This week, we had the chance to pick the brain of 1 of the 3 men behind Singapore’s #1 podcast, OKLETSGO, Dzar Ismail! He talks about the difference between being a radio DJ and a podcaster, tips for anyone looking to create their own podcast, and what to do when the President of Singapore demands an apology from you! It goes for 2 hours, so you know we went DEEP!

Find us here!

• Our #YLB Subreddit for show notes

Find Dzar Ismail here!

• OKLETSGO Instagram, and Spotify

Here are our one SHIOK things for this ep!

#1698 - Neill Blomkamp | The Joe Rogan Experience

Smartless on Spotify

It's our 200th episode!!! And we are discussing EPIC topics! In the National Day Rally, PM Lee asserted that it is “entirely baseless” to claim that “Chinese privilege” exists in Singapore; an assertion that eclipsed the rest of the content of his speech. What was that and all the ensuing hoo-hah about? Also, Yale-NUS shocked everyone last Friday by announcing that the school would be merged with NUS’s USP program, effectively closing the school down for good. Students and faculty mourned the decision, while some online commentators rejoiced the shuttering of our first liberal arts college. But what does this decision really mean for all the stakeholders involved?

Find us here!

Our #YLB Subreddit for show notes

PM Lee's take on "Chinese Privilege"

• Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act planned in Singapore

Yale-NUS closing down

• NUS to merge Yale-NUS and University Scholars Programme into new college; engineering and design schools to be combined

• Comment by pillybaxtoodles

• 𝙳𝙴𝙽𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙴𝚁 , the Parkour experts 

US Vice-President Kamala Harris’ first official trip overseas was to Singapore - a big deal in bilateral relations. Why did her visit ruffle so many feathers of Chinese netizens, such that they would label Singaporeans as “bootlickers”? And why did Seah Kian Peng, NTUC Fairprice CEO’s bad joke about Kamala Harris’ name upset many other people? Also, OnlyFans U-turns on its recent decision to ban sexually explicit content. What gives? Will creators ever trust OnlyFans based on these recent events?

Find us here!

Our #YLB Subreddit for show notes

Kamala Harris' Trip to Singapore

• Singapore branded 'running dogs' and 'bootlicker' by Chinese netizens as Kamala Harris' Southeast Asia visit draws ire

OnlyFans' U-turn on its decision to ban porn

• OnlyFans Drops Planned Porn Ban, Will Allow Sexually Explicit Content

• Comment by pillybaxtoodles

• Inseparable: Ten Years Joined At The Head

Over the NDP weekend, on Facebook, Minister Shanmugam shared a Malaysia army video that was released during NDP 2021, and highlighted that the bulk of the video was in English, insinuating that it was a targeted message. This caused some angry reactions from Singaporeans online, but also left some people puzzled as to what the big deal was. Also, a doctor accused of molestation in 2017 was finally acquitted of his charges after 4 years. However, this leaves us with the question: what should happen to the accuser?

Find us here!

Our #YLB Subreddit for show notes

Malaysia army video released during NDP 

• Malaysia posts English-language military video coincidentally during Singapore's NDP; Shanmugam notices

Doctor acquitted of molestation charges after 4 years

• 'It was humiliating': Doctor acquitted of molestation charges tells of painful experience

• Comment by pornsubmod_throwaway

• Six figures in 6 days

On 19th August, the Singapore government announced Vaccinated Travel Lanes to Germany and Brunei; it will be the first time SG residents can go for quarantine-free leisure travel since we shut our borders last March. Sounds good, but why are people still upset about this? Elsewhere, the subscription site OnlyFans upsets its huge base of content creators and users by announcing that it will block sexually explicit photos and videos from October due to pressure from “banking partners and payment providers”.

Find us here!

Our #YLB Subreddit for show notes

Singapore's new Vaccinated Travel Lanes

• Singapore to launch its first vaccinated travel lanes with Germany and Brunei

OnlyFans bans sexually explicit content

• OnlyFans to bar sexually explicit videos starting in October

• Comment by Flocculencio 

• Watching the Watchers

Heavy, heavy topics this week, as we dissect the timeline of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and ask: how did the country get back to this situation, 20 years after 9/11? Also, about a year after the story first broke, the sordid details of the allegations against YouTuber Dee Kosh are finally revealed, and it goes way deeper than expected. PLUS, Haresh directly addresses recent criticism of him as “inauthentic”!!

Find us here!

Our #YLB Subreddit for show notes

SUPPORT us by listening/rating our Audible audio pilot, Life Exchange: https://www.audible.com/pd/Life-Exchange-Podcast/B094L5W823

US Withdrawal from Afghanistan

• Timeline of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan - FactCheck.org

Dee Kosh Charged

• Former DJ Dee Kosh charged with sexually exploiting young person and other sex-related offences

• Comment by hotgarbagecomics

• London Grammar - Hey Now (Live)

Another week, another guest! This week, we talk to Radio DJ / singer-songwriter / podcast host Joshua Simon as he gets personal about his moving story of coming out to family, and shares more about his newest single, “We Are Done”, coming out this week! He also goes deep into where LGBTQ representation in Singapore is at, and why he will never forget his half hour interviewing Katy Perry.

Find us here!

• Our #YLB Subreddit for show notes

Find Joshua Simon here!

• Instagram, YouTube, Spotify 

Here are our one SHIOK things for this week!

• Season 1 Trailer | KIPO AND THE AGE OF WONDERBEASTS

Peace!

Following allegations that one of its editors had said "viewers did not like watching darker-skinned presenters" to former BBC journalist Sharanjit Leyl , Mediacorp fired back with its own statement. But what can we make of Mediacorp’s response? Elsewhere, a Japanese softballer is going to have her gold medal replaced with a fresh one after the mayor of her hometown was photographed posing with and biting her medal.

Find us here!

Our #YLB Subreddit for show notes

SUPPORT US by listening/rating our Audible audio pilot, Life Exchange: https://www.audible.com/pd/Life-Exchange-Podcast/B094L5W823

Here are our one SHIOK things for this week!

• Undone - Official Trailer

Peace!

We talk to Singaporean rapper sensation Yung Raja, whose most recent claim to fame was having his song “Mami” featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. We chart his meteoric rise in the media scene, from a teenage actor on local TV shows like “Fighting Spiders” to winning an Asian Academy Creative Award for hosting an international MTV program. And we also talk about what it means to be an “Artist” vs. a “Sellout”.

Find us here!

• Our #YLB Subreddit for show notes

Find Yung Raja here!

• Instagram, YouTube, Spotify 

Here are our one SHIOK things for this week!

• MESSI AT BARCELONA: THE ULTIMATE HISTORY

Peace!

On Aug 10 2021, Singapore will enter the next phase of COVID19 restrictions, but for the better! But if you’re not vaccinated, you’ll have a lot less freedom. What are the differences? Should we be hopeful, or should we expect another lockdown? Elsewhere, Nas Daily is coming under a barrage of fire in the Philippines, but is there more than meets the eye? 

Love from our sponsor!

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Find us here!

• Our #YLB Subreddit for show notes

Here are our one SHIOK things for this week!

• Dr Jason Leong Hashtag Blessed | Official Trailer | Netflix

Peace!