What the UK Audit Commission taught me about Marriage
www.audit-commission.gov.uk
On the different types of Marriages :
“Some partnerships are strategic; others are operational in focus; some partnerships attract dedicated funding, others do not. Some are limited companies, others are charitable trusts and still more are unincorporated associations…. The governance arrangements for different forms of partnership working are determined by their legal form”
On spending His money:
“even where the partnership does not spend money directly, it will need to influence how partner bodies spend and it must be able to judge the impact of this funding in helping to achieve shared objectives.”
On sex::
“bodies need to improve the coordination within and between different partnerships, in order to ensure that they understand which of the mainstream services provided by their partners already help to deliver their own objectives”
On money issues in general::
“resources:will budgets be merged or pooled or will individual agency spending be aligned to partnership objectives? How will value for money be assessed? “
On mothers, mothers-in-laws, bosses etc::
“External reporting: are constituent organisations accountable to different external bodies andhow will that affect ways of working and performance management requirements?”
On pre-nups::
” if a partnership had a good writen agreement to start with, it has a 3 x higher chance of succeeding (60 vs 22 percent)”
On screwing-up::
“accountability: how will partners share in contributing to better performance and who is responsible if things go wrong?”
On complaints and redress:
“The ability to manage complaints effectively is the acid test of .. accountability in a partnership working. Therefore, it is central to the governance of partnerships”
On quarreling::
“assessing the contributions of different partners to complex outcomes:how will partners agree to share risks, costs, benefits and rewards? “
On divorce::
“Partners should regularly review how they work to determine whether the outputs and outcomes merit continued involvement”
On affairs:
“Partners need to bring clarity to the governance of their collaboration. This requies agreement among them about purpose, membership and accountabiliy”
On the characteristics of a Good Spouse:
“Hard characteristics include, reliable financial data, performance data and risk assessments, which are generated by robust systems and processess and which produce timely and appropriate information for decision makers (ie, me). The soft factors encompass leadership, which sets overall objectives, the roles and responsibilities required to achieve them and cultural attributes like openess, honesty and integrity (The Cadbury Priniciples)
Is it more ethical to lie or tell the truth?
Now this question is really posed to those who believe that
- humans , male and female, straight and glbtq, etc have inalienable human rights
- informed consent is important
- education/ decreasing ignorance or misinformation enables people to make better choices
- morality should not be legislated or imposed, but can be promoted
For those who believe teenagers should receive abstinence-only education, or that people with HIV deserve it, I’m not talking to you here, please come back another day.
Now, the question: Are there instances where it is more ethical to lie to the public than to tell the public the truth?
(I’m not referring to personal relationships eg. when you tell a dying relative there is hope because you don’t want him to go into despair, or you tell your best friend she’s beautiful to help her with her self-esteem)
This was the situation I was specifically pondering over:
There is a huge difference in societal attitudes towards HIV vs cervical cancer. HIV is many more times stigmatized compared to cervical cancer, even though both are STIs and primarily transmitted through sexual activity.
My hypothesis: Knowledge that cervical cancer is caused by the sexually transmitted virus HPV is much much lower than the knowledge that HIV is an STI (this has been shown true by research). This ignorance results in a much much lower stigmatization level for cervical cancer.
I believe that its because cervical cancer has always been “marketed” as a cancer, and people are asked to do PAP smears to detect and stop it early. Seldom is it “marketed” as an STI. In fact, looking through my old science text books, STI brochures and posters at the DSC clinic in Singapore, cervical cancer does not appear in big words.
The HPV virus as an STI is “marketed” by its less dangerous symptom : genital warts. And genital warts IS stigmatized.
HIV is definitely “marketed” as an STI.
As a result of this ignorance, many more people are willing to discuss cervical cancers openly, and PAP smears can be advertised and encouraged openly.
It does not suffer from the similar backlash that HIV early detection suffers from. My dad has openly asked my mother and I to get the Cervical Cancer vaccine, but he will never think of asking either of us to do an HIV test………
This is where my dilemma comes in, and I’ll like to hear from other human rights supporters.
What is the ethical thing to do?
In this case, ignorance actually protects.
Should we then keep up this public ignorance?
Or should we educate people appropriately, risk stigmatizing cervical cancer, and driving people to hide their symptoms rather than seek help?
Ad used to promote condom use to prevent HIV infection. The caption reads : Cause AIDs ain’t sexy . http://www.afa.org.sg/awarenesscampaign/CosAIDSIsntSexy.asp
- Ad promoting papsmear to detect and treat cervical cancer early. Caption: power over cervical cancer. http://www.pocc.sg/
Naturally, the next question would be this:
what if we “rebrand” HIV, along the lines of cervical cancer?
Let’s acknowlege that HIV image took off on a bad start and lets try to start with a clean new slate.
Let’s stop the name HV and AIDs, lets call it…… cancer of the immune system, or white blood cell cancer.
Let’s not say HIV test; let’s call it CD4 viability test or NAT(nucleic acid test) or something like that.
Let’s not say retriviral treatment, lets call it chemotherapy …..
Let’s start this from scratch , and do the marketing we’ve done with cervical cancer.
After all, the 2 aren’t so different.
Both spread through sex
Both lethal if not detected and treated early
Both with significant life-prolonging rates with optimal treatment when detected in the earliest stages
What do you think?
Ethical?
Feasible?
(i’m putting up 2 advertisements used in singapore for comparison and hope i don’t get sued for copyright. Look at the cervical cancer one : what if we used exactly the same thing, but changing all the cervical cancer labels for the new HIV labels? )
How to clean oily lunchboxes without water
Poster @ SGH
Here’s useful trivia I learnt from the lab = )
To clean oily lunchboxes etc without soap and water :
1. Pour a few drops of Hand-sanitizer (the water-free kind recommended for H1N1) onto your lunchbox/plate etc
2. Use a normal dry tissue to gently spread the Hand-sanitizer all over, the way you would do with dish-washing liquid.
3. Use another dry tissue to clean it all off.
VIOLA!!! Oil-free, sauce-free, germ-free lunchboxes!!!! No need water!!!
I find this very useful for the lunchboxes I pack for work, where I’m too lazy to walk to the bathroom/pantry to use soap and water.
Good for sales people on-the-go, or mothers with kids stuff.
For oily-hands, i still like the Wet-tissues from Watsons, but that doesn’t work well for oily lunchboxes.
Oh, and having that travel-size Hand-sanitizer is also good for very easy cleaning of white-boards with permanant-marker writings!!!
Photography Enthusiasts: Open Call for works, Themed : Text and Image
My friend’s planning an exhibition and calling for works. Thought the theme was really interesting to explore!
Dear friends,
I’m currently working on a group exhibition based on Text and Image (working title) with 2902 Gallery. As this stems from my interest to explore the interplay between text and images in art, artworks could thus be in a variety of forms (photography, installation, video etc).
Just a few things to note:
1. If you have a work/body of works suitable for this show, please let me know. They may even be works in progress as the exhibition is scheduled to take place in Dec (there is still some time… fingers crossed). However, I’ll need you to express your interest by 25th Oct (Sun). Do not be put off by the paperwork and tight deadline.
2. I’ll be happy to elaborate on this exhibition as well as to send you a short write-up so you can better comprehend its motivation. Drop me an email at somemoreplants@yahoo.com if interested.
3. It’ll be great if you can forward this to any friends whom may be keen. They can also reach me at the above email address.
OK, here’s the lengthy bit!
About the exhibition
Text and Image calls for artists whose works explore the various relationships between the two through writing and photographic images. Both are ubiquitous mediums given our media-saturated world, we encounter their complementing and at times conflicting relationships through our everyday activities, be it through reading, blogging, shopping or travelling.
The exhibition aims to put together an interesting body of works that highlight the dynamic discourse between these two quotidian, communicative mediums. It is scheduled to take place 18 December 2009 to 30 January 2010 at 2902 Photo Gallery.
Open Call Submission
1. The exhibition is looking for:
a) Completed works that fit the exhibition’s theme.
b) Works in progress that are relevant and can be completed by the stipulated deadline.
c) Proposed works that are relevant and could be completed by the stipulated deadline.
An artist can submit up to a maximum of three different bodies of work for this exhibition.
This exhibition is open to interested parties based locally or overseas.
DO NOT submit actual works at this stage, see below for more details.
2. How to submit:
Note: Only JPEG and Word document will be accepted
Each project submission should include:
1) a resume (not more than two A4-size pages),
The resume should include your
a) name and contact details (handphone number, email)
b) date of birth
c) nationality
2) a one-paragraph bio (about 200 words)
3) an artist’s statement (not more than two A4-size pages).
The artist’s statement should include:
a) your name
b) a clear explanation about your work/s
c) how the work/s should be presented (prints, self-made books, video, etc)
d) year(s) in which it is made.
4) Jpeg images (in a zipped folder, if possible)
a)Do not send more than eight images for each body of work.
b)Each image in 96 dpi, compression 7-8, and with its shorter side at 10cm.
c)Image should reflect clearly how the text and photographic image are meant to work together.
d) Images should also reflect how the works are meant to be displayed
e) If necessary, paste images onto a Word document and further illustrate the relationship through writing
Pls Note:
Send one project in one email. All documents (1 – 3) should be in Microsoft Word format.
Do not resend your resume and bio if you are submitting more than one project.
Do not send prints or CDs/DVDs.
Curator may contact artists for more details if necessary.
Submissions must be made electronically to :
2902gallery@gmail.com
All submissions to have name/country on email subject line
Example: Text & Image: Your Name/Country You Are From
Submission call will close on 25th Oct 2009
For general enquiries, please send to info@2902gallery.com
3. About Exhibition’s Call for Submission
There is no specific theme apart from the exhibition’s intention to explore Text & Image. Photography must be used in the process of creating the work. All genres of photography as well as digital manipulation are accepted. Submitted works may be presented in prints, self-made books, video, or any other format as suggested by the artist.
The exhibition is open to all nationality, however, overseas artists, if selected must be willing to bear the cost of insurance and postage for their works. Selected artists should install their own works. However, the curator and her team can help look into the installation of works for those artists who cannot be around. These artists must be able to produced a detailed and comprehensive plan.
Only selected artists will be notified via email by 30th October 2009. Artists will then be expected to submit their chosen works latest by end-November. The exhibition aims to put together the works of about 6 artists, with about 1 – 2 bodies of work representing each artist. Works for the exhibition will spread over 3500 square feet, with 22 meters of white wall space available. For more information on gallery space, please go to http://www.2902gallery.com
Other important information:
All works will be for sale and the gallery takes a commission of 33% the price of the work sold. The gallery will take care of all publicity events which include writing to press, emailing its contacts, organising an opening reception & publicity material to complement the show. Please note GST 7% is applicable in all sales transaction in the gallery.
2902 GALLERY
Source: http://www.2902gallery.com
Mentors
We are constantly getting inputs from people around us:
Negative inputs — The wet blankets who tell us its not going to work, the ones who yell at us, the ones who dismiss us, the ones who criticise us, the ones who accuse us, the ones who give “constructive advice”, the ones who laugh
Positive inputs — People who encourage us, people who admire us, people who tell us we’ve been helpful or useful, people who depend on us, people who give us good advice on what we’re doing right and where we can improve, people who advice us on what we need to do etc
Environmental inputs — inputs not given to us directly, but our observations of how people behave, how situations proceed etc
How do we discern and decide, which of these negative and positive and environemental inputs do we want to incorporate into our plans going forward?
People give inputs for so many reasons:
- we asked for it
- they experienced/read something, and from that personal limited experience/ reading, they want to help us
- they see us doing something, and they have had experience and want to help us
- they have a common goal with us, and want to collaborate
- they think they have a common goal with us, and want to collaborate
- they have a personality type where they need to impose their ideas on others
- they want something out of us, and their inputs are an attempt to get us to give them what they want
- they are nasty , they want to hurt us
- they are nasty, they just want to let their nastiness out at whoever is around them
- they are nasty, they’re just concerned about themselves and treat us carelessly
- they are just expressing some thought, and haven’t given it much real thought at all (i do that alot!!!)
- they are expressing something, to help us or impose on us, because they have a personal value they believe everyone should have
- etc etc
Being able to read people and discern where they are coming from, I feel, is a very important criteria for deciding what to do with their inputs. eg. A person who tells you sex is nasty and you ought to stay away, could be telling you that because he was raped repeatedly as a child. A person who tells you sex is great and you ought to try it , could be telling you that because he wants to get into your pants. etc.
It’s futile, I’ve come to learn, to be mad or upset , or to have emotional reactions towards others or their behavior, because I’ve come to recognise that everyone has a different personality, a different nature. And in the jungle, you have to work with snakes and wolfs and rabbits and sheep and elephants etc. And you can’t blame or get angry or upset or stressed when a snake hisses at you or a wolf wants to eat you or a sheep just can’t do anything without its sheppard. They cannot help their nature. We just have to know what animal we are, what animal they are, so that we know what to do when we meet them and interact with them.
But that said, just because their angle doesn’t make them credible, or just because their angle makes them credible, doesn’t mean their inputs ought to be considered/dismissed, because their values, goals, abilities, resources, situation might be very different from yours. These inputs are not just from people we meet personally, but also from books and movies etc —- we are getting the author’s inputs, and the author came from a certain angle.
Given that we don’t know everything and should therefore seek the inputs of others, we need to learn how to assess both the inputs, and how it fits/does not fit , into our unique situation. When someone gives an input, how do we tell what are facts, what are opinions, and how i should interpret these opinions. If a person tells you something is green, but he is viewing it under red light, what color is that something really?
I suppose I would like to have a mentor. Someone who can assess and advice me on the way I assess these inputs and incorporate them into my plans, for my specific goals, based on what starting material I have. Might be quite similar to sports coaches, where they know where you’re heading, can assess what strengths and weaknesses you have and to what extent, and can input on the inputs of others….. different points of views…. Or in a lab situation, with a good lead scientist, he would be able to do the same.
So I’ll really like to have someone whom I can look to as a mentor
Are mentors the same as friends ? Friends are definately essential, and I treasure my friends so much. To a certain extent, each of my friends is a mentor in a certain, particular aspect. Perhaps in the real world, that’s all we’re really going to get, because no one person can be a mentor in every single aspect. And more importantly, i need my friends so much, it means so much to have someone who still loves you when you screw up.
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