Singapore won't repeal homosexual law
A recent ruling by the New Delhi High Court legalising gay sex between consenting adults in India raised questions on whether Singapore might go the same way. Both countries share the same Penal Code, inherited from the colonial British.
In a dialogue with Punggol residents on Sunday, Mr Shanmugam said Section 377 will remain as homosexuality is still not accepted by most Singaporeans.
He said: "We have the law. We say it won't be enforced. Is it totally clear? We, sometimes in these things, have to accept a bit of messiness. And the way the society is going, we don't think it's fair for us to prosecute people who say that they are homosexual."
But he said that while the government will not take the lead in repealing the law, the legal courts in Singapore have the power to decide how Section 377 is interpreted and applied.
Mr Shanmugam, who is also the Second Minister for Home Affairs, said the government will play a more active role in other areas, such as creating ways for new citizens and Permanent Residents to interact with the community.
- CNA/ir
What do you want to be remember for after you die?
Michael was indeed a pop icon that was widely remember for his contribution to music & pop. Though there were many "not so nice news" of him in recent years but there are many more good things to remember him by ya.
"Black Or White"
I Took My Baby On A Saturday Bang
Boy Is That Girl With You
Yes We're One And The Same
Now I Believe In Miracles
And A Miracle Has Happened Tonight
But, If You're Thinkin' About My Baby
It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White
They Print My Message In The Saturday Sun
I Had To Tell Them I Ain't Second To None
And I Told About Equality
An It's True
Either You're Wrong Or You're Right
But, If You're Thinkin' About My Baby
It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White
I Am Tired Of This Devil
I Am Tired Of This Stuff
I Am Tired Of This Business
Sew When The
Going Gets Rough
I Ain't Scared Of Your Brother
I Ain't Scared Of No Sheets
I Ain't Scare Of Nobody
Girl When The Goin' Gets Mean
[L. T. B. Rap Performance]
Protection For Gangs, Clubs And Nations
Causing Grief In Human Relations
It's A Turf War On A Global Scale
I'd Rather Hear Both Sides Of The Tale
See, It's Not About Races
Just Places Faces, Where Your Blood Comes From
Is Where Your Space Is, I've Seen The Bright
Get Duller
I'm Not Going To Spend My Life Being A Color
[Michael]
Don't Tell Me You Agree With Me
When I Saw You Kicking Dirt In My Eye
But, If You're Thinkin' About My Baby
It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White
This is hilarious! People who want it all yet so GIAM!!! Thanks to JW for the link! :)
(Taken from Reader's Digest Feb 2009 issue)
Eating slowly can help you slim down!
A study of more than 3000 Japanese adults published in the British Medical Journal found that those who ate their meals quickly were about twice as likely to be obese as their slow-munching counterparts.
Was reading something by Gordon MacDonald in "When Men Think Private Thoughts" & this portion I read was very meaningful & doesn't seem like something exclusive to guys so I'm going to share a little here. Hope it benefits you as it did me!
What Storm Signals Means (Alarm bells within self that signals trouble is brewing - do a check for yourself here)
1) Moods
- Watch out for bursts of anger, prolonged bouts of sadness & continuing feelings of irritation that goes beyond the normal.
- Are you overcome with intense sadness? Are you able to celebrate with someone in his success? Why do you see gloom & bleakness in every possibility?
- It would be good to reflect upon your changing moods & what they really mean. And it would have been the right moment for a courageous fren to step in & question you & your abnormal moods & behaviour.
2) Predominant thoughts
- Thoughts that are almost always out of control. Thoughts that emerge without warning.
- Why are these uninvited thoughts growing in frequency & variety? What is the underlying message?
3) A change in key relationships
- If I find myself jealous of other peoples whose fortunes have advanced beyond my own, if I begin to think of people competitively as better than or not as good as I am, etc etc, I am getting some fairly strong signals that something in my soul has gone sour...
4) Defensiveness
-We're dealing with storm signals when we react to difficult moments with defensiveness, complaining, or whining.
- I'm defensive when I resist any attempts to evaluate my work or my life - performance. I refuse to listen, to consider that anyone might offer a different outlook on what I'm doing or becoming. Thus, I become angry or make excuses or try to deflect the blame to someone else.
- Difficulty in listening to difficult news about self. You want to give one excuse after another. You spend more time trying to explain yourself than you do listening & asking where the point of truth might be.
5) Sleeplessness
Taking the time, the effort, the opening of the ear & eye to hear & watch the stomr signals that send their messages to us that something is wrong, that something needs correction, that something needs assistance. In so doing the hurricanes are tamed, & life goes on in greater fullness & maturity. ~ Gordon MacDonald
Prissy showed me this & I was really really wow by it! I'm really surprised at how wide a guy vocals can be stretched. My good fren ah fren jie also told me about this conductor that she saw in Penang who could hit various ranges!!!
Man....it's amazing! You gotta hear it to believe it! :)
After reading my post on date rape my wonderful malaysian joker (fren) shocked me with the update that there is worse drugs out there. They don't even spike your drink, just paste a celotape drug (think something like hansaplast) & you're GONE!!!!
But the latest news I've heard as an ex-raver and shuffler, is that there have been incidences of date rapes using this drug known as Scopolamine. Rohypnol is usually a small pill or powder or something foreign that's dumped into your drink.
So why is Scopolamine scary?
It's a drug in the form of a transdermal patch. Which means epidermical transfer. Which means the drug comes in the form of some small kinda celotape, they walk by you, brush your arm or something (whilst conveniently sticking the drug on your arm), and next thing you know, you wake up not knowing anything.
All date rape drugs induce anterograde amnesia, which is a cricitcal factor in date rapes because you wake up not having the foggiest idea of what happened. Scopolamine is scary because it's so hard to spot, usually a laced celotape or something. Rohypnol or other Benzo's are easier to spot because they come in pills or powders.
A friend of mine over msn just commented that the drug would take time to settle in. I agree. This makes Scopolamines all the more dangerous, because you would meet more people whilst waiting for the drug to settle in. Which means you'll be less likely to remember who your assailant was. o.O
So when you think clubbing or raving is cool and all that, make sure you know and understand and keep a look out for impending dangers. I've been in countless of situations where I've had to go and bail friends outta trouble because they were targets of psychos and perverts. One of the best things you can have is someone 113% reliable to count on. Especially in these cases.
But let me push this point further by saying abstain from clubbing. Save yourself the trouble (and others). Sure, an experience is an experience. But to be hooked onto the scene? You gotta be flogging me. There's so much I could say here, but the point is that... is it worth the danger you could possibly be getting into?
There's hundreds of scenarios. Fights, rapes, drugs, molest, filming, stalking, murder, robbery, etc. Even with the most reliable person on earth, you can still get into trouble. Especially when it comes hunting for you. Sure it's a big challenge, but only real people, with real fighting spirits will stand up for principles.
Reference from AsiaOne Digital 20 July 2008 (Kelvin Teh ) Click on link to see article
A few mornings ago, as I was taking the MRT to work in an irritatingly-packed train, I glanced up from the magazine I was reading and noticed the man standing in front of me.
Dressed in nondescript T-shirt and jeans, he was holding up his handphone as one would when messaging - except that he was not busy pressing away on his phone.
Instead, he was holding it there in his raised hand while occasionally shifting his hand position slightly. To most people around him, it seemed like he was looking at text messages.
I next trained my sight on where his handphone was pointing to and, immediately, my suspicion was aroused.She was a pretty young lady, conservatively dressed in office wear. She was also dozing, unaware of the scene unfolding before her.
My first instinct was to glance around to see if anyone else had noticed, but everyone was oblivious. I waited a while more, just to ascertain that the pervert was filming her.
And then, I felt rage.
I gave the man a hard shove in the back, pushing the shocked fellow aside. Next, I woke the woman up gently and whispered to her that she was being filmed.
She was stunned and her first reaction was to look up at the fellow, who immediately exclaimed in Mandarin: "I don't have hor. I was just playing with my handphone ok!"
Reference from The Straits Times 24 June 2008 (Teo Cheng Wee)
Click on link to see article
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They are below 30, employed and mired in debt. This is the fastest-growing age group of debtors, say credit counsellors. On average, they owe $55,000 to about seven creditors, according to new data from Credit Counselling Singapore (CCS), a non-profit group which advises debtors.
Under-30s made up 9 per cent of all cases handled by it in 2006, and 13 per cent last year. In the first three months of this year, it went up to 15 per cent. CCS told The Sunday Times that most of these young adults are snared by materialism and a desire for the high life.
They splash money on cars, branded goods, overseas holidays, clubbing and gadgets. Several also gamble their money away.
Last year, people aged 30 and below made up 7 per cent of all bankrupts. In the first four months of this year, that has increased to 12 per cent. He puts it down to them succumbing to the temptations of consumerism, while knowing little about financial and credit management.
She borrowed $50,000 from parents to fund her shopping
If money had not been so easily earned for Joyce (not her real name), 27, she feels she would not have chalked up her $200,000 debt over four years of wild spending.
But it all seemed so rosy when the business graduate started promoting credit cards fresh out of university in 2003. The job, which also pays her commission, allowed her to take home $20,000 to $30,000 a month.
'There I was, not even 25 and drawing a salary that not many people earned. I thought making money was so easy,' she says.
She spent her money lavishly. When she went clubbing with friends, she would pay for the drinks. She also chalked up some $8,000 worth of monthly spending on luxury goods. Bags were her weakness. She remembers strutting into Louis Vuitton or Gucci outlets every month to buy a new bag costing a few thousand dollars.
Spurred on by colleagues with similar spending habits, Joyce felt that image was of utmost importance. 'People who shop at boutiques will know how much those bags cost. I wanted people to know how much I earned,' she recalls.
Her problems started when she switched jobs in 2005, jumping ship to another bank to sell investment products. She thought she could continue her stellar sales record, but she found the going much tougher. Joyce never did well enough to earn commission, even till today. Her monthly salary dipped drastically to $2,500.
But she continued her wild spending habits, applying for more credit cards when she maxed out her current ones. Her lack of income stressed her out - and ironically resulted in her shopping more to relieve the stress.
She also borrowed $50,000 from her parents on the pretext of investment but used it to fund her shopping instead. More expenses piled up when she got married and bought a flat that same year. Her financial troubles peaked early last year when she realised she could not even pay her credit cards' minimum payments.
She had to sell her 60 luxury bags online - many at huge discounts.
But the interest on the outstanding sums was so high by then that she would 'pay and pay, but the money owed never came down'.
'But I told myself: 'Can't pay, can't pay lor. At the most, I have to declare myself bankrupt',' she recalls.
It was only when a close friend explained to her the consequences of bankruptcy - that it would not discharge her from her financial liabilities - that reality finally hit home.
At that point, Joyce also realised how much her work suffered because she was fretting over her bills and trying to hide her financial troubles from colleagues.
Her relationship with her husband soured as they quarrelled frequently about work. Her family shunned her too. She realised that she was often the last to know about any news at home. Till this day, only Joyce's family and a few close friends know of her troubled past.
With the help of Credit Counselling Singapore, she is slowly but surely paying back her debts - about half of her $3,000 salary goes to this. The new Joyce is a much happier person who still has credit cards but has little wish to use them. Asked if she has any advice for other young people, however, and she is skeptical.
She says a friend - who does not know about her financial past - appears to be falling into similar problems but ignored her advice to watch her spending.
'I feel that if someone has a 'heck-care' attitude towards spending, no amount of advice will stop them,' she says. 'My mother used to tell me: 'With young people, you can tell them there is a wall ahead and not to walk into it. But they won't listen until they actually hit the wall.' 'By then, it's too late. You will already have a bruise.'
Do you know that
Upon declaring bankruptcy:
1) Your property can be seized by your creditors to offest your debt
2) You need to declare your pay & pay back your creditors leaving only a sufficient amount to support himself and your family
3) Your bankruptcy will be advertised, so future employers or third parties could find out from reading the newspapers. In some jobs your might be required to inform your employer.
4) You must seek permission to reveal who is paying for your holiday expenses else you cannot take a holiday overseas
5) Your bankruptcy records will be kept for six years and given to banks. You could find it hard to get a credit card or housing and car loans.
Reference from The Straits Times 29 June 2008 (Lorna Tan)
Michelle Kwan is an American figure skater. She has won nine U.S. championships, five World Championships, and two Olympic medals. She has remained competitive for over a decade and is the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that she has appointed figure skating champion Michelle Kwan as the first American Public Diplomacy Envoy. A role in which she promotes the positive aspects of American culture and democratic principles.
Got this story from a fren of mine & thought it was really good & timely for me. May u be encouraged as well :)
When I hear someone comment that being a mother and homemaker is boring, I have a simple response: You’re right!
The truth is, almost any occupation – telephone operator, pathologist, lawyer or dentist – requires long hours of tedious activity. Few of us enjoy heart-thumping excitement every moment of our professional lives.
I once stayed in a hotel room next to the room of a famous cellist who was performing in a classical concert that evening.
I could hear him through the walls as he practiced for hours. He didn’t play beautiful symphonic renditions – he repeated scales and exercise, over and over. He began early in the morning and continued until it was time to go on stage.
As he stepped onto the stage that night, I’m sure many in the audience thought to themselves:” What a glamorous life he must lead!”
Some glamour! I happen to know how he had spent the entire day in his lonely hotel room with his cello.
I doubt that being a mother and homemaker is more boring than most other jobs. As for the importance of the assignment, I believe that no job can compete with the satisfaction of moulding & guiding a child.
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Kermit: Do you like what you're doing (E.g. working, attending CCAs, studying etc etc)? Yes/No/Not Really? If no/not really.... Do you then know why you're still doing what you're doing? WITH THE END IN MIND, things could sometimes be much clearer & makes more sense!
Studying - Teaching us to use our brains & equipping us with knowledge
Working - To earn a living & provide for our families & a kick start in our career life
CCAs - To train us in useful skills beyond mugging geeks!!
We find our true direction.
Kermit: Dun b afraid of the unknown or future to come. Am generally a very safe kind of person but is learning to slowly take steps out of my comfort zone. & it has been enriching & exciting thus far. The greatest barrier is sometimes in our mind :)
Saw this on Reader's Digest September 2007 edition "The Power of a Smile - by Anne Mullens" & thought that it's really good.
It's 7am, and Susan Jenks would love more sleep, but she can hear her 5-month-old son, Angus, rousing in the next room. "I'm hardly able to drag myself out of bed," says this mother, who, with both an infant and an older son aged two, is no stranger to fatigue. "But when I look into his cot, and he gives me a big smile, it fills me with joy - and then everything is fine." Such is the power of a simple smile.
Studies have found that if a parent responds to a baby's smile with an expressionless face, the infant gets upset. "This indicates how important the caregiver's smile is for the infant," Infants of depressed mothers also show fewer signs of happiness and smile less often than infants of non-depressed mothers.
Keltner notes that while some people are born with generally happier temperaments, which set them up for success, others can become happier by being taught how to cultivate a genuine smile.
"In the happiness literature," the greatest association with happiness is connection to others. Teaching smiling is important becuase it helps us connect.
Putting on a happy face not only helps us make friends, it translates into altered brain chemistry that makes us feel better.
A smile is a powerful part of our conversation capability. If you can't smile, you are very limited in your ability to pass on information and relate to other people. (Dr Ralph Manktelow)
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I'm no Mother Theresa I can't fly to the poorest part of the world just to help the poor. And by the time I get there I'll probably freak out by the devastation. Give up, go home.
Let's be practical. We probably need many baby steps before we get to the final big leap. Start by making a little space, making room in your heart for people. Like that pregnant lady who is going to reject me even if I offer my seat OR the suspicious blind lady that is selling tissue paper.
Each time we shut our eyes to someone in need we're really a step closer to a colder, more harden & less trusting heart.
Somebody gotta take the first step right. Let that be me. Let that be you!
