Wednesday, September 27, 2006
What I am afraid of...
-Losing favour with God...
-Losing the use of a healthy body: my vision, my hearing, hands, and my legs. Which would mean that I can't work and play like a normal person, and have to depend on loved ones, who cannot be there all the time.
-Losing my capability to work.
-Not doing the best I can in things that I should do well in.
-Having nowhere to go in the future, or lacking a goal in life.
-Not having a family to come home to every day, or at least knowing that somewhere, loved ones wait for me.
-Losing the ability to give loved ones what they expect and require of me...
What I am not afraid of...
-Losing my money - it can be earned back through sweat, tears and blood. True financial wealth cannot be grown through monthly savings (unless you're the creator of something revolutionary and royalties make you filthy rich..). One needs to take a risk with his money in order to get wealth, and not everyone can win. What is important is that he is not discouraged and 'remembers from where he has fallen', and works his way back up there. Hmm.
-Losing my acquaintances - acquaintances come and go, it's loved ones who stay through life.
-Failure - Learn from failures, and return ten times stronger, instead of being discouraged by them.
jOhn thought at 3:10 PM
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Why should S'pore not have free press?
Because there is no such thing as a free, unbiased media body.
If newpapers were allowed to say anything they want, then their pages are as good as sold to the highest bidder!
Think about it.
Precious money would be spent 'buying' publicity. Money that could be better spent elsewhere.
The political party with the richest backers win.
Either way, everyone loses.
Is it better to have polarised media? Mainstream media reports on the dominant political party, while anyone who dissents can easily find the opposition's updates conveniently at their website, or through political blogs.
Hmm.
Lol.
jOhn thought at 2:07 PM
Why Do Youths Like To Go Out?
Simply because there is nothing better to do at home, and they're bored.
Which is why kids from richer families stay home more often.
Because they have the $$$ to surround themselves with little 'toys', like computer games, vcds, books, food, gym equipment. And they usually have the privacy of a room to do all this stuff without being disturbed by a sibling or parents.
Hmm.
Lol.
jOhn thought at 3:38 AM
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Hong Kong 2006
How does one spend one week in Asia's most vibrant city?
Here's how. Muhaha. Just FYI, HK was a trip meant for studying architecture (hahaA), through a whole series of educational activities about anything and everything about HK's architecture. Our hosts were the City University of Hong Kong, who generously housed us in an extremely plush hostel, complete with 3 rooms for 6 people, a living room, dining area and a kitchen, together with all the expected amenities of a 4 star hotel. With regards to the program, of course, we took the liberty of cancelling one day's worth of activities to devote it completely to shopping and buying stuff.
Monday - Bubbling with enthusiasm!
-Flew in at 2pm.
-Rushed to hostel to put down our stuff.
-Had a welcome high tea at the uni archi studios.
-Short lecture about HK.
-Visited Langham Place and MongKok.
-Had dinner at a streetside claypot restaurant.
-Saw a brothel! It was funny because different nationalities of 'working girls' had different prices, with Russians hitting HK$530, HK ppl getting $400+ and Thais getting a paltry HK$180
-Retired to bed.
Tuesday - There's still so much time...
-Took MTR and bus 970 to Cyberport.
-Toured Cyberport and its shopping arcade.
-Toured Bel Air showflat, and its flashy clubhouse. Heck. ONE apartment with a 2200 sq ft floor area cost a cool S$7 million! Its clubhouse is gilded with gold everywhere, and offers very 'basic' services like an Egyptian themed indoor pool, private jet services to anywhere in the world, a car club that rents out Ferraris and Bentleys, AND an authentic art collector's club. People commented that it felt like a dream after we exited.
-Bus to International Finance Centre complex, whose tower is currently the tallest in HK.
-Ate Mac's, saw coins exhibition at 55th floor (but were more interested in the views out of the windows).
-Walked by linkway to HSBC, and IM Pei's Bank of China building.
-Peak Tram to Peak.
-Caught the famed nightly 8pm skyscraper top laser show, but was thoroughly disappointed. Probably because we were viewing it from the wrong side, as it was meant to be viewed form Kowloon, not from behind the CBD area.
-Dinner at Jap restaurant at Peak Galleria, a shopping mall.
-Tram back down, heavy rain, took train back home.
-Reflection time with light snacks from Taste, a supermarket in a nearby shopping mall.
Wednesday - Hai. Middle of the week sia. Time flies.
-Rainy walk to Gravity archi studio, lengthy briefing by Frank Yu, one of the most popular and respected architects working on projects in China today.
-Lunch at noodle restaurant.
-Train to City Uni.
-Joined their studio until 4pm. I must say, we are not much different in terms of programme, but they are so slack! aiyo... Poor us, working like horses during work.
-Saw the floor plans for 2 major residential developments, got shocked by their ridiculously complex GFA computations.
-Settled at hostel, on to Mongkok's Ladies' Market, and then Temple Street. Bought quite a lot of stuff from those famous night markets.
-Taste again. Yay.
-Major supper - sashimi, cup noodles, tang yuan, siew mai.
-Guys did stupid group photo shoots of themselves.
Thursday - Shopping day. Yipee.
-Hong Kong Housing Authority exhibition centre.
-Light bus back to Mongkok.
-Lunch with uni students at Taiwanese restaurant.
-Langham Place shopping, Ladies Market.
-Back to hostel to settle.
-Off to Central.
-Stupid Pottinger Street, a historic market area (its amazing how it has changed throughout the years, as we saw a photo of it in 1935 too!), was closed. We then had a very cheap dinner at yong tau foo-style restaurant.
-Passed through Lan Kwai Fung, HK's clubs and bars district. Many Singaporeans have compared it to Clarke Quay and said that their's is more lively and thriving. This is very true. However, my own visit there shows one obvious difference: it is full of ang mohs! And the HK uni students also cautioned us about drugs abused in the bars. Obviously, Western nightlife is not popular amongst Hongkongers. At least, in Singapore, locals still outnumber expats and foreigners.
-MTR to Tai Yuen Street, disappointed cos it was supposed to be a busy wet market with things not found in Singapore, but it had closed by then.
-Took tram to Central
-MTR back to Kowloon Tong, Taste a little while, and had a short little discussion session back at the hostel.
Friday - Final day feels so... surreal? 'Noooo.. don't want to go home...'
-Central Station, Infrastructure exhibition gallery.
-Star Ferry and Kowloon Canton Railway back to City Uni.
-Dim Sun lunch at City U, paid for by their archi dept. Got our cute little model chairs.
-Walked thru Kowloon park and saw many pink flamingos, Cartographic Survey of Historical Buildings exhibition.
-Shuttle bus to large residential development (with residential blocks reaching 80 storeys - Singapore's tallest is Duxton Plain, which only has what.. 50?), visited its clubhouse.
-Short shopping session at Causeway Bay, full of youth stuff! Wish we could have spent mroe time there.
-Dinner at Felix Restaurant atop famous Peninsula Hotel, which has its interior, furniture and cutlery fully designed by Phillipe Starck. took photos at street level later, then the KCR back to our hostel.
-The last supper (lol) party we had. Reminisced about many funny things (esp about accidents where clumsy classmate walk into stationery objects like transparent glass windows or streetside metal poles... *ouch*).. then we slept.
Saturday - Sad. Really sad. ='(
-Morning shopping at Mongkok and Langham Place. Shops were barely open.. 11am.
-Walked around Festival Walk (nearby shopping mall), lunch at Garden Cafe (hostel's eatery).
-Bus to airport, lunch at Popye's fast food, shopping at Disney souvenir shop.
-Boarded flight home to Singapore...
-Arrived in Singapore at 8pm to the welcoming arms of our families...
What did I buy?
-Watch from ICH
-2 LED Torches
-Wristband
-Cowboy hat
-DC-3 model aircraft
-Reebok shoes
-Laosmiddle sling bag
-20 small keychains
-Pants from Esprit
-2 caps
-2 belts
-2 pendants
-2 leather keychains
-Lao Po Bing, pastries
-Group photo from Madame Tussuad's Wax Musuem
In addition to really cool 'famous chair' models given by a HK lecturer. I got the BARCELONA CHAIR! Woo~
jOhn thought at 8:40 AM
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Amen To This.
The Straits Times, Monday, September 18 2006.
Home, H8
Viewpoint: Activists shooting themselves in the foot.
"Civil society groups distract attention from critical issues."
By Andy Ho, Senior Writer
(Interesting statements are highlighted by me in italics...)
Anti-globalisation activists are hurting their own cause.
By boycotting the discussions civil society organisations (CSOs) were scheduled to have with international Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank officials, they have directed world media attention away from a closer examination of what should have been the important issues.
These include the World Bank's controversial anti-corruption plan that could lead to cutbacks in lending to the poorest countries, thus hurting the poorest, and the push to restructure voting rights within the IMF to more accurately reflect a country's economic importance.
And there are many more important issues: how globalisation will impact on the environment; how rising income inequalities can best be dealth with; how poorest countries can learn to ride the growth wave and not be left behind.
Many CSOs were indeed founded with the noble aims of tackling variations of these issues. They set out to ameliorate the adverse effects globalisation does have on some communities. Oxfam, for instance, is a respected non-governmental organisation which has done excellent work in many famine-stricken countries. Alas, it chose yesterday to cancel its forum, out of solidarity with other CSOs.
Over the past few days, many CSOs which signed up to come to Singapore ostensibly to discuss development-related issues have chosen instead to focus on what is surely a matter outside their raison d'etre: Singapore's touch stance on protests, and restrictions on the entry of a small number of activists.
As if permission to enter any and all countries were an inalienable right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
A total of 164 CDOs chose to boycott the meetings altogether. Perhaps getting away from the conference table is more satisfying for those whose game is disruption.
Who knows, perhaps certain activists even remember with fondness those halcyon days, such as Seattle 1999, when violent protests brought the World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting to a standstill, and Prague 2000, when demonstrations caused the IMF and World Bank to end their meetings prematurely.
Just last year, protesters disrupted the WTO meeting in Hong Kong. Indeed some of those veterans had reportedly threatened "vigorous action" in Singapore. It makes you wonder: How genuine were they when they said they wanted to "engage" the IMF and the World Bank.
Some CSOs no doubt joined the boycott merely in a show of solidarity, not because of a strong sense of grievance.
This means, however, though they spent a whole year preparing their research papers to table at the scheduled meetings, they have caused their own efforts to come to naught.
Of course, some involved in the boycott are not even accredited for the meetings, showing perhaps a desire to stir the pot. Why else would boycott organisers reject Singapore's offer to admit 22 of the 27 delegates originally blacklisted after the World Bank decided to vouch for them?
Accredited CSOs which sincerely made the trip here to engage the IMF and World Bank in dialogue must do some self-examination to see if they are playing into the hands of doctrinaire anti-globalists, thereby letting their own constituents down by neglecting to do what they came here for in the first place.
Indeed, they can have no cause for complaint if they came for genuine dialogue and not to grandstand. Singapore has gone out of its way to facilitate.
Part of the convention centre has been set aside for CSOs to work. The CSO centre is fully equipped with telecommunication facilities, photocopiers, conference rooms and breakout rooms for small group discussions.
It is in a convenient location, not tucked away in some remote spot. Indeed, some activists even say it's the best they have come across at such multilateral conferences so far.
Bona fide CSOs should play ball according to Singapore's rules - criticise Singapore's actions if they must, but do so at the site at the Suntec City convention centre designated for peaceful demonstrations.
Unless they is something about trashing property and breaking bones that makes a protest more meaningful in some manner that escapes the rest of us who are not as eager and ready to, at the drop of a hat, pour into the streets with pitchforks and knives.
Some CSOs have cited the "draconian security measures" the Government has put in place as a reason why they held their International People's Forum on nearby Batam.
It would be mind-boggling if they sincerely cannot grasp the fact that we have genuine security concerns.
In 2001, Singapore foiled plots the terrorist organisation Jemaah Islamiah (JI) had hatched to attack Western targets such as embassies and hotels. Linked to Al-Qaeda, JI has carried out several deadly bombings in neaighbouring Indonesia.
It should not take much for our guests to understand why the Government is trying to minimise the opportunities for JI and other terrorist groups to exploit the situation.
It is not for fun that Singapore has deployed a security force of 10,000 to protect the 16,000 delegates.
One suicide bomber who succeeds will not just kill the innocent but also blow to smithereens our reputation as a safe and secure place - the very reason Singapore offered to host the meetings in the first place.
In a seperate article, "Time magazine article says Singapore UN ambassador is Washington's favourite to succeed Kofi Annan, although this is refuted by she herself."
And in yet another anti-government article on Singabloodypore,
"For Singapore's main champion of democracy, let Chee Soon Juan be unmolested (the regime is now in a daze after they gave in on the banned activist case and dared not arrest him yesterday). Cracking down on peaceful protests is embarassing for Singapore so the regime should put Singapore's interests first and change its position."
...
"All this, in the full glare of the international limelight, with every major news outlet keenly following everything going on in the light of the World Bank/IMF meeting?
Well done, Singapore.
Yawning Bread is right, it really and truly is embarrasing to be a Singaporean."
My God. If not for our laws, such lunatics would ply our streets unchecked. Do you want that?
Yes, these activists may have been founded on noble causes of helping the poor, but who will take them seriously if they have absolutely no respect for authority and the laws of a country? Who listens to hooligans, even if that hooligan is saying something meaningful? These protestors act with wanton regard for infrastructure and systems. With some groups acting like nothing more than terrorists hell-bent on disrupting and destroying proper, structured talks, their barring of entry into this country is perfectly deserved.
Is their sole language of communication that of noise and disruption? Is that their definition of a 'peaceful protest?' Some groups, after disrupting the WTO talks in Hong Kong, promised 'vigorous action' in Singapore. So, is their intention of 'peaceful demonstration' merely a Trojan horse for protests in which the sole goal is to bring down the IMF and WB? Do they not realise that they have to respect the laws of a country, and not apply the same formula of protests for every single host country of the Meetings?
Why do they chose to cancel the forums even after being allowed in? Are they trying to show the Singapore Government that they are superior and will not be led by the nose by the Government's laws? If yes, then I am afraid the poor of the world don't have very humble people vouching for them, activists more interests in 'saving the face' of their NGO rather then doing everything they can to benefit the causes of poverty and famine.
Okay, I am just hitting out in the dark here: Maybe these activists are disillusioned by authority (as usual blah blah blah), having come from a country in which the citizen's voice is ignored, and a mountain of red tape surrounds any proceeding.
Maybe they strongly believe that the only way to make their voices heard is to cause chaos and disruption, which is, in summary, no different than the doctrine of the most radical, extreme Mid-East terrorists who believe that evangelism is best performed through 'ethnic cleansing' (read: Nazi genocide) by way of the sword, and not by way of diplomacy and words.
In fact, this also proves their culminative stupidity: the pen is mightier than the sword. A sword can physically destroy, but the victim's willpower remain strong. A word, however, carefully chosen, can decimate a person's soul. That in itself is the most valuable resource of any country, any country at all. Tampering with the psychology of a human can drive him to desperation, incite suicidal tendencies, destroy an ego, make a person feel outcasted and worthless. So why swear by a weapon as weak as a sword? That only proves one is too stupid and ignorant to learn anything at all about diplomacy and negotiation, instead acting on his/her own very limited physical prowess, which, in this context, mean huge, ugly, banners written in primary school english, noisy protests, disruptive crowds and should it be so extreme, urban rioting.
Maybe.
And maybe thats why they don't have any place in a country like Singapore, too. A good thing is often shunned and criticised at its onset, and Singapore is like this. People criticise all they want, complain and whine all they want, but at the end of the tunnel, it is us, and our government's systems, who would earn the respect, admiration, and yes, duplication, from its former critics.
The liberal democracy demanded by activists is not democracy. It is anarchy.
jOhn thought at 6:55 AM
Monday, September 18, 2006
Proponent of Good Aesthetics : Me
Back from Hongkong!
My 3rd time there, but tHe most fun and amazing overseas trip I ever had.
Shopped alot too. muhaha.
But what was most eye-opening is going to HK with a knowledge of architecture. Only then can one understand the difficulties, systems and everyday lifestyles of its people and what they have to face. It was totally different from my last HK trip in 2004, after O lvls and before I came to SP.
Things I love about HongKong, in relation to Singapore:
-THE SHOPPING! OMG OMG OMG!. It's almost reason enough to justify the 4 hour flight over there. lol. k. i sound like some overexcited teenage girl gushing about clothes. BUT REALLY LA. SINGAPORE SUCKS COMPARED TO HK FOR SHOPPING. The streets near to CBD (Causeway Bay) transform into a mecca for all things young and retail, with tightly packed shopping malls stuffed full of tempting shops or all sorts of cool apparel, clothes and accessories. Of course, most cater more to girls than guys, but the variety is still amazing. Prices are terribly high at some places, though. Other than Bugis or Heeren-style malls, night markets (Mong Kok) and glitzy, branded goods malls (HK Island's malls) represent the other two extreme ends of the retail therapy that almost seems to be a religion amongst the youth over there, who are obviously better dressed than the couldn't-care-less people in Singapore.
-Commuter Connectivity. Okay. time to get more architectural here. HK's skyscrapers often have malls for the first few floors, but unlike Singapore, practically every mall is connected to each other via walkways. HK's commuters can travel from home to work without their feet ever touching the actual ground level. This is a tempting vision of the future of cities: where the street level is not the ground level, and cities expand upwards, towering into the air. Imagine having a busy main street 80 storeys in the air! Not only does this increase human traffic to the malls, it also allows pedestrians to be kept safe from cars, pollution and the scary HK weather. (While I was there, Typhoon warning was at level 1 (pouring rain and terrible visibility, and an minor earthquake of 3.5 on the Richter scale also struck.)
-Public Transport. Although slightly expensive, public transport is fantastically efficient. MTR trains run under the city, providing quick access to every major part of hk. Public buses are regular, quick and far reaching. Trams provide extremely cheap, quick commutes through the CBD area. No real complains about public transport, except that it is often terribly crowded and require many transfers, meaning you cant have a good sleep on the way to school! (unless you live in the far-flung new towns)
-Spectacular Architecture. HK's skyscrapers are famous around the world. The recently completed International Financial Centre is HK's tallest, soon to be superceded by the International Commerce Centre. IM Pei's Bank of China tower and Norman Foster's HSBC building are instantly recognised landmarks in one of the densest cityscapes in the world. But other than spectacular office towers, 26 of the 50 world's tallest residential buildings all call HK their home. Their tallest RESIDENTIAL tower is 80 storeys high! In addition, its older, dilapidated Kowloon areas also provide a fascinating insight into one of the most densest and vibrant metropolises in the world.
Things I dislike about HongKong, in relation to Singapore:
-Urban Chaos. Hong Kong is a chaotic city. period. Brothels share the streets with herbal medicine shops. Older buildings look as if they were cobbled together in a day. A vagrant sleeps face down on the floor of a busy walkway, under the shadow of multi-million dollar towers of commerce, while MTR passengers push past you if you walk a little slower than them, as if you were a weaker rat in the race. Yes, HK is definitely a city worth studying and enjoying, but I would definitely not want to shorten my life a little more by living in such a mess of pollution, and this is how one learns to appreciate what Singapore has done for itself, in keeping pollution low and its streets clean and green. Yes, it may appear boring to Western tourists, many of whom love to oogle at the urban decay of Asian cities and feel superior about their own ultra-developed home country, but keep my home city clean, green and boring, not unsafe and messy, I say!
-Bad social graces. yeap. People chiong for MTR seats, push past you if you are walking a little slower, hustle and shove, spit everywhere, all the bad manners that remind me of an underdeveloped mainland Chinese city rather than the glitzy Asian capital of commerce. Get up from your seat and some woman rushes at it within the next split second. At least in Singapore, they WALK to their seats, and OFFER IT TO OLDER FOLKS. and dont SPIT THAT MUCH (heck, I saw spittle on the COVER of a DUSTBIN. obviously the person has poor aim and missed -_-).
-Pace of life. Relentless! People walk as if they were robots, mindless drones in a city driven by profits and business, everything is fast-paced, impatient and quick. yes, it is a great place of business, but if you are looking for some peace and quiet, don't go there.
-Cost of living. Everything is slightly more expensive than Singapore. A graduate fresh from university can only afford the monthly rental of a 500 sq ft flat, about the size of half the living room of the 5-room HDB flat I call home. Mac's and KFC cost about S$1 more than Singapore. Claypot rice from a seedy, streetside eatery that is neighbour to a brothel cost S$5. Clothing and apparels are most often about 10-20% more expensive than Singapore. A subway single trip ticket for 4 stations cost me about S$1.50. Overall, in 5 days of daily commute on the MTR and Bus with their equivalent of EZ Link, I spent S$40!
-Lack of nature. HK is a city of business, and it shows. The CBD is completely devoid of trees. Like Hyde Park of London or Central Park in New York, greenery is concentrated within small pockets in the middle of the city. However, these parks are very interesting and individually unique. For example, the public park in Kowloon has a beautifully landscaped pond full of pink flamingos, and the park on HK Island near the CBD neighbours the botanical gardens, the zoo and has an aviary. Also, city planning is set to inject much more greenery into HK, with huge, lengthy promenades full of trees all planned and under construction. Also, HK residents with a love of nature often take short hikes to the outlying nature reserves, like one of the university students I met over there, who goes hiking every weekend.
Cities I wanna visit next, in order of preference:
-Rome (Italy)
-Paris (France)
-London (England)
-New York (USA)
-Tokyo (Japan)
-Berlin (Germany)
-Reykjavik (Iceland)
-Dubai (UAE)
-Jerusalem (Israel)
-Seoul (South Korea)
-Barcelona (Spain)
-Madrid (Spain)
-Moscow (Russia)
-Prague (Czech Republic, 2nd visit)
-Vienna (Austria, 2nd visit)
-Cairo (Egypt)
-Vancouver (Canada)
-Pyongyang (North Korea)
-Shanghai (China)
-Lagos (Nigeria)
Major cities I have ever set foot in:
Malaysia:
Johor
Kuala Lumpur
Malacca
Thailand:
Chiang Mai
Australia:
Sydney
Brisbane
China:
Shenzhen
Beijing
Tianjin
Macau
Hong Kong
Taiwan:
Taipei
Europe:
Vienna
Amsterdam
Prague
Lucerne
Of these, the trips to Australia, Taiwan and Macau happened when I was still a little kiddo. So I don't remember much about them at all. Yeap. =)
Sigh. Haven't been to the US, or much of Europe, Russia or Japan. Wish I could...
jOhn thought at 3:15 PM
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Blithering Blind Fools.
What's the issue?
Capital Punishment - the death penalty.
"Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the State as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offenses. The word "capital" is derived from the Latin "capitalis," which means "concerning the head"; therefore, to be subjected to capital punishment means to figuratively lose one's head." - from Wikipedia. Hmm.
The punishment of death is the ultimate consequence for a crime, often reserved for the most serious of offences. Until recently, all societies have used it as the primary method for punishing serious crimes and preventing dissent, especially political dissent.
But lately, there has been much protest against the death penalty, with many calling it inhumane. Much of Europe and Latin America have abolished it, bowing to political pressure and mounting 'humanist' movements throughout the world.
I think that's rubbish.
Singapore has the highest number of executions per capita than any other country in the world, according to Amnesty International. Everyone remembers the Nguyen fiasco, and he was still put to death despite the pathetic pleas of the Australian leadership and people.
No, seriously, what the hell is wrong with the Australians. First Nguyen, and now the Bali Nine, four of whom recently appealed against 20-year jail terms and instead got death sentences handed down to them by Indonesia's Supreme Court. Once again, like a newspaper columnist said, Australians are treating drug traffickers as if they were matyrs or national heroes. So what if these people are young or caring to their friends or whatnot. They flouted the sovereign laws of a country whose laws the entire world knows full well about, and had a fair sentence handed down to them, just like any other person guilty of the same crime.
Singapore is infamous for draconian drug laws, and is one of the few First World nations that has not abolished the death penalty. Personally, I believe that that is a sacred cow that should never change. It is a known fact that the most effective way to achieve a social goal is through force and scare tactics, and Singapore has largely killed off its social diseases that 40 years ago plagued our streets. How? Through fines, campaigns, and yes, the death penalty. If not for it, drug abuse would still be taken lightly, and it would be no less common that the smoking of tobacco.
How else should we deal with the drug trade? Endless counselling sessions? Yes, that may save a few people who might go on to better lives, but in life, there is always the variable factor, the 'fish that got away'. There will always be repeat offenders, hardened abusers with which there exists absolutely no way to change their ways.
This is where the death penalty comes in to fill the gap. With such a law, there is absolutely no room for variables. Abuse drugs, get hanged, simple as that. One is in full control of his life, and any adult deserving of adulthood would recognise the consequences of any action.
I'd probably have much, much more to say about this issue, and can word my thoughts in much more powerful sentences, but that's all for now.
Here are some links that show the ultimate decay of society: people who embrace 'Liberalism' without foresight, common sense and basic intelligence that would differentiate a human being with a hollering monkey. Such are the moral serpents who campaign against tough drug laws. What, this is the 21st century and we've gotta embrace love etc etc blah blah? Change your outdated mindset? Through my gritted teeth, I say, go find your brain before arguing. It was probably flushed down the toilet a long, long time ago.
NAP - Network Against Prohibition
Article - Aussie police sells out Bali Nine?
Petition Against Death Penalty in Singapore
Singabloodypore
- probably one of the most popular anti-establishment blogs about Singapore (they claim its also about South-East Asia, but thats hardly true, going by their posts). To me, it is yet another socially disruptive, pretentious 'Freedom Blog'.
What is especially unnerving is that some of its 14 severely critical authors don't even live here (newspaper article said its main blogger lives in Scotland, some user profiles state their location as far away as Manchester. wth.), talking the talk but not walking the walk. It recently focuses on the IMF/World Bank meetings, another flashpoint I am immensely opinionated about. Can these anarchist ang mohs just shut up about their fantastic 'liberal' lifestyles (read: used to public demonstrations) and state systems (read: Western-Styled Democracy, which mainland Chinese officials unanimously despise as 'decadent'). This is the Occident. Native to this region are the Malays, and Chinese & Indians had their ancestors come from nearby countries very, very long ago. I gladly view Westerners with welcome, but not trouble-making empty vessels. So there.
Exceedingly stupid bipedals living in a beautiful first world country, who lack the sense and maturity to undergo the transformation from youth to adulthood, instead staying trapped in the glass cage of adolescence, with its very temporary rebellious tendencies. REBEL AGAINST ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, I SAY! BE AN ACTIVIST! YES! GO SUICIDE BOMB SOMETHING!
jOhn thought at 4:10 PM
Friday, September 08, 2006
The Ultimate Victory?
Should you wish to fight a war, only when:
-your enemy's army is slaughtered
-its corpses and generals paraded in front of his people
-his palace turned to rubble
-his family executed
-his body flogged and his clothes torn
-his entire kingdom inundated with blasphemous, hate-inciting propaganda against him, yet
-planted with many spies loyal to you,
only then is your victory complete.
Such measures would leave your enemy devastated, dishonoured, depressed, trapped, weak in strength and willpower, and ultimately unable to be a future threat to you.
Hmm.
jOhn thought at 11:31 PM
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
A Kindred Soul
When someone dies, most of the world doesnt give much of a hoot.
If lets say, President Bush checked on out, there would be weeks of mourning, but to everyone but the closest of family, Bush would just be a president, a leader figure, the most powerful man in the world, someone people would miss (maybe not all. heh.), but not cry over.
But then there are people like Steve Irwin.
Someone who did not fear the world and its rat races, who did not yield to pressure, who loved God's creations (or Mother Nature's whatever you believe) with all his heart, soul and mind. Someone whose feet was always firmly planted on solid rock, firm in his ways and lifestyle, his safari clothes making him an icon, despite having no place in the pages of Vogue or the boutiques of Paris.
Childhood passes fast, and soon we are aspiring towards the dream job, most likely the chairman of some huge company or some international superstar. But Irwin, he took his lifelong passion, turned it into his occupation, and instead of keeping it behind the confines of a reptile farm, took it to the world, made a living out of it, instead of keeping it as a side hobby.
Everyone remembers their childhood years, growing up learning about dangerous animals like tigers and lions and snakes.. and in the same breath, crocodiles are mentioned. Pictures of their sharp teeth and montrously large mouths scare us all. And suddenly, here came this hero in brown, who climbed onto their back as if they were kiddy ponies, taming the very objects of our childish fears, entertained us all with his charisma, even in the very face of death.
Even after those kids grew up into aspiring teenagers, Steve still left an impression, dearly loved by everyone, even if they sometimes made fun of his undying love for animals.. many a time he held up a poisonous, vicious reptile right in the camera's lens, cooing about 'what a beauty she was', as if Poisonous Deadly Reptile were a stuffed plushie from Mini Toons. His antics made him an instant superstar, even if most of the adult world forgot about him.
To a world so caught up in the standards of society and its material fashions, Steve proved that you could be cool just doing that thing you do best; few hated him, and even in his material wealth after the success of his show, his first love never waived, and the same reptiles that accompanied him when he was poor were his same companions in his riches. He found in his wife a soulmate who shared his love, supported this wonderful man, bore him children that would hopefully one day carry on the legacy of their father.
Steve showed the world that their fears are mere illusions, waiting to be overcome by the right solution. People like him don't deserve to die, and his death only serves as yet another (probably unheeded) wakeup call to how nothing in this world lasts, how our heroes are as mortal as us, about how easy it is to waste your life away doing something you totally feel no passion for.
Millions of tears fall for you, Steve, and some are mine. Hope to see you one day...
jOhn thought at 3:35 AM