tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-106975592024-03-14T02:39:11.197+08:00Random Thoughts Of A Free Thinker"Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind." -- Bertrand RussellLCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.comBlogger535125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-3433533037297715232017-03-05T00:32:00.001+08:002017-03-05T01:23:23.597+08:00Involving the State - First or Last Resort?
Recently, quite a bit of a stir was caused by the uploading and circulation via Facebook of a video recording which showed an imam allegedly making religiously inflammatory remarks while giving a sermon at a local mosque. Responding to this incident, Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said in Parliament that a police report had been lodged and investigations were ongoing. Separately,LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-9744352305169999852016-07-30T11:28:00.000+08:002016-07-30T14:01:59.099+08:00NUS Orientation Activities Suspended, Now What?
Firstly, a disclaimer: I am a NUS graduate and I have not participated in any NUS orientation activities, be it as a freshman or organiser.
So what do I think about the recent reports of improper orientation activities in NUS which led to NUS deciding to suspend "all student-organised freshmen activities" with immediate effect?
Well, while I was in NUS, I did not hear of any complaints LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-15539708453162660302016-06-26T21:02:00.000+08:002016-06-26T21:02:17.737+08:00A Response to "Leaving Our Internal Security Back Door Wide Open"
Earlier this week, I came across a post, written by Dr. Chee Soon Juan, which argued that the sizable presence of foreigners, particularly those who are working here, in Singapore is a potential security risk. He also argued that one way to mitigate this risk is to effect better screening of foreigners before they are allowed to work here in Singapore.
While I can somewhat agree that the LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-21254666076046902512014-07-15T21:01:00.000+08:002014-07-15T21:01:01.379+08:00A Quick Response To The NLB Book Pulping Incident"First, if any opinion is compelled to silence, that opinion may, for aught we can certainly know, be true. To deny this is to assume our own infallibility.
Secondly, though the silenced opinion be an error, it may, and very commonly does, contain a portion of truth; and since the general or prevailing opinion on any subject is rarely or never the whole truth, it is only by the collision of LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-70509927962863523102013-12-24T12:06:00.000+08:002013-12-24T12:06:17.729+08:00"Being rich is not about how much we have, but how much we give"LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-5818982618653478962013-12-21T18:35:00.000+08:002013-12-21T18:35:05.407+08:00Put Your Phone On Friend ModePut Your Phone On Friend ModeLCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-65087415103369682932013-10-25T21:02:00.002+08:002013-10-25T21:02:57.029+08:00"'Intellectual inoculation’ the best defence"
"'Intellectual inoculation’ the best defence": "It is time Singaporeans stopped looking to systems to safeguard children. Such overreliance on the state spells trouble. If a child were to go to a country without such checks, the affinity for the virtual world may take over. In the war of minds, every young mind needs to be educated to erect its own barriers. This is primarily the responsibility LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-40777315300858428372013-10-25T20:39:00.000+08:002013-10-25T20:39:52.355+08:00Anti-poverty groups in Singapore: One too many or the more the merrier?
For those who did not know yet, Caritas Singapore, "the official social and community arm of the Catholic Church in Singapore", had launched "Singaporeans Against Poverty", a social project "to raise awareness about the poor in Singapore".
Although I am somewhat concerned that this new initiative may end up duplicating the efforts (or worse, eat away at the existing resource pool) of other LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-61458896655699624752013-10-08T23:55:00.001+08:002013-10-12T12:16:08.495+08:00One in ten Singaporean women willing to do full-time NS?
It may be cliched but it is true when people say that there are three types of lies with statistics being one type (the other two types being lies and damned lies).
This old saying came to mind as I looked through the survey findings done by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) on Singaporeans' perceptions and attitudes towards National Service (NS) and how Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-72451199655076129982013-08-02T19:51:00.001+08:002013-08-02T20:29:35.537+08:00St. Margaret, Shaved Heads & Wigs - Hiding a lighted lamp under a bowl?People can sometimes place too much importance on others' external apperance, instead of on others' character and motivations. This was my conclusion after I read in today's Straits Times ("Girls' bald move a no-go at school", 2 Aug 2013) that St. Margaret Secondary School had apparently insisted that three of their female students, who had shaved their heads bald for a charity event, wear wigs LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-29829327510196484142013-05-23T20:02:00.001+08:002013-05-23T20:02:08.546+08:00Pink Dot 2013: 29 June 2013LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-16407377586575132702013-05-21T07:49:00.000+08:002013-05-21T07:49:53.593+08:00Righteousness and Justice for Whom?
On Sunday (19 May 2013), Pastor Lawrence Khong of Faith Community Baptist Church posted the following status update on his Facebook page.
Later on, responding to apparent criticism against his status update, Pastor Khong made the following comment.
While I can still agree with Points 3, 4 and 5 of Pastor Khong's status update, I take issue with the other points and with his subsequentLCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-21704121451242069262013-02-22T19:34:00.000+08:002013-02-23T16:54:14.817+08:00Manfacturing Dissent
It's frightening, the extent to which some people would distort the truth to stir up ill sentiments in others.
Yesterday evening, as a somewhat avid reader of the "SAF Confessions" Facebook page, I saw on the page the following "confession".
Original confession on SAF Confessions
Hours later, clicking on a link shared by my friend on Facebook, I arrived at the following article on "The LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-82516085319098828452013-02-10T23:27:00.000+08:002013-02-10T23:27:17.129+08:00Who is a Singaporean?
"We are Singaporean because of the common responsibility that we hold towards one another, because of the common hopes and dreams that we share with one another, because we are stakeholders and the protectors of the future of our country. These are what unite us and define us. We feel proud to be Singaporeans because of what Singapore is and what Singapore stands for. No foreigner can share in LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-1831235410154204832013-01-20T18:48:00.001+08:002013-01-26T13:42:53.373+08:00A Quick Response To FCBC Pastor Lawrence Khong's Posts On "The Homosexual Agenda"
It is most confounding to see how some people bring up old tired arguments and assertions that have already been refuted or at least questioned by others. As such, I am utterly confounded by Faith Community Baptist Church's (FCBC) Pastor Lawrence Khong's recent posts on Facebook about the supposed "homosexual agenda". I have previously written several posts on this blog to refute or at least LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-28732292878143476002012-12-29T23:07:00.000+08:002012-12-29T23:07:28.568+08:00PAP Wins Punggol East But Without An Absolute Majority?
As you all would know, although a by-election has yet been officially announced for Punggol East (PE), five opposition parties or figures have already expressed interested in contesting if and when a by-election is announced. They are, listed in no particular order: Workers' Party (WP), Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), Reform Party (RP) and Benjamin Pwee (LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-8302894089634112742012-12-17T19:08:00.000+08:002012-12-17T19:08:32.098+08:00"Loose" Laura? - The Slanted Media Portrayal of Women
Late last week, a friend of mine shared the photo above on her Facebook, questioning how does it matter that Ms Laura Ong was seeing another man besides Mr. Michael Palmer.
My on-the-spot reaction was to comment: "Hmm, seems like the media is trying to portray Ms Ong as 'loose' and reduce the guilty factor of Palmer."
Sadly, my snap assessment was, in a way, proven right. Earlier today, LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-73905075549345180402012-12-02T15:00:00.000+08:002012-12-02T15:00:00.203+08:00Michael Sandel - "Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?"
I recently made an overseas trip and while visiting a bookshop there, I came upon Professor Michael Sandel's "Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?". Browsing through the book (which I eventually bought), I realised that it was based on a lecture series by Professor Sandel that explored issues related to moral and political philosophy. I also realised that the lectures have been recorded and LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-87886660871078973892012-10-28T12:26:00.000+08:002012-10-28T12:26:00.702+08:00Dr. Richard Teo - Life and happiness are about more than material wealth and success
Some of you all may have already seen the video below or read its transcript (both of which have been recently shared on Facebook). But just in case you all have not, I decided I should share them here. Go watch the video and read the transcript; they are worth the time and effort.
Hi good morning to all of you. My voice is a bit hoarse, so please bear with me. I thought I'll just LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-33014757133764043042012-10-21T18:42:00.000+08:002012-10-22T12:54:53.370+08:00Alvin & Vivian "Scandal" - Tip of the iceberg in a social media age?
I would suppose most of you all already know about the ongoing Alvin & Vivian "scandal" (some of you all may perhaps even have seen some of the photographs and videos in question). Expectedly, what these two persons did generated a fair amount of discussion and debate, particularly over the legality and morality of their actions.
In this post, however, I would not be discussing the legalityLCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-50184227703446030712012-09-07T20:27:00.000+08:002012-09-07T20:27:22.279+08:00A quick post about Sim Ann's "Of wrongful pride and prejudice"
Sim Ann: "Of wrongful pride and prejudice"沈颖:《讨论国民融合须遏止恶毒言语》
"But online comments that clearly spew hate and prejudice against individuals or groups are simply that - hate speech. All of us, politician or netizen, need to take a clear stand against hate speech. Abuse of foreigners, or any human being for that matter, is not acceptable, whether it is verbal or physical, online or offline.LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-40394928592111080192012-08-06T18:59:00.000+08:002012-08-06T18:59:29.209+08:00Stand Up For Our SingaporeLCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-37237111983325827362012-08-04T22:50:00.000+08:002012-08-04T22:57:27.790+08:00I Still Love You (Singapore)As Hossan Leong puts it, "We live in Singapura, it's not perfect living but at least it's interesting. We live in Singapura, though it's kind of crazy, we win other countries".LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-45777191380033801142012-07-14T22:40:00.000+08:002012-07-15T11:39:45.896+08:00Musings on heritage preservation in Singapore
Earlier today (14 Jul 2012), I attended "Past Forward: A Heritage Blogging and Social Media Workshop" (and the Chinatown tour after the workshop) which was organised as part of Singapore Heritage Festival 2012. In this post, I would not be giving a blow by blow account of what happened during the workshop sessions and the Chinatown tour I went on. Instead, I would like to just put down in LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10697559.post-53053309920630507892012-07-08T23:36:00.001+08:002012-07-08T23:36:17.450+08:00Does The Bible Really Oppose Homosexuality?
Earlier today, I stumbled upon watched the above video in which the presenter made a lucid and heartfelt case, although his argument does seem logically shaky on some aspects, questioning the validity of the "traditional" interpretation that certain Biblical verses oppose, if not condemn, homosexual relations.
Am not sure how many minds and hearts this will change but for those you all who LCChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239988467062126536noreply@blogger.com0