Comment on Joel 's post

I refer to Joel 's blog -http://jneater.blogspot.com/2010/08/religious-freedom.html


I agree with your point that everyone has the right to choose their own religion. In fact this does not only apply to religion, it apply to anything in life. Everyone should be given a chance. There are some religions which forced the child to be of the same religion. I feel that this is not right as religion is meant to be a BELIEF and not forced.

Comment on Xuan Meng 's blog

I refer to Xuan Meng 's post - http://yip-xm.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-of-emily-of-emerald-hill.html

I think that there are actually some places where females have a advantage over males. For example, when a foreign woman marry a Singaporean man she is granted PR/Citizen. However, the reverse is not true. Nowadays, many woman has better jobs than man and the number of houseman has been growing in recent years.

Comment on Sheng Xi 's post

I refer to Sheng Xi post -http://wonderfulllifeofplants.blogspot.com/2010/08/one-short-story.html

A lot of people do not treasure the lives of other species. This remind me of a advertisement on National Geog Channel. In a nutshell, it states that every single species in the world contributes to the balance of the ecosystem, what's ours? We only take from nature and never ever give it back. We have the power to save the nature but we do not exercise this power.

Comment on David 's blog

I refer to David 's post -http://typical-lifetalk.blogspot.com/2010/08/yog.html



Personally, I feel its OK to make some noise here and there. After all, its a Olympic game and its impossible to expect everyone to shut up and don't do anything for 3 hours. I believe hat is find to make noise as it increases the atmosphere which make the game more enjoyable to watch. As long as it not overdone, its OK. In your last line, you remarked that local should get banned from YOG. I feel that quite stupid as most of the supporters are after all Singaporeans and not all Singaporeans act this way

Comment on Ke Xuen 's blog

I refer to the post made by Ke Xuen - http://tankexuen.blogspot.com/2010/08/oil-spill.html


BP failed in its public relations. Its response to the oil spill has fairly quick. However, the way it handled public opinion was quite bad. For example, BP CEO Tony Hayward went on a sailing with his son instead of dealing with the oil spill. BP should have created a plan to help those affected by the spill earlier, instead of telling them that they will be compensated.

Comment on Joel 's post

I refer to Joel 's post http://jneater.blogspot.com/2010/08/swiss-vandal.html

I disagree with your point that because he is a citizen from another country he should not be punished severely. Many European countries find graffiti a form of art and has no strict rules regarding those who vandilise public property. However Singapore being a large conservative country has banned this. When you are in another country you should follow their laws. Being unaware or anything is not an excuse for committing a crime. Fricker should have checked the country 's law before doing anything out of the norm.

How did an arranged marriage affect Emily?

Emily was married to a man twice her age. "Before her breast were grown", Emily was married to a man he did not know. She had no feeling or love for this man neither did he had any feeling or love for Emily. It kind of awkward to spend the rest of your life with a guy you do not know.Furthermore, Kheong 's family "hated [her] before they knew [her] name. Also, her husband had not shown her any concern other than by asking Emily " you 're all right ah?" Kheong had no feeling with Emily and did not wanted to spend his life with her. In the end, he sought comfort in "that whore Diana Lee".


Emily had grown up with no one to love her. Her father was the only one who treated her well. However, he died at a when she was young. Her mother abandoned her. Also, the relatives took her "out of the gutter" and never actually loved her. Needless to say, Kheong also did not love her. This give rise to her dominating nature. In order to gain some position/social status, she controlled the lives of Richard and Kheong.

Where is Emerald Hill?

Emerald Hill is located near Centrepoint and Somerset Mrt Station.
Some History on Emerald Hill
The Emerald Hill area was originally owned by William Cuppage, a postal clerk who rose to become the acting Postmaster General in the 1840s. Cuppage first leased Emerald Hill in 1837 and in 1845 secured a permanent grant for his nutmeg plantation, which failed in the 1860s because of disease.

Cuppage himself moved from his residence in Hill Street to Emerald Hill in the early 1850s and lived in the area till his death in 1872. Here he built two houses (Erin Lodge and Fern Cottage) where he lived. After his death, Cuppage's plantation was left to his daughters and in 1890 it was sold to one of his sons-in-law, the lawyer Edwin Koek.

Koek turned the area into an orchard and built another house on the estate, called Claregrove. Koek's orchard venture failed, however, and he went bankrupt. The property was then sold to Thomas E. Rowell in 1891.

By the turn of the twentieth century, the 13.2 hectare land and its three houses (Erin, Fern and Claregrove) were the property of Seah Boon Kang and Seah Boon Kiat. In 1901, they subdivided the property into 38 plots and these were further subdivided, forming the land area of the terrace houses in Emerald Hill Road.

All three houses were subsequently demolished: Fern Cottage in 1906 made way for terrace houses; in 1924 Claregrove gave way to the Singapore Chinese Girls' School; Erin Lodge was replaced with more terrace houses.

Emerald Hill used to be a place for the upper class wealthy Peranakan community. However, its now a conservation area/ housing estate

Emily of Emerald Hill - How has Emily changed?

The most major way that Emily has changed is in the way she deals with her children. She used to be manipulative and authoritative when coercing Richard to live the life that she has planned for him.

All that changes after she loses Richard and after that, she loses Kheong as well. She learns to value those close to her more. She learns that love also means letting go sometimes. When confronted with the possibility of Doris running off with some strage American man, Emily relents and offers support instead of bulldozing her way through like she did with Richard. She changes her tune and does not try to make Doris follow her wishes, allowing her to “Live [her] own life”. They grow closer and Doris actually becomes closer to Emily when she is in America than she ever was in Emerald Hill.

Why can't people just show some support for the YOG

http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/08/13/corny-yog-propaganda-in-the-straits-times/
And many others
Why can't people show support for the YOG.
The YOG is opportunity for Singapore to showcase whats its has to the world. Singapore after all is a little red dot on the world map and it is unbelievable that she has managed to host the YOG. However, Singaporeans fail to accept the fact that while 300+ million dollars is spent on the YOG, most of the money goes to local companies. This huge spending has probably provided jobs for the economy etc. It is certainly not a waste of taxpayers money. Many of the Singaporeans, especially the younger generation, often critise the PAP for wasting money etc. They do not know how to appreciate the work our forefathers had put in for our past, present and future. Many fail to realise what we as a small nation with no natural resources has achieved during the past 45 years.

Whats the point of war?

First World War (28 Jul 1914 - 11 Nov 1918)
Second World War ( 1 Sep 1939 - 2 Sep 1945)
Cold War (5 Mar 1946-25 Dec 1991)
Korean War (25 Jun 1950 - 28 Jul 1953)
Vietnam War (8 Feb 1962 - 30 Apr 1975)
Gulf War ( 2 Aug 1990 - 28 Feb 1991)
War in Afghanistan (from 7 Oct 2001)
Iraq War (Second Gulf War) (19 Mar 2003 - )
So many wars have passed, the same lessons are always learnt " wars should be avoided".
This message has sunken in to so many people across the globe. However, it has fallen on deaf ears on those who have the power to stop the war. America has been involved in almost all of these wars. Its reason? To fight communism and terrorists. But what have these wars accomplished? The death of many people around the globe? The infuriation of Muslims around the world? Before they go to war in the name of fighting terrorism, these congressmen should ask themselves - "Is it worth it?" "What are the alternatives?" Conquering these countries does not actually stop terrorism, it only makes matters worst!

12 year old boy run 15km alongside the Olympic flame

The kid who ran 15km alongside the Olympic flame in flip flops was actually deemed to slow to become a torch breaer. This is prove that there is indeed no end to the human spirit. At the end of the relay, although he was drenched in sweat, he still had a broad grin on his face. His passion for the YOG has moved many and he has been made a official torchbearer for the YOG. This kid made me realise that when we were young, we would always pursue our interests and be extremely passionate about some things such as national day etc. But when we are older, we lose our passion and we think that some of these things are lame or boring.
This kid 's passion has truly moved me and probably many others. His passion is truly heartwarming espically in a time when the netiziens are critising the Government for overspending and many other matters regarding the YOG

The Golden Rule

子貢問曰：“有一言而可以終身行之者乎”？子曰：“其恕乎！己所不欲、勿施於人。”
Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.
—Confucius
The Golden Rule basically means don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you. I think that the Golden Rule means empathising with people, understanding how they feel about your actions etc, and respect them by not doing anything that my hurt or harm them emotionally or physically. If this Golden Rule is applied to everyone life, a lot of hurt could be reduced. For example, if a bully follow this golden rule, he will choose not to bully others.
Immanuel Kant famously criticized the golden rule for not being sensitive to differences of situation, noting that a prisoner duly convicted of a crime could appeal to the golden rule while asking the judge to release him, pointing out that the judge would not want anyone else to send him to prison, so he should not do so to others.
However, it could not be used in this context. The prisoner should not have even committed the crime if he had applied the golden rule.

E learning

Task 1
Background info about Hubert Wilson
He is a Vietnam War veteran who served in the USAF Security Service. He, along with a dozen or so intelligence school grads, prepped for about 14 months at Kelly AFB in San Antonio, Texas, before anticipating being sent to Vietnam or elsewhere in southeast Asia in 1970. About half ended up in Da Nang (an Agent Orange hotspot) in the 6924th Security Squadron. The rest of them were assigned to Shemya Island, Alaska, with the 6984th Security Squadron, and what eventually was a more contaminated environment than Da Nang!
His health problems started approximately 15 years ago with unexplained headaches and limb pains. Four years ago his central nervous system radically deteriorated with Parkinsonian type tremors, severe headaches, progressive limb pains, etc. No physician has ever diagnosed the specific illness. His guess is that the heavily contaminated drinking water at Shemya during his year there as an intelligence analyst. Organo-phosphate toxins may not run their toxic course until 20 to 30 years after initial exposure.
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is the code name for an herbicide and defoliant—contaminated with TCDD—used by the U.S. military in its herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam War.
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.
From 1961 to 1971, Agent Orange was by far the most widely used of the so-called "Rainbow Herbicides" employed in the herbicidal warfare program. During the production of Agent Orange (as well as Agents Purple, Pink, and Green) dioxins were produced as a contaminant, which have caused numerous health problems for the millions of people who have been exposed. Agents Blue and White were part of the same program but did not contain dioxins.
http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Rainbow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange

Task 2
1. Point of view
Point- War is inhumane and not only affects does who take part but many others
Evidence - "Toll on the innocent and unborn.", “Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.”,
Elaboration – The writer feels that takes its toll on the soldiers who took part but also the unborn child of those who took part in the war. These children, although had no part in the war, but still have to suffer the consequences. They will face birth defects, premature death and illnesses . This expresses how the writer empathizes with such innocent beings, as they have to pay the price for their forefathers mistake- to join the war.
2. Situation and Setting
Point - Setting of the cruelty of war
Evidence - "Expecting others to pay a high price"
Elaboration - The third line of the poem states of the people to have to pay a high price for war. "High price" would suggest that the presence of war would most probably require sacrifices and even deaths.
3.Language/Diction
Point-War results in many deaths
Evidence- Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Elaboration: At that time other than Agent Orange, there were many other chemicals produced, such as Agents Purple, Pink and Green. “Potpourri” It means a mixture of materials or substances. However, in this poem, ‘potpourri’ means the mixture of deaths inflicted as a result of war. The phrase “death potpourri” means that there is a lot of deaths due to these multiple chemicals.
4)Personal response- War is cruel and inhumane. In a war, no one benefits. The Rainbow Herbicides were originally used by the Americans against Vietnamese crops. However, it also had an undesirable side effect. Many Americans came in contact with the Herbicides and as a result they had incurable health problems. The children of these Americans were born with many health defects. Despite being innocent, they will have to suffer for the rest of their lives, for reasons they can’t comprehend

Spare the rod ,spoil the child.

I think that it is acceptable for parents to cane their children if their true intention is to educate them.However, there are some black sheeps around, who cane their children just to vent their frustration. i am against these parents, whose caning are definitely not justified. Some children,as a result of caning, grew more motivated to find other ways of committing foul deeds and covering them up.
If caned too regularly, the child might grow up with suppressed rage and anger management issues. I feel that a better alternative to caning is sitting down and talking to them. This will lead to another issue. If a child could get away with bad behaviour by pretending to be remorseful, and apologising profusely, then sparing the rod would encourage such behaviour. That arrogance would come about when they realise that no matter what they do, they won't ever face punishment.

"Tusnami"

http://www.aolnews.com/story/tiny-tsunami-reaches-japan-pacific/926431?cid=13
I refer to this article for today 's blog post.People are lashing out at weather agencies for overstating a threat of a tsunami.I feel that these people have really nothing better to do. Because a tsunami is hard to predict, it is natural that there will be false warnings. Due to the false warning, there will be two side effects. Firstly, people in the costal regions might become complacent and ignore further tsunami warnings. If a tsunami does happen, it will lead to a greater lost of lives.
Also, another understated side effect is that the scientists might become "scared" of giving another false alarm. As a result, they will hesitate to sound the tusnami alert as they fear public anger if it is another false alarm. They would probably only sound it later in future cases when the tusnami is closer to shore. This will lead to lesser evaucation time and possible lost of lives.

＊＊ｔｈｉｓ　ｉｓ　ａｌｌ　ｍｙ　ｐｅｒｓｏｎａｌ　ｏｐｎｉｏｎ

Poem and naturalist

Poem
Life was hard
Life was rough
Life brought him to his death

his left arm was torn up
his dignity was deprived
but his heart was always there
MockingBirds

Northern Mockingbird: Breeds from northern California, eastern Nebraska, southern Ontario, and Maritime Canada southward. Spends winters in the southern part of range. Found in residential areas, city parks, farmlands, open country with thickets, and desert brush.
Maycomb probably has plenty of mockingbirds as it is countryside, not a bustling city. The house there have a huge front yard / farmland thus creating a perfect place for the habitat of the mockingbirds.In contrast, in the city, where everything is being built upwards, there is little or no flora and fauna thus lesser mocking birds

English

This is for English ace. I will be posting regular updates on my view on stuffs.
Please comment on the simpler layout i choose to adopt