George's Blog

Eating Sharks

2012-01-27T23:06:00.001+08:00

I understand that you know what I am going to go on aboutafter reading the title, so if you truly believe that eating sharks is fine,read this: Go kill yourself. I am writing this not only because I am anadvocate of shark conservation, but also because I am amazed, ashamed, anddisgusted by the fact that almost nobody is aware of the bare cruelties in theshark trade and shark finning.

Travel to Hong Kong, a more prosperous region of China, andyou will realise that there are thousands of shops on the street dedicated toselling the so beloved merchandise of Shark’s Fin. Walk along the street andfind a Chinese restaurant, (preferably a restaurant that serves those snobbishupper-middle class people) and take a look around at the tables in which dinneris being served. I can bet that there is not one single moment in the restaurantwhere the dish “Shark’s Fin Soup” is not being cooked, served, eaten, ormentioned.

The popularity of the dish in China is extremely well known,and it is served as a special dish on special occasions like weddings orbanquets. It is served as a sign of respect and gratitude to the guests, andrefusal to eat it could result in numerous glances expressing disapproval anddistaste between the others at the table. I know this, for I have never agreedto give even the slightest sip of the soup when served. Despite the overwhelmingacceptance of both eating and serving Shark’s Fin Soup as a Chinese tradition,it truly is a disgrace to Chinese culture, and those who insist that it is atradition are merely exhibiting their lack of understanding and ignorance ofChinese culture.

In Ancient China, Shark’s Fin Soup is served as a royaltreat, a treat which only the high ranking dignitaries are able to savour, andby that I mean the Emperor’s family members and friends. It was indeed, quitean exclusive club. However, here we are, a thousand years into the future, and theexclusivity of the dish has been lost. It seems as though we are all claimingto be grandsons and great-grandsons of China’s last Emperor, feasting on theonce extremely exclusive dish of Shark’s Fin Soup. Of course, there is nothingwrong with the rich and powerful sharing their treasures, but I take issue withthe fact that many people believe that eating this dish is a tradition. I takeissue with the fact that we are displaying their ignorance to Chinese culture,and that fact that we are so lackadaisical when it comes to dealing with thismatter. Because the fact of the matter is this – How can we claim something tobe a tradition, when the very action of participating in this apocryphal“tradition” is causing us to destroy Chinese history and culture?

And that is not the only reason why the dish Shark’s FinSoup is such a disgrace. When it comes to cooking, the Chinese are veryparticular about it. No matter what animal we use, we never put any part of theanimal to waste. Every single part of the animal has to be utilised in one wayor another so that nothing goes to waste. But when a shark is caught, when itis brought up onto the boat where it meets life’s end, the fins of the shark iscut off, and the rest of the shark disposed into the vast ocean. Where is theusage to the entire animal? At the bottom of the ocean, that is where it is. Ofcourse, there have been measures set in place in various major shark-fishingports across the world, but the restrictions are not strictly abided by, andbribery in these areas is not an uncommon sight. So what is this tradition we, asChinese, claim to be? It is disgrace.

What is even more daunting is that nobody knows where thefins come from - knowledge of the species of the shark whereby it came from isalready a rare sight. The traceability of the shark trade is so difficult, thatagencies take months to trace an illegal box of Shark’s fin to where it camefrom, by which time the dealer has disappeared without a trace.

小悦悦事件感想 (In English)

2012-01-21T19:28:00.003+08:00

Given howthis topic has subsided by now, I think it would an appropriate time to give myopinion about this topic.

To providea more thorough analysis, I shall split the content of this post into fivemajor portions:

小悦悦
第一名司机和第二位司机
陈贤妹阿姨
王悦母亲
十八名路人

(I am doingthis in English because I am slightly more proficient in it. The topic is stillslightly sensitive and I do not want to end up arrested due to my lack ofunderstanding in the meaning of a Chinese character.)

Shall webegin? Okay then.

1. Itis a great regret that such a beautiful young girl should lose her life at sucha young age, and I believe this gives us all much to think about. Then again, Ishall not grieve over this, and I do not believe anyone should do so after the21^st of October. The past is the past, no matter how much we thinkabout it, or how much we wish for it, nothing will come to past, nothing will happen.I am not cold-hearted or pessimistic, I do feel pity, I am hurt, disappointedand I do have a heart, but sometimes vision is muffled by the sound of theheart. Anger is the most effective muffling agent, preventing the proper flowof thoughts and tact to the point that stupidity rules over the afflicted bodyand soul, however bright the carrier. Therefore, reason your mind, think aboutit carefully, can her death be reversed? Can history rewind?

2. Afterreviewing the videotape captured by the CCTV camera, I highly suspect the firstdriver is either mad or was drunk at the time of the incident. First of all, thepossibility of the first driver not having spotted the girl is very unlikely,what increases my suspicion is the fact that the driver actually sped up beforeknocking into the little unfortunate girl. Not much to say about the seconddriver.

3. She is a good woman.

4. Immediately after the incident became a greathit with the internet, many people offered their best wishes to the parents ofthe victim. But the support slowly faded away after a bit of the internetbrought up doubts within the curious case of 小悦悦, theywondered why the mother was not at the scene of the accident until the 19^thpedestrian arrived on site, a rather significant span of time. The internetbegan blaming the parents for the incident, they were called irresponsible andcareless, and some even suggested that they did not love their daughter due tothe fact that they wished for a baby boy. The accusations do make sense, if youare a heartless maggot with the head of a donkey. Obviously, the parents cankeep a closer eye on their children, and how do they do so? By locking up theirchild, senseless maggots. If you lose your parents do you maggots blame it onthem? Shame on you, maggots, shame on you.

5. Afterthe incident, the internet was flooded with thousands similar comments aboutthe 18 pedestrians who did not help the little girl, they were all filled withanger, disappointment, shame and a general disgust towards their behaviour.After some time, when some of the pedestrians were found and interviewed, theinternet began to provide a little bit of understanding and pity towards them,but many still maintained that the loss of life was mainly due to these 18pedestrians, and that they should be charged of voluntary manslaughter. Ihowever, disagree. In fact, I can’t see anything wrong with their actions.

Allow me to explain. Aswe all know (or are about to be informed) more than three billion people – nearlyhalf the world’s population – live in poverty, and more than 80% of the world’spopulation live with less than $10 a day. One human dies due to hunger every3.5 seconds as the world stands by their side, watching them die with no senseof remorse whatsoever. We walk past the donation can, even though donating asimple dollar could have extended the life of one child by another day, thesame way any one of these 18 pedestrians could have made a simple phone call toextend the life of the little girl by another day. And yet we still have theguts to criticize these 18 pedestrians for doing something we all do, we ignorethe needy and let them die without any concern. And when anyone else brings upthe topic, we try to think of an excuse or a method to change the topic. We arein no position to criticize these pedestrians, because we are just as cruel andheartless as they are, and there is no denying that. If your heart is stillfilled with denial, then go ahead, tell yourself that there are millions morelike you, people who are just as heartless as you are, and proceed on the die afruitless life. Why do we all walk along the streets of life wearing goggles smudgedwith the muck that we are blasted with every day, unable to see clearly, to seethe truth, to see the broader spectacle of things.

Who are we trying to lie to?

Hate.

2011-09-22T21:11:00.002+08:00

Have you ever that one person whom you just cannot stand whenever you see them? Evidently, many have. Everyday, no matter where you go, there will always be one form of conflict or another, a sense of hatred and boiling anger against someone else. I myself, despite trying my best not to, find some people annoying beyond belief. Whenever, I see them, it just seems to spoil my day. Even if they just open their loud mouths in class, I get irritated, annoyed. I feel a sense of rage that is of indescribable intense infinite magnitude, boiling in the deep, dark depths below me.

And yet, it doesn’t seem there is any specific reason whatsoever to hate them. Sure, some would say that this person is rather dishonest and a bit of an a-hole, but truth be told, there is no sound proof of any of those claims. They are just rumors and blasphemy, biased opinions of people who, in the first place, do not even know or understand this person they claim to know so well to be able to hate.

Your heart is like a bowl, an empty bowl at first, but our hunger fills up the bowl. The heart works differently from your brain, whatever enters it stays in it forever, so in the end, you end up with a mountain of feelings you have felt. Hate, however, does not exist as matter, it exists as nothing. Have you ever felt hate? Hate gives you a sense of emptiness inside, and therefore, no feelings. That’s why anger coupled with hate gives you senseless, thoughtless and useless rage.

If you hate, you live an empty life, a life with no purpose, no originality, and no hope. You can’t feel nor think, hope nor dream, all you can do, is walk slowly to journey’s end, along the many others who are like you. Hate itself is a cruel thing, because we feel pity for those who can’t feel anything, as they are less fortunate. They can’t feel the warmth of their parent’s arms, or the joy of the morning sun; They can’t enjoy the delight of a wonderful day, or the want for a chance to play.

Love everything, my dear friend, Love everything.

Personal Blog?

2011-07-10T22:11:00.003+08:00

Hey Blog Readers!

Since my days in Lower Secondary are over, maybe I could at least post some different and less formal posts on my blog! :D

But that means I have to do my post more often, and that means more time spent on my blog. :(

Maybe I could try challenging myself into writing a blog post every week...

Should this become a personal blog, or stay dead?

Who knows, I am going to try out my challenge.

Cheers, (:

George

Comment on Ke Xuen's blog

2010-08-21T10:59:00.001+08:00

Dear blog readers, I have commented on Tan Ke Xuen's blog (http://tankexuen.blogpost.com/) on his post about the swiss vandal Oliver Fricker.

Below is my comment:

"Ke Xuen,
I strongly agree with your viewpoint that Oliver Fricker should be badly punished.

Many people feel that he has been charged for vandalism only and therefore should not be given such a heavy sentence. However, this is not true. What Mr. Fricker did was to not just vandalise an MRT train, but also trespass a protected area. And in some places, you may get shot.

I would agree that he did a good job and brightened the train up a little. However, I do not see why netizens should be praising him. What if he was a terrorist? What if he planted a bomb? I can bet the attitude of the netizens would change immediately. Just because he "did a good job", he should not be let off that easily, and we should not be swayed by it either.

I also agree with Marcus Lau that we should consider ourselves lucky that Oliver Fricker was there to expose our lack of security. This is an important lesson to be learnt by the Singaporeans and the Singaporean Government itself.

Thank you. "

Comment on Kah Win's blog

2010-08-21T10:55:00.002+08:00

Dear blog readers, I have commented on Kah Win's blog (http://causticpotashhhhh.blogspot.com/) on his post about The Downtown Line.

Below is my comment:

"Kah Win,
I agree that the building of the MRT lines will help singapore economically and environmentally.

The extension and building of more MRT lines would mean that some areas in Singapore will gain easier access to the rest of Singapore. The ease of access to the other parts of Singapore can reap much economical benefits. This is because the employees can get to work faster and easier, and gain more access to the major commercial and financial districts of Singapore. The ability of the employees to get to work faster ans easier means that they will arrive at work late less often.(more time at work = more things produced) The extra access gained by Singaporeans to commercial and financial districts of singapore means that they will be going there more often.(More business)

Despite the fact that MRT trains use electricity which comes from power plants which produce greenhouse gases, these trains will reduce the number of cars on the roads, and these cars cause much more environmental damage than the MRT trains.

Therefore, I feel agree with your viewpoint that Singapore will gain much economical and environmental benefits from the building of these MRT lines.

Thank you."

Comment on Cleon Wong's blog

2010-08-21T00:18:00.003+08:00

Dear blog readers, I have commented on Cleon Wong's blog (http://bloggingcurrently.blogspot.com/) on his post about The Youth Olympic Games.

Below is my comment:

"I feel that despite the fact that the monster scene might have been a little corny, and there may have been quite a few mistakes made during the opening ceremony, it was still rather awesome. As a Singaporean, I am proud that Singapore is the first country to host the Youth Olympic Games. And we should all be.

However, as for those who did not turn up for the various competitions, I feel that they are being very irresponsible and insensitive to the effort put in by the Organising Committee and the sportsperson. Imagine what it would feel like to turn up at a match or performance expecting huge cheers from the crowd, only to find a large amount of the chairs empty.

If those people really did not want to turn up, they could have just sold their tickets to someone who might have wanted it more than them.

Therefore, I agree with Darrell, Ke Xuen and Marcus Lau's viewpoint.

Thank you."

Comment on Ong Sze Chuan's blog

2010-08-20T23:07:00.002+08:00

Dear blog readers, I am going to comment on Ong Sze Chuan's blog (http://causticpotashhhh.blogspot.com/) on his post about Innova JC starting silat lessons to help foster racial harmony.

Below is my comment:

"Sze Chuan,
I definitely share the same viewpoint with you here.
Instead of using lessons to help foster racial harmony, we should use other, more innovative methods to try and teach the students racial harmony and its importance.

I feel that Innova JC has made the right choice of using sports and physical education lessons to try and help students foster racail harmony. Sports help create strong bonds between players easily, due to the large amount of teamwork involved in it. And these bonds will make them friends, such that they can understand one another, and learn to appreciate each other's race or religion. The understanding creates respect and humility towards each other, thus fostering racial harmony.

Thank you."

Comment on Marcus Lau's blog

2010-08-19T20:13:00.004+08:00

Dear blog readers, I have commented on Marcus Lau's blog (http://blanketboymarcus.blogspot.com/) on his post about Success.

Below is my comment:

"Marcus Lau,
I strongly agree with your viewpoint.

As long as you are happy with what you are doing, you will succeed. Because "success" is usually defined by what you are passionate about. Here's a quote from "A Gift to my Children" by Jim Rogers:

"The quickest way to success is to do what you like and give it your best"

Furthermore, doing what you love not only gives you success, it is also almost "effortless". Because you love it so much that you enjoy every minute of it, you have fun while you do it, and you will be happy.

And here I shall end with a quote from Confucius:

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."

Thank you. "

Comment on Tan Ke Xuen's blog

2010-08-19T19:53:00.003+08:00

Dear blog readers, I have commented on Tan Ke Xuen's blog (http://tankexuen.blogpost.com/) on his post about the recent Deepwater Horizon Oill Spill.

Below is my comment:

"Dear Ke Xuen,

I definitely agree with your viewpoint. I do feel that BP has been rather irresponsible and slow in coming up with preventive measures or preventing this incident from occuring in the first place.
Documents indicate that BP previously made modifications to the blowout preventer(BOP) for the Macondo site which increased the risk of BOP failure, despite warnings from their contractor.

However, we must remember that BP is not the only one to blame. And that each of us here has actually plated a part in this incident. Because BP would not have needed to build the oil rig if we did not use oil in the first place.

I feel that this incident also shows that no matter how advance technology may be, we still cannot constantly rely on it, for it is not the answer to all our questions.

Thank you."

The YOG opening ceremony

2010-08-18T21:30:00.006+08:00

I went around the Internet and found out that there are many negative comments on the Youth Olympic Opening ceremony. How it all went wrong and how the performance of the Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony was not as flamboyant and elegant as the opening ceremony during the Summer 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Some even described it as "c**p".

To be brutally honest, I would actually agree that the Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony was not entirely "awesome" or anything, but all the performers have put in all their effort into doing it. They knew they have, and they should be proud that they have performed, not just for Singapore, but also for the first Youth Olympics Games, and all the people watching the opening ceremony; we are proud of you.

However, I am appalled that there are Singaporeans who even dare to criticise the Opening Ceremony, when they do not even know the amount of effort Singaporeans and the Singaporean Government have invested in the Opening Ceremony. Furthermore, like I have said in one of my previous blog posts, these insensitive and disrespectful comments are insults to the effort put in by Singaporeans, non-Singaporeans, and everyone else who have helped one way or another to celebrate the Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony.

Furthermore, because these comments are placed on the Internet, anyone can access it. In fact, you can actually access it very easily. All I did was search for "YOG opening ceremony" and I immediately found this link. The article also has many other negative articles regarding the Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony under the "Related posts" segment. You can check out the article here: (http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/08/15/netizens-lampooned-yog-opening-ceremony-as-an-international-disgrace/)

I would again conclude that we should respect the amount of time and effort the organisers and performers have put into the event. It may have a few mistakes, but to err is human. I shall end my post with a quote from Confucius:

"Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?"

Thank you for reading my blog post.
Do feel free to comment on my post. Whether you agree or disagree I do not mind because each of us have our own way of thinking and personal view on this issue.

Mudslides in China

2010-08-18T20:26:00.005+08:00

Zhouqu, Gansu Province, August 17 2010 - The death toll from the massive mudslide in Zhouqu County, northwest China's Gansu Province, has risen to 1,270 as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, with 474 still missing, local disaster relief headquarters said.

China Daily via Reuters

The recent spate of mudslides really leads me to think about an article I read not a long time ago on TIME or Newsweek. It states that natural disasters may be occurring more often (and appearing more deadly) not because of an apocalyptic reason, but rather due to man's increased awareness about natural disasters occurring, and how earthquakes and floods are striking more densely populated areas. He (or she) then "blames" it on the world's rapidly increasing population, rescue efforts not being fast enough and the headline thirsty media.

I cannot think of anything else to do other than to beg to differ. What he should have done is blamed himself, eaten humble pie for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Or other people will force him (or her) to eat it.

Thank you for reading my blog post.
Do feel free to comment on my post. Whether you agree or disagree I do not mind because each of us have our own way of thinking and personal view on this issue.

NDM-1

2010-08-14T11:13:00.003+08:00

"A hospital in London and another in Nottingham have confirmed they have treated patients with the new 'superbug', which is resistant to the most powerful antibiotics.
There are fears that without vigilance the enzyme that allows any bacteria to become a superbug could become widespread in NHS hospitals.
It has infected around 50 Britons so far, many of whom returned to the UK after undergoing surgery in India or Pakistan." - Mail Online

After reading this news article, I feel that no matter how fast we advance in technology is, we can never really develop things faster than things evolve. We may be the most intelligent creatures on the Earth, but that "fact" can never really be confirmed, because Mother Earth always seems to be in front of us when we are dealing with.

Technology may have developed very rapidly throughout the years, we may have experienced many breakthroughs, but we have forgotten how to survive by ourselves. We have started to play God, doing whatever we want to whatever we like. As Charles Darwin once said,"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." What we have effectively done through technology is change the Earth to suit our likes, being selfish and arrogant, and forgetting all that the Lord has given us.

I'm not sure how you feel, but it really is a sad prospect that the only way Earth is going to survive is by killing us all.

This is a very stale reminder to humanity that we are all going to die.

Thank you for reading my blog post.
Do feel free to comment on my post. Whether you agree or disagree I do not mind because each of us have our own way of thinking and personal view on this issue.

Russian Heat Wave

2010-08-13T22:32:00.004+08:00

Russia’s record heat wave may already have taken 15,000 lives and cost the economy $15 billion as fires and drought ravage the country. As Russia chokes from a heat wave of unprecedented ferocity, president Dmitry Medvedev has strengthened his call for the world’s leaders to take action to fight global warming and pollution. The scientific community has warned for decades that burning coal and oil without limit would intensify heat waves, droughts, and floods.

This is worrying news.
Because recently, there were floods in Pakistan, China and Singapore.
I shall be discussing my feelings towards this event in this post.

I feel that this might be a warning mother nature is giving us, that we are too dangerous to continue living on this planet. We have caused enough damage to Mother Earth and are too arrogant to be willing to change. We are too proud of ourselves to ever listen to other's advices or warnings. This has cost the world greatly, around one-third of Russia's crops have been lost through the heat wave. This has caused Russia to stop exporting crops, which have in turn have caused the price of wheat and many other crops to shoot up.

This also shows how easily affected our lives are damaged because of something that has happened so far away due to the various technological advances we have made over the past few decades. Our world is now more connected than ever, and the bonds are stronger, tougher, but worse. Because as long as one country collapses, many more will suffer, causing even more to suffer, there setting of a chain reaction.

And here I shall end my blog post.
Thank you for reading my blog post.
Do feel free to comment on my post. Whether you agree or disagree I do not mind because each of us have our own way of thinking and personal view on this issue.

Youth Olympic Games

2010-08-13T17:43:00.006+08:00

The Youth Olympic Torch came to Hwa Chong on Wednesday. Everyone was rather happy, but that was mainly due to the fact that we could miss a few periods of lesson. That is not good. This just goes to show how the attitude towards Singapore hosting the Youth Olympic Games have changed since the news first broadcasted worldwide. We do not have the enthusiasm, the eagerness, the atmosphere felt before the 2008 Olympic games. Some say this is because Singapore did not do enough to promote the Youth Olympic Games, but I beg to differ. Despite the fact that it may be a cause of the lack of enthusiasm, it is not major cause as to why the Youth Olympic Games has a different atmosphere to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

I feel that one of the main reasons why there is a lack of enthusiasm regarding the Youth Olympic Games is because many people think that it is just a "kid's game" and is not "big enough". Some even think that the Youth Olympic Games should not be too anticipated just in case they get bigger and more celebrated than the Olympic games. As an athlete, I am disgusted by these insensitive comments given by people who think they know everything.

The youths that are going to be competing in the Youth Olympic Games have the same goal. Win a medal to compete in the Olympic Games. It is like one of their first few steps onto the global stage. Their future, their hopes, their dreams, and their aspirations, all rely on this few steps to achieve. Calling this a "kid's game" is an insult to the athletes competing in the Youth Olympic Games. It is an insult to their aspirations, their hopes, dreams, and their future. It is an insult to the amount of effort put into their child by their coaches and parents.

Calling the Youth Olympic Games this is also being extremely insensitive to the competitor's feelings. Just place yourself in the shoes of the athlete, think about all the effort you have put into perfecting your sport. And then imagine someone not appreciating all the effort you have invested in that sport. You would have enough anger in yourself to go on a rampage.

So we should treat the Youth Olympic Games with more respect, and admire the amount effort and time invested into that particular sport they specialise in. Because their determination is very hard to achieve, and they had been gritting their teeth for a very long time.

Thank you for reading my blog post.
Do feel free to comment on my post. Whether you agree or disagree I do not mind because each of us have our own way of thinking and personal view on this issue.

What Al Gore needs to do (with Power Plants)

2010-08-12T23:06:00.004+08:00

Cause he actually correct.

All I can do as a citizen is write blog entries suggesting to the government ways to change the trend of global warming.

Another big culprit to greenhouse gas emissions is Power Plants.
Rather obviously.

To change this is probably the hardest of all, due to our current heavy reliance on electricity and electrical appliances. To shut down just one Power Plant would be like removing all food supplies from a country. It would be disastrous.

Because we cannot just destroy a Power Plant and build a new, green power plant, we have to find alternatives and new land to build a renewable energy power plant, before we can even consider tearing down a power plant and building a green power plant on the new land gained.

There are actually many choices of where to get energy from. The Sun, Wind, or the Sea. There is never a end to the list of technology advancements still available and yet to be discovered.

"Innovation is the central issue in economic prosperity"
-Michael Porter

And here I shall end my blog post.
Thank you for reading my blog post.
Do feel free to comment on my post. Whether you agree or disagree I do not mind because each of us have our own way of thinking and personal view on this issue.

ROKS Cheonan sinking

2010-08-12T20:31:00.006+08:00

On the 26th of March 2010, the Pohang-class corvette of the Republic of Korea Navy, ROKS Cheonan (PCC-772) sank off South Korea's west coast near Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 of the 104 crew. South Korea's immediate suspect was obvious; North Korea. The two countries have been under constant conflict ever since the Korean War.

On 24 May 2010, the Pentagon announced a joint military exercise by U.S and South Korean forces — cited to be response to the sinking and focusing on anti-submarine and maritime interdiction capabilities.

Many countries have also expressed their views on the issue, mostly blaming North Korea for sinking the ROKS Cheonan corvette.

I feel that this is unnecessary. The large amount of nations commenting on this issue just makes it bigger and more controversial, because of involvement the from so many countries. We should just let them settle the matter themselves. Even if you feel strongly that one side is wrong, you should still keep it to yourself, and say nothing, you should allow the two sides to solve to problem on their own. Because backing them makes them gain confidence and pride. And pride always comes before a fall.

When dealing with sensitive things like this, one should approach it in a calm manner. Divide things up, spilt it up, then analyse it. Do not act too rashly, or you will not be able to think straight.

Thank you for reading my blog post.
Do feel free to comment on my post. Whether you agree or disagree I do not mind because each of us have our own way of thinking and personal view on this issue.

What Al Gore needs to do (with cars)

2010-05-30T12:48:00.014+08:00

Cause he actually correct.

All I can do as a citizen is write blog entries suggesting to the government ways to change the trend of global warming.

As we all know, a large percentage of the world's total greenhouse gas emission is caused by automobiles and other forms of transportation.

And the only way we can solve this is either by using electric cars or hydrogen cars. Obviously electric cars will be the "right" choice due to the fact that the technology is readily available and cheaper to create as compared to hydrogen-powered vehicles. However, if we trace the source which the vehicles get there electricity from, the initial idea turns disastrous. Therefore electric cars is not a suitable solution to the current crisis, which may decide the continuation of humanity, we are facing. Therefore...

Conclusion: Electric cars, despite how ingenious this idea may seem, is just a load of useless s*** the world has come up with. The only solution to the greenhouse gases released in the form of exhaust gases is to change them into a harmless substance known as water vapour. Through the use of hydrogen as a fuel source.

Do not be obliged to comment on my post from fear of embarrassment of anything. Do feel free to comment on my post. Whether you agree or disagree I do not mind because each of us have our own way of thinking and personal view on this issue.

25-26 May Home Learning: Poem analysis

2010-05-25T11:07:00.004+08:00

Poem 1: Rainbow Death

This small poem speaks of a ingredient of warfare that was used during the Vietnam War by the US.

"Agent Orange is the code name for a herbicide used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War."- Wikipedia. This was used as the guerrilla fighters, being guerrilla fighters, hid in the forests of Vietnam.

According to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth defects.

This poem may remind us that wars aren’t over when the wars are over.

He am a Vietnam War veteran (as his my four brothers) who served in the USAF Security Service.

Poem 2: We Slept with Our Boots on

This poem is about the American War on terrorism in Afghanistan.We can infer this from "Hindu Kush" and "poppy fields". The Hindu Kush is a 500-mile mountain range stretching between north-western Pakistan and eastern and central Afghanistan. Currently, the U.S . forces operate in the Hindu Kush mountain ranges. Steve Carlson is an ex-service men in Afghanistan. We can tell that he is a paratrooper from " the LZ is hot" and "Leave this bird". "LZ" is a term for landing zone used by airplanes or helicopter. However, the "LZ is hot", which means that there is an ongoing battle on the LZ. Thus the next phrase: "We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not". The "bird" means the aircraft he will be jumping out of

Who would you want to be friends with in the novel? Explain.

2010-03-01T20:14:00.003+08:00

Intrapersonal [pick one]:

a. Who would you want to be friends with in the novel? Explain.

b. Which character would you like to play in the movie version of the novel? Explain.

c. Write a diary entry for a major character of the novel.

I pick a).
I would most certainly like to befriend Boo Radley.
I find him very strange, and yet likable.
He is one of the people one would like to know more about.
Because of his strange nature.

He is also very kind, giving Scout and Jem chewing gum,
A watch(though it is broken), and many other things as well.

He seems friendly too.

However much creepy his house may seem,
or he may seem, in fact,
I would still like to befriend him.
Jem and Scout were only scared of the Radley's house and Boo because the mysteries and rumours they have heard about it.

Scout have actually proved that the Radley's house was not frightening at all.
At the end of the novel, Scout went up to the Radley's front yard,
And actually stayed there for a while.

Thus, I would most like to befriend Boo Radley.

Multiple Intelligence test

2010-03-01T08:59:00.003+08:00

I just took a Multiple Intelligence Test today.

And let put this very bluntly:
It was rubbish.

I am not saying that the entire test was rubbish,
nor am I saying that it was not enjoyable.

It placed kinaesthetic as my second highest "Intelligence".
And I am fat.
Or not that fit, whichever way you like it.

That is one of the bad stuff about this type quizzes.
They may be becoming more accurate,
but they are never accurate enough.
So your results may be exaggerated,
or maybe to low,
but we will never know,
only you do.

And there is another problem with this kind of quizzes.
Because only you know whether your results are accurate or not,
you will only be able to tell so if you are strongly Intrapersonal (Yourself smart).
Which means if you are not,
then YOU are the cause for this quiz being inaccurate.
(Do not take that too seriously.)

But that is the only bad thing about it.
There are many good things as well.
Like being able to know oneself.
(Intelligences can increase.)

And that's about it.
So,
Cheers!

What Al Gore Didn't tell you (2)

2010-01-18T19:03:00.005+08:00

Or maybe he is a liar

Yesterday I stopped at the Prius. So let us continue from it.
I said that the Prius will prevent the Earth from running out of fuel.
But I was WRONG.
Because I was being sarcastic.
This is because a hybrid still is a NORMAL car that has a NORMAL engine that still uses PETROL and is built for idiots.

Which is why we have to search for an alternative.
And we have found three.
One of which is very very very costly.
And two of which are deemed by most people as great.
Which is stupid. Here's why:

The two methods are CNG(Compressed Natural Gas). And electricity.
The answer is very simple.
CNG cars are thought to be cleaner and less damaging to the environment. This is not true. CNG cars still give emissions. CNG is not brought to this world so that the people can relax again and drive a Range Rover Sport. CNG is only an alternative. It is also dug out of the ground. It is also created by dead dinosaurs. So in the end we will still run out of CNG. And we will all be doomed.

Then there are the electric cars. Which are even more stupid. They say electric cars are "zero-emissions" and use "no fossil fuels", but that's what they say. Firstly there is the place electricity comes from. No, not the plug, the power station. And the power station burns fossil fuels. and if we use electric cars for a long time, will still run out of fossil fuels and die. You could, however, buy a solar panel or a wind turbine to charge your car in a eco-friendly manner. But solar panels only work in the day, and the day is the time when you go to work. And by the time you already get back, its dark, thus you won't be able to charge it. But you can still buy a wind turbine. Which will first cost you 50 year's salary, then cost you another 30 year's salary to pay for maintenance and by that time you should be dead. But should you have a few more years to live, you will spend the rest of your life charging it. Furthermore, you CANNOT listen to the radio because it will drain your battery, you CANNOT turn the lights on in the dark because it will drain your battery, and you can't many other things as well.

It's useless!

Which is why we can only turn our heads to face the third way.
Which I will talk about later.
But for now,
Cheers.

What Al Gore Didn't tell you

2010-01-16T19:35:00.003+08:00

Or maybe he does not know.

Let me just start by talking about the Toyota Prius. Which is very famous because of the fact everyone thinks that by driving one, you are making a environmental statement that you are helping Global Warming cease to become a threat. And that the Tasmanian Butterflies will come back to life, and because you can do 53mpg, you are helping the world have an infinite supply of fuel.

The truth is however, somewhat different.

Firstly, it can't do 53mpg. In fact, you will struggle to do even 50mpg. Sure, it has a battery, and complicated stop-start technology, But a diesel Lupo can do 70mpg, and it is cheaper.

And things aren't going to get better for the Prius either, because even though Leonardo DiCaprio has one, and so does many other Hollywood celebrities, they don't anything about Global Warming. The Prius STILL gives out CO2. It is just a normal car, with a battery fitted inside it to provide it with a better fuel efficiency. And so, sadly, our poor Tasmanian Butterfly will not come back to life. Instead, we have to say goodbye.The Prius then, is much like the catalytic converter, a quick fix to the world of human problems.

Clarkson on: hybrids
Back in the late Seventies and early Eighties, the world's fresh-air fanatics decided the exhaust gases coming out of the world's cars were causing children to grow two heads. And all of science was in agreement that Something Must Be Done.

The obvious solution was the catalytic converter. Designed in 1950 by a Frenchman and made to work in 1973 by an American, it was quite expensive, but it did the job. Nitrogen oxides were converted to nitrogen and oxygen. Carbon monoxide was converted to carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons were executed. Lovely.

The Maggon did a lot of jumping up and down and waving her handbag in the air about cats. She thought they were the work of the devil and kept banging on about their one big drawback. They dramatically increase the amount of CO2 coming out of the tail pipe. Carbon dioxide, according to the Maggon, was a bad thing but no one else could see what she was on about and dismissed her objections as the rantings of a mad woman.

Certainly, they had no idea why she was so keen on the only real alternative to the catalytic converter - lean-burn technology. "You are not only a mad woman", they said, "but also you are a grocer's daughter with bouffant hair so how can you possibly know anything about engines."
Lean burn is extremely boring. But, in essence, the petrol engine in your car currently runs on one part of fuel to 14 or so parts of air. In a lean-burn engine, that can be raised to one part of fuel to 25 or even 30 parts of air. The result is much better economy and fewer nasty gases coming out of the back. Including CO2.

"Oh do stop going on about CO2, you demented bat" said the world's fresh-air fanatics.

But still she wouldn't shut up. In 1988, she addressed the Royal Society on the need for science to find alternatives to fossil fuels "Even though this kind of action may cost a lot, I believe it to be money well and necessarily spent because the health of the economy and the health of our environment are totally dependent on each other."

Then, two years later at a science conference, she was at it again, worrying - long before anyone else in politics - that carbon dioxide was going to be a problem. "The need for more research should not be an excuse for delaying much-needed action now. There is already a clear case for precautionary action at an international level"

At the time, most people thought she was simply trying to kill off the mining industry and its one-man carbon fountain - Arthur Scargill. But the fact is this: Mrs Thatcher had seen the evidence back in the late Seventies when she came to power, and she had a degree in chemistry so she knew what it all meant. Mrs Thatcher, then, was Britain's first eco-mentalist. The first person to recognise the concept of climate change. The first to try to do something about it.

Of course, no one listened. America liked catalytic converters because they were a quick fix. But they weren't alone. Everyone liked cats. So that's what we got and, as a result, the amount of carbon dioxide being produced by the world's car pool shot up. And now, of course, the world is busy trying to get rid of it.

It is therefore imperative that the world turns its attention to an alternative for oil. Now. That - and there's no argument on this - means hydrogen. And it is equally important that the car makers drop their headlong rush for hybrids because if they don't, not one of them will still be around to capitalise on the bright new dawn when it comes.

The trouble is, of course, human beings never learn from their mistakes of the past. We're like insects, endlessly banging our heads on the window in the hope that this time, the glass will have gone. Remember that if you feel tempted to buy a Prius. What you're being, is a moth.
To read the full article, go to "http://www.topgear.com/uk/jeremy-clarkson/clarkson-hybrids-2009-01-12"

So you see what I mean.

About the new look

2009-07-27T21:32:00.002+08:00

Dear readers,

Sorry that my blog is undergoing maintenance.
It might take quite long time to give my blog the new look.
Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Is progress neccesarily beneficial for society?

2009-07-18T14:41:00.003+08:00

Again, there is a mixed answer to this question.
And as always I will go through why I think that this is so.
Firstly, let us go through the reasons why I think that progress is not always beneficial for the society.

Case of point: China

Around nine years after the Chinese Communists defeated the Chinese Nationalists, they launch Great Leap Forward, which severely weakens China's economy. Then, after only eight years, the Cultural Revolution begins, disrupting education, government and daily life. (I did not get this from wikipedia. It is from a book in my home:D)

Now let us go through the reasons why I think that progress is not always not beneficial for the society.

Case of point: USA

The American Revolution was a turning point in America's history. And this was change, progress, and it turned out to be beneficial to America's society. Not only did the American Revolution create what is America today, the nation is home to thousands of worldwide companies, the richest people, the best universities, the tallest buildings, in fact almost everything happens there. All of this done by an undiscovered part of the world, a place that was largely unoccupied when the British had landed on it, a place with a shorter history then most developed countries. America itself could be considered as one of the seven wonders of the world.

And so, does this answer your question? If not, here is the answer:
The only matter of fact lies within yourself. "Progress" can only be beneficial if one uses it properly.

Confessions of a person who never liked CCAs

2009-07-17T19:21:00.002+08:00

I hate CCAs. I hate the fact that they make you stay back in school and cannot go home early. People call me a coward, because of the fact that I do not like to stay in school but perfer to go home.

The biggest thing that I hate most about CCAs is that it always had some sport involved in it. Which I hate. A lot more than you think. Which is why I quit my first two CCas, wushu and scouts. All which was..."shitty". Then my mother forced me into basketball, due to the fact that it can make me "taller"...ugh. More sport CCAs.

My trapped thoughts were unchanged until I entered secondary school. After listen to a lecture by one of my already graduated seniors, I found out that good results only cannot get oneself into a good university. I still required a lot more leadership achievements and trophies. Upon hearing this, my parents who knew that the CCA-Shooting was open for me to enter. But it being a sport CCA, I placed it as my last choice. My parents told me to send an email to the teacher in charge of the CCA choosing and afterwards the teacher told me to email the head of the secondary one batch, which, erm...failed.

Desperately, my parents asked me to find the shooting coach and ask him if he could help me. Amazingly, the teacher-in-charge (different from the coach) was my chinese teacher, but I only knew this when I entered the CCA, so this is an irrelevant point. The coach said that if someone of the CCA quits, I can be able to join the CCA. Yes! But my parents insisted that I first try to appeal to the robotics CCA, which, erm...also failed. But still, could be worse.

CCA release day. As we went to flag raising, someone went to our classes to put up the results. Only to find out that I have been enrolled into SJAB-St Johns Ambulance Brigade which was...also "shitty". Luckily enough, I had one friend who got enrolled into shooting but was already in basketball, victory is mine!

To cut a long story short, I got inside the CCA and I love it!

Who is my favourite character of Village By The Sea

2009-07-07T20:17:00.002+08:00

My favourite character is Mr Panwallah as he is a funny, kind and quiet man. A very nice, likable combination of behavioural traits. He is like the root of the story. Same way applied to mother nature, it is like the root of a tree, very very important, something the tree cannot do without. Mr Panwallah is the whole meaning of the story, one could find the theme of the story in him, from him. And of course, the story will end up shattered, destroyed and forgotten, without him. Mr Panwallah is also the man that "saved" Hari from poverty, providing him with skills, ideas and lessons that will eventually bring Hari out of poverty.

Do you have any objections? Or other suggestions? Do leave comments.

Which part of Village By The Sea do you like most? State your reasons.

2009-07-07T19:42:00.002+08:00

I enjoyed reading the parts when Hari was with Mr Panwallah. The entire story was sad or has no feeling at all. But when hari was with Mr Panwallah, there was a feeling of love, care and happiness. Because of this, it stands out from the rest of the story, which is something that should be liked. Furthermore, Mr Panwallah actually brought out the main point of the story, which is very important. Still, the most important reason why I like this parts of the story is bacause it stands out and makes the book from dull to enjoyable.

I rather be a country rat than a city rat

2009-07-07T18:35:00.002+08:00

Each side has its own pros and cons, but the decision is still hard to make. As the title says, I would rather be a country rat than a city rat.

Here's why:

The city rat only has little good points, most of them involving danger.

He might have a lot of delicious food to eat, but he risks his life trying to get them, often skipping meals and getting seen. Sometimes getting stuck in a trap.
He may have the faster mode of transport but getting of was never easy. He has to jump of the vehicle without getting squashed by other vehicles.
He has to find a place that no one goes to, so he would not get seen. But those places are dirty and uncomfortable.

So? What do you think? What would you want to be? Please leave comments.

IT home learning - Lesson 2

2009-07-04T15:15:00.002+08:00

“If the track is tough and the hill is rough, THINKING you can just ain't enough!” - Shel Silverstien

Shel Silverstein was born on September 25, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois and began writing and drawing at a young age. He became a cartoonist, playwright, poet, performer, recording artist, and Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated songwriter.

Silverstein is best known as the author of iconic books of prose and poetry for young readers. His works include such modern classics as Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back (1963), The Giving Tree (1964), A Giraffe and a Half (1964), The Missing Piece (1976), and The Missing Piece Meets the Big O (1981). His immensely popular poetry collections are Where the Sidewalk Ends, a 1974 Michigan Young Readers Award winner; A Light in the Attic, recipient of the School Library Journal Best Books Award in 1982; Falling Up (1996); and Don’t Bump the Glump! And Other Fantasies, which was originally published in 1963 and reissued in 2008. Runny Babbit, a posthumous poetry collection of spoonerisms, was conceived and completed before his death.

Silverstein’s books, which he also illustrated, are characterized by a deft mixing of the sly and the serious, the macabre, and the just plain silly. His unique imagination and bold brand of humor is beloved by countless adults and children throughout the world. He died in May 1999.

Here are a few of his poems:

A Boy Named Sue by Shel Silverstein

Well, my daddy left home when I was three,
and he didn't leave much to Ma and me,
just this old guitar and a bottle of booze.
Now I don't blame him because he run and hid,
but the meanest thing that he ever did was
before he left he went and named me Sue.

Well, he must have thought it was quite a joke,
and it got lots of laughs from a lot of folks,
it seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Some gal would giggle and I'd get red
and some guy would laugh and I'd bust his head,
I tell you, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue.

Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean.
My fist got hard and my wits got keen.
Roamed from town to town to hide my shame,
but I made me a vow to the moon and the stars,
I'd search the honky tonks and bars and kill
that man that gave me that awful name.

But it was Gatlinburg in mid July and I had
just hit town and my throat was dry.
I'd thought i'd stop and have myself a brew.
At an old saloon in a street of mud
and at a table dealing stud sat the dirty,
mangy dog that named me Sue.

Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
from a worn-out picture that my mother had
and I knew the scar on his cheek and his evil eye.
He was big and bent and gray and old
and I looked at him and my blood ran cold,
and I said, "My name is Sue. How do you do?
Now you're gonna die." Yeah, that's what I told him.

Well, I hit him right between the eyes and he went down
but to my surprise he came up with a knife
and cut off a piece of my ear. But I busted a chair
right across his teeth. And we crashed through
the wall and into the street kicking and a-gouging
in the mud and the blood and the beer.

I tell you I've fought tougher men but I really can't remember when.
He kicked like a mule and bit like a crocodile.
I heard him laughin' and then I heard him cussin',
he went for his gun and I pulled mine first.
He stood there looking at me and I saw him smile.

And he said, "Son, this world is rough and if
a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
and I knew I wouldn't be there to help you along.
So I gave you that name and I said 'Goodbye'.
I knew you'd have to get tough or die. And it's
that name that helped to make you strong."

Yeah, he said, "Now you have just fought one
helluva fight, and I know you hate me and you've
got the right to kill me now and I wouldn't blame you
if you do. But you ought to thank me
before I die for the gravel in your guts and the spit
in your eye because I'm the nut that named you Sue."
Yeah, what could I do? What could I do?

I got all choked up and I threw down my gun,
called him pa and he called me a son,
and I came away with a different point of view
and I think about him now and then.
Every time I tried, every time I win and if I
ever have a son I think I am gonna name him
Bill or George - anything but Sue.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Forgotten Language by Shel Silverstein

Once I spoke the language of the flowers,

Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,

Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,

And shared a conversation with the housefly

in my bed.

Once I heard and answered all the questions

of the crickets,

And joined the crying of each falling dying

flake of snow,

Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . .

How did it go?

How did it go?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends

And before the street begins,

And there the grass grows soft and white,

And there the sun burns crimson bright,

And there the moon-bird rests from his flight

To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And watch where the chalk-white arrows go

To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,

For the children, they mark, and the children, they know

The place where the sidewalk ends.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do leave commments!

IT home learning - Lesson 1

2009-07-01T07:36:00.003+08:00

Picture Puzzle Piece by Shel Silverstein

One picture puzzle piece
Lyin' on the sidewalk,
One picture puzzle piece
Soakin' in the rain.
It might be a button of blue
On the coat of the woman
Who lived in a shoe.
It might be a magical bean,
Or a fold in the red
Velvet robe of a queen.
It might be the one little bite
Of the apple her stepmother
Gave to Snow White.
It might be the veil of a bride
Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.
It might be a small tuft of hair
On the big bouncy bellyOf Bobo the Bear.
It might be a bit of the cloak
Of the Witch of the West
As she melted to smoke.
It might be a shadowy trace
Of a tear that runs down an angel's face.
Nothing has more possibilities
Than one old wet picture puzzle piece.

( The bolded words/ phrases are the figurative language used by this poem.)

Why do I like this poem?

There are two reasons why I like this poem, thus I shall go through them one by one.

1:This poem is written by Mr. Shel Silverstein, one of my all-time favourites. This is because his poems always has a sense of realism, take "The Little Boy And The Old Man" for example. It evokes the human mind to actually think about What I have been doing, or Am I doing the right thing?

2:Once Again, Mr. Shel Silverstein has done the has done the same thing to this poem! Not I do not like it, I love it! Though not the best poem by Mr. Shel, it is a masterpiece!

Today's bus trip

2009-06-10T17:08:00.003+08:00

When I was on the bus home today, it was really crowded, thus I had to stand in front of the exit of the bus. But then, a lady who was getting of the bus scolded my because I was standing there. I know that stnading there is not something that one should do, thus I will like to sincerely apologise for what I have done. I am not being rude but this does not end here. I did not stand there because it would be easy for me to alight the bus. I did not stand because it is more comfortable. One person has to take into consideration of all these fact before they spit out words from their mouth. Before the stop I actually wanted to walk to the rear, but to many people where doing that, so I could not walk to the rear of the bus. I really hope that we could learn something from this, which is to think before you act.

North Korea's nuclear threat

2009-06-06T20:02:00.004+08:00

There has recently been a lot of news over North Korea testing out their nuclear bombs and firing tests missiles that prove to have caught the attention of many countries, especially the United States. I do not think that creating nuclear weapons is necessary. This is the problem of us humans, Albert Einstein, famous for his formula E=mc2, created nuclear energy for providing the earth a unlimited source of power.But we had to find something bad out of it, creating the nuclear bomb. If it is self-protection North Korea wants, then why not enhance on their alliance sector, and harvest peace, instead of planting turmoil.

Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent 2009

2009-04-21T08:35:00.002+08:00

Susan Boyle on Britains Got Talent 2009!! Incredible Voice!! @ Yahoo! Video

This is Susan Boyle, a participant in the annual Britian's Got Talent. I believe that she is a living example of the phrase "Don't judge a book by it's cover". I believe that anyone who watched this video thought that she was just another random woman, participating only to embarrass herself. Nobody in fact knew that she would perform that well, everyone laughed her.

This just seems like a wake up call to the cynical minidset of today's society. We really need to wake up and learn from our ancestors.

Curious George montage

2009-04-15T19:52:00.003+08:00

A really cool montage made by me.

Please leave Comments!

Socratic Seminar on 27/2/09

2009-02-28T10:38:00.001+08:00

POSTED BY THE ENVIROMENTALIST ON 28/2/09

The Socratic Seminar on Lamb To The Slaughter.

Question: Who is the "lamb" in the short story lamb to the slaughter?

Hat: Yellow hat.

I think that this seminar was very fair as everyone could say what is on their minds and it was not only the 'smart kids' got to speak and everyone spoke something although some people only contributed once. One also doesn’t have to wait to share their ideas and therefore risk forgetting information.

Cheers,
THE ENVIROMENTALIST

All in a day's work for men in blue( News article)

2009-02-23T16:43:00.005+08:00

POSTED THE ENVIROMENTALIST on 23/2/09

Dear readers,

Many of you may think that life as a police officer is very "slack" due to the fact that Singapore is very safe. I can only say that you are wrong. After reading this news article (and the pictures), I discovered just how important it is to appreciate the fact that we actually have such brilliant policemen to protect and serve our country for 24 hours. As Station inspector Keanu Tan says," Nowadays , it is not easy being a police officer. Members of the public demand more from us so we need to know our job well." I have to agree with SI tan on the fact that we are demanding much more from the police than during the olden days. For example, the public nowadays have to actually call the emergency police hotline when their neighbour is blasting loud music.

Thus, in conclusion I would like to appeal to Singaporeans that we should not rely on the fact that we are living in safe country but on self-defence as anything could happen e.g. War or Terrorism. We also should not take this for granted as many countries do not have this benefit.

Cheers,
THE ENVIROMENTALIST

Adeline Ng Ai Choo

2009-02-20T22:48:00.004+08:00

Posted by THE ENVIROMENTALIST on 20/02/09
In the midnight

Dear Readers,

I suppose you have all heard of the story on Adeline Ng Ai Choo in the book "The little Ironies of Singapore". After reading it, I felt that she was, a little bit stubborn. First of all, I did like to point out the fact that everyone has experienced failures in their lives before. As the Chinese saying goes, 失败是成功之母, which means that "failing" plays a very important role in success.

Second of all, I did like to point out the fact that she is stubborn as she committed suicide. We should all have self-control and not do something that is stupid before we actually give up on it. for example, Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, had failed many times but did not give up.

Then you might argue over the point that Adeline Ng Ai Choo wanted that extra mark so importantly as she did not want to disappoint her parents. That is absolutely true and I really agree with that, but she still should not have committed suicide. In fact most of us, maybe all of us, feel scared after getting bad marks. Why? Because of our parents expectations. Thus, I think that parents should lower their expectations of their children and not look at the surface level of the exam-grade. For example, if one child, from 55 marks shots up to 98 marks, most parents would say: Where did the other 2 marks go? and not give their child any credit or prize. And if the child gets 100 marks, the parent would only say: Keep it up. and gives the child nothing. This is a very unfair way of treating their child and will also make the child's willingness to do well in his or her studies go low, terribly low.

Thus in conclusion I would like to say that whilst students like me should have more self-control, parents of this students should also be more aware of their children's situation and lower their expectations to a reasonable height, and as the child improves, then can the expectations be higher. Parents should also not not at the surface level of their children's marks but have a wider perspective of view and think whether or not their child deserves it.

Cheers,
THE ENVIROMENTALIST

(Please leave comments!)

Air rifle!

2009-02-14T23:38:00.003+08:00

Posted by THE ENVIROMENTALIST on 13/2/09

Hi Readers!
I just got great news on Friday the 13th!
haha
I have succesfully appealed into Air Rifle!
Bang!
Will be reporting on Monday!
See you there Sze Chuan!

Cheers,
THE ENVIROMENTALIST

Hi! 你们好！

2009-02-14T23:24:00.002+08:00

Posted by THE ENVIROMENTALIST

Dear readers,

Hope you like this blog!

Cheers,
THE ENVIROMENTALIST