God and the Gay Christian

I don’t usually support religion in any way since I have found it to be for the most part confrontational, irrational and contradictory. Indeed when you have a community of Christians who quite literally go out of their way to antagonise minority members of it’s own community by attempting to push it’s beliefs as a social norm disguised as “family values” you have to wonder just what is wrong.



Growing up I had been under the impression that Christianity was about love, acceptance and belief, but clearly that is no longer the case and the message I had thought I had understood as a child now seems perverted and twisted out of context. I guess growing gay gives you a new perspective.

So, It came as a surprise to come across Matthew Vines and his Reformation Project. It’s mission is to train Christians to support and affirm lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. They strive to create an environment in which Christian leaders will have the freedom to take the next steps toward affirming and including LGBT people in all aspects of church life. And that’s no small ambition if the vile hateful things many Christians seem to say about LGBT people is to ever change. But it’s certainly welcome. Its something I’ve thought about myself, after all lets face it the Bible is a book full of contradictions. And yet, here is someone who is helping people navigate through them so that they can manage those hurdles and lead a more accepting lifestyle as a result. That has got to be admired.

No doubt the Christina fundamentalists will be up in arms, but then it’s quite difficult to ignore someone who is using the very book you are and just looking at it in a way that allows them to reconcile their sexuality with their religious convictions rather than verbally abuse others because they don’t follow your inherently flawed perception of normal.

So hat’s off to you Matthew Vine and I hope that your message is spread far and wide, there’s certainly a few individuals in Singapore that could do with listening to what you have to say although I doubt they would ever admit it, but maybe if they did they would have a little more colour in their wa

You can watch a video of Matthew explaining his views on YouTube or if you prefer you can read a transcript of the video instead, it's rather long but worth taking a look at all the same. Either way, enjoy.

FCBC Wear White

Pink Dot, an annual event celebrating the freedom to love regardless of sexual orientation, was held here in Singapore on Saturday 13th June with a huge turnout of 28,000 people.



And while 28,000 people came together in the spirit of friendship and to express their support for the freedom to love by wearing pink, it would seem that LoveSingapore, a network of about 100 churches, called on members to turn up for services over the same weekend dressed in white in protest.

Network chairman and Faith Community Baptist Church senior pastor Lawrence Khong was quoted by media as saying: “It’s a powerful statement of our belief. The natural family is a universally accepted norm and a public good.” Obviously there are at least 28,000 people who would like to differ, not to mention many other countries around the world, including the predominantly Christian and catholic community of Ireland which became the first country in the world to legalise same sex marriages.

So I guess Lawrence Khong has his head buried in the sand and is ignoring the world around him.

“I want to pray that we will continue to wear white as long as there is pink, and we will wear white until the pink is gone, and even if the pink is gone we will continue to wear white,” Khong is also quoted as saying. Well again we can clearly see the ignorance of the individual. Pink will never be gone because there will always be LGBT members of society. In fact that statement is actually a little worrying to be honest as it's almost hostile in its intent. Maybe he's a little pissed off because almost 3 times the amount of people wore Pink compared to white this year. In my opinion he does kind of come off as being a little disturbed, almost manic even.

Khong added: “My prayer, my dream is that the day will come where in this weekend half or three-quarters of Singapore’s population will be wearing white as a statement of commitment to the family.” Well guess what, the rest will still be wearing Pink. And they are still members of society and always will be. That fact that you continue to spew such nonsense should clearly worry your congregation. Meanwhile, the fact that you have a congregation to begin with of course should probably worry everyone else.

In his sermon, he decried the “homosexual act” as “the greatest blasphemy against the name of God” and said that “a union between a man and woman is the highest expression of the very image of God”. What a load of antiquated rubbish. Sorry, but I have to call it that since in my opinion that's exactly what it is. It just sounds like pure evangelistic pulpit rhetoric aimed at inflaming passions and nothing more. It's also such an outdated view that it shows how deeply in the sand Lawrence Khong has his head buried.

“I’m concerned about the moral majority, people who are Christians especially, who believe that it’s wrong, but who (are) just too cowardly to stand up and make a statement,” he added. And now he brings out the whip to target other Christians who may be on the fence on the issue and calls them cowards directly acting them and their personal beliefs. It's quite sad really and I feel sorry for the people who have to listen to all the nonsense he talks. In my opinion any good Christian, and I know many in my life, would walk away from this man's influence and quite frankly laugh in his face. In fact the whole of Ireland has just done that recently I might add.

And then we have Daniel Foo who is reported to have told media "Every human being is precious and loved by God and hence we extend our love for all. However, we will continue to stand firm as one to express our support for pro-family values and the preservation of our moral norms for the well-being of our society.” Personally speaking, and pointing out the Singapore is a secular society, I find it disturbing that these religious organisation would even attempt to have their values and beliefs integrated into the larger society as a social norm. In fact everyone in Singapore should stand up and take note.

So, to the people of Singapore you all need to wake up because these people are extremely vocal and that should worry you. And to the 28,000 people who attended Pink Dot don't let it stop there because if you do people like Lawrence Khong and Daniel Foo will hold influence in our society and that should not be allowed to happen.

And lastly to the people of Ireland. Thank you for showing the entire world the true meaning of Christian values.

Mobile Game Adverts

The mobile gaming community needs a kick up the arse. Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of excellent games out there that are worth paying for, but unfortunately there are even more so called "free" games that are nothing more than a bunch of adverts glued over a shell of a game.



I mean seriously who the hell clicks on adverts these days. The only advert I’ve ever clicked on has been by mistake. And any game that I load that has too many of the damned things is immediately deleted and the developer put on my ignore list for future reference.

Maybe the younger generation click on them because they look interesting, but since they are not the ones who are actually paying for the games in the first place it’s kind of stupid. And maybe game developers already know this and are specifically targeting minors with their brand of advertising which if it ever proves to be true would make those same adverts (not to mention game developers) even more deplorable.

No-one minds paying for a good game (emphasis on good there by the way, and yes I appreciate that it’s an individual assessment) for a reasonable price, and indeed I have done that a few times myself just specifically to get rid of those same annoying adverts.

By all means give me a limited free game so I can test it out and decide if its a game I want to spend money on. But keep the adverts to a minimum, and discreet. There’s just no need for anything else, none because to be honest I’m never, I repeat never, going to click on them unless it’s completely by accident.

If the various app stores in existence were required to identify if a game had adverts in it (just like they do for in-app purchases) I can bet that a lot less people would be inclined to download them in the first place. In fact maybe that should be the next thing everyone should push for so we can decide to install a game in full knowledge that our senses will be assailed by a plethora of adverts.

And while games may harp on about 900,000 downloads so far, they don’t tell you that there was 899,999 uninstalls because their game was so full of adds it had the playability factor of a block of wood. So maybe we should also show the uninstall record of a specific game too, another indicator of a game to avoid like the preverbal plague.

Yes, in-game adverts on mobile games are a pain in the neck, so much so that I don’t actually bother with mobile games anymore. I still think all games should carry a “Adverts Warning” so that everyone has a choice upfront to decide if they want to install it or not on that basis.

Of course, I can guess why that would never happen, I mean who would actually install a game if they knew up front it had a whole bunch of adverts embedded in it, yep, so what does that tell you.

Stupid adverts, game developers just haven’t a clue what is really killing their revenue.

Singapore's Armchair Politicians

I have to admit to being sick and tired of all of the anti-governement and anti-PAP noise on the internet in Singapore recently. While I can understand the root cause, lets face it when a 16 year old gets arressted and charged for ranting there's something terribly wrong, the point is these same people aren't doing anything in the real world to effect change.



A like on facebook does absolutely nothing in the real world. A comment on facebook does absolutely nothing in the real world. And while at the the time both may give us a "Feel Good" moment for doing or saying the right thing, it's a moment in time that is lost in cyber space without any impact in the real world. None, and anyone who thinks it does are simply deluding themselves.

The elections are next year so if people aren't already reaching out to the opposition parties to understand their agenda's and how they will do things differently and to support them openly then nothing will change. If these same people are not convincing their family, their relations and their friends to vote the right way then don't be surprised when the results finally come in.

Personally I am predicting that PAP will win with a landslide again. Yah, they may lose 1 or 2 seats and give everyone the .... "we have woken up speach, we hear you Singapore"... but it's all smoke and mirrors. They are simply not going to change. Everything they have been doing will continue and everything that they have ignored will continue to be ignored. For each election they have given promises laced with threats about who gets priority for HDB upgrades. Many people will just vote them in as before for that reason.

Many will vote them in because they don't want the pain of change (and yes it will be painful not that it's going to happen of course), and thats just a stupid reason to vote for them.

And if after PAP get elected again I hear one person complain about it within ear shot I'm going to slap them, seriously. Because if they are not working to create change then there will be none.

Say what you want about the late Lee Kuan Yew but he brought change, and without him every Singaporean needs to step up to the plate and be the change that they want to see happen.

So all of you armchair politicans get the hell of your collective butt and do something in the real world to help things change (it isn't going to happen online), be the voice for change, support the opposition party of your choice with the same levels of passion and commitment that the late Lee Kuan Yew had for Singapore, you can do no less!.

And if not, then you all know what to expect, it's really that simple.

Singapore After Lee Kuan Yew

As the Singapore moves on from the funeral of Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew (LKY), no doubt we can expect some new publications celebrating the life of the man who has been called by many as the founding father of Modern Singapore.

It is a lofty title and one some Singaporeans believe is not quite as deserving as it seems. After all in 1965 Singapore wasn’t a back water fishing town, indeed it was already a thriving metropolis with a solid transportation infrastructure, health care, school system and so on and certainly far ahead of its’ neighbours too in many of these areas. 

Lets face it LKY certainly did have a hand in continuing the blue print that was laid out and to forge Singapore as it is today. And yes its' also true he didn’t do this alone and if credit is to be given to him as a leader then let credit also fall to the many individuals behind the scene who performed all of the actions that made it possible for Singapore to continue to grow. Nevertheless LKY deserves nothing less than our respect for being the leader that he was. He was the man his country needed him to be for the time that he lived in, and his love for his country and his desire to see it prosper was one of his driving forces.

Indeed, there are also many stories of how ruthless a leader LKY was of how he never gave his enemies a chance. In fact some never even saw it coming and ended up in Jail as a result or banned forever from their home, their own stories now blacklisted from Singapore’s bookshelfs. One day that may change and perhaps we can lift up the hood a little a learn a little more about the real Singapore but for now those stories will remain hidden, locked away for fear of how Singaporeans themselves may take them.

LKY also helped to form the PAP, a democratic party that has been in power for so long that some people believe it will never change.  And although the world has moved on since 1965 the party still seems to employee the same heavy handed tactics of old. The vote for us or you won’t get your HDB upgraded approach and the squashing of the media that has lead to Singapore being ranked 150th out of 180 countries globally in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index in 2014 still continues today.

There is no minimum wage in Singapore and yet despite that fact that in 2014 the Cost of living survey ranked Singapore 1st, as in the most expensive city in the world to live. There is a clear divide between the earning power of individuals in Singapore, and many at the lower end are in fact Singaporeans themselves. And while there are the plus sides like CPF, a fund that is in essence each Singaporeans retirement policy, as the community continues to age the government have made sure that it won’t have to foot the bill for elderly care by making it mandatory to maintain a minimum amount there forcing many elderly Singaporeans back into the workforce in order to survive.

So yes, LKY may have been one of the founding fathers of Modern Singapore and helped to make Singapore what it is today. But that still needs to improve and change with Singaporeans being put first, ahead of the needs of the country. That won’t happen with PAP which is still continuing with the same tired old polices of old, a party that has become so entrenched in Singapore that removing it and replacing it with any other is a herculean task and one that will cause a year of disruption if not more, and to say that of any political party is a very scary thing indeed. Many will vote for PAP out of habit, others out of fear of that very change itself and the fallout that will ensue. All wrong reasons for voting for PAP of course, but then the good reasons are much fewer than they use to be.

So, farewell LKY, thank you for your help to bring this country to where it is today. But now it’s time for change, for a new leader to emerge who will put Singaporeans first and find the balance between maintaining a country and it’s citizens that in my opinion has been lacking for so long. Here’s to the next generation of politicians, it is time to make yourselves known. And I wonder who the next leader will be who can fill the shoes of LKY and lead Singapore to the next stage of its maturity in this shrinking global economy. Who will put it’s citizens first, and profits second. Who will put education for it’s citizens first and others second. Who will put health care for the elderly first and the balance of your medisave account second. Who will actually earn the millions of dollars that they are paid and do what needs to be done and do away with the bullshit.

As we move into the next general election in 2016 let us remember that we are voting for the future NOT what has happened in the past, that we are voting for a party that will bring with it the right degree of change to continue to make Singapore a great nation, and if that means some unrest as part of a transition then so be it. If it’s the right party with the right polices in the end it won’t matter.

So, roll on 2016, and let us hope that a new leader emerges for this new age as the world watches and wonders what changes will take place in Singapore after Lee Kuan Yew.

Why PAP will win the 2016 General Election

There are so many online posts questioning the current PAP governments views across a whole wide variety of topics and issues. And as you read through them, and the many comments people have written, you are left with the sense that here in Singapore there is an strong under current of opposition supporters. Indeed many of the online comments are quiet vocal in NOT voting PAP for the 2016 election.



So how does that impact the current PAP government?

To be honest it doesn’t impact them very much. Probably just sounds like a few mosquitos buzzing around, annoying if anything, but no real world damage.

And that’s pretty much why I am convinced that the PAP will win the next general election in 2016.

Because despite all of this online chatter, as long as it remains online and does not translate into open support for the opposition in the real world then it will have no impact. People need to get off their cyber soap box and contact the opposition party in their GRC to find out how they can help and support them in the run up to the next general election. People need to challenge the opposition to explain their polices and how they would run the country if they were elected. People need to stand up and find their real voice, because it’s only that real voice in the real world that will make a difference. How many have talked to their parents, friends, relatives about voting for the opposition and convinced them of the argument of a need for change.  How many opposition supporters have converted others to be the same. Great that everyone comments and shows that support online, but so what.

Lets be real here. If people are not doing that then no matter how much noise people make online it will have very little effect. In the last general election people voted for the PAP because “better the devil you know” and the change would bring a lot of problems.

Yes, a change in government is going to bring a huge upheaval to Singapore, any transition of power between parties will not be smooth. Any government that replaces the PAP will have it’s work cut out for it in trying to understand the PAP legacy. And for at least 2 years it’s going to be damn messy. BUT in the end if Singapore emerges stronger for that then it is so going to be worth it. And you can expect during that time the PAP will be reminding everyone of how while they were in power everything was so much better.

So, if people really don’t want a PAP government in 2016 then get out in the real world and start making a difference by working with and supporting your opposition parties. And if you are not prepared to do that then you might as well stay silent on the issue because all of those comments online are just noise without substance and useless in forming a new government in 2016.

Phone Zombies

I have a new hate, and it's something so annoying that I'm sure it's on everyone's list as well. What is is, well may you ask, it's the Phone Zombie. And what is a Phone Zombie, well its someone who walks aimlessly in public while busy staring intently at their phone, SMSing, face booking or who the hell knows what.



They are clueless about where they're going, who they're blocking, that they are getting in everyone's way or even how stupid they look. I mean seriously get a life.They are on auto-pilot with no clue that everyone is having to step out of their way to avoid the imminent collision.

Yes these are the Phone Zombies, the people who can't wait until they are actually standing still and out of everyone else's way before they whip out their phone. No way, for this special breed of idiots the phone never leases their sight. It is a permanent fixture as though surgically attached to their hand.

You can spot them a mile away of course, the group at the restaurant who are all sitting together while busy messaging each other at the same table, or the group at the bar all having a drink together while they are busy uploading selfies and totally ignoring the person beside them. Yes the Phone Zombie is often found in packs despite the fact that they have no social skills whatsoever.

These are the Phone Zombies, and their numbers are growing.

You have been warned!!

Hollywood Remakes

Dear Hollywood,

I've written before about abandoning the "lost film" footage movie format which is probably the worst movie format ever invented and totally unwatchable. Unfortunately it seems it still persists with more of these absolutely annoying movies being produced. Obviously some people didn't get the memo.



Anyway, I was wondering if I could add a couple more things to the list of not to do's while I was writting afresh so to speak.

Could I ask you to stop making remakes of a remake. I mean the orignal can always be improved upon it's true in many cases, but the remake of the remake (and is some cases of the remake again) just becomes too much.

Lets take the recent Godzilla movie as an example. While I can applud the CGI and special effects, that alone does not make a movie. The MOTU seemed to be based on the creatures from the movie "The Dark Crystal" and just looked stupid. I mean really stupid. And the sound track rather than adding to the tension and building up was nothing short of annoying. Lastly of course parts of the movie were so dark it was almost impossible to see what the hell was going on on the screen. What was the purpose of that, to show the distruction that two huge monsters can make? To make it more real even though it couldn't possibly EVER be real. I mean it was a total fail. Miserable, pathetic.

I could of course just keep going, but there's no point. If you haven't gotten the picture by now then you never will.

So what is it with Hollywood. Why are there so many remakes of a remake?. There are plenty of novels and stories out there that would make an exciting and interesting new movie. But no, instead of people having an original idea, God forbid, we are continually served a remake of the remake. Godzilla, Superman, Spiderman and so on.

I mean get a grip!

It's rediculous.

NLB Refuses to Tango

The National Library Board (NLB) has come under intense fire from netizens after it decided to pull three children’s book titles off its shelves.



The books were removed after the board received complaints from a member of the public stating that the titles "And Tango Makes Three", "The White Swan Express" and "All About Our Families" were not in line with traditional family values. The first book depicts two male penguins acting like a couple raising a young penguin, the second talks about a single mother, adoption and a lesbian couple while the third features various family structures.

The NLB removed the books citing that they did not align to it's "Pro-Family" stance and despite petitions and feedback from local authors, who have since opted out of a number of NLB events in protest, as well as a wave of online criticism from citizens the NLB made the decision that it would  proceed to pulp the books in question.

Of course the "Pro-Family" stance is one that is being pursued by the Government in Singapore in an attempt to raise the declining birth rate. This on the whole makes the reaction of the NLB even more troubling because it's not policy they are reacting too (which could almost be forgiving since no one could blame them if that was the case). In fact the books in question are not even banned in Singapore and are available for purchases through a number of outlets over the counter already which makes the NLB’s reaction even more extreme not to mention unreasonable.

Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim is reported to have written on his Facebook that "NLB’s decision was guided by community norms. Public libraries serve the community and it is right that they give consideration to community norms. The prevailing norms, which the overwhelming majority of Singaporeans accept, support teaching children about conventional families, but not about alternative, non-traditional families, which is what the books in question are about. This approach is shared between all public agencies dealing with the education and care of young Singaporeans"

In my view while one cannot argue community norms, it is the people in power, the government, that should be ensuring that those same community norms cover all of the community and that there is no discrimination on any basis. For any member of the government or indeed any public figure to hide behind the phrase “community norm” is no longer acceptable. The term "Pro-Family" could be a very positive and powerful statement when it's all inclusive. And if we intend to continue to build a society based on "Equality" then it needs to be.

Doing nothing leaves the door’s open for those radical elements of society who can use those same unchallenged “community norms” to push their own agenda. It's no secret that those same camps are extremely anti-homosexual and have actively been pursing an agenda of discrimination continually striving to have their views (which are based on religious belief) accepted as the only community norm. They succeeded in having these books removed from the NLB, and as disturbing as the NLB removing and pulping the books in question may be, that is even more terrifying.

We are suppose to live in a secular state with a separation of state and religion but it seems to me lately that the lines are getting very blurred.

In the meantime here's one of the authors responses to recent events.

Update
Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim has instructed the National Library Board to place controversial children's books in its adult section, instead of pulping them. He went on to state that "The decision on what books children can or cannot read remains with their parents. Parents who wish to borrow these books to read with their children will have the option to do so." This is an excellent result and what the NLB should have done to begin with. Thank you minister for stepping in and doing what was right.

Singapore CPF Challenges

One has to wonder what the rest of the world is thinking as they look to Singapore and see it's Prime Minister (one of the most highly paid Prime Ministers in the world) sue one it's citizens for damages. 

Well known blogger Roy Ngerng went a tad too far in one of his recent postings on the woes of the CPF system here in Singapore which implied that Prime Minster was criminally misappropriating CPF funds. I can't argue with the smack on the wrist he received for the post which has subsequently removed and an appology issued for, however in addition the Prime Minister is also seeking financial damages with respect to the impact to his reputation.

Personally, I think that a Prime Minster suing a citizen for financial damages for a blog post is going to do more damage to his reputation than the post itself could ever have done. Net citizens are seemingly outraged by this what some are refering to as "bullying tactic" and while Roy Ngerng may have been misguided with respect to his implications about the Prime Minister, his post about the lack of transparancy into the investment strategy of the CPF was nevertheless an interesting read.

Meanwhile Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has pointed out that citizens are free to criticise the government but they must back up any criticisms with facts. I think the good minister needs to understand the definition of the word criticise, it is a word defined as "to find fault with or indicate the faults of (someone or something) in a disapproving way". I'm not sure why you would need facts to do that since by definiton it is not an acqusation meerly an opinion. Although that said, how any member of the public is suppose to get their hands on such facts wasn't mentioned.

Tan Chuan-Jin has also reportedly blogged about the CPF although it still doesn't seem to address many of the points raised by Roy Ngerng (and others). For example, in relation to the rate of interest earned by the CPF Tan Chuan-Jin reportedly says "We then make sure this CPF account grows at a reasonable interest rate without risk", the point on transparency of how CBF money is invested and used missed it would seem.

The CPF is a good system, I don't think anyone can deny that and I don't think anyone is calling for it to be scrapped. But even as Tan Chuan-Jin reportedly posts in his own blog "CPF is your money" then the question of what the government is doing with it is still an important one to ask, just as the question on how the CPF can be improved is equally important. 

Many citizens opinion's seem to be changing with respect to what they want from their government with this latest flurry of activity around the topic of CPF not doing much to help. There seems to be a lot more mummerings of disapproval recently, understandably so it has to be said. 

I also think that much of Roy Ngerng post and subsequent video etc on this issue (as well as others) needs to be addressed. In my opinion he made many valid points that so far have gone unanswered as the focus shifts from those points to the story of the Prime Minister suing him for the implications made in his original story. 

Indeed since the original request PM Lee's lawyer has asked Roy Ngerng to remove 4 more additional articles that he had written and a video seemingly for no other reason than the articles in question (all related to CPF it would seem) would “aggravate the injury and distress to their client”.

It's a shame. I believe that PM Lee could have handled this in a much different manner but instead seems intent on alienating himself and his party just a little futher from the people it's there to serve. I don't think there is anyone I have talked to on this subject that has been impressed.

Brunei and Stoning

I have to admit to being impressed with the acts of some well known personalities, Stephen Fry and Ellen DeGeneres to name two, who have taken to boycotting the Dorchester Collection hotels, owned by the Sultan of Brunei. Sharon Osbourne has also reached out urging her fans to boycott the hotels as well. Even Richard Branson has announced that Virgin is boycotting the hotel chain.



The reason for these boycots is of course as a result of the Sultan passing a change to the penal code, calling for gays to be stoned to death. Indeed, even OutGiving, an LGBT equality-focussed conference for rich philanthropists (and I do not use the word rich lightly either) has also been pulled from the chain. Kirk Fordham, executive director of Gill Action, is reported to have told the Washington Blade: “In light of the horrific anti-gay policy approved by the Government of Brunei, Gill Action made the decision earlier today to relocate its conference from the Beverly Hills Hotel to another property. We are seeking a return of all deposits.”

The Sultan of Brunei has announced that those committing same sex relations could be stoned to death. The draconian law has brought condemnation from the UN, with the tiny Asian oil rich nation having a virtual moratorium on the death penalty since 1957.

Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned Brunei’s new penal code earlier this week. He reportedly said: “Application of the death penalty for such a broad range of offenses contravenes international law.”

It is heartening to see public figures take a stand and I only wish that major corporations and governments could learn a lesson from their actions. It is of course a wish that will never come to pass given that would mean an impact to the bottom line, and lets face it there's oil involved too, but I have to ask what price is a person's life worth.

If even one person is stoned to death under this law, then those same major companies and governments that have done nothing and continue to shake hands with Brunei across the table are as guilty as if they had thrown the stones themselves. It saddens me when I see so much potential in this world and see so many countries taking steps backwards with impunity.

Stoning is a barbaric, cruel, inhuman tortue that no civilised society should endorse. There is simply no justification for it, absolutely none.

The world is no longer a big place, and unless the people of the world raise up their voices as some have already done nothing will change for the better. And if not then we all better be prepared for the consqeuences of our own inaction.

In the meantime, here's a list of the Dorcester luxury Hotel Collection owned by the Sultan of Brunei that you might think about avoiding (not that they are in many people's price range to begin with).

Beverly Hills Hotel (Beverly Hills): Possibly the Dorchester's most famous property, the "Pink Palace" was instrumental in the establishment of Beverly Hills a century ago and continues to play an outsize role in Hollywood wheeling and dealing, especially at its restaurant, the Polo Lounge. Don't expect to see Ellen there, though.

Hotel Bel-Air (Los Angeles): Not as renown as is sister property, the Beverly Hills Hotel, Hotel Bel-Air is still one of L.A.'s most prestigious hotels. It features a presidential suite with its own pool.
The Dorcester (London): One of the world's, and certainly London's, most luxurious hotels, this property in Mayfair features 250 rooms and 49 suits. It opened in 1931.

45 Park Lane (London): Another Mayfair hotel, 45 Park Lane is known for its striking architecture and younger, hipper feel (at least compared to the hopelessly stuffy Dorcester).

Coworth Park (Berkshire, U.K.): This late 18th-century country house was turned into a Dorcester Collection hotel-spa four years ago. Actor-writer Stephen Fry just canceled a stay there over the property's connection to the sultan.

Le Meurice (Paris): This five-star hotel in Paris's 1st Arrondissement is close to the Louvre. It opened in the late 18th-century.

Hotel Plaza Athenee (Paris): Another fancy Parisian palace, this hotel is near the Eiffel Tower and Champs-Elysees and opened over a century ago. It had a cameo in the last season of Sex and the City.

Le Richemond (Geneva): This hotel, located on the banks of Lake Geneva, boats one of the most expensive suites in the world and first opened in 1875.

Hotel Principe di Savoia (Milan): A cosmopolitan gathering place since the 1920s, this property is considered a Milanese landmark by many.

Hotel Eden (Rome): The Dorchester's second Italian property is in Rome's Old City, which features 121 rooms and over-the-top food like foie gras and smoked lobster.

The End of the World - Again!

I'm sure some of you will remember Harold Camping, the evangelist who predicted the end of the world (no doubt he was a tad surprised when it didn't happen on schedule, more than once). Well since his unfortunate demise (one he missed predicting as chance would have it) it would seem that someone else has stepped into his well worn shoes.



Yes, now a popular televangelist from San Antonio named John Hagee has stated that the four lunar eclipses scheduled to begin this month (April 2014) — also known as "blood moons" — are a sign that biblical prophecies are about to come true, as detailed in his book, "Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change"

The lunar eclipse that occurred on April 15 was the first of four consecutive eclipses that Hagee claims are a "world-shaking event," according to the New York Daily News. Astronomers refer to a series of eclipses such as this as a tetrad. While a tetrad isn't a common occurrence, they have happened in the recent past. The last such series happened in 2003 and 2004, and seven more will occur this century. But the fact that tetrads and lunar eclipses are natural occurrences doesn't faze Hagee in the least.

Apparently "God is controlling the sun, the moon and the stars to send our generation a signal that something big is about to happen" Hagee writes in his book, as quoted in the Daily News. Yes he has a whole book on the subject which lucky for him he had the time to write.

And what is the big predication I'm sure you are all wondering, well ... wait for it ... because it's a prediction of earth shaking consequences that once you read it your life will never be the same again. Here it is, in all it's glory

"Something big is going to happen"

Yes, that's it people, an astounding revelation of epic and controversial proportions as I'm sure you'll agree.

Of course Hagee is no stranger to controversies. In 2008, Hagee was criticised for blaming Hurricane Katrina on a New Orleans gay and lesbian rally. "There was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades," Hagee said on NPR. "And I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans."

I have no idea why there are so many people in the world that listen to these self proclaimed evangelists, it doesn't take a sane rationale human being more than one look to recognise bullshit when they hear it.

There are times when I really despair for the future of the human race.