil
as someone who does not adhere to archaic norms of proper behavior, I do not let others' standards affect me
but likewise I do not impose on them and insist their standards change for my sake
Someone: to put it rather reductively, "categories" have value in fixing people, trapping them, restricting freedom unnecessarily
Me: to recognise difference is not the same as to oppress difference
that's only if you let the categories fix you
and/or if you only want to belong to one or a few categories
people want to feel a sense of belonging
which is why they find categories to belong to
and they value them
Someone: yes, yes
Me: group solidarity is important to people
which is why people identify as feminist, progressive etc
which are themselves categories
Someone: passionate subjection or attachment to subjection--we desire a limited submissive existence, better than nothing
like how no one wants to become stateless
but you claim too much when you say "only if you let the categories fix you"
it's not a matter of your own powers to prevent others from fixing you
language doesn't belong to you
categories don't belogn to you
you seek your existence in already-given langauge and fixed notions of who you can be
namely: race, gender, ethnicity etc.
you can cry and bemoan and wail as hard and loudly as you like
Me: I am for freedom of thought
I do not presume to dictate what others think of me
you can choose with what you identify
Someone: but somehow there will be ways for others to capture you in certain ways
they may not mean to, but they do
Me: ok lor
big deal
"One should respect public opinion insofar as is necessary to avoid starvation and keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny."
Someone: as i say, you claim too much for a "free human individual subject"
before you become free you must subject yourself--become a citizen or PR or whatever
Me: I respect individual autonomy
Someone: you have an enlightenment notion of the free human
descartes' era
Me: I like to think of myself as a Renaissance Man, but I uphold the values of the Enlightenment
Someone: but we have "moved on"
Darwin, Freud
Lacan
First, copernicus showed that man is not centre of universe
then darwin showed that man is not centre of evolution
then freud showed that man is not master in his own house
it took lacan to bring out freud's "discovery'/revolution fully
hence he says "return to freud"
Me: upholding Enlightenment values does not mean that Man is the centre of the universe of evolution
that's because Freud was a fraud
and people had to "reinterpret" him so he made sense
there's a reason most psychology ignores freud
Someone: freud was a fraud because you presupposed him to be so
Me: no
it's because he talked rubbish
Someone: you had already made up your mind that he's rubbish
i used to think so too
Me: no
I looked at the evidence
and what he said
and found they were different
I feel like I'm talking to a Christian
"Why do you hate God?"
"You've already made up your mind that God does not exist"
Someone: look, i think freud's claim is precisely that empirical scientific evidence is insufficient
to diagnose/cure/treat, in his times, hysteria
Me: so we just sit in our couch and talk nonsense?
hysteria was nonsense
though it did give us the vibrator
Someone: let me ask you, you must believe that cognitive neuroscience can explain everything about the human brain and behaviour and culture
Me: no I don't
but just because you don't know everything doesn't mean you can make up rubbish
that's like whitewashing a fence by painting it black
the point is to increase your understanding
not give up
Someone: besides "rubbish" is that all your criticism is worth?
how is freud's work rubbish?
and, before we get lost in this, it's not simply freud, mind you
Nietzsche, and following, Foucault
Me: modern psychology recognises he was talking rubbish
for example, the elektra and oedipus complexes don't exist
or the oral and anal fixations
he made up an alleged history of child development
which was completely speculative
and obsessed with sex
he made up an alleged history of human history
which has been shown to be completely wrong
and sex obsessed, don't forget
Someone: one needs to read freud with care
i haven't had all teh time to read all his works yet
but his ideas about our consciousness are no less useful or valid
Me: i.e. ignore what he was saying
and "re-interpret" what he said so it makes sense
in other words, like christian apologists who manage to twist the words of the bible so it means whatever they want
I agree with the future of an illusion
but that's because he wasn't making stuff up about history or human development
Someone: feminists ought to hate him for prescribing that women are fixated on the phallus etc.
but for all that they still use his ideas, with modifications (eg. Melanie Klein's school of object-relations)
Me: that's because they talk rubbish also
so they're natural allies
Someone: i think freud and lacan probably mark the stopping point of how far empirical science can penetrate the human mind in understanding all its manifest behaviours
both of them trained as medical doctors
and very concerned with treating disorders of one sort or another
i also think, that they have insights into how culture can produce brain disorders
he believed whole-heartedly in the empirical medical sceince
Me: "HJ Eysenck claimed that Freud set Psychiatry back one hundred years, consistently misdiagnosed his patients, fraudulently misrepresented case histories and that what is true in Freud is not new and what is new in Freud is not true"
Someone: i think there is truth in that his diagnoses and therapies were not successful
but lacan, who tries to be faithful to freud, saying that freud himself doesn't even realise the full extent of his discoveries
Me: this is like nostradamus's fans
who reinterpret his prophecies
Someone: psychiatry...foucault has alot to say about it too
i don't think one has to abandon scientific rationality, atheism, and anti-superstition if one takes psychoanalysis seriously
Me: psychoanalysis is very speculative
do you abandon scientific rationality, atheism, and anti-superstition if one takes homoepathy seriously?
Someone: not seemingly less than cutting edge of physics
superstring
Me: string theory is laughed at by many non-string theorists
Someone: much your disparagement of cultural studies and literary theory works on smearing
Me: no
it works on looking at what has been written
Someone: i suppose i'll soon enter into one of your caricatures of those who have "succumbed" to pomo and Christian bullshit
Me: I do not draw caricatures
I let what people write and say speak for themselves
if a Christian used the usual sort of arguments against you, what would you say, given that you use many of the same ones yourself?
Someone: unfortunately, much as i would have liked to, i do not have sufficiently advanced understanding of theory yet to distance myself from christian apology
Me: ???
Someone: i don't see myself as employing the same sort of defence as christian apology
you like to ally ppl who disagree with you with naive unthinking "fundamentalist" fanatical believers
i probably shouldn't have spent such an inordinate amount of time "defending" psychoanalysis
there are many other things worthy of my attention
Me: let me show you some of the many examples
freud was a fraud because you presupposed him to be so <-> god does not exist because you assume he does not
i used to think so too <-> i used to defy god also
empirical scientific evidence is insufficient <-> reason is insufficient. you need god
you must believe that cognitive neuroscience can explain everything about the human brain and behaviour and culture <-> you must believe that science can explain everything about the world
one needs to read freud with care <-> one needs to read the bible with care
both of them trained as medical doctors. and very concerned with treating disorders of one sort or another <-> luke says that he wanted to record faithfully everything that happened
he believed whole-heartedly in the empirical medical sceince <-> the apostles believed that jesus was resurrected
i don't think one has to abandon scientific rationality, atheism, and anti-superstition if one takes psychoanalysis seriously <-> i don't think one has to abandon scientific rationality and anti-superstition if one takes the bible seriously
Someone: yes, insofar as against your rigidly rationalist-empiricist viewpoint goes i tried to make a claim on behalf of possible truth of psychoanalysis
but i suspect i might also have put up a similar defence on behalf of any theoretical scientific speculation such as string theory for which experimental/empircal evidence is sorely lacking
like, existence of extraterrestrial life
Me: the existence of extraterrestrial life is a possibility
not a certainty
Someone: am i any less able to maintain any sort of critical distance towards what i defend?
Me: if you aren't rationalist-empiricist, how do you determine which truth claims are correct?
Someone: one can argue for a limited range of truth-claims for a novel or poem or artwork
correctness is not necessarily singular
Me: not necessarily
but often it is
Someone: like i said i don't claim to have the last word on psychoanalysis. i'm far from a deep understanding of it
i was simply making a case for it
anyone could make a case a la christian apologetics if they tried to learn it
i do think there remains alot to be said for how the human mind is affected by culture, somewhat independently if biology
and the things that remain to be said, very interestingly, are in cultural theory
Me: there are some gems here and there
Someone: i think you also wouldn't deny christianity has its own limited 'truths' to make as well
allegorical maybe
but no less truths
Me: that's a cheap fudge
in that case nothing can ever be false
as descartes pointed out, even if a deceiving demon was painting false pictures of reality to him, at least the colours of the paint would be real
that's "truth" in a very shallow, superficial way
Someone else: "My brother is a fan of Freud; I have contemplated disowning him - my brother that is. Except that, that in Freudian terms, will be taken as an expression of my repressed sexuality."
***
On Reason and Freud:
[Ed: This post is (kind of) followed up by Balderdash: On Freud, valid forms of Critique and valid types of Data]
Me: reading your posts gives me a headache
Someone: if i simplify it too much it's more open to misinterpretation
i try to anticipate somewhat counterarguments
Me: because people will actually understand what you're trying to say?
Someone: oh, yes and no
it's precisely th taken-for-granted undersatnding that needs to be questioned
i had a headache in questioning my own takne-for-granted understanding too
Me: so basically you managed to mindfuck yourself
and now all is good
Someone: why do you say i mindfucked myself?
im perfectly alright
Me: ...
Someone: and "all is good"???
look, gabriel. the easiest thing to do in the world is for people to simply ignore your posts
because...they understand it
"understand"
Me: what is easy is not necessarily good
conversely, what is hard is not necessarily good either
Someone: i can understand your POV, and i can ignore it too
so, what is good, is still not answered
Me: what is good is what is true
Someone: there are different notions of truth
Me: only in people's minds
objective reality does not change
Someone: i am completely conversant with, and still beholden to scientific truth
and what, precisely is "objective" reality?
Me: that would depend on what we are talking about
Someone: ok, in empirical science there is a fixed notion of objective truth
one can know everything about an object
study its chemcial composition etc.
Me: not true
and in any case you can always screw around with universal skepticism
Someone: i don't deny, within science, its "objective" truth
but when it comes to social constructions...
of human beings
that's a matter for debate
Me: that depends on what you mean by social construction
Someone: yes, race, being one
gender too
Me: not true
there is plenty of evidence that gender is objectively real
and race has quite a bit too, but it's a more politically sensitive subject so people don't usually talk about it
Someone: there is a biological basis for sex, yes, X and Y chromosomes and all that
but how do we experience gender?
Me: what do you mean by experiencing gender
men and women are wired differently
generally
Someone: yes
and it can also be, some men are more women than women can be
more "feminine"
how does a man appear as a man??
or woman as woman??
Me: some men are more women than some women can be
no one disputes these things
Someone: is sex = gender?
Me: race and gender do not consist of isolated and distinct islands
they are clusters along continua
sex is a large part of gender
Someone: one can have male sex organs and appear completely as a gendered woman
gendered, as a woman
human beings are gendered as they grow into adulthood
recall: the south african athlete who was recently disputed wrt her gender
Me: socialisation complements intrinsic sex
recall that Caster Semenya is a hermaphrodite
and that despite being raised female, she is very manly
Someone: yes
she appears masculine in many respects
Me: so your point is?
Someone: whatever her biological sex is, determinate or not, is quite independent of her gender
we perceive her gender depending on how we construct "masculine" and "feminine"
Me: we view her as a manly woman
Someone: yes, her higher testosterone levels make her muscles more developed
make her frame larger
Me: it's not just her physical appearance
it's also her behavior
Someone: but if we allow our construction of "woman" or "femininity" to have a wider range...
and likewise masculinity
it's like she cannot appear properly as a person without fixing her sex and gender
we cannot get over the "natural" idea that femininity must conform to XX chromosomes or certain physical characteristics
i am the first to admit i have problems myself
im trying to become aware of it myself too
allow people to exist in all their differences and multiplicity
Me: so what range of "woman" or "femininity" do you want?
won't your range be challenged?
unless your claim is that we should abandon categories altogether
but categories are something that people value. it's a cognitive tool that acts as a market of identity. by getting rid of it you are shortchanging the vast majority
just because some people do not resemble archetypes does not mean we should get rid of these archetypes
and it doesn't mean that these people are somehow bad or evil
as someone who does not adhere to archaic norms of proper behavior, I do not let others' standards affect me
but likewise I do not impose on them and insist their standards change for my sake
Someone: to put it rather reductively, "categories" have value in fixing people, trapping them, restricting freedom unnecessarily
Me: to recognise difference is not the same as to oppress difference
that's only if you let the categories fix you
and/or if you only want to belong to one or a few categories
people want to feel a sense of belonging
which is why they find categories to belong to
and they value them
Someone: yes, yes
Me: group solidarity is important to people
which is why people identify as feminist, progressive etc
which are themselves categories
Someone: passionate subjection or attachment to subjection--we desire a limited submissive existence, better than nothing
like how no one wants to become stateless
but you claim too much when you say "only if you let the categories fix you"
it's not a matter of your own powers to prevent others from fixing you
language doesn't belong to you
categories don't belogn to you
you seek your existence in already-given langauge and fixed notions of who you can be
namely: race, gender, ethnicity etc.
you can cry and bemoan and wail as hard and loudly as you like
Me: I am for freedom of thought
I do not presume to dictate what others think of me
you can choose with what you identify
Someone: but somehow there will be ways for others to capture you in certain ways
they may not mean to, but they do
Me: ok lor
big deal
"One should respect public opinion insofar as is necessary to avoid starvation and keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny."
Someone: as i say, you claim too much for a "free human individual subject"
before you become free you must subject yourself--become a citizen or PR or whatever
Me: I respect individual autonomy
Someone: you have an enlightenment notion of the free human
descartes' era
Me: I like to think of myself as a Renaissance Man, but I uphold the values of the Enlightenment
Someone: but we have "moved on"
Darwin, Freud
Lacan
First, copernicus showed that man is not centre of universe
then darwin showed that man is not centre of evolution
then freud showed that man is not master in his own house
it took lacan to bring out freud's "discovery'/revolution fully
hence he says "return to freud"
Me: upholding Enlightenment values does not mean that Man is the centre of the universe of evolution
that's because Freud was a fraud
and people had to "reinterpret" him so he made sense
there's a reason most psychology ignores freud
Someone: freud was a fraud because you presupposed him to be so
Me: no
it's because he talked rubbish
Someone: you had already made up your mind that he's rubbish
i used to think so too
Me: no
I looked at the evidence
and what he said
and found they were different
I feel like I'm talking to a Christian
"Why do you hate God?"
"You've already made up your mind that God does not exist"
Someone: look, i think freud's claim is precisely that empirical scientific evidence is insufficient
to diagnose/cure/treat, in his times, hysteria
Me: so we just sit in our couch and talk nonsense?
hysteria was nonsense
though it did give us the vibrator
Someone: let me ask you, you must believe that cognitive neuroscience can explain everything about the human brain and behaviour and culture
Me: no I don't
but just because you don't know everything doesn't mean you can make up rubbish
that's like whitewashing a fence by painting it black
the point is to increase your understanding
not give up
Someone: besides "rubbish" is that all your criticism is worth?
how is freud's work rubbish?
and, before we get lost in this, it's not simply freud, mind you
Nietzsche, and following, Foucault
Me: modern psychology recognises he was talking rubbish
for example, the elektra and oedipus complexes don't exist
or the oral and anal fixations
he made up an alleged history of child development
which was completely speculative
and obsessed with sex
he made up an alleged history of human history
which has been shown to be completely wrong
and sex obsessed, don't forget
Someone: one needs to read freud with care
i haven't had all teh time to read all his works yet
but his ideas about our consciousness are no less useful or valid
Me: i.e. ignore what he was saying
and "re-interpret" what he said so it makes sense
in other words, like christian apologists who manage to twist the words of the bible so it means whatever they want
I agree with the future of an illusion
but that's because he wasn't making stuff up about history or human development
Someone: feminists ought to hate him for prescribing that women are fixated on the phallus etc.
but for all that they still use his ideas, with modifications (eg. Melanie Klein's school of object-relations)
Me: that's because they talk rubbish also
so they're natural allies
Someone: i think freud and lacan probably mark the stopping point of how far empirical science can penetrate the human mind in understanding all its manifest behaviours
both of them trained as medical doctors
and very concerned with treating disorders of one sort or another
i also think, that they have insights into how culture can produce brain disorders
he believed whole-heartedly in the empirical medical sceince
Me: "HJ Eysenck claimed that Freud set Psychiatry back one hundred years, consistently misdiagnosed his patients, fraudulently misrepresented case histories and that what is true in Freud is not new and what is new in Freud is not true"
Someone: i think there is truth in that his diagnoses and therapies were not successful
but lacan, who tries to be faithful to freud, saying that freud himself doesn't even realise the full extent of his discoveries
Me: this is like nostradamus's fans
who reinterpret his prophecies
Someone: psychiatry...foucault has alot to say about it too
i don't think one has to abandon scientific rationality, atheism, and anti-superstition if one takes psychoanalysis seriously
Me: psychoanalysis is very speculative
do you abandon scientific rationality, atheism, and anti-superstition if one takes homoepathy seriously?
Someone: not seemingly less than cutting edge of physics
superstring
Me: string theory is laughed at by many non-string theorists
Someone: much your disparagement of cultural studies and literary theory works on smearing
Me: no
it works on looking at what has been written
Someone: i suppose i'll soon enter into one of your caricatures of those who have "succumbed" to pomo and Christian bullshit
Me: I do not draw caricatures
I let what people write and say speak for themselves
if a Christian used the usual sort of arguments against you, what would you say, given that you use many of the same ones yourself?
Someone: unfortunately, much as i would have liked to, i do not have sufficiently advanced understanding of theory yet to distance myself from christian apology
Me: ???
Someone: i don't see myself as employing the same sort of defence as christian apology
you like to ally ppl who disagree with you with naive unthinking "fundamentalist" fanatical believers
i probably shouldn't have spent such an inordinate amount of time "defending" psychoanalysis
there are many other things worthy of my attention
Me: let me show you some of the many examples
freud was a fraud because you presupposed him to be so <-> god does not exist because you assume he does not
i used to think so too <-> i used to defy god also
empirical scientific evidence is insufficient <-> reason is insufficient. you need god
you must believe that cognitive neuroscience can explain everything about the human brain and behaviour and culture <-> you must believe that science can explain everything about the world
one needs to read freud with care <-> one needs to read the bible with care
both of them trained as medical doctors. and very concerned with treating disorders of one sort or another <-> luke says that he wanted to record faithfully everything that happened
he believed whole-heartedly in the empirical medical sceince <-> the apostles believed that jesus was resurrected
i don't think one has to abandon scientific rationality, atheism, and anti-superstition if one takes psychoanalysis seriously <-> i don't think one has to abandon scientific rationality and anti-superstition if one takes the bible seriously
Someone: yes, insofar as against your rigidly rationalist-empiricist viewpoint goes i tried to make a claim on behalf of possible truth of psychoanalysis
but i suspect i might also have put up a similar defence on behalf of any theoretical scientific speculation such as string theory for which experimental/empircal evidence is sorely lacking
like, existence of extraterrestrial life
Me: the existence of extraterrestrial life is a possibility
not a certainty
Someone: am i any less able to maintain any sort of critical distance towards what i defend?
Me: if you aren't rationalist-empiricist, how do you determine which truth claims are correct?
Someone: one can argue for a limited range of truth-claims for a novel or poem or artwork
correctness is not necessarily singular
Me: not necessarily
but often it is
Someone: like i said i don't claim to have the last word on psychoanalysis. i'm far from a deep understanding of it
i was simply making a case for it
anyone could make a case a la christian apologetics if they tried to learn it
i do think there remains alot to be said for how the human mind is affected by culture, somewhat independently if biology
and the things that remain to be said, very interestingly, are in cultural theory
Me: there are some gems here and there
Someone: i think you also wouldn't deny christianity has its own limited 'truths' to make as well
allegorical maybe
but no less truths
Me: that's a cheap fudge
in that case nothing can ever be false
as descartes pointed out, even if a deceiving demon was painting false pictures of reality to him, at least the colours of the paint would be real
that's "truth" in a very shallow, superficial way
Someone else: "My brother is a fan of Freud; I have contemplated disowning him - my brother that is. Except that, that in Freudian terms, will be taken as an expression of my repressed sexuality."
Post ID: 8786592166323621218
"There is no sincerer love than the love of food" - George Bernard Shaw
***
"Attention: Dear Prominent User of the Internet.
How are you today? Hope all is well with you and your family?
This is from a total cash prize of US 50,000,000 Million dollars, given to the first FIFTY (50) people who will be compensated in this world internet programs.
All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through computer draw system.
Due to your effort, using internet programs indoor and in your office, We want to compensate you and show our gratitude to you with the sum of $1,000,000.00 Million United States Of America Dollars"
.........................................................
***
"Attention: Dear Prominent User of the Internet.
How are you today? Hope all is well with you and your family?
This is from a total cash prize of US 50,000,000 Million dollars, given to the first FIFTY (50) people who will be compensated in this world internet programs.
All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through computer draw system.
Due to your effort, using internet programs indoor and in your office, We want to compensate you and show our gratitude to you with the sum of $1,000,000.00 Million United States Of America Dollars"
.........................................................
Post ID: 2161683256516752954
"I don't think anyone should write their autobiography until after they're dead." - Samuel Goldwyn
***
Stephen Fry: The internet and Me
A RIPOSTE TO WEB-WORRIERS
"I doubt you can find any sentence describing how human learning has degraded now that isn't congruent to a similar sentence written at the time of rise of the novel - about how people were no longer reading sermons and classical literature, but were reading novels from subscription libraries instead.
The literature at the time in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, describing the contempt that the learned establishment had for the rise of the novel - and then of course later with the rise of the penny dreadfuls and sensational literature as more and more people came to read it - again there was a great cry of despair at how there would be nothing but illiteracy in the world, or at least a kind of refusal or inability to engage in proper, serious study.
And we hear the cry again."
***
Stephen Fry: The internet and Me
A RIPOSTE TO WEB-WORRIERS
"I doubt you can find any sentence describing how human learning has degraded now that isn't congruent to a similar sentence written at the time of rise of the novel - about how people were no longer reading sermons and classical literature, but were reading novels from subscription libraries instead.
The literature at the time in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, describing the contempt that the learned establishment had for the rise of the novel - and then of course later with the rise of the penny dreadfuls and sensational literature as more and more people came to read it - again there was a great cry of despair at how there would be nothing but illiteracy in the world, or at least a kind of refusal or inability to engage in proper, serious study.
And we hear the cry again."
Post ID: 2561822117683136075
Saturday, January 16, 2010
«我国互联网形态有特殊性。相对于国外的各种限制，中国的互联网是全世界最开放的。» - 周锡生
("Our country's Internet situation is unique. Compared to all kinds of restrictions in foreign countries, China has the most open Internet in the world." - Zhou Xisheng, Deputy Chief of Xinhua News Agency, Director-General of Xinhua News Net)
***
We are born to believe in God - ""Children have a natural, intuitive way of reasoning that leads them to all kinds of supernatural beliefs about how the world works. As they grow up they overlay these beliefs with more rational approaches but the tendency to illogical supernatural beliefs remains as religion"... even ardent atheists may balk at the idea of accepting an organ transplant from a murderer, because of a superstitious belief that an individual’s personality could be stored in their organs"
Is Google Censoring Islam Suggestions? - "Confused about what Islam is? Join the party — it seems Google can’t figure it out either. Or, at least its search suggestion program can’t"
Singaporeans Seek Asylum Elsewhere - "Despite the prosperity, the decent health and education systems and the lack of crime, a steady trickle of Singaporeans have felt the urge to abandon their homeland and seek asylum in nations such as Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada over the last few years. (That of course doesn't count the thousands of Singaporeans who leave every year to settle elsewhere. By one estimate, the number who put the Lion City behind them is as high as 15 percent of annual births)... With genuine refugees from strife-ridden nations such as Afghanistan... most asylum seekers from Singapore are turned back... Meanwhile, the Singapore government continues to stick to its long-standing policy of refusing to accept refugees. It is one of the few countries that have chosen not to sign up to the UN Refugee Convention and has a long history of turning away even those in desperate need... Lee Kuan Yew... vetoed a 1979 proposal by Margaret Thatcher to buy a vacant Indonesian or Philippine island to house Vietnamese boat people. His concern was that this would create a "rival entrepreneurial city""
German cop faces firing after having noisy sex in church
He Lied, She Lied - ""Men tend to lie to gain career or professional status... Women tend to lie to gain social status." So while a man is busy underestimating operating costs or bloating sales figures, Reina says their female colleagues are more likely to be spreading office gossip that may not be true, or making up excuses not to attend a co-worker's dinner party... Women are also more likely to express exaggerated appreciation. Office hallways rebound with women complimenting each other on their outfits, hairstyles and work; men tend to keep it to a simple, "Good job, man"... women are more likely to be self-deprecating and express falsely negative evaluations of themselves in order to either fish for a compliment or seem less threatening... A man, no surprise, is more likely to aggrandize his achievement"
YouTube - 12 Days of Ris-Mas - "On the 12th day of Ris-Mas my true love gave to me: 12 months probation, 11 day safari, 10 ads from sponsorers, 9 English lessons, 8 khaki jins, 7 credit cards from 6 different people, 5 leopard preens, 4-giveness, 3-piece bigini, 2 polar disorder and a diploma in hospitallality"
Man beaten to death for using mobile phone in pub
Chimpanzees exchange meat for sex - "[She] studied chimps in the Tai Forest reserve in Ivory Coast... Dr Gomes thinks that her findings could even provide clues about human evolution. She suggests this study could lay the foundations for human studies exploring the link between "good hunting skills and reproductive success". "This has got me really interested in humans," she said. "I'm thinking of moving on to working with hunter-gatherers.""
Patriarchy has infected Macaques in Indonesia, Penguins in Antarctica, Shrikes (presumably in Eastern Europe) and now Chimpanzees in Côte d'Ivoire (insect mating might be too simple to describe as prostitution)
We’re Wired from Brain to Toe, So Why Aren’t We Illiterate Yet? - "When once we dined on Tolstoy, now we munch on Tweets. So goes the argument. Turns out, it’s wrong. Actually it’s been wrong for a few millennia, starting when Socrates predicted that we were all screwed when the oral tradition gave way to the written word... Enjoyment of literature has always been a moving target — hence, the Canon’s very center of gravity–Shakespeare–wrote plays for the barely literate rabble. Terrific irony... research on whether TV is detrimental to the intelligence of children depends almost entirely on where they live, in a socioeconomic sense... 'for children of impoverished parents... The more TV they watch, the better their grades'"
Theory is useless - you must look at empirical data. Which is why when the humanities try to talk about social science, you often get ridiculous results
Secrets of the Economist's Trade: First, Purchase a Piggy Bank - "Economists are often cheapskates... economics majors were less likely to donate money to charity than students who majored in other fields... One year, Yale University economist Robert Shiller, who'd never gambled in his life, found himself at a casino there. He says that was because Wharton economist Jeremy Siegel realized that by using coupons offered to conventioneers, they could take opposing bets at the craps table with a 35 out of 36 chance of winning $12.50 each. Over two nights, Mr. Shiller netted $87.50. He hasn't gambled since."
Contra Mundum: Confessions of an Anti-Choice Fanatic - "If current media is to be believed opposition to legal abortion comes from misogynist fundamentalist fanatics who want to impose their religious mores onto others. This string of pejorative terms is amusing; however, it does not actually address the more crucial question of whether laws against feticide (the killing of a fetus) are just... Those who attempt to ground humanity in the amount of brain development an organism has undergone face a dilemma... “by any plausible measure dogs, and cats, cows and pigs, chickens and ducks are more intellectually developed than a new born infant”"
Audiences experience 'Avatar' blues - "On the fan forum site "Avatar Forums," a topic thread entitled "Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible," has received more than 1,000 posts from people experiencing depression and fans trying to help them cope... A user named Mike wrote on the fan Web site "Naviblue" that he contemplated suicide after seeing the movie... "When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed ... gray. It was like my whole life, everything I've done and worked for, lost its meaning""
............................
Noah's Ark was circular raft made of reeds, according to ancient tablet - "The tablet describes the Mesopotamian story, which became the account in the Old Testament of Noah's Ark in the Book of Genesis. In Mr Finkel's translation, the god speaks to Atram-Hasis, a Sumerian king who is the Noah figure in early versions of the ark story... Mr Finkel, the curator of the recent British exhibition on ancient Babylon, believes it was during the Babylonian captivity that the exiled Jews learned of the story of Noah and incorporated it into the Old Testament"
How To Wake Up Your Girlfriend (video)
This guy's not getting laid tonight
Letter From London - My American Friends - "When I finally got to America myself, I found that not only were the natives friendly and hospitable, they were also incredibly polite. No one tells you this about Americans, but once you notice it, it becomes one of their defining characteristics, especially when they’re abroad... racial intermingling in Britain is most conspicuous in the ethnically diverse makeup of the groups of yobs — Asian, black and white — who exercise their antisocial behavioral skills without any kind of discrimination as to whom they happen to be terrorizing"
("Our country's Internet situation is unique. Compared to all kinds of restrictions in foreign countries, China has the most open Internet in the world." - Zhou Xisheng, Deputy Chief of Xinhua News Agency, Director-General of Xinhua News Net)
***
We are born to believe in God - ""Children have a natural, intuitive way of reasoning that leads them to all kinds of supernatural beliefs about how the world works. As they grow up they overlay these beliefs with more rational approaches but the tendency to illogical supernatural beliefs remains as religion"... even ardent atheists may balk at the idea of accepting an organ transplant from a murderer, because of a superstitious belief that an individual’s personality could be stored in their organs"
Is Google Censoring Islam Suggestions? - "Confused about what Islam is? Join the party — it seems Google can’t figure it out either. Or, at least its search suggestion program can’t"
Singaporeans Seek Asylum Elsewhere - "Despite the prosperity, the decent health and education systems and the lack of crime, a steady trickle of Singaporeans have felt the urge to abandon their homeland and seek asylum in nations such as Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada over the last few years. (That of course doesn't count the thousands of Singaporeans who leave every year to settle elsewhere. By one estimate, the number who put the Lion City behind them is as high as 15 percent of annual births)... With genuine refugees from strife-ridden nations such as Afghanistan... most asylum seekers from Singapore are turned back... Meanwhile, the Singapore government continues to stick to its long-standing policy of refusing to accept refugees. It is one of the few countries that have chosen not to sign up to the UN Refugee Convention and has a long history of turning away even those in desperate need... Lee Kuan Yew... vetoed a 1979 proposal by Margaret Thatcher to buy a vacant Indonesian or Philippine island to house Vietnamese boat people. His concern was that this would create a "rival entrepreneurial city""
German cop faces firing after having noisy sex in church
He Lied, She Lied - ""Men tend to lie to gain career or professional status... Women tend to lie to gain social status." So while a man is busy underestimating operating costs or bloating sales figures, Reina says their female colleagues are more likely to be spreading office gossip that may not be true, or making up excuses not to attend a co-worker's dinner party... Women are also more likely to express exaggerated appreciation. Office hallways rebound with women complimenting each other on their outfits, hairstyles and work; men tend to keep it to a simple, "Good job, man"... women are more likely to be self-deprecating and express falsely negative evaluations of themselves in order to either fish for a compliment or seem less threatening... A man, no surprise, is more likely to aggrandize his achievement"
YouTube - 12 Days of Ris-Mas - "On the 12th day of Ris-Mas my true love gave to me: 12 months probation, 11 day safari, 10 ads from sponsorers, 9 English lessons, 8 khaki jins, 7 credit cards from 6 different people, 5 leopard preens, 4-giveness, 3-piece bigini, 2 polar disorder and a diploma in hospitallality"
Man beaten to death for using mobile phone in pub
Chimpanzees exchange meat for sex - "[She] studied chimps in the Tai Forest reserve in Ivory Coast... Dr Gomes thinks that her findings could even provide clues about human evolution. She suggests this study could lay the foundations for human studies exploring the link between "good hunting skills and reproductive success". "This has got me really interested in humans," she said. "I'm thinking of moving on to working with hunter-gatherers.""
Patriarchy has infected Macaques in Indonesia, Penguins in Antarctica, Shrikes (presumably in Eastern Europe) and now Chimpanzees in Côte d'Ivoire (insect mating might be too simple to describe as prostitution)
We’re Wired from Brain to Toe, So Why Aren’t We Illiterate Yet? - "When once we dined on Tolstoy, now we munch on Tweets. So goes the argument. Turns out, it’s wrong. Actually it’s been wrong for a few millennia, starting when Socrates predicted that we were all screwed when the oral tradition gave way to the written word... Enjoyment of literature has always been a moving target — hence, the Canon’s very center of gravity–Shakespeare–wrote plays for the barely literate rabble. Terrific irony... research on whether TV is detrimental to the intelligence of children depends almost entirely on where they live, in a socioeconomic sense... 'for children of impoverished parents... The more TV they watch, the better their grades'"
Theory is useless - you must look at empirical data. Which is why when the humanities try to talk about social science, you often get ridiculous results
Secrets of the Economist's Trade: First, Purchase a Piggy Bank - "Economists are often cheapskates... economics majors were less likely to donate money to charity than students who majored in other fields... One year, Yale University economist Robert Shiller, who'd never gambled in his life, found himself at a casino there. He says that was because Wharton economist Jeremy Siegel realized that by using coupons offered to conventioneers, they could take opposing bets at the craps table with a 35 out of 36 chance of winning $12.50 each. Over two nights, Mr. Shiller netted $87.50. He hasn't gambled since."
Contra Mundum: Confessions of an Anti-Choice Fanatic - "If current media is to be believed opposition to legal abortion comes from misogynist fundamentalist fanatics who want to impose their religious mores onto others. This string of pejorative terms is amusing; however, it does not actually address the more crucial question of whether laws against feticide (the killing of a fetus) are just... Those who attempt to ground humanity in the amount of brain development an organism has undergone face a dilemma... “by any plausible measure dogs, and cats, cows and pigs, chickens and ducks are more intellectually developed than a new born infant”"
Audiences experience 'Avatar' blues - "On the fan forum site "Avatar Forums," a topic thread entitled "Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible," has received more than 1,000 posts from people experiencing depression and fans trying to help them cope... A user named Mike wrote on the fan Web site "Naviblue" that he contemplated suicide after seeing the movie... "When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed ... gray. It was like my whole life, everything I've done and worked for, lost its meaning""
............................
Noah's Ark was circular raft made of reeds, according to ancient tablet - "The tablet describes the Mesopotamian story, which became the account in the Old Testament of Noah's Ark in the Book of Genesis. In Mr Finkel's translation, the god speaks to Atram-Hasis, a Sumerian king who is the Noah figure in early versions of the ark story... Mr Finkel, the curator of the recent British exhibition on ancient Babylon, believes it was during the Babylonian captivity that the exiled Jews learned of the story of Noah and incorporated it into the Old Testament"
How To Wake Up Your Girlfriend (video)
This guy's not getting laid tonight
Letter From London - My American Friends - "When I finally got to America myself, I found that not only were the natives friendly and hospitable, they were also incredibly polite. No one tells you this about Americans, but once you notice it, it becomes one of their defining characteristics, especially when they’re abroad... racial intermingling in Britain is most conspicuous in the ethnically diverse makeup of the groups of yobs — Asian, black and white — who exercise their antisocial behavioral skills without any kind of discrimination as to whom they happen to be terrorizing"
Post ID: 8830555497143505814
Thursday, January 14, 2010
"Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater." - Gail Godwin
***
"SIR – I recently finished my required 45-hour “orientation class” (Orientierungskurs) and corresponding examination in Germany after a mandatory equivalent of 600 hours of German language lessons, just to stay in the country for three years. Apart from being told that the German flag contains the colour gold, “not yellow”, I had to endure rich-bashing and ridicule of the notion that anyone can become a millionaire. The result of this class has been a desire on my part to leave Germany, which was perhaps one of its goals.
Roxanna Nazari
Berlin"
***
"SIR – I recently finished my required 45-hour “orientation class” (Orientierungskurs) and corresponding examination in Germany after a mandatory equivalent of 600 hours of German language lessons, just to stay in the country for three years. Apart from being told that the German flag contains the colour gold, “not yellow”, I had to endure rich-bashing and ridicule of the notion that anyone can become a millionaire. The result of this class has been a desire on my part to leave Germany, which was perhaps one of its goals.
Roxanna Nazari
Berlin"
Post ID: 5118937978840031056
Mr Miyagi:
"I've always said that no matter how bad one thinks Singapore is, there's always Malaysia to make us thankful we don't live there."
"I've always said that no matter how bad one thinks Singapore is, there's always Malaysia to make us thankful we don't live there."
Post ID: 4069530642514652804
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
The Post-Breakup Facebook Effect
"There's an interesting phenomenon on Facebook: as soon as a girl gets out of a relationship and makes her new "single" status known, all of her guy friends suddenly jump in to console her. From that moment on, numerous guys will continue to post sympathetic messages on her wall and status updates until the relationship status has returned to "In Relationship". Personally, I find the phenomenon to be extremely entertaining.
The phenomenon is now part of a strange mating ritual which has evolved on Facebook... In the case of the guys who immediately post comments on the change of a female’s relationship status to “Single”, the guys are essentially displaying their lower value...
I can see it now though, a Discovery channel show on the mating rituals of humans who are connected to Facebook. (Said in an Australian accent) "The female demonstrates her ability to cook by posting images of the meal that she just made for dinner. The males collect photos which depict themselves in a position of influence and post status updates which illustrate their cleverness.""
The Post-Breakup Facebook Effect
"There's an interesting phenomenon on Facebook: as soon as a girl gets out of a relationship and makes her new "single" status known, all of her guy friends suddenly jump in to console her. From that moment on, numerous guys will continue to post sympathetic messages on her wall and status updates until the relationship status has returned to "In Relationship". Personally, I find the phenomenon to be extremely entertaining.
The phenomenon is now part of a strange mating ritual which has evolved on Facebook... In the case of the guys who immediately post comments on the change of a female’s relationship status to “Single”, the guys are essentially displaying their lower value...
I can see it now though, a Discovery channel show on the mating rituals of humans who are connected to Facebook. (Said in an Australian accent) "The female demonstrates her ability to cook by posting images of the meal that she just made for dinner. The males collect photos which depict themselves in a position of influence and post status updates which illustrate their cleverness.""
Post ID: 2677086583585877708
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
"The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane." - Nikola Tesla
***
I'd heard of this, but I thought it was an urban legend:
"FILL MY CUPS
This one's for the ladies
Step right up to the Boobie Booth and flaunt what you've got, we don't care if they're bite-sized or swollen, droopy or perky, silicone or saline, papayas or even raisins - everyone's a winner. But trust us, big girls most definitely won't cry.
A - 1 free drink
B - 2 free drinks
C - 3 free drinks
D - 1 Bottle of Premium Vodka
DJ Dcup (Australia): The next big thing to come from Down Under, Dcup has drawn comparisons to Treasure Fingers, Miami Horro and Shazam
Belvedere Vodka $168++ per bottle
OverEasy - 1 Fullerton
Sat, 16th Jan 2010
9pm-Late"
It'd have been a cute promotion on its own, but the fact that the DJ is called Dcup makes it even cuter. Except presumably they don't think there're DD and bigger cups in Singapore.
Perhaps some girls will deliberately wear overly-big bras to get more drinks.
I'm quite sure this will be more popular than Dare 21 (which promised free entry to girls wearing 21" of clothes or less).
Some say it is offensive but really, it is a logical extension of the idea of Ladies' Nights: in both cases one gender is privileged over the other.
jemauvais:
"No I won't be there, but I'm curious to know:
1) How many women are actually going to step up to the Boobie Booth.
2) How they are going to determine the cup size (like are they going to do it arbitrarily? Or just check labels? Or have those Triumph or Wacoal sales people around to do private fittings?).
3) What size is the "bottle of vodka" for the D Cups (notice they didn't say anything about mixers).
But most importantly, I'm waiting to see if some disgruntled feminist will lodge a complaint about this, like the Muttons FHM Braless Day thing...!"
***
I'd heard of this, but I thought it was an urban legend:
"FILL MY CUPS
This one's for the ladies
Step right up to the Boobie Booth and flaunt what you've got, we don't care if they're bite-sized or swollen, droopy or perky, silicone or saline, papayas or even raisins - everyone's a winner. But trust us, big girls most definitely won't cry.
A - 1 free drink
B - 2 free drinks
C - 3 free drinks
D - 1 Bottle of Premium Vodka
DJ Dcup (Australia): The next big thing to come from Down Under, Dcup has drawn comparisons to Treasure Fingers, Miami Horro and Shazam
Belvedere Vodka $168++ per bottle
OverEasy - 1 Fullerton
Sat, 16th Jan 2010
9pm-Late"
It'd have been a cute promotion on its own, but the fact that the DJ is called Dcup makes it even cuter. Except presumably they don't think there're DD and bigger cups in Singapore.
Perhaps some girls will deliberately wear overly-big bras to get more drinks.
I'm quite sure this will be more popular than Dare 21 (which promised free entry to girls wearing 21" of clothes or less).
Some say it is offensive but really, it is a logical extension of the idea of Ladies' Nights: in both cases one gender is privileged over the other.
jemauvais:
"No I won't be there, but I'm curious to know:
1) How many women are actually going to step up to the Boobie Booth.
2) How they are going to determine the cup size (like are they going to do it arbitrarily? Or just check labels? Or have those Triumph or Wacoal sales people around to do private fittings?).
3) What size is the "bottle of vodka" for the D Cups (notice they didn't say anything about mixers).
But most importantly, I'm waiting to see if some disgruntled feminist will lodge a complaint about this, like the Muttons FHM Braless Day thing...!"
Post ID: 176113711009638374
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Me on Tuesday: Not going to take part in pointless online arguments until the end of the week
A: i don't believe it you can control yourself.
B: You'll just find a way to start an argument by saying that its not pointless.
C: we could get the ISD to email you just so you can argue with them
D: can you?... you're leafving town this weekend?
E: what is this, austerity week?
F: i disagree with you walking away from all that
G: I bet you can't resist=p
I find their lack of faith disturbing.
In any case, I made it.
A: i don't believe it you can control yourself.
B: You'll just find a way to start an argument by saying that its not pointless.
C: we could get the ISD to email you just so you can argue with them
D: can you?... you're leafving town this weekend?
E: what is this, austerity week?
F: i disagree with you walking away from all that
G: I bet you can't resist=p
I find their lack of faith disturbing.
In any case, I made it.
Post ID: 7035520069052334496
On dirt:
"“In cleaning”, writes Mindy Lewis, editor of a recent collection of essays entitled “Dirt”, “we make sense of our lives, sort our messes, restore order to our psyches, work out our anger and frustration, rediscover the beauty in our lives, and express our love for (and resentment toward) others.” Cleaning away dirt, her contributors suggest, can be healing or oppressive, comforting or obsessive, or each of these at different times.
One essayist in “Dirt” describes how her neurotic desire to keep her house spick and span led to the break-up of her marriage: “For me, the act of cleaning house came to represent my endless pursuit of control, in a life where virtually none existed.” Another contributor explains how cleaning became an expression of self-worth. “The truth is, cleaning gives me a sense of purpose at times when it doesn’t seem like I have a role in this world,” she writes. “At home, there are always things to be dusted, sucked up, disposed of.”"
"“In cleaning”, writes Mindy Lewis, editor of a recent collection of essays entitled “Dirt”, “we make sense of our lives, sort our messes, restore order to our psyches, work out our anger and frustration, rediscover the beauty in our lives, and express our love for (and resentment toward) others.” Cleaning away dirt, her contributors suggest, can be healing or oppressive, comforting or obsessive, or each of these at different times.
One essayist in “Dirt” describes how her neurotic desire to keep her house spick and span led to the break-up of her marriage: “For me, the act of cleaning house came to represent my endless pursuit of control, in a life where virtually none existed.” Another contributor explains how cleaning became an expression of self-worth. “The truth is, cleaning gives me a sense of purpose at times when it doesn’t seem like I have a role in this world,” she writes. “At home, there are always things to be dusted, sucked up, disposed of.”"
Post ID: 518106162643892283
Enfin, je comprends pourquoi le participe passé s'accorde en genre et en nombre avec le complément d'objet direct qui le précède.
C'est pour nous aider à distinguer les phrases:
Je l’ai sautée sur mon lit.
et
Je l’ai sauté sur mon lit.
C'est très très important!!!
C'est pour nous aider à distinguer les phrases:
Je l’ai sautée sur mon lit.
et
Je l’ai sauté sur mon lit.
C'est très très important!!!
Post ID: 6880429211606274902
Saturday, January 09, 2010
"Nothing can so alienate a voter from the political system as backing a winning candidate." - Mark B. Cohen
***
Left 4 Dead 2's Frying Pans Kill a Tank 3 Times Faster than Shotguns
Basics - Another Challenge for Ethical Eating - Plants Want to Live, Too - "The more that scientists learn about the complexity of plants — their keen sensitivity to the environment, the speed with which they react to changes in the environment, and the extraordinary number of tricks that plants will rally to fight off attackers and solicit help from afar — the more impressed researchers become, and the less easily we can dismiss plants as so much fiberfill backdrop"
PR stunt gone wrong? - "Several 'acts of vandalism' carried out on SingPost mailboxes over the past few days, attracting public attention, now appear to be an attempt by SingPost to drum up publicity - and the police have stepped in... "Police will be taking the matter up with SingPost as this whole episode has caused unnecessary public alarm and wasted valuable resources""
Die mauer im kopf is like der Polizist im Kopf. We can get rid of the policemen on the streets, but never the policeman in our heads
Simon Koh Yong's Braised Abalone - "Incidentally, it doesn't mean that the bigger the abalone, the better. Size is a matter of personal taste and the 'head count' - that is, 10-head or 15-head, etc, simply refers to the number of abalones that make up a kati of weight (600 gm). The smaller the abalone, the younger it is, and as it takes years to grow to a large size, it's generally agreed that the bigger and older the abalone is, the better the taste."
New scanners break child porn laws - "The rapid introduction of full body scanners at British airports threatens to breach child protection laws which ban the creation of indecent images of children"
Under-aged suicide bombers, here we come!
Save the trees, say NO to junk mails from SingPost - "These fliers are delivered by our friendly postmen who are able to unlock the anti-junk locking devices on our letterboxes, junk mail seep through. This defeats the entire purpose of HDB installing these devices. Singaporeans wonder why because they do not know their postmen have colluded with the spammers and that Admail is an auto opt-in subscription."
KFC accused of racism over Australian advertisement - "An outnumbered white cricket fan handing out pieces of fried chicken to appease a dancing, drumming and singing group of black West Indian supporters... "The ad was reproduced online in the US without KFC's permission, where we are told a culturally-based stereotype exists, leading to the incorrect assertion of racism"... some commentators [are] accusing Americans of "insularity"... the association between fried chicken and ethnic minorities was a distinctly US issue: "They have a tendency to think that their history is more important than that of other countries""
Let's hope no one in Singapore makes an advertisement about "Jap food"
i.Saw - The World's First USB-powered Chainsaw
Newark terminal locked down; search continues for man - ""I just saw one woman pleading with a gate agent, saying that she had two small children and a heart condition -- that she simply could not take this," Cho said. "But of course, there will be no exceptions.""
Perhaps one day we'll find that security measures kill more people than terrorism
What Israeli security could teach us - "US airport security remains obstinately focused on intercepting bad things -- guns, knives, explosives. It is a reactive policy, aimed at preventing the last terrorist plot from being repeated... things don't hijack planes, terrorists do... But because federal policy still bans ethnic or religious profiling, US passengers continue to be singled out for special scrutiny mostly on a random basis. Countless hours have been spent patting down elderly women in wheelchairs... time that could have been used instead to concentrate on passengers with a greater likelihood of being terrorists... It is not racism or bigotry to argue that the prevention of Islamist terrorism necessitates a special focus on Muslim travelers, just as it is not racism or bigotry when police trying to prevent a Mafia killing pay closer attention to Italians"
How to nap - "A short afternoon catnap of 20 minutes... you can drink a cup of coffee before you nap. Caffeine requires 20 or 30 minutes to take effect, so it will kick in just as you're waking"
The 30 Most Disturbing Twilight Products - "Bella's Womb Well, it was bound to happen, someone was bound to make a felt version of Bella Swan's womb... wait WHAT. HER WOMB? SOMEONE FELTED HER WOMB? WITH THE MUTATED BLOOD-CRAVING ADULT BABY RENESMEE INSIDE? TELL US WHY. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THIS?? TwiCrotch: Edward Panties Who doesn't need panties where the crotch faces INSIDE. Yeah, mull that one over, fans.... The Vamp: The Sparkly Dildo"
25kg of cocaine hits Spanish supermarket shelves - "Drug smugglers in Spain are at least 25 kilos of cocaine short after boxes of bananas in which they'd hidden the Bolivian marching powder ended up on supermarket shelves."
Amazon.com: Daniel A. Koblosh's review of Denon AKDL1 Dedicated Link Cable - "After I took delivery of my $500 Denon AKDL1 Cat-5 uber-cable, Al Gore was mysteriously drawn to my home, where he pronounced that Global Warming had been suspended in my vicinity... One heck of a cable. Didn't notice any improvement in audio quality though. The $800 Apple iCable is clearly superior."
Ten Psychology Studies from 2009 Worth Knowing About - "1. If you have to choose between buying something or spending the money on a memorable experience, go with the experience 7. If someone is trying to sell you something, be extra careful to keep your psychological distance 10. If you’re a man and find yourself in an argument with your significant other, choose your words very carefully... Women may just be better at communication, or just luckier in this particular biological lottery"
Explosives planted on man to test airport security - "Irish police have released a man held over an explosives find, after Slovakian authorities admitted planting them in his luggage."
They could've framed him for drugs also
Sex doesn't sell in mainstream cinema, study says - "Crunching data from 914 films released between 2001 and 2005, researchers Dean Keith Simonton from the University of California, Davis, and independent Vancouver-based researcher Anemone Cerridwen discovered sex and nudity have a negligible impact on the box office... On average, the less sex and nudity, the higher the gross... "I think it reflects and reinforces sexism in society, in general. Even if the performer genuinely doesn't mind having to do this stuff as a condition of employment, it creates a hostile environment for the rest of us: other women on camera, behind the camera, in acting classes, plus women, in general""
Chanting "get your rosaries off our ovaries" creates a hostile environment for Catholics.
Someone: "stinky men next to me on the train creates a hostile environment for me"
***
Left 4 Dead 2's Frying Pans Kill a Tank 3 Times Faster than Shotguns
Basics - Another Challenge for Ethical Eating - Plants Want to Live, Too - "The more that scientists learn about the complexity of plants — their keen sensitivity to the environment, the speed with which they react to changes in the environment, and the extraordinary number of tricks that plants will rally to fight off attackers and solicit help from afar — the more impressed researchers become, and the less easily we can dismiss plants as so much fiberfill backdrop"
PR stunt gone wrong? - "Several 'acts of vandalism' carried out on SingPost mailboxes over the past few days, attracting public attention, now appear to be an attempt by SingPost to drum up publicity - and the police have stepped in... "Police will be taking the matter up with SingPost as this whole episode has caused unnecessary public alarm and wasted valuable resources""
Die mauer im kopf is like der Polizist im Kopf. We can get rid of the policemen on the streets, but never the policeman in our heads
Simon Koh Yong's Braised Abalone - "Incidentally, it doesn't mean that the bigger the abalone, the better. Size is a matter of personal taste and the 'head count' - that is, 10-head or 15-head, etc, simply refers to the number of abalones that make up a kati of weight (600 gm). The smaller the abalone, the younger it is, and as it takes years to grow to a large size, it's generally agreed that the bigger and older the abalone is, the better the taste."
New scanners break child porn laws - "The rapid introduction of full body scanners at British airports threatens to breach child protection laws which ban the creation of indecent images of children"
Under-aged suicide bombers, here we come!
Save the trees, say NO to junk mails from SingPost - "These fliers are delivered by our friendly postmen who are able to unlock the anti-junk locking devices on our letterboxes, junk mail seep through. This defeats the entire purpose of HDB installing these devices. Singaporeans wonder why because they do not know their postmen have colluded with the spammers and that Admail is an auto opt-in subscription."
KFC accused of racism over Australian advertisement - "An outnumbered white cricket fan handing out pieces of fried chicken to appease a dancing, drumming and singing group of black West Indian supporters... "The ad was reproduced online in the US without KFC's permission, where we are told a culturally-based stereotype exists, leading to the incorrect assertion of racism"... some commentators [are] accusing Americans of "insularity"... the association between fried chicken and ethnic minorities was a distinctly US issue: "They have a tendency to think that their history is more important than that of other countries""
Let's hope no one in Singapore makes an advertisement about "Jap food"
i.Saw - The World's First USB-powered Chainsaw
Newark terminal locked down; search continues for man - ""I just saw one woman pleading with a gate agent, saying that she had two small children and a heart condition -- that she simply could not take this," Cho said. "But of course, there will be no exceptions.""
Perhaps one day we'll find that security measures kill more people than terrorism
What Israeli security could teach us - "US airport security remains obstinately focused on intercepting bad things -- guns, knives, explosives. It is a reactive policy, aimed at preventing the last terrorist plot from being repeated... things don't hijack planes, terrorists do... But because federal policy still bans ethnic or religious profiling, US passengers continue to be singled out for special scrutiny mostly on a random basis. Countless hours have been spent patting down elderly women in wheelchairs... time that could have been used instead to concentrate on passengers with a greater likelihood of being terrorists... It is not racism or bigotry to argue that the prevention of Islamist terrorism necessitates a special focus on Muslim travelers, just as it is not racism or bigotry when police trying to prevent a Mafia killing pay closer attention to Italians"
How to nap - "A short afternoon catnap of 20 minutes... you can drink a cup of coffee before you nap. Caffeine requires 20 or 30 minutes to take effect, so it will kick in just as you're waking"
The 30 Most Disturbing Twilight Products - "Bella's Womb Well, it was bound to happen, someone was bound to make a felt version of Bella Swan's womb... wait WHAT. HER WOMB? SOMEONE FELTED HER WOMB? WITH THE MUTATED BLOOD-CRAVING ADULT BABY RENESMEE INSIDE? TELL US WHY. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THIS?? TwiCrotch: Edward Panties Who doesn't need panties where the crotch faces INSIDE. Yeah, mull that one over, fans.... The Vamp: The Sparkly Dildo"
25kg of cocaine hits Spanish supermarket shelves - "Drug smugglers in Spain are at least 25 kilos of cocaine short after boxes of bananas in which they'd hidden the Bolivian marching powder ended up on supermarket shelves."
Amazon.com: Daniel A. Koblosh's review of Denon AKDL1 Dedicated Link Cable - "After I took delivery of my $500 Denon AKDL1 Cat-5 uber-cable, Al Gore was mysteriously drawn to my home, where he pronounced that Global Warming had been suspended in my vicinity... One heck of a cable. Didn't notice any improvement in audio quality though. The $800 Apple iCable is clearly superior."
Ten Psychology Studies from 2009 Worth Knowing About - "1. If you have to choose between buying something or spending the money on a memorable experience, go with the experience 7. If someone is trying to sell you something, be extra careful to keep your psychological distance 10. If you’re a man and find yourself in an argument with your significant other, choose your words very carefully... Women may just be better at communication, or just luckier in this particular biological lottery"
Explosives planted on man to test airport security - "Irish police have released a man held over an explosives find, after Slovakian authorities admitted planting them in his luggage."
They could've framed him for drugs also
Sex doesn't sell in mainstream cinema, study says - "Crunching data from 914 films released between 2001 and 2005, researchers Dean Keith Simonton from the University of California, Davis, and independent Vancouver-based researcher Anemone Cerridwen discovered sex and nudity have a negligible impact on the box office... On average, the less sex and nudity, the higher the gross... "I think it reflects and reinforces sexism in society, in general. Even if the performer genuinely doesn't mind having to do this stuff as a condition of employment, it creates a hostile environment for the rest of us: other women on camera, behind the camera, in acting classes, plus women, in general""
Chanting "get your rosaries off our ovaries" creates a hostile environment for Catholics.
Someone: "stinky men next to me on the train creates a hostile environment for me"
Post ID: 6904179177950148258
On why you should not take up an A*STAR post-graduate "scholarship":
Me: "People who take A* scholarships post-bacc are... the biggest morons. There is no nice way to put it. MORONS"
A: whyyyyyyyyy
Me: You get a bond and you would probably have gotten post-grad funding in the first place
A: but what if the person doesn't get a post-grad funding in the first place
B: i'm sure there's a rationale for it. perhaps they couldn't get into some fully funded program or didn't want to live on a meager graduate assistantship for 7 years
C: It's a form of selflessness I guess
D: PhD is generally fully-funded in better universities. so you should aim to get to those fully-funded programmes. might have to live on meagre salary for 5-7 years, but if that's what you want, you should do it. (and dun even think of doing PhD in NUS!)
E: phds in the states are fully funded at any university worth getting a phd from. in fact, guidance counselors and faculty advise not to enter any phd programme that doesn't fully fund its phd candidates.
F: I second E. It is not difficult at all to get funding for a PhD in the US. For most programs ALL PhD students get funding upon admission. If you cannot even get into one of these programs, then you should not do a PhD.
Also, grad assistantships in the sciences aren't that meagre. I'm in the humanities, we get less money than the sciences, but some students in my program still save enough to buy a house while they are still in the program.
G: That said, its easier to get into top programs if someone else is footing the bill
H: 2 reasons:
1. priority to top positions given to scholars (as usual)
2. it's significantly easier to get into top programmes if you bring your own funding (as geoffrey pointed out)
F: The purpose of getting into top programmes is presumably for better career prospects later. Signing your soul to A* defeats that purpose. In the first place, if you're really outstanding in grad school, you can secure a good post-doc right off the bat (or, in some fields, even go straight to a tenure-track position). But no matter how outstanding ... See Moreyou are in grad school, there is no guarantee that you can find a similarly good post-doc position in A* (you cannot jump straight into a senior position, not even if you're a scholar). In the first place, there is the very real question of whether there exist good post-doc positions in A*. In the second place, your choice of post-doc has to be approved by scholarship administrators. In the third place, A* is only one organisation and obviously the available post-doc positions in your field within A* are going to be much fewer than the total number of post-doc positions available on the world market. Your options are very, very much reduced if you are on a scholarship.
If that is not your purpose, but you want to get into top programmes just because you like the feeling of being somewhere 'prestigious', well, good luck to A* having such people in their team.
Me: "People who take A* scholarships post-bacc are... the biggest morons. There is no nice way to put it. MORONS"
A: whyyyyyyyyy
Me: You get a bond and you would probably have gotten post-grad funding in the first place
A: but what if the person doesn't get a post-grad funding in the first place
B: i'm sure there's a rationale for it. perhaps they couldn't get into some fully funded program or didn't want to live on a meager graduate assistantship for 7 years
C: It's a form of selflessness I guess
D: PhD is generally fully-funded in better universities. so you should aim to get to those fully-funded programmes. might have to live on meagre salary for 5-7 years, but if that's what you want, you should do it. (and dun even think of doing PhD in NUS!)
E: phds in the states are fully funded at any university worth getting a phd from. in fact, guidance counselors and faculty advise not to enter any phd programme that doesn't fully fund its phd candidates.
F: I second E. It is not difficult at all to get funding for a PhD in the US. For most programs ALL PhD students get funding upon admission. If you cannot even get into one of these programs, then you should not do a PhD.
Also, grad assistantships in the sciences aren't that meagre. I'm in the humanities, we get less money than the sciences, but some students in my program still save enough to buy a house while they are still in the program.
G: That said, its easier to get into top programs if someone else is footing the bill
H: 2 reasons:
1. priority to top positions given to scholars (as usual)
2. it's significantly easier to get into top programmes if you bring your own funding (as geoffrey pointed out)
F: The purpose of getting into top programmes is presumably for better career prospects later. Signing your soul to A* defeats that purpose. In the first place, if you're really outstanding in grad school, you can secure a good post-doc right off the bat (or, in some fields, even go straight to a tenure-track position). But no matter how outstanding ... See Moreyou are in grad school, there is no guarantee that you can find a similarly good post-doc position in A* (you cannot jump straight into a senior position, not even if you're a scholar). In the first place, there is the very real question of whether there exist good post-doc positions in A*. In the second place, your choice of post-doc has to be approved by scholarship administrators. In the third place, A* is only one organisation and obviously the available post-doc positions in your field within A* are going to be much fewer than the total number of post-doc positions available on the world market. Your options are very, very much reduced if you are on a scholarship.
If that is not your purpose, but you want to get into top programmes just because you like the feeling of being somewhere 'prestigious', well, good luck to A* having such people in their team.
Post ID: 797783108182298783
"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." - Galileo Galilei
***
Here're some of my better French constructions - my favourite lines from the past year (post-correction).
Previously quoted material will not be repeated.
En 2010, je chercherai des petites amies françaises et des petits amis français. Je nagerai dans l'océan d'Atlantique en hiver.
Il y aura un grand esclave qui m'attends dans ma chambre, et une belle esclave dans ma cuisine.
Avant, je couchais aves les hommes et, un jour, j'ai rencontré Alice.
Q: Quand j'avais vingt ans, j'ai rencontré un garçon.
A: Il était très beau, mais je n'étais pas gai. Quel dommage!
Q: Votre petit garçon a mangé du chocolat et il en a sur ses vêtements et dans les cheveux
A: Jette-lui dans le fleuve
Q: Pourquoi est-ce qu'elle ne veut pas porter cette robe?
A: Parce qu'elle n'est pas assez mince
Q: C'est l'anniversaire de Marina. On lui offre des fleurs?
A: Non, je déteste Marina
Q: Vous voulez un verre de vin avec votre viande? Il est très bon
A: Je suis désolé. Je suis Musulman.
Quand nous sommes passés sous le Pont des Soupirs en bateau, j'ai soupiré parce que mon amie est tombée dans le Rio de Palazzo
Q: Alors, on achète cette maison?
A: On pourra acheter cette maison quand tes parents mourront et te donneront beaucoup d'argent
Q: Tu ne vas plus au cinéma?
A: Je pourrai aller au cinéma quand je prendrai ma retraite
Q: Pourquoi est-ce qu'elle est partie en Afrique?
A: Elle est partie en Afrique pour chercher le yéti
Q: Pourquoi est-ce qu'il va dans une école de langues?
A: Il va dans une école de langues pour flirter avec les femmes
Q: Pourquoi est-ce que tu vas au supermarché?
A: Je vais au supermarché pour voler à l'étalage
Q: Et vous, qu'est-ce que vous venez de faire?
A: Je viens d'apprendre l'imparfait
[Le conseil donné au vacanciers] Ne vous habillez pas à l'extérieur
[Lisez les phrases ci-dessous et dites où se trouve la personne. Puis, imaginez la question]
Q1: Non, merci, je ne peux pas boire de vin.
A1: Dans l'église.
Q2: Oui, bien sûr, j'ai travaillé en Angleterre.
A2: Dans des toilettes. Vous parlez Anglais!
***
Mes dernières vacances, j'ai voyagé en Malaisie.
Il faisait trop chaud, comme à Singapour.
Je suis allé à KL en avion. J'ai pris l'avion de SIA, mais j'ai détesté, parce que les femmes SIA étaient trop vaniteuses.
Le premier jour, j'étais malade parce que j'ai déjeuné d'un restaurant sale.
Le deuxième jour, j'ai visité le Musée National. Il n'y avait pas assez de choses, et c'était trop cher.
Le troisième jour, une femme m'a volé. Les gendarmes ne m'aidé pas.
La Malaisie, c'était horrible!
***
Here're some of my better French constructions - my favourite lines from the past year (post-correction).
Previously quoted material will not be repeated.
En 2010, je chercherai des petites amies françaises et des petits amis français. Je nagerai dans l'océan d'Atlantique en hiver.
Il y aura un grand esclave qui m'attends dans ma chambre, et une belle esclave dans ma cuisine.
Avant, je couchais aves les hommes et, un jour, j'ai rencontré Alice.
Q: Quand j'avais vingt ans, j'ai rencontré un garçon.
A: Il était très beau, mais je n'étais pas gai. Quel dommage!
Q: Votre petit garçon a mangé du chocolat et il en a sur ses vêtements et dans les cheveux
A: Jette-lui dans le fleuve
Q: Pourquoi est-ce qu'elle ne veut pas porter cette robe?
A: Parce qu'elle n'est pas assez mince
Q: C'est l'anniversaire de Marina. On lui offre des fleurs?
A: Non, je déteste Marina
Q: Vous voulez un verre de vin avec votre viande? Il est très bon
A: Je suis désolé. Je suis Musulman.
Quand nous sommes passés sous le Pont des Soupirs en bateau, j'ai soupiré parce que mon amie est tombée dans le Rio de Palazzo
Q: Alors, on achète cette maison?
A: On pourra acheter cette maison quand tes parents mourront et te donneront beaucoup d'argent
Q: Tu ne vas plus au cinéma?
A: Je pourrai aller au cinéma quand je prendrai ma retraite
Q: Pourquoi est-ce qu'elle est partie en Afrique?
A: Elle est partie en Afrique pour chercher le yéti
Q: Pourquoi est-ce qu'il va dans une école de langues?
A: Il va dans une école de langues pour flirter avec les femmes
Q: Pourquoi est-ce que tu vas au supermarché?
A: Je vais au supermarché pour voler à l'étalage
Q: Et vous, qu'est-ce que vous venez de faire?
A: Je viens d'apprendre l'imparfait
[Le conseil donné au vacanciers] Ne vous habillez pas à l'extérieur
[Lisez les phrases ci-dessous et dites où se trouve la personne. Puis, imaginez la question]
Q1: Non, merci, je ne peux pas boire de vin.
A1: Dans l'église.
Q2: Oui, bien sûr, j'ai travaillé en Angleterre.
A2: Dans des toilettes. Vous parlez Anglais!
***
Mes dernières vacances, j'ai voyagé en Malaisie.
Il faisait trop chaud, comme à Singapour.
Je suis allé à KL en avion. J'ai pris l'avion de SIA, mais j'ai détesté, parce que les femmes SIA étaient trop vaniteuses.
Le premier jour, j'étais malade parce que j'ai déjeuné d'un restaurant sale.
Le deuxième jour, j'ai visité le Musée National. Il n'y avait pas assez de choses, et c'était trop cher.
Le troisième jour, une femme m'a volé. Les gendarmes ne m'aidé pas.
La Malaisie, c'était horrible!
Post ID: 5819327334835061276
Friday, January 08, 2010
"Human beings are the only creatures that allow their children to come back home." - Bill Cosby
***
The official MFX 1209 trailer is a lot less fun than the famous version.
Happily, I've found a working mirror! The original url is still trying to get your credit card details, and another mirror replaces the original music with Rick Astley (yes, that song - and they still dare to call themselves "the official free" video), so this is a welcome find.
Interestingly, they've rebranded the original to take advantage of its inadvertent infamy.
Original Cover
New, Rebranded Cover
***
The official MFX 1209 trailer is a lot less fun than the famous version.
Happily, I've found a working mirror! The original url is still trying to get your credit card details, and another mirror replaces the original music with Rick Astley (yes, that song - and they still dare to call themselves "the official free" video), so this is a welcome find.
Interestingly, they've rebranded the original to take advantage of its inadvertent infamy.
Original Cover
New, Rebranded Cover
Post ID: 7257276149660073383
Thursday, January 07, 2010
French vs German Music
"If you would be known, and not know, vegetate in a village; If you would know, and not be known, live in a city." - Charles Caleb Colton
***
"The American Composer Ned Rorum likes to classify music as either French or German.
By French, Rorum means music that is sensuous, economical and unabashed superficial.
By German, Rorum means art music that strives to be brainy, complex and impenetrably deep."
(Wednesday's Composer's Datebook)
Elsewhere, in his own words:
"I'm very French by nature and I lived in France for a long time and I am very sympathetic to French music as distinguished from German music. And I feel that all aesthetics in the universe are divided between French and German. Everything is either one or the other. If that's true, then I fall roundly into the French category. German means extravagance and beating your breast and repitition and thickness and heaviness. French means continuity and transparency and say what you have to say, then shut up, with a certain overlay of sexuality. As opposed to German which is sexuality with a lot of sweating. It is loud. Beethoven is pretty crude"
"The world is divided into two aesthetic styles: French and German. The color red is German. The color blue is French. Men are German, women are French. Japan is French, and China is German. German art is known for being profoundly superficial, and French art, for being superficially profound... I am French. If you disagree with my analysis, then you are German."
And:
"Unlike 30 or 50 years ago, there is no culture in Europe. There is nothing coming out of France that I know about—and I would know—in terms of serious theatre or music, or literature or painting, either good or bad; likewise Germany. England is fairly interesting but, strange as it may seem, America, with all its vulgarity, is the most interesting country culturally on earth today in music, in literature, in theatre, in painting."
***
"The American Composer Ned Rorum likes to classify music as either French or German.
By French, Rorum means music that is sensuous, economical and unabashed superficial.
By German, Rorum means art music that strives to be brainy, complex and impenetrably deep."
(Wednesday's Composer's Datebook)
Elsewhere, in his own words:
"I'm very French by nature and I lived in France for a long time and I am very sympathetic to French music as distinguished from German music. And I feel that all aesthetics in the universe are divided between French and German. Everything is either one or the other. If that's true, then I fall roundly into the French category. German means extravagance and beating your breast and repitition and thickness and heaviness. French means continuity and transparency and say what you have to say, then shut up, with a certain overlay of sexuality. As opposed to German which is sexuality with a lot of sweating. It is loud. Beethoven is pretty crude"
"The world is divided into two aesthetic styles: French and German. The color red is German. The color blue is French. Men are German, women are French. Japan is French, and China is German. German art is known for being profoundly superficial, and French art, for being superficially profound... I am French. If you disagree with my analysis, then you are German."
And:
"Unlike 30 or 50 years ago, there is no culture in Europe. There is nothing coming out of France that I know about—and I would know—in terms of serious theatre or music, or literature or painting, either good or bad; likewise Germany. England is fairly interesting but, strange as it may seem, America, with all its vulgarity, is the most interesting country culturally on earth today in music, in literature, in theatre, in painting."
Post ID: 1832571075633383716
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
"One thing I have noticed from a lot of reviews online and from this website, is that Singaporeans tend to be easily fooled by ambience. I've seen a lot of good reviews of restaurants based on Sentosa, and honestly, my reaction upon reading those reviews is often "you must be -expletive involving a mother and a verb-ing kidding me... do these idiots doing the reviews know how much money the restaurant spends on RENTAL vs. FOOD??" Especially since I have eaten at some restaurants at Sentosa, and think that (a) I'm glad I don't live on the ex-Pulau Blakang Mati, and (b) the food is really suitable for the dead.
Really, all it seems to create a "great" restaurant in Singapore with "great" reviews by food journalists with no tastebuds, is to have decent air conditioning, (b) hire a great interior design decorator. The food is often blah, tasteless, and cooked with as much fire and passion as a Toyota car factory robot."
(Source)
Really, all it seems to create a "great" restaurant in Singapore with "great" reviews by food journalists with no tastebuds, is to have decent air conditioning, (b) hire a great interior design decorator. The food is often blah, tasteless, and cooked with as much fire and passion as a Toyota car factory robot."
(Source)
Post ID: 6325166545700061789
Rediscover Your Womanhood: A Health Seminar on Delicate Female Issues
My first question:
1) Are men welcome to rediscover their womanhood?
2) Why are all 4 of the speakers male?
Post ID: 5175193805384416845
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
"I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it." - Voltaire
***
More great stories from the Malaysian press. WaiWai would be proud!
I wonder if these stories being run in the Malaysian press is a subtle attempt to discredit Singapore. Or at least make it sound as wacky as Malaysia.
Husband's organ donor is wife's lover
A BUSINESSMAN who was given a new lease of life after receiving a kidney transplant found out later that the donor was his wife's lover, China Press reported.
The daily quoted the businessman, in his 40s, who said that the man had saved his life but took away his wife.
Things got worse when he realised that the biological father of a child whom he had regarded as his own was actually that of his wife's lover.
The Singaporean, known as John, had been suffering from kidney problems for seven years and started undergoing dialysis in 2007.
"My wife told me one day that a friend of her buddy named Peter was willing to donate one of his kidneys and I was so touched," he said.
"Two months after undergoing surgery in August 2008, my wife of 12 years told me that she had been sleeping with Peter since 2006."
"I had wanted to reconcile with her for the sake of the child but a private investigator I hired found out that she was still on good terms with her lover and this disappointed me," he told the daily.
> Sin Chew Daily reported that a widow in Singapore has slept with at least 24 men in two years, including a married man resembling her late husband.
The daily said the businesswoman had to "pleasure herself" during the six months after her husband's death from a heart attack.
A few months later, she met a man, who looked like her late husband, and began pursuing him with expensive gifts.
He became her lover but they broke up six months later as he could not fulfil her desires.
She began picking up men in various night clubs and could not focus on her work even after consulting a psychologist.
She has since met a divorced man, in his 50s, who was able to satisfy her.
***
More great stories from the Malaysian press. WaiWai would be proud!
I wonder if these stories being run in the Malaysian press is a subtle attempt to discredit Singapore. Or at least make it sound as wacky as Malaysia.
Husband's organ donor is wife's lover
A BUSINESSMAN who was given a new lease of life after receiving a kidney transplant found out later that the donor was his wife's lover, China Press reported.
The daily quoted the businessman, in his 40s, who said that the man had saved his life but took away his wife.
Things got worse when he realised that the biological father of a child whom he had regarded as his own was actually that of his wife's lover.
The Singaporean, known as John, had been suffering from kidney problems for seven years and started undergoing dialysis in 2007.
"My wife told me one day that a friend of her buddy named Peter was willing to donate one of his kidneys and I was so touched," he said.
"Two months after undergoing surgery in August 2008, my wife of 12 years told me that she had been sleeping with Peter since 2006."
"I had wanted to reconcile with her for the sake of the child but a private investigator I hired found out that she was still on good terms with her lover and this disappointed me," he told the daily.
> Sin Chew Daily reported that a widow in Singapore has slept with at least 24 men in two years, including a married man resembling her late husband.
The daily said the businesswoman had to "pleasure herself" during the six months after her husband's death from a heart attack.
A few months later, she met a man, who looked like her late husband, and began pursuing him with expensive gifts.
He became her lover but they broke up six months later as he could not fulfil her desires.
She began picking up men in various night clubs and could not focus on her work even after consulting a psychologist.
She has since met a divorced man, in his 50s, who was able to satisfy her.
Post ID: 4984236748576211926
"Both the cockroach and the bird would get along very well without us, although the cockroach would miss us most." - Joseph Wood Krutch
***
Christian teacher sacked for offering to pray for sick pupil
Shanghai Bridge Made of Rubbish Collapses - "After only a short period in operation the bridge began to collapse, with investigators finding such sturdy construction materials as bags of rubbish, Styrofoam, scrap wood and waste plastic used in the structure in place of reinforced concrete."
Looks like hairbands aren't the only things made of junk in CHina.
For Some of Japan’s Jobless, Homes Just 5 Feet Wide - "The rent is surprisingly high for such a small space: 59,000 yen a month, or about $640, for an upper bunk. But with no upfront deposit or extra utility charges, and basic amenities like fresh linens and free use of a communal bath and sauna, the cost is far less than renting an apartment in Tokyo... The government says about 15,800 people live on the streets in Japan, but aid groups put the figure much higher, with at least 10,000 in Tokyo alone. Those numbers do not count the city’s “hidden” homeless, like those who live in capsule hotels. There is also a floating population that sleeps overnight in the country’s many 24-hour Internet cafes and saunas"
Park ranger sacked over 'racist joke' wins £40k compensation after tribunal tells council 'skin colour is a fact of life' - "A park ranger sacked for asking a black colleague if he 'put polish' on his legs has won £40,000 compensation... employment judge Lindsay Hall-Smith has ruled that he was unfairly dismissed, saying: 'An individual's race or colour is a fact of life. It does not follow that alluding to such matters to or in the presence of the individual concerned necessarily involves racism or less favourable treatment of the individual.'... The judge said the switch to shorts 'usually provoked humorous comments', and one woman, Diane Nash, even wolf-whistled at Mr Parker when he arrived"
What Israel can teach us about security - ""When the security agency in Israel (the ISA) started to tighten security and we had to wait in line for – not for hours – but 30 or 40 minutes, all hell broke loose here"... Despite facing dozens of potential threats each day, the security set-up at Israel's largest hub, Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport, has not been breached since 2002... "They're not looking for liquids, they're not looking at your shoes. They're not looking for everything they look for in North America. They just look at you... and that's how you figure out the bad guys from the good guys.""
If North Americans adopted behavior-based screening, people would be screaming about racial profiling.
SSRN-How Movies Created the Financial Crisis by Larry Ribstein - "Narrative makes sense out of reality and can forcefully persuade listeners to a particular point of view. Artists in general have a narrative of business which springs from their belief that at least some aspects of business are antithetical to art. Filmmakers add to this a resentment of the constraints capital places on their art. Film is particularly persuasive because of its vivid images and because of the consistency of filmmakers’ anti-capitalist perspective on business. Filmmakers’ negative portrayal of capitalists has helped to prepare the public to believe that capitalists - and not government, economic cycles, greedy people or business generally - caused the financial crisis. This will help the public accept a regulatory agenda built on this premise, specifically including the regulation of hedge funds."
Smacked children more successful later in life, study finds - "Youngsters smacked up to the age of six did better at school and were more optimistic about their lives than those never hit by their parents. They were also more likely to undertake voluntary work and keener to attend university... "The idea that smacking and violence are on a continuum is a bizarre and fetishised view of what punishment or smacking is for most parents"... Previous studies have suggested that smacking children can lead them to develop behavioural problems such as being more aggressive"
iPhone users are delusional, consultants say - "Apple has launched a beautiful phone with a fantastic user interface that has had a number of technological shortcomings that many iPhone users have accepted and defended, despite those shortcomings resulting in limitations in iPhone users' daily lives... When we examine the iPhone users' arguments defending the iPhone, it reminds us of the famous Stockholm Syndrome... you will discover the 10 great myths about the iPhone. Here are just two: it doesn't attract new business for operators, and it is not a technologically advanced mobile phone"
From their How will psychologists describe the iPhone syndrome in the future?: Below is a selection of some of the arguments that various hard-core iPhone fanatics have been using since the iPhone initially launched:
3. You cannot forward a SMS: This is a function that hardly anybody uses and was therefore not included in the first iPhones.
8. Apple decides which applications you can install on the phone: This is good, because Apple thereby ensures that you do not get inferior programs on your phone.
9. The app store is a closed universe: Apple knows what is best for end users, which is good for the many iPhone users.
15. You can only purchase the iPhone from operators chosen by Apple: Apple has spent a great deal of time and energy selecting the best operators for customers.
17. The iPhone does not support memory cards: Iphones already offer the necessary memory people require and end users can choose between two models, one with a little memory and one with a great deal of memory.
18. You can not install your own browser: The browser Apple has designed is so superior that you do not need any other browser on your phone.
What an anti-climax: G-spot is a myth - "The scientists at King’s College London... claim there is no evidence for the existence of the G-spot... outside the imagination of women influenced by magazines and sex therapists. They reached their conclusions after a survey of more than 1,800 British women... If one identical twin reported having a G-spot, this would make it far more likely that her sister would give the same answer. But no such pattern emerged, suggesting the G-spot is a matter of the woman’s subjective opinion... Andrea Burri, who led the research, said she was anxious to remove feelings of “inadequacy or underachievement” that might affect women who feared they lacked a G-spot... The quest for the G-spot will not be abandoned. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, which is publishing Burri’s and Spector’s work this week, is planning a debate, with publication of research from the pro and anti G-spot camps. Meanwhile, David Matlock, a Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon, is credited with creating an artificial version of the G-spot. In some cases this has resulted in an over-sensitive zone which induces orgasms when, for example, women drive over bumps in the road."
WiFi for passive-aggressives - "Choose a wireless network: 'We can hear you having sex."
6 reasons why I’m dumping my iPhone for a Nokia N900 - "What does it take to ‘kill the iPhone’?
1. Web browser
2. Installing Apps
3. Contacts
4. Media
5. Messaging
6. Photos
Let’s face it. Apple needs to stop being stubborn and start looking at what we really want. They have, hands down, revolutionized the mobile industry. But they need to start evolving again. People need multitasking. Proper multitasking. Seamless integration of social networking is a must. And for god’s sake.. If we want to change the way our phone works.. even to the point of breaking it, can we not do that without playing a cat and mouse jail-breaking game?"
Meet the lipstick entrepreneurs - "Lots of people don’t like the term ‘lipstick entrepreneurs’. They think it’s sexist. But it reminds me of the women I’ve always admired most in business — the ones who look like they’re so in control, they still have time to dress well and do their hair. They make it look effortless.”"
***
Christian teacher sacked for offering to pray for sick pupil
Shanghai Bridge Made of Rubbish Collapses - "After only a short period in operation the bridge began to collapse, with investigators finding such sturdy construction materials as bags of rubbish, Styrofoam, scrap wood and waste plastic used in the structure in place of reinforced concrete."
Looks like hairbands aren't the only things made of junk in CHina.
For Some of Japan’s Jobless, Homes Just 5 Feet Wide - "The rent is surprisingly high for such a small space: 59,000 yen a month, or about $640, for an upper bunk. But with no upfront deposit or extra utility charges, and basic amenities like fresh linens and free use of a communal bath and sauna, the cost is far less than renting an apartment in Tokyo... The government says about 15,800 people live on the streets in Japan, but aid groups put the figure much higher, with at least 10,000 in Tokyo alone. Those numbers do not count the city’s “hidden” homeless, like those who live in capsule hotels. There is also a floating population that sleeps overnight in the country’s many 24-hour Internet cafes and saunas"
Park ranger sacked over 'racist joke' wins £40k compensation after tribunal tells council 'skin colour is a fact of life' - "A park ranger sacked for asking a black colleague if he 'put polish' on his legs has won £40,000 compensation... employment judge Lindsay Hall-Smith has ruled that he was unfairly dismissed, saying: 'An individual's race or colour is a fact of life. It does not follow that alluding to such matters to or in the presence of the individual concerned necessarily involves racism or less favourable treatment of the individual.'... The judge said the switch to shorts 'usually provoked humorous comments', and one woman, Diane Nash, even wolf-whistled at Mr Parker when he arrived"
What Israel can teach us about security - ""When the security agency in Israel (the ISA) started to tighten security and we had to wait in line for – not for hours – but 30 or 40 minutes, all hell broke loose here"... Despite facing dozens of potential threats each day, the security set-up at Israel's largest hub, Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport, has not been breached since 2002... "They're not looking for liquids, they're not looking at your shoes. They're not looking for everything they look for in North America. They just look at you... and that's how you figure out the bad guys from the good guys.""
If North Americans adopted behavior-based screening, people would be screaming about racial profiling.
SSRN-How Movies Created the Financial Crisis by Larry Ribstein - "Narrative makes sense out of reality and can forcefully persuade listeners to a particular point of view. Artists in general have a narrative of business which springs from their belief that at least some aspects of business are antithetical to art. Filmmakers add to this a resentment of the constraints capital places on their art. Film is particularly persuasive because of its vivid images and because of the consistency of filmmakers’ anti-capitalist perspective on business. Filmmakers’ negative portrayal of capitalists has helped to prepare the public to believe that capitalists - and not government, economic cycles, greedy people or business generally - caused the financial crisis. This will help the public accept a regulatory agenda built on this premise, specifically including the regulation of hedge funds."
Smacked children more successful later in life, study finds - "Youngsters smacked up to the age of six did better at school and were more optimistic about their lives than those never hit by their parents. They were also more likely to undertake voluntary work and keener to attend university... "The idea that smacking and violence are on a continuum is a bizarre and fetishised view of what punishment or smacking is for most parents"... Previous studies have suggested that smacking children can lead them to develop behavioural problems such as being more aggressive"
iPhone users are delusional, consultants say - "Apple has launched a beautiful phone with a fantastic user interface that has had a number of technological shortcomings that many iPhone users have accepted and defended, despite those shortcomings resulting in limitations in iPhone users' daily lives... When we examine the iPhone users' arguments defending the iPhone, it reminds us of the famous Stockholm Syndrome... you will discover the 10 great myths about the iPhone. Here are just two: it doesn't attract new business for operators, and it is not a technologically advanced mobile phone"
From their How will psychologists describe the iPhone syndrome in the future?: Below is a selection of some of the arguments that various hard-core iPhone fanatics have been using since the iPhone initially launched:
3. You cannot forward a SMS: This is a function that hardly anybody uses and was therefore not included in the first iPhones.
8. Apple decides which applications you can install on the phone: This is good, because Apple thereby ensures that you do not get inferior programs on your phone.
9. The app store is a closed universe: Apple knows what is best for end users, which is good for the many iPhone users.
15. You can only purchase the iPhone from operators chosen by Apple: Apple has spent a great deal of time and energy selecting the best operators for customers.
17. The iPhone does not support memory cards: Iphones already offer the necessary memory people require and end users can choose between two models, one with a little memory and one with a great deal of memory.
18. You can not install your own browser: The browser Apple has designed is so superior that you do not need any other browser on your phone.
What an anti-climax: G-spot is a myth - "The scientists at King’s College London... claim there is no evidence for the existence of the G-spot... outside the imagination of women influenced by magazines and sex therapists. They reached their conclusions after a survey of more than 1,800 British women... If one identical twin reported having a G-spot, this would make it far more likely that her sister would give the same answer. But no such pattern emerged, suggesting the G-spot is a matter of the woman’s subjective opinion... Andrea Burri, who led the research, said she was anxious to remove feelings of “inadequacy or underachievement” that might affect women who feared they lacked a G-spot... The quest for the G-spot will not be abandoned. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, which is publishing Burri’s and Spector’s work this week, is planning a debate, with publication of research from the pro and anti G-spot camps. Meanwhile, David Matlock, a Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon, is credited with creating an artificial version of the G-spot. In some cases this has resulted in an over-sensitive zone which induces orgasms when, for example, women drive over bumps in the road."
WiFi for passive-aggressives - "Choose a wireless network: 'We can hear you having sex."
6 reasons why I’m dumping my iPhone for a Nokia N900 - "What does it take to ‘kill the iPhone’?
1. Web browser
2. Installing Apps
3. Contacts
4. Media
5. Messaging
6. Photos
Let’s face it. Apple needs to stop being stubborn and start looking at what we really want. They have, hands down, revolutionized the mobile industry. But they need to start evolving again. People need multitasking. Proper multitasking. Seamless integration of social networking is a must. And for god’s sake.. If we want to change the way our phone works.. even to the point of breaking it, can we not do that without playing a cat and mouse jail-breaking game?"
Meet the lipstick entrepreneurs - "Lots of people don’t like the term ‘lipstick entrepreneurs’. They think it’s sexist. But it reminds me of the women I’ve always admired most in business — the ones who look like they’re so in control, they still have time to dress well and do their hair. They make it look effortless.”"
Post ID: 3400142162318136805
"If God had really intended men to fly, he'd make it easier to get to the airport." - George Winters
***
This is quite sad:
Voulez Vous Sortir Avec JOSHUA TAN
Who we are: We're two friends, Shannon and Matthew, and we're on a mission. We plan to set up a date for our third friend, Joshua Tan (He's semi-oblivious about the whole thing). Joshua's our dear friend and he just got out of a serious relationship awhile back, and kinda lost his bearings for abit. SO, we're hoping to get him back on his feet, and that's where YOU come in.
The plan: For one lucky girl out here in the world of Facebook (preferably in Singapore as well), to go on an all expense-paid night out/date with Joshua...
PROCEDURE: Okay, so here's how it's gonna go. The first female (sry, females only), to post on the wall consenting to the night out/ date with Joshua, will be the the lucky girl to win it. Just add a comment or post below, and we'll be in touch! cheers!
********************
BIO
********************
Height: 1.8m
Weight: 72kg
Ngee Ann Poly
Mass Communications
The day was November 9th 1990.
That was the day doctors first laid eyes on Joshua Tan and immediately knew the small but inquisitively engaging child laying in their hands was destined for greatness.
As doctors lightly tapped Joshua on his buttocks in a hot, sweat-stenched delivery room on a clear, crisp Wednesday morning, expecting him to cry like most other babies, but instead were greeted with his hazel-brown eyes staring longingly up at them, as a soft smile slowly etched itself upon his face, they knew they had met a child like no other.
Doctors would later swear to his mother they saw Joshua give a slight wink of his eye, as if to say “I’m good, I’m good.”
And for Joshua Tan, affectionately known as “JT” (read Justin Timberlake) or “J-Bird” to his peers, that has been the case for the most part of his 19 years in life.
Counting the books A Walk To Remember and The Notebook as a couple of his personal favourites, Joshua isn’t afraid to embrace his sensitive side, admitting to only his closest friends (and the rest of Holland Village) in a drunken spur that he once shed a couple of tears as he watched the first Pokemon movie where Ash was turned to stone but was miraculously brought back to life by the tears of the heartbroken Pokemon.
But we digress.
In all seriousness, Joshua Tan is your boy-next-door meets Johnny Depp cum Ewan Mcgregor in Moulin Rouge, who strongly believes in the beauty of love and what it stands for, is steadfast and loyal, yet firm and assertive at all the right times. He would gladly walk the ends of the earth for the right girl, but remains his own man.
In conclusion, Joshua Tan is the clean-cut, well-spoken boy that both girls and their parents would love to have over for dinner, and maybe even stay for supper. So why not give him a try this New Year, after all everyone's entitled to a new start right? =)
Go with Love. Do the right thing."
My comment on the wall: The first? Isn't there any quality control?
Bunny Girl: after reading the entertaining copy, i'm more intrigued by Shannon/Matthew! sorry :x
***
This is quite sad:
Voulez Vous Sortir Avec JOSHUA TAN
Who we are: We're two friends, Shannon and Matthew, and we're on a mission. We plan to set up a date for our third friend, Joshua Tan (He's semi-oblivious about the whole thing). Joshua's our dear friend and he just got out of a serious relationship awhile back, and kinda lost his bearings for abit. SO, we're hoping to get him back on his feet, and that's where YOU come in.
The plan: For one lucky girl out here in the world of Facebook (preferably in Singapore as well), to go on an all expense-paid night out/date with Joshua...
PROCEDURE: Okay, so here's how it's gonna go. The first female (sry, females only), to post on the wall consenting to the night out/ date with Joshua, will be the the lucky girl to win it. Just add a comment or post below, and we'll be in touch! cheers!
********************
BIO
********************
Height: 1.8m
Weight: 72kg
Ngee Ann Poly
Mass Communications
The day was November 9th 1990.
That was the day doctors first laid eyes on Joshua Tan and immediately knew the small but inquisitively engaging child laying in their hands was destined for greatness.
As doctors lightly tapped Joshua on his buttocks in a hot, sweat-stenched delivery room on a clear, crisp Wednesday morning, expecting him to cry like most other babies, but instead were greeted with his hazel-brown eyes staring longingly up at them, as a soft smile slowly etched itself upon his face, they knew they had met a child like no other.
Doctors would later swear to his mother they saw Joshua give a slight wink of his eye, as if to say “I’m good, I’m good.”
And for Joshua Tan, affectionately known as “JT” (read Justin Timberlake) or “J-Bird” to his peers, that has been the case for the most part of his 19 years in life.
Counting the books A Walk To Remember and The Notebook as a couple of his personal favourites, Joshua isn’t afraid to embrace his sensitive side, admitting to only his closest friends (and the rest of Holland Village) in a drunken spur that he once shed a couple of tears as he watched the first Pokemon movie where Ash was turned to stone but was miraculously brought back to life by the tears of the heartbroken Pokemon.
But we digress.
In all seriousness, Joshua Tan is your boy-next-door meets Johnny Depp cum Ewan Mcgregor in Moulin Rouge, who strongly believes in the beauty of love and what it stands for, is steadfast and loyal, yet firm and assertive at all the right times. He would gladly walk the ends of the earth for the right girl, but remains his own man.
In conclusion, Joshua Tan is the clean-cut, well-spoken boy that both girls and their parents would love to have over for dinner, and maybe even stay for supper. So why not give him a try this New Year, after all everyone's entitled to a new start right? =)
Go with Love. Do the right thing."
My comment on the wall: The first? Isn't there any quality control?
Bunny Girl: after reading the entertaining copy, i'm more intrigued by Shannon/Matthew! sorry :x
Post ID: 1904582055459244102
"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." - Lewis Carroll
***
Libertarian Reluctantly Calls Fire Department | The Onion
CHEYENNE, WY—After attempting to contain a living-room blaze started by a cigarette, card-carrying Libertarian Trent Jacobs reluctantly called the Cheyenne Fire Department Monday. "Although the community would do better to rely on an efficient, free-market fire-fighting service, the fact is that expensive, unnecessary public fire departments do exist," Jacobs said. "Also, my house was burning down." Jacobs did not offer to pay firefighters for their service.
***
Libertarian Reluctantly Calls Fire Department | The Onion
CHEYENNE, WY—After attempting to contain a living-room blaze started by a cigarette, card-carrying Libertarian Trent Jacobs reluctantly called the Cheyenne Fire Department Monday. "Although the community would do better to rely on an efficient, free-market fire-fighting service, the fact is that expensive, unnecessary public fire departments do exist," Jacobs said. "Also, my house was burning down." Jacobs did not offer to pay firefighters for their service.
Post ID: 5987004453672477683
Monday, January 04, 2010
Random tidbit:
In Imperial China the minimum age for marriage was 16 for men and 14 for women.
This was set during the Song and the Ming and Qing continued it.
The ROC bumped the age limits up by 2 years in 1931.
Source: Grandpa's Letters by Wang Jingshan
An amusing passage from the same:
"In the South people have a habit of getting married early - eighteen for a man and seventeen for a woman - mainly out of regard for the fact that it is difficult for the young couple to maintain their virginity if they marry much later...
Based on human physiology, no matter whether in a nation or a society, men are always the principal players whereas women are subordinate. This is the way it is; no one can do anything about it... As far as a woman's responsibilities at home are concerned, a high school education is enough, why college?"
Addendum: @reivad:
"I feel its hypocritical of the older generation to expect young ppl to remain virgins b4 marriage when they married so young."
In Imperial China the minimum age for marriage was 16 for men and 14 for women.
This was set during the Song and the Ming and Qing continued it.
The ROC bumped the age limits up by 2 years in 1931.
Source: Grandpa's Letters by Wang Jingshan
An amusing passage from the same:
"In the South people have a habit of getting married early - eighteen for a man and seventeen for a woman - mainly out of regard for the fact that it is difficult for the young couple to maintain their virginity if they marry much later...
Based on human physiology, no matter whether in a nation or a society, men are always the principal players whereas women are subordinate. This is the way it is; no one can do anything about it... As far as a woman's responsibilities at home are concerned, a high school education is enough, why college?"
Addendum: @reivad:
"I feel its hypocritical of the older generation to expect young ppl to remain virgins b4 marriage when they married so young."
Post ID: 6343971528471984146
"Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege." - Unknown
***
Tan Ern Ser on racial classification in Singapore:
"Doing away with race may be politically correct, but it does not necessarily eradicate race-related problems... I am not suggesting that we emphasise race, but we must recognise its existence and work towards integration and strengthening national identity"
The prime example of a country which does not track racial demographics is France, and we can see how that doesn't work with the recurrent trouble in the banlieues.
Apparently India doesn't either - but they track you mother tongue and/or scheduled tribe, which is a good proxy for race, so.
The Daily Kos's comment:
"if one does not collect data including a race category, then one does not even notice that the problem exists, one cannot attack the problem, one cannot track the problem to see if what one is doing is have an effect, etc."
Of course, active racial management and manipulation is a different story.
***
Tan Ern Ser on racial classification in Singapore:
"Doing away with race may be politically correct, but it does not necessarily eradicate race-related problems... I am not suggesting that we emphasise race, but we must recognise its existence and work towards integration and strengthening national identity"
The prime example of a country which does not track racial demographics is France, and we can see how that doesn't work with the recurrent trouble in the banlieues.
Apparently India doesn't either - but they track you mother tongue and/or scheduled tribe, which is a good proxy for race, so.
The Daily Kos's comment:
"if one does not collect data including a race category, then one does not even notice that the problem exists, one cannot attack the problem, one cannot track the problem to see if what one is doing is have an effect, etc."
Of course, active racial management and manipulation is a different story.
Post ID: 3187068057121063348
Sunday, January 03, 2010
"Television news is like a lightning flash. It makes a loud noise, lights up everything around it, leaves everything else in darkness and then is suddenly gone." - Hodding Carter
***
How women love their mobile phones... more than their boyfriends
Passions over 'prosperity gospel': Was Jesus wealthy? - "Jesus' wealth is evident even in the Gospel accounts of his execution, some pastors say. The New Testament reports that Roman soldiers gambled for Jesus' clothing while he hung on the cross. They wouldn't gamble for Jesus' clothing unless it was expensive, Anderson says.... "The only way you can make Jesus into a rich man is by advocating torturous interpretations and by being wholly naive historically""
"torturous interpretations and by being wholly naive historically" describes apologetics perfectly
Bingo caller told to cut 'fat ladies' patter by council - "John Sayers, who runs charity games in Sudbury, Suffolk, says he was told by a council clerk the traditional bingo call could upset some players. Mr Sayers said no-one had complained before, but now players moaned his new numbers-only style was boring. A town council spokeswoman said it was "sad" they had to give the advice but they had to be "politically correct"... A council spokeswoman... added: "It is very sad because it is part of the fun of bingo but unfortunately in today's society people take it literally""
A new study shows that singletons might be just as psychologically well-off as married people.
Probably Bad News: News fails, because journalism isn't dying fast enough. - One example: "A TEENAGER who tried to copy a scene from the hit film American Pie by shagging an apple pie was rushed to the hospital with serious burns to his penis"
The longest literary sentence - "Move over, James Joyce and all the other pretenders. The new owner of the record for the longest sentence in published literature is Mathias Enard for his 517-page French novel “Zone.” In fact, the entire novel, except for a few pages of flashbacks, is made up of a single 150,000-word sentence."
Physics Buzz: For a Quick Exit, Just Block the Fire Door
Pictures of 56 Chinese Ethnic Groups
A lot of them carry rifles. Too bad that won't save them from the CCP.
ExitAhead! Last.fm to eBay Search - "1. You tell us the username of your last.fm account.
2. We check last.fm for the artists you have recently scrobbled, and the artists recommended by last.fm.
3. We search eBay for music by those artists."
Men Stare at Opposite Sex 43 Minutes a Day - "According to a new study, men stare at up to 10 women a day, which equals about 43 minutes spent every day ogling... women gawk at men about half as much"
The more interesting question: how much do women look at other women?
Men Who Help Clean Get More Sex?
Atheist Ireland Publishes 25 Blasphemous Quotes - "From today, 1 January 2010, the new Irish blasphemy law becomes operational... Blasphemy is now a crime punishable by a €25,000 fine... In this context we now publish a list of 25 blasphemous quotes, which have previously been published by or uttered by or attributed to Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Mark Twain, Tom Lehrer, Randy Newman, James Kirkup, Monty Python, Rev Ian Paisley, Conor Cruise O’Brien, Frank Zappa, Salman Rushdie, Bjork, Amanda Donohoe, George Carlin, Paul Woodfull, Jerry Springer the Opera, Tim Minchin, Richard Dawkins, Pope Benedict XVI, Christopher Hitchens, PZ Myers, Ian O’Doherty, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor and Dermot Ahern."
I'm surprised the Hitchens quote (in God is not Great) made it to Singapore - it's very seditious, calling Islam "not much more than a rather obvious and ill-arranged set of plagiarisms"!
Security charade: how I made a bomb and blew up a plane - "Unless we are all actually forced to strip naked at the airport - and probably not even then - the fact is that we can never erect a Berlin wall to physically stop everyone taking bad things on planes. All our efforts to do so, all the silly routines to which we dutifully submit, are at best a minor hindrance, a deterrent to nutters; at worst a charade and a distraction from the real target... the editor of the magazine Aviation Security International, said he could not recall a single time when a bomb had been found using an airport X-ray machine alone. Airport security, he said, was "theatre", designed to reassure the public rather than to stop bombers... Airport security means, above all, starting long before the airport, with intelligence... the guilty get missed because the authorities are spending too much time hassling the innocent"
Singapore workers work longest hours: ILO report - "Only workers in Iceland put in almost as many hours in 2008 and the first quarter of 2009. Real wages also fell at the same time. Though nominal wages rose 4.2 per cent in 2008 according to the Ministry of Manpower, real wages dropped 1 per cent, according to the ILO report"
Sure, God has a sense of humour. Shame about some of his followers - "I was accused of knowing too many words and too few facts; of being stupid and anti-Christian - many assumed these were identical; of being overly subtle and of laying about me with a blunt instrument. Of not having read the Bible, of having read but not understood it, of having got the wrong Jesus (easy to do), of being one of the chosen (are they serious?), of misunderstanding history (no doubt), of misquoting Brian Houston (no way), of being insulting (I do try) and of showing off (well, natch)... Taking up religion seems to involve having your humour gland surgically excised. There's no obvious explanation for this. Comedic failure is generally a sign of class insecurity. Feminists, for example. Cyclists."
Sex differences in driving and insurance risk - "Men are more likely than women to be involved in crashes that occur on bends, in the dark or those that involve overtaking. Women, on the other hand, have a greater frequency of crashes occurring at junctions than men. This supports the suggestion by Storie (1977) that men are more at risk from accidents involving high speed while women are at more likely to be involved in accidents resulting from perceptual judgement errors... [The WHO] concludes: "Research is needed to examine the potential benefits of gender and age-differentiated policies for issuance of driving licences and related issues". The fact that this WHO report was prepared by the Department for Gender and Women’s Health suggests that driving-related policies that differentiate between genders are not seen as cutting across broad notions of equality in this context.
When you discriminate against men, it doesn't cut across broad notions of equality.
Men's and Women's Irritating Driving Habits - "Women were certainly harsher about men than the other way around... "The old stereotype that men are always criticising women's driving has been turned on its head by these results, as it's definitely women who get the most irritated""
Sex Drive: How Do Men and Women Compare? - "Nuns do a better job of fulfilling their vows of chastity than priests... 62% of priests admitted to sexual activity, compared to 49% of nuns. The men reported more partners on average than the women... Homosexuality is a more fluid state among women than men. In another broad review of studies, Baumeister found many more lesbians reported recent sex with men, when compared to gay men's reports of sex with women. Women were also more likely than men to call themselves bisexual, and to report their sexual orientation as a matter of choice... Women's attitudes towards (and willingness to perform) various sexual practices are more likely than men's to change over time. Women who regularly attend church are less likely to have permissive attitudes about sex. Men do not show this connection between church attendance and sex attitudes... Women with higher education levels were more likely to have performed a wider variety of sexual practices (such as oral sex); education made less of a difference with men. Women were more likely than men to show inconsistency between their expressed values about sexual activities such as premarital sex and their actual behavior"
I found this by looking for gender differences in driving. Grr.
Sex and the SUV: Men, Women, and Travel Behavior - "University of Washington sociologist Pepper Schwartz reports that in 9 of 10 households that identify themselves as “feminist,” the man does most of the driving when both partners are in the car."
***
How women love their mobile phones... more than their boyfriends
Passions over 'prosperity gospel': Was Jesus wealthy? - "Jesus' wealth is evident even in the Gospel accounts of his execution, some pastors say. The New Testament reports that Roman soldiers gambled for Jesus' clothing while he hung on the cross. They wouldn't gamble for Jesus' clothing unless it was expensive, Anderson says.... "The only way you can make Jesus into a rich man is by advocating torturous interpretations and by being wholly naive historically""
"torturous interpretations and by being wholly naive historically" describes apologetics perfectly
Bingo caller told to cut 'fat ladies' patter by council - "John Sayers, who runs charity games in Sudbury, Suffolk, says he was told by a council clerk the traditional bingo call could upset some players. Mr Sayers said no-one had complained before, but now players moaned his new numbers-only style was boring. A town council spokeswoman said it was "sad" they had to give the advice but they had to be "politically correct"... A council spokeswoman... added: "It is very sad because it is part of the fun of bingo but unfortunately in today's society people take it literally""
A new study shows that singletons might be just as psychologically well-off as married people.
Probably Bad News: News fails, because journalism isn't dying fast enough. - One example: "A TEENAGER who tried to copy a scene from the hit film American Pie by shagging an apple pie was rushed to the hospital with serious burns to his penis"
The longest literary sentence - "Move over, James Joyce and all the other pretenders. The new owner of the record for the longest sentence in published literature is Mathias Enard for his 517-page French novel “Zone.” In fact, the entire novel, except for a few pages of flashbacks, is made up of a single 150,000-word sentence."
Physics Buzz: For a Quick Exit, Just Block the Fire Door
Pictures of 56 Chinese Ethnic Groups
A lot of them carry rifles. Too bad that won't save them from the CCP.
ExitAhead! Last.fm to eBay Search - "1. You tell us the username of your last.fm account.
2. We check last.fm for the artists you have recently scrobbled, and the artists recommended by last.fm.
3. We search eBay for music by those artists."
Men Stare at Opposite Sex 43 Minutes a Day - "According to a new study, men stare at up to 10 women a day, which equals about 43 minutes spent every day ogling... women gawk at men about half as much"
The more interesting question: how much do women look at other women?
Men Who Help Clean Get More Sex?
Atheist Ireland Publishes 25 Blasphemous Quotes - "From today, 1 January 2010, the new Irish blasphemy law becomes operational... Blasphemy is now a crime punishable by a €25,000 fine... In this context we now publish a list of 25 blasphemous quotes, which have previously been published by or uttered by or attributed to Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Mark Twain, Tom Lehrer, Randy Newman, James Kirkup, Monty Python, Rev Ian Paisley, Conor Cruise O’Brien, Frank Zappa, Salman Rushdie, Bjork, Amanda Donohoe, George Carlin, Paul Woodfull, Jerry Springer the Opera, Tim Minchin, Richard Dawkins, Pope Benedict XVI, Christopher Hitchens, PZ Myers, Ian O’Doherty, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor and Dermot Ahern."
I'm surprised the Hitchens quote (in God is not Great) made it to Singapore - it's very seditious, calling Islam "not much more than a rather obvious and ill-arranged set of plagiarisms"!
Security charade: how I made a bomb and blew up a plane - "Unless we are all actually forced to strip naked at the airport - and probably not even then - the fact is that we can never erect a Berlin wall to physically stop everyone taking bad things on planes. All our efforts to do so, all the silly routines to which we dutifully submit, are at best a minor hindrance, a deterrent to nutters; at worst a charade and a distraction from the real target... the editor of the magazine Aviation Security International, said he could not recall a single time when a bomb had been found using an airport X-ray machine alone. Airport security, he said, was "theatre", designed to reassure the public rather than to stop bombers... Airport security means, above all, starting long before the airport, with intelligence... the guilty get missed because the authorities are spending too much time hassling the innocent"
Singapore workers work longest hours: ILO report - "Only workers in Iceland put in almost as many hours in 2008 and the first quarter of 2009. Real wages also fell at the same time. Though nominal wages rose 4.2 per cent in 2008 according to the Ministry of Manpower, real wages dropped 1 per cent, according to the ILO report"
Sure, God has a sense of humour. Shame about some of his followers - "I was accused of knowing too many words and too few facts; of being stupid and anti-Christian - many assumed these were identical; of being overly subtle and of laying about me with a blunt instrument. Of not having read the Bible, of having read but not understood it, of having got the wrong Jesus (easy to do), of being one of the chosen (are they serious?), of misunderstanding history (no doubt), of misquoting Brian Houston (no way), of being insulting (I do try) and of showing off (well, natch)... Taking up religion seems to involve having your humour gland surgically excised. There's no obvious explanation for this. Comedic failure is generally a sign of class insecurity. Feminists, for example. Cyclists."
Sex differences in driving and insurance risk - "Men are more likely than women to be involved in crashes that occur on bends, in the dark or those that involve overtaking. Women, on the other hand, have a greater frequency of crashes occurring at junctions than men. This supports the suggestion by Storie (1977) that men are more at risk from accidents involving high speed while women are at more likely to be involved in accidents resulting from perceptual judgement errors... [The WHO] concludes: "Research is needed to examine the potential benefits of gender and age-differentiated policies for issuance of driving licences and related issues". The fact that this WHO report was prepared by the Department for Gender and Women’s Health suggests that driving-related policies that differentiate between genders are not seen as cutting across broad notions of equality in this context.
When you discriminate against men, it doesn't cut across broad notions of equality.
Men's and Women's Irritating Driving Habits - "Women were certainly harsher about men than the other way around... "The old stereotype that men are always criticising women's driving has been turned on its head by these results, as it's definitely women who get the most irritated""
Sex Drive: How Do Men and Women Compare? - "Nuns do a better job of fulfilling their vows of chastity than priests... 62% of priests admitted to sexual activity, compared to 49% of nuns. The men reported more partners on average than the women... Homosexuality is a more fluid state among women than men. In another broad review of studies, Baumeister found many more lesbians reported recent sex with men, when compared to gay men's reports of sex with women. Women were also more likely than men to call themselves bisexual, and to report their sexual orientation as a matter of choice... Women's attitudes towards (and willingness to perform) various sexual practices are more likely than men's to change over time. Women who regularly attend church are less likely to have permissive attitudes about sex. Men do not show this connection between church attendance and sex attitudes... Women with higher education levels were more likely to have performed a wider variety of sexual practices (such as oral sex); education made less of a difference with men. Women were more likely than men to show inconsistency between their expressed values about sexual activities such as premarital sex and their actual behavior"
I found this by looking for gender differences in driving. Grr.
Sex and the SUV: Men, Women, and Travel Behavior - "University of Washington sociologist Pepper Schwartz reports that in 9 of 10 households that identify themselves as “feminist,” the man does most of the driving when both partners are in the car."
Post ID: 7130881740589801731
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