idols & idiots

I don’t understand this obsession with the Idols. Singapore Idol, America Idol, Malaysia Idol, whatever. I mean, sure it’s great that these people are providing great entertainment value to you while they try to chase their dreams, but the obsessive behaviours? Grown women crying over a young lanky boy? Sending 300 SMSes to vote (at the cost of $0.50 per SMS no less, the telcos must be laughing all the way to the bank)? People chanting cheers and weeping openly? It’s like a cult. Mass hysteria really.
Is the state of the world so bad now that people need mundane stuff like these to occupy their minds?
I’m sorry. I don’t watch TV. Between work and my friends and my family and my life in general, I only have time for the Straitjacket Times. And I’m already 2 months behind on my magazines.

And one more thing, spending $150 on SMSes? Come on, it’s the end of the year. I can suggest a better place for that money.
The charities need you. The festive season is when they need the most cash. And you can claim all that against your income for next year’s income tax as long as you donate before 31 Dec 2004. If you need another reason that is.
My personal choice is the Singapore Children’s Society, but I’m sure you can find one you believe in.

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Some updates:
Compulsory HIV screening for pregnant women from December - Nov 27, 2004
HIV test from next month for mums-to-be - Nov 28, 2004
Let's see if they put their money where their mouths are...

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If you remember, I ranted quite a bit in my previous blogs about near-accidents.
Really met with one yesterday. Nothing serious, though it could have been if I had put in a little more speed and put my head in the way of the big-ass truck.
I was trying to reverse into my house so I went forwards to realign the car. This lorry/pickup driver from behind, who was actually speeding on a quiet estate road, tried to overtake me without using her head nor her eyes and rammed staright into my right headlight. The fact that she only stopped about 5m after the impact is an indication of how fast she was going.
The driver was a 20-year-old girl still hanging up her P-plate, but her dad (who was in the passenger seat) got down and all I heard from him was the word "fuck" said in many different styles. What got me most worked up though was the fact that they were going to drive off without coming down to see the damage done. I should be the one saying fuck. Their truck was unscathed, my headlight and bumper were fucked.
Freaking idiots on the road. God knows if she's even qualified to drive that truck with her class 3 licence. I hope you get busted for illegal driving you goddamned c**t and your foul-mouthed father.

let's talk about hiv (ii)

I have some more to say:
No 'in your face' drive to fight Aids here - Nov 14, 2004

For the issue of government subsidies for Aids medication, which AFA brought up on Friday, it was said that Aids patients in Singapore were entitled to the same subsidies as those who suffered from other diseases. 'We do not believe in making any disease a privileged disease. There is no reason why an Aids patient should be more special than a heart or kidney patient. We treat all equally.'

I appreciate how you try to be fair and just to all. But AIDS, by virtue of its terrible repercussions, is already a privileged disease. You are right, an AIDS patient is no more special than a heart or kidney patient. But you must always remember that this is a communicable disease we are talking about. There will always be stupid people who ignore all the risks that stare them down the face; there is always a possibility of contamination by accident; that chance of being infected not by choice, however slight, is there.

By the way, what is the subtle message that you are trying to convey? We are only valuable in your eyes when we are healthy and able to contribute to the economy? If I am a Singaporean and I am sick, I might as well be dead?

I'm no advocate of unsafe sex. But fuck your attitude.

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Happy birthday Lynn, my darling sister.
Have a great year ahead.

let's talk about hiv

It's going to be a rainy day today. So irritating. My swim plans are ruined. Hate it when it rains during a long weekend...
But it does put a wintry feel in the air. Wintry in a loose term, mind you.
Feels like Christmas already.


Check out this link:
Sorry Everybody
It does make the re-election of G W Bush a little easier to bear.
Do you believe in the rumours that 2008 would be Hilary Clinton's year??

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I have something to say today.
First, read this article:
Yes, we're not doing a good job in Aids fight, admits group - Nov 13, 2004
Now, pray tell me why AFA is apologizing for something that is not its fault?
Anyone with a level head on would know that AFA has not been giving official funding for the past 15 years. The good people there tried their best over the years to get the message of safe sex and the AIDS epidemic across to the general public, but what do we do? We stay on our high horses and refuse to acknowledge that Singapore, the small red dot that we are, is also susceptible to this worldwide epidemic.
Sex? Oh no, the good people of Singapore do not have sex except to procreate. Homosexuality? Oh no no, we have no gays among the good people of Singapore. Yes, go ahead, sweep everything under the carpet. The garden city remains pretty like a bloody picture. It looks good solely because of the fact we have tons of cleaners sweeping the streets at night.
So now we are "facing an alarming AIDS epidemic". And the blame lies with AFA for not doing enough????? Fuck. If you think that it's now a problem, do something about it. Isn't that what you do best? Set up an agency to combat AIDS, like how you set up a task force to combat SARS. Get all your good brainy people on the issue. Pump money into research and public messages. You spend so much on procreation campaigns, now do something for those people who are dying from AIDS.
But first and foremost, ACKNOWLEDGE THE BLOODY ISSUE! That it is now your problem, whether you like it or not.

And my personal opinion on the issue?
I say help those individuals who tested HIV positive because of blood transfusions and stuff, not through their own doing. Help the babies who are born to HIV positive mothers. I don't give a damn about those educated heterosexual/homosexual individuals who, despite knowing the risk, choose to be sexually promiscuous and having unprotected sex. Look, it is a personal choice to want to sleep around, but if you choose to be ignorant and stupid and then get infected because you refuse to use a condom, I have absolutely no sympathy for you.
Stupidity knows no boundaries. Maybe this is nature's way of sifting out the stupid ones from the ones who actually deserve a chance on earth.
Judgmental bitch you say? Well at least I have an opinion. Do you?

irritants

Listening to:

Really great stuff.

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The roads are really runneth over by dogs, or bitches in this case.
Again I almost got my car crashed into yesterday evening.
There I was, cruising in my lane on the CTE, when this woman tried to cut in front of me. Oh she signalled, so no issues there. The problem is that the front of my car was then already parallel with the boot of her car! I sounded my horn and - you’ve got to give her points for persistence here - she continued her way into my lane. There was no way I could slow down save for jam braking, so I had to swerve out to avoid hitting her. Luckily the next lane was empty of traffic. As I leaned into my horn and glared at her, she had this look of utter oblivion on her face.
Auntie, you’d better go get your ears and eyes checked. I sounded the horn for at least a good minute at you. And I was driving a fucking red car. Don’t tell me you can’t see or hear.
She had two little girls in the car with her, or I would have given her the courtesy of the third finger. Stupid bitch, when you eventually crash your car, I hope you’re by yourself. Don’t get others into trouble.
YOU FUCKING BITCH.

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There was a little hoohah in the papers recently about some local guy who went to the Ritz wearing shorts, and was asked to change into pants while an angmoh was left alone.
It’s such a classic case. So many years after being a British colony and we still haven’t gotten rid of our colonial masters hang-up. There are three quite distinct camps among people who still have these hang-ups.
Camp 1 is the “I love everything angmoh” camp. The boys and girls who wish they are born with white skin instead of yellow skin belong to this camp. The people who look down on their Asian heritage also belong here. As well as those who would only date angmohs and no one else, and publicly proclaim it.
Camp 2 is the “I hate everything angmoh” camp. These are the people who go around harping that the angmohs get the best of everything. Their jobs, their women (or men), their everything. Put one of them side by side with an angmoh and serve them both the same dish, and the harper will say you serve the angmoh a better dish.
Camp 3 is the “I kowtow to the angmoh” camp. These people usually work in the hotel or service industry. Some services not possible to their Singaporean customers become possible to the angmoh customers. That’s why I always get my angmoh friend to ask for stuff…
Anyway.
I read this from an article from the Oct 29 edition of TODAY written by mr brown, him of the talkingcock.com fame. I think it’s a great excerpt. Thanks mr brown, you took the words right out of my mouth.

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What’s up with the shorts and slippers everywhere we go?
Sure, the weather here is hot as heck, but surely there’s a place for shorts and a place for long pants? I don’t care if you are the whatever vice-president of whatever leading company that designs and manufactures whatever high-tech products. Dress right to be treated right.
Some guy wrote in to the paper not long ago to complain about how some restaurant at Ritz-Carlton Millenia hotel made his friend, a vice-president of some big company who wears shorts everywhere, put on some baggy long pants provided by the hotel, because the restaurant has a dress code.
And it became some kind of anti-colonialism letter because later, other ang mohs who wore shorts were not turned away or made to wear restaurant-provided pants (apparently, the restaurant ran out of stylo long pants, they only had four).
Come on, lah. First of all, why you have to write in for your friend? Your vice-president friend cannot write in himself, issit? And if he is so accomplished, surely he knows that clothes maketh the man. Your vice-president friend doesn’t wear shorts to work or to meet clients, does he? Of course not, because his staff and his clients will think he is an unprofessional slob.
So, now it’s ok to be an unprofessional slob outside of work?
The only thing the hotel seems to be guilty of is not having enough long pants (four is hardly enough for ultra-casual Singaporeans). So please go and buy some more, and maybe in a few more colours and styles. Get some formal leopard print ones too, I heard those are “in”.
…
- mr brown. “voices” TODAY Oct 29

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America decides.
Since I’m sick at home, I’ve been following the election results as they come in.
Hmmm.
Americans, please show some intelligence for once.
Vote the lesser of two evils.

I’m behind the one who talks less rubbish.