as taken of sintercom here

Illogical comments by minister of state

Letter submitted to the Straits Times on 31 October 2005, refused by the newspaper on 3 Nov 2005.

To the Editor
I refer to the interview the Straits Times conducted with Minister of State Ho Peng Kee on 28 Oct 2005, specifically his comments about gays.



He repeats the claim that Singapore is a conservative society. This claim is suspect firstly because large numbers of Singaporeans think homophobia and discrimination is wrong, and secondly because the government itself, through its own censorship policies deny fair representation of gay people and modern views. To shape public opinion this way, and then claim that public opinion clamours for homophobic policies is disingenuous.

It was quite stunning to read that he feels heterosexuals should not be impeded by the law when it comes to non-procreative oral sex, and "even if they do it outside of marriage, it is still man and woman, which is still part of this mateship," yet he thinks our laws criminalising what gay people do in private should stay, even when they are in committed relationships.

It is extremely difficult to reconcile his views with the Prime Minister's assurance that the government is not homophobic.

The view that only heterosexuality is "natural" is a construct from the time of St Augustine (4th century). It is disputed among biblical scholars. It not universally accepted among Christians today, let alone other religions despite Ho's claim that "all the main religions in Singapore believe it's how we are made."

Just recently, a highly acclaimed Buddhist monk gave a talk to thousands at Bright Hill making it clear that homophobia, which is a form of hate and ill-will, is against Buddhist teaching.

Ho also used the slippery slope argument against repeal of anti-gay laws, when he said, "Once you move, where do you go to? So you'll talk about not just gay sex but also gay marriages, then gay adoptions..."

Throughout history, the slippery slope argument has been used every time anyone suggested any social progress. It was used when education for girls was first mooted, when giving the vote to women or to non-whites were first raised, when abolition of slavery was suggested.

The funny thing is, human civilisation gained strength with each of these moves despite initial fears.
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Background ? the relevant questions and answers from the Straits Times interview with Ho Peng Kee, by reporter Li Xueying, published 28 Oct 2005:

ST: Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) review of the Penal Code will be out at the end of this year. One aspect mentioned previously is the law on oral sex. Is it likely to be decriminalised?

Ho: That one we're looking at. Some of these laws were drafted in the past, so we have to contextualise some of these laws because society changes. It's a big exercise. The various ministries are still working on some of the details.

ST: What's your personal take?

Ho: My personal take is that between men and women, if you are an adult and there's no force, then what you do in the privacy of your bedroom that has no impact on the public, then you do what you want.

ST: What about gay sex?

Ho: We're still a conservative society. It's a slippery slope. Once you move, where do you go to? So you'll talk about not just gay sex but also gay marriages, then gay adoptions...

ST: But using the same argument, that you can do what you want in the privacy of your bedroom?
Ho: That's different because I think men and women having sex is natural. And it is also in a sense consistent with the whole idea of marriage. Of course even if they do it outside of marriage, it is still man and woman, which is still part of this mateship.

ST: As a Christian, do your religious beliefs affect you in your decision making?

Ho: You have to make decisions according to policies, what is right for Singapore, and Singapore is secular.

But as a mature religious person, your values are internalised. That's how you act, speak, present yourself. But you don't think, oh, as a Christian, what should this policy be?

At temples for instance, I attend festivals and so on, just that I don't hold joss sticks.

ST: You said gay sex is 'not natural'. Is that something that comes out of your religious beliefs?

Ho: Yes, could be. Well, I won't attribute it directly. I look at it more as a family bedrock thing, that a family is based on a man and a woman. I think all the main religions in Singapore believe it's how we are made.

######

we must all stand up and do something. this panopticon is suffocating! join me my dear friends!

what is the point of living and working hard when in the end, its all nought. what are we here for? what's our purpose in life? why do we go through all of this when it all amounts to nothing. wouldn't it be better to be born as a simpleton or better yet, a nutcase with no cares in the world. or not to be born at all?

i am burying my head in my books now! my heaviest papers that take up 50% of the marks are back to back to back! gosh! how traumatising is that. this is over and on top some stupid asshole model who drag our entire project down due to his himboticness GOSH!!!!

ARGH, STRESS!

the singapore government has done it again. they have tried again to silence the homosexual community in singapore after declaring that they were not homophobic, but anybody who talks about homosexual content and promote the lifestyle should be silenced. is it even possible to promote a homosexual. just as it is not possible to promote a hetereosexual lifestyle, or promoting romance (going by the failure of romancing and the ever declining birthrate), how can anybody promote a homosexual lifestyle.

is it possible to do some petition so that government can hear our voices and let us live. first a fine, then a closing of a gay website, what is next? what is next? incaceration of all gay people? how can i be gay? i can love, but i touch any guys affectionately and no i most definitely can't have sex. what logic is that? i am going to write a term paper on this!

feels like you are never there when i need you to be. but i can fly down at 3am. surreal feeling

its a really strange feeling to see your coursemates from your JC batch getting so far in life, knowing what they want. the same people whom i graduated with, went on a trip with, whose abilities are about the same as mine, but they made it. made to the best flying school, in canada. but here i am in singapore mugging for my papers. all because of my slipped disc. all because of my injury. because i didn't know how to take care of myself. because i didn't train hard enough to have a better phsyical condition. its so surreal to look at them and envy and realised i could have been there too. i am such a loser!

i hate myself. let me go and die please. thanks

i need to be more productive! i need more drive, i need a car (LAME!). aiya, its always like that, i want to study and in the end, i end up getting stuck to my iBook (i think i'll name my iBook soon, hrmmm) okok back to my books and stop procrastinating!

this is depressing, my readership is going down =( awww. hahah. i am munching on ben & jerrys as i'm digesting my singapore society notes. oh well, life sucks. but i be glad that it is all cramped up in 4 days, break den 1 more paper, and that's it, off to enjoy my birthday!

not much energy to blog about big issues, and this page is damn due for a big revamp, so watch out world! in the mean time, drink as much as you can, get as drunk as you can and par-tay away (so i can get my A's muahahahahha)

its the showdown between 3 phones for me, the Sony Ericsoon w900 the panasonic vs7 or the nokia n70 tough choice so i must decide carefully!

anyhow, a few sites have caught my eye, and i'm adding it to my daily reads!

mr brown
diary of a lucky singaporean
talk rock
double yellow's musing

i need to put on more weight! prefably 8kg! that's gonna be a tough one. have started gymming already, but the past week has been incredulously busy with projects. and the exams are just around the bend, so well, after exams! look out arnold! (i think i have said this before, but oh well hahaha)

i've been compiling a playlist: 90s one hit wonders, you know songs that define the era, but its those one-hit wonders that really defined the 90s. for those with iTunes gift certificate, go get them off iTunes Essential

4 non blondes - what's up
the cardigans - lovefool
chumbawamba - tubthumping
cornershop - brimful of asha
deep blue something - breakfast at tiffany's
the divinyls - i touch myself
donna lewis - i love you always forever
len - if you steal my sunshine
meredith brooks - bitch
new radicals - you get what you give
the proclaimers - i'm gonna be (500 miles)
shawn mullins - lullaby
vertical horizon - everything you want
the verve - bitter sweet symphony

with exams lurking around the corner, i'm feeling the heat to mug really hard. maybe its self-expectation, or maybe i'm a 'perfectionist' like what a few of my friends tell me, i feel very horrible if i don't get my A's. but this is translating to insane mugging and i'm feeling somewhat afraid. sigh. its been god knows how many years since i last mugged, not saying that i didn't mug back in the airforce, but it's just so different. its all theories and concepts and what not, but oh well.

came across this incredibly funny maths question:



hahahahah

Greeks had many words to describe love. Eros - sexual love; Agape - giving, self-sacrificing love; Philia - friendship; Storge - affection.
If we fail to make the transition from eros to development of agape, philia and storge - intimacy, companionship and commitment - separation ensues.

my horoscope for the month:
Take extra care towards your health in case you pass your flu or cold to your partner. This is a busy and tiring month for most Scorpios so watch your mood. Be true to your feelings, if you have problems talking to your partner, solve this problem quickly or things could explode later.

oh, the horror! the horror! i got B for one of my subjects. i am not going to get all my A's ARGH!!!!!!!

gosh, i just realised how infrequently i am posting here. sorry to my regular readers. but oh well, i am going to do something very drastic to this place after my exams. and my exams are going to be here real soon, nov 7-14. and my birthday is just after that. for those who do not what to get me, refer to my wishlist, alternatively you can contact me =p

everything is falling into place now. school's been great. dear's been wonderful. my life is going just fine now. contented =)

in other news, do you know you can be fined if you don't pay the actual bus fares? like as if anybody bothers to tap earlier to save 10cents. and you must remember this rule came into effect after the bus fare hike and after SBS transit reported RECORD profit! guess i'll be cycling to school from now on.

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=26808

A STORY stating that the Beast of Redmond had developed a technology which enabled DVDs to be played only once was much vilified on the Net. Some claimed it was a pure hoax. But the story's originator - The Business - has named now named its source.
Step forward one Alistair Baker, md with Microsoft in the UK. He claims that Microsoft's DRM software now gives the owner of content "total control over how it is viewed". That could mean that not only could the content be viewed only once but that the content could also have an expiry date and/or time of day.

Why would anyone want to introduce one-play DVDs, you might ask? To sell new hardware, of course. Baker describes the typical playing device as a "new DVD player from manufacturers like Toshiba supporting high-definition DVD and running Windows CE."

Now the British paper was inundated with emails and letters from hackers pointing out various ways around such DRM software. Granted even the dumbest of PC users could point a handycam at the PC's screen and retain a copy.

But that's not the point. Most users would simply not bother. Instead it indicates just how paranoid the major owners of content have become given that they would treat such an offering seriously. Particularly since the Beast is the supplier of the world's most ripped-off software.

The INQ also sympathises with those who are environmentally concerned. It's bad enough having PCs which destroy CDs by the dozen, every time you try to burn something. But a technology which is so wasteful the CD deliberately gets used only the once?

######
Looks the the Inquirer hates WINDOZE as well! muahahahha

i realised that there are still a good number of people reading this blog. thanks guys, i really appreciate it. well it is kinda well, i don't really know how to say it, but it sorta makes me wanna post a bit more. but well, seriously, the recent CLAMPDOWN on bloggers is starting to get to me. but what the heck, i shall say what i want without crossing any boundary, seriously, i think its alright to call people a prude if they are really pruddish, and if you are a fat ass, then you are a fat ass, nobody can sue me for that, but however, racism that is not justified, well that is just dumb.

anyhow, read this:

Bryan says "A lot of Singaporeans are in deep sleep. They don't seem to realise that their lives revolve around the ideas of one man or a group of men. Their lives aren't their own." Of course, that "one man" he's talking about is Singapore's former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, now the Minister Mentor. And the "group of men" he refers to is the core of the PAP cabinet

I had a dream last night in which i can predict the future so accurately that people would come up to me and ask for answers. LKY asked me about Singapore and I told him, 'Singapore will become the city of cities. But I also see the destruction of Singapore in 300 hundred years time. It will be over so fast that people can't imagine that there was this great city that stood in the middle of Southeast Asia.'

Brian explains that when he thinks of Singaporeans, he thinks of them as schoolchildren who still rely on authority figures to govern their conduct. Despite of or partly because of Singaporeans' reliance on top-down direction, he thinks that many Singaporeans don't form a deep attachment to the country. Hence, the transitory nature of the carpark setting for the schoolchildren's games.

Says Brian, "The carpark is a place that we don't live in. It's a place that we use, but don't form an attachment to. I think of our country as a carpark sometimes.

life gets to you. and you know life gets to you. but well aside from the bad times of life, its pretty good actually. enjoying struggling for my projects.

someone commented i am an idealist, and everything in works in clockwork precision in my head, and it just dawned upon me that it is absolutely true. i have a chaotic order in my head, and everything is possible in my dictionary. gosh now i know where my sleepness nights coming from.

LJ Friends Meme by

? You must tell 23 people about this game.
? alex is the one that you love.
? alvin tan is one you like but can't work out.
? You care most about colin.
? mark is the one who knows you very well.
? dillon is your lucky star.
? a lack of color is the song that matches with alex.
? counting down the days is the song for alvin tan.
? someday (i'll understand) is the song that tells you most about YOUR mind.
? and bu dong is the song telling you how you feel about life
Take this quiz

The New York Times

Maureen Dowd


Shirt-sleeves rolled up, W. finally landed in Hell yesterday and chuckled about his wild boozing days in "the great city" of N'Awlins. He was clearly moved. "You know, I'm going to fly out of here in a minute," he said on the runway at the New Orleans International Airport, "but I want you to know that I'm not going to forget what I've seen." Out of the cameras' range, and avoided by W., was a convoy of thousands of sick and dying people, some sprawled on the floor or dumped on baggage carousels at a makeshift M*A*S*H unit inside the terminal.

Why does this self-styled "can do" president always lapse into such lame "who could have known?" excuses.

Who on earth could have known that Osama bin Laden wanted to attack us by flying planes into buildings? Any official who bothered to read the trellis of pre-9/11 intelligence briefs.

Who on earth could have known that an American invasion of Iraq would spawn a brutal insurgency, terrorist recruiting boom and possible civil war? Any official who bothered to read the C.I.A.'s prewar reports.

Who on earth could have known that New Orleans's sinking levees were at risk from a strong hurricane? Anybody who bothered to read the endless warnings over the years about the Big Easy's uneasy fishbowl.

Ron Fournier of The Associated Press reported that the Army Corps of Engineers asked for $105 million for hurricane and flood programs in New Orleans last year. The White House carved it to about $40 million. But President Bush and Congress agreed to a $286.4 billion pork-filled highway bill with 6,000 pet projects, including a $231 million bridge for a small, uninhabited Alaskan island.

Just last year, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials practiced how they would respond to a fake hurricane that caused floods and stranded New Orleans residents. Imagine the feeble FEMA's response to Katrina if they had not prepared.

Michael Brown, the blithering idiot in charge of FEMA - a job he trained for by running something called the International Arabian Horse Association - admitted he didn't know until Thursday that there were 15,000 desperate, dehydrated, hungry, angry, dying victims of Katrina in the New Orleans Convention Center.

Was he sacked instantly? No, our tone-deaf president hailed him in Mobile, Ala., yesterday: "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."


It would be one thing if President Bush and his inner circle - Dick Cheney was vacationing in Wyoming; Condi Rice was shoe shopping at Ferragamo's on Fifth Avenue and attended "Spamalot" before bloggers chased her back to Washington; and Andy Card was off in Maine - lacked empathy but could get the job done. But it is a chilling lack of empathy combined with a stunning lack of efficiency that could make this administration implode.

Spontaneous and adaptable "balance in life" seeker

You like to be in touch with the in-crowd, in touch with what's new, and making sure you have the best of it. You appreciate design, and quality. You can give a 120% when you need to, but know that you don't need to 100% of the time. You know that life is for living, and you're smart enough to make sure that you have time to relax, chill and just be yourself.

You come across to many as a patient, people person who is a good listener, adaptable and accommodating to others. You have the ability to "go with the flow" of your surroundings. This ability is both your biggest strength and weakness; at best, you're very accepting and supportive of others as they really are, but at worst you can sometimes forget who you yourself are, passively agreeing with others and reticent to assert your own desires.

You may have a particularly hard time when making painful decisions, like firing someone, because you also see the other person's predicament, and hate to force confrontations. Sometimes you can find it hard to get started on things. However, this inertia can also work to your advantage, because once started you will make slow-but-steady progress, becoming determined and relentless in your pursuits.

Famous people who share these traits include:
Bill Clinton, Carl Jung, Nelson Mandela, Tiger Woods, Prince Charles, Ronald Reagan, Albert Einstein, Dwight Eisenhower

Your Seduction Style: Fantasy Lover

You know that ideal love that each of us dreams of from childhood? That's you! Not because you posess all of the ideal characteristics, but because you are a savvy shape shifter. You have the uncanny ability to detect someone's particular fantasy... and make it you. You inspire each person to be an idealist and passionate, and you make each moment memorable Even a simple coffee date with you can be the most romantic moment of someone's life By giving your date exactly what he or she desires, you quickly become the ideal lover. Your abilities to make dreams come true is so strong, that you are often the love of many people's lives. Your ex's (and even people you have simply met or been friends with) long to be yours. No doubt you are the one others have dreamed of... your biggest challenge is finding *your* dream lover.

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

i could fit 32'000 songs on my ipod shuffle! wooohoooo. yes a whoooping 32'000 songs on my 1gb shuffle. how did i do that? simple, i followed dell's way. i make each of my song 30seconds, and encode it at 8kbps. isn't that so smart of dell, to claim that their latest mfugly (mother fucking ugly) dj ditty (not to be confused with p. diddy, or diddy or puff daddy) can store a helluva 100 songs more than the iPod shuffle. both of 512mb. but armed with a microscope to read the fine prints, this 220 songs came about because dell assumes that we will all encode at 64kbps and the songs are 3 or isit 4 minutes.

what an ingenious move. who would have thought of it. next time i will tell creative to market their zen as the 1st mp3 player to store a MILLION SONGS!

the iPod Nano, that is only 0.7cm thin! OMG buy it for me, its only $438 =)

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caught the unexpected band at walas! THEY REALLY ROCK THE HOUSE DOWN, far better than EIC, and shirlyn sang a song for us =) it was soo coooool, and i think its because me j and sm really couldn't care much, we just head bobbed like nobody's business, everybody soon let their hair down. we were really cheering very hard for unexpected. they even played sweet child by guns. they rock! go get their cd at walas!!!

I have a dream, that one day the red dot that I live in, will finally allow people to speak, to speak without fear

WOOOHOOOO!, read this CNet's News

VIRUS INFECTED CREATIVE ZEN!!!!!!

WOOOHOOOOO!!!!!

not one, not 2, not 3 but 13 different people i know owning zen micro had to sent it for repairs within the 1st 3 months of ownerships. it just totally sucks and how can sim wong who be so cocky.

#####
Creative Technology Ltd. on Tuesday announced that on Aug. 9 it won what the company calls the "Zen Patent," which covers the user interface for its Zen and Nomad MP3 players. In a statement, Creative added that the patented interface is also "found in some competing players, such as the Apple iPod and iPod mini."

Creative CEO and chairman Sim Wong Hoo, who earlier this year declared "war" on Apple, said in the statement: "The first portable media player based upon the user interface covered in our Zen Patent was our NOMAD Jukebox MP3 player. We shipped the NOMAD Jukebox to U.S. retail customers in September of 2000. The Apple iPod was only announced in October 2001, 13 months after we had been shipping the NOMAD Jukebox based upon the user interface covered by our Zen Patent."

Mr. Sim went on to say: "Before this invention, there was no intuitive and efficient way to deal with the large number of tracks that could be stored on a high-capacity player."

The patent, which Creative applied for on Jan. 5, 2001, specifically covers "a method of selecting at least one track from a plurality of tracks stored in a computer-readable medium of a portable media player configured to present sequentially a first, second, and third display screen on the display of the media player, the plurality of tracks accessed according to a hierarchy, the hierarchy having a plurality of categories, subcategories, and items respectively in a first, second, and third level of the hierarchy."
#####

Upon further look, one would realise how far the fucker is digging into his own grave. I OWN the nomad jukebox and the user interface in no way resembles the iPod. iPod is so user friendly, only people who are less than idiots won't know how to use it. Further more, "hierarchal structure" applies for everything, from your handphone to your computer explorer folders sytem (if you don't own a mac) or the finder (if you are a mac owner) while it can claim to have sold the jukebox 1st and hence claim patent to the invention, it can't claim apple copied them. back in the 1980's people already written the hierarchail menu

in fact like how EVERYBODY will tell you, how creative copied apple, from the design of their remote control to the user MENU where even the battery placing is in the same spot with the same font.

WAKE UP SIM WONG WHO!? WE ALL HATE YOU! I'LL M*RD*R YOU AND V*ND*L*S* YOUR BUILDING!

its like lookin into the mirror and realizing that the person staring back isn't who you think it is. like the reflection on the broken mirror because you smashed it. different angles, different perspective. but just not who you think the reflection is. Stuck in a time warp where reality moved far faster but the mind preserved in an ancient form of self delusion, self worship. and the realization destroys every bit of sanity, reality in that ancient preservation. then the hanging gardens of babylon no longer stays, but slowly and suddenly crumbles. crumbles to pieces. just like the broken that you smashed into. different angles, different perspective.

my friend was saving powerpoint onto her creative zen neon, it crashed and died. and her project was gone. said person was so ashamed of her zen, she spent money on ipod earphones so people will think she uses an ipod, and she isn't the only one. i have known more than 3 person who does that.

nownow the zen neon is really very compact and small. it does look kinda nice. but but but. there is always a monkey wrench. you can't speed scroll down in the 2500 songs you can hold. there's no touch scroll like the one they RIPPED off the ipod, instead its back to the old interface where you had to use a jog scroll to scroll one song by one song from a to z. well interesting, now we all know why despite mr sim wong who?'s effort to create an ipod killer. it has never ever killed any ipod. it has even manage to hurt the ipod. yup yup.

This is best joke i've heard for the century, taken off here

^^^^^^^

The attractive couple on the television screen gracefully moved their bodies into the next yoga pose: arms extended, head tilted slightly back, a deep breath in. In front of the TV set, a seven-year-old girl and her mother did their best to mimic the posture. The little girl, Laurette, loved this special time with her mom.

It was 1965, and Laurette's mom, Jacquie, didn't think twice about exercising along with this yoga program that came on the TV after Jack La Lanne. She developed a passion for yoga, and began instructing free classes in her home. Laurette served as the demonstration model for her mom. The young girl relished the attention?and her family never suspected this seemingly innocent exercise would open the door to a New Age lifestyle that would affect Laurette for the next 22 years.

Speaking Out
Now 46, Christian speaker/author Laurette Willis tells everyone she meets about the dangers of yoga. The Oklahoma resident addresses groups across the country, speaking from personal experience and her knowledge as a certified personal trainer and aerobics instructor. She's developed a prominent presence on the Internet, largely due to her new exercise program, PraiseMoves, which she calls "a Christian alternative to yoga." She shares her testimony on the website (www.PraiseMoves.com) in a pull-no-punches style, and responds to numerous e-mails?some curious, others critical of her stance on yoga. Additionally, she posts comments on the message boards of other fitness and religion websites. She's also self-published a book and video about PraiseMoves.

So what caused Laurette to become vocal about yoga? And is yoga really all that bad? Her testimony is a bold answer to both questions.

Throughout her childhood, Laurette's family regularly attended church. "If someone had asked us, we would have said we were Christians," she says. "But we never heard the message of salvation at our church." Lacking knowledge about the Christian faith, Laurette's mom found herself drawn to New Age practices, and began reading books by Nostradamus and Edgar Cayce (both claimed to have psychic abilities) and taking Laurette to an ashram, a Hindu yoga retreat.

As an adult, Laurette immersed herself in every New Age and metaphysical practice she came across: chanting, crystals, tarot cards, psychics, channeling spirits.

"I tried everything?Kabbalah, Universalism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism ?because I was spiritually hungry," Laurette says. "I call the New Age movement 'Burger King' because it's like the fast-food restaurant's motto: 'Have it your way.' That's what the New Age movement tries to do, to achieve God on its terms."

There was one thing Laurette wasn't remotely interested in pursuing: Christianity. "I thought Christians just wanted to give me a bunch of rules and dogma," she says. "I didn't know they were speaking about a relationship with Jesus."

But in Laurette's quest to find herself, she only found a deepening sense of loneliness. "God will use whatever it takes to bring you to your knees," she says. "I'd made a mess of my life. I was an alcoholic. I'd been promiscuous. I tried every form of religion, never coming to any knowledge of the truth."

One day in 1987, a thought popped into Laurette's head: What if everything I thought about God was completely wrong? Two days later, she fell to her knees. "I didn't know anything about the Bible or Jesus. I just cried out to God from the depths of my soul, 'I give up! You win! If you can do something with my life, you can have it.' "As Laurette asked God to take control of her life, she felt a physical weight lift from her body.

"I learned much later that the weight was sin," she says. "I hadn't realized sin was real. New Agers think the word 'sin' is an acronym for 'self-inflicted nonsense.' That's the deception of the Enemy, because if there's no sin, then you don't need a Savior."

She remembers the change at the moment she accepted Christ: "I felt peace descend upon me for the first time in my life."

Exercise Plus Praise
After giving her life to God, Laurette began devouring the Bible. She burned her New Age books and disengaged from everything associated with her turbulent past?including yoga.

For years, Laurette never gave yoga a second thought. But in 2001, an idea popped into her head: What if there was an alternative to yoga that provided exercise while spiritually moving Christians to praise the Lord? She spent a good deal of time in prayer, wanting to be certain this idea was God's will.

After two years of planning, Laurette self-published a PraiseMoves book and video in 2003. She began certifying PraiseMoves instructors across the country last fall.

The PraiseMoves program utilizes gentle stretches that correlate with Scripture verses. There's "The Eagle" stretch, where the arms are pulled back to resemble a bird in flight. While students hold this stretch, Laurette reads Isaiah 40:31: "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles" (NKJV). Other stretches include "The Angel" (Psalm 91:11), "The Rainbow" (Genesis 9:16), and "The Altar" (Romans 12:1). At each session's end, students are asked to prayerfully consider a verse from the Bible, or to spend some quiet time expressing gratitude to God.

The Problem with Yoga
Laurette wanted PraiseMoves to provide all the physical benefits for which yoga is often touted: improved flexibility, weight loss, reduced stress, and improved circulation, to name a few. But she wanted the similarities to end there.

The goal of all yoga, Laurette explains, is to obtain oneness with the universe. That's also known as the process of enlightenment, or union with Brahman (Hinduism's highest god). The word "yoga" means "union" or "to yoke."

"Yoga wants to get students to the point of complete numbness in their minds. God, on the other hand, wants you to be transformed by the renewing of your mind through his Word," Laurette says.

Before she became a Christian, Laurette used subliminal tapes to train her mind to empty itself. These tapes are often used in yoga classes, she says. She also taught yoga classes and instructed her students in astral projection, or "stepping outside" of the body, which Laurette says poses a serious spiritual danger.

"If there's nothing in your mind, you're open to all kinds of deception. After coming to Christ, I wondered who?or what?came into my body when I 'stepped out.' While I don't believe Christians can become possessed, I do believe we can become oppressed by demonic spirits of fear, depression, lust, false religion, etc. These are all things designed to draw us away from Jesus Christ."

But what about hatha yoga, the less overtly spiritual form of yoga taught at most gyms? Even in this format, Laurette says there are commonly used words and poses antithetical to God's Word. For example, the word "namaste," often said at the close of yoga classes, means, "I bow to the god within you." The sound "om," chanted in many yoga classes, is meant to bring students into a trance so they can join with the universal mind. And the "salute to the sun" posture, used at the beginning of most classes, pays homage to the Hindu sun god. Laurette believes it's impossible to extract Hindu spiritualism from yoga?and she's gotten a bit of confirmation on this from an unlikely source:

"I received an e-mail from a staff member of the Classical Yoga Hindu Academy in New Jersey. The staff member wrote, 'Yes, all of yoga is Hinduism. Everyone should be aware of this fact.' This staff member included that she didn't appreciate my 'running down the great Hindu/Yogic religion,'" Laurette says.

Her statements about yoga have also drawn criticism from some Christians. Some accuse Laurette of being judgmental. Others say her fears about yoga are irrational. She's quick to tell critics PraiseMoves isn't for everybody, but she doesn't back down from her stance on yoga. When she speaks with Christians who practice yoga, she encourages them to pay close attention to any hesitation they feel?and then to check out the facts for themselves.

Numerous Christian women have told Laurette they decided to quit yoga after learning about its Hindu roots. It's a hard decision for those who've invested many years and many dollars into the practice.

Laurette says, "I tell people that if their reasoning is, 'But I've already paid for these yoga classes,' or 'But I just bought these cool yoga pants and a yoga DVD,' to ask themselves: Am I willing to give these things up to know the truth?"

Holly Vicente Robaina, a TCW regular contributor, lives in California. Laurette's new book, BASIC Steps to Godly Fitness, will be published by Harvest House this April.

Proceed with Caution
There's a new practice popping up at churches and fitness clubs around the country. Dubbed "Christian yoga" or "yoga for Christians," these programs supposedly offer the physical benefits of yoga along with Christian spirituality. But is it really possible for yoga to be transformed into a practice for Christians?

Doug Groothuis, author of Confronting the New Age and a professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary, says proponents of "Christian yoga" are misled?and are misleading others.

"'Christian yoga' is an oxymoron. Yoga is rooted in Hinduism and cannot be separated from it," he says. "There's nothing wrong with stretching and calming down one's breathing. But yoga isn't really about that; it's aimed at transforming human consciousness to experience the Hindu god, which is a false god."

TCW found several "Christian yoga" instructors who are affiliated with secular yoga organizations that have a Hindu or New Age bent.

When investigating a Christian yoga class, be on the lookout for:

Sanskrit language. Many words commonly used in yoga pay homage to Hindu deities.

Metaphysical jargon. Phrases such as "breathing in positive energy and breathing out negative energy," "focusing on the third eye," and "getting in touch with the divinity within you" have New Age implications.

Projection. Beware being told to empty your mind or to step outside your body.

Feelings of discomfort. Pay attention to those feelings. Even if you can't pinpoint why you're uncomfortable, this may be the Holy Spirit's way of letting you know the class isn't for you.

^^^^^^^^

now come on, seriously? when can all of you ridiculous stupid people start to respect others.!!!!

still alive, if alive means breathing and being able to go to school and eating. something life takes such unexpected twist, we do not even know how, when or why. life, oh life.

the past few nights weren't easy. we all know how it feels like late in the night. i don't suppose you are having it easy too.


元卫觉醒 - 天空

听着自己的心跳 没有规则的跳跃
我安静的在思考 并不想被谁打扰
失去了你的引导 寂寞在一旁嘲笑
它笑我无处可逃 我变的好渺小

时间分割成对角 停止你对我的好 瓦解我们的依靠

在你离开之后的天空 不像再有晴朗的梦
雨后的天空 是否再有放晴后的笑容
我静静的望着天空 试着寻找一绺的彩虹
哭过的面容 期待着就为出现的笑容

i wished you were beside me yesterday.
i know now how lonely it can get, watching the fireworks all by myself. strolling down the esplanade, listening to my iPod. walking across that place, with the song "hands to heaven" playin on the iPod/

my mind is clouded with emptiness. nothing to say, don't know where to begin. i am still alive. happiness is but a mask worn with skill and deceit.

having blogged about NKF and their lies before, it gives me immense pleasure to see that NKF's attempt at sueing SPH has failed terribly, and causing much more backlash that includes vandalism and a possible countersuit of their laundering of public's money.

###
a translated excerpt of what happened in the courtroom show's just exactly how dark and conniving the organisation is

as stated in front of the judge, NKF has $ 262'000'000 in reserves. now NKF collects $24.4mil from their patients and spents $31.6mil on their patient. this means that they spend $7.1 million a year on their patients. so therefore their reserves will last for about THIRTY to FOURTY years should there be no more donations.

what was also revealed during court proceedings was that during 9th April '04, where NKF declared that their reserve will only last for 3 years was INDEED a LIE! furthermore, NKF puts in money during their donation drives. mr durai tried to argue that the reserves will have to spent during their yearly activities, and therefore it would not last 30 years. however when grilled on by Senior Cousel Davinder Singh (henceforth known as lawyer), mr dulai admitted that without any more donation drives or any activities, the reserves will last 30 to 40 years.

when further pressed by the lawyer "mr dulai, what was the intention behind to publish and emphasised on a INCORRECT information? what was the exact intention? has it got anything to do with the more donations poured in, the more bonus you will get" mr durai avoided the question saying he worked for the sake of NKF and their patients.

what was also revealed was the Mr dulai took home $ 1'800'000 dollars for the past 3 years of work and that his bonus for 2004 was 12 bloody months

Mr Durai also admitted that NKF provides EIGHT cars. of which the road tax was all paid for by our kind donations. upon further questioning mr dulai also admitted that HIS SERVICING AND ROAD TAX was also paid for with our kind donations

however mr durai felt that a $990 tap was inexpensive for a family whose income is $1000 a month

###
Lawyer: "we know that your payslip is $60'000 a year, which is why you felt that a $990 tap is inexpensive. but would you tell us, for a citizen who's income is $1000-$2000 a month, would this $990 tap be expensive"

Mr Durai: "He might think that it is expensive"

Lawyer: "he might? please tell the truth"

Mr Durai: "I can't speak for him. This depends on the structure of the contruction, the usage of the tap...."

Lawyer: "a person living in a 1, 2, 3 room flat with montly income of $1000, $2000, $3000, will he find a $1000 tap expensive, even with 10% discount?"

Mr Durai: "maybe, yes"

Lawyer: "is that a yes or a no"

Mr Durai: "if he is educated and knows the usage of a tap, he won't find it expensive"

now we all know how mr durai thinks. firstly he thinks those of us living in flats are uneducated, secondly he believes family that has difficulty putting 3 meals to a table will find a $990 tap inexpensive if they're educated and knows the purpose of a tap. interesting

###
now further into the interrogation of the 1st class flights that mr durai is accustomed to. Mr Durai's travel perks also came under scrutiny.

Not only had the NKF maintained consistently - as recently as in the April 19 article - that none of its executives flew first class, it had threatened to sue people who said Mr Durai did so.

At least two people have had to apologise publicly and pay damages and costs for saying they had seen Mr Durai travel first class, as the NKF said this implied he was wasting donors' funds.

Under questioning, he admitted he had flown first class on some airlines. His explanation: The NKF board allowed this as long as he did not bust the Singapore Airlines business-class rate.

Mr Singh countered: 'Isn't it your duty as a trustee of people's monies to make sure that you get best value on a business-class seat instead of deploying this clever tactic... using it for first class on another plane?'

Mr Durai replied: 'This is a decision made by the board. I used the entitlement.' The entitlement, he added, kicked in only in the past two years. Previously, when he flew first class, he had paid the difference out of his own pocket, he maintained.

Mr Singh noted that although he now flew first class, Mr Durai did not correct his chairman Richard Yong's assertion in the April 19 article that 'there is no such thing as first-class travel'.

'The reason you hide the truth is because you know that that is the wrong thing to do, using people's money, and you know that is mismanagement of donations.'

Mr Durai was asked if he should now 'do the right thing' by the two individuals who had paid him damages and costs for saying what he had now admitted in court. He said no, sticking to his claim that at that time, he did not travel first class using NKF funds and when he did so, he paid the difference himself.

###
The hearing yesterday was delayed by the NKF's application for special damages of $3.24 million, which it claimed was what it lost in donations following the publication of the article. Justice Tan Lee Meng threw out the application and ordered the NKF to pay SPH's legal cost for its last-minute move.

###
Also a very interesting thing to note was Mr Durai's amazing belief that a family living in a 1 room flat will be able to sit in a first class seat to travel. hrmmm

Lawyer: "as the trusted personnel who is suppose to handle the public monies with care, are u suppose to ensure that you get the best value for money air tickets"

Durai: "yes"

Lawyer: "when you fly by business class, why did you need the experience of flying by business class?"

Durai: "the perks were permitted by the board...."

Judge: "that is not the question of Senior Counsel Davinder Singh"

Lawyer: "you used the donation of a man living in a 1 room flat, who might have problems putting 3 meals on his table"

Durai: "yes"

Lawyer: "do you think it is possible for such a man to ever see what it is like to be in a first class seat?"

Durai: "i'm not sure"

WOW he is not sure. hrmm very interesting nugget of information

###
[taken from dominicsoon.com]
Using numbers from the NKF website, I calculated that 55% of expenditures actually go to charitable programs while about a fifth are swallowed up by operating costs including, by the way, Mr Durai’s salary. (See Figure 1.) This is laughable compared to the 95% of the American Kidney Fund (AKF) which has similar revenues (roughly S$86 million.)

Figure 1: The NKF - Internationally Competitive?


Click on image to expand
Source: http://www.charitynavigator.org/

But wait - in the fiscal year of 2003, the AKF actually ran a deficit ? that is, it spent more money than it received. Perhaps the NKF strategy of saving around 34% of its revenues is a sound one? I constructed an alternative scenario, supposing that the AKF saved 34% of its revenue and took this out of its program expenses, reducing them by around US$20 million. The share of expenditure on charitable programs hardly budged (it fell to 93%) because their administration costs were so small to begin with.

The NKF is also not particularly efficient at revenue generation, despite its high profile activities:

Table 1: Fund-Raising Activities to Donations Ratio in 2003
Includes public relations expenditures
Organization Amount raised per dollar
NKF S$3.93
SPCA S$14.54
Kidney Dialysis Foundation S$5.87
American Kidney Fund US$22.95

Source: Various company websites. All are local charities except the American Kidney Fund.

Two out of every three Singaporeans donate to the NKF. After the recent scandal, that number is going to fall. Hopefully that will translate into more resources for other worthier, more efficient organizations, such as the Kidney Dialysis Foundation, a smaller outfit in the middle of Kreta Ayer which has revenues about a twentieth of the NKF. In case you’re interested in what their expenses look like, here’s the graph.

Figure 2: Figure 2: Kidney Dialysis Foundation - Expenses


Source: http://www.kdf.org.sg

Part of a longer work in progress. All errors are mine and unintentional.
[ends here]
###

of cos now we must all sign the petition to remove mr durai and hopefully more transperency in NKF and how they misappropiate our funds, you can sign the petition hereor you can goto http://www.petitiononline.com/nkfs/petition-sign.html? to have mr durai remove.

but of course if you want to see more of NKF flying SQ business class or the equivalent or driving 8 cars, and using your money to service and pay the road tax of his private car used by his wife of would love for your money to go to his 12 month bonus, or that the fact that NKF purposely OVERSTATED their number of patients on 3 occasions (remember that there was the childrens fund where it was 3000 over patients, there's actually less than 2000, NKF itself tends to only 3000 over patients but they have 1000 over staff and they pay VERY well, over $9 per hour for a person who takes your pulse during your free medical examination after which they force you to donate money) remember the hotline

1900 112 6868 for 1 call
1900 112 6833 for 3 calls
1900 112 6855 for 5 calls and 10 CHANCES TO WIN IN A LUCKY DRAW
1900 112 6888 FOR 8 CALLS AND 20 CHANCES TO WIN IN THE AMAZING LUCKY DRAW!!!!

p/s the information above are as accurate as my translation, information are taken off several newspaper, including ST's website stated below, and www.dominicsoon.com
######
some very interesting links to keep you busy
when i grow up,i wanna be NKF's CEO

Oikonk - In Defense

more dirt on day 2

tales from chambana NKF - a personal view

the mail order bride - would you still donate?

today's reader open letter to NKF

dominic soon's detailed analysis of NKF, KDF and other's organisation

of cos our own ST's report on MR Durai

mr brown

"Crying Out Love in the Centre of the World"

hope to catch this show with my pooh bear

梁静茹 - 我是幸福的

黄昏过后 暖暖的晚风中 在小公园里头 眼眶红了
看老公公和老婆婆在散步着 把手牢牢握着
星星亮了 我觉得幸福就是这样的

几十年后 你也变老公公 我当你的拐杖 扶着你走
眼睛花了 你老花眼镜就是我 把时间忘了 慢慢走
美丽风景 我为你转播不让你错过

能和你牵手 我是幸福的 你就像温柔又顽固的石头
用心盖了座 最美的城堡叫永久 圈住我
不管过再久也会幸福的 我们都走过了动摇的时候
爱已变成树 就算是有风会平息的

几十年后 你也变老公公 我当你的拐杖 扶着你走
眼睛花了 你老花眼镜就是我 把时间忘了 慢慢走
美丽风景 我为你转播不让你错过

能和你牵手 我是幸福的 你就像温柔又顽固的石头
用心盖了座 最美的城堡叫永久 圈住我
不管过再久也会幸福的 我们都走过了动摇的时候
爱已变成树 就算是有风会平息的

被懂我的人爱着 我是幸福的 连沉默都能是交流
你总是能给我比我想的还要多 我爱你
不做你的公主 要做你的快乐

梁静茹 - 勇气

终于做了这个决定 别人怎么说我不理
只要你也一样的肯定我愿意天涯海角都随你去
我知道一切不容易我的心一直温习说服自己
最怕你忽然说要放弃爱真的需要勇气
来面对流言蜚语只要你一个眼神肯定
我爱你的意义(我的爱就有意义)我们都需要勇气
去相信会在一起 人潮拥挤我能感觉你放在我手心
你的真心如果我的坚强任性
会不小心伤害了你你能不能温柔提醒
我虽然心太急 更害怕错过你

梁静茹 - 一夜长大

末班车回家 雨一直下
整夜忍的泪 他不听话
我不想去擦 就这样吧
爱让这女孩 一夜长大 一夜长大
想要说的话 竟然忘了啊
我总是很少说 不懂得表达
分手我不怕 你知道吗 你知道的啊
只是 那几乎成真 我们的家 你真的不想吗
那这些年的专心无猜 你只当我是朋友吗
我以为雨声会遮住你的回答 它却那么清楚啊
让这个你曾深爱的女孩 一夜长大
原因一定很多 就随你吧
究竟为什么 我不管它
分手我不怕 你知道吗 你知道了吧
只是 那几乎成真 我们的家 你再也不想吗
那这些年的专心无猜 当朋友都不好吗
我多想雨中听不清你的回答 它却那么清楚啊
让这个你曾深爱的女孩 一夜长大
那几乎成真 我们的家 你从此不想吗
那这些年的专心无猜 你只当我是朋友吗
我以为雨中听不见你的回答 它却那么清楚啊
让这个你曾深爱的女孩 一夜长大
一夜长大 一夜长大

i want my pooh bear

for all those who really wanted to know why gays are born and not a choice of life

#####

As far as I know, male homosexuality in Drosophila and Homo sapiens is hypothesised to be controlled by 2 totally different genes. While male homosexuality in Drosophila is indeed discovered to be influenced by the FRU gene, human male homosexuality is more correctly linked to the HMS1 gene in the Xq28 locus. This makes a lot of sense - since gays practically do not reproduce, why is there still a stable number of gays in the society IF it's really genetic?

One thing we ALL have to note is that whatever phenotypic outcome, there must be a genetic and environmental influence. As all who have touched the least bit on genetics should know, phenotypic variance = genetic variance + environmental variance. Hence, a portion of the "no inheritance" claim is eliminated by the environmental portion.

As for the genetic portion, the gay gene is identified on Xq28 - locus number 28 on the long arm of X chromosome. Sex-linked, and inherited from the mother. Since this HMS1 only takes effects on males, it has no effects on the mother. The mother is still straight but the son is gay.

Scientists studying the HMS1 allele also proposed that male homosexuality is actually part of nature's means to increase birth rate. HMS1 does not produce a protein signalling for male-male attraction but stimulates male attraction. If it's expressed in a female, she'll be more fertile, more attracted to males and hence, totally straight. When expressed in males, it prompts attraction to males instead of females, hence male homosexuality. As such, the HMS1 gene actually is NOT the same as the FRU gene which is specific to homosexuality. HMS1 is meant for increased female HETEROSEXUALITY which, in heritance to a male offspring, becomes a primer to male homosexuality.

or click
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=3165

#####

that bitch of a HOD which i yelled at and got a standing ovation from my colleagues, she came from city harvest where the other bitch comes from. you know the one who is sometimes a pastor, sometimes not a pastor, sometimes speaking in tongues, sometimes cure cancer and aids patient with a touch, sometimes spending 39 million BUCKs on a titanium church that changes colours somtimes wearing drop v armani dress sometimes driving an audi tt sometimes wearing a bvlgari sometimes chopard horse?

i don't like life to be in a mangled mess. i don't like to untie mess. i don't like naggy mom who ask me what letter i received even before i signed for the letter. i don't like to feel inferior. i don't like to be missing people badly that i forget myself. i don't like to have to think about things. i don't like explaining myself to others. i don't like to be misunderstood. i don't like ot be taken for granted. i don't like not getting what i want. i don't like myself being wishy washy. i don't like smokers. i don't like dust. i don't like stephanie sun. i don't like crockroaches. i don't like lizards. i don't like bitches like this HOD of mine. i don't people who only know how to 'delegate' work but forgetting to work themselves. i don't like rude people and i don't like a lot of things, like how i don't like myself not liking so many things.

i like coffee, i like rose tea, i like durians. i like myself. i like jeans. i like kinky stuff like ahem.... i like ropes. i like socks. (hahaha okok thats enough) i like APPLE, i like my iBook, i like iPod, i like my iPod Shuffle, i like my wireless mouse, i like my guitars, i like cds, i like maroon 5, i like lifehouse, i like britney spears, i like dashboard confessional, i like food at brazil churracia, i like to drink jyunbag at acid bar. i like wala wala, i like balaclava, i like to listen to songs, i like to look good.....

i love you.

why do i feel like i'm such a hopeless case?

movies to catch but no one to catch with and no time and no moolah but the primary reason is no one to catch it with =(

downfall
hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
madagascar
batman begins
unleashed
alot like love
in my father's den
mr and mrs smith

i might have posted this before but i think it makes so much sense i must post it up again.

#####

Those We Love the Best

It's been said that it's often the ones we love whom we hurt the most. Paradoxical, but plausible, given how easy it is to hurt our loved ones.

We are often gracious, tolerant and accommodating towards casual friends and acquaintances, even people we hardly know. That could be because we want to maintain a positive impression, in view of possible future collaboration or aid. It also could be because we don't wish to appear boorish, or because we are fearful of negative reactions.

Our loved ones though, are often not so fortunate. Because we are certain of their love for us, we tend to abuse that love and take it for granted. We may do selfish things that bring them distress or use harsh language when we're upset because we know that they will probably bear it and forgive us. Or we may not express our love enough or spend little quality time with our loved ones because we assume that they'll always be there.

But our loved ones feel pain and neglect as keenly as any one of our friends and colleagues. Even more so, since it is someone they love who is dealing out such thoughtless afflictions. And like everyone else, they may not be around for the rest of our lives.

This is a poem written by an unknown author, about the disturbing reality of how we treat the ones we love.

They say the world is round,
Yet I often think it's square,
So many little hurts we get
From corners here and there;

But there's one truth in life I've found
While journeying East and West,
The only folks we really wound
Are those we love the best.

We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those we love the best.

i hate myself. i saw my friends picture of them in australia, after a flight, and i missed it so much. ARGH why did i have to get this stupid injury. now i can't fly anymore. NOT ever and it just kinda stinks cos i almost went with my coursemates. but here i am waiting for university. my future just took a 180 degrees change.

whatever convinced me to convince myself? its all nonsense. i guess i can never live with this. i lost. i suck and i hate myself. ARGH!

Horoscope June 2005, Scorpio

If you have plans to travel abroad, avoid temptations or flings as it might turn out negative. Spending on an exotic getaway trip or taking up a new hobby with your loved one will be ideal. Watch your spending though as such indulgences could burn a hole in your wallet. Tell your loved one how much you appreciate their being here with you, you might be surprised how much your words mean to them.

feeling extremely lonely.

another teary night

ALRIGHT! MAC users who longed to use iChat but couldn't can now use iChat with the AIM's webmail. simply go to mail.aol.com sign up for a new 2GB account and voila we can sign in using iChat. Windows users can take advantage of it too of the 2GB mail and AIM messenger. its damn cool try it and let me know. i'll add all of you =)

woke up today with puffy eyes. so we all know what that means. So puffy even my clerk was asking what happened to me. how fascinating. it just sucks knowing that it doesn't matter what i do, because nothing i do can make a difference. even having to beg for something, nothing changes.

i can't stand it. i can't stand self-censorship because i hate to be controlled. NOBODY CONTROLS ME but sadly i am being controlled and manipulated. everytime i want to blog i have to hold back. but i don't want to hold back. if i don't blog i feel miserable. but if i blog, i feel miserable. what's with this whole fucking issue anyway? don't like what you see, don't see. it is so simple with the web. NOBODY FORCED YOU TO READ MY WEBPAGE. if you didn't click on a link, or purposefully typed my webpage on the address bar, you wouldn't be here.

GO AWAY!

ARGH!!!!

you would have thought that people working in diplomatic positions would have wiser choice of their language:

Speaking to the press after Singaporean boy and his cousins were lost in malaysia, the sultan of pahang noted that "The children told [them] they were not eating but drinking stream water. At night they got together, hugging one another, loving one another and saying their prayers."

RIGHT.......

i am not dead. i just have nothing to say

For a friend.

张惠妹 - 解脱

爱是不夜城 回忆像星辰
热泪越沸腾 我越感觉有点冷
变了心的人 越想越伤人
枯坐到清晨 阳光替房间开了灯
想 若结局一样 又何苦再想
伤 若让人成长 我为什么怕分手的伤

解脱 是肯承认这是个错
我不应该还不放手
你有自由走 我有自由好好过
解脱 是懂擦干泪看以后
找个新方向往前走
这世界辽阔 我总会实现一个梦
心里有一种渴望勇敢的念头
不要爱我的人再担心我

WE MUST NOT LET OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS HAVE THIER WAY. we shall all boycott the public transport service on july 1st. it maybe a few cents, but a few cents will eventually accumulate to alot, especially since their profit was record high EVER in the past year, can you imagine what they will do when they start making losses?

why do they compare singapore bus fares with london fares and to make it more deceiving they make it look as if londoners have it more expensive, but we forget the londoners earn their dough in pounds and medical bills are free!!!!!

COME LETS ALL BOYCOTT AND NOT GO TO WORK/SCHOOL/WHEREVER ON JULY 1st on the account that it is too expensive. if we all do it together the consumers will win. how can we let public transport be privatised. i mean they can charge $4 per trip and we still would have no choice but to go public.

all you PC users have now been infected by a virus because of your absolutely stupidity not to use a macintosh, and i was happening to be using my brother's disgusting pc. i have no idea how to fixed it, but my previous mail happen to contain a virus and it has generated email to every single on of you. so now you silly pc users should switch to a mac or format your comp or i really don't know what is gonna happen.

if the world's department of defense like australia, usa n nasa and part of SAF, and all the IT heads i've encountered in airforce, my sec school, my current school prefers and/or have used mac for their servers and all because of its stability and its ZERO virus, its time to change!

I HATE ALL PC USERS. ALL OF YOU ARE FUCKED UP STUPID ASSHOLES. IF YOU ARE GOING TO SWITCH THEN SMART ON YOU AND I LOVE YOU. BUT IF FOR 1 SECOND YOU THINK PC IS GOOD AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. THEN I CURSE YOU, LIKE HOW 7 OF MY FRIENDS HAD EVERYTHING THEY CHERISHED WIPED OUT OF THIER COMPUTER IN 3 MONTHS. THEN I CURSE YOU, LIKE HOW MY FRIEND LOST HIS MONEY BECAUSE SOMEONE SENT A SPYWARE N STOLE HIS INTERNET BANKING PASSWORD. I CURSE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU PC USERS

i apologise to all my regular readers for not posting anything in quite awhile. well it has been a very busy few weeks. too many things to do, too tired, and most often when i finally have the time, i am left with little or no energy to blog or to even give some minor updates.

well i just finished my stint as a relief teacher and i am now working as a technical assistant in the same school. had the best time in the school. the colleagues were very helpful, i had the grestest students. i really did loved it there.

well other than that? nothing to much to update now. other than the wondering. wondering about how pragmatic humans can be. how when one person is attached, he would make sure, and even go at lengths to make sure that another couple is asked to go out together; but when said person becomes single, said person goes at length to avoid going out with couples, resulting in severe inconvenience. and it is so odd when one declares that he has given up hope on his friends when he's attached but when he's single, suddenly they are the bestest of friends again.

which is why like i always said, we have to make time for our friends. even if it is little time, we have to let them know we care. we don't have to be physically going out every weekend, but at least we keep in contact. less we declare all our friends to be hopeless.

anyhow dearest colin met up with me yesterday, and though we were both exhausted, we had a great time catching up. over the years, i realised how i always taken colin for granted sometimes. but now, looking back at all the old times, we survived a lot of things. silly quarrels, silly arguments and all. thank you!

after the whole woohaa about blogs and all the legal stuff associated with it. i thought i would just say a few things before i dig my head back into the exam scripts. firstly i owe nobody any apology. if you do not like what you see in my blog, get the fuck out of here. i will always type with asterisk so as not to implicate any organisation. i shall complain at will and bitch at will. but it will be good old general bitching.

i can't imagine the next day our "gahmen" decides to "suuu" (*crosses finger and hopes only people who needs to understand will) some scholar because his diary had some personal complains. its like, i can just imagine the reason "a diary can be read by anyone who has broken into your house, or invited and we need to protect the reputation of sillypore. so because of that, you shall not write or talk or think anything that might defame or sillypore nation."

i mean like duh, the website was password protected, just as hackers can hack, burglars can break into your house, steal your diary and tell the whole world that every sillyporean with a diary actually writes horrible stuff about sillypore!

off to marking, hoping to teach the next generation of sillyporeans how to be a better sillyporean (in my context)

buy wallet for her during mother's day also kena scolded. RIDICULOUS! say what why i buy the wallet is 1cm wider from her old one. complain that her old wallet is still very new with mould growing inside. yes in her exact words. see her use her wallet for so many years, buy her a new one also kena scolding.

watching the channel u documentary Scoop, really brings home to aids issue. it shows how MANY STRAIGHT singapore males goes overseas (Batam) and demand unprotected sex. and most of them can't seem to be bothered with HIV or AIDs. 'paul', a regular to batam, feels that if he should contract AIDs, then so be it. He won't even go for HIV test. Apparently, when the volunteers of Streewalkers Project were giving out free condoms to the sex workers of singapore; they found out that majority of the Singapore Client request for unprotected sex, and in a verbal survey, most straight men that visit sex brothels regularly can't be bothered to do HIV test.

i wonder what Dr. Balaji is thinking when all this is shown on a Chinese TV... hrmm maybe i should email him.

i was gg to say i saw the sweetest image a few days back on the train. well 2 very cute looking (of course they were cute) secondary school boys were well, behaving rather intimately. one was ruffling the hair of the other one. and they were sorta playing with each other, trying to grab the hands and all. lying on the bag. haha a bit gross lahz, but they were cute, so it makes it a very very sweet image.....

movies to watch before price hike or at cathay instead

1. summer storm
2. millions
3. the interpreter
4. the hidden blade
5. 3 irons (if it is still showing)

what is the currency of ireland?

Any idea? well before there was the euros, ireland was using pounds, and pennies, and before that, celtic rings. i googled the above question, and got the ans from the 1st link available. not wanting to believe microsoft is so horrible, i msnsearched (sounds so much less cool than googled) it, all i got from msn search was

"Service Unavailable - DNS failure
The server is temporarily unable to service your request. Please try again later."

and mind, you "what is the currency of ireland?" is the advertisement placed outside queensways shopping centre for msn search.

sigh

#####

anaother thing to note, i get a very perverse joy everytime i find out that my friend's computer died due to virus, or lost all their memory or all of their files, or having problems one way or the other, internet, digital cameras, printers. so far, i had to help a couple of friends with their pc, known 7 friends whose comp got wiped out in the past 5 months, and a dozen more with problems. hahah me and my mac buddies are so sniggering away, enjoying every moment of hassle free computer usage.

i had the most interesting conversation last night. i talked to god in my dreams. and he told me that we must love each and everybody. and we cannot listen and follow something that is dead, and inanimate. he told me that compassion for all was what made the world go round, and is what that will continue to make the world go round. he also told me that the pope was going to hell because he let 25 million people die in africa because he refused to condone condoms, which would have saved many lives. but he chose to follow an inanimate text, and blinded by his own beliefs, rather than listening to the humanity of his own heart. god also told me that the new pope will be going to hell if he followed suit. god also told me to love everyone including the gay hating straights who kill and wage a war using religion as a cause; which is what the new pope intends to do. god also told me he will not forgive the new pope if the new pope doesn't learn to love.

it is so interesting when microsoft advertises for msn search on city hall, asking "what is a fugu" try msn search for more accurate results. and so i did try. the 1st page of the results tells me nothing about fugu, but rather focuses on the FUGU projects.

however, after googling "what is a fugu" the 1st result was

"Web definitions for Fugu
[Japanese] swellfish; globefish; blowfish; ballonfish; puffer. Fugu is caught in winter only, and it is eaten as chiri-nabe (hotpot) or fugu-sashi (raw fugu, sliced paper-thin). Only licensed fugu chefs are allowed to prepare this fish in Japan, since it contains a deadly poison.
www.recipegoldmine.com/glossary/glossaryF.html - Definition in context "

guess microsoft can't do anything right. not even search engines.

for those wanting to fix spywares and all read this from the mossenberg reportit list a whole list of sites for freewares and stuff to download

this is so cool, for all those NINE INCH NAILS fans, you'll be delighted to know that they have made their newest single, the hand that feeds available for download in the raw format where individual tracks are separated. its available here well you've gotta own garageband from apple, and use a mac to run it. cos NINE INCH NAILS USES A MAC TO RECORD AND PRODUCE THEIR ALBUMS JUST LIKE MAYDAY and everybody else with a brain.

i just happened to be going through an old blog me and 2 friends started. hahaha, we all know who we are don't we. blondeness. but i dunno what happened. was it laziness on our part? but its just that the way things are now wasn't the way i want it to be. nor intended it. i am sure neither of us would like the situation now. but i suppose it is just part and parcel of life. changes. different paths will take us to different places. and maybe things will never be like before. sad huh.

did i tell everybody that i bought tori amos' new album? well the beekeeper is indeed a fantastic album, very different style from her previous albums. and i got, together with the beekeeper, pushing the senses from feeder. another under-rater band. very catchy rock tunes, meaningful lyrics, nothing to do with killing mothers or being slaves to others. hahaha

great weekend. had dinner at shasilik (its slowly becoming my fave hunt for good food) albeit being pricey, it was well worth the money. clock up $90 bucks for 2 person. heck i can eat at my sch canteen for 2 months with that money. hahah the baked alaska is a must try! so are the escargots.

missus purnsey together with other people have far more nasty things to say about the pope. no i did not shed one tear. i couldn't be bothered with a man who let millions of people die in africa due to aids because he refused to approve the use of condoms. he was so willing to let people die of aids and he was so hypocritical about it as he tried to (taken from Sunday Times by a delusional writer catherine lim) "embrace those whom society shunned, like those dying of aids" call that inclusive or call that absolute HYPOCRISY.

missus purnsey called him a bigot. which might be taking it a bit too far, but its not far from reality. a person whom, at his dying breath, wants to condem gays, calling us "a new ideology of evil" so much for being inclusive huh. so much for "an extraordinary pope" huh. its plain hypocritism. letting people die, saying its ok. i don't hate him, i despise him, like how i despise conservative christians who think the world of themselves, like how i despise minions. hating takes too much energy. i despise. i despise george bush, and i hope the plague on him.

but i think god (if he exists) is fair. the pope condemned the gays, making the year 2005 the year of fighting gays, and now he is DEAD. enough said. for all the evil he has done. he well deserved this.

#####

ps: interesting reads from advocate which reminds us that there are non-catholics in the world too.

interesting reads from missus purnsey who might be a tad extreme, but reminds us that straight catholics priests are those commiting heinous crimes of molestings the boys in church and tad the pope covered it all up

finally interesting reads from queerday that gives us a more balanced view of everything.

what better way to relieve the stress of teaching 20 - 40 screaming kids mathematics and pe than to jump into the pool with the sun blistering overhead, beating down on my skin while i'm immersed in the cool waters, ahhhh

teaching i feel is the most noble profession in the world. and i salute teachers who are mothers and are able to manage without a maid. i wonder how they do it! really. teaching secondary school kids isn't exactly the easiest task in the world. having to deal with raging hormones, female students trying to steal my handphone number, being mentally undressed and still needing to teach maths and pe while shaping their character, telling them that "no the teacher wasn't trying to discriminate the malays" and needing to help them with their personal problems; having to deal with students who think that self mutilation is cool and in fashion; and having to correct other english teachers. PHEW.

reading that was quite a chore huh, imagine being in that situation. but nonetheless teaching is such a rewarding career. to see my students improving day by day and being able to guide them to make sure they down fall laywards, its just amazing.

oh for those wondering about the english teacher in question. she insisted that "there ARE an orange and two apples on the table" and told me not to teach my kids wrongly and wondered if my maths teachers did a horrible job (1 + 2 = 3 and not 1 + 2 = 1)

i told her, together with some other teachers that it should have been "there IS an orange and two apples on the table". She refused to admit her mistake. so in the end, i went to the library, dug through the resource book and found a dictionary of sorts and showed her. she finally relented. sigh.

http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/article.php?articleid=1419&viewarticle=1

now you know why there are so many terrorist trying to kill americans, christians conservatives and all. i wanna kill them too, lynch them!!!!!!!

and its not about being anti gay. its just their problem of trying to behave as if they rule the world. like the abortion issue, the casino and every other thing between. if something doesn't seem to be in line with their make believe story (you know that fiction book called the bible) which is also the interpretation of some old foggey which anyway is lost over the years of translation with 14 different versions (you get the idea)

of course not all of them are bad, there are those fantastic ones, but its just those bush-ilites and and focus on the family (FOF also known as Full Of Fuck)

He's DEAD! finally! the pope's gone. all that for making 2005 the year of fighting gays. a very funny feeling though. he's a good man, tried to fight poverty and all which i applaud, but he crossed the line when it comes to gay. and it makes me wonder, whether society is moving backwards. especially in the states where fucked up bush (i hope he dies this year as well and make all anti gay people dead) rules and in singapore. its like with all these technological advancement, our culture is moving backwards. i mean. goodness gracious me, if a fugly woman or man decides to be naked in their house, you let them be. if you are not peeping and staring into their house, i pretty much think it won't bother you. in singapore, if you sneeze the wrong way you can be thrown to jail.

and all those cultish christians. really i very much want to start a holocaust and stuff a red hot poker up thier ass and let them die from it. seriously. not all christians of course, some of them are very cool and very inspirational. they don't preach by let their actions speak for themselves. but there are the majority who only speak of how great their (make-believe) god is and how gays/buddhist/muslim/every other religion/people who eat clams/etc should would and will be going to hell. but if you become christian you go to heaven. its the safest bet. fuck off or i'll fuck you properly.

now apparently, paris hilton is being sought after by an old, childish and petulant asian. yes none other than sim wong who? he's asking ms hilton to be the spoke person for the creative zen micro. so now if you want to be just like paris hilton, sucking someones d*ck and being f**k on video, go get a creative zen micro.

strange images of a new home video with ms h*lton being laid while listening to a pink creative zen micro is surging through my head now. so yes, from the men who brought you the "color co-ordinate you zen micro" campaign, now comes ms h*lton. i mean like i really hate color cordination freaks. i once had a teacher, who wore red sari with red hangbags with red ear-rings with red shoes; or green or blue. and thats like major fashion disaster. so i you want to be the next fashion disaster and paris hilton, go get a pink zen micro with pink speakers with pink ....

oh yes, an astonishing figure. the zen micro sold 10,000 in a week. iPod shuffle sold 1.5 million in a month, yes the shuffle alone, not counting in the pods and the mini pods. and on amazon, top 10 mp3 players, 10 out of 10 are ipods. lalalalala

it doesn't feel good to see the person come online and says nothing to you.

- You are the one who calls all the time, and ask 'what's next' to push the relationship forward

- You are the one in the pair who is running the errands for the both of you, making plans or even paying for the stuff you two use, do, eat....

- You get this niggling feeling - that you are so desperately want to ignore - that your other half is taking you and the things you do for granted

- You're harbouring thoughts about why the giving isn't reciprocated, but are afraid to stop because you can't live with the relationship

Do any of these statements ring a bell of familiarity? Was it something you recalled lamenting to a pal, or an overhead comment from a close friend?

Why is it that as nice, good and giving as you try to be - the over-used adage of "nice guys don't win the day" or even "the good die young" seem to be, sadly, true?

Least you think that, just maybe, being a 'mean guy/girl" could be your solution - ask yourself honestly: do you not only give, but over-extend in your giving? Do you offer too much love, information, self, time or effort to your boyfriend, siblings or friends?

While giving is surely not a bad thing, but over-giving is. Over-giving - where you put others ahead of you to the extent where your needs are not addressed, your time and energy are sapped and you feel inwardly resentful - is not an action driven by the positive outlook of sharing and offering your personal resources. Surprisingly, over-giving usually stems from a low self - esteem and insecurity. It is when you don't feel so sure about why people should like you as your are or see what you as a person, friend other half... have to offer that inspires the need to please others too much. By making others happy, you might think unconsciously - or consciously - think it a way to win others over to your side.

Naturally over-giving is not healthy, sustainable behaviour. After all, if you are giving up time, effort and emotion over to others too much, you'll not only smother others, but also lose too much of you real self and interest in the process.

Ultimately, over-giving does no one any good in the long run. Tracy Cabot, author of relationship titles like Letting Go and a frequent guest on Oprah says over-giving 'is like over watering a plant. You're not sure how much to water it, and you instincts tell you to nurture it, so you over-water and kill it"

Cabot's advice for those with a too-eager-to-please disease is to take a step back, give yourself some distance and watch yourself and others' response. You'll start to realise that putting your own preferences and needs first doesn't seem to be so bad. The best part? Your friends will start making the initiative to come back to you with social dates, plans and ideas. Once the psychological doubt that you have to do things for others to perpetuate their affection and attention is put to rest, your self-esteem will start to its re-building process too. That others like you for who you are - not need you because of what you five or do for them - is prove, you'll start to relax and lean that give has to come with take.

So give it up a little - and see how taking some back from those who surround your life equalises relationships more and puts your self in the front row of life where you can take it all in better

Advice?
- Spend time by yourself - doing things you feel like doing for the day.
- Get to sleep when you feel like and wake up when you're ready
- Pick up that skill and hobby you've always shelved away.
- Ask a friend if she'd like to catch a movie you've wanted to watch (not because you think she may like it too) and go to it, regardless whether she's coming along
- Make your guy bring you to your favorite restaurant and enjoy your meal
- Daydream!
taken and edited from april 05 seventeen magazine
#####
and you would think its easy right? you'd be amazed and how wanting to not watch a movie can lead to turmoils and quarrels.

i never loved someone so much.

不懂
林俊杰
乐行者

己经好远了 退也有一点累了
我们都不知道路有多远 走到何时少歇一歇
不如就现在吧 让我们都停下
但是在休息后 我们还不知道继续走的理由
雨都停了天都亮了 我们还不懂
这爱情路究竟带我们到甚么地方
是要持续仍旧珍惜 还是回到原地
如今此刻的我的确是有一点疲倦

i just realised balaji is more stupid than i thought. anyway, action for aids and fridae will be announcing a press release, showing the actual statistic, which goes something like the below:

according to dr balaji, there was a 28% increase in new HIV cases in 2004, up from 242 to 311. and according to him, 90% are males and out of this 90% 1/3 are homosexuals. so therefore:

242 X 90% X 1/3 = 73
311 X 90% X 1/3 = 93

73 gays in 2003, 93 gays in 2004

so if the number of gays who went for the test increased by 68% from 748 to 1252, this would mean that for the increase of 504 more gays who went for the test, only 20 is tested positive.

so in 2003, 73 out of 748 tested positive indicating a 9.75% prevalence, but in 2004, 93 out of 1252 tested positive, indicating a 7.4% prevalance, it would hereby mean that there's a 2.3% DECREASE in the prevalance.

i just realised balaji is more stupid than i thought. anyway, action for aids and fridae will be announcing a press release, showing the actual statistic, which goes something like this

a 28% increase in new HIV cases, up from 242 to 311

so according to him, 90% are males and out of this 90% 1/3 are homosexuals. so therefore:

242 X 90% X 1/3 = 73
311 X 90% X 1/3 = 93

73 gays in 2003, 93 gays in 2004

so if the number of gays who went for the test increased by 68% from 748 to 1252, this would mean that for the increase of 504 more gays who went for the test, only 20 is tested positive.

so in 2003, 73 out of 748 tested positive indicating a 9.75% prevalence, but in 2004, 93 out of 1252 tested positive, indicating a 7.4% prevalance, it would hereby mean that there's a 2.3% DECREASE in the prevalance.

And so i wrote to ST Forum, CC to Dr. Balaji and his folks as follows, and he replied!!
#####

I refer to Dr Balaji Sadasivan remarks to Straits Times after the Life! Theatre Awards which was published on Thursday March 17. Dr Balaji claimed that his remarks was to raise awareness and not to discriminate against the gay community. Well just to allay Dr Balaji’s fear, awareness was indeed raised as the figures published by Actions For Aids (AFA hereafter) showed
that in the similar period where there was 28% increase in infection, there was actually a 68% increase in the number of people going for HIV test. An increase from 748 in 2003, to 1252 in 2004. So mathematically speaking, there’s actually less infection per number of people tested and that is an encouraging sign.

So unless Dr Balaji is not very good at mathematics, or he is just out to twist the figures and further deepening any stigma associated with the community; which Dr Balaji claimed he is not. Any statistic that anybody receive can be used to any advantage, in this case, as we clearly see, by only telling a half truth, it seems as if an ‘epidemic’ is happening to the gay community in Singapore, where in actual fact, comparing to the VAST increase in the number of people going for the HIV test, the number of people with infection, in relative terms has actually fallen. Which is a good sign that the government should encourage and applaud the efforts of AFA and the gay community who knows that “they can go to Kelantan Lane and
get themselves tested”

If Dr Balaji’s intention was to raise awareness of the problem, there are other ways to do it, without sounding as if he is discriminating against gays which SM Goh Chok Tong said could contribute effective to the nation and would be able to work in sensitive position in the Civil Service. But after 2 such remarks, and after using evidence from a female magazine when
speaking to the parliament, it would serve to make the gay community wonder if that was his true intention.

I am sure some people would say that we are just armchair critics and that we don’t propose any solution, we do. In this case, instead of slamming the gay community outright, Dr Balaji could have given a more responsible statistic by stating that while there is a 28% increase in infection amongst gay men, there is 68% increase in the number of people who went for
the test. And by encouraging the gay community to do more while acknowledging their efforts will definitely go a long way. Secondly to really tackle the root of the problem, talks and discussion must be held, like what Ms Lydia Lim suggested on Saturday’s ST; that “if an issue has a bearing on public health, should it be raised for discussion at least?”

And as the youth of this nation I would like to say for one that all of us youth would like discrimination against anybody to end.
#####

To which he replied:

Error in your mathematics (red)
The prevalence of HIV in gays who went for testing in 2003 was 3.5%. ie
about 1 in 29 gay persons who were tested was positive. The prevalence in
2004 was 4.3%. ie, 1 in about 23 gay persons who were tested was positive.
This is an increase of 28.5%. The fact that more people are going for the
aids test does not affect the prevalence rate. Therefore , if there is a
68% increase in absolute numbers of gays being tested and the increase in
prevalence is from 3.5% to 4.3%. the increase in the absolute number of
hiv+ gay persons being tested will be about 84%.
#####

To which i replied, all of which goes to the same folks and the ST forum, muahaha:

Sir,

Do pardon my error, because as it was reported on the Straits Times, you said that there was "28% in 2004 reaching a high of 311 from 242 the year before" which is mathematically correct. There is indeed 28% increase in the based on that statistic. So based on that statistic, as compared to a 68% increase in the number of people who went to test for HIV, it would imply that there is actually a decrease of 7.51% of the number of HIV + gay person being tested. But I am sure sir you will pardon me because there wasn’t sufficient statistic released by the yourself as I a commoner got my information from only the press. Perhaps more information could be published to prevent such mistakes in the future?

Regards,
Scott
#####

I love writing to ministers... hehehehe

Dr Balaji's claim that rising number of HIV/AIDS cases is caused by gay parties makes me wonder if he is perpetuating the stigma he wants to abolish and further driving misconception deeper about the gay community at large. It also makes me wonder if he considered that because people are more educated and more informed about anonymous AIDS testing and because there are more gay people (much thanks to Action For Aids and other organisations) going for such test, it is inevitable that there will be an increase number of infection.

For example, assuming that no one knows about AIDS and no one goes for AIDS testing, statistically, country A would have nobody with HIV/AIDS. However, if an organisation raises awareness of AIDS via campaign and education, there are people who go for the test and then there will be people with AIDS, can we then say that there is an epidemic? More figures are needed before we start to point fingers. In fact I propose that this increase in infection is in fact a sign that more people are willing to go for testing. Rather than looking at the absolute figures, I suggest we look at the amount of people who goes
for test. If there are say 200% more people that went for HIV test, than a 28% increase in the absolute people who are infected with HIV is a rather modest figure

While I agree with Dr Balaji that we must “de-stigmatise testing” I wonder by highlighting that gays are the one at fault, ignoring the majority of the straight men, isn’t Dr Balaji adding to the stigma. For one thing I am sure, it doesn’t help anybody to start pointing fingers and claiming that an epidemiologist said something. But I suppose that is a great improvement for someone who used an article in a female magazine as statiscal evidence. To which I add that another
epidemiologist to-be told me that at Zouk and other popular parties for the straight fraternity also leads to people having casual sex. I have many straight friends who after clubbing, will bring girls to some nearby hotels and well we all know the story.

To combat a possible epidemic isn’t to point fingers, it doesn’t solve any problems. Actions For Aids had serious funding problems, but they manage to get their message across to an audience. But I still have gay friends who knows next to nothing about HIV/AIDS and believe that condoms are only meant to prevent pregnancy. Until a day where sex education can be properly taught without any unnecessary censure in the information, until the day where we can admit that gay men do have sex even though it is illegal which again depends on how one reads the law), AIDS and the testing of AIDS won’t be “de-stigmatised”. To which I propose that more campaign should be done that focuses on the gay community; which I am please to say that I have more gay friends that now conscientiously practise safe sex because they have been ‘reached’ by Action For Aids or other organisation.

And I hope that rather than pointing finger at the gay community, the Health Ministry and Dr Balaji can do more to educate the public and increase the awareness of this issue.

ok folks. please be really careful when you do internet transaction or ibanking on the web. because a friend of mine, just had his bank account 'hacked' into. apparently it was a spyware that was lodged deep in his computer and that spyware sends out information about his online banking, transaction, passwords to whoever (culprit not caught yet) and said culprit used his account to do some massive purchasing.

for those less informed, spywares are those exe files running in the background that automatically lodges itself into your system and starts sending information to the unscrupulous agents. to prevent this from happening, you can either (like what i do for the dell in my living room) set the security setting to high, and do not allow cookies to be accepted unless u approve it, and also go download ad-aware and spybot.

or you can just change to a mac which is spyware-less.

argh!!!!!!!

i m not going to watch survivor palau anymore. why? well because jeff has been voted out. sigh. he's the cutest, most hunky guy in survivor ever. and whenever he swims with his boxers on, its just leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination (well hardly anything). but because he sprained his ankle, he asked his tribe members to vote him off. i wonder if this part of his strategy to win sympathy that eventually went wrong. but anyway, no more cute hunky topless guy in boxers for me, so thats it survivor. goodbye
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on another note, watching steve jobs launching mac in 1984 was definitely the most satisfying thing i've watched for quite awhile (porn aside...ooops). steve is so charming, and kinda cute back in 1984 and wow, looking back 21 years ago, mac definitely revolutionized the personal computers. from programming codes, to a GUI (graphical user interface) without which microsoft would never been able to produce windows for all you windows using IDIOTS after stealing apple's code, which is why they have to hold on to apple stocks for 5 years (just for the misinformed).

well everybody seems to be taking this, alanna too, so well i did it. click here to take it too.

well apparently i'm an

English Genius
You scored 100% Beginner, 86% Intermediate, 87% Advanced, and 77% Expert!

You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!
#####

surprised? betcha didn't know i can still use standard english after all my nonsensical rambling and careless grammar and vocab here right? hahaha
#####

i hate the singapore buses. am i the only one to realise that they are extremely loud? its so loud that it causes my ear to hurt from sharp pain when i hear the brakes screeching when the bus comes to a stop. or when the driver floors the pedal to move the bus as if he was competing in the amazing race. and that is with my iPod playing music. imagine how painfully loud it must be those without the protection on the iPod.
#####

anybody read the news today? apparent ST reports that Kim Jong IL my Dear Leader from North Korea, the father of.....; decides that hair longer than 5cm for males are a luxury of the burgeosis and will undermine the socialist state. therefore he launched a 'lets cut out hair' campaign and encourage a 1.5 cm bush cut called the 'virile spirit'

think its ridiculous. in the 1970s to the early 1980s, singapore had such a LAW too. it is illegal to have hair to shoulder length for guys, and the front hair can't go below the eyes. don't believe me? go the library and check out the news archive, or better still, ask the oldies..

yesterday, someone wrote to ST forum: "I am a Chinese free thinker. Therefore, I am always irritated when people try to convert me to their religion and impose their beliefs on me. It is all well and good that they can find something to believe in, but it does not mean they need to impose their beliefs on others.

I was shocked to realise certain religions capitalised on the tsunami disaster to gather more converts. About a week after the disaster, en route from Yio Chu Kang MRT station to Nanyang Polytechnic, no fewer than three people were distributing a booklet detailing the association between God and the tsunami.

After I scanned it, I threw it away as I found it offensive to my own beliefs. They were also distributing to people who were obviously of other religious beliefs."

i couldn't have said it better. especially the part about exploitating the tsunami. if i were god, i wouldn't want people who converted just because they were scared of dying.
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that was from paul. which is besides the point. zealots fanatics from city harvest and the likes like trinity methodist and others should just die in hell and rot to pieces. may you guys, in your near coming future drown in your own bathtub! i believe god does not endorse oppurtunistic evangelist that uses such a tragedy to gain brownie point
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it was soup. dioxides from the air-conditionin; monoxides from the heating system; ammonia and formaldehydes from cigarettes; ozone from photocopiesr; stunning vapours from plastics, solvents and fluorescent lights. what oxygen remained was drenched in dust and particles and micro-organism, mites and fibres from carpeting, fleece from furniture, airborne amoebi from humidifying reserviors, ceellulose from paper waste, bugs, fungi, lice.
- the arcadia, jim crace