377A

Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to remain neutral, there is no doubt there may be a little skewing to different sides at any given time. however you want to interpret, this is a democracy, and any extreme views shall not be tolerated

99% of Singaporeans don't really know what is Section 377A of the penal code, until the last two weeks. Some liberals want it removed once and for all because it's so archaic in today's world (come on, 2 gay men having sex...there's one way right? or 2)
, and many conservatives demanding it be kept (i'd be damned sure it's forever)

Excerpt from keep377a.com: WE the Majority

A recent NTU study revealed that almost 70% of Singaporeans expressed negative attitudes towards lesbians and gay men. Singapore remains a country and a society that wants our children to grow up in an environment where wholesome family values are embraced, without a mainstreamed gay lifestyle.

Repealing Section 377A would be the first step towards eroding the family values we hold. We the majority can make our stand clear. It's time we speak up. Keep S377A.

As far as I'm concerned This is going nowhere. I know the current climate is still inhospitalable for gays and yes, we're dealing with the religiously conservative generation of our parents. As a Believer I've to admit I'm not very open to unnatural sex behaviours. but credibility questions have to be asked: where's the youth voice? aren't they the ones more affected by the gay culture than their parents with the spread of information technology? and better still we're an Asian society, conservative in ideals, and to add, in speech. Our collective ideals triumph over individualism, in contrast to the west, and we are not known to speak against a big majority who has much sway.

I also need to ask: are lesbians and gays so heartless as to have no family values to speak of? like they're there only to annoy their parents with their unusual sex orientation? I dare say they also miss their family, but due to peer pressure from both sides, be it their family and friends, they steer clear of gays/lesbs like plague.

But isn't it too soon for 377A to be repealed? Our society is still kinda unopen to gays and their lifestyle. yes, it's all perpetuated in the stereotypes, but even most of us have not experienced first hand what the smallest extent of gay culture spread will bring. we kinda have this view that it's unnatural, and sometimes it's a kinda illogical...Also with the recent religious revival, there's gonna be contradiction of the ideals of gays and God, and these questions are best not answered

I think 377A should not be repealed for the next 5 years, but I'm looking forward to it being gone by 2012. Society and its laws should be gradually opened, and I'm sure there would be people wanting it to be retained forever. But forcing it open too quickly does no good in the long term

Schalk-e Burger

England vs South Africa this Sunday. I'm not too concerned though, except for England's seemingly weird way to defend their title. Reminds me of Brazil in the 2002 World Cup, where they got panned all the way to the final and managed to show who's boss. Due to the fact that there's Old Firm this week, I guess I'll be using my rare time to blog to talk about a burger recipe...designed to be gobbled down within 80-90 minutes and to go with pilsner, particularly Veltins, while watching matches...see the pun? (I mean bun)

Schalke Burger (for 1)

ingredients
242g beef
1 cup breadcrumbs(from the same country loaf, or biscuit crumbs)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 egg
grated parmigiano reggiano
1 tsp mustard powder(optional binding agent)
pat of butter, straight from the fridge

veggies
copious amounts of sliced cucumbers,cabbage
mushrooms and more onions
pickles

condiments
tomato ketchup,beer mustard
panfried bacon
cheddar cheese

Mix all the ingredients together. Do be sure to test its resilience by scrumming 2 smaller balls of the patty together before forming. put the pat of butter in the middle, wrap up and shape to a rugby ball shaped patty. flatten and pan fry or chargrill until done

Serve on a rugby ball shaped country loaf(failing which a dome shape one will do) and Veltins by the bottle (or any other beer). Just don't choke on the seemingly apparent victory

Has

I probablty thought I've become a has-been...end of story

Elvis

When everything's over, it's prolly a big time to take it easy by listening to the King,Elvis. I dunno why, but Elvis seems to be so long-living, even when he's dead for like...40 years

I dunno any Elvis song to croon to actually, and growing up in the days where Elvis is the preserve of our dads,mums,uncles,aunties,grandparents...especially when they're just toddlers,it probably seemed unexpected that they will be listening to his songs even 40 years from now

Maybe it's time to check into heartbreak hotel

lovely night

Night falls
Nice Food
Dating over dinner
Romantic

That's what happens when The New Faces get to dine with a proportionate amount of guys. Sounds cool.

Oh yeah anyway before I leave the building, I just hope that any thing bad that occured is forgiven and maybe forgotten

stoppage time

finally it's a week left before everything disappears

dust to dust
ashes to ashes

In the end everything's forgotten

Desiderata

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Sadness for the Burmese

8888. Lucky in everywhere,but it's the day where the Burmese version of Tiananmen took place.

Now the millitary is at it again

I was a toddler last time it happened
Now I'm very sure what's gonna happen

However hard it is to keep order
YOU DO NOT EVEN LAY YOUR HANDS ON MONKS UNARMED (oh please)

Now they arrest everyone who even had the temerity to see what had unfolded, V for Vendetta style. Only there isn't a V, and the millitary doesn't have a whole gamut of labs. But Th*n Shw* is surely an Adam Suttler. Now even Gambari's return after a month is a wait too long, if the millitary is so inclined to pre-empt any talks...

Unless some disaffected soldiers act

and in the extreme case: (taken from V for Vendetta)...his lieutenant killed him

Amid all the extreme rhetoric, my heart goes out to the oppressed

killing fields

the wind that shakes the barley
leaves no stone unturned
exposes everything

as a platoon marches past
it brings along
hope and hardship

in the battle for death
there's no space for the living
to even ponder

what's done been done
but we do get one last chance
to fight for our lives

furthest away from our minds
as mercy was repaid by force
they didn't know they're cornered

now it's now or never
and they full well know
they may never win

let go

maybe i wished
i had my way
all the time
but truth is
90% isn't
what you expect
from simple
to hard

let go

i wished
forever with you
early on
no
said the girl

just as well
we're only 16
and with understanding
we both knew full well

that we deserve
someone better
she,a better boy
me,a better girl
we're too young

she found hers
i've yet to find mine
but at least i found solace
in the fact that
though painful it has to
just let go
maybe then
unbreak my heart

A Mooncake head's wildest dreams

According to the amateur gourmand Josef,it's 2 weeks before the mid-autumn festival and here's a special wishlist of which mooncakes he wants,and maybe fanstasises

Traditional Top 3

1: Big China mooncakes. the mainstay of my grandparents,and maybe my parents. traditional to the core,and the only ones i know with the unusual 4 yolks(forget the calories). but I love it plain

2: Sheraton Towers White Lotus with 2 yolks: pity I don't like egg yolks,but the pragmatist in me can't help but swoon at the box. $78 for 4. the economist in me was thinking whether this is allocatively efficient,but who cares

3: Tung Lok's pistachio pandan: hey I love pandan ones. the pistachio lends an interesting green. $40 for 4

Top 10 turnheads

1: Marriott Ebony and Ivory snowskin-whisky chocolate praline.a inherently interesting and tasteful combo,and more logical than the blueberry cheesecake that's out this year. $6 a pop or $40 for 8 small ones

2: Shangri-la's BIRD'S NEST with custard in snowskin: i intentionally put it in caps to show how much this is a fantasy. interpret the rest yourself. $77 for 8 mini ones (!)

3: Fullerton's Ginseng white lotus snow skin- $55 for 4. not a bad deal,but i wish they had slivers of the real thing inside instead of pine nuts. equally intersting is chestnut amaretto,which is quite a nut of a mooncake,and the malibu is redolent with coconuts. but my personal favourite,which is cheaper,is the chocolate bailey,so creamy($49,alternately get one of each at $53 in a combo)

4:Raffles truffles. LOVE IT.a cognac or champagne truffle,by any means must not be missed. $45 for champagne,$43 for cognac. i think the latter is the better deal

HAHAHAHA HAKA

(demand outstrip supply) outstrips all concerns

good news or bad? the thought of a 4th university seems to be bandied around as a solution for the blatant lack of university places. maybe the 5th if some do have their way.luckily the government has tried to address the lack of merit goods,although I do not rule out the possibility of them making it a overkill

simply put it: what does adding 200 places to NUS and NTU each mean? if it means that the supply problems is just eased a bit. fine enough, but then it probably meant that students still suffer from a lack of info anyoldhow. fact is,there's an oversubscription of some really popular faculties,at the expense of others,and that probably mean that supply problems won't be eased by the addition of university places. I don't mind the fact that you should chase your dreams,but the shuddering fact is that everybody's kinda have a fixed mindset of what they should be doing.

as for the gripes of the poly students,I suspect it has something to do with the conservatism of the current 3 today. what happens is that in the university,the tutorial/lecture based mainstream of Singapore(and maybe the world) academia runs counter to the practically based stance of the polys. with book crunching all the rage,and sadly,habit of all the best students,they are better understood overseas than at home,as if a lost prophet who heralded changes for the better ironically wasn't welcomed at home. in the academic conservatism of paper qualifications,polys lose out

which means,don't put too much hopes on any reforms,lest the JC students start cranking up their mugging machines again and start runneth over

shattered dreams

Went for army open house at SISPEC and saw a few pals. glad to say they're fine,and told them all about the escapades in the open house,completed by a live firing exercise.

tried a few rifles. the sniper rifle is easy to operate(for all you sniper/CS fans,we don't use AWP),M16(of the ancien regime),a SAW and SAR 21 rifle,with at least 30 blanks and 5 live rounds fired. I must say it's quite a sturdy bullpup,although it shoots like a girl. and basically depending on your viewpoint,the scope can be a boon(according to the official line),or bane(according to Matt). not too accurate at longer distances(as found out to my detriment at the live firing range),but otherwise designed for maximum mobility and for the more delicate Asian physique

which brings me to the next story...

Dave. Initially you'd think he's insane trying to carry a rifle out of camp. something so ridiculous and never tried before for 20 years plus,but why he managed to do that?

throwing away a bright future with 1 month to go before he can say,phew?

Shattered Dreams. basically he used to be a cheery lad like many of us,growing up,and not caring much about our lives yet. until a divorce,a death and a lot more unfortunate happenings got into his head and overcame him.

to him,he craved for love.without parental care,he pinned his hopes on a girl. they used to get on fine,

until everything changed

never mind the accusations of being overly possessive by his ex. harrassing isn't the right direction for a relationship,no doubt,but he's just misunderstood. had he been forthcoming about his problems he had faced,at least it might not be the end. but unfortunately,by mercilessly dumping him,he simply crumbled.

forgive him

Although he has to face the music,and he rightly must,he really needs lots of help,which hasn't been forthcoming,and being misunderstood is least of his concerns. for someone emotionally so fragile,it'd be a shame if his life were to go downhill before that