THE UMBRELLA REVOLUTION: a blog post worth reading

1 What is the relationship between HK and China? What is occupy central?

HK was given to the United Kingdom in 1842 due to the treaty of Nanjing. In 1997, they were given back to Mainland China. Together with Macau, they are a Special Administrative Region (SAR) 中華人民共和國特別行政區 where they have their own government.

During these few years of absence, Hong Kong people developed their own identity and culture. They flourished under freedom of speech etc. They picked up western ways of doing things and integrated them into their Chinese culture. As such, the cultural differences between Mainland China and HK is very great, I would say even more so than Singapore and China. 

There have been several conflicts between PRCs and HK over the past few decades. Hong Kongers were rather unhappy with Mainland pregnant mums going to HK to give birth; taking up school spaces; buying tons of milk powder to sell in China and behaving rudely as tourists. Many Hong Kong residents do not identify with the whole PRC culture and with HK instead. 

Hong Kong people also want to nominate their own leaders and vote. However, currently in selecting their own chief executive, Beijing gives them three candidates for them to choose from. Hk people see this as a violation of basic law and their rights to choose their own leader. They liken this process to North Korea and Iran who also have one person, one vote but a restricted list of candidates.



Occupy Central is a peaceful civil disobedience campaign in which the leaders would mobilise protesters to stage a mass sit-in to blockade Central district as a means to force Beijing to allow Hong Kong what they consider genuine universal suffrage.

Occupy Central is led by University of Hong Kong law professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Chinese University sociologist Dr Chan Kin-man, and Baptist minister Reverend Chu Yiu-ming. Meanwhile, students’ groups – the Federation of Students and Scholarism – are also key drivers of this campaign.

Initially there was only 30,000 people. However, publicity of the event grew rapidly and more people joined in as people got upset of the police use of tear gas against unarmed peaceful protesters. They believe that the decision to use violence against the protesters was politically motivated by the central Beijing government. 

2. But don’t all protests cause trouble and create social instability??

This is not true. Most Singaporeans have never lived overseas in a real democratic country or experienced what real democracy is like. They have been told since secondary school in our social studies textbook that protests are bad and evil, they will ruin our economy, no one will want to invest blah blah.

So, when it comes to news about other cities having protests, they simply reiterate this opinion without questioning if it is true or not. That is the way our education system is like, teaching us to remember things without questioning it.

The truth is protests are really a normal part of every democratic country. When done peacefully, they don't harm the economy. Other countries like Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Switzerland and the USA have protests regularly but are doing quite well. It is simply people's rights to express their views and fight for what they want in a non-violent manner. If they don't do it, who would?

HK’s protests were done in a very peaceful way. Over 50,000 people were on the street but there were no looting, fires, fights among protesters or anything else which were were taught about protests. 

Photo credit: Jason Ng

And even recycling

Photo credit: Rosalind Chen

Hong Kong protesters modeled the values that they are striving to see in their society, namely “equality, tolerance, love, and care" and avoided confrontation and "developing hatred in [their] heart".

They understand that these values will not only help win over sympathizers, but lay bare the illegitimacy of the regime if it moves against them with excessive force. These aren't youthful idealists; these are savvy political operators who understand the secrets of successful nonviolent resistance.

Rather than HK protestors being violent, it was the police who sprayed pepper and tear gas at them. However, these protesters did not respond in violence and even sheltered the police during the rain.

Photo credit: Hk Allies

3. These activists in HK are similar to the ones in Singapore who only know how to kaopeh from behind the keyboard, flame others online and stir up trouble in charity events

While the Hong Lim Park incident took place during the same time as Occupy Central, I think it is totally unfair to liken the ongoing incident and student activists in HK to those in Singapore.

Having interacted with both activists in HK and Singapore, I can attest that civil society culture here in Singapore is really still in its infancy and pretty immature. 

With the exception of some proactive and outstanding individuals, it is on the whole very emotionally driven, reactive and people are sometimes more interested in their own ego issues rather than the cause they claim to fight for. 

They aren’t really good in engaging the public, media and officials to support their causes. They simply treat another person rudely just because they hold a different view or political affiliation. The range of acceptable ideas and approach to activism is very narrow, you either join in their condemnation or you are condemned via personal attacks and flaming. 

Besides being unable to engage the public, they are also bad in engaging one another. Many see activism as just an ego thing and get upset when other activists or bloggers do better than them or receive more publicity. Even female activists who claim to be feminist are being unhappy when other women do well and better than them. 

This isn’t the right way. Activism is about fighting for others and a cause you believe in, not about shooting other activists down or getting more attention and admiration than other activists. 

Sadly, many of these activists are those who are not excelling in other areas in life. As such they place all their self-esteem on the attention they receive for their activism work. 

4. I read The Straits Times that HK’s economy has been badly affected. Why are these people so selfish and irrational

Business man stands in front of barricade in HK. Photo credit: Tyrone Siu

You must understand that Singapore’s news is pretty much state controlled. Things that get published there are meant to contribute to supporting an existing ideology and way of thinking. Our government discourages protests.

As such when things like that happen in other countries, the news companies do their best to paint things in the most negative light possible. The day after occupy central protests, HK’s newspaper and western media focused on the injuries and injustice to protestors. However, Singapore’s newspapers only reported about the damage to the economy.

So if you want a more holistic view of this event, I encourage you to not just read Singapore’s papers but also stories written by Hong Kong and other international media.

Furthermore, the idea that MNCs will stop investing and shift their HQ away is simply exaggerated. HK has way too much financial and political incentives for people to withdraw their business. Furthermore, other cities have protests all the time but are still receiving strong foreign investment. 

Even if it may have an impact, is the economic growth or justice more important?

Additionally, I don’t think the Occupy Central protests are undermining HK’s international image. As Blogger Wong Sze Wai on South China Morning Post says: 

Freedom, judicial independence and a clean government have always been the qualities which uphold Hong Kong’s international image. It is the authorities who more and more blatantly undermine these qualities, while the people are defending them in their own ways. Who are the ones who are actually undermining Hong Kong’s international image?
There are a lot more demonstrations, protests and marches in London than in Hong Kong. These protests have not seemed to cause any damage to London’s economy or its international image.

5. The students shouldn't protest. It will affect their grades and learning.

The dumbest comments I have seen so far is those about how students are compromising their education.

Firstly their studies are not being affected. Students are bringing their homework to the protest

Photo credit: BBC

Teachers also conduct lessons during the protest

Students taking note during lesson conducted at the protest site. Photo credit: Tyrone Siu

People offering help

Author and lawyer Jason Ng providing help to students during the protest

What you have to really think about is the point of education. Is it doing well in exams? Getting good marks? Being an obedient kid who takes orders without questioning?

Or, is it being a useful person who speaks up for others and contributes to society? 

Personally, I like the attitude of HK students more than Singapore students in general. While we often criticize them for being materialistic, most of them are a lot more concerned about society as compared to Singaporean students. They also have the courage to stand for the things they believe in.

I have seen this spirit when thousands turned up to show their support against the Tiananmen Square incident despite the super heavy rain. It really touched me. I have never seen a Singaporean student fight for a cause in a peaceful way like that.

Quoting popular Hong Kong blogger Jason Y Ng:

There were casual conversations about the Sunday crackdown and the government’s next move. What were once talk-of-the-town topics like the new iPhone 6 and tabloid rumors about actor Nicolas Tse are now completely irrelevant. Even Facebook walls received a facelift: food porn, selfies and narcissistic rants have all given way to protest updates and stories of random acts of kindness.

Three days in, the Umbrella Revolution has already elevated the intellect of an entire generation. In all, it took 87 canisters of tear gas to jolt our youths out of their political apathy. Many now realize that politics affects them personally and that the subject is not as untouchable as their parents and peers had made it out to be. They also realize that video games, karaoke and television shows may have been social anesthesia designed to divert their attention from what matters and turn them into a bunch of fai tsing (廢青; literally, useless youths) who follow rules that they had no part in setting up. Awoken and armed with a new sense of purpose, these students have risen to the occasion and reclaimed their future.

Really liked the way he described it and hopefully Singaporean students will be able to be like this too some day. 

6. Aren't these people being unpatriotic?

I think we need to differentiate between being unhappy with policies and unhappy with countries. These people are protesting not because they hate Hong Kong but because they love the place and want to protect the rights and freedom of their people. They want to preserve what makes HK special from other Mainland Chinese cities – respect of human rights. 

7. Why can’t they negotiate rationally or try other methods of solving the problem besides protest?

Quoting Wong Sze Wai:

 Before saying that, please spend some time to research what the campaigners have done in trying to "negotiate rationally". Please research how many proposals on political reform they have submitted in the hope that the government will consider. Any negotiation is two-way. If one side has already shut the door, how could the other side continue to "negotiate rationally"? After doing the research, please ask yourself: "If I were them, is there anything I could do to continue the rational negotiation?"

Please also do some research on what they have done all the way through to be constructive. Only then, ask yourself: "On top of all these, is there anything I could do to be constructive?"

If you cannot come up with a proper answer, please don’t criticise these people as "unconstructive".

8. Are these students being idealistic? What makes you think they have a chance against the Chinese Communist Party and People’s Liberation Army?

If everyone thought this way, we will have no progress in our world and society at all. Think about the state of the world a few decades ago and about leaders like Martin Luther King and Gandhi. If these inspirational people given up because they felt they were not strong enough against authority, what kind of life would African-Americans and Indians be living today?

If everyone obeys the authorities because they think fighting against the rich and powerful is futile, there will be no human rights, justice or democracy in the world. We, the common people, would be slaves for them and under their control forever and ever.

9. What is going on in HK isn’t really our business. Why was there a useless event on Wednesday in Hong Lim Park?

I feel that instead of only being concerned about events in Singapore and Singaporeans, a truly global minded individual should also be concerned and care about injustice that is happening around the world. All of us are human beings who need rights, love, autonomy and freedom. The only differentiating factors are skin colour, a human construct like nationality and religion.

The event in Hong Lim park on Wednesday was to provide a platform for HK students to express themselves and show support while overseas. It is also an opportunity for locals here in Singapore to express support for the values they believe in. Not trouble making or anything, just a bunch of people standing in a park to talk about a cause they believe in.

Singapore is not the only one. There are groups in Taiwan, Japan, UK and Australia who are coming forward to gather and show their support. All these are very important because they get media attention. This will to raise global awareness of this issue and contribute to pressuring China to allow Hong Kong to elect their own leaders. So I don’t think it’s slacktivism or anything. 

Solidarity event in Times Square, New York

The author (me) is a popular lifestyle blogger in Singapore who was previously working in Hong Kong's Sing Tao News Corporation as a local news reporter.

national library under fire

The National Library Saga

he National Library Board (NLB) had withdrawn three children’s book titles – And Tango Makes Three, The White Swan Express and Who’s In My Family?: All About Our Families – as they did not promote pro-family values.

The National Library Board’s (NLB) decision to remove and pulp the three children’s books deemed to offend Singapore’s “pro-family” norms has reignited the age-old contest between Church and State, and more specifically in Singapore’s context, the role of private morality in public policy and how the state should adjudicate between competing conceptions of morality in society.

One response:

I read with disappointment the decision of several members of the literary community here to boycott any activity linked to the National Library Board (NLB) in protest against its decision to remove and dispose of three controversial children’s book titles (“S’pore writers not happy over NLB controversy”, online, July 11).

Are the writers simply disagreeing with the NLB’s disposal process for books taken out of circulation, or do they feel that unsupervised children should be exposed to controversial topics and left to develop their own conclusions on such matters?

Netizens have pushed back, after the National Library Board (NLB) pulled two children's titles off the shelves on Monday, following email complaints that they were not “pro-family”.

At least two petitions calling on the NLB to reinstate the titles have been making their rounds online. 

One of the titles is about two male penguins who become a couple and raise an egg together, while the other features a female couple trying to adopt a child.

The content of the books has raised the ire of some.

One Facebook user who lodged a complaint about them urged others in a post to not let similar children's books in the library "go under the radar".

But NLB's decision to remove the books has led some to question the kind of message being sent out.

Assoc Prof Paulin Straughan, sociologist at National University of Singapore, said: "I think we have to be very cautious how we address this issue because the important message we have to uphold always is regardless of your sexual orientation, you are an important member of our community. And you don't want to demonise or cast a deviant label on somebody who has an alternative sexual orientation.

“Of course from a parent's perspective, it's a very difficult stance to take. When we are socialising our children, we would want them to stay within the norms and values the family prescribes to… So that's where we have to be mindful, that primarily, that is the responsibility of the family."

a worrying trend?

AUSTRALIA plans to strengthen its national security laws and enhance the powers of its spy 

agencies in the wake of 



growing concern about waves of Australian Islamists returning from fighting in Iraq and Syria.


the government would give its intelligence agencies greater capabilities to track the online 

activities of extremists

Australia has among the highest number of Islamic fighters per capita in the Western world. At least 10 Australians have

 died in the fighting in Syria and Iraq, and about 150 are believed to be participating in the conflicts. The latest would-be 

militants included two Sydney teenagers aged 16 and 17, one of whom reportedly told his mother he was "going fishing

" before secretly heading to Iraq last week.

The government has already cancelled the passports of Australians believed to be planning to fight in the Middle East. 

Citizens face up to 25 years in jail if they fight for organisations deemed terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

the power of Art to sustain hope

http://vimeo.com/78199925

Shine Global is dedicated to ending the exploitation & abuse of children worldwide through the production of films and other media that raise awareness, promote action, and inspire change.

Since its founding in 2005 as a non-profit film production company, Shine Global has given voice to some of the world’s most at-risk children, shared their stories, inspired millions of viewers, and won more than 30 major film awards including an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short, an Academy Award® nomination for Best Documentary, Best Director Documentary at Sundance, and two Emmy Awards®.
Shine Global’s upcoming films include the 3D documentary 1 Way Up about two teens who overcome poverty and discrimination to reach the world championships for BMX bike racing and Selling Our Daughters about the complex issue of child trafficking in Thailand.
Shine Global is a 501(c)(3) non-profit film production company. All contributions to Shine are used to produce films and are tax deductible. Net profits are returned to the children documented through local non-governmental agencies.

unethical

• Economy

Half Of Us Are Victims Of This Illegal Act After College. It's Really Not OK.

In 2005, when I graduated from college, I moved to New York. While I was looking for a job, one opened up that I would have likely tripped my mother to get — but it was an unpaid internship. Being from humble beginnings, there's no way I could live in a big city without being paid. And unless you actually don't need a job, who actually can?

 

               

If you liked this cartoon (and who wouldn't — unless you've hired interns and didn't pay them, in which case BOO), you should Like its creator, Matt Bors, on Facebook. He's super, ain't he?

powerful messages... save the children of this world

The first image refers to pedophilia in the Vatican. Second child sexual abuse in tourism in Thailand, and the third refers to the war in Syria. The fourth image refers to the trafficking of organs on the black market, where most of the victims are children from poor countries; fifth refers to weapons free in the U.S.. And finally, the sixth image refers to obesity, blam...ing the big fast food companies.
The new series produced by Cuban artist Erik Ravelo was titled as "The untouchables", are photographs of children crucified for his supposed oppressors, each for a different reason and a clear message, seeks to reaffirm the right of children to be protected and report abuse suffered by them especially in countries such as Brazil, Syria, Thailand, United States and Japan"

6 hours ago

NEW MEDIA NEW VALUES?

An ASEAN scholar at the National University of Singapore (NUS) postED sexually explicit videos and photos of himself and his girlfriend on their blog.
While the blog has been deactivated, Mr Tan and his girlfriend have released a new video on YouTube on October 17, maintaining their stance.
"What do we have to apologise for? For hurting your soft sensitive feelings? For what? For I don't know, breaching some moral code that you hold dearly to yourself but I don't necessarily hold them myself? So we will not make a public apology," he said.

for gamers....good news

Britain is launching a new spy recruitment drive
aimed at youngsters with no university degree
but with a grasp of social media and gaming
the aim - to train the next generation of code breakers and
computer scientists to protect the country against cyber threats

WE ARE FAT...WHO DO WE BLAME

• Former U.S. military leaders have identified a latent threat to the potential for a leaner, more agile fighting force: the school vending machine.

• In a report to be released on Tuesday, a group of 300 retired military officers said school-age children are eating 400 billion excess calories a year - the equivalent of 2 billion candy bars - from junk food sold in such machines as well as in snack bars and cafeterias that should be off-limits.

• Those extra calories from candy, chips and sugary drinks amount to about 130 calories a day, which over a student's school years can lead to extra pounds.

M: BLAME TECHNOLOGY - VENDING MACHINES
C: BLAME VENDORS, AFFLUENCE, TV,
T: THAT'S NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM...FIND THE ROOT CAUSE AND ADDRESS THOSE....FINGER POINTING IS NOT A SOLUTION

david cameron belonged to a club that did what???

More than 1,700 people have been arrested in England after nearly a week of rioting that started Saturday, and courthouses have had to stay open overnight to deal with the flood of defendants, the AP reports.

Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed "swift justice" for those who participated in the riots, which were sparked by the police shooting of 29-year-old Mark Duggan. Cameron has even proposed setting limits on the use of Twitter, Facebook, and BlackBerry's direct messaging service, which was reportedly used to organize the rioting. Some people have already been charged with inciting violence on social media, according to the AP.

Cameron's former adviser Danny Kruger wrote in the Financial Times that the riots are the "intifada of the underclass." But among those arrested are a straight-A Exeter University student whose family wealth makes it unlikely she would loot out of necessity, and a 24-year-old college graduate and aspiring social worker whose mother said, "She didn't want a TV. She doesn't even know why she took it," according to The Daily Mail.
Daniel Knowles at The Telegraph argues that, "Many of these criminals are no different from [liberal politician] Nick Clegg, who at the age of 16 narrowly escaped a conviction in Germany for setting fire to a professor's cactus collection for a 'drunken lark.' Or, for that matter, from the Bullingdon Club, of which David Cameron and [London Mayor] Boris Johnson were members, which goes around smashing up restaurants.

There is something deeply hypocritical about middle-aged politicians condemning teenagers as though these sorts of crimes have never happened before."

But London Mayor Boris Johnson said Londoners want to see "significant sentences" for anyone involved in looting or violence.

Here's a breakdown of some of the news-making arresting over the past few days:

The Olympic ambassador

Eighteen-year-old Chelsea Ives, a volunteer ambassador for next year's Olympic Games, was turned in by her own mother who spotted her on TV footage of the riots. "How can you sit there and see that and say 'that's OK'? We were watching people lose their homes and businesses," Ives' mother told The Telegraph. "As parents we had to say; 'She can't get away with that.'" Ives, who previously met with London's mayor as part of her ambassador duties, now faces charges of throwing a brick at a cop car and burglary. She pleaded not guilty.

The youngest suspect?

An 11-year-old girl was reportedly given a 9-month "referral order" after witnesses said she hurled rocks at two store windows during the riots, according to the Daily Mail. The girl lives in a foster home, and the Daily Mail says she refused to apologize to the judge who sentenced her.

The ballerina-turned-looter

A 17-year-old ballerina turned herself in after images of her looting were published in a newspaper and broadcast on TV, according to the Telegraph. The footage showed her taking two televisions from an electronics store.

The straight-A student

Laura Johnson, the 19-year-old daughter of well-to-do parents and a straight-A student at Exeter University, is accused of stealing electronic goods worth thousands of dollars in London. She pleaded not guilty but has a curfew of 7 p.m. and must wear an electronic tag before her court date, according to the Telegraph. Her parents run a marketing firm.

The social worker

University graduate and aspiring social worker Natasha Reid turned herself in when she became overcome by guilt over stealing a TV from a electronics store while on her way to McDonalds during the looting. According to the AP, a judge told 24-year-old Reid she would probably face jail time.

The violin thief

A 19-year-old aspiring musician grabbed a violin from a looted music store before being nabbed by the cops. According to the Daily Mail, he was sentenced to four months in jail.

GOOD ARTICLE FOR THE QUESTION ON WHETHER IT IS EASY FOR PEOPLE TO KEEP THEIR MARRIAGE VOWS

Seoul - The increasing popularity of "ernai," or mistresses among wealthy men is emerging as a problem in Chinese society, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Amid the rapid development of the country's economy, large numbers of those fortunate enough to enjoy the prosperity are having affairs with mistresses, making it the symbol of the rich.

"Keeping a mistress is just like playing golf," a man told the New York Times concerning the issue, adding "both are expensive hobbies." Those seeking such liaisons offer lavishing apartments or cars as well as monthly allowances.

However, the public is angered by the trend. Chinese prosecutors believe about 90 percents of governmental executives accused of corruption have mistresses, sometimes more than 10.

In December a government employee allegedly murdered his mistresses and abandoned the body in a river when she asked for $3 million in return for putting end to the relationship.

Zheng Beichin, a lawyer who had defended a mistress, told the New York Times "the nation's elite, including judges and government officials, have little desire to tinker with the status quo."

Meanwhile, a similar phenomenon exists in Korea covertly under the name of "sponsor contract," where rich men provide money and a home to women in return for relationships.

MAGDALENE: HMM THIS SOUNDS EASY ENOUGH; WHY STUDY...JUST BE A MISTRESS AND GET EVERYTHING YOU NEED. IT IS A WAY OF LIFE THAT IS ASSOCIATED ONLY WITH THE RICH...? DIDNT THEY HAVE CONCUBINES IN THE PAST?
CECELIA: AND RUN THE RISK OF BEING KILLED/ SILENCED IF THINGS GO SOUR? IS IT WORTH THE RISK?
SANE THOMAS: TRADITIONALY VALUES ARE SPIRALLING DOWNWARDS; IN ITS PLACE..WANTON/ EXCESSIVE /DECADENT BEHAVIOUR THAT SIGNALS WORSE THINGS TO COME...WHEN FAMILIES BREAK DOWN, HOW IS THE FABRIC OF SOCIETY GOING TO REMAIN UNFRAYED?

music as a tool of change

Until six months ago, Ramy Essam was a normal student. Then the protest movement that shook Egypt and toppled President Hosni Mubarak transformed him into a hero and one of the most recognised singers of the revolution.

On 11 February, when the crowds at Cairo's Tahrir Square first heard that the Egyptian president had stepped down, a group gathered in front of a makeshift stage. They were poised to listen to a young singer play one of their favourite songs.

The melodic chant had become an anthem of the revolution. "Irhal, irhal" or "leave, leave" they cried, calling for Mr Mubarak to step down.

The performer was a 24-year-old student from Mansoura, in the Nile Delta region, north of Cairo. He had shot to the forefront of the revolution with a collection of songs that captured the fear, optimism and defiant demand for change that was sweeping across the country.

"Irhal" was a song he cobbled together from the protest chants of the revolution's early days. As he stepped up to perform it once again he realised the words were redundant - Mubarak had gone.

He quickly scribbled down new lyrics, changing the cry from "leave" to a demand for the end of military rule.

"I will never forget, there was a mother of a martyr who was with us all the time and she never laughed or smiled," Mr Essam told the BBC World Service's Outlook programme.

"It was at that moment when she looked really happy and started smiling because she heard that the words of the song had changed."

A sad day for London

Police and communities have been considering what has fuelled the violence in London over the past 48 hours. It started with the fatal shooting by police of a local man in Tottenham.A member of the local community points to bad relations between the police and the black community.

Riot police have again been deployed to the streets of London as violence broke out for a third day running.Fires and violence have broken out in Hackney, Lewisham, Peckham, Croydon and Clapham Junction.Trevor Reeves, owner of a furniture store in Croydon which was set ablaze said he could not understand the "mindless" acts of arson.
His furniture business was started in the 18th century....


please stop this mindless violence..the world is already messed up without your help..thank you

boot camp for effeminate boys

A camp set up to correct the effeminate behaviour of Muslim schoolboys violates the law and should be abolished, says Malaysia's women's minister.

Sixty-six schoolboys identified by teachers as effeminate began counselling this week to discourage them from being gay.

They are undergoing four days of religious and physical education.

An education official said the camp was meant to guide the boys back "to a proper path in life".

But the women's minister, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, said singling out these children based on perceived feminine mannerisms was traumatising and harmful to their mental health.

The camp violates the Child Act, which protects children without prejudice, she said.

Gay rights groups have also criticised the measure, saying it promotes homophobia in the Muslim-majority country where gay sex is still illegal.

The schoolboys allegedly displayed "feminine mannerisms" - though educators in the conservative state of Terengganu did not detail what they were, the BBC's Jennifer Pak reports from Kuala Lumpur.

State officials say that, if left unchecked, the students - aged between 13 and 17 - could end up gay or transsexual.

They blame parents for encouraging boys to develop feminine traits, by dressing them up in girls' clothing at a young age.


WHAT NEXT - A BOOT CAMP FOR
TOMBOYISH GIRLS TO BECOME FEMININE?
CHILDISH ADULTS TO BECOME MATURE?
PRECOCIOUS KIDS TO REGAIN THEIR INNOCENCE?
A BOOT CAMP FOR TEACHERS WHO CAN'T YOUTUBE AND TWITTER?

ALL BECAUSE THEY WANT TO TEACH THEM THE "RIGHT" WAY?

WHY DOES THE WRITER USE INVERTED COMMAS?
BECAUSE WHAT IS CONSIDERED RIGHT IS SUBJECTIVE/ A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT

WHY DOES THE WRITER TYPE IN CAPITALS?
BECAUSE SHE IS NOT WEARING HER READING GLASSES :(

justin Baby!! beeeeber

no I don't have anything against him

My son hates him like poison - but i know he is just insanely jealous
and i know u r reading this, son

my daughter hates him too - still at an awkward age perhaps - too shy to admit
that you actually have a crush? yes, conjecture on my part - but I think I am not wrong in my assessment of the situation? and don't roll your eyes at me young lady!

but as usual - i digress

I don't know why you "hate" him? Isn't that too strong an emotion for someone who has done you no harm?

You could either like him or just NOT care...i don't care for him - except it gives me great joy to sing his songs to you as you cover your ears in feigned annoyance.

but i seriously do not understand why people malign him so - hate clubs sap the enery of the world - hate is such a disempowering emotion

so chill - kiddos...

On another note .... heard this on the radio ....


father tells Hossan Leong...

I had to drive my screaming daughters to the sistic outlet and queue up with screaming girls to buy the tickets...

and a girl buys all beeeeber paraphernalia - and in purple - his favourite colour...paid for by her PARENTS....what are doing to your kid???


WASTE MY TIME TIME TIME TIME....

Online petition against PAP’s Tin Pei Ling

An online petition calling for the People's Action Party's (PAP) youngest candidate, Tin Pei Ling, 27, to be fielded in a Single Member Constituency (SMC) instead of a Group Representative Constituency (GRC), has surfaced online on Tuesday.

The petition, created by a person named Ti Kiang Heng on Monday, has gathered over 1,200 signatures. It requires users to submit a name and email address and included a special request for non-Singapore citizens to not sign the petition.

In the post, the petition originator said 'Singaporeans are genuinely concerned about undeserving candidates being inducted into parliament, not on their own merit, but rather on the back of established MPs of the ruling party in some GRCs'.

Ti also expressed 'deep concerns about Ms Tin Pei Ling's credentials and quality to stand as a PAP candidate for the upcoming election'.

The petition originator emphasised that it was not representative of an opposing view, but one that stems from concern for the quality of election candidates, citing the example of Tin's lacklustre performance when she was interviewed during her introduction as a PAP candidate.

It said, 'when she was asked by a reporter what her greatest regret was, Tin replied that her greatest regret thus far was not being able to bring her parents to the Universal Studio. We were appalled by her poorly conceived response that lacked judgment, perspective and discretion'.

Among the people who signed the petition was Eric Lim, who said, "Place her in SMC and let the people decide. $15,000 a month for this kind of standard?"

pl read the comments too - singaporeans are funny

Added Wong S. K., "Please let Ms Tin stand on her own two feet. If Singaporeans pick her, then she is worth the $15,000 salary."

However, on Tuesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong defended the party's decision to field her.

Speaking at the Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum 2011 at NUS, PM Lee said, "As far as the Web is concerned, all the flaming, that's the way it is but unfortunately in Singapore, people get carried away. Vitriol....doesn't add anything, no credit to debate, to people doing that or raise quality of debate."

"As for Tin Pei Ling, we first noticed her in this (NUS) hall in 2007 when we had a party convention. She was one of the speakers and she impressed the audience. We made the right decision. It looks like she's going to MacPherson and she'll be a good MP in due course."

LOL haven't vote already saying she'll be a good MP in due course.

We are not dismissing Ms Tin's experience, but her ability, PM Lee.

Ignoring our doubts and opinions, you make it feel like our votes won't count. Remember who it is you serve and not who it is who serve you.

oh no! i live in macpherson! i'm not going to vote for someone my age to manage this place! plus it's absolutely not suitable bcos this estate is mostly old people. they need someone who can relate to their problems & not some young girl. is she going to bring all of the old folks to universal studios?

Dear PM Lee .... I've been a strong supporter of PAP since Day 1 because Singapore would not be what it is today. Have you asked yourself Sir ... why Singaporeans are against Ms Tin and not the other newly elected candidates of PAP?

Per what I have read here, Ms Tin impressed you and the audience in 2007. But Sir, we are talking about now, in 2011 and we are talking about Singaporeans (much much bigger audiences) and honestly, I shared my fellow Singaporeans' views ... I am not impressed either. She needs to prove herself in SMC instead of in GRC. Thks. We really don't need another MBT or GKY.

Now, majority Singaporeans are worried with the spiralling costs of living, jobs lost and wages/salaries due to .... . Shortsighted, poor housing policies and policies on foreigners were the main causes of our high costs of living.

Sir ... the success of Singapore should be 2-sided ... Internationally and Domestically. We can only see one-sided Internationally success which we Singaporeans are all proud of... but not so on Domestically. Sir ... in the past, we don't see many Singaporeans needing financial helps as compared to now. Hope, if PAP is being elected again ... please sincerely review those policies that are affecting Singaporerans as a whole. In the past, I thought having Opposition Parties (like in other countries) is not a necessity in Singapore. But ... . Thks

When Mat Kastari escape, insteading of admitting their mistakes. He brushed it off and said the infamous phrase "it was an honest mistake". Now, he adds"all the flaming. Vitriol....no credit to debate". PAP never listens, they do not care what is on the ground. They are frivolus in spending the nations' money.
VOTE WISELY or you will have no say later.