30 August 2007

The Good News Times strikes again

The poor suffer more inflation than the rich, but you won't know this if you read a certain newspaper without examining the numbers closely. Full essay.

Religious affiliation of MPs

Here's a table showing the religious affiliation of members of parliament. While it may be interesting, by itself it shouldn't be read as meaning very much. Use with care. Full essay.

29 August 2007

Teacher's termination still unaccounted for

Two junior ministers beat around the bush when faced with questions in Parliament regarding the termination of a relief teacher and a ban on an opposition party's cycling event. Full essay.

27 August 2007

CPF and its creaky assumptions

As Singapore's economy changes, with structural unemployment and widening wage differentials, is the Central Provident Fund scheme still able to provide all the answers? Full essay.

23 August 2007

Cinema: Jesus camp

A documentary taking an inside look into an evangelical Christian summer camp for kids, where they are trained to be soldiers in "God's army". This film was a 2006 Academy Award nominee. Full essay.

19 August 2007

Singapore second last in Asia democracy index

The survey was conducted in 2005, but I've only just seen the book. This article fills you in on some of the details. Full essay.

18 August 2007

Race, religion and Negarakuku

A controversy in Malaysia over a Youtube music video raises a number of questions which Singaporeans too should think about. Full essay.

2 by 6

A couple was caught for absent-mindedly bringing in pornographic VCDs through the Tuas checkpoint. The VCDs weren't just seized. They had to spend a night in a police lock-up. Guest essay by Mitch Oldman.

17 August 2007

Police declare joggers an "illegal assembly"

The Pink Run had to be cancelled because the police turned out in force, declaring it a crime under the law. Full essay.

16 August 2007

Time travel via our roads

What's a landmark to one may mean nothing to another. We read our city in different ways. Full essay.

14 August 2007

Spirits from our past

For some people, observing the religious customs of the Seventh Month is important. Meanwhile, Royston Tan's new film '881' celebrates the getai culture. Full essay.

10 August 2007

Pity the heliconias

We speak of a 'Garden City' yet sacrifice our plants and flowers for a temporary night market. We speak of a 'City of Possibilities' while banning this and that. Full essay.

Death by numbers, part 2

The Straits Times required a letter-writer to eviscerate her letter before they would publish it, showing disrespect to accuracy and research citations. Full essay.

09 August 2007

Death by numbers

Alan Chin once more goes on his crusade against the "gay lifestyle" with pseudo-scientific aplomb. Full essay.

08 August 2007

Picking on a picnic

A "member of the public" alerted the Botanic Gardens to an 'insurrection' likely to erupt among its orchids, and a gay picnic was banned. Full essay.

07 August 2007

Public transport model needs a rethink

The Public Transport Council will require the bus companies to increase frequencies during peak hours. But instead of imposing new demands on existing operators, what about inviting new ones in? Full essay.

04 August 2007

Bark and crumble

The government banned the lecture I was organising for Prof Douglas Sanders on the topic of "Sexual orientation in international law: the case of Asia". But the real story is nothing at all like what their press release says. Full essay.

Letter to the people of Singapore

A gay Singaporean explains why he left. He also takes issue with the way the Methodist Church obsesses with homosexuality. Guest essay by John Toh.

03 August 2007

My kissing project, part 4

News of the ban went into the International Herald Tribune 2 days in a row and travelled around the world. Full essay.

02 August 2007

Lee Low Tar

Another work has been banned by the Media Development Authority. Lee Low Tar is a fictional metatextual romp by young writer Ng Yi-Sheng about an unnamed country's gerontophilia (the love of old men). Read it here.

Where to draw the line on marriage?

William B Kelley critiques the article by Tan Seow Hon in the Straits Times (30 July 2007). If the State permitted same-sex marriage, would it be imposing a certain morality on its citizens, or just being morally neutral? Guest essay.

01 August 2007

My kissing project, part 3

48 hours before the photo exhibition is scheduled to start, the Media Development Authority finally responds - by banning it. Come anyway. Full essay.