A week ago at this exact time, a man committed suicide by jumping off the platform onto the MRT tracks at Choa Chu Kang station (more about it here). An incoming train pulling into the station ran over him and he was pinned down under its third carriage. Onlookers were shocked and horrified. Civil Defense personnel rushed to the scene and the man was pronounced dead at 8.30am.

What explains this recent spike in the number of ‘MRT suicides’?

Allow me to probe deeper into this worrying trend and explain the reasons and psychology behind the rise in the number of ‘MRT suicides’.

Click through to read the full article

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There was another MRT suicide this morning, this time at Choa Chu Kang MRT. In terms of time and space, it is the closest I’ve ever come to witnessing a successful suicide:
>> If I had arrived at Yew Tee station just 3 min earlier, I would have been on the train that killed the guy
>> Choa Chu Kang station is just the next stop after Yew Tee station

Thank God I arrived at Yew Tee station at my usual time of 8.06am to board the 8.08am train. If I had been earlier, by just 3 min, I would have boarded the 8.04am train that would crush the guy at Choa Chu Kang station, the next station, just 4 min away by train.

Click through to read more about my experience today

Also check out my follow-up article, MRT Suicides - Explaining the Phenomenon, in which I offer some explanations for the recent surge in suicide attempts

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Over the past decade, as technological advances have bloomed around the world, so too many universities have embraced the empowering effects of technology. The flowering of wireless connectivity and virtual learning environments is thus simply a natural off-shoot of technological growth. Indeed, wireless connectivity is now so rooted in our halls of learning that we rely upon it for module selections, essay submissions, internship applications and other critical functions.

But has the covering of our education landscape by the swath of technology come at a price? Many undergraduates are now required to submit essays and projects via the Internet on weekends, thus demolishing any semblance of a structured time for rest and relaxation.

The following article perfectly summarised in brief the main costs and benefits of this phenomenon:

FunkyGrad.com: MicroSerfdom by Natalie Tse, NUS

Is technology a boon or bane for students?

Share your opinion now!

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Virtual pedophilia in the vast virtual world of Second Life has sparked a fierce debate in the real world over its legality. Immoral it certainly is, but is it legal?

Virtual worlds, it seems, are increasing imitating the real world. This, unfortunately, includes its numerous vices, such as gambling, drugs, crime, and now, pedophilia.

Click through to view a video by CNN reporter Kristie Lu Stout about the increasingly complex ethical and legal minefields posed by virtual worlds such as Second Life

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Homosexuality has been the hot topic of discussion among Singaporeans for the past year. In particular, the debate has centered around Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code, which forbids men from having sex with one another in public or private.

Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code
Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years.

Read on to learn the full range of the debate and peruse relevant links

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How often have you encounted the following situations in your life?

• You adore her. You’re madly head over heels in love with her. You plan an elaborate and romantic date with her. You see her… you approach… but you don’t have the guts to ask her out. You’re afraid your look too shabby. You worry she might turn you down. You keep waiting for the right moment, only to watch as another guy chats her up. Your heart sinks and you hopelessly watch as the love of your life walks away with another guy.
• You’re on-stage to deliver an item/announcement, having already rehearsed the piece many times over in private. However, when the moment arrives, self-dout sprouts, you begin to wonder if the public would approve of the manner of your presentation. Seeking to prevent apparent embarrassment, you retreat from the glare of the audience and tone down the flair of your presentation.
• You modestly mumble an idea in a meeting, assuming that co-workers will be awestruck if they like it, appalled if they don’t. Net effect: Nobody really hears the idea –until the annoying extrovert across the table repeats it more loudly, and gets all the glory.

If situations similar to the above never seem to stop surfacing in your life, you are in denial. You have a self-doubt monster growing at your back, gnawing at all the your innate vitality and confidence.

Read on to discover how to overcome this crisis of self-doubt and regain your confidence, vitality, zest, and the love of your life!

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The 20 Sep 2007 edition of URBAN highlighted the growing numbers of teenagers in Singapore undergoing plastic cosmetic surgery. Renowned cosmetic surgeon Woffles Wu reports that teenagers now form 35 percent of his patients. Other cosmetic surgeons in the island report that up to a third of their patients are teenagers.

Teenagers today face a whole swath of psychological issues even as their physiology is still evolving. Chief among these is insecurity. Many teenagers would openly admit to being dissatisfied with their physical features. This perception is further perpetuated by the media. Celebrities and models with flawless features are flashed prominently across the front pages of many magazines and newspapers. Picture-perfect singers grace the covers of their CDs. Everywhere, everytime, these growing youths are bombarded with the pressure to look good in an image-conscious society.

Click through to read the full commentary

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It made headlines in many Singapore newspapers. It was recently the subject of much disputation within the discussion boards of many Singapore forums. Many bloggers sounded off on the subject. It was even the point of contention in a debate in the 2nd semi-final round of ‘The Arena’. The topic? Elitism among Singapore students.

Indeed, this discussion has been simmering for quite some time now. Much like a volcano building up pressure, elitism has been a point of many a heated debate among parents, educators, politicians and students for years. Only now has it erupted with such violent force into the public arena, prompting volatile responses from students and provoking politicians to examine its causes and consequences.

Click through to read the full commentary

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