I'll drink to that...

I was in a bookstore this afternoon. Actually, it’s more of a stationery shop as it sells more school supplies and school assessment materials than books. I won’t mention the name, but let’s just say it’s quite a popular chain.

Anyway, they had a large selection of board games. Alongside Monopoly and Cluedo I was shocked to see a game called Drinking Roulette, another called Shots and Ladders, and two other drinking games. I had the impression that they catered mostly to the primary school market, but it seems they have something for the university crowd as well.

I know it when I see it

An artist had an installation on display at the Singapore Art Museum, but something was missing, namely, a number of gay pornographic magazines that had been part of the exhibit. Said magazines had been removed by SAM, allegedly without the knowledge or consent of the artist. While SAM may have had some legal concerns, the artist could have been consulted.

Kudos to Straits Times columnist Ong Sor Fern for her courageous stand. She not only lashed out at the museum, she compared their actions to vandalism! Actually, she said it was “tantamount to an act of vandalism,” and further qualified her statement with a “to me”. Still, pretty gutsy. Whether her comparison is accurate or not, I don’t expect anyone at SAM to be caned like Michael Fay or Ollie Fricker.

I recall seeing some X-rated art in China (okay, it was actually Taiwan), where the galleries containing the “offending” images had been cordoned off and warning signs displayed. Pretty liberal, eh?

I gotta wonder whether it was the gay part of the porn that set off the censors. Perhaps Ms. Ong or fellow intrepid columnist Andy Ho would like to look into that. What with Yale hooking up with NUS with the understanding that discussions on campus will be free as befits a liberal arts college, perhaps the times they are a-changin’.

Driving for exercise

Homeowners near MacRitchie Reservoir are having problems with joggers parking their cars in front of their homes, sometimes blocking their driveway and causing them to park far from their own homes. This is due to the public parking lot charging for what was until recently free parking.

Here’s how it works. The joggers get into their cars, pay for petrol, maybe even pay ERP charges, drive to the reservoir, and park in the surrounding neighbourhood because they are too cheap to pay for parking at the reservoir itself.

What is the point of driving your car so you can go jogging? Why not jog to the nearest park? Don’t they have sidewalks in their own neighbourhoods?

The doctor is in ... her pocket

A local surgeon is being investigated by the Singapore Medical Council for the outrageous bills she submitted to a member of the royal family of a nearby country. She claims she did nothing improper as she had an agreement with her fabulously wealthy patient.

I suspect most people with a potentially life-threatening illness would agree to anything their doctor suggested, with her white coat and esoteric knowledge, especially given the mortal fear the patient must have been experiencing.
Just because your patient is rich, it is not OK to soak her. Not only did this doctor submit hefty bills for her own services, she inflated the bills she submitted on behalf of other doctors involved in the case. A $400 bill became $211,000, a $3,000 bill became $285,000.

I was thinking this surgeon deserved to occupy the cell next to Bernie Madoff. But now, five of the eight doctors who had their bills surgically enhanced have filed affidavits swearing that there was nothing wrong with this practice.

None of these doctors have been accused of wrongdoing, and it seems likely that they were unaware of the inflated billing. I wonder why they don’t see a problem? I can speculate on a number of reasons, but let’s assume they genuinely believe it is perfectly acceptable to take a $9,000 medical bill and increase it to $400,000. Doesn’t that worry you?

This show of support for their colleague makes me worry that we may be on the verge of an epidemic of doctoritis grabyourcashis.

Singaporeans, protect yourselves! Wash your hands and hold tightly to your wallets! Drink plenty of alkaline water – some doctors sell it on the side, so you can believe it works! And don’t brag about your cousin the sultan during your consultation, just mention your uncle Ah Seng the durian seller.

Congratulations to Andy Ho

Straits Times columnist Andy Ho, who writes on science and medicine, has been short listed by the Singapore Organization for Research on Relevant Issues (SORRI) for its “Person of the Year” Award. In recent weeks Dr Ho has written two impressive columns. The first recounted medical studies showing that acupuncture is no more effective than a placebo, and the second debunked astrology. With all the charlatans running amok on this island, it is a pleasure to see someone take a stand for science and reason. Well done, Dr Ho.

Is Singapore cool?

CNN has somehow determined that Singapore is the second coolest country in the world, after Brazil. Brazil is known for fabulous beaches, scantily clad bathers and carnival dancers, a formidable soccer tradition, bossa nova, and a laid back vibe. The two countries seem poles apart. So how were the rankings determined? Who knows? It depends on how you define “cool.”

The Straits Times did an informal survey of 200 Singaporeans. Nearly half did not think Singapore was cool. When asked to name the coolest icon in Singapore, the most common answer was “can’t think of one.” In second place was Lee Kuan Yew. I’ll bet if you told MM Lee he was cool he’d think you were siao. The venerable statesman was followed by the new Marina Bay Sands hotel/casino/integrated resort.

What makes Singapore cool? The top answer was its transport system, with its shiny trains free of graffiti. In some places, graffiti is considered cool and shiny is bland. Predictably, food and shopping made the list, as did safety. Cool is edgy and clearly in the danger zone, not safe. I’m not sure many respondents understand what “cool” is; they seem to associate it with something vaguely good or positive.

I see Singapore as the honors student who always wears a cardigan (you might catch cold!) and plays the clarinet in the marching band. Singapore is not the jock, cheerleader, leather-clad biker, or lead guitarist in a garage band. Being a goody two shoes has certain advantages, but “cool” is not one of them.

No shortage of suckers

I got a huge laugh out of the Sunday Times this morning, and it wasn’t from reading the comics. The headline that caught my eye read “Tuition to train the brain,” and was accompanied by a photo of a kiasu couple watching their young daughter supposedly identify cards while blindfolded. (Clarification: the daughter was blindfolded, not the parents, but I doubt the parents really “see” that well.) The article discusses the rising popularity of brain stimulation classes, some of which claim that their students will learn to see and read while blindfolded.

I have no doubt that children can learn to read while blindfolded – provided they are learning Braille.

The two medical experts quoted in the article were not impressed. But the boss of one of these brain building afademies explained his program: the children play games, sing, and watch funny videos (I’m guessing Tom and Jerry or Mr Bean) while a machine plays sounds in the background. Ooooo-eeeee-oooh. He was actually quoted as saying “I can’t explain it scientifically, it’s a mystery.” No doubt. His academy only takes children between ages 5-12, but it will accept older kids if they are deemed suitable after an interview. I can imagine the interview going something like this:

Brain boss: “Are your parents able and willing to pay our exorbitant fees?”
Prospective but over-aged student :”Yes.”
Brain boss: “OK, you’re in.”

The article did not just quote a couple of neurological authorities and the academy heads, it also quoted a couple of parents. One parent reported a change in her son’s personality after a few days! Another has yet to notice any academic improvement in her son since he began the course, but feels the kid is more confident in doing his homework. Sounds like the placebo effect to me. And by the way, she is now an “ambassador” for the company and gets 12% commission for referrals. Sounds like the dollar effect to me now.

I recall a recent article about the alkaline water business (on which I commented on November 22, 2010) and I am struck by the similarity of the structure of the articles. An unbelievable claim, promoters careful not to say anything that will get them in trouble, some half-hearted testimonials by unqualified or biased supporters, and a couple of qualified experts offering very reserved opinions casting doubt on the claims. Maybe it’s a formula they teach at journalism school.

I hope the next time ST covers such a dubious product or service they get experts willing to call a spade a spade. Of course, most experts are very cautious as they may not know all the facts (one never does) and are afraid of being sued.

With this kind of hard-hitting investigative reporting it’s just a matter of days before we read about the next bunch of suckers.

I have not seen many tiger moms in Singapore, but it seems there are lemming moms and sheep dads aplenty.