Archives 2007

Abbreviations are explained in the column on the right of the screen.

Month	Title, etc		Relevance
Dec 2007	Blogging is a criminal hobby, part 1 - there are so many laws and regulations, you can't escape		Law, Med
Dec 2007	Happy to eat apart - Muslim food stalls are disappearing from food courts		Soc
Dec 2007	Supreme Court victory in Nepal - but what is the effect of its ruling?		Law, Hom
Dec 2007	DIY self-portraits, part 2 - why it is important to zoom		Oth [photography]
Dec 2007	Tips for the vision-impaired - how to enlarge text and graphics		Oth [IT]
Dec 2007	My mother's Christmas - she was rushed to hospital, again, this week		Per
Dec 2007	New highs for ministerial salaries, new lows for media credibility - well, it says it all		Pol, Med
Dec 2007	Christopher de Souza's four rebuttals - the MP's arguments for retaining 377A are unconvincing		Pol, Hom
Dec 2007	Hady did Singapore proud, part 2 - we can discern some political lessons from his victory too		Soc, Oth [entertainment]
Dec 2007	Hady did Singapore proud - Hady Mirza represented Singapore at the first Asian Idol contest		Oth [entertainment]
Dec 2007	DIY self-portraits - how to take good pictures of yourself with an inexpensive camera		Oth [photography]
Dec 2007	What lurks beyond globalisation and capitalism - will the income gap continue to widen endlessly?		Pol
Dec 2007	A skipped floor - some years ago, I met this guy...		Per
Dec 2007	Who shall watch the Watchmen? - do we have a law against hate crimes (to be distinguished from hate speech)?		Pol, Law, Rel, Hom
Dec 2007	Migrants should be required to take English courses - linguistic friction exacerbates xenophobia		Soc
Nov 2007	China's trade surpluses: disequilibrium and accommodation - a compromise between the US/EU and China is needed		Oth [econ]
Nov 2007	Fees or fines, we make it all the easier - the MDA not only tries to manage its image, but even more slyly, it wants to massage the news		Pol, Med, Hom
Nov 2007	Enforcing racial and religious harmony - what laws are applicable to hate speech?		Law. Kno
Nov 2007	Taxi problem the result of 3 deadly sins - which is why the problem is so hard to lick		Oth [transport]
Nov 2007	Parliamentarians with nothing to say - Singapore is supposed to be an IT leader, but few MPs blog		Pol, Med
Nov 2007	When the wind blows, thank the government - is there anyone left in Singapore who feels that free speech is a right?		Pol, Med, Hom
Nov 2007	A Rumsfeldian future - without viable opposition parties, we have no Plan B should certain unknowns hit us		Pol
Nov 2007	Flat jokes and dumb remarks - from our ministers, in their desperate attempts to justify the "system"		Pol
Nov 2007	Minorities and state protection - how do we decide on minority rights, and what's wrong with identity politics?		Pol, Soc, Hom
Nov 2007	Towards a human rights mechanism, part 2 - the Asean Charter cops out on human rights		Pol
Nov 2007	Nasal straws in the wind - 3 possibly significant moments in the gay debate during the last week		Soc, Med, Hom
Nov 2007	Too proud of our noose - a law professor recently spoke out against the way we use the death penalty		Law
Nov 2007	Ake Green and the freedom to monger hate - when religionists say gay people are out to muzzle religion, this is one case they refer to		Law, Rel, Hom
Oct 2007	Robo Chan's short-lived happiness - the mystery of numbers		Soc, Kno, Oth [Econ]
Oct 2007	The limits of civility - who was the mystery guy who wanted to desecrate Thio Li-Ann's grave?		Pol, Hom
Oct 2007	Non-repeal of 377A: Was it all a blunder? - the government hates  contentious debates, yet it got caught in one		Pol, Hom
Oct 2007	The loonies are marching - the anti-gay Christianists plan to take to the streets		Rel, Hom
Oct 2007	Newspapers should beware of being shunned by the intelligent - else their quality reputation falls		Med, Hom
Oct 2007	Wednesday's little things - small things we hardly give a thought to may point to larger social trends		Soc
Oct 2007	When warnings go unheeded - it's getting harder for the government to ban public protests		Pol
Oct 2007	Black and blue - the NZ rugby team's haka		Kno, Hom
Oct 2007	Petition to the prime minister: repeal 377Aa now - too many people sign anonymously		Pol, Hom
Oct 2007	Burma: don't rule out sanctions - Asean must not shirk its responsibility		Pol
Sep 2007	On Otto, part 2 - the press reports		Med, Hom
Sep 2007	On Otto, part 1 - a gay teacher comes out		Soc, Hom, Per
Sep 2007	Fun with FOI - unearthing facts that public agencies may wish to hide		Pol
Sep 2007	Rock, jazz and songbirds silenced - small things that we take for granted in our city disappear too		Soc
Sep 2007	"It's a matter of time," says Lee Kuan Yew - while Derek Hong rants from the pulpit		Pol, Rel, Hom
Sep 2007	Towards a human rights mechanism - will Singaporeans be left out of the Asean human rights mechanism?		Pol
Aug 2007	Why would anyone rescue Singapore? - Lee Kuan Yew says Singapore cannot hold out for more than 2 - 3 weeks if attacked		Pol
Aug 2007	The Good News Times strikes again - inflation hits the poor more than the rich, but you won't know this if you read...		Soc, Med
Aug 2007	Religious affiliation of MPs - some interesting data, but use with care		Pol
Aug 2007	Teacher's termination still unaccounted for - the government keeps giving nonsensical answers in Parliament		Pol
Aug 2007	CPF and its creaky assumptions - as Singapore's economy changes structurally, is the Central Provident Fund scheme able to provide all the answers?		Pol, Soc
Aug 2007	Cinema: Jesus camp - an inside look into the making of a "God's army"		Rel
Aug 2007	Singapore second last in Asia democracy index - out of 16 countries surveyed		Pol
Aug 2007	Race, religion and Negarakuku - a controversy in Malaysia poses good questions for Singapore too		Pol, Med
Aug 2007	Police declare joggers an "illegal assembly" - but who are the real trouble-makers?		Pol, Law, Hom
Aug 2007	Time travel via our roads - what's a landmark to us may mean nothing to others		Soc, Per
Aug 2007	Spirits from our past - Royston Tan's new film '881' celebrates the getai culture		Soc, Oth [cinema]
Aug 2007	Pity the heliconias - the irony of our 'Garden City' rhetoric, the irony of "City of Possibilities'		Pol, Soc, Hom, Kno
Aug 2007	Death by numbers, part 2 - the Straits Times doesn't respect accuracy in citations		Med, Hom
Aug 2007	Death by numbers - Alan Chin uses pseudo-scientific talk to demonise the "gay lifestyle"		Hom, Oth [HIV]
Aug 2007	Picking on a picnic - the Botanic Gardens wouldn't let gays have a picnic on their grounds		Pol, Hom
Aug 2007	Public transport model needs a rethink - instead of imposing new demands on existing operators, what about inviting new ones in?		Pol, Oth [transport]
Aug 2007	Bark and crumble - how my Douglas Sanders lecture got banned		Pol, Hom, Per
Aug 2007	My kissing project, part 4 - news of  the ban travels around the world		Pol, Med, Hom, Per
July 2007	My kissing project, part 3 - the MDA bans my exhibition		Pol, Hom
July 2007	Ian McKellen supports Indignation - he leaves a video message		Pol, Law, Hom
July 2007	My kissing project, part 2 - the MDA sits on my application		Pol, Hom
July 2007	Homosexuality and the moral imperative - one side of the debate is undergirded by a strong sense of morality		Law, Rel, Hom, Kno
July 2007	Entertainment news: Ian McKellen - the minutiae of a celebrity's week in Singapore hints at a larger story		Pol, Hom
July 2007	Racial Harmony Day - racial harmony is important but do we know how to foster it?		Pol, Soc
July 2007	$2,500 to rent a 3-room flat? - is this report in the Straits Times correct?		Med
July 2007	HK court finds public sodomy law discriminatory - and how would our legal system wrangle with the government's promises not to enforce Section 377A?		Law, Hom
July 2007	This month, the Christian rightwing finds 3 more villains - the rightwing is being repeatedly stirred up over the gay issue		Pol, Rel, Hom
July 2007	Invisible histories of our city - another fascinating documentary by Tan Pin Pin		Soc, Med, Kno
July 2007	Unintended consequences - Singapore is obsessive about planning, but sometimes the planning is faulty or things just don't go according to plan, adding a bit of chaos to this place		Soc, Per
June 2007	A world without objective, impartial newspapers - can a society exist without them?		Pol, Med
June 2007	The peace faction has got it wrong - repeating ad nauseum "Islam is a religion of peace" won't win the battle against extremism		Rel
June 2007	Changing the information landscape - what a Freedom of Information Act can and cannot do		Pol, Law
June 2007	Teacher unaccountably terminated - why a Freedom of Information Act is needed		Pol, Hom
June 2007	Creationism - a dangerous beast - do not treat it as merely religion, with its usual immunities		Soc, Rel, Kno, Hum
June 2007	Lina Joy case holds lessons for Singapore - the legal questions raised by this Malaysian case resonate here too		Pol, Law, Rel,
June 2007	My kissing project, part 1 - I'm taking photos and testing censorship limits		Pol, Hom, Per
June 2007	Watch out for the big men - J B Jeyaretnam wants to launch a new party		Pol
May 2007	Why Section 377A is redundant - there are so many other laws at hand		Law, Hom
May 2007	UNSW follows Warwick University out - proving how weak the "Singapore" brand is		Pol, Soc, Oth [Edu]
May 2007	Harmless traits can be criminalised, says minister - another Christian argues for anti-gay laws		Pol, Law, Hom
May 2007	God, morality and Haidt - Chua Mui Hoong argued that while religion can inform one's beliefs, God should not be brought into the public debate about morals. But it hasn't, has it?		Soc, Rel, Hom
May 2007	Mediacorp's survey on decriminalisation - 62% of Singaporean "heartlanders" want to keep homosexuality criminal		Pol, Law, Soc, Med, Hom
May 2007	From City Hall to the Gaza Strip and back - the slippery slope to corruption begins with conflict of interest		Pol
May 2007	Lost in a fog of fear - has anyone noticed that the majority Chinese don't seem to care if the anti-gay law stays or goes?		Pol, Soc, Hom
May 2007	Singing, voting and the unknowables - the biggest voting exercise on earth		Oth [music]
May 2007	New scare tactic: religious strife - the spectre of social conflict is raised to argue against decriminalisation		Pol, Soc, Rel, Hom
May 2007	Queen to k6 - a law lecturer steps into the fray, mouthing the usual long-discredited arguments against decriminalisation		Law, Hom
May 2007	Fall of the BP chief, part 1 - was it because he was outed?		Med, Hom
May 2007	Fall of the BP chief, part 2 - thoughts about freedom of speech, prostitution, etc		Soc, Med, Hom
Apr 2007	Rage in safe Singapore - a spate of violent incidents calls for introspection		Law, Soc
Apr 2007	Digging into foundations is mischief - new excavations have raised questions about Chinese history; anyone excavating Singapore's political history?		Pol, Hom, Oth [archeology]
Apr 2007	Highly paid moral weasels - "eventually" the law will have to be repealed, says Lee		Pol, law, Hom
Apr 2007	The oracle from St James - Lee Kuan Yew talks about homosexuality, but what is he really saying?		Pol, Law, Hom
Apr 2007	Some get married, others get raped - gay news from around the world in the last 2 months		Pol, Law, Rel, Hom
Apr 2007	Gobsmacking days - we are all prone to foolish associations and categorisations, but it's less forgivable when corporations don't realise it		Soc, Hum, Per
Apr 2007	How a traffic jam began - the "cover-your arse" syndrome at work		Soc
Apr 2007	Defending the national scripture - another of Martyn See's films is banned.		Pol, Law, Med
Apr 2007	Cinema: Two stories from the slums - The blossoming of Maximo Oliveros and I don't want to sleep alone		Med, Per
Apr 2007	Ministers get pensions too - in a way that may well be "uniquely Singapore"		Pol
Apr 2007	Lights, action.....and cut - more examples of censorship in action; the MDA's TV program code		Pol, Law, Med, Hom
Mar 2007	Singapore government promotes obscenity - how else would you describe raising already high ministerial salaries?		Pol
Mar 2007	Compensating for a frustrating neighbourhood - with Asean going nowhere, Singapore has to fend for itself		Pol, Kno
Mar 2007	Don't infect the state with religion - the correlation between religiosity and social ills; what is meant by 'secular state'?		Pol, Soc, Rel
Mar 2007	Life in construction - uncaring supervisors at construction sites		Soc, Hum
Mar 2007	The good ol' days of jail and caning for immorality - police entrapment of gay men, 1990 - 1993		Law, Hom
Mar 2007	Will ours be an overcrowded city? - let's not get alarmist when considering the physical needs for accommodating 6.5 million people		Soc, Oth [urban planning]
Mar 2007	Sandstorm masks politics of diversion - Indonesia banned the export of sand to Singapore		Pol, Law
Mar 2007	Criminalise lesbianism, say Church leaders - Biblical "values" must apply to non-Christians too		Pol, Law, Rel, Hom
Mar 2007	Race, religion and the sinicisation of Singlish - race and religion shouldn't be taboo subjects just because they are sensitive		Pol, Soc
Mar 2007	Gays should support censorship, Andy Ho says - he's straining to make a case why gay porn hurts gay men		Med, Hom
Feb 2007	Incredible wife makes disappearing act - Melissa Etheridge's words censored out, too 'global' for our provincial minds		Pol, Law, Med, Hom
Feb 2007	6.5 million will make a different Singapore - preparing to take in 2 million more immigrants		Soc, Kno
Feb 2007	Breeding intolerance - between religion and law, people find cause to behave badly		Law, Soc, Rel, Hom, Hum, Per
Feb 2007	Research controversy risks Singapore's credibility - changing course because a Lee family member protested can be very costly		Pol
Feb 2007	Mismeasuring the press - Kishore Mahbubani dismisses press rankings		Pol, Med
Feb 2007	Workers' Party shies away from the gay issue - the party will not argue for repeal		Pol, Law, Hom
Feb 2007	Love Airways flies nowhere, Shortbus may not arrive - on sex censorship, Singapore is so behind		Med
Feb 2007	Perspectival shift and capital punishment - how do people form opinions or change their minds about the death penalty?		Law, Soc
Feb 2007	Après nous, les militaires - if the PAP collapsed, should the most likely prospect be a military take-over?		Pol
Jan 2007	Performing law - the conveyor belt takes Tochi to the noose		Pol, Law
Jan 2007	Renckens' wrenching idea - a priest in Singapore argues for a rethink of the Catholic Church's position on homosexuals		Rel, Hom
Jan 2007	Catholic adoption agencies demand exemption from serving gay couples - as required in Britain under their new Equality Act		Pol, Law, Rel, Hom
Jan 2007	Half of younger Singaporeans consider homosexuality "acceptable" - as found by Singapore Polytechnic in a recent survey		Soc, Hom
Jan 2007	Saint Jack slays two myths - this rather good 1978 film is more instructive than it first appears		Soc, Med, Kno
Jan 2007	Sir, may I have the can please? - encounters with the destitute; is our society already fraying at the edges?		Soc
Jan 2007	Temasek Holdings stews in familiar juice - the dangers of laws conveniently enforced or unenforced depending on the political wind		Pol, Law, Hom
Jan 2007	The eye that popped up from nowhere - Kuala Lumpur's ferris wheel gets a headstart on the Singapore Flyer		Oth [tourism]
Jan 2007	Man at faregate refutes creationism - 3 transport incidents illustrate how humans think, and how the process can go wrong		Kno, Hum
Jan 2007	We are all collaborators now - a common link between the tiny issue of a smoking ban and a key mechanism of totalitarianism		Pol, Law