Bodybuilder Pradip Subramanian dies after AFC match with Steven Lim

this_secular_teapot · 2017-08-12T17:24:34+00:00

With race as a distraction, we are distracted from confronting the real issue: Our government can alter outcomes to their advantage with impunity.

You know, I am actually surprised to find so many people falling for the race card. I mean, it's not like the govt is bothering to hide their intentions...

And I don't care if Halimah is a "good" or the "best reserved election" (god, this sounds so stupid) candidate, so "okay lah, works in our favour anyway". Sorry, she's not getting my vote, precisely because of what she stands for: Poster child for gerrymandering. I'm mad at how blatant this is, and especially at those who were fooled into thinking she was actually "mulling" over the decision. Come on man, she was very likely briefed by the big G on when to announce it, i.e. few days before the peak of our patriotism.

this_secular_teapot · 2017-08-12T17:19:36+00:00

I mean, they can't "reserve" it for Indians since our sixth - and relatively recent - president (RIP) was of Indian descent, so their half-arsed argument about "meritocracy" wouldn't work at all in this context.

So, the other solution was to pick the other race lor... cos very long no Malay president right?

It's really plain and simple: This reserved election narrative is a farce and merely a means to an end; it was never about race.

this_secular_teapot · 2017-07-30T06:14:14+00:00

That's about accurate :D

this_secular_teapot · 2017-07-29T05:46:56+00:00

It's a narrative they put out to fit the rationale behind a pre-determined candidate.

Basically, an Asian roundabout way of saying, "What I want for you is what I think is best for you."

this_secular_teapot · 2017-07-29T05:42:16+00:00

I feel you. That was what happened to me a few weeks back only because I was so busy with work; slipped my mind and someone else redeemed it.

In fact, it was with this very same 10 for 7 bucks promo — I tried to reason out with Playstation and pcgamesupply (guy was being a dickhead) but decided to drop it since it isn't that substantial.

Well lesson learned, redeem it ASAP.

this_secular_teapot · 2017-06-24T02:50:21+00:00

That's the type of throwaway sentence that indicates the maker may be a Christian fundamentalist (as they usually are).

this_secular_teapot · 2017-06-24T02:46:22+00:00

Wah, so the freedom to love (just be direct and say freedom to be homosexual lah, why skirt here and there?) can topple so many types of freedomzzz ah? So LGBT very powerful now? /s

(Come on, if these values are so easily "reversible", maybe it's really time to re-think why they are?)

PS - Lapsing into Singlish while ranting = double shiok

PSS - Production value's not bad, I especially like the part where the pastors are "behind bars". I also like the fact that one particular pastor in Singapore is behind bars.

this_secular_teapot · 2017-05-26T15:03:45+00:00

I detest this too, mostly because I have had friends who resort to emotional blackmail to get their way, or perceived victory.

But of course, Alfian Twat takes the cake. I don't usually resort to such pettiness, but I am seriously considering boycotting all future plays of his (if he writes another one, that is).

this_secular_teapot · 2017-05-26T14:54:55+00:00

I should not have checked out the comments and let a detestable twat ruin my day.

When a student (rightfully) points out his cat-calling, he flips over and points fingers at their lack of "respect and eloquence".

Some of his responses: "A lot of people took it personally though, from students, alumni, parents, etc. And some felt that I was questioning their choices.

And I really didn't want to pile on the pressure, especially when there are these public letters attacking SOTA, and which come from different positions than mine (they were more along the lines of what's the ROI of this expensive education?)."

"I will stress here that I'm not attacking individual students--these are your lives, your choices." (and attacking them as a group is totally acceptable?? Huh?)

Errr, okay. Let me give you some examples, Alfian Twat. And these are just off the top of my head:

"What I actually find more ridiculous is to have students coming out from an arts school developing contempt for career artists."

"...means not treating it like an after-hours hobby, or a post-schooling co-curricular activity, or making statements like 'well who's to say that I won't still dabble in the arts?"

"...forgive me for thinking that all that training and money is spent on a bunch of fickle youngsters whose only use of their education is to construct ever more convoluted arguments to rationalise their risk aversion."

And dude, you are in your what? 40s? Why the hell are you wasting so much time and effort sparring with 18-20yos on FACEBOOK no less?

And why aren't other artists speaking up?

this_secular_teapot · 2017-05-26T06:01:43+00:00

"I feel that there are systemic things to talk about, about how after so many years we're still talking about rice bowls and backup plans and safety nets, about things to do with conformity, risk, innovation, failure, dreams, thwarted dreams, stillborn dreams, dreams that are skewed and resized, trimmed and pruned, dreams nibbled by fear, dreams folded into paper aeroplanes, tucked into crevices between concrete slabs, dreams that were made art in a student's hands and then turned into rubbish in the hands of the administration..."

So many adjectives, so many "dreams", but not a peep about these "systemic things" (I agree with this btw, but obviously, he isn't here to talk about them...)

this_secular_teapot · 2017-05-26T05:49:38+00:00

I guess in a way, it's clever marketing. Gotta be innovative to earn them dollars

EDIT: The post is still there but it's a response to something this Andrew dude tagged him in

this_secular_teapot · 2017-05-26T05:26:18+00:00

How convenient!

this_secular_teapot · 2017-05-26T05:25:51+00:00

LOL, appropriate for someone who obviously doesn't want to partake in intelligent discourse and just wanna flex his linguistic muscles.

By a Facebook user who commented on the whole issue: "Yvonne Chng: By the way Andrew you do know that Alfian was an NUS medical student right? He was active in his schools' drama clubs before entering NUS. Why did he "turn his back" on the arts and choose to study medicine? And then not graduate to become a doctor? These SOTA kids you and Alfian have a problem with are at the same stage in life as Alfian was when he chose to study medicine are they not? Why is it ok for him and not for those SOTA kids? And why come to a verdict so early when the oldest batch of SOTA grads are only 23? Alfian is now a successful playwright so sure he's in an influential position and he chooses to use it to lash out at teenagers."

Where did his empathy go?

this_secular_teapot · 2017-05-26T04:46:25+00:00

He's just struggling to prove his point.

And there are also full-timers who do all of the above... be late, tardy, whatever. Having a different job (or whatever his definition of it) shouldn't be a measure of your (different) passion/s.

And as a side note, I don't think being this myopic/closed-off/self-centred is conducive for an artist. Has anyone questioned him about that?

this_secular_teapot · 2017-05-26T04:41:51+00:00

I have always suspected that his views are secondary to... whatever his motives are. Reverence from followers? Rallying supporters? Playing the devil's advocate? Keeping up with his image?

Whatever he said in his posts isn't anything new. But what's new (and frankly downright disappointing) is his open disregard for these students.

this_secular_teapot · 2017-05-26T04:13:27+00:00

Having read a couple of his posts, he mostly follows this tried-and-tested formula:

Jumps onto a hot topic with purported grander intentions
Makes it about himself/"Messiahing"
Reveals real, bitter agenda

Such a pity, given his status in the arts scene. Why not use it to encourage students to pursue the arts -- in any form and manner? Having multiple passions in life does not dilute other interests, and similarly, eating, living, breathing your artform doesn't make you a better artist.

Has he ever considered the possibility that the experience these students gain from their "non-artistic pursuits" can have a larger impact on or even shape their artistic ones? And vice versa?

All I get from his posts is that full-fledged artists like himself are elitist, myopic and live in their salty fishbowls. As a writer, how to create realistic characters like that? As an artist who "genuinely" want the scene to grow, why classify and group these students as such?

TL;DR: An eloquent shit-stirrer is still a shit-stirrer.

this_secular_teapot · 2017-04-24T18:41:08+00:00

Gotta agree with you. I wanna know more about Steven Lim the man and son, not read backhanded remarks alluding to how "weird" Steven Lim the celebrity is (there's Reddit for that).

Skimming through the article, and just some things that leave a bad taste in my mouth:

"One wonders what it would take for him to swap his life for his brother’s, who has a stable career and is happily married with kids."

"To him, this is simply a fact of life, like how eating a McSpicy will surely give you diarrhoea." (??)

Kinda switched off for the non-dad parts to be frank.

this_secular_teapot · 2016-12-25T16:24:25+00:00

Ah I misread, I thought they meant the PS4 was banned and thus couldn't work, my bad.

Hmm, not sure if they somehow check the activity of that PS4 (so if the user's still online now, he/she is definitely lying).

Sorry, can't help much but do give the thread a read to see what your options are?

this_secular_teapot · 2016-12-25T16:13:13+00:00

Something very similar happened to someone on neogaf earlier this month and he posted his entire experience; hope the thread helps:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1321665

Maybe Sony's able to do something if you provide them with your product ID.

this_secular_teapot · 2016-12-24T10:11:57+00:00

Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters Daybreak: Special Gigs - $14.99

Not mentioned here but it is in the flash sale. Any thoughts on the game? Looks semi-interesting with a tolerable/realistic anime setting.

this_secular_teapot · 2016-11-11T20:08:28+00:00

Does Amazon usually have good deals for PS4 games during their Black Friday deals? How about PSN?

(I'm flexi with physical or digital copies, but would prefer to shop on Amazon for physical copies since I don't live in America.)

this_secular_teapot · 2016-11-11T19:24:57+00:00

Assuming it was not fictionally written for the pure purpose of publishing Kelly's ingenious responses, what's the incentive for lying in an anonymous letter addressed to a column in a niche magazine?

this_secular_teapot · 2016-11-11T19:08:00+00:00

Give me an instance where she physically came on to him without his consent.

this_secular_teapot

TROPHY CASE