"DESIGNED BY TIME, SHAPED BY LIFE" Oh.... my.... god.... You really need to check this out. It's so amazing!! Maybe Singapore should commission one for our island.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7472722.stmFwoah! If the concept is not amazing enough, then check out the video and computer animation in the middle of the page. It really looks like something from science fiction.Frigging hell! I think the UAE has way too much capital to spend on such mind-boggling projects. And just as mind-boggling is the price tag of each apartment; from US$3.7m to US$36m. For the rest of us, I guess just sitting in the park and watching it transform from afar is entertaining enough.This architectural marvel is designed by Dynamic Architecture and is scheduled to be up and running in Dubai by 2010. Plans are afoot for a similar one in Moscow in the future I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU SPOUSES FOR LIFE! Same-sex marriages have finally become a reality in California on Monday. Two solemnisations were the focus of media attention, but the one that moved me most was that of octogenarian lesbian couple Phyllis Lyon (83) and Del Martin (87) in San Francisco.They met and fell in love five decades ago when being seen as queer was dangerous and holding hands in public was unthinkable. What a journey it must have been for them: from forming the Daughters of Bilitis, considered the first lesbian rights group in the United States, to witnessing the gay liberation movement that transformed the city and now this, marriage.What a sight it must have been: Phyllis Lyon pushing Del Martin in a wheelchair into the office of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom who had the honour of marrying them (again).This is actually the second time Mayor Newsom married them. The first was in 2004 after the mayor ordered that marriage licenses be given to same-sex couples who requested them. They were however nullified by the California Supreme Court on 12 August 2004. In May this year, the same court ruled that the ban was unconstitutional and this set the stage for Monday's celebration.What remains unknown is whether Californian voters will overturn the court's decision in November's election. I hope not. In Phyllis' words after the August 2004 nullification, "After being together for more than 50 years, it is a terrible blow to have the rights and protections of marriage taken away from us. At our age, we do not have the luxury of time." THE HEART OF THE MATTER A friend who has known me for six years let me listen to a new (but actually 2 years old) song today which he knew I would like.Now I am very picky and snotty about the songs I listen to and very few people have managed to pin it down. But he managed to. *bravo!* Okay, I am very much a melody and lyric person. It all has to come together very well and actually say something. And even better, stir some emotion in this hardened heart of mine =).Anyway, this post is more about the song than me. It's actually India.Arie's cover of Don Henley's "The Heart of the Matter" which I first heard in 1990 when I bought his album "The End of the Innocence" (which I thankfully still have!!) for the title song.India actually released her cover of this song in her last album back in 2006. But it recently received fresh attention as one of the songs from the Sex and the City movie (not the Singapore version of course) soundtrack.I would classify it as an adult love song though like any good piece of art, it can be read/interpreted in more ways than one.Listening to it as a young lad back then, I couldn't really appreciate it even though I like the melody and lyrics a lot. But now, 18 years later, after living life, stumbling, bruising, picking myself up and carrying on, there's a new poignancy to it that I totally missed back then.I think it takes a person who has lived and experienced life long enough to be able to write a song like this. And it takes the same type of people to able to sing it with credibility, great emotion and gravity that I doubt a young 20ish singer can. And on this count, Don Henley and India.Arie have acquitted themselves well.I have to admit that I was a bit biased against India because I thought Don did an excellent job. But after giving it a listen, I have to admit that India has done the song great justice and brought a fresh new sound to what I would call a classic.The original video which is quite dated in style:Concert acoustic version featuring Don and the Eagles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLgUuHl2xJoIndia.Arie's concert version sung with Umbrella (wha..?):The album version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8H4KojRX4gI got the call today, I didn't wanna hearBut I knew that it would comeAn old, true friend of ours was talkin' on the phoneShe said you found someoneAnd I thought of all the bad luck,    and the struggles we went throughAnd how I lost me and you lost youWhat are these voices outside love's open doorMake us throw off our contentment    and beg for something more?I'm learning to live without you nowBut I miss you sometimesThe more I know, the less I understandAll the things I thought I knew, I'm learning againI've been tryin' to get down    to the heart of the matterBut my will gets weak    and my thoughts seem to scatterBut I think it's about forgivenessForgivenessEven if, even if you don't love me anymoreThese times are so uncertainThere's a yearning undefined...People filled with rageWe all need a little tendernessHow can love survive in such a graceless age?The trust and self-assurance that can lead to happinessThey're the very things we kill, I guessPride and competition    cannot fill these empty armsAnd the work I put between us,    doesn't keep me warmI'm learning to live without you nowBut I miss you, BabyThe more I know, the less I understandAll the things I thought I figured outI have to learn againI've been tryin' to get down    to the heart of the matterBut everything changes    and my friends seem to scatterBut I think it's about forgivenessForgivenessEven if, even if you don't love me anymoreThere are people in your life who've come and goneThey let you down and hurt your prideBetter put it all behind you; life goes onYou keep carryin' that anger, it'll eat you up insideI've been tryin' to get down    to the heart of the matterBut my will gets weak    and my thoughts seem to scatterBut I think it's about forgivenessForgivenessEven if, even if you don't love me anymoreI've been tryin' to get down    to the heart of the matterBecause the flesh will get weak    and the ashes will scatterSo I'm thinkin' about forgivenessForgivenessEven if, even if you don't love me anymorePS: Guess which is my favourite line. NOW THAT PEDRA BRANCA IS OURS... Ha! Ha! This picture has been making the rounds and was originally found here. THE RIVER IS FROZEN... INTER-SPECIES SEXUAL ASSAULT Ha! Ha! Ha! This is too funny. An Antarctic fur seal has been observed trying to rape a king penguin of undetermined sex on Marion Island.Well I guess the penguin can be considered pretty lucky. Seals don't usually try to mate with them; they usually hunt and eat them for food. So besides a bruised ego and possible post-traumatic stress disorder, this one managed to keep its life.(The 15kg penguin is pinned under the 100kg seal)Click on the picture above for the full story on BBC News. SO OVER THE CITY OF ANGELS Yup, I am so over Bangkok. The city has finally lost its appeal to me. Out of so many trips, this is my worst ever. Getting dragged around by a friend for shopping is bad enough (I am so not a shopper). But having people around me getting wallet stolen and drinking from a spiked mix and then me getting into a physical altercation with a drunk ang moh troublemaker who was apparently going around making a nuisance of himself with other patrons is one too many bad experiences back to back; not to mention the few other stuff that also got to me. Anyway, it's already been said that misfortune comes in a series of threes.Then on a much lesser scale of irritation, there was also the big party I got dragged to which was busted midway by cops looking for a bribe or two before allowing it to go on. Wah liao... How much more eventful can it get.But having said all that, there were a few nice strangers like the other ang mo who told me about the mischief that the drunk was making while explaining that security has already been alerted about him and the local girl who asked me if I was ok after the run-in and offered the space next to her for me to stand and cool down in the packed club. And I did enjoy myself shooting at others with my supersoaker in crazy Silom during one of the evenings. Quite a number of foreign cuties to target. ;-PHmm... it just occurred to me that someone seems to be a lightning rod for travel misfortunes, just like my ang moh friend who was a lightning rod for Songkran celebrants. Anyway, I don't see myself returning to Bangkok in a long time, if ever. And if I do go back to Thailand, I think it will probably be to some other city or town far from the madding crowd.PS: Actually, I wouldn't mind getting my cellphone stolen. I would be able to claim from my travel insurance and get a nicer and newer model like the Nokia N82 or the Samsung i780. =) Heh! Heh! HADARI NO MORE? So what could be pissing Farish A. Noor (author of "The Other Malaysia" which I reviewed back in 2004) off so much that he is "absolutely consumed by anger" (to use his own words)?...A seminar on Syariah Law review wants non-Muslims found committing khalwat (close proximity) with Muslims to also be held liable.This was among the proposals made at the two-day seminar organised by the Islamic Institute of Understanding Malaysia (Ikim) and the Syariah Judiciary Department Malaysia.Syariah Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Mohd Asri Abdullah said the seminar had proposed that non-Muslims committing khalwat with Muslims should also be sentenced accordingly, but in the civil courts...(The Star "Proposal to Prosecute Non-Muslims for Khalwat")This is not all; they have also proposed increasing the penalty (including whipping) on a range of "moral" crimes like prostitution, consuming alcohol and involvement in gambling activities. And on top of that, they would like to set up a rehab centre for those convicted of offences such as prostitution and effeminate men.Rehab centre for effeminate men??!!! And how do they intend to butch-ify them? Put them through deportment classes to teach how to swagger like cowboys? Electric shock therapy to wean them off colour coordination and accessorisations? Duh...And do you know what makes this even more interesting? The jokers above are NOT from PAS. Ikim and the Syariah Judiciary Department of Malaysia are government institutions and agencies created by and operating under the auspices of the UMNO-led government.I can go on and on about it, but I think Farish and Marina Mahathir have done a good job commenting and criticising the above so I shall not add anymore to it.Anyway, while I was reading Farish's posting, I came across an earlier article attacking the destruction of Hindu temples in Malaysia. Even though this was written in 2006, the destruction is still happening and hence the article is still current. In this piece, he argues that these are not Indian Hindu temples being demolished, but rather Malaysian temples that belong as much to the Malaysian cultural, historical and religious landscape as mosques, churches and Buddhist and Taoist temples. As such, the destruction should not be just a concern of Malaysian Indian Hindus but all Malaysians regardless of religion. And lest we forget, Hindu predates Islam in the peninsula and the larger archipelago by centuries.And for something slightly off tangent and funny, check out Karipanas' post on fun things to do in a "Guided Democracy", some can be applicable in Singapore too. Number 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10 cracked me up badly! BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008 I found this set of interesting satirical cartoons on my friend's blog, which I am posting here for your viewing pleasure. I don't know who the artist is and hence I am not able to attribute it. BETTING ON A WRONG HORSE? 10 December 2007 - Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) pumps US$10 billion into UBS amid significant writedowns related to its subprime banking exposure in the United States.1 April 2008 - UBS announces a further writedown of US$19 billion due to the abovementioned exposure and seeks a further US$15 billion of capital infusion.The total writedown has hit US$37.4 billion, making it the biggest writedown by any bank since the credit crunch began.Question: Did our government's investment vehicle made the right choice when it saw UBS's initial capital plea as a chance to get a 9% stake in the bank? Or was it betting on the wrong horse? Or is this the lowest it can go before bouncing back and proving GIC's investment choice correct?A bit scary considering that GIC is investing Singapore's vast reserves. But then again, US$10 billion is a drop in the bowl when our official reserves is US$172 billion as of February this year, making us number 8 in the world.Let's hope UBS doesn't go under and make GIC's investment a fiasco. However I do wonder whether the asset managers were aware that there could be further writedowns or were certain facts either withheld by UBS or were totally unknown by them at that time. In which case, how diligent was GIC's due diligence?I guess this should provide our MPs new materials to base their questions on when parliament next sits on 21 April 2008.And in other news, an outline of a deal has almost been reached for Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe to step down. The opposition says it won Saturday's general elections. THIS IS SO AMAZING!!! Latest discovery about the Adelie penguins of the Antartic featured on the BBC! I guess birds will always be birds.BBC News - If Penguins Could FlyYou really really have to watch this. KELLY WOWS!! Okay, I am not a Kelly Rowland's fan and the song is okay hot. But the video absolutely sizzles!Don't you think she looks a bit like Gladys Knight from Gladys Knight and the Pips?Kelly Rowland - Work (Freemasons Remix)Uploaded by Momo59-93 A COST TOO HIGH I just saw this post that was dated 17 January 2008, the last post for this blogger as an NSF. A recollection from a guy who is about to ORD. Don't really know what to make of it. Saddened and infuriated at the same time. The price of his citizenship is too high. Maybe not as high as those who lost their lives during NS or ICT, but still too costly.I know it's very long, but just read the whole thing:http://sometimesifart.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-last-post-as-nsf.html POSSIBLE TEETHING PROBLEMS? Well, the Malaysian general election has come and gone. The results have sunk in and the country is now in the dawn of a new era. Whether it will last till the next election or longer is anyone's guess.But now that the country is slowly starting to return to normalcy after the euphoria of the past few days, the opposition parties have a huge task ahead of them.First and foremost is to form a good working relationship with each other. This to me is the most important task if they are to succeed. After all, the three different parties have their own ideologies and agendas. So they will really need to find a common ground and either compromise or chuck out those that stand in their way.To me, the wild card is the pan-Islamic PAS. Being an Islamic political party, it's natural that their interest is the promotion of Islam. But one of the biggest issues (I gather) facing Malaysia now is the balancing of Islamic interest with that of the other religions.There have been too many cases where unproven (or claimed by third parties) conversion to Islam has been used to rule against the family who are adherents of other religions. And of course, we also have the civil courts refusing to rule against or get involved in cases where the Islamic courts have jurisdiction in, thus giving primacy to these courts and their rulings.I am not criticising or attacking PAS, but I really cannot see how they can divorce their politics from Islam. I mean if they do it, wouldn't they be betraying the very religion that they based their existence on? But if they don't, then how will the alternative coalition formulate policies that are equitable to all.Tough call. But it will be interesting to see how it will all work out for next four to five years. Will they out-perform BN or will they go for each other's throat and implode?Personally, I really want them to succeed and out-perform BN. And in the process, help the country move away from the parochial race-based politics that has created more divisions than unity and has exceeded its shelf life by years.Maybe UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) can learn from this and surprise us all by transforming itself from just the United Malays National Organisation to the United Malaysians Organisation. MAJOR RELANDSCAPING UP NORTH Oh... My... God...Barisan Nasional (BN) of Malaysia loses its two thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat (the lower house of the federal parliament) and has only managed to cling on with a small margin.The Malaysian Indian Congress (a component party of BN) president Samy Vellu lost to his opponent. Tragically, the day of the election and his resultant electoral loss is also his birthday. As a result, he will lose his ministerial seat which he has held for three decades. Unless of course he gets appointed to the senate and reappointed as the federal works minister as a senator, but I'm not too sure if the Malaysian constitution allows that route.Meanwhile, Anwar Ibrahim's wife has successfully defended her seat and his daughter won her first election, both on Keadilan's slate for the federal Dewan Rakyat. Out of all the opposition parties running for the federal parliament, Keadilan has won the most seats. And in the state polls, the opposition has increased its control of state governments from one (Kelantan) from the previous election to five (Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor and of course Kelantan).Wow! After five decades of BN dominance, the entire political landscape has changed. Of course BN will still form the new government but they will have a more powerful opposition to deal with in parliament.Analysts say that this time, it wasn't just the Chinese and Indian voters who abandoned BN, but Malays as well. So will we see a repeat of post-electoral violence and death like the one that happened in 1969? I hope not. If things remain peaceful and transfer of state governments are smooth, then Malaysia and Malaysians have acquired a political maturity that does them great credit.You know what would be even better? That the opposition comprising DAP, Keadilan and PAS can ditch the racial politics of BN and forge a new all-inclusive opposition coalition that really represents the interest of all Malaysians regardless of race. To expect them to merge and form one party would be too much of a fantasy lah. First, they will need to heal the recent racial and religious fissure that has erupted across the country. Once they have dealt with that successfully, then maybe a merger would be more possible.Baby steps, baby steps. YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING Local and international press today reports that the ISA detainee Mas Selamat Kastari has escaped from the Internal Security Department's (ISD) Whitley Road Detention Centre yesterday afternoon.When I saw his picture on the silent gym TV last night, I thought he had died or was executed or something like that and didn't give much thought to it. Imagine my surprise when I read on BBC News today that he had escaped.This leader of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) is alleged to have been a part of plans to attack the US Embassy along Napier Road, the American Club along Scotts Road, MINDEF HQ at Bukit Gombak and the Education Ministry building in North Buona Vista Drive. He was also said to have been the mastermind behind plans to hijack an airplane in Bangkok and crash it into Changi airport (http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_211177.html). These are some majorly serious charges and obviously he's someone who could really be intent on causing serious damage, carnage and mayhem.Apparently Mas, who was born in Indonesia, supposedly has the power to hypnotise people. As a friend said, "Indos strong religious ones tend to have these inner unorthodox power". Whether you believe that is true or not is up to you. However it's not surprising as pre-Islamic belief in the supernatural is still very strong in the Indonesian archipelago. How interesting, politics and terrorism with an added dash of the supernatural."You... will... release... me...""Yessss... masssssterrrr...""Woo! Hoo!! I'm free! Free! FREE!!! MUUAH... HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!!"Well, it looks like someone or some people from ISD is going to get canned pretty soon. I wonder if he had help (internal or external) with his escape or he simply found an opening and took advantage of it. I can just imagine a getaway car waiting for him with some ladies in the niqab (which covers the entire body and face) and a spare one for him to put on.The police and SAF soldiers are now in the midst of an island wide manhunt for him. I don't know whether they will succeed or not. He'll most probably be hiding out in the home of a supporter or sympathiser before making an explosive debut. Or if what one of my friends said is right, he has probably crossed the waters to either Johor or the Riau islands where his "brothers" are waiting to receive him with open arms.I seriously doubt if JI has been disbanded. They were probably weakened by the string of arrests and was lying dormant all this while. But now that Mas their leader is out, things might start to change. And not for the better I'm afraid.If there was a proper opposition in Singapore's parliament, the minister of home affairs and the PM will definitely get seriously grilled like they do in the UK when some shit (like the lost of CDs containing sensitive government data) hits the fan. In Singapore, they will probably get a slap on their hands with no calls for their resignation.His picture is available at the links below.AsiaOne - SAF soldiers join island-wide manhunt for escaped JI leaderBBC News - Singapore hunts escaped suspectChannel NewsAsia - JI detainee Mas Selamat Kastari escapes from Singapore detention centreStraits Times - Massive manhunt A HUMBLE GIANT HAS PASSED ON Sir Edmund Hilary, the first man who conquered Mt Everest with his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay, died today of a heart attack at a Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. He was 88 years old.Unknown to a lot of people, he was also responsible for setting up the Himalayan trust during his time as New Zealand's High Commissioner to India. This trust built schools, hospitals, bridges, etc for the Sherpas in their remote region of Nepal. Ever shy of publicity and fame, it was to this organisation that he poured in lots of time and effort. Sadly, his wife Louise and one of his daughters Belinda died in a plane crash while en route to meet him during one of his hospital building projects.He is survived by his second wife June, son Peter, daughter Sarah and six grandchildren. BBC News - Life in pictures: Sir Edmund HillaryBBC News - Obituary: Sir Edmund Hillary GUESS SHARIF'S NEXT Like the Nehru-Gandhi family of India, the Bhuttos is another tragic political dynasty in the sub-continent. Her father, a former prime minister of Pakistan during the rare times when the country was not run by the army, was accused of murder and then executed by Gen Zia ul-Haq in 1979. Then her two brothers (also politically active) were killed in mysterious circumstances. And today, it was Benazir's turn.Looks like the country is going to the dogs. Political killings, assassinations, suicide bombings, military coups, repressing the independence of the judiciary, etc. Another "failed state" in the making? Scary thought considering they have the nukes too.I wonder if the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma would roll in his grave if he could see how bad things have turned out ever since the partition of 1947.BBC News - Benazir Bhutto 'killed in blast'BBC News - Obituary: Benazir BhuttoCNN - Benazir Bhutto assassinatedThe New York Times - Bhutto Assassinated in Attack on RallyMeanwhile in an island south of the sub-continent, the henchman of a Sri Lankan labour minister by the name of Mervin Silva assaulted the news director of a television station. All this because the station did not broadcast a footage of a speech he made on Wednesday during the re-opening of a bridge destroyed by the 2004 tsunami.Enraged employees then locked them up pending an apology from the minister, which of course was not forthcoming.In the end, commandos had to be called in to resolve the standoff and he was finally allowed to leave with red and pink paint splattered on him and jeers from the journalists."If my action is considered as a wrong act, I would like to apologise to the employees," said Mr Silva in front of cameras.Now this would have been quite a sight, bully politician getting a taste of his on medicine. Oh! The humiliation of it.Incidentally in 2005, his son and his son's bodyguard pulled out pistols on the police when they went to a club to conduct a drug raid. AN AMAZING SCHOOL WITH AMAZING PEOPLE A beautiful story to warm a heart on Christmas.This one is set in Decatur Georgia where a school brings together American children and those of refugees from 40 or so war-torn countries and works darn hard to educate them. The cultural exposure that all of them get and the friendships they develop are nothing short of amazing.All this in a formerly white-only suburb that was historically one of the bastions of the Ku Klux Klan.A lot of these kids have seen or experienced things that no kids should ever have to go through. And this brings more challenges to the ever patient teachers who have to coax and comfort them. And I guess it helps that some of the staff also had first hand experiences of living as refugees or escaping war situations, like for example the lunchroom lady from Srebrenica who was driven from the town during the Serbian massacre of some 8,000 Bosnian men and boys.Do read the story and watch the video of Dante Ramirez, a white American boy and his Burmese refugee friend Soung Oo Hlaing.I guess this is one of the things that still make America a beacon of tolerance and diversity despite many current evidences to the contrary. Yes, it is still capable of opening its heart and arms in an amazing way.New York Times - A School in Georgia as a Laboratory for Getting AlongOh, and Merry Christmas everyone. A GAY TWILIGHT THAT'S NOT VERY GAY From The New York Times, "Aging and Gay, and Facing Prejudice in Twilight"It was the above picture that grabbed me more than the article itself. It shows a Bruce Steiner, 76, feeding his partner, Jim Anthony, 71, who has Alzheimer’s disease for more than a decade and can no longer feed himself or speak.On one hand, you see a gay man who sticks by his man regardless of what happens. And on the other, you come face to face with the prospect of aging and what it would mean to gays and lesbians; or for that matter, any single straight person.I think this is an issue that we in Singapore have to start thinking about very soon. Aging and being gay. Where can we find our support when we need it and who can we turn to? If old straight people are finding it hard to live in a youth-obsessed Singapore, what more gays and lesbians. WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN... Ezra directed me to this video by a Fahmi Reza of Malaysia entitled "Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka" (10 years before independence). Looking at the current state of affairs and relations between the races in Malaysia (what with the recent protest in KL by Malaysian Indians), this show strikes me as rather sad. Sad, because of what might have been.On one hand, you had the (then) somewhat pro-British UMNO with a rather limited constitution for the Malayan Federation (enforced in 1948) that saw Malaya continuing as a British protectorate with not much political rights. And on the other, you have the People's Constitution drafted by a group of left-leaning parties under the banner of PUTERA-AMCJA that was so much more progressive.Not only did this constitution demanded independence, it gave everyone equal political rights and equal citizenship, provided for an inter-racial council that was tasked to screen and filter out racially discriminating laws and policies, and surprisingly, created a new nationality called "Melayu" that would apply to everyone regardless of race. This last bit was whole-heartedly endorsed and accepted by Tan Cheng Lock (representing the Chinese community) with no questions asked.I really wonder what Malaysia (or maybe even Malaya) would be like today if PUTERA-AMCJA had succeeded in getting through their constitution.But as anyone can tell, the People's Constitution was unfortunately consigned to the wastebasket of history. And not only that, the British jailed or banished members of the PUTERA-AMCJA under the pretext of fighting communism. There's so much that could be said about what could have been, but I guess it's too late for that now. And perhaps, I guess HINDRAF has a point when they wanted to sue the British government for their historical complicity in the present plight of the Malaysian Indians.Anyway, if you have the time, do watch the show below. It has been very enlightening for me, even as a Singaporean. TOO YOUNG, JUST TOO YOUNG While a lot of people have either been in a state of shock or been mourning over the loss of five young lives snatched away for no particular reason over the weekend, I received a copy of "The Act" (published by AfA) and read one of the editorials which affected me quite a bit:Every week I meet and counsel at least two to three people diagnosed with HIV. Most of them younger in age as time go by since I started my HIV work several years ago. The record for me thus far is a 16 year old boy who was recently diagnosed with HIV. He passed me a letter to give to his parents in the event he was to die before them. In it was his apology for what he felt was the shame that he had brought to his family and his apology for getting infected. He could not bring himself to tell them he has HIV as he was afraid of their rejection. While the country comes up with more draconian laws to 'stop' the epidemic in Singapore, the state of stigma and discrimination is reaching an all time high. We seem to be far away from universal access and a better system of care and support for people living with HIV. Besides the law that prevents health care workers from carelessly disclosing their patients' HIV status, the government has not come up with any other regulations to prevent discrimination against people living with HIV.This issue of the ACT is devoted to people living with HIV. Their lives are our business and their suffering and their pain are our pain as well. It is not just the job of AfA or the health care workers to lend them the shoulder to cry on but for the society as a whole to get out of their comfort zone and understand their plight in a manner that is real, sincere and tangible.However, no policy or law can alone combat HIV/AIDS related discrimination. The fear and prejudice that lies at the core of the HIV/AIDS discrimination needs to be tackled at the community and national levels. A more enabling environment needs to be created to increase the visibility of people with HIV/AIDS as a 'normal' part of any society. In the future, the task is to confront the fear based messages and biased social attitudes, in order to reduce the discrimination and stigma of people who are living with HIVI hold on to this letter and I pray for a time in the near future where he will come to me as say that it is no longer necessary cause he has told his family and they are supportive of him and will be there for him for many more healthy years to come.Raphael MeyerGuest EditorI too have had my fair share of positive results during my time as a volunteer. And the record for me was a boy no older than 18 and obviously not in NS yet. I still remember him from our short chat - he was well spoken, plays a musical instrument and dressed neatly; obviously a son from a middle class family probably living in a private apartment or house.After I had completed testing the person after him and was in the midst of placing the slip on the counter top, I noticed the dreaded red line on one of the slip. Immediately, I knew it was him. Even though the result was obvious, I was hoping beyond hope that the control line wouldn't appear and hence, make the test strip defective.Unfortunately, the control line did appear 15 minutes later. I was almost on the verge of tears when I informed the supervisor who would be taking over the case.When the boy came in to get his confirmatory test done, his face was expressionless. I didn't know what was going through his mind or if anything was going through it at all. I guess he was in a state of shock.He was so young. And while I know that being HIV+ is not a death sentence, I was wondering how he was going to cope. How is he going to tell his parents? How long can he keep it a secret before they find out when he goes for his FFI before enlistment or when he needs to start on his medication?The trend is obvious. More young men are getting tested positive. They are usually in their late teens to mid 20s. I keep wondering why this is happening. Are they getting the right information? Or is the information denied to them because of some authority figure's opinion that talking about sex will only encourage the young to experiment?I know the government is taking the approach of abstinence. But at what cost? Even if we harp and nag about abstaining from sex, we can't ignore the fact that a certain percentage will still experiment. And without the necessary information on safe sex, should we be surprise that they get infected.This is Singapore's head in the sand. In our self-righteousness, we stigmatise certain categories of the population and criminalise homosexual sex (while not pursuing the letter of the law) and thus preventing ourselves from reaching out to those most at risk - the young Singaporeans - because of that same judgemental and self-righteous attitude.We may make it an offence for those who are unaware of their HIV status and unknowingly infect another person. But this does not prevent the young and ignorant from experimenting and engaging in high risk activities.It is a sad fact that some people in the establishment assumes that any activities relating to HIV prevention is a cover for "promoting homosexual behaviour". If this continues, we should not be surprise to see the level of infection shoot up and become an official epidemic.So what have our country done to reach out to the general population? Nothing much considering how some PAP ministers (I shan't name names here) still believe that HIV is caused by "the homosexuals". Hence, they do the only thing they are best at, blame "the homosexuals" and pass more laws.But unfortunately, laws can only do so much, and it's only after the fact. I am afraid that with the current attitude of our ignorant technocratic ministers, I will see more and more teenagers, male and female, getting tested positive.Who do we blame and prosecute then? And what is the use of pointing fingers when it can never reverse time and un-infect the teen.Meanwhile, the rest of Singapore will always see it as someone else's problem. Until that someone else is themselves or someone in their family. Then, it's too late.         "It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual. You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred. It's like saying you choose to be black in a race-infected society." – South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu in an interview with BBC Radio 4 STILL RECALCITRANT CHAVEZ Wah lao... This Chavez is really one fucked up bugger. He's the rude and brutish one, and now he accuses the King of Spain for being arrogant (see post on original incident here). This guy is so unbelievably pathetic!Here you have it folks, the face of a hooligan and recalcitrant joke of a president. Sooner of later, he is going to fuck up his country so bad they wished they had never believe his rhetoric and elected him to power.And as a joke and an object of derision, I guess you can lump in the same league as Thio Li-Ann.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7094148.stm RECALCITRANT CHAVEZ Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says, "But I think it's imprudent for a king to shout at a president to shut up. Mr King, we are not going to shut up."Pot calling the kettle black? Chavez, you're the imprudent one. Why don't you watch the video clip of your own imprudent behaviour? Not only are you imprudent, you are rude and brutish as well. I think some of your citizens have more courtesy than you.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7089988.stm POR QUÉ NO TE CALLAS! So anyway, there was this Ibero-American summit in Chile that ended yesterday.During the closing meeting, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez levelled insults on the previous conservative prime minister of Spain, Jose Maria Aznar, calling him a fascist and added that "fascists are not human. A snake is more human."While Aznar was noted for his strong support of Bush and is the political opposite of the left-leaning socialist current Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, that didn't stop Zapatero from defending his predecessor in a speech that drew applause from some participants during his turn at the microphone.        "Former Prime Minister Aznar was democratically elected by the Spanish people and was a legitimate representative of the Spanish people."        "I want to express to you President Hugo Chavez that in a forum where there are democratic governments ... one of the essential principles is respect."        "You can disagree radically, without being disrespectful."However Chavez being his usual uncouth self tried a few times to interrupt Zapatero's speech even though his microphone was not on.In the end, I guess he pissed some people off royally (unsurprising) because King Juan Carlos of Spain, who was seated next to Zapatero, leaned forward and exclaimed angrily to Chavez, "Why don't you shut up!" ("Por qué no te callas!" in Spanish) before leaving.Chavez did not immediately respond, but later used time given to him by his close ally Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to answer Zapatero's speech.        "The Venezuelan government reserves the right to respond to any aggression, anywhere, in any space and in any manner."Hmmm... Even when you're the cause of the outburst? *tsk tsk tsk*Check out the report and video clip of the above on BBC News.Gosh, Chavez really comes across as a spoilt, petulant and unrepentant child more than an elected representative of a country. And when a president is the head of state and government of a country, his behaviour really reflects badly on Venezuela and its people. MORE REVILED THAN THAT STEVEN LIM By now, the news about Alfian's "abusive" email to Thio Li-Ann is known by practically everyone who reads the English papers. Contrary to what some people assume, that email was written months before the repeal 377a campaign was even initiated. And from what I read, it may be rude but I won't consider it harassment. After all, "fucked up" is a general term that has been used by all and sundry to describe someone (either in the first or third person) as dysfunctional or messed up in the head.To play it out further, she has taken on the role of the aggrieved victim who is above such things. However instead of ending it there, she wrote and had her letter published on the Straits Times with Alfian's e-mail address, obviously intending to make him the target for her lobby group.Considering the impolite and slanderous terms and accusations she levelled at all gay men, it is rather artful of her to demand civility in the debate when she was the one who launched the first salvo.To quote Alex Au:        "When the Religious Right (and this includes Thio) are out to bludgeon me psychologically, socially and politically, they don't deserve respect or civility from me. Nor from Alfian and thousands, thousands more."And if one can't take the heat, then one should get the hell out of the kitchen. One shouldn't launch attacks on others and then cry foul when a return volley comes your way.Anyway, what's the big deal about someone pissing on your grave? When they bury you after you are well and truly dead, it is usually with earth that has been mixed with manure (as fertiliser). And as we all know, manure is generally made from cow faeces. I would think urine is the lesser of the "evil". And furthermore, you can consider it a favour as it will help the surrounding vegetation grow better so as to beautify your final resting place.Interestingly enough, Thio had the audacity to bring up the spectre of a defamation suit against Alfian. In law, defamation is the communication of a statement that makes a false claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may harm the reputation of an individual, business, product, group, government or nation (as quoted from Wikipedia). I think she brought more disrepute on herself without the assistance of Alfian. "Hatemongering" and "vicious crusades against sexual minorities"? Guilty as charged. No need Alfian's email to tell us that.I did a trawl through the blogosphere today, and I noted with great interest that all post which mentioned her by name is nothing but negative. And mind you, a lot of them are written by straight people and some are... how shall I say it... not nice at all. Not only was her speech in parliament criticised, but her views and her actions thus far.One post that caught my eye is by a Mollymeek who sees the hypocrisy of Thio's hope that the "House joins" her "in deploring these malicious attacks which also assault academic freedom". (underscore is mine)Anyway, true to form, Talkingcock has come up with a hilariously interesting and productive way to put piss on her grave to a better and more environmentally friendly use. Click on the picture below for the full story. FUNNY!On the same topic, a "La nausée" has written a post that shows up the ridiculousness of her sensitivity to such emails. But more important than that, he has highlighted something that has escaped almost everyone's attention: the clear and present danger of Thio's assertion "that religion should not be excluded from public policy debates, and that to do so would be undemocratic".Now why is it dangerous?Along with the penal code overhaul, section 298 (which makes it a crime to speak ill of any religion) was beefed up.Of course the intent of this (as stated by Senior Minister of State Ho Peng Kee on 22nd October 2007) is to "criminalize the deliberate promotion by someone of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different racial and religious groups on grounds of race or religion".So is there any other implication?Yes. To put it simply, the playing field is not level. While religious groups can hide behind this act and use their perceived religious righteousness to attack secular beliefs, ideals, or policies. No one can attack their views because to do so is an offence which might see you in jail.Let's use the campaign to repeal section 377a as an example. They can assert publicly that all homosexuals are the same as paedophiles, necrophiles, zoophiles, etc. But that law prevents us from attacking their religious views that's fundamental to these fallacious beliefs. They may rant and rave in parliament that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice and that all homosexuals can change "with the grace of god". But if we were to say that their views are erroneous and most homosexual did not choose to be one, they can very well claim we are "wounding" their religious views and thus guilty according to that section.So if we are not allowed to criticise them or their religious views, then it is only fair that they are not allowed to publicly air those same views and criticisms of government policies and other people's "lifestyle" be they straight or gay. Because if things go the way Thio wants it, then she and her cabal can very well attempt to hijack public policy debates and no one can say anything in dissent.Now this is the real slippery slope if you ask me. But it will be interesting to see how our government manages this, especially when there are a few competing religious lobby groups trying to influence public policies.Before I end this post, I would like to bring your attention to yet another straight person (a female) writing on the 377a issue. Though I disagree with her view that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice (probably heard it too many times from the likes of Thio that she thinks it is), I do like the line of reasoning she took on the "we are not ready" excuse. Hers is the first I've read on this issue. Check it out on "absolute-ly missy". NON-ENFORCEMENT: SO WHAT HAPPENS IF... Some interesting legal questions posed by respected legal academics from NUS in a new book entitled "Lives in the Law" that honours three eminent (now retired) professors in Singapore's legal academia.Hmmm... Someone's opinion seems to be missing though. :-)Click the link below for some hypothetical situations and issues which may very well arise in the near future.Straits Times - NUS don warns of 377A falloutI've reposted it in my "Stolen Goods" blog just in case it expires from Straits Times' archive in the near future. A MAN, HIS DAD & POLITICS IN SINGAPORE IN THE 60S This is a personal story by the son of man who was very much involved in politics during the period of the expulsion of Singapore from the Malayan (then known) federation. Perhaps this might help remind our leaders, especially LKY, why a lot of Singaporeans choose to remain silent.There is this theory that force of habit somehow becomes part of the genetic makeup of the future generations. Hence, affecting how they behave instinctively. Maybe our forefathers' force of habit is now the instinctive behaviour of our current batches of local undergraduates. Of course we cannot forget upbringing, academic and learning culture, and the possible cost (material, emotional and mental) factor.This post is more than just about politics back then. It's also a loving memorial to a man's father who had just passed on, a father who despite all semblances of calmness and equanimity hides a secret past; a past that his son should be proud of. Though it's sad to see his father's fire eventually extinguished by political expediency at a cost to the state of Singapore's current and possibly future generations.I recommend this post from The Online Citizen: "Zen And The Art Of Maintaining Silence" ON AMERICAN EVANGELICALS & THIO-LOGY My friend brought my attention to two rather interesting things to read on the web today.One is an article in the New York Times about how the conservative evangelical churches and lobby group in the US seem to be changing directions. Among some of the reasons put forward is the retirement or passing on of the politically inclined leaders like Falwell and Dobson, while at the same time the evangelical congregants have grown tired of the endless political tirade of their spiritual leaders at the expense of their personal faith and growth....In the past, Hybels has scrupulously avoided criticizing conservative Christian political figures like Falwell or Dobson. But in my talk with him, he argued that the leaders of the conservative Christian political movement had lost touch with their base. "The Indians are saying to the chiefs, 'We are interested in more than your two or three issues,' " Hybels said. "We are interested in the poor, in racial reconciliation, in global poverty and AIDS, in the plight of women in the developing world"......"I thought in my enthusiasm," he (Rev. Gene Carlson) told me with a smile, "that somehow we could band together and change things politically and everything will be fine." But the closing of Dr. Tiller's clinic was fleeting. Electing Christian politicians never seemed to change much. "When you mix politics and religion," Carlson said, "you get politics."In more recent battles, Carlson has hung back. On the Sunday before the referendum on a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, Carlson reminded his congregation that homosexuality was hardly the only form of sex the Bible condemned. Any extramarital sex is a sin, he told his congregation, so they should not point fingers."We wouldn't want to exclude some group because we thought their sin was worse than ours," Carlson told me with a laugh...(NYT: The Evangelical Crackup)It's a pretty long article, but worth the read to get a sense of how the religious-political landscape of the US is changing. And though some might argue otherwise, it also has possible political ramifications in Singapore considering how some churches here seem to be aping the political stance of their co-religionists in the US.Another article (or rather a blog post) I read is this "Reverse Redacting Thio Li Ann" which attempts to draw parallels between her speech in parliament and her article in the Straits Times with "The Homosexual Rights Agenda: Reframing the Debate" published on "The Road to Emmaus: A School of Judeo-Christian Apologetics".Pretty interesting I must say. I think it helps people see where she is coming from and where she gets (or who she shares) some of her ideas (with).Which brings to mind what I wrote about her in my post dated 19 January 2007:      ..."There're a whole myriad of factors, from the treatment of maids to education issues, to political liberalisation, free speech issues, human rights and women's rights."Promote human and women's rights but deny equal treatment to gays and lesbians? How schizophrenic is that. Or has reactionary and conservative religion contaminated her more progressive and liberal views towards such basic rights as equality of everyone regardless of sex, age, race, sexuality, religion, economic class, etc.I wouldn't be surprised if she'll use this new platform to sprout and pursue her homophobic agenda. Or maybe that was the PAP's idea when they selected her as a new NMP. Then again, those who make the loudest noise usually have something to hide. Remember the former Pastor Ted Haggard from the Nov 2006 scandal?...Thank god for people like NMP Siew Kum Hong and the PAP MPs who spoke up against the retention of 377a. At least there's some people in the house who could speak in opposition to her.I don't know, but maybe I might have been wrong about it being PAP's idea to have her chosen as an NMP because of her homophobia. Then again, that was pure speculation on my part.