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[southeastasianists]

Singapore’s racial categories are like clicking an old drop-down menu: Chinese, Malay, Indian, or Other. No custom fields.

The effects of this rigid classification trickle down to nearly every facet of life here, from your ethnic identity to which HDB flats you’re allowed to buy under the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP), and which self-help group will support you in times of need. 

Thanks to our increasingly diverse population, ‘Others’ is the fastest-growing category. Everyone from Malay-Kiwis to German-Indonesians find themselves included under the ‘Others’ umbrella. Since 2011, parents of mixed kids can also opt to register them under a double-barrelled race, a sign that interracial families are becoming more normalised. 

At what point, though, should we start creating more options? Or making them optional? Or shifting away from using the CMIO framework altogether?

The CMIO framework has faced intellectual criticism for years. Yet, according to a new Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) report published on February 3, most Singapore residents aren’t ready to abandon it.

Support for keeping the framework unchanged has risen sharply—from 46.2 percent in 2018 to 58.1 percent in 2024. At the same time, fewer people want it expanded to be more inclusive, with support dropping from 39.4 percent to 32.1 percent.

Four neat little boxes are a considerable oversimplification of the diverse cultures we’re now home to. But why are we holding on so tightly to it? Is it really one of Singapore’s ‘sacred cows’ that can’t be slayed? 

The CMIO Status Quo

A scan of the rest of the IPS study titled Faultlines in Singapore reveals a more complete picture. 

We’re seeing some progress in racial and religious harmony in Singapore. Greater acceptance of all races in personal relationships, fewer reports of racial discrimination at work, and a greater appreciation for diversity, to name a few heartening statistics from the report. 

All that is well and good. But we also seem to prefer sticking to the status quo when it comes to race issues. For example, more Singapore residents indicated that they wanted more government involvement in race issues. 

57.5 percent of the respondents in 2024 felt there was enough public discourse on race, while 16.9 percent believed there should be less—a puzzling stance given that ignorance and division still surface time and again.

People are still doing blackface; people think brownface is funny. The chronically-online are starting to use terms like “Type C” and “Type M” to refer to different races. We can’t talk about showering in the morning without descending into stereotypes and name-calling. 

If anything, we should really be having more open discussions on race and racism.

It is somewhat promising that younger respondents and those in the ‘Others’ category seem more open to change. Nearly half (46.4 percent) of ‘Others’ support expanding the CMIO framework for inclusivity—compared to fewer than four in ten Chinese, Malay, and Indian respondents. Those aged 18 to 35 were also far more likely to back this than those over 65.

Simply put, most of us resist change, prefer clear-cut rules, and aren’t all that keen on discussing race.

Despite small shifts in attitudes, the IPS study makes one thing clear: there’s still a long way to go. Which brings us back to the CMIO framework—the backbone of so many public policies. Would we be better off looking beyond the checkboxes we’re assigned at birth?

Why Can’t We Let It Go?

The CMIO framework’s roots can be traced back to the first census in the 1800s. Back then, there were more racial and ethnic categories respondents could choose from, such as Hokkien, Bugis, and Javanese. But over time, the categories have been simplified to the ‘big four’: Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Others. 

“Rather than valuing differences amongst the population, it has served to homogenise social groups and eliminate the diversity and heterogeneity within them,” Laavanya Kathiravelu, assistant professor in sociology at Nanyang Technological University, posits in her 2017 paper Rethinking race: beyond the CMIO categorisations.

She points to the promotion of Mandarin as the singular language of the Chinese and the closure of dialect radio stations in the ‘80s as evidence of this. 

Indeed, our early days as a nation were a different time. Our ancestors stuck closely to their fellow immigrants, and clan and dialect associations were common. 

Things are markedly different now. Most of us likely identify as Singaporean first and foremost, rather than wherever our ancestors came from. 

However, CMIO and its related policies are still needed today to maintain racial harmony, the government has maintained.

Doing away with it could worsen outcomes, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam cautioned in Parliament today. Singaporeans are registered under over 200 different races, he clarified—races that are then classified into C, M, I or O for administrative purposes. 

“So the CMIO framework does not prescribe one’s racial identity, but helps us to administer race-based policies and programmes that promote social cohesion, identify those who need help, and safeguard the rights of minorities.”

At the 2022 Singapore Perspectives conference, Cindy Khoo, the deputy secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office Strategy Group, also said the government remains both cautious and fearful about ethnic faultlines in the population and potential societal problems such as the racial riots in Singapore’s history.

Policy responds to what society requires, she says. The EIP, for example, will become less relevant when people naturally choose to live in more diverse neighbourhoods. That has yet to manifest, it seems.

“Today, the fact that there are still a lot of [housing] applications that potentially could be rejected—because they have met the quota—means that there is still a tendency for people to want to congregate in a way that we think doesn’t promote cohesion and a shared lived experience in a neighbourhood.”

Perhaps another potential challenge of moving away from the CMIO framework is the complexity of rewriting other policies like the group representation constituencies (GRCs) system. Each GRC has to be comprised of at least one minority candidate—based on the CMIO framework—to ensure a diverse representation in Parliament. Could we end up with less minority representation in Parliament if it were not mandated? 

These are all valid considerations. In the same way that relationships need work, racial harmony, too, requires a concerted effort from all parties. 

In Singapore’s approach to race issues, we’ve always taken the conservative path, using laws to police any content that might come across as inflammatory. In fact, Parliament just passed the Maintenance of Racial Harmony Bill on February 4th, giving the authorities more powers to act against those threatening Singapore’s racial harmony.  

Maybe suggesting doing away with CMIO is too big of a change for Singapore residents to fathom. A “post-race” or race-blind Singapore seems far too idealistic right now. The IPS study found that 18.4 percent of Malays and 16.7 percent of Indians reported feeling racially discriminated against in a job application or job promotion. In comparison, only 3.7 percent of Chinese said they had experienced such discrimination. 

Across both waves of data collection in 2024 and 2018, 83.8 percent of Singapore residents also expressed that it is important in immigration policy to maintain the racial makeup in the population. 

But what does it really mean to maintain a racial makeup when there are more and more interracial folk—as well as more naturalised citizens who only fit under the umbrella of ‘Others’? 

The number on the census might remain the same, but the dynamics in real life aren’t. I can’t help wondering if the importance we place on maintaining the racial makeup of the country comes from the Chinese folks scared of losing our majority status.

Faultlines Emerging

The CMIO framework has been a foundational crust of Singapore’s racial pie. But it also has its drawbacks. 

Logically, as long as someone is a Singapore citizen, they should have the same access and rights as everyone else. But under the CMIO framework, things like housing access are differentiated based on race. And while the details of our citizenship criteria remain shrouded in mystery, it’s clear that race is a consideration when it comes to granting citizenship. 

The CMIO model has also instituted what sociologists have termed racialisation, Kathiravelu writes. This means certain races are associated with certain stereotypes. 

“In this case, the less privileged socio-economic position of many Malay Singaporeans is equated with their ‘race’. Lower levels of formal educational and economic achievement are then articulated as a problem of ‘race’, rather than one faced by lower-income students and workers (where Malays are overrepresented).”

Relying on the CMIO framework and immigration policy to preserve Singapore’s racial composition rests on the assumption that selecting new citizens who share local languages, cultural norms, and physical traits will ease integration. But Singaporean citizens are less convinced.

At the same time, new divisions are emerging—most notably, the societal rift between local-born Singaporeans and naturalised citizens.

Beyond race, economic stratification is becoming a deeper fault line, with growing resentment from the working class toward the wealthy. It’s a divide we can no longer ignore.

Moving Away From KPI

It’s very Singaporean of us to point to statistics and KPIs and pat ourselves on the back for doing a good job. 

Sure, ensuring a mix of races living in a housing estate looks good on paper. So does maintaining a consistent racial makeup. But can we have honest, nuanced conversations about race without tiptoeing around OB markers? Are minorities able to speak up about intolerance without being questioned and silenced? 

Imagining a future beyond CMIO isn’t about erasing race. And we certainly aren’t suggesting that the government stop collecting race-related data like France. Rather, it’s about recognising that we are Singaporeans first. It’s about understanding that identity isn’t confined to the letters C, M, I, or O.

The IPS study acknowledges this growing belief. Younger Singaporeans, in particular, have raised concerns about how these policies risk reinforcing rigid identity markers and deepening stereotypes.

“Moving forward, it will be crucial to continually assess the relevance of these policies and explore alternative ways to achieve racial harmony without inadvertently entrenching social divisions,” the study concludes. 

As we move forward, we have to ask: Are these frameworks still holding us together, or are we forcing ourselves into boxes that no longer fit? 

If racial harmony is the goal, perhaps the real question isn’t whether we can move beyond CMIO—but how we evolve it into something that reflects Singapore today, rather than the Singapore it was created for.

[instruth]

EPISODE 9, SEASON 7.

“Lewis Lowe Tells His Story of Betrayal..”

The New Celestial Series continues…

——————————————————————

Lewis Lowe, Special Guest Presenter, speaks at the Hall of The Eternal Present…

I was doing well at the Royal Navy until I was hit by shrapnels during the war. I almost lost my right leg. Surgeons at the ship saved my life and my leg. But I walked with a bad limp, and was discharged from the navy. I couldn’t get another job until our Constituency MP, Mr Charles Wilkinson gave me a job at his office as a dispatcher. That was how I got to know Miss Elizabeth Wilkinson, Mr Jeffrey Cunningham and Mr Steve Grossman. Later, I began working for Jeffrey and Steve, as I had special training as a navigator in the Navy—to take charge of their many sailing assignments.

There were large boxes of cargos to handle. We shipped them from a port in China to Japan—very frequently. One night, Mr Wilkinson happened to come on board with us. Later that night, there was a violent quarrel between Mr Wilkinson and Mr Cunningham. I heard everything. Up until then, I did not know Jeffrey and Steve were smuggling raw opium from the Chinese to the Japanese.

It was Steve who later convinced me to help patch up a misunderstanding between Charles and Jeff. He recommended a picnic at a scenic spot near the beach. We had to go on horses to reach the area. That was when it happened. We got into an argument with a Japanese Lord (Daimyo) and his escort of Samurai warriors. I didn’t suspect it was actually a plot to get Charles killed and to blame it on the Daimyo and his gang—had I not seen Jeffrey and Steve deliberately bumped their horses against Charles’. Mr Wilkinson fell off his horse and was killed by the Daimyo’s chief Samurai, named Saigo. When I saw this, I rode off swiftly—pursued by them. I feared for my life—more from these two conspirators than from the Japanese. This incident at Namamugi led to a war between Britain and Japan. It was a political crisis that occurred in the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Bakumatsu on 14 September 1862.

(…episode ends here…to be continued)

——-

For fear of being killed

I then hid in Singapore

That’s the brutal truth.

——-

©Johnny J P Lee

27 July 2025

HAIBUN: STORY + HAIKU 5-7-5

(An adaptation from ‘The Namamugi Incident- the brutal truth’, by J. P. Lee)

IMAGES—courtesy of Unsplash / First Image, J P Lee.

[lichtgrau]

────── ⌇ Chieri ; Historical Verses (canon base)

❝ My goals were made in the past, but I am not somebody who spends his time looking back. The past is written, so I'll achieve my goal in the future.❞

─── Early Years ; Spirit; Japan 15th Century

During the Muromachi Period (1336–1573), Chieri was born as one of 145 kudagitsune serving the Matsuka clan. Instead of following tradition and serving the whole clan, he was assigned to an elderly herbalist whose kindness and wisdom deeply shaped him. Longing to recreate such a close bond, Chieri eventually broke from custom, a choice that led to his downfall later on.

─── End of the Spirit ; Human Body ; Japan 17th Century

Near the end of his supposed life span, Chieri comes to serve two brothers of the clan exploring soul travel. The magic goes terribly wrong, angering an ancient being, and Chieri finds himself sealed within the younger’s body. He's allowed to remain with the clan, now trained in trade and picking up his first master's passion for growing herbs. Over the centuries, the spirit's magic keeps the vessel young, and unable to leave the body, Chieri is denied death, as izuna transform into pure energy upon dying. He dedicates himself to finding a way to break it while picking up more and more human traits and desires, at least partly.

─── Traveling ; Human Body ; World Changing & Abroad

With the end of the Edo Period in 1868 and the country opening up, Chieri decides to leave the clan, having learned to blend in easily with humans. He takes the risk of going abroad, driven by curiosity and the hope that foreign magic might offer a way out of his situation. He continues his education, first in Europe and briefly in America. His role as a merchant helps him while still adhering to a kudagitsune’s habits.

─── 20th Century; Human Body ; Modern World

Chieri spent the first half of the 20th century in Singapore, watching history unfold. He returned to Japan in the 1960s after hearing that his clan was nearing its end. He spent ten years with the last member before inheriting the property. He began trading magical herbs he cultivated, adapting seamlessly to the country’s rapid modernization. The corporate world proved ideal for an izuna, allowing him to reach his full potential by serving business leaders while continuing his personal quest. His international experience proved useful, as he often joins employers on global business trips or visits old friends abroad.

[stonedragonisnthere]

HHN icon headcanons!!!

(Part 1)

Blue - Unserious hc

Red - Serious hc

(These are not related to shipping or ships but are rather personality/lore traits I’m assigning each character. These hcs also do not mind canon much. )

~~🤡🎁~~

• believe it or not, Jack is one of the best people to go to for dating advice! He knows how to control a massive crime gang and how to get and keep bitches!

• Jack is polysexual + Panromantic

• Jack and Eddie are mixed (American + Singaporean). Their parents weren’t married when Eddie and Jack were born and their father left their mother

• Jack sort of picked up certain eating habits from Dr.Oddfellow, however he does have some knowledge on cooking basic meals, think of those four ingredient “lazy mom” recipes you’d see on TikTok from time to time.

• Jack does care about his brother, he doesn’t bring it up much but has offered help to Eddie in the past

• Jack has ADHD but has found ways to help him focus on certain things

• Jack has been seen without his clown makeup by the icons so rarely that when he did, the icons tried to kill him because they thought he was a victim Adaru put in the lantern.

• Jack and Chance are both insane clown posse enjoyers

• Jack is more than willing to shoot Chance and anyone else he likes out of a canon (it’s his way of affection/very lh)

~~✂️🎩~~

•Albert Caine had brown hair when he was younger

• Albert’s way larger underneath his professional wear. After a day at work it’s a relief taking off his corset and relaxing for the night.

•Albert’s wife who he had Cindy with passed away after she was born. He chose not to date after and focused on his morgue and raising his daughter.

•He is one of the more polite icons, he is willing to talk in interrogations or explain what the icons are to people (Mostly his murder victims before their death)

• Albert secretly enjoys the carebears, his favorite care bear is Take Care Bear.

• Jack and Albert are fishing buddies

~~🎥🕷️~~

• Paulo is surprisingly durable for being only a guy, he’s survived everything from snake bites to full on getting blown up. However he does have stitches through out his whole body.

• He is very much a film snob, Definitely a gatekeeper on how much of a horror fan someone is but doesn’t move the goal point much, he’ll respect you if you say certain movies are good

• Paulo has OCD, and even through his trashy workspace, he has all of his filming equipment in specific areas made for each tool and accessory he uses and does get angry at the other icons whenever someone places something of his in the wrong place

• Billy Skorrski was one of his 6 to 7 fake IDs he has used while in Singapore

• The most Paulo is able to cook is some cup noodles and a monster energy as a drink. Whenever anybody does cook for him he wolfs his plate down then goes back to whatever he’s working on for that day.

• Paulo believes himself to be an “Alpha male” and Jack dogs on him for his beliefs

•He also gets into fights with people on subreddits

~~📖🔪~~

• Elsa is the walking Swiss Army knife of the group. She always seems to have some tool or weapon useful to the situation happening to the icons.

• Some of her favorite books are Grim’s fairytales and murder mysteries, Elsa does like when the murderer gets away in them though :)

• Her and Julian hang out from time to time. (Elsa likes the old timey movies the palace theatre plays and Julian sometimes sits down with Elsa for some tea and to listen to music)

• Elsa is a lesbian but has no interest for anyone in the lantern.

• She is willing to read tamer books depending on who’s asking (She reads to Cindy sometimes when she needs to go to bed)

• Elsa despises Dr.Oddfellow just as much as Jack does. She has her own beef with Fellow that I’ll get into in another post

• Elsa would make a booktok person bite the curb

• Nobody knows what she does with her victims tongues

[helpinassignmentonline]

[bagelbright-tok]

Stayin' Alive

Used 'Too many beds,' from the "reverse tropes," as a prompt for this fic.

After the events of N'Doul, you stay with Kakyoin at the hospital, waiting for the rest of the group to come. While being led to the room Kakyoin would be staying in, instead of an empty room, you see... mattresses? Watch out! An enemy appears with a power able to rival your own!

JJBA x fem!reader, TW: Swearing, mentions of death, a dead body, mentions of blood, fighting

Word Count: 2,156

'Text' = thoughts, "Text" = music

__________

No Time To Talk

_____

"Egypt!?"

You knew you should have denied when this teen and his grandpa began raving about a hundred year old vampire who was killing the teen's mom spiritually. Of course, with the context of Stands, you were more willing to believe them; Joseph Joestar, Jotaro Kujo, Noriaki Kakyoin, Muhammed Abdul, and Jean-Pierre Polnareff.

You were in the same boat as Kakyoin-- no commitment other than to Jotaro's mom, a stranger. While you knew the trip would be life threatening-- you weren't expecting a grave example.

The Emperor and Hanged Man. At first, you played your part. Minded your own business, even managed to tune out Polnareff's and Abdul's argument. You'd barely met them; you didn't want anything to do with their drama.

The whole day became one moment. You, Mr. Joestar, and Kujo stared down at Abdul's dead body. You couldn't help but feel a rattling terror and chill. You'd just met this man in Singapore, and now he was dead. Kakyoin and Polnareff were nowhere in sight.

"What--? What do we do?" You shutter.

No one said anything. Not a noise slipped out.

That day was a while ago. You still think of it-- or, well, it haunts you. Your encounter with N'Doul was arguably also terrifying. Another Stand reliant on sound? Not to mention the useless dog the team acquired. Your headphones were destroyed in that battle-- truly the biggest lost to you.

It did save you, though, temporarily.

All of this runs through your head before a doctor approaches. "Miss [L/N]?" You look up. "We are placing Mr. Kakyoin in his room. Please follow me,"

You stand and follow the moving MD. Your mind is still in a static. "Is he okay?"

"Yes, the main damage was fortunately done to his eyelids rather than his eyeballs." The doctor stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Still, there was some damage, and his eyes need to heal."

"Hey, I'm a big fan of it not being as bad as it could have been," you exhale. "How long will it take?"

You begin to see two nurses rolling a bed towards you and the doctor. It seems you are meeting Kakyoin at his room. "We estimate around two weeks,"

"Shit, two?" You look to the doctor. "That's a long time."

"Optimal for healing,"

The doctor stopped with the bed next to the door. As the doctor opened it, the bed was reoriented to fit through the door. You entered.

"What the fuck?" Bed upon beds upon beds. The room is littered with them. "Is this a storage room or what?"

"Ehm..." The doctor is also looking around the room, confused. "N-no! This is.. this is supposed to be Mr. Kakyoin's room! The key is only for this room,"

You snatch the key. "Let me see that!" You turn and compare the number on the key to the one on the door. "Doc, someone's gotta be fuckin' with you! Why are there so many goddamm beds!?" You throw the key back at the man, growing more frustrated.

"To use against you, [Y/N]~!" A voice echoed from within the beds.

You shoot your head around. "Seriously?" you groan. "Can we not get a day off?" The static was ringing now.

"Your Stand is formidable, I hear," the voice coo'd. "I was beyond elated to have been assigned to handle you and Noriaki!" The doctor was yelling in fear, backing out of the "bed" room.

"Yeah? I can tell by the way you talk, you're overcompensating," You scoff at them. "Why don't you show yourself and see how 'formidable' my Stand is!" You point at the beds, challenging the user.

"Oh, please, as much as I would love to, I also enjoy living." The voice laughed, the source being thrown around the room. "First, the battlegrounds should be in my favour!"

A loud thwap echoed around the room as each and every mattress slapped themselves against the walls of the room. One even managing to slam the door behind you. You look around, now spotting the source of the comments and mattresses.

"Cushioning the walls?" You fold your arms. "I'm guessing so when I beat you, you won't hit them so hard?"

"Don't you hear the difference already, [Y/N]?" They tapped on their ears. "I've made the room sound-proof. The noise we make doesn't bounce back, or echo-- and no noise can get in." They smiled widely.

Your eyes widened. "S-so what?" You stutter, pointing a sharp finger at them.

"So what?" They laughed loudly. "Your Stand, Ace's Wand, is entirely reliant on noises and your feelings. I also know, you don't do well without your music, so-!" They spread their arms out defiantly. "-I have made you your own personal Hell!"

"Shit," you mutter. "So what's your power? Mattress making and manipulation?"

"My Stand is Knave! It's a bit more intricate than that," they explained. "I can create objects from nothing and manipulate them as I please. Mattresses were simply the most inconspicuous object for me to make and plaster."

"Inconspicuous?" You doubted

"It got you in here, didn't it?"

"...Touché."

"Enough talk!" The Knave's wielder yelled, a sparkling object beginning to form in their hand. They launched it towards you before it was fully created.

You gasp, rolling out of the way of the brick hurdling towards you. "Ha!" You taunt, perhaps too early. "ACK--!" A strong heavy force smashes into the back of your head. The brick finally crumbled and seemingly vanished.

"Did you forget the part where I can manipulate what I create?" They snickered, another object beginning to form in their hand.

You groan from the ground, holding your bleeding head. Your vision hurts and blurs, but you're coherent enough to be pissed.

'With enough blows like that, I will forget!' You think to yourself. 'I have to try and use my Stand-- even if it'll be hard to control without music!'

You begin to stand, shakily. Another brick hurdles towards you-- this time you duck down. You summon your Ace's Wand-- partially. You hear the brick change trajectory towards you again. Waiting for the last second, you twist out of the way, allowing the brick to instead smash into the ground.

"Using your Ace to hear my moves, eh?" They hummed. "They may not do as much damage, but perhaps quieter objects will do!"

"Fuck you!" You sprint towards the enemy, almost tripping. You raise a confident fist and throw it towards them. You see them try to raise an arm in defense, but they're too slow.

Your knuckles collide into their face-- you can feel their skin wrap around your hand. With the combination of your Stand, the enemy is launched backward into a mattress.

You breathe heavily, wiping your bloody fist onto your pants. The enemy groans in pain. "I--I think--! I think I'll be better off, out of sight as well..."

"What?"

You can only watch in horror as the enemy slowly melts into the mattress, becoming one with it. 'I need to get some fuckin' music in here, fast!' Your thoughts are all you're left with along with the eerie silence now encasing the room.

You take steps to look around the room, waiting for the next attack. 'Knave creating objects doesn't have a noise.' You spin at the disturbance of air behind you. 'Throwing them rips the air-- but that same sound could be Knave coming out of a mattress... they're too similar sounding!' A flat pane of glass is already too close to you and shatters into your face.

You scream, "AUUGGH--!" the shards digging in and causing you to stumble back. 'Shit! They know what they're doing! Sending things I would hear too late to dodge!' You hover your hands over your face, trying not to touch it.

A small ring alerts you again. You shift to left and watch as a long needle of glass flies by into the wall, shattering into the mattress and disappearing. 'T-too close!' You try to think of a plan while avoiding as many of the glass knives and needles as you can.

You don't avoid them all, though. One needle tears itself through your left shoulder-- another one through the same arm. A ceiling attack rockets a needle and it embeds itself nicely into your right foot, which gives Knave the opportunity to shoot knives straight into your legs. You wail in pain and lay on the ground as comfortably as you can. There was a lot of glass in a lot of your body.

You hear the laughing of the enemy. He reappears and stands above your bloodied form. "It's hard to believe that you, the great [Y/N] [L/N], managed to defeat Yellow Temperance," they stated sarcastically. "You were clearly just lucky."

You shake your head. "I'm-- I'm not lucky," you groaned. "Luck doesn't-- augh--! Luck doesn't win battles!" You smile widely, revealing your blood stained teeth.

The enemy stares down in disgust and horror. "What does that mean!?" Now they're on high alert, looking around the room. "You have your Stand summoned! Where is it!?"

You begin to laugh finally. A loud ringing causes the Knave wielder to look up. A gaping hole in one of the mattresses reveals an intercom. "What!?" They scream, reaching up quickly.

A noise begins to emit from it, though, and the moment it does, the enemy is slammed into the ground. "Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk / I'm a woman's man, no time to talk," Now you hover above the enemy, your Stand taking on a horrifying, yet controlled, appearance.

"You are right, my Stand does rely on music," you explain. "However, my Stand isn't a short-range. It can travel up to 100 metres."

"N-no way!" The enemy cried, your Stand beginning to crush them. "Y-you were using your Stand to dodge my attacks! You couldn't have-- have used it to put music on!"

"Wrong, and correct," you smile. "I wasn't using Ace to dodge, but if I were, I definitely wouldn't have been able to put music on."

"The New York Times' effect on man,"

You begin to bob to the music. "Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother, / You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive!"

You turn around and walk away, tuning into the music as the enemy begins to scream in pain. The sounds of shredding and crunching are muted to you.

"Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive!"

The mattresses disappear as you arrive at the door. "Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive!" You open the door, the doctor and nurse standing next to Kakyoin's bed in fear.

When they look into the room, there is nothing but the dents and the splatters of blood on the floor. The Bee Gee's echo through the entire building.

"Hey, uh," you begin. "When you're done with Kakyoin, do you think you could take a look at me, doc?"

You remember the doctor nodding frantically, darkness, and then waking up in a hospital bed two metres away from Kakyoin's.

"Damn,"

***

"Oh my god!" Joseph exclaimed at you. "I didn't think a Stand user would actually attack at a hospital! Those workers of DIO really are downright diabolical!"

"Kakyoin is the most vulnerable," Jean-Pierre pointed out. "It makes sense they would want to take advantage of that and try to get him while he's down."

"I'm more surprised they were able to clock my flaws so fast," you hum quietly.

"Oh." Jotaro noised as he rummaged around his pockets for a moment. "I found a store that sold these things. It looked like the one you had before."

Jotaro reveals a pair of headphones. You widen your eyes and snatch them giddily. "They're exactly like them!" You excitedly announce. "Thank you! God, it's been Hell without my music!"

You immediately pull out your Walkman, pop a tape in, connect the headphones, and play your music. You leave one headphone on while the other rests on your head so you can still hear the team.

"All the pairs of headphones we tried to get you as replacements," Joseph began his complaint, "And all you wanted were your old ones!? I paid a lot of money to get those brand new, top-quality ones the other day!"

"I like my old ones," you shrug. "I don't like how the new ones feel on my head or ears."

You put the headphones on completely, now unable to hear Joseph and his frustrated and annoyed rant about your pickiness. You bob your head to the music and even close your eyes so as to avoid his angry hand signs.

"Music loud and women warm / I've been kicked around since I was born / And now it's all right, it's okay,"

"And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive / Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive!"

______

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It's been like, two? Years? Damn. Anyways, this is a continuation of my fic, Take Me to Funkytown! It has been a while since I have written for JJBA, and I am still not very good at writing fight scenes, so I hope you lot are able to enjoy this! Shout out to @cheesencrackersinprison for commenting on my Funkytown fic. It was actually the greatest motivation for me to write this.

[ceremonialmagic101]

Hey hi! I saw your post about Capricorn season & Akephalos and you mentioned Asklepios. May I ask if you could please explain the association? I don't know anything about the topic and I feel really dumb asking for this.

Thank you if you'll answer, and have a great 2025!

Sure.

I'm going to have to go into a lot of detail here on the astronomy that underlies the astrology.

You may have seen some bits and bobs from time to time about how "NASA says the astrologers are wrong because there are thirteen signs in the Zodiac! They forgot Ophiuchus!" And that's bullshit, because there are — and always have been — only twelve signs.

But signs and constellations are not the same thing. Signs are zones of abstract latitude in the sky, while constellations are mappings of star-groups. It may be helpful to think of signs as sectors of 30° units of latitude — which, is, say, the east-west distance from London to Estonia, or New York City to western Nebraska, or from say, Sydney Australia to Singapore. Note that I'm not talking about the north-south axis at all or the diagonal "as the crow flies" distance... just the "width" on the map, as it were. So that's signs.

Constellations, on the other hand, are more like countries with fixed borders. And it is true that there are more constellations in the Zodiac than there are signs. I think there are fifteen? — the twelve constellations for which the signs are named, plus Ophiuchus, Orion, and Cetus... and while Ophiuchus DEFINITELY crosses the line of the Ecliptic (the Sun's apparent path across the sky month to month), Orion and Cetus just-just touch it, although I'm not an expert on exactly how astronomers draw the sector lines of the 88 official constellations, and when it comes to the little corners and edges of Orion and Cetus, they might touch the line of the Ecliptic in some years and in other years they might not. And I don't know if they drew the constellation lines for rational reasons, or if it was more like for politically charged reasons like drawing the Radcliffe Line separating India from Pakistan in 1947...

Anyway.

We're left with one constellation that DOES cross the Ecliptic, but IS NOT a sign: Ophiuchus.

Now, Ophiuchus is "the snake handler". And a large number of ancient sources agree that the snake-handler in question is Asklepios or Asclepius the physician-god of ancient Greece (and sometimes called "Paion" because that's the name of the healer with the Achaean army in Homer's Iliad). The ancient astronomer/astrologer Marcus Manilius associates 'the bright star of Ophiuchus" with poisons, with medicines, and with protection from illness; and other ancient texts, some by anonymous authors, credit the star Ras Alhague (sometimes one word, Rasalhague, also α Ophiuchi, the brightest star of Ophiuchus... all the same thing ) with the profession ιατρων, (Latinized to iatron)... that is "healer" or "physician" or "doctor" (a doctor who uses astrology in their practice is called an ιατρωμαθεματκοσ, iatromathimatikos, or "healer who uses [star-]math").

Today, Ras Alhague is usually assigned to 22° Sagittarius in the tropical Zodiac — which is to say that for astrological purposes, we're ignoring the fact that it's considerably north of the ecliptic, and we're pretending it's on the ecliptic. The Sun will usually be at 22° Sagittarius on or about the 14-15th of December each year, and that means that the Sun and Rasalhague will rise at about dawn, together.

But of course, any star that is conjunct the Sun at dawn will be invisible.

It takes about 10 to 12 days from that conjunction for Ras Alhague to be visible, just above the horizon, just before dawn, in the Northern Hemisphere, which means around the time that the Sun reaches 5° Capricorn, the middle of Capricorn I (which runs 0° Cap 00' to 9° Cap 59').

It also takes the Sun about ten days (sometimes nine, sometimes eleven, usually about ten) to travel a distance of 10°. By the 2nd century AD, at least, the Greek-speaking population of Alexandria had come to associate every ten-day period in the year with a deity that helped people on Earth, and usually included a celebration or festival of that deity during that ten day period.

And so, sometime between the Winter Solstice (December 21) and the modern New Year (January 1), keen-eyed skywatchers would have seen Ras Alhague rise in the east — the head of Ophiuchus the snake-charmer, the god Asklepios — and would know that it was time for the physician-god festival.

A few days later — roughly January 1 to January 10 — almost all of the constellation of Ophiuchus will be above the horizon before the Sun rises. And this is associated with Hygeia, the goddess of Health. Some myths call her the wife of Asclepius, some call her his daughter, some call her his mother. Either way, they're a pair — and they ruled over the twenty-day period between the Winter Solstice and the rough mid-point of January. Among the 36 minor deities of Greek religion that ruled the 36 decans of ancient astrology, they're one of just two pairs of husbands-and-wives that are consecutive (the other is Hades and Persephone, who rule from the Spring Equinox to about April 10).

Now... I'll dive into a little UPG here, and add that I've found that working with Asklepios and Hygeia on health and healing matters has been very helpful, but hasn't turned me into a doctor (or even an iatromathimatikos). Watching their healing power go out into the world today feels a bit like reiki, but a) it's not the same thing, although it's similar, and b) it's definitely not coming from me. I've also found that it's very snake-y or serpent-y... that is, it winds and coils rather than moving along straight or diagonal lines; and it has lots of whorls and eddies in it. It also has a very specific color associations, which I'll not reveal here, but which serves as a 'key' if you will, to when you've made 'contact' with the same thing I see.

Your mileage may vary.

How to work with this? Wait for a planet to be conjunct 22° Sagittarius, or wait for a planet to be in 0°-9°59' Capricorn, or wait for either position/region to be on or about the Ascendant (eastern horizon) or at the MC (midheaven) of an astrological chart. And then reach out, respectfully, with prayer and meditation, to see if Asclepius will speak with you about a health matter.

Be cautious about following the advice that arises here.

[masllp]

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[gayguybln]

Striking Justice: A Report on Corporal Punishment in the Federal Republic of Dystopia

It has now been 75 years since the Federal Republic of Dystopia passed legislation allowing corporal punishment modeled after Singapore’s caning system. What began as a controversial measure has become a widely accepted practice: today, approximately 80% of the Republic’s member states have adopted the punishment into their regional penal codes.

Thirty years ago, in an effort to streamline procedures and prevent abuse, the federal government introduced standardized regulations governing the recruitment and training of so-called Caning Sergeants, as well as the punishment process itself. These regulations are binding for all member states that implement caning.

Under federal law, convicted offenders are first brought to a designated holding area, where they await a mandatory medical screening. Once cleared, they are restrained in a fixed position, ensuring precision and safety during the execution. Strikes must be spaced by timed intervals to avoid shock or excessive trauma. Following the punishment, immediate medical care is administered.

Each punished individual is then placed in solitary confinement for a minimum of ten days. This period is intended for wound monitoring and psychological stabilization, though it has been criticized by some as an extension of the punishment itself.

Despite ongoing international criticism, the Republic continues to defend the practice as an effective alternative to long-term incarceration—citing its deterrent effect and the possibility of quicker reintegration into society.

Jeff (left) and Philipp (right), both 29 years old, serve as so-called “Caning Sergeants” in a punishment facility in Chicago. This special unit of soldiers is seconded to the justice system to carry out corporal punishment. For four weeks, they undergo intensive training—honing their aim and mastering how to deliver maximum pain with each strike. Before reporting for duty, we had a chance to speak briefly with these two men.

Journalist: “You’ve both been assigned to carry out corporal punishment. What are your thoughts on that?” Philipp: “At first, I didn’t want to do it. But over time, I came to see the value in it. I help get offenders back on track—without locking them up for years. Once they’ve healed, they can return to society. Who knows—without the cane, Jeff might be rotting in a high-security prison right now instead of standing here beside me.” Jeff (laughing): “No doubt. I used to deal drugs and got busted. I was sentenced to 12 strokes. It changed everything. I joined the army afterward. Without the cane, I probably would've ended up with several years behind bars.”

Journalist: “Twelve strokes must’ve left scars. How did you deal with that?” Jeff: “Yeah, I’ve got scars. At first, I was embarrassed—especially in group showers. But now? I don’t care. It’s part of who I am. Honestly, I even started to enjoy dishing it out myself. That’s why I applied to this unit.”

Journalist: “Is this just a job to you, or do you sometimes feel pity—or maybe even hit harder if someone rubs you the wrong way?” Jeff: “I always hit as hard as I can. That’s what we were taught, and it’s why I’m here.” Philipp: “Like Jeff said—maximum force, always. But I’ll be honest: sometimes you dig a little deeper, give it that extra 2 or 3 percent—especially when some 20-year-old punk is sobbing for mercy after putting someone in the hospital, then starts whining about their ‘rough upbringing’ in the ghetto. Meanwhile, the file says they’re from a wealthy suburban home.” Jeff: “And in the end, those same offenders even have to pay us—for wrecking their behinds.”

Interview: Three Inmates Awaiting Caning Punishment Interviewer’s Note: All three inmates are dressed in thin white sleeveless shirts stamped with bold black letters: CP – short for "Corporal Punishment." Their heads have been shaved earlier this morning. The atmosphere is tense. Two of them are due to receive 6 strokes each. The third, sentenced for aggravated assault, will take 10. All are between 20 and 23 years old. This interview was conducted shortly before their scheduled punishment.

Interviewer: You all know what’s coming in a few hours. Let’s start simple – how are you feeling?

Daniel (21, sentenced to 6 strokes): I’m trying not to think too much. Guys talk a lot in here – say it rips you open, makes you scream even if you don’t want to. I guess I’ll find out if that’s true. Just wanna get it over with. Not gonna lie – I’m scared as hell.

Marcus (20, sentenced to 6 strokes): Man, when they handed me this shirt, that’s when it hit me for real. It’s not just stories anymore. You walk down the corridor and the other inmates just look at you different when they see the "CP." Like they pity you... or are glad it’s not them. My stomach’s been in knots all day.

Rafael (23, sentenced to 10 strokes + 3 years): I don’t expect mercy. I did some damage, I get it. But ten strokes? That’s not punishment, that’s destruction. I saw a guy last month get eight. Couldn’t sit for days, back looked like someone ran barbed wire across it. And I’m getting more. After that, I still got three years in here. So yeah, I’m bracing for war.

Interviewer: They shaved your heads this morning. What's the purpose?

Daniel: They say it’s hygiene, but let’s be real – it’s part of the humiliation. Makes you feel like a number. Like you’re being prepped for slaughter.

Marcus: It’s all psychological. Strip you down, give you the mark, make sure everyone knows what’s coming. You don’t even feel like a person anymore, just a body in a system.

Interviewer: Do you feel this punishment will change you?

Rafael: It already has. The waiting, the fear – it works deeper than the pain, I think. And after they break you open in front of the guards, in front of other inmates, you don’t come out the same. That’s the whole point.

Daniel: I don’t know. I got caught shoplifting. Six strokes for that. Seems crazy. But maybe it’ll scare me straight. Or maybe it’ll just mess me up in another way.

Marcus: I swear if I get through it, I’m done with this life. I ain’t ever coming back here. No money, no pride is worth what’s about to happen.

Interviewer: Last thoughts before you go in?

Daniel: I just want to keep my mouth shut when it starts. Not give them the satisfaction.

Marcus: Wish me luck, man. I’ll need it.

Rafael: They better make every stroke count. 'Cause I won’t forget a single one.

[cococreativesg-blog]

Elevate Your Professional Image with COCO Creative Studio's Headshot Photography in Singapore

Gone are the days when you used to picture a friendly (in most cases) headshot of an individual simply because such a course was obligatory. In today’s business environment, accurate headshot photos are playing an important role in the negative space in as much as one wants to impress at the first meeting. Corporate headshots mean a lot in the representation of one’s life, both socially and career-wise, and so it’s a major need for working professionals in Singapore. COCO Creative Studio is one of Singapore's leading photo studios that focuses on headshot photography, helping business people to look appealing, confident and competent. COCO Creative Studio established a quality of performance in providing headshots that are simple photos. This is not content which showcases the personal brand of the individual alone, but rather seeks to marry professionalism required in serving industries such as finance, technology, health care and creative sectors. A focus on leaving no stone unturned in the quality of services offered has propelled the company to emerge as a leading provider of corporate headshot photography in Singapore.

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Moreover, the COCO Creative Studio is highly praised for the completion of the tasks efficiently while still retaining the required standards. The process of engaging professionals is seamless, where a session can be booked and final images obtained in between busy schedules that professionals experience. This is very useful for organisations that have headshots for a large number of employees or for experts who need their images in a short period.

To sum up, headshot photography is no longer an option; rather, it is a need in the present world of work. For the professionals in Singapore, solutions come in from COCO Creative Studio, where there is depth of know-how & commitment to deliver headshot quality. By understanding the requirements of each client, individual or corporate, or in this instance, headshots which enhance personal & corporate brands and evoke a response are produced. Whether you are searching for a standard business headshot, a stunning portrait, or consistent images of your team, gone would be the days when you waste time searching for a headshot photograph in Singapore – sorcery is the answer that has the best edge in headshot photography in Singapore.

Winning accolades and awards, maintaining a contemporary design, and being customer centric have not made COCO Creative Studio complacent. It still remains a trendsetter in headshot photography and enable individuals to improve their status and compete effectively in the modern environment.

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Given how aspirational the professional environment is in Singapore, we cannot underestimate the significance of a headshot. COCO Creative studio delivers high-end head shots professionally with their loyal customers emphasizing the use of the best shots to sell their image professionally. They provide headshot photos that are targeted and appealing by understanding their customers’ needs and using modern approaches to deliver more than just a headshot. COCO creative Studio is still the best place for stunning professional headshot of individuals and corporate teams.

[fareydonch]

Switch 2 in Southeast Asia, what we know so far

So, as you guys might have known, Nintendo has unveiled the Switch 2, as well as the brand-new games, the features, the accessories, and - the most disappointing but not surprised part of all - the pricing. But what does this mean for Southeast Asia as a whole? Let's break down the important things we've known so far.

LAUNCH AND PRICING

Nintendo has confirmed that the release in Southeast Asia (specifically Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines) will be delayed within the July to September 2025 time window, alongside, finally, a local Southeast Asian region Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Switch Online subscription service. This marks a milestone in Southeast Asian Nintendo history consistent with Nintendo's current efforts to expand its console and IPs south of Japan, from opening up local stores in Bangkok and Singapore, to hiring Japanese-Thai translators to work for Nintendo's localization efforts in Kyoto.

I very much welcome the efforts to bring Nintendo games more accessible to Southeast Asian audiences, including allowing gamers to use local currency and all the fancy digital wallet and QR payment methods that is taking off in the region, but it still remains to be seen on how Nintendo will push regional pricing for its games and the NSO service. Physical first-party Switch games go for 40-45 USD on average in Southeast Asia, around 20 USD cheaper than America, so I hope that they keep the price the same or a bit cheaper for their digital versions.

I also hope that this 20 USD cheaper than the US price trend also extends to first party Switch 2 games as well as gamers are upset towards the pricing for the console's launch title Mario Kart World going as high as 80 USD and many uncertainties towards the pricing for Switch 2 Edition enhanced patches of existing original Switch games.

Prices for Nintendo Switch games per April 2025 shown in Shopee Singapore (bottom) and Tokopedia (top). Per current SGD-USD and IDR-USD exchange rate, the average rate of these physical games are roughly around the 40-45 USD mark.

But I can't help thinking about the delayed official release for the console and prices that we still don't know about. I suspect, in a Southeast Asian fashion, people will flock buying imported multi-language Japanese or Hong Kong versions of the Switch 2 for the sake of getting it early at the cost of getting little to no warranty at all and put Nintendo's launch momentum in the region at a disadvantage.

And if official Nintendo distributors end up raising the prices of the consoles relative of how much the imported consoles will be, their local official SEA launch might not look even more tempting. Looking at current official MSRP prices for Japan (multi-language version) and Hong Kong are at 69,980 JPY and 3,450 HKD respectively (which is ~7 mio IDR/600 SGD/16,000 THB/2,000 MYR), they're gonna have to compete with how much they think local import game stores are gonna charge for.

But I hope that these new distributors learn that you shouldn't forcefully bundle consoles with two games and two Animal Crossing amiibos like what Maxsoft did with the original Switch back in March 2017. Nobody liked that.

WHERE'S INDONESIA? IS THIS THE INDONESIAN FLAG? OH WAIT, IT'S ACTUALLY RED TAPE

One thing you might notice disappearing out of the equation in Southeast Asian Nintendo role is Indonesia. As I've mentioned before in my previous Nintendo Southeast Asia history long post, Nintendo has yet to assign a brand-new distributor in charge of representing the Big N in Southeast Asia's largest gaming market. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines all had brand new distributors to carry over the heavy lifting that Maxsoft/Active Boeki once had since the 80s in the region as Switch sales are rising, but not Indonesia.

Excerpt from the Indonesian Presidential Regulation 19/2024, with clauses requiring foreign game companies to open divisions within the country (top) and requiring local content manufacturing requirements for video game products sold within the country (bottom).

I presume recent uncertain regulations and red tape are proving too much for Nintendo to make a move into the country. Indonesia recently passed the Presidential Regulation 19/2024 (Perpres No. 19/2024), among which are many clauses mandating video game companies to establish official divisions in Indonesia through a foreign direct investment scheme, and a mandatory TKDN (local content manufacturing) scheme for certification. All of which would cost Nintendo a lot of money and resources to allocate to a realistically minor-performing market that Nintendo couldn't see to commit.

And if Nintendo committed to this scheme half-heartedly, they would probably face a similar fate of sanctions Apple went through this year in Indonesia. In a huge policy shift from Jakarta, the Indonesian government banned the sale of iPhone 16 and 16 Pro series in the country back in October 2024 after Apple failed to meet its new 35-40% local content manufacturing requirements. Apple responded by unsuccessfully negotiating multiple time with the Indonesian government, before eventually agreeing on an Airtag factory in Batam and iPhone accessories factory in Bandung. Recent reports also suggests that Apple started doing feasibility studies to open an iPhone assembling plant in Indonesia, in an effort to appease Jakarta. The ban was over as the Indonesian Ministry of Communications (Kominfo) issued certification permits for all of the iPhone 16 series, including the new iPhone 16e.

Looking at Apple's missteps, it's understandable to see why Nintendo has been holding out of Southeast Asia's largest gaming market due to bureaucratic red tape hurdles, and it's also unfortunate for Indonesian Nintendo gamers that an official eShop and NSO can only be enjoyed by its neighboring countries. Feels so close, yet so far away.

Fortunately, Nintendo's original Southeast Asian distributor Maxsoft/Active Boeki is still in charge of distribution for Indonesia, so we'll still be getting the newfangled Nintendo Switch 2, just without the localized online features, unfortunately.

I think that's all I have in mind for Nintendo's efforts here! The Switch 2 might be a bit underwhelming, but I am interested to see further expansion developments in the Southeast Asia.