[China] - Patient's relatives manhandle sleeping nurses
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=630_1336250022
Confession pages on facebook are now the rage. Here's STOMP's choice of the confession of the day.
Today's confession is written by a graduating member of SMU's class of 2013 who was thrust unexpectedly into fatherhood at 19.
Here is the confession in full:
"Today is my daughter's birthday. Yes you heard me. I'm not kidding you. I am a Singapore citizen, 25 years of age, an SMU graduate from the class of 2013... and I made a baby. Exactly 6 years ago, Little J came into the world. Boy, it has been the craziest six years of my life.
"Back in my school days, I made a costly mistake. Without intending to, I made a senior girl pregnant. At that time, Big J had already graduated and was waiting for university while I was still in school. Big J and I were both hot-blooded teenagers, fascinated with each other's bodies and without a care for the world.
"When the news came, our worlds turned upside down. Our relationship even turned sour, and there was a lot of blaming each other and hard feelings.
"I started out being unable to accept the truth, being angry with the whole world and blaming every one for my misery. However, I still had to do something about the baby. So, the arrangement was that Big J's family, being extremely wealthy and generous, would hire caretakers to take care of Little J until after my NS.
Then, I would officially take over and be responsible to bring her up and provide for her. Unwilling as I was, I did not wish to let a child be denied of care from a biological parents. I know that kind of pain because my father left my family.
"The kid was a constant reminder of my mistake, each time I set my eyes upon her. During my university days, taking care of her was crazy. Caring for a child is extremely effortful meticulous work that requires a hell lot of time and attention. I had to learn all the nitty gritty things parents identify with, often getting my hands busy and dirty.
"I was often impatient with her for "learning too slowly" or "causing trouble for nothing", but it was not her fault. I had spells of bad temper and was always irritable. It was difficult. I studied at SMU while I worked part time in town because I received little support from a family that is financially tight.
"Having a babysitter helps a lot but it's far from enough for a child's needs, and not to mention it's expensive. The rest of my time and space was pretty much devoted to Little J. You just can't go away from a child for too long, a parent's absence severely affects her growth and well-being. I had to give up a lot of the stuff you guys do - freshmen camps, CCAs, OCSPs, hanging out with friends, partying etcetera.
"It felt painful to be punished as an adult for one dumb mistake you made when you were a teenager... and live with that punishment forever.
"However, there came some turning points and defining moments. Thank God for these things, otherwise I would be the worst person on Earth. Those were times I realized the joy of being a father, discovered my soft side with her help, and grew to love her more and more:
1) When she learnt her first words after blabbering baby talk for so long.
2) When she called me "papa"
3) When she could finally finish a conversation with me
4) When she learnt how to stand up and walk on her own
5) When she injured herself and ran into my arms for comfort
6) When she was awarded the most outstanding student in pre-school
7) When she showed great character and stuck by her little friend who was being laughed at and bullied
8) When she wrote me an essay about her family and I was the "hero" in the story
9) When she caught a rare breed of flu and spent a week in hospital, making me the most anxious person I've ever been
10) When she folded a paper heart for me, as a Fathers' Day gift.
11) When she was happy, bouncing around and just being herself
12) When she waited at the door, waiting for me to come home to tell me something
"And with that, Little J helped me change to become more patient, tender-loving, thoughtful, down to earth and responsible.
"Time flies. I can't believe Little J will enrol in primary school real soon. Today, I am a proud father of a lovely girl who loves to help others and go to church. I also very unbelievably secured a well-paying job (too good for someone with sub 3 GPA) that could give me a lot of financial assurance and allow me to do what I love.
"Even better, Little J will have both her biological parents because Big J and I are now engaged. I don't know exactly how it happened, but somehow we only fell in love after the birth of Little J. Oh by the way, she graduated from SMU too. Hey man, I honestly feel like the luckiest man on Earth.
"What I have got to say to you who are reading this? If you screw up, no doubt you have to bear the consequences. But it is not the end of the world. Be responsible and learn from mistakes. You never know where it brings you, or who you become. To those who are sad with low GPAs, or feel that life is really tough on you, or face the situation with a child made by accident, I hope my story encourages you. Fight on, rock on, you guys can do it if I can do it. God bless you."
Out of thousands of countries, Singapore ranked top #4 for longest life expectancy. Now check out the worst #10 shortest life expectancies in the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XWz5E5FoGTo
[Singapore] - A discussion on the Singapore Prisons system
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=452116
In my previous commentary, I neglected to mention perhaps one of the most relevant group in the CHC case : disgruntled (and often, extremely upset) ex-CHC members. This group is far more vocal and dangerous (to CHC) than any rival church group.
Eg#1
I attended CHC for 8 years from 2000 when the church was still at the old Hollywood theatre. Along the way, I was "promoted" to Ministry Member level, and was also a cell group helper (kind of like an asst CGL) at one point in time. The spiritual atmosphere and culture was very strong back then, and people's passion and heart for God was really palpable. Everyone called Sun "Pastor Sun", and even on the church bulletin, she was known as Reverend Ho Yeow Sun.
Things started to change when Sun Ho launched her music career in 2003. From the start, it sounded like a good idea to use secular music as a means to reach the unsaved. I mean, who doesn't listen to pop music. All the members were "encouraged" to buy her CDs and I know of members who bought 10, 20 CDs to give away to their friends and family. She also started holding concerts in Taiwan, where she would give her testimony and Kong Hee would preach for 10 minutes followed by a salvation call. The church started labelling her concerts as mission trips, and members would sign up in droves to go overseas as volunteers for her concerts. Just so you know, the traveling and expenses were borne by the members, not by the church. What a way to get free labour, huh?
The church back peddled, and insisted Sun was never a pastor, but rather a counselor. The church justified this by saying that if non-Christians knew that she was a pastor (like, duh?), they would not be receptive to her/music. This was the beginning of CHC's obsession about the so called marketplace theology, and Kong Hee started to develop the his Cultural Mandate which does not have a biblical basis, and was never the focus of Jesus's work. In doing so, he erroneously twisting scripture to suit his means. One example in point: he based the so called Crossover Project on a single verse taken out of context: "... And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." - Luke 8:22
The description of a physical crossing from one side of the lake to the other became a justification for the church and Sun to "cross over" into secular music. The church starting to ask its members not to call its pastors and leaders Brother or Sister so-and-so (a practice prevalent during the church's early days) in public. I found that to be hypocritical - here you have church leaders basically saying "It's okay to be two-faced.".
The more CHC focused on the Crossover project and Cultural Mandate, the less it focused on Jesus and the gospel. From the beginning, the pressure to conform was very strong and herd mentality kicked in. The church used peer pressure very successfully to get people to give to the building fund... from getting people to pledge and using testimonies. If you know a little about psychology, you'll know what I mean. I remembered people giving their hearts out for the Jurong West building. Never once, were members informed that monies from the Building Fund were used to fund Sun Ho's career, and certainly not about monies being invested in Xtron or Firna.
I felt very strongly that the church was headed in a very wrong direction and left in Jan 2008 before the scandal broke. I never regretted my decision to leave, and there are a lot more stories that I don't have the space nor time to go in to detail here. But suffice to say, CHC and its pastors have lost it. They have twisted and traded the gospel for another, and the astounding thing is that, they still believe they are doing the right thing. That, I think, is probably the saddest thing.
Eg#2
How many of us EMs remember this Straw Poll meeting held in March 2010 after COC began investigations?
Let me quote Pastor Kong word for word:
"So I mean Sun is not just a a a new girl that’s starting out. I mean she’s a co-founder. You know… she’s my wife. She co-founded the church. So during the AGM of 27 April 2003, together with our auditor, we informed the members very clearly, very clearly, that Sun’s Crossover project was sponsored by the Hanafi family and other various individuals, not by City Harvest. If you remember we even showed a video. That was made very clear back then."
Well now we know he lied when he said "not by City Harvest". Remember he said this on 28 March 2010. He lied to us with a straight face.
http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/this_urban_jungle/1814764/man_carries_60kg_home_on_his_back_every_day.html
11 types of Singaporean Colleagues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC4ipBUCVV8&feature=player_embedded
Here are some of the more memorable games I've personally played and appreciated through the years. Listed in random order.
Pre 1990s PC games :
Odyssey - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02CEI0WhAPM
Karateka - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHNT7mR-8d0
Choplifter - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgkhC0XGFjs
Lode Runner - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jnRWMvxb7o
Eternal Dagger - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGADS2matwM
Autoduel - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNVFCM3hUqA
Times of Lore - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CSTpdOMtuA
Might & Magic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvxh9-1p574
Questron 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2omwTiwxUIQ
King Quest's The Perils of Rosella - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKwgixkqSzA
Post 1990s Arcade games :
Gods - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBgt7XkLxvQ
Peacock King - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQcgZYntDro
Bare Knuckles 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSivEqw61II
Bare Knuckles 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnlMh6Dx8GU
Bare Knuckles 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O87gGlV1mLA
Shining Force 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44SULrOeNX4
Landstalker Intro - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75ZvMkiAfug
Landstalker Ludwig's love song for Princess Lara :
(skip to 7:15) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75ZvMkiAfug
Elemental Master - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsyhOELV4zg
Twinkle Tale - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P__bjNjF9IM
Street Fighter
World Warrior - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NLy_ZZB_vk
Super SF2 endings - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B6PNj2j854
Zero 2 Alpha - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUwpp1qpwdE
Evil Ken vs Evil Ryu - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zidbgMA4CJk
Flash animations by Proxicide -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4S4xd5QHxI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWYCUi8M9c0
King of Fighters
1994 to 2003 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYh19KA3Zr8
2002 Unlimited Match combos - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWUCGi8WNIA
Post 1990s PC games :
Ultima Online
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epvAp3mOvwU
Ultima series
1 to 9 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSTUY1fmVWc
Underworld - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpuTbxkaZ94
Shannara
(Death of Shella) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw446biNOe0
Diablo (1, 2, 3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKEme10HMMA
Thief (1 & 2)
Victoria the beauty - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5mnWQi59g4
Victoria the beast - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34g2uiqD4VU
Victoria's alliance - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ymwLSD23Cg
Victoria's death - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xz4Ir1cv9Q
Xian Jian Qi Xia Zhuan
Entire game - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA0A7D1749B9264EF
Original game ending - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joPcIVJ9nhw
New XJQXZ YueRu's ending - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7VApqEMCo0
New XJQXZ LingEr's ending - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZvDV_VJLsw
Assassin's Creed
AC 1 (entire game) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub9JUDS_6i8
AC 2 (entire game) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqbD1lpXJCA
AC Brotherhood (entire game) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQvHgJ2lbDA
AC Revelations (entire game) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBEJnYG70yA
Leonardo Da Vinci - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuI8DdJgYLY
Family Guy spoof - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnCXx9lH-XM
Christina and Ezio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yESFCvLxLvM
Tomb Raider (2013)
Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyUGfma6hX4
Glitches - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDCNeAWEw84
Appreciation goes out to all of the countless men and women whose creative brilliance, hard work and contributions, from all of the different companies and departments, have made these games (and their communities) possible.
[Joke] - How to pronounce "Et Cetera"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FqsQUClkTc
It's always this same angmoh who is addicted to finding trouble with local drivers.
http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/this_urban_jungle/1818506/cyclist_rides_into_drivers_lane__and_turns_aggressive_after.html
[Humour] -
This Arab chap pwnzs all Singapore uncles who visit HangFlowerJoints.
Scroobal posted :
This is one of the saddest stories in recent times and despite my best attempts not to politicise things that have no basis to do so, I went berserk when I saw the photos of the 4 clowns in grassroots attire at the front door of their house and realised that these arseholes were trying to make political capital of someone's misfortune.
Now which arsehole told the nation that "no gets left behind". Tell that to Rebecca and Gabriel Loh. No help, no hope and reliant on $1,000 every month which the grandmother earned to support 3 mouths, pay medical bills and a young mother who could not work as she had to take care of her son who had frail legs and a failed liver. And the it only a few days ago we found a Sg government civil servant forking out Sg$10 milion to buy an apartment. No, it was not the CEO of a major business but a fucking civil servant of a tiny island that was supposed to be doomed it did not bring 6.9m people real quick.
Where were the 4 fucking grassroots clowns in uniform before the Gabriel left the world. And which idiot suggested sending the 4 clowns to the house. And why in uniform. The decent thing was to send an empathic individual to make discrete inquiries about any help need. Were the uniforms and the numbers to show the world that the PAP cares and to play to the public gallery.
What were the 4 clowns uniform going to do. One hold the tissue box, the second pull out the tissue, the third wipe the tears and the fourth one disposes of the tissue. You can't make this up. Reminds me of 2004 when then defeated Potong Pasir Clown Sitoh for political capital began the hunt for the missing 9 year old Filipino girl and made the papers.
LeongSam posted :
Thousands of families who lived in far worse conditions have pulled through without resorting to murdering their own offspring.
When I was growing up in a kampong off Telok Kurau road, there was a woman who lived in a shack across the road. This shack had no electricity and no running water. Her husband was killed in a road accident while he was cycling to work.
She had 5 children ranging from 1 to 9 years old. One of the kids was retarded. She survived as a washerwoman for the rich rubber merchants who lived in huge mansions facing the sea along east coast road. While she was at work, neighbors helped look after the kids. I used to help out by buying provisions for them... a bar of Sunlight laundry soap, Darkie toothpaste and other small items which I could afford.
Her kids survived. The eldest son became a policeman. I don't know what happened to the others but they were not murdered by their mother. Instead, they were fed and clothed and loved to the best of her ability. However, she would not have been able to pull it off had it not been for the assistance from those neighbors and friends who helped her out
Before blaming the PAP for everything, why don't Singaporeans take a long hard look at themselves and explain why in an HDB block where thousands live, not a single person offered any form of financial or emotional help to make life more bearable for Rebecca and Gabriel.
Scroobal posted :
May years ago, I was fated to meet a young mum who could not cope with her young baby and killed the child. The father a useless prick at that time was partying at a nightspot. It was a sad story. I subsequently learnt there were some others like her. The strain, the pressure and they snap. Nothing about greed, envy or any of the known vices and sins. Something frayed and it gave way.
This is young lady who at the age of 22 ended up with a child with such disability and for 9 years looked after him. Eye witnesses tell the story of the mum who would use a pram to bring him out and that she could not say no to him. She did not hide him, neither did she dump him with her mum and went galavanting. I also read that she climbed to the ledge first and then retreated and brought her son out. I can only speculate she wanted to end it all for her and her son.
Unlike the lady that had the retarded child, this poor girl had no other child or children to give her a sliver of hope. A struggle with a possible good outcome.
To me both are victims.
You know the west. There are social as well as volunteer help when someone turns up once a week to look after a child like that so that a mum like her gets 12 hours of respite each week. I wonder if a wealthy country where a civil servant can buy a $10million home can afford to do the same for the less fortunate.
ps. I take away nothing from the Teluk Kurau lady who raised the family in such a condition. These are the heroes and heroines that makes life worthwhile.
LeongSam posted :
There are many volunteer groups in the West and those that do the best job are the NGOs who have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY GOVERNMENT OR COUNCIL.
The NGOs come about because those those societies actually care. They may spend a portion of their time lobbying for government support but their primary role is looking after the less fortunate.
The PAP does not care because Singapore society as a whole does not care. A government is merely a reflection of the people.
Scroobal posted :
That is why I mentioned volunteers. But many of these volunteers are also state pensioners who are prepared to repay to society. I also concede there are others who are not reliant on others financially and also volunteer.
A middle aged Singaporean is worried when he is going to lose his job to a cheaper foreigner. Survival is paramount. These chaps who have kids cannot turn up at State Centre and seek jobless allowance etc.
RogueTrader posted :
we are already paying the extra 2% GST! what else do you expect from us!!????!!
LeongSam posted :
Your remark epitomises the sinkie attitude towards the whole issue of looking after the unfortunate.
Whatever you pay is far less than what citizens of welfare states have to pay on an ongoing basis. Yet, in NZ, there are hundreds of volunteers just in my neighborhood alone who help old ladies get their medical appointments, who tidy up their homes for them, help look after kids etc.
You cannot legislate and subcontract kindness, caring and consideration. It has to come from within each and every one of us.
RogueTrader posted :
You sure they are volunteers? I have 2 friends who are paid handsomely by the Australian states they're in to handle help cases. One of them was even sponsored by the victorian state government to do a masters degree in social work. The other one does house visits and wipes arses for immobile patients in South Australia.
The volunteer model of social welfarism is simply not sustainable. Even Mother Theresa couldn't save the poor of Calcutta in her 50 years of tireless work.
LeongSam posted :
I've done meals on wheels and I never received a bloody cent.
The socialist welfare system is even more unsustainable. Countries that place caring for the unfortunate in the hands of the state are growing broke as we speak.
Ultimately, we have to face the fact that a portion of the human race will perish as a result of their lack of survival instincts. You cannot defy the laws of nature forever. In the animal world, when there are more cubs than there are nipples, some are going to die. The human species is no different. Those with inferior genes are going to be left behind.
As individuals, we can change the outcome for some but we can't redefine the way nature and natural selection works.
KopiO posted :
1. An unmarried woman gives birth to a child.
2. The child is born with a severe medical disability.
These are the ROOT causes of the present tragedy.
3. The single mother is unable to cope financially leading to stress.
4. The mother murders her child.
Why is there such an uproar AGAINST the State for point 4? It is as if ANY unfortunate incident/tragedy, personal or otherwise, is blamed on the PAP. The solution proposed seem fairly unthinkingly universal - vote the Government out in 2016. Would this solve the root causes of point 1 and 2?
And where lies the personal responsibility of EVERY FATHER here? Be a man and continue fucking, for fun an procreation without being responsible for the aftermath? And what about a woman? Where lies the personal responsibility?
I can't believe the amount of HYPOCRISY here based on this tragedy.
SINGAPORE - The first year after she walked out on her marriage was the lowest point in her life, says Madam Lim. We are not using her full name to protect her identity.
She recalls "the agony and the trauma" of having to start life afresh, which included trying to find a job to make ends meet. Madam Lim was a victim of abuse. Her ex-husband routinely forced her to have sex.
It was years before she finally left him. Not least because many were incredulous when she said that he raped her. They simply didn't understand that a married woman can refuse to have sex.
"Friends, even my own mother, told me that there was no such thing as a husband raping his wife. Some even asked me why I bothered to get married if I hated to have sex," she tells The New Paper on Sunday.
"But even though living with a monster who raped me was a life of hell, for a while, I thought it was better than living without any financial stability.
"I was lucky that I had a few good friends and counsellors who supported me. Had it not been for them, I don't think I could have walked out of this low point in my life."
Madam Lim, 36, and her son, who turns six next month, now live with her mother.
"It took me so long before I could accept my little baby and start to love him," she says of the child, who is sitting quietly in a corner of the four-room HDB flat, playing with his handheld game.
She looks in his direction, then says: "I struggled for so long, trying to decide if I wanted to keep a child, who was conceived in rape, with me."
During her first interview with this newspaper in 2007, Madam Lim did not behave like the typical mum. The chilly distance she set up between her and the then five-month-old baby was apparent.
She hardly looked at him and did not pick him up, not even when he cried.
The baby was the result of one of those forced trysts, where her then-husband of six years would force himself on her.
They had courted for two years before marrying.
Madam Lim had confessed that she felt hatred and shame over the marital rape - and that the baby was a constant reminder of that.
She had been raped even though she had a personal protection order from a court to stop her ex-husband's sexual assaults.
She recalls those days when she continued to live with him and share the same bed: "I really loved my husband despite the rapes. I just didn't enjoy the sex".
As a clerk, she didn't earn much. "I was frightened of living life alone. Really terrified by the thought of it. I didn't want to walk out of my comfort zone."
It got worse when she lost her job - she had been taking medical leave constantly and not turning up at work on occasions because she suffered from depression.
"After I lost my job, I became even more unwilling to leave him.
"He also threatened to cut off all allowances."
Her ex-husband, who is 10 years older than her, runs a provision store. Madam Lim remains grateful to her former counsellor.
"If not for her, I would not have taken the steps to rebuild my life. Even when she left and passed my case on to another counsellor, she'd still keep in touch with me to see how I was faring."
She filed for divorce in 2010.
"I just didn't enjoy sex. If I had a choice, I'd avoid it completely. It was very difficult for me. I'd feel so tense before it and depressed after," she recalls.
Madam Lim's aversion to sex took a toll on her relationship with her ex-husband, whom she says was otherwise "not a bad person". "It's just that after a while, he got mad whenever I refused to have sex."
She shares that during their marriage, he had a fling with one of his workers.
"In some ways, I couldn't really blame him. I was the one who pushed him away."
It was during one such confrontation that things got out of hand and Madam Lim's ex-husband turned violent.
She recalls: "We were shouting and calling each other all kinds of ugly names, and then I called him a sex pervert.
"I could see the fury in his eyes and for a moment, I thought he'd kill me."
"I tried to run away, but he grabbed my hair and the next thing I knew, his fist was in my mouth."
He broke two of her teeth with one punch.
"I think he was stunned when he realised what he had done, and he kept saying he was sorry."
Two months later, he came home one night and told her that he'd let her go.
Madam Lim says: "Happy and relieved as I was, it took me another month before I actually did anything.
"I wasn't confident I could survive financially without him."
It didn't help that her mother back then had insisted it was her fault for "failing to do my duty as a wife".
"My mother is the traditional type who believed that a woman's place was at home, taking care of her husband and children," says Madam Lim.
She now works as an accounts clerk and has recently started on a new relationship, but declines to give more details. "I want to take it one step at a time."
She knows that her ex-husband also has another woman in his life.
"We don't talk to each other unless it's necessary, like when he comes to pick up our son for weekly visits.
"But I can see a hint of the man I fell in love with and I know it means he's happy."
She adds: "And because of this, I can finally let go of my guilty feelings."
Yandao posted :
AWARE is currently pushing that husband can be charged for raping their wives. Good luck to those who are married.
Laksaboy posted :
Can one trespass his own private property?
That's why it is pointless to marry. The woman can't cook, clean, sew, she expects everything to be delegated to a maid.
And when it comes to sex, she withholds it for the silliest reasons, and only rations it out periodically for 'good behavior'. God forbid if you force yourself upon her.
Too much work, and the returns on investment are dubious and paltry. What's the point?
It was a scene right out of a movie.
His ex-wife lunged at him with a knife in hand, while he was carrying their infant son.
He desperately pleaded with her to stop as she chased him around in his condominium unit, he recalls. The chaos ended only after the police arrived 10 minutes later.
Says Mr Mohamed (we're not using his full name to protect the identity of his child), 40, who works in the hospitality industry: "Luckily, the four slash wounds - one on my left arm and three on my back - were superficial ones. They left no scars."
The baby was unhurt.
While the victims in most abuse cases are women, Mr Mohamed suffered beatings and verbal attacks from his wife for the 13 years they were together.
Theirs was a tumultuous relationship.
He thrice married and divorced the same woman - but that knife attack was the last straw.
He took out a personal protection order against her. He calls it a "drastic but necessary" move to protect his child and maintain his sanity.
Years after the incident, Mr Mohamed says it's still difficult for him to tell anyone that he had been physically and verbally abused.
"There are some things I'd rather not recall."
For instance, she often punched and hit him. Once, she even broke his nose. And it's not as though he is incapable of defending himself.
At 1.7m tall, the broad-shouldered man has the physique of a soldier.
His petite ex-wife stands a full head shorter. A few weeks before the knife incident, Mr Mohamed was "ambushed" by his ex-wife at the airport carpark after he returned from a business trip.
He was with a female friend.
His ex-wife began hurling vulgarities at them. And without any warning, she threw a punch that broke his nose.
He adds: "I bled all over my shirt. I could have done some serious damage to her, but I didn't retaliate.
"At that time, she had no place to stay and we just had our child."
He also lost count of the number of times he was called "womaniser" or "unfaithful".
Mr Mohamed, who first married her in 1998, says: "She made me feel guilty for the slightest infractions like looking at my maid or meeting my friends.
"I was once accused of cheating when I slipped out of my home to go for a short jog."
She would also scold him incessantly and belittle his ability to provide for the family.
As a result, he became withdrawn, avoiding friends and family.
"I distanced myself from friends because I was too tired of explaining to her where I was going each time. I turned into a loner.
"I was ashamed. I couldn't tell anyone what was going on."
In addition, he was trying to save his marriage. Mr Mohamed says he never laid a hand on her, though they did get into arguments on occasion.
Why did he tolerate the unhealthy relationship for so long?
He says: "There's something about her that I find lacking in other women. Maybe I truly loved her. That's why I always went back to her."
(Editor's note : Such inexplicable attraction, is really karma : a subconscious recognition of the familiarity with a pre-existing relationship between souls that has continued across multiple lifetimes; the majority of all serious relationships in one's current lifetime, will have had pre-existing histories in previous lifetimes and intermissive periods).
Even today, his ex-wife - who leads a separate life but shares custody of their three-yearold son - continues to send him hurtful SMSes.
On Wednesday, Mr Mohamed showed this reporter recent SMSes allegedly from his exwife, whom he last spoke to about a year ago.
She labels him an "unpredictable lunatic" and a "pervert".
Another text message reads: "I'm sorry he (their son) has a father like you".
He says: "I took her abuse. But I should have addressed it in the beginning. Maybe things would have turned out differently."
Cute mouse prays daily at Vietnamese temple
[Singapore, June 2013] - 16yr old girl arrested by police
Pee Mak (2013) Trailer :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9xbj_UK1pc
Pee Mak (2013) Soundtrack :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrL3d_k8AzE
About Davika Hoorne :
http://wiki.asianfuse.net/index.php/Mai_Davika_Hoorne
Actress Davika Hoorne's YouTube account :
http://www.youtube.com/user/DavikaHoorne/videos
Repeating karmic patterns across multiple lifetimes is a common theme (analogy : if you have not yet achieved a satisfactory grade in a particular exam / module / course / issue, you would want to repeat it for the sake of personal growth and gain, even if you're in a different lifetime / school / company / organization in different time periods).
It would not be surprising if, in a past life in the medieval or renaissance or the roaring twenties (or any other time period in any country) era, he was similarly the son of a fairly wealthy upper middle class baron or businessman, while she was a princess of sorts, possibly royalty or at least much richer and more powerful than his family was.
He may have, similarly to today, pined for her superior-class hand in marriage with futility. Such strong emotions, generated over many years of anguish and psychological torment, leaves a strong psychic and karmic footprint, an unresolved issue the soul must continue to work with and balance, in future lifetimes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Confession: I live in a semi-D and drive a car but I'm still not good enough for her
Today's confession features an NUS undergrad who is in love with a girl from a rich family, and he feels inferior trying to woo her although he himself is also quite well-to-do.
Here is the confession in full:
"I feel that my life mirrors that of Jay Gatsby.
"The 'Daisy' I love is from Medicine faculty and she comes from a family of bankers who have amassed their fortune for at least 3 to 4 generations. Living at her Nassim Road bungalow, she probably has everything she wants - smart, pretty, rich, with a sophisticated lifestyle. Sometimes I catch her getting chauffeured to school in a Bentley during the mornings I have my breakfast at Starbucks. What a great start to my day!
"While I on the other hand live in a commonplace semi-detached off Braddell Road. My father is a businessman, and our family earned the money through my parents' hard work and are the noveau riche. While I am aware that I am fortunate that I can drive to school and live relatively comfortably, compared to my "Daisy," it is still not enough for her.
"Before all of you label me as spoilt and insensitive, let me just say that I know that I am very lucky to be in this financial position. But I cannot help but feel inferior when the girl I am trying to woo is living in her palatial home with everything she can ever want.
"Bear in mind that I am just a simple arts student, and the reason why she has not reciprocated my overtures is partly because she is hesitant that I am not up to her standard. I have done everything I can to prove my sincerity, and some of my friends say that I should just find someone else.
"But I cannot help myself. "Daisy" is the world to me and I even saved up my allowance to buy her a Dooney & Bourke handbag because I know she likes collecting them.
"I feel like I am not good enough for her. She is across the bay and I find that even though I stretch out my hands further, she is still being non-committal about our relationship.
"It is as though I have exhausted all my options.
"What should I do?"
[Animals] - Kitten born with 2 faces
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/jun/12/kitten-two-faces-oregon-video
Posted on June 12th, 2013
TheOnlineCitizen June 13, 2013
By Leong Sze Hian
In the morning of Wednesday, 12 June, I (Leong Sze Hian) received a whatsapp message “If I speak at hlp (Hong Lim park) this Saturday
Begging for mercy for a single mother who throw her son out of the window
Would u support?
With most existing single mothers”
- from Vivian Pan, whom I met at the May Day event organized by Gilbert Goh of transitioning.org - she was 1 of the 11 speakers – she spoke about the plight of single mothers in Singapore
I whatsapped back – “sure, if u can please tell me more”
There followed several messages – I know how she felt and what she faced (referring to recent media reports about a 31 year old single mother who allegedly threw her 9 year old son who was attending a special school [with a medical condition and disability which limits his mobility] from their HDB flat’s window – he died and she has been arrested and is undergoing psychiatric assessment or something). They were staying with his grandmother in a HDB flat.
Single mother has tough life
Deep sorrows
Her husband left her after making her pregnant
I will speak from my heart
My single mothers are all in favour to support me
She had unemployment
Survive on her old mum’s $1000 income
Confirmed coming Saturday 15th
5 – 7 pm registration successful
I don’t want anyone sun tanned
This is non political
Only beg for mercy for this single mother
I only expect 20 people attend
Lol if got 20 people come I happy Liao
I got no stage
I only got a loud speaker
I cannot do much
This is the most I can do for this single mother inside a cold lockup … Crying in tears
I’m a mother. I feel for her
I do my homework
(edited slightly and reproduced with Vivian’s permission)
I salute Vivian for her courage and empathy
Support Vivian and single mothers – come to speakers’ corner this Saturday, 15 June 5 to 7 pm
In my 10-plus years doing financial counseling for the needy and cash-strapped as a volunteer, I have come across scores of single mothers and fathers.
Single parents’ problems?
Some of their issues that I have encountered are:
… Single unwed mothers are not eligible for the Baby Bonus or the dollar-for-dollar matching for the child development account
… Single unwed mothers are not considered as a family nucleus for HDB BTO application or family housing grants
Must buy under singles scheme to buy resale only if they are age 35 and above (note: from 1 July 2013, singles 35 and over with income not exceeding $5,000 can apply for 2-room BTO)
… Divorced single parents whose homes were sold as part of the divorce settlement, typically have to wait for 30 months before they can apply for a new HDB BTO flat or a HDB rental flat
… Discrimination by employers
… Difficulty in finding flexible work arrangements
… Lack of social and financial support
… Financial assistance eligibility criteria generally do not take into account special circumstances like a child with physical or learning disabilities or medical conditions. In other words, the household income, per capita income, type of housing, assets, etc, criteria generally do not take into account any special needs or circumstances, or that the person is a single parent
… No Medishield insurance cover for children born with congenital conditions or health problems (this policy was revised about a year ago to insure such new-born children, but may have exclusions for existing children who could not be insured previously)
… Single unwed mothers are only allowed to rent 1-room HDB rental flat and not 2-room, regardless of the number of occupier family members
… Single unwed mothers are not eligible for the 4th month maternity leave funding (note: this was revised a few months ago to put them on par with married mothers)
… Single unwed mothers are not eligible for the parenthood tax rebate
… Single unwed mothers were denied childcare and infant care leave which were only extended to them in March 2013
… Lack of affordable daycare, childcare, kindergarten facilities for children with disabilities
… Difficulty in obtaining citizenship or PR for the children if the single mother is not a citizen
… Difficulty in getting a long-term visit pass or PR if they eventually find a spouse who is a non-citizen
… Foreign single mothers with children fathered by Singaporeans are basically not eligible or have very limited access to some of the assistance schemes, despite their children being Singaporeans
I understand that there is only 1 VWO that caters to such single mothers
… Under constant pressure to get married in order to be eligible for some schemes
… HOPE scheme was generally not available to single mothers or divorced parents in the early years of the scheme
How many single parents are there in Singapore now?
According to the Department of Statistics’ Population Trends 2012, the general divorce has increased from 6.5 to 7.6 for men and 6.5 to 7.2 for women, from 2000 to 2011. The number of divorces has been increasing from 5,137 in 2000 to 7,604 in 2011.
According to the article “It’s about time single parents got some recognition” (Singapolitics, Mar 15) - ”There are about 2,000 teenage pregnancies a year, according to Government statistics. This works out to be about 4 per cent of the total number of births every year.
More than just the numbers alone many of the single mothers also tend to be those who have fallen through the cracks.
In 2008, a study of teenage pregnancies was conducted in a review of the KK Hospital’s Clinic for the Adolescent Pregnant.
Thirty per cent of the 43 surveyed in the study smoked while many of them were out of school and working.
Forty-nine percent of these adolescents had only one sexual partner, while 51 per cent had more than one sexual partner.”
It is hard enough to be a single parent.
ASEAN Human Rights Declaration?
All policies that directly or indirectly discriminate against single unwed mothers or single parents and consequently their children, should be reviewed and removed, as they may be in breach of article 29 (3) of the of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, which states that “Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. Every child, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection”.
Today's confession comes from an SMU student who admits to being attracted to her current boyfriend because of his bad attitude and arrogance. In fact, the very first time they met, he threw a drink in her face.
Here is the confession in full:
"I met my boyfriend in one of the most awkward ways possible.
"I first saw him in a club. I noticed him because he was really good-looking.
"He seemed to be drinking alone, and he was chatting with the bartender. I decided to go up to him and get him to buy me a drink.
"In all honesty, I'm one of those tall (1.72 with no heels), slim and pretty girls. Guys in the club literally queue up to buy me a drink.
"And if I see a guy whom I really like, I have no problems approaching them and chatting them up.
"Anyway, I went up to this guy and I talked to him for about five minutes. To my disgust, he still did not offer to buy me a drink.
"I was wondering if he was gay. I've never met a guy who hasn't offered to buy me a drink in a club when I talk to them.
I couldn't control myself and I blurted out "Aren't you going to buy me a drink?"
"He told me "The only person I'm going to spend my money on is myself. If you're going to dream about getting a drink from me, you can just sit there and continue dreaming."
"I thought he was such an asshole. I ordered my drink and just threw it on his arrogant face.
"To my horror, he grabbed me by the arm and threw his drink back into my face. I've never been treated like this by any guy before.
"I wanted to slap him, but then I realised he was standing up. Even with my heels on, he was a lot taller than me.
"I was pretty afraid that he'd retaliate, which was highly possible, given how ungentlemanly he had demonstrated that he can be.
"I just rolled my eyes at him and walked away.
"About two weeks later, while I was clubbing with my girlfriends, I saw him sitting at the exact same spot in the club, talking to the bartender again.
"I asked one of my girlfriends to go and try to get him to buy her a drink.
"She prides herself on being able to get a drink from any guy. I wanted to see if it was true, so she went, and she failed.
"She came back saying "That guy must be gay! He asked me to get lost."
"I thought it was pretty funny. That guy really looks cute even when he acts like a total jerk.
"From then on, I started taking special notice of him, not just because he was good looking, but his bad attitude and his arrogance kind of piqued my curiosity.
"I was wondering to myself, "It must be nice to have a boyfriend like that, because he'd treat me well and he'd treat all the other girls like real nasty", and, "I can totally not worry about other girls throwing themselves at him".
"And it'd be real cool to show my girlfriends how he treats me really well but treat the rest of them like crap.
"We met each other at some event, and we eventually got together with each other. But the whole story is too long, maybe I'll post a separate confession on another day."
[TV] Breaking Bad's Brothers Moncada