WWE's Wrestler's Superstar, Chris Benoit's Death. A Steroid Tragedy?

The entourage for this coming [Smack Dowm Summer Slam Tour 2007] on 27 July in Singapore will fall short of one member - Chris Benoit, or notoriously known as the Candanian Crippler after broking another wrestler's neck during a match in 1994. The WWE Superstar hanged himself with a pulley from a weightlifting machine after he killed his 43-year old wife, Nancy Benoit and his 7-year old son, Daniel in their residence at Fayetteville, GA (inset left: the Benoit's residence sealed after the crime).

The WWE's website reported that Benoit, had two no-shows at the Saturday’s live event in Beaumont, Texas, and WWE’s Vengeance: Night of Champions in Houston Sunday night. His reason to WWE was 'family emergency'. Several strange text messages were received by Benoit's friends on Sunday morning which caused them to alert the WWE, which in turn informed the Fayette County sheriffs on Monday. When authorities break into Benoit's residence, all 3 bodies were found: Benoit is believed to have committed suicide on Monday while he killed his wife and son over the weekend. According to Five-time champion Bret Hart, Benoit was a happy family man and a proud father. The double homicide shocked him. However, it appeared to be otherwise. Nancy filed for a divorce in May 2003, alleging her husband of 'cruel treatment' and breaking the house's furniture. She fought for permanent custody of her son and child support, claiming that Benoit's annual salary as a professional wrestler amounted to USD500,000.00. In response, Benoit sought joint custody.

Deaths of several bodybuilders and wrestlers have always been associated with long-term use of steroids. The anabolic drug (the pill that makes your body big) is capable of causing paranoid, depression and explosive outbursts known as 'roid rage'. Just February this year, the 29-year old fitness model cum adult film star, Brett Mycles, died in his sleep (left inset). The speculation was a combination of steroids and party drugs. So has steroid got to do with the Benoit's family tragedy too? WWE strongly suggested otherwise. But had Benoit been abusing the use of steroids? When his son, Daniel's body was found, his arms were covered with needle marks. He was injected with growth hormones by his parents because they considered him under-sized. Quite an unusual parenthood, isn't it? Anyway, whenever a big muscular sportman died, the word 'steroid' always appears and the drug is always dismissed as the cause of death.

In the past, I was offered to try steroids a few times by my personal trainer. He promised quick muscle growth in the shortest time. I did my research on that brand and rejected his offer. If you really think that the long-term use of steroids only makes you bigger in size but not less healthy looking than before, look around the giant freaks at your gym. It's not really hard to tell who's on steroid and who's not.

Banana Market

Latest Hello Kitty Laptop and other Laptop Skins for Guys.

Laptops are so affordable nowadays that almost everyone owns one. With broadband wireless connection accessible at the ubiquitous McDonald and Starbucks all over Singapore, it is common to see at least 2 tables on random with laptops. The progressive affordability of laptops (some are even free like my IBM Thinkpad) and broader access points for wireless connection are turning business mind on to reposition a working tool to become a lifestyle product.

Ditch the professional look. Laptops bags no longer come in just classic black but an array of colors and designs. I saw one with Mickey Mouse's recognisable ears printed in tiles pattern. Regrettably, cute stuffs are always designed with the lady's market in mind. If not for its slick, girlie handles, I would have carried Mickey with me. But the mouse is beaten by a kitten. Naturally. Both in the animal kingdom and the business world. I am talking about the world's most famous cartoon kitten - Hello Kitty. NEC collaborated with Sanrio Corp to produce the latest Hello Kitty laptop, crowned with 299 Swarovski crystals. Operating on Windows Vista, a 100GB hard disk drive and a 1GB memory, the gorgeous jewel-box computer is eyeing the working women. It went on sale on 6 June, 2007 in Japan and the cute cat had a day of debauchery with her female admirers. Did I sense a lesbian beastiality here? Just kidding. Who really care about its system specification when it is so seductively covered up? Priced at 199,500 yen (SGD2,498.00/USD1,623.00), you decide if flirting with the kitten is worth your dollars.

More information at NEC official site (in Japanese)

More Laptop skins for guys and gals

Job H(a)unting

Last week, I sent a 'Thank You' ecard to my ex-boss for offering me a full-time position after she knew I was out of job. In that card, I declined her offer.

Today, she called me to offer a part-time position. Unlike some part-time which only require 4-hours of work, her preposition was more like a full-time part-time. 4-hour is not too tough to compromise in the honor of money. However, I can't imagine stuck in a job that I hate for a full day. I exploited her offer and counter-offered a half-day part-time. She SMSed me with the reply "no lah! I need full-timer." Graciously, I declined her 2nd offer.

I'll be fooling you if I said I was not tempted by her whatever offers. I have not found a job and when a fat offer came along, it is just human to hesitate and consider. Otherwise, the above episode would not have transpired. After the cordial exchange of SMSs ended, I pondered upon the question: "Why is my ex-company offering me a job that I have been trying so hard to break free from?" They knew very well why I resigned and why would they still be keen on an ex-employee who had lost his heart and soul in that job? Am I haunted by a job from the past? I'm supposed to be hunting jobs and not be h(a)unted.

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To know why I quit that job, read about my pursuit of happiness.

The Pursuit of Happiness

I left a well paid job in 2005 without a job because I was unhappy working in the company. I took that opportunity to search for jobs in Toronto and the US so that I could be closer to my American boyfriend. At the same time, I went to work for a law firm on a month contract which I did not renew. Obviously, I wasn't happy working in that company either. There was also no positive response from overseas. I was out of job again. My ex-boss came to know that I quit because the lawyer that I worked for was our company's solicitor. She offered me a temporary position to assist her for the busy month. I agreed and was stucked for a year. I hated myself for returning to a job that I had no passion for. I quit for good after 10 months without a job again. Within a year, I resigned 3 times.

I had worked with that company for 6 years and more than a decade in the entertainment related industry. I grew sick of it since 2004. I wanted to do something different. In other word, I had to start from scratch. But I was unsured what I wanted to do and in what industry. I survived 5 months freelancing as a web and e-card designer. I sent out more than 30 resumes but only 2 called me up for interviews. Both were unsuccessfull. My potential employers were not convinced that I could make a successfull transition to a new industry. However, finally one employer called me up for an interview and I got the job. I thought I would fit but being gay doesn't mean that I would be happy working in a gay environment. After 2 months, I quit. My fourth resignation.

I quit all the jobs because I was unhappy working at those companies. No matter how much I was paid, I was still unhappy. No matter how others envied my job, I was still unhappy. In my pursuit of a happy job, I was hinted that I could be on the verge to depression - because I was job hopping and hence inferred that my mental state was unstable. All I wanted was a job that I would enjoy going to work everyday. As long as I could still support my parents and myself, I was prepared to forgo a pay that commensurated with my qualification and experiences. But again, no employer would be convinced of my pursuit of happiness and not money. Most employers simply saw me as a desperate job seeker who was just seeking a temporary shelter. They were not to blame for their judgement because even friends thought I was crazy to compromise pay for a self-illusioned happiness. To them, no job could be absolutely happy. I agreed that it would take sheer luck to bump into a happy job but I was not giving up.

The truth is I had found my direction since the beginning of 2007 - that is to become a professional writer. In fact, the interest in writing had always stayed with me since I was a student. I first completed a 100 pages fantasy story when I was in primary school. It was co-written with a classmate but he gave up after 2 chapters. I continued to write short stories in my secondary school. When I was working, I contributed to the newspapers and magazines. I was happy that some were published. I attempted to write an autobiography when I was in my early 20s. I even sought a London's publisher to get my story published. The story was completed but I gave up the idea of getting it published. I felt there was nothing for the readers to learn from my story. When blogging was introduced, I also joined the bandwagon. Over the years, I deleted a few blogs that I started; this blog e-zine you are reading now endures.

I am very determined to become a professional writer for magazines, websites and newspapers. Eventually, I want to be a novelist. I am trying hard to market my writings in different writers' portals. One day, I hope publishers in different parts of the world will engage me to write for their publications full time or freelance. I will be nuts If I were to wait for that chance without finding a job to support my dream.

I watched 'The Pursuit of Happyness" yesterday and I am very inspired. My life is not as hard as Chris Gardner. At least, I have a roof above me and I don't have a kid that I have to worry for. However, we do have the same determination in getting that job. As much as he wanted to be a broker, I want to be a writer. I want to see my articles in local and overseas publications. I want my books to be published in overseas and sold in every part of the world. I want to dedicate my first book to my boyfriend, the second to my friends and the third to myself. Then I want to write my fourth book, fifth book, sixth book and so on.

I watch 'Cover Girl' by Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly today. I love what Gene said: "easy get, easy lose." I am still far from my writing dream. I will continue to write until someone drop me an email to say "hey, I like your writing. Can you write for us?"

Am I crazy for my dream? I bet some people will pour wet blanket on me because being an author in Singapore will 'eat grasses', a colloquial to mean having not enough to eat. All I care is writing makes me happy. I believe my American Dream will come true one day.

Horror at Baghdad's Orphanage - 24 Living Corpses

There were foods.

There were clothes.

But there were none for these kids.

This was the horrid situation in an orphanage from hell in Baghdad. How could this happen when 3 caretakers, 1 guard and a director were working in the orphanage? When I saw the above photo on the front page of The New Paper (Jun 20, 07), I knew I have to research and write about the ordeal.

Bananation - The downfall of Saddam Hussein spells an erosion of Iraq, creating a living hell in its capital, Baghdad, especially. Wars had reduced the city to slums of vices. According to a Sunday Times Online (UK)'s report 'Democrats probe billions lost to Baghdad's corruption' (Nov 19, 06), $36 billion of Americans' taxpayers money and a further $22 billion of Iraq's own money for the reconstruction of Iraq were misapporiated. The US Occupation of Iraq apparently continues to unveil another heinous chapter of Iraq's civilised history as 24 reduced-to-bones boys were found naked in an orphanage in Baghdad. With amble foods and clothes for these helpless children, was it a sadistic indulgence that went unwatched in a governmentless land? CBS News reported that "nothing has been made public about what happened and, in fact, efforts were made to keep the entire incident secret."But one thing that we need no confirmation was the inhumane way that these orphans were treated.

Aroma from the kitchen greeted the Iraqis and American soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division in Baghdad along the orphanage corridor. They saw 3 adults cooking a sumptuous meal. But they did not expect to see and smell an appalling contrast in the other room - 2 dozens of naked boys with bones piercing through their skins in a dark, unventaliated enclosure. Some were lying on the floor among their urine and feces, some are tied to their beds. All are starved and too feeble to stand. One of the boys was so weak that a soldier had to lift up his head to feed him.

If you think that the boy in this photo (left inset) looks terrible enough to win your sympathy, try imagining his open sores infested with flies. When he was rescued by an American solider, flies were crawling out of his mouth, nose and ears. This photo was taken after the soliders waved the thousands of flies off his bleeding body. Ironically, he became the foods for the flies . The sight of him and the rest of the children caused soldiers and Iraqis officials to weep. I was not at the scene but the photos are emotional enough to sink my heart.

After knowing how these kids lived their days at the orphanage, photo like this (left inset) always warms our heart. However, Iraqi Cabinet minister accused the Americans of an agenda for portraiting themselves as the humanitarian party. The news of the torture was also alleged to be untrue. Labor and Social Affairs Minister Mahmoud Mohammed al-Radhi, appeared to be proud of the boys' living condition when he told the media that these homeless boys were rescued from death on the street of Baghad. He also rebuked the Americans that the children belong to Iraq and not them. I can't help but to detect his innuendo that the handicapped boys, aged between 3 to 15 were better off starving in the orphanage than dying on the street. Would nationalities make any difference in a life and death matter? Politics aside, what the American soliders did was what every human with a heart would.

Whether the Iraqis authority likes it or not, the questions would be thrown at their very own people. Why would the caretaker in charge of the orphanage, who is a pyschologist and has worked in respected orphange torture the children in such a cruel way? How can 2 women caretakers smiled to the camera as they took photos with the skeletal boys in the background? Are they playing God in a war-torn country?

Now, the kids are fed and clothed. Bananation prays that they will bury the ordeal under the rubbles of the city and grow up healthily in Baghdad.

Are Straight Gay Icons truly Gay-Friendly or not?

M - the most worshipped alphabet in the gay arena. Think M(en). Think M(adonna). If you can't think further, the record companies can think of more - M(arketing) and M(oney).

In the latest issue of Forbes [Celebrity 100], Madonna is ranked No.3 as the world's most powerful celebrity and ranked No. 9 as the highest pay star. Beside grossing 72 million in earning, her 'Confession' Tour last year hit the cash register at 194 million, the most profitable tour for female artiste. Boy George, former Culture Club's androgynous singer lambasted Madonna for making money out of gay people but yet she is a part of Kabbalah, a religious sect which he claimed to be anti-gay. If the fat Karma Chameleon's words were true, will Madonna remain within the top 10 ranking if we take away her large base of gay fans? If the gay market is not lucrative, what made Enrique Iglesias jumped into the bandwagon? (see detail below). Bananation explores the agendas behind gay-friendly celebrities and their music career being a gay icon. On a scale of $ $ $ $ $, Bananation rates the stars' agenda level.

The Modern Queen of Fag Hag - Madonna

In 2003, Madonna kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the MTV Video Music Award and her daughter questioned her if she were gay. In 2006, she declared to chat show host, Michael Parkinson that she is a gay man trapped in a woman's body. Then in her Confessions Tour, she angered the Middle Eastern nation when two topless male dancers, one with a Jewish symbol and another a Muslim symbol painted on their chest kissed each other. Is she all OUT to win the hearts of the gay community? Yes. In fact, she enjoyed being the gay icon so much that she is afraid of losing her laurel.

Before Richard Florida wrote about the pink economy in 2002, Madonna ha already orchestrated her move in the 1980s to become a gay icon. She expressed her grief over the loss of her gay friends to AIDS in her song 'Is This Life'. She then provided solace to the closeted gays in 'Deeper and Deeper', a song about 'coming out'. When she finally 'Vogue' her way on MTV channel, every gay man wants to dance and rap like Madonna. In 2005, she solidified her Queen's status by getting her gay entourage 'Hung Up' on the dancefloor with their confessions.

Her Madollar($) aside, she has a story behind her gay appeal. As a teenager, she was motivated by her gay ballet teacher, Christopher Flynn to pursue a professional dancing career at Manhattan. Christopher was the only one who believed in her talents and beauty. She heed his advice and arrived in Manhattan, living among drag queens and gay rentboys. Many of her inspirations came from gay men. Without them, she could now be your next door middle-age woman, Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone. And do you know that her younger brother, Christopher Ciccone is gay and choreograhed some of her videos and live show? If Fire Island is thinking of a campaign to promote the isle as a gay men weekend escapez, 'La Isla Bonita' will make a memorable jingle.

Bananation rating:
Gay friendly agenda: $

Princess of Fag Hag - Kylie Minogue

The petite Diva from Melbourne, Australia started her music career as early as Madonna. However, when the Material Girl was already a media sensation all over the world, Kylie is still struggling with her music direction. Although she had a few memorable dance hits between the 1980s and 1990s that struck a cord with the gay community, she remained a relatively unknown in the US. She was only known in her hometown and in Europe.

But in 2001, Cathay Dennis turned Kylie into an international brand with just one song she penned - 'Can't Get You out of My Bed' (oophs, it's out of my Head). The dance hit was the biggest success of her 20-years music career. It topped No.1 on the chart in over 40 countries and skyrocketed her to superstardom. Kylie attracted a sea of gay followings who couldn't get her out of their heads. The hit caused such a trance in gay parties that even the non-English speaking crowd could be heard singing 'na na na...'. To substain the Kylienatic, she overdosed her gay fans with a plethora of skins nudging in slow motion agasint one another by the pool in her music video 'Slow'. She moved on to collaborate with Scissor Sisters for her single ' I Believe in You' to create a synergy between gay artistes and their fans.

The Pop Princess adopts the late Princess Diana's community-walking approach in winning her gay followers. She is active at gay events, venues and she supports AIDS causes. Publicily, she acknowledged that her gay fans are loyal from the beginning. When she made a comback in 2006 after her battle with Breast Cancer in 2005, her gay fans have indeed not forsaken her. Her 'ShowGirl - Homecoming' Tour in Sydney was a triumph.

Bananation rating:
Gay friendly agenda: $$

Gay Curious Pop Maverick - Robbie Williams

Let's assume he is straight for discussion sake. Instead of speaking against his gay rumors, Robbie played hide-and-seek with the media. He admitted to kissing a man but conceded that he was not attracted to men. He claimed that he wouldn't give a toss if people thought he was gay but years later, he sued The People newspaper and the Northern & Shell magazines, Star and Hot Stars, over gay sex allegations. His Barrister, Tom Shields QC told the Court that Robbie is and never has been gay. His media game is lambasted by gay campaigner, Peter Tatchell as an exploitation of the gay market.

When major record companies were condemning illegal music download, Robbie didn't give a damn if people are downloading his music legally or not. He has bigger problems to deal with than to impress anybody. He rather be a pop maverick than be a boot licker. Blame it on his indulgence in dopes, alcohol, sex and more sex - the cause of his pendulumic mood. He probably thought he was gay at the point when he boasted to the media. In his song, "Old before I Die", he questioned if he were straight or gay. In 'Kids', a duet with Kylie Minogue, he sang "The press be asking if I care for sodomy, I don't know, yeah, probably." His other popular hits like 'Supreme', ' Your Gay Friend' and 'We're the Pet Shop Boys" also suggest that Robbie is not a homophobe but just confused .

Being a gay icon is effortless to Robbie: his personal life is already a good marketing mix. His bad boy image is not created; it evolved. Will his music carrer be destoryed like Jason Donovan after winning the case agasint his gay sex allegation? Time will tell. Until he retreats to his cocoon, he is still Britain's biggest pop star.

Bananation rating:
Gay friendly agenda: fook you.

Rising Fag Stag - Enriques Iglesias

He made headlines in the gay community when he sang 'Hero' to a guy in Club G.A.Y, London. Why the sudden change in marketing direction after 10 years in the music career? Was it part of a publicity stunt for his soon-to-be released album 'Insomniac'?

Whatever his record company may be comtemplating, this young lad started out with a strong backbone. He submitted his demo under an uncommon name, Enrique Martinez instead of mentioning his legendary singer-father, Julio Iglesias. He only used his real name after he secured a recording contract with Mexican label 'Fonovisa'. In 1999, he crossed over from Spain to the US with his debut English self titled album and generated hits after hits. To name a few, 'Bailamos (We Dance), 'Be with You' and an international success 'Hero'. He has achieved gold and platinum status in 32 countries.

With his electrifying good look and a wow performance at London's gay pub, surely his new album will sell a few extra million copies worldwide. How could he possibly have insomnia? May be yes but staying awake to think of the next gay pub to perform at.

Bananation rating:
Gay friendly agenda: $$$


Watch Enrique's performance at Club G.A.Y, London

Mischievious Boy, Joseph - Sacramento exclusive

To know more about Joseph, visit Joseph-tv.com

Survey result - Is Homosexuality Offensive to You?

A month ago, I set up a survey to target the heterosexuals to find out if homosexuality is offensive to them, and publicised it in the Straits Times online forum. The survey questions are derived from the furore over legalising gay sex in Singapore.

The survey was hosted free at formsite.com and has a limit of 10 responses. To receive new responses, the storage has to be emptied. Otherwise, incoming responses were rejected. From the email notifications I received from formsite, a bulk of the responses were unfortunately rejected. I am left with 20 responses. Here are the results:

Are you a heterosexual male or female?

Single male - 60%
Married male - 10%
Single female - 20%
Married female - 0%
Married male with kids - 10%
Married female with kids - 0%

Do you know any homosexuals on a personal level?
Yes, my friends - 60%
Yes, my colleagues - 5%
Yes, my relatives - 5%
Yes, my family members - 10%
No - 20%

Decriminalization of section s377A will have harmful social consequences.
Strongly Agree - 20%
Agree - 0%
Neutral - 5%
Disagree - 10%
Strongly disagree - 65%

Homosexuals carry higher risk of STD and AIDS virus transmission.
Strongly Agree - 15%
Agree - 5%
Neutral - 10%
Disagree - 15%
Strongly disagree - 55%

Homosexuals lead promiscuous and hedonistic lifestyle.
Strongly Agree - 10%
Agree - 5%
Neutral - 0%
Disagree - 25%
Strongly disagree - 60%

Safe sex education will be more effective if we stop victimising homosexuals.
Strongly Agree - 65%
Agree - 5%
Neutral - 10%
Disagree - 15%
Strongly disagree - 5%

Do you have a religion?
Yes - 90%
No - 5%
I'm an atheist - 5%

Is homosexuality offensive to you?
Yes - 10%
No - 90%

Comment
"I know some homosexuals and I do accept them as friends. Now, when it comes to morality that is another matter."

Her survey results:

Are you a heterosexual male or female?
Single female

Do you know any homosexuals on a personal level?
Yes, my friends

Please choose the best answer for each of the following questions.
Decriminalization of section s377A will have harmful social consequences:Strongly Agree
Homosexuals carry higher risk of STD and AIDS virus transmission:Strongly Agree
Homosexuals lead promiscuous and hedonistic lifestyle:Strongly Agree
Safe sex education will be more effective if we stop victimising homosexuals:Disagree

Do you have a religion?
Yes

Is homosexuality offensive to you?
Yes

Comment
"They are a group of pity disoriented people. They need care and love and not condemnation."

His survey results:

Are you a heterosexual male or female?
Married male

Do you know any homosexuals on a personal level?
Yes, my friends

Please choose the best answer for each of the following questions.
Decriminalization of section s377A will have harmful social consequences:Agree
Homosexuals carry higher risk of STD and AIDS virus transmission:Strongly Agree
Homosexuals lead promiscuous and hedonistic lifestyle:Agree
Safe sex education will be more effective if we stop victimising homosexuals:Strongly Disagree

Do you have a religion?
Yes

Is homosexuality offensive to you?
No


Comment
"Im a Christian & my view is that homosexuality, adultery, incest, free love & rape are all regarded as sins (sexual immorality). But, I don't condemn the sinners who need to be counseled & encouraged to repent. However, human beings are not perfect, they will continue to sin even among those who are highly educated & have the intellectual capacity to know, understand & differentaite what is morally right & what is not. The best solution is not to make them feel that they are 'crimnals' but to show them love & understanding to help them stay away from those sins. Alternatively, 'secular' rules or laws can be enacted to contain the 'activites' to within certain acceptable legal boundary. the Bible says everyone on eartn is born sinful except Jesus Christ who was God-incarnate."

His survey results:

Are you a heterosexual male or female?
Married male with kids

Do you know any homosexuals on a personal level?
No

Please choose the best answer for each of the following questions.
Decriminalization of section s377A will have harmful social consequences: Neutral
Homosexuals carry higher risk of STD and AIDS virus transmission: Netural
Homosexuals lead promiscuous and hedonistic lifestyle:Disagree
Safe sex education will be more effective if we stop victimising homosexuals: Disagree

Do you have a religion?
Yes

Is homosexuality offensive to you?
No

Conclusion

The size of the survey may be small but it still provides Bananation with a view that most people do not find homosexuality offensive.

This group is made up of single heterosexual men and women who have gay friends. They strongly disagree that gay men are promiscuous and that we carry a higher risk of STD/HIV virus transmission. They do not see how legalising gay sex will harm the society and strongly agree that safe sex education will be more effective if homosexuals are not victimised.

Bearing in mind that this group has a religion, Bananation believes that the strong voices against homosexuals and their legal status come from staunch religious individual or groups. They are unlikely to form friendship with gays and thus lack a true understanding of gays.
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Related readings:

Letter to Forum Editor: Issue of homosexuality

Mel White in Singapore

Do homosexuals destroy cities?

Can Singapore be a liberalised society?