Interestingly, we have this international meet of minds on this ‘mature rating’ issue for WordPress in the forum. I do have a concern about this because this subjective matter has been a sort of widespread concern currently in the blogosphere, a place where civilizations meet and express themselves. And it is so unnecessary in the first place.
However in WordPress, I decided that since I know Mark and team are pretty reasonable and reliable folks, I believe they can handle this issue.
My view is pretty simple, though. Unless it is really hardcore, maybe we should let adult bloggers to be… well, adults; and adults are mature, naturally. Porno or hardcore blogs and the adults’ blogs are very easy to distinguish, but making wordpress a kindergarten is both unfair to WordPress and the global adult bloggers choosing WordPress as a blog host. As I have mentioned, the problem may not be about which blog is mature, but are we entertaining the immatures and promoting immaturity as a result?
Actually, I have discussed in this blog before. If we mark an adult’s blog as mature for being mature or normal, then what about the real hardcore sites? I mean, mature is not only about fucking but also about violence and even the dark, dirty and scandalous politics. Scope is not going to blog about nursery songs and how the bees and flowers got together, and how fairy godmother shall vote for the adorable Obama or the nice auntie Clinton…
That’s pretty absurd~!
Hopefully, if I talk about how sexy is Richard Gere, no one will flag me as a gay drooling after Richard~ It’s equally absurd as to expect Scope to entertain the minds of the immatures, when I am a nice 32year old man. Kiss my ass~ 
Yeah, and I have all the intention to wreck the cuss-o-meter by flooding my blog with all the ’fucks’ as I have mentioned to Ms Raincoaster, if my memory doesn’t fail me. Saved for the fact that I can’t do that in real.
This issue is important because, come on… we have to confront the fact that we are mostly adults, and why should we blog or express ourselves in pretencious manner assuming that penis doesn’t exist, nudity is a sin, and there is no violence and sex in this world… when kids get to watch Resident Evil, Spiderman, Bring’em, and all those blood and killing in Pirates of Carribean. That’s just too ridiculous not to be mature when we are adults and the kids are having their doses of ‘maturity’ from dvds, at beaches watching aunties in sexy G-strings, staring at their mums’ nipples during breast-feeding and of course…
Even Superman’s Superkid smashed the thug with a piano in ‘Superman Returns’. That’s pretty violent, and mature. Of course, that’s not excluding the sex scenes in many historical and educational movies. In Dynasty Warriors, this game is all about breaking limbs; and Fallout is a marvellous game with plenty of sexual juice and gores onboard.
It’s the parents’ duty to keep the kids from what they perceive as mature, it shouldn’t be wordpress’ concern at all. It’s making WordPress difficult as a blog host catering mainly to adults. Pity the team…
Folks, let us be reasonable and save the Mature label for real hardcore or malicious sites that a great deal of mature understanding on what is wrong is needed. Adult’s romance or erotic stories are not wrong, and it is a healthy part of growing up into normal and mature individuals.
Don’t just anyohow flag down blogs. That’s just unethical, in blog sense.
[You cannot imagine how much issues Scope has to deal with in Singapore. Though known to be highly creative and talented, the first thing to do is to... fight his way out to his land of possibilities so that he can concentrate on his aspirations.]
Tales On Wheels: Roll Back To Singapore? Think again.
[气闻]Old boy Alan told me to lodge a complaint against the senior officer for his very terrible attitude and behavior, so I have just emailed the Traffic Police on this case. But he was not the only one whom I have spoken to on this horrendous encounter of Singapore’s finest service.
Grassroots under other ministers suggested that I should really go down to their headquarter and make an appeal. My case is totally unnecessary, and much less needing that kind of ’service quality’ that I will never want to admit it belongs to Singapore. But it does.
What’s going on in Singapore? After living through NKF’s fucking up of holy charity and encountering ERC’s nosenses, and now… we’d talk about transport situation in Singapore. And I have to do it on personal experiences, and the story here about traffic covers three main areas: (1) Traffic Police; (2) United Premas; (3) Wilson Parking.
In all these happenings you are about to read, you people can decide for yourselves why they are happenings. Actually for United Premas… this sicko has been featured on STOMP, gaining the government more unnecessary attention than needs be. However, my personal encounters with it have been no better.
But so far, the worst has been this recent brush with this highly unacceptable senior traffic officer, and I wonder how did he end up as a warrant officer in the first place. Is Singapore civil service so blind? And I would tell you why. And Singaporeans who read this might have come across the same problems as well; then you are not alone.
So, still think that Scope is crazy to aspire to relocate from Singapore? Yes. Many obnoxious cops’ happenings happened around the world, with some even killing the blacks. But if situation is no better than Singapore, what is so special about Singapore that the government should expect Singaporeans to return… from a bigger market?
Will emailing the Singapore Traffic Police be able to help us? Frankly, what do you think…
[The above, though edited, leads to yet another totally disgusting encounter in Singapore. Mine, so much nasty experiences in less than one year since I returned. Read the story and understand Singaporean life... And decide for yourself why Singaporeans are flying off.]
[Citizens are not dogs to be barked at!] Just because Scope is a nice chap doesn’t mean he should be taken for granted. I don’t understand such Singaporeans.
Education all those dog years has obviously failed miserably. People said China’s cops are horrible. My somebody is a civil servant in China, but he and his buddies are not like that. 2008 Singapore is thus really way behind China in my view, China is a country so badmouthed regularly and disgusted by many Singaporeans. Yet my bad encounters with cops were not happening in any parts of China all these years, but in Singapore.
Why ah?
(7th May) I have just come back from the Traffic Police HQ and I got a stomach full of frustration. Much as I have tried to present an argument on the case by hoping to explain to him my side of view, the duty officer seemingly disrupted me from the start. While I have never held much hope in appealing by going down, it is still a good bad experience registered in a Singaporean’s life.
I drove all the way down just to get disappointed. But that’s just Singaporean proceedure.
Of course, there is no need for the grassroots to tell me ’Then you can go see the MP‘… For what? If that appeal office has been able to be understanding, why do Singaporeans need to resort to petitions? Then and again, I am very reluctant to see the MP. Naturally, ever since I encountered the ERC’s incident, there is no motivation to do so (this case has been filed with somebodies, anyway); it is a solid reason for this hesitation. But this case has to go somewhere… relevant.
But Minister Wong has been recently under pressure from Mas Selamat’s case, should I bother him about his traffic police situation? But if Scope even shows some understanding to his plight, who will be understanding to mine? However, if this were to happen in China, an amicable tea session via guan-xi will help to resolve such unnecessary issues.
The rigid rules in Singapore seemingly help making a mountain out of a molehill. Unless you approach the politicians to petition about the cases… Anyway, I was leaving the appeal office shaking my head. What can be simply resolved have instead required a wild goose chase.
Anyway, once I become an expatriate or overseas operator, this sort of troubles from the government will be far far behind. This is the only consolation I have for myself in such an era to proceed on with such ‘wonderful’ life on this island.
[Scope's horror stories with Traffic Police.] Basically, by right, I have a basic expectation of all civil servants in Singapore: To be reasonable. Because when I encountered civil servants, I had been pretty nice and reasonable to them in the past, as well.
This case is like this.
I was driving down to exit Ayer Raja via Alexander. There was this huge fucking jam starting all the way from Clementi because there was this accident at the exit at Ayer Raja. The tins of powders had originally being secured in the van. There were only two harmless tins loaded with powders, but that still cost. On the left, empty tins had been arranged to stablize the loaded tins; and a big sack of sugar helped blocked the vertical force during the travel alongside with some planks.
But on this fateful day, there were so many sudden jerks along the way from Hong Leong Garden down to the ERP (Singapore’s infamous Electronic Road Pricing gantry) site due to the accident. Traffic was not smooth, and a 15mins drive became more than half an hour’s jerkings. Now by the time the van reached near the ERP, the sack of sugar had moved, loosening the arrangement on the left. Highly unexpected an event, of course.
Now there were these group of no less than 3 motor-cyclists already waiting at the side of the expressway so that the ERP could go off in about 5 mins’ time. I normally can’t be bothered about this ERP cost and proceed on, but that day, by heaven’s act, I had two choices: Stop in the middle of road or stop by the expressway to adjust my cargo in order to handle the coming slope up to exit the expressway.
There was this traffic police car already there at the ERP, the group of motorists had been there from a distance to that car. I drove and parked just in front of those motorists. I adjusted the setup, I made sure the receipts are in place and such since they had flown around when the books were jerked off. The papers were needed to get payments. See?
I had to make sure.
Now what happened next will be interesting.
[Humiliation. What else?] Now by the time I could start the engine, those motorists upon seeing the ERP went off had started to move past my vehicle. Interestingly… This officer came down of the car and gestured for me to stop by the expressway (not them), again. I asked why… just as the earlier waiting motorists passed through the ERP.
What came next was a shock. Maybe I had been too nice, and hence seen to be soft…
Now I did as told and I handed over the license hoping to explain the issue… but the officer simply jotted down the details. Do you think I have not tried to explain? I did. I even showed him my difficulty by showing him the setup behind. If you guys and gals expect a nice response, forget it. His only reply to the situation I had offered to him was: I don’t believe you. And where were his eyes looking…?
The clear blue sky…
Alright. You are the civil servant, I had my difficulties, I tried to gain your understanding and even help, and are civil servants trained to shrug off with a I don’t believe you? Come on! I had opened the doors for him to see for himself. I had told him my difficulties, I could not afford the risk on the tins. He should know the jam all the way back to Clementi as he was on duty. He could see that there was virtually no apparent risk for temporary parking by the expressway back then to do what should be done, not to say I had parked by the expressway for him to book me! The road condition at that exit had been ok by then.
How am I going to accept this as a reply?
To me that was totally unfair. Not to have mentioned, the other motorists who have parked by the expressway merely for the ERP had not been stopped!
Now when I explained my agitation to the appeal office, the duty officer said that I risked alleging that officer for not booking the other motorists. Those motorists lined up in vertical fashion from a distance to the patrol car, even if the booking officer had a pair of binoculars, how could he have seen those motorists’ plates q-ing behind? And if he could have booked motorists without stopping them, why choose me to stop?
What allegation is there?
Anyway, Scope’d talk about the appeal part later.
[Begging for pardon...] Frankly, it is not a plea, it is a beg. Why? There are good reasons for this situation. In Chinese: 秀才遇到兵，有理说不清. From the way this warrant officer had presented himself, I saw no hope to change his mind by reasoning.
In a cultural desert as Singapore, forget about the 100% education rubbish, since I have wisely aspired to relocate myself out of Singapore, there was no need to really have so much troubles with such authority. The reason why I put this down as an entry in my online diary is really because I find this totally absurd.
You can only use ‘plea’ if you can resolve matters by reasonings. In Singapore, many civil servants are rigid and even considered arrogant by not a few of the public, and if you watched Fann Wong’s ‘My Days in Civil Service’ or what, you’d know… with rules in hand, they are always right. Forget about case by case and such nosenses, I don’t believe you. So I begged.
I don’t believe you.
What was I begging for? I had been flexible and done what I needed to do for my products. I was not begging for him to believe me. Using beliefs to judge things have never been rational. I know that.
Suddenly, he said he’d not book me. But while he cancelled the notes he refused to give me the paper. By then, he was already very… ‘loud’ and aggressive, in short… pretty rude. I recalled that day that my Dad had been abit unhappy due to some of his personal issues, and it was best that this incident could be resolved. But no…
The officer ‘commanded’ me to go off, repeated, edging towards me… yelling to me as if I was a recruit. And that happened not in an army camp, but in the public as cars passed by… I felt devastated… for this civilization called Singaporeans. I drove away with an heavy heart, much humiliated as well. Rules can’t be bothered with right and wrong. Nobody cares what difficulties a Singaporean might have.
But one thing is for sure, I have been disillusioned to rock bottom to have anymore unhappiness than I should have. I don’t trust anyone anymore, understandably; so what if civil servants use ‘I don’t believe you‘ and insist on making Singaporeans’ life harder?
I’m be leaving Singapore eventually!
Should I file this with the MP…? I can’t just file such things in endless fashion! While I am not that good in politics and share disinterest with many fellow politically apathetic Singaporeans, I know this public problem can only be resolved by the parliament itself. So what are they going do about it?
The officer is a Singaporean. I am a Singaporean. Why can’t he be as nice as myself? By the way, when Alan suggested that I should lodge a complaint, while handling that officer, I had initially wanted to note his name down but… I must have gotten too upset to have forgotten to do so.
And my problem will be solved… once I relocate myself out like many many many other Singaporeans have. Hopefully, the next location will be conducive.
Can somebody tell me, what is exactly wrong with Singapore?
Why can’t it leave a commoner in peace?
[Appeal... Is there really an appeal?] Rationally speaking, Traffic Police are not robots, and if there is an appeal office, well… maybe somebody will produce something other than I don’t believe you. After all, we are humans, and I doubt I don’t believe you is a proper civil servants’ slogan…
From all the way from a corner of Singapore, Scope drove all the way down to the HQ at Ubi, a Singapore district.
When this incident happened, those grassroots and even hawkers where I usually have lunch with understood my plight. They supposed the appeal office can help but… I must assure you folks that those folks have been too optimistic. But I have not be optimistic before I went down; still I shan’t make judgement before I have tried the appeal office. In any case, I don’t believe you is not how I make decisions.
If that is so, how could I have a great time outside Singapore?
Honestly, if the office can be reasonable, I don’t need to waste rest time at night Q-ing up to file my case with the MP. Besides, ever since SPH exposed the rot in private education sector, hopefully the politicians could be busily working on how to… for instance, refund those affected. While I can understand that perhaps traffic police may not know our plight… Perhaps they will listen.
The duty officer appeared friendly, but when I started… he interrupted, and till the end of short meeting, I actually did not manage to put a complete view across… or maybe I did so very vaguely because of the frequent disruption, but his response was just… rigid. And he even told me that I risked allegation if I make certain points on my complaint on the booking officer. So how to talk to him?
Anyway, I told him that I have emailed about the officer via email to customer service.
He started out telling me not to mention about my background and focus on the offense. I don’t understand. How can you be case by case and decide fairly if you don’t try to understand others? Besides, when I brought certain things which concerns about my background, it is meant to illustrate my expectation of civil services and to explain why I am so concerned, and agitated.
I was not there to waste time playing punk with them. Actually, if the road camera had been there, the video would be able to prove my innocence.
This was an appeal office.
It is also because of my background that I am doubly concern about the nature of this encounter.
One of the most shocking thing he said was this… ‘…not having your goods secured is also an offence…’. I was driving a van, the cargo at that time obviously would not make the van slide and be of any danger. I do not think my case should rigidly be compared to those lorries loaded with layers of metals and such dangerous items. Is there any point intepreting rules as such, and interupt my lines? You mean if I’d pack the van with 50kg of cotton, I’d need to secure every piece of flying wool??? Not to say that my 2 tins of powder were less than 20kg for a modern van. It’s not even the weigh of a teen!
And they will not fly out of the van!
In short, the appeal was really a waste of time. I suppose Traffic Police or the what Home Team should buckle itself down to improve on this service quality to the public~
And this duty officer said that I could not even act out what the booking officer did… Gosh~ What is going on with Singapore?
But this guy never raised his voice in aggressive manner, but… in my personal view… he couldn’t be bothered if the rules say so. So? Why the appeal? It is obvious that I shouldn’t be paying in such a case; and I literally expected the appeal office to be of some help.
Serve the people?
Can I reply with that remark: I don’t believe you. I ought to, isn’t it?
Who can really help us? We have an efficient government so heavenly paid, but this is the situation I have to tolerate. The Minister Mentor is still around. The propaganda machinery is still singing praises of our public services.
Well… I don’t believe you. How to?
I went through all these myself.
Welcome back to Singapore.
[Singapore is an unreasonable place.]This is my second brush with the Traffic Police. The first one was not that… understanding either. If this is some statistical sampling here… Then I have to conclude that something is really really wrong in Singapore. A senior grassroot once said, ‘Oh, civil servants ain’t that barbaric anymore…’.
Back then, I was caught speeding. And why was it so?
In Singapore, after you got your license, the smarties won’t drive for a year. That is to avoid breaking rules for starting drivers. Some smart rules huh~ So back then, I was occassionally involved in the business and had to sometimes but rarely make deliveries.
There was this silly curve on the highway, it was a slope as well, and I had my nagging mother onboard. And as I have always told her… ‘don’t talk when I am driving’. Now the issue was, I remember that there was something urgent at home, so we hit the max speed but when I reached the curve, mum started nagging again…
As a newbie, I stepped on the pedal too hard and~ wow! The fucking speed hit 96km/h! Now, that was when Mr Yeo Chow Tong was manning the Ministry of Transport, though Mr Wong was the one in charge of the Home Team which should includ these Traffic Police. If it is a Civic or Mercedes, as long as it was below 100km/h, that’d be alright. But mine was a van. And a newbie forgot also that a van had a speed limit of 70km/h, hence a max of only 80km/h.
No chance at all, I was booked. But the MP did help lessen the penalty back then. That was to his credit. But no matter, I could only hope the government could have reined in on the rotting private education sector as Mr Khaw did in his medical sector. That’d be big credit as well.
Ever since, anyway, I have grown a distaste for such rigidity on wheels. There is no justice at all. But Singapore is a cultural desert by insistence. What can Singaporeans do but voice their displeasures in their online diaries and broadcast them on 《有话敢敢说》, hoping the government can pick up the issues and resolve them!
So emm…
[Venting out loud~]Actually the only person who can resolve my problems is myself, and since I trust no one in Singapore… Why? My only option, or in real, direction is to move the operation/myself out. You see, I figure out that there is really no difference in staying or moving out, saved for the fact that you will become a foreign entity out there. When I was in Beijing and I encountered some issues, I called and called and called that chap in our embassy…
Never a response.
It had always been the China people coming to my aid, showing the care and concern. If I have depended solely on Singapore, my own country, to come to my aid… I would have perished. So how can I join fellow Singaporeans to denounce China for (eg) their habits, their loud voices and such and such?
There are indeed bad elements in China. And especially quite chaotic in the entertainment industry but… there, there was where people had been supportive to me, not even knowing who I was, and they were ready to offer aid, and even look around for jobs and accomodation so that I could stay in China. And they didn’t ask me to pay $1680.
I have been in Singapore for more than 30 years. I have known this society for more than 30 years. If you are truly talented, Singapore may not likely be suitable.
I want to live and feel a man.
I will leave in good time.
I am not crazy. Who in the right mind will love to entertain so much penalties? And running everywhere for appeal and help which is really a waste of time?
How long am I back in Singapore? Less than a year!
Mr Lee wants Singaporeans to come back. Why don’t he start by cleaning the situation up first? If Singapore is that good, who in the hack will want to leave, isn’t it?
I suppose covering the Wilson Parking phenomenon plus the STOMP-ed United Premas in this posting is getting… too long winded. Besides, Wilson Parking is not really a small issue. I’d bet millions if not a billion state dollars could be at stake for the systems which have created a mess… The current photos may be hot, but I am expecting to pick up more sensational situations… maybe accidents due to the system. So we’d examine this later.
As for this latest incident with the traffic police… I’d consult somebody on this issue. Given the need for the coming relocation, I have been quite busy preparing, and then it won’t be my problem. Shouldn’t be. Hopefully, after Minister Wong has handled the Mas Selamat incident, he may consider doing something for Traffic Police.
A talent needs a place to prosper. I may not be moving to China… if the wagon is too far to catch and I am not valued. I need a place to resettle myself, have a family, have kids, and let them grow up in a warm society. Of course I am not prating about shooting films…
Let’s get through all these issues in Singapore by Singapore. As one Cantonese uncle told me… this bad experience is, as any other issues, just another obstacle. Life is stressful in Singapore, not because it can be really controlled. Once I got out, I can have the opportunity to concentrate on my… interest, hopefully so.
We are talking about movie making recently, there was this misunderstanding… I suppose I’d blog about it next. China is an eventual market, but when have I said I must start in China?
Updates: Somebody informs me to go to STOMP to check out certain ‘happenings’. It seems that the police have made news in STOMP as well. Maybe later, I have something more important than STOMP. Anyway, Ms X told me, that those motorcyclists may be caught on the cameras… But here, if there was really this road camera, they could have known I was really innocent. So… what should make out of this?
