magbytesssssss

Sopa: Sites go dark as part of anti-piracy law protests

2012-01-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

Thousands of internet sites are taking part in a "blackout" protest against anti-piracy laws being discussed by US lawmakers.

The Wikipedia encyclopedia and blogging service WordPress are among the highest profile pages to remove material.

Google is showing solidarity by placing a black box over its logo when US-based users visit its site.

The Motion Picture Association of America has branded the action as "irresponsible" and a "stunt".

Visitors to Wikipedia's English-language site are greeted by a dark page with white text that says: "Imagine a world without free knowledge... The US Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia."

It provides a link to more details about the House of Representatives' Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) and the Senate's Protect Intellectual Property Act (Pipa).

If users try to access its other pages via search sites, the text briefly flashes up before being replaced by the protest page. However, people have been sharing workarounds to disable the redirect.
Global protest

WordPress's homepage displays a video which claims that Sopa "breaks the internet" and asks users to add their name to a petition asking Congress to stop the bill.

"The authors of the legislation don't seem to really understand how the internet works," the site's co-founder, Matt Mullenweg told the BBC.

Across the globe, several Pirate Party sites have been taken offline. The political parties - which advocate reform of copyright laws - took the action in the UK, Spain, Sweden, Argentina, Canada and elsewhere.

Google posted a blog on the subject claiming that the bills would not stop piracy.

"Pirate sites would just change their addresses in order to continue their criminal activities," it said.

"There are better ways to address piracy than to ask US companies to censor the internet. The foreign rogue sites are in it for the money, and we believe the best way to shut them down is to cut off their sources of funding."

Other net firms that have criticised the legislation decided not to take part in the blackout.

Twitter's founder, Dick Costolo, tweeted that it would be "foolish" to take the service offline.

a cultural gap

2012-01-18T03:32:00.001-08:00

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/norway-authorities-take-away-indian-couple-s-kids-say-feeding-with-hands-wrong-167660

ew Delhi: Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya - an Indian couple from Kolkata are living a nightmare in Norway. Their children - a three-year-old son and one-year-old daughter - were taken away from them by Norway's child protective services and placed in foster care eight months ago.

The drastic measure was taken because, according to the child protective services, the couple were not bringing the children up properly. What did they do wrong? They fed the children with their hands and the infants slept in the same bed as the parents.

"My son was sleeping with my husband. They said he should sleep separately from your son," said Mrs Bhattacharya.

"Feeding a child with the hand is normal in Indian tradition and when the mother is feeding with a spoon there could be phases when she was overfeeding the child. They said it was force feeding. These are basically cultural differences," said Mr Bhattacharya.

Recently, the Indian Embassy in Oslo stepped in and an officer even met the children, though the parents were not allowed to.

Norway's Child Protective Service is a powerful body charged with protecting the rights of children living in difficult family situations. But there are many reports of excesses.

"There has been a report in UN in 2005 which criticized Norway for taking too many children in public care. The amount was 12,500 children and Norway is a small country," said Svein Kjetil Lode Svendsen, lawyer.

The Bhattacharyas' visas expire in March. If they don't get their children by then, the couple will be forced to stay on.

"What we have thought is we are not going to apply for visa for my children. But if the case doesn't get sorted we have to apply because we cannot come back to India without our children," said Mr Bhattacharya.

It's a nightmare that, at this moment, seems without end.

BUT...PLEASE DO BE CAREFUL BEFORE WE JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS...
READ COMMENTS

...Nothing can be said without proper data and information. I was in one of these scandic countries with a similar aged daughter, and find their kindergarten and nurseries are extremely well managed and caring for kids. These kinds of things do happen, but in very rare cases, and it can happen to any parents. But there are many steps before this takes place, and cannot happen without any distinctive proof .... There are many steps goes into before this extreme ... 2/3 stages of counseling, counseling if there is autism ... many checks goes into health care, immunization record, family issue, etc. etc. before the foster care comes into place ...... so I am really skeptical about what is the reality here ...

... The parents are not saying what they really did wrong here .... norway is not a lawless country ...there is no dictatorship there.... its been over 8 months since the babies were taken away, and if the parents are not able to get them back legally ...then there is more to the story than what we are being told here!

west vs east...media

2011-11-28T20:08:00.000-08:00

COMPARE THIS

A Kansas City teenager is receiving backlash for a comment she made against her state's governor on Twitter. Emma Sullivan was attending a Youth in Government event with her classmates listening as Governor Sam Brownback spoke, when she tweeted, "Just made mean comments at gov. brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot." The 18-year-old Shawnee Mission East senior is now declining her school principal's request for her to write a formal letter of apology to Governor Brownback saying she "isn't sorry and doesn't think such a letter would be sincere." Governor Brownback's office, which monitors social media for any posting with the governor's name, saw Sullivan's tweet and contacted the Youth in Government program. What followed was a verbal scolding from Sullivan's principal. Before the incident, Sullivan had 65 followers, currently her following has increased to more than 6,500. She said that she feels her tweet has helped to "open up dialogue" about free speech in social media.

UPDATE: On Monday afternoon, Governor Brownback submitted a statement to Yahoo! News apologizing to Emma Sullivan, saying, "My staff over-reacted to this tweet, and for that I apologize. Freedom of speech is among our most treasured freedoms," he said.

WITH THIS

On the other side of the world, Ampon Tangnoppakul, a 61-year-old truck driver from Thailand, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sending cell phone text messages that were deemed insulting to the country's monarchy. The law imposes seemingly severe penalties for publicly or privately making insults or threats directed at King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 83, and his family.

1 RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS CLAIMED, NO APOLOGY; INSTEAD GOVERNOR APOLOGIZES
VS
2 20 YEAR JAIL TERM...

Are you Oxbridge material? Here's how you can tell...

2011-11-13T20:06:00.000-08:00

If you could attempt an answer to any of these questions then you might want to consider applying to study at Oxford or Cambridge. With nearly 29,000 students competing for 6,500 places every year competition for places at Oxford and Cambridge is intense.
• Why don't we just have one ear in the middle of our face?
• What percentage of the world's water is contained in a cow?
• Of all 19th-century politicians, who was most like Tony Blair?
• Here is a piece of bark, please talk about it. (Biological sciences, Oxford.)
• Are you cool? (Philosophy, politics and economics, Oxford.)
• At what point is a person "dead"? (Medicine, Cambridge.)
• Put a monetary value on this teapot. (Philosophy, politics and economics, Oxford.)
• Why can't you light a candle in a spaceship? (Physics, Oxford.)
Spokesman for the universities:
"Applicants should be aware that it might be in the interest of commercial companies to create the impression that the admissions interview at Oxford colleges is 'eccentric'. This is not the case. The aim of the interview is to assess each candidate's ability and potential on an individual basis," she said.
"What our admissions tutors are looking for is how well candidates can explain what they know, and whether they can apply their knowledge to a new problem or argue their position."
A Cambridge spokesman said: "There's no need to have special training for Cambridge interviews. Indeed, applicants who are 'over-rehearsed' tend to come across less well than students who are natural and spontaneous."

THIS IS REALLY FUN - IF WE ONLY WE HAD TIME - WE SHOULD CONTEMPLATE SUCH QUESTIONS DURING GP

hi yuntong and benedict

2011-11-13T19:42:00.000-08:00

thanks for telling me Benedict
should have known - but you should know how bad i am with names - since i still call u benjamin sometimes - sorry about that
if its any consolation - i call my own children by the wrong name
we used to tease my mum who couldn't remember our names - so i guess its karma

and hi yuntong!
sorry to spoil your holidays - but i hope you are doing the compre practice papers..the more u do, the better for u

see ya next year!!

SIGH

2011-11-11T04:52:00.000-08:00

I TRIED TO ADD MY CHILDREN AS FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK

AND THEY BOTH REJECTED ME!!! MY DAUGHTER HAS SINCE QUIT FACEBOOK....SHE CLAIMS

SOB

I HAD A CRAZY DREAM ABOUT MARCUS KOH

2011-11-11T04:49:00.000-08:00

More like a nightmare, actually - i really don't know why....

it was a very long dream - about S102...but the only thing I remember is...

I was scolding Marcus Koh - and HE WAS PRACTISING HIS BREAKDANCING MOVES...
HE WAS REALLY DANCING AWAY - AND I COULDN'T CONTINUE SCOLDING HIM!!!!

WEIRD

could anyone help?

2011-11-04T04:38:00.000-07:00

i must thank yvonne once a gain for setting up this blog for me

i have another blog

which i started all by myself from scratch - but i cant seem to include the commments column

if anyone can help - could u email me at magbytes55@gmail.com or just sms me ...
its a prayer blog, so i dont want to publicise it here

thanks

thanks ben!

2011-11-04T04:34:00.000-07:00

good article.

i hope i can get my hands on the book this month - it shall be my holiday read - hope it will not be too depressing ...

hi there mo and david and ben yap

2011-11-04T04:25:00.000-07:00

your names do not sound familiar to me - but i am glad u like the blog

all the best for your A levels Mo and David - HOPE is a great motivator - and if you are my student - you would have heard of the pygmallion and galatea effect - so keep hoping and working hard

ben - i am curious to know why a 1976 event is of particular interest to you and yes u are right about idi amin - among other things - infamous for drinking his own urine ...

When great dictators fall

2011-10-26T01:36:00.001-07:00

1. Idi Amin Dada, Uganda
Mercifully for the people of Uganda, dictator Idi Amin Dada ruled only for nine years. However, it was a time of gross human rights transgressions, political repression, ethnic persecution, mass killings and corruption in the beleaguered African republic. Amin initially aligned with the West but quickly found an admiring ally in Libya’s Muammar al-Gaddafi. On public radio, he declared that he had assumed the title "His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Alhaji Dr Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE." Incidentally, CBE stood for “Conqueror of the British Empire” – a self-bestowed honorific for his achievement of driving out British diplomats. He curried favor with the Soviet Union, which supplied him with arms. In 1976, Amin declared himself the “Last King of Scotland” (theme of a Hollywood movie with an Oscar-winning performance by Forest Whitaker). A polygamist known for his excessive tastes, Amin was the subject of several films and documentaries. After he was deposed in 1979, Amin fled to Libya and then to Saudi Arabia, where he died in hospital August 2003.

When great dictators fall

2011-10-26T01:25:00.000-07:00

1. RIGHT Adolf Hitler, Germany
German Nazi Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s worst humanitarian crime, for which history has never forgiven him, is the Holocaust – the genocide of over 6 million Jews in Europe. On April 30, 1945, after the Nazis lost the Battle of Berlin, Hitler committed suicide in a bunker with mistress Eva Braun to avoid capture.

2. LEFT Benito Mussolini, Italy
Sworn in as the 40th prime minister of Italy in 1922, Benito Mussolini took a little more than a decade to assume the title of "His Excellency Benito Mussolini, Head of Government, Duce of Fascism, and Founder of the Empire". His ideology of Fascism envisioned social progress with subversion, censorship and propaganda through the establishment of a draconian police state. During World War II, Mussolini initially sided with France but then quickly turned about and joined forces with Hitler’s Nazis, embarking on an ambitious plan to acquire territories in France and Britain. During the war, his fief eventually fell to the Allied Forces. He was captured but staged a dramatic escape from prison with German help. While attempting to escape into the neutral state of Switzerland in April 1945, he and his mistress Claretta Petacci were captured and executed. Their bodies were hung upside down before a garage in Milan's Piazzale Loreto on April 29, 1945.

3. TOP CENTER Joseph Stalin, USSR
The jury is still out over whether Joseph Stalin was a great statesman or a great dictator. A Bolshevik revolutionary who participated in the October Revolution along with Vladimir Lenin, he became the Premier of the Soviet Union. He established the USSR as a redoubtable wartime power for subduing the Nazis and in the postwar years made the Soviet Union a nuclear-capable superpower. Despite his ambitious reforms and industrialization drives, he drove thousands of people to forced labor camps and executed political opponents. After Stalin died, his legacy was renounced by his successors.

so what do we say about this?

2011-10-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

Libya & QADDAFI ...FACTS THAT CANT BE DENIED
1. There is no electricity bill in Libya; electricity is free
for all its citizens.

2. There is no interest on loans, banks in Libya are
state-owned and loans given
to all its citizens at 0% interest by law.

3. Home considered a human right in Libya –
Gaddafi vowed that his parents
would not get a house until everyone in Libya had a
home. Gaddafi’s father has
died while him, his wife and his mother are still living
in a tent.

4. All newlyweds in Libya receive $60,000 Dinar (US$
50,000 ) by the government
to buy their first apartment so to help start up the
family.

5. Education and medical treatments are free in
Libya. Before Gaddafi only 25%
of Libyans are literate. Today the figure is 83%.

6. Should Libyans want to take up farming career,
they would receive farming
land, a farming house, equipments, seeds and
livestock to kick- start their farms
– all for free.

7. If Libyans cannot find the education or medical
facilities they need in Libya,
the government funds them to go abroad for it –
not only free but they get US
$2, 300/mth accommodation and car allowance.

8. In Libyan, if a Libyan buys a car, the government
subsidized 50% of the price.

9. The price of petrol in Libya is $0. 14 per liter.

10. Libya has no external debt and its reserves
amount to $150 billion – now
frozen globally.

11. If a Libyan is unable to get employment after
graduation the state would
pay the average salary of the profession as if he or
she is employed until
employment is found.

12. A portion of Libyan oil sale is, credited directly to
the bank accounts of all
Libyan citizens.

13. A mother who gave birth to a child receive US
$5 ,000

14. 40 loaves of bread in Libya costs $ 0.15

15. 25% of Libyans have a university degree

16. Gaddafi carried out the world’s largest irrigation
project, known as the Great
Man-Made River project, to make water readily
available throughout the desert
country.

NOTE - I COULD NOT VERIFY THE TRUTH OF THESE STATEMENTS, BUT JUDGING FROM THE COMMENTS, IT WAS STATED THAT MOST OF THE INFORMATION IS TRUE

IF THAT IS THE CASE - HAS THERE BEEN A DEMONISATION OF THE GADDAFI BY THE WESTERN MEDIA - IS IT AN ATTEMPT BY THE WEST TO DIVIDE AND RULE?

IF IT IS TRUE, THEN WHAT WERE THE PEOPLE DEMONSTRATING AGAINST? THE BRUTAL TREATMENT OF OPPOSITION?

QUESTIONS REMAIN...WE NEED TO READ UP MORE - FROM VARIOUS SOURCES BEFORE WE COME TO OUR OWN CONCLUSIONS - I AM STILL IN THE PROCESS OF READING ABOUT THIS ISSUE FROM VARIOUS SOURCES - SO I WILL RESERVE COMMENT FOR NOW

oh my God!!! anonymous!!!

2011-10-20T01:20:00.000-07:00

I did try googling but just couldnt find it!!

i just listened to the song for the 8th time!!
brings back memories - of me standing on the table and singing with my dad!!!!

thank you and GOD BLESS YOU!!!

and YES! this made me cry too!!!

this is the song i was talking about in an earlier post...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE-uE1X2iYU

What leaders are paid

2011-10-20T01:12:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Political Leader's Salary by Country (2010):
1. Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore): $2,183,516
2. Donald Tsang (Hong Kong): $513,245
3. Raila Odinga (Kenya): $427,886
4. Barack Obama (United States): $400,000
5. Nicolas Sarkozy (France): $302,435
6. Stephen Harper (Canada): $296,400
7. Mary McAleese (Ireland): $287,900
8. Julia Gillard (Australia): $286,752
9. Angela Merkel (Germany): $283,608
10. Yoshihiko Noda (Japan): $273,676

Something else to look at...

Ranking the leaders by how corrupt their countries are, the ranking shifts to the following:

1. Raila Odinga (Kenya): 2.1
2. Nicolas Sarkozy (France): 6.8
3. Barack Obama (United States): 7.1
4. Yoshihiko Noda (Japan): 7.8
5. Angela Merkel (Germany): 7.9
6. Mary McAleese (Ireland): 8
7. Donald Tsang (Hong Kong): 8.4
8. Julia Gillard (Australia): 8.7
9. Stephen Harper (Canada): 8.9
10. Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore): 9.3

The Bottom Line
What do all of these numbers tell us? Leaders of advanced economies earn very similar salaries to each other, and those countries tend to be less corrupt and more democratic. While Lee Hsien Loong may earn 38 times the average resident of Singapore, his country is considered a good place to do business even if it is not fully democratic. On the other end of the spectrum, Raila Odinga earns an incredible amount more than the people he governs, and presides over a country that Transparency International would consider one of the most corrupt around (ranked 154 out of 178 countries).

TO MY TWO CLASSES

2011-10-11T22:43:00.000-07:00

THE TWO CLASSES THAT I MOST WANTED TO GIVE UP WHEN I HAD A CHANCE
WHOM I HAVE GROWN SO FOND OF....

Just because you did not....does not mean you cannot
just because you have not ....does not mean you will not

whether it is about passing, doing well, being promoted, succeeding in life...
a closed door means 2 things
you just need to try harder to open that door - a little more effort is needed
or
there are many other doors that are waiting to be opened, which would make you glad you did not open the first door

I HOPE YOU KNOW WHAT I AM TRYING TO GET AT
DON'T CRY - THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, AND DO IT...

SUCCESS COMES IN MANY FORMS, AND EARLIER TO SOME THAN TO OTHERS...

I PRAY THAT YOU FIND YOUR NICHE. AND CRAFT YOUR OWN SUCCESS STORY.

CHIN UP!

2011-10-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

you may think the world has come crashing down on you....
think again....

it's not that bad...
if a girl with end stage cancer, with little hope for recovery, can smile and hope for the best.....SO CAN YOU!

GOD BLESS THIS YOUNG LADY - WE ALL HAVE MUCH TO LEARN FROM HER

She hopes one day to be a music composer, so when she was presented the chance, 15-year-old Farah Rosli created a music video (MTV) for her mother in January this year.

Farah, who has stage-four brain cancer, says the video expresses her appreciation of her family’s strong support for her during hard times.

Under the Children’s Cancer Foundation’s (CCF) Wishlink project, CCF tries to fulfill the favourite wish of children with cancer, who have poor prognosis or have had a relapse. The project also seeks to enhance family bonding and create meaningful memories.

Farah was diagnosed with giant cell glioblastoma last June and is not responding to treatment.

When she learnt of the diagnosis, she was shocked and saddened and wondered why this happened, she shares.

“We were told that eight in 10 (patients) will only live for around 12 months. So for her, we just cross our fingers,” he says.

Farah carries hope that she can recover full movement in her body and be a “successful person” in the years to come.

“I don’t want to think about it (the cancer). I just live life as per normal,” she states.

Her advice to others in a similar position: “Smile and be happy, don’t think so much. It doesn’t mean just because you have a sickness, you can’t achieve what you want to do in life.”

HER SONG FOR HER MUM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPjRMgeDs_0&feature=player_embedded

steve jobs has passed on

2011-10-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

The visionary co-founder of Apple helped usher in the era of personal computers and led a cultural transformation in music and mobile communications for the digital age...

Just to say that you are a born-genius
you have done a good job in making this world a better place
and although I feel that technology has progressed too fast for our own good,
I do not blame you

for we cannot blame the sea for its high tides and currents when someone drowns
it is we who should have heeded all warnings and been more careful

rest in peace
Good Job!

now get off facebook and get back to your studies darling

2011-10-01T05:55:00.000-07:00

Hitwise just published a new study examining how much time people living in different countries spend on Facebook. Singaporeans actually spend the longest on the social network, with an average of 38 minutes and 46 seconds per session, while people living in Brazil spend less than half that with an average of 18 minutes and 19 seconds per Facebook session for August 2011.

AND THE IRONY IS

I GOT THIS INFO FROM A FACEBOOK POSTING :(
GET BACK TO YOUR MARKING, MAGDALENE!!!

THE BIG COVER UP

2011-09-29T00:31:00.000-07:00

THE PICTURE SAYS IT ALL -

A NEW TWIST TO AN OLD SAYING

2011-09-29T00:29:00.000-07:00

GOOD FOR ESSAY ON ENVIRONMENT

THE KU KLUX KLAN - VERY EFFECTIVE RECRUITMENT DRIVE

2011-09-29T00:24:00.000-07:00

A POWERFUL REMINDER

2011-09-29T00:18:00.000-07:00

when we spend on defence, we offend

ANOTHER GREAT LINE FOR A CONCLUSION

THIS IS WHAT I WISH I COULD TELL EVERY LITTLE CHILD

2011-09-29T00:12:00.000-07:00

BEFORE THE EDUCATION SYSTEM TELLS YOU THAT YOU ARE STUPID; CANNOT MAKE IT; NOT ACADEMICALLY INCLINED - PLEASE READ THIS......

YOU ARE A GENIUS AT SOMETHING! DO NOT LET ANYONE TELL U OTHERWISE...
AND MY PRAYER FOR YOU IS - YOU FIND THAT GENIUS IN YOU - AND DO SOMETHING RELATED TO IT... AND WORK WILL BE ONE LONG HAPPY HOLIDAY...

THIS IS HOW I WOULD START OR END MY ESSAY ON POVERTY

2011-09-29T00:09:00.001-07:00

NICE ONE!!!

THIS PICTURE MADE ME CRY TOO

2011-09-28T23:47:00.000-07:00

as you can see....many things make me cry when i am marking papers

Chief Raoni crying when he learned that the President of Brazil approved the Belo Monte dam project on the Xingu indigenous lands. Belo Monte will be bigger than the Panama Canal, flooding nearly a million acres of rainforest & indigenous lands. 40,000 indigenous and local people will be forced off their native lands (as well as millions of unknown species & plants) In the name of "progress"

THIS REMINDS ME OF A SONG I USED TO LOVE - I CANT FIND THE LYRICS NOW...IT WAS A RECORD( THEY DIDNT HAVE CDs AND dvdS THEN) THAT MY BROTHER BOUGHT FROM AMERICA...

HOW I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THAT SOULFUL VOICE SINGING THAT SONG....

IT WAS SUNG BY RED INDIANS WHO WERE FORCED OFF THEIR LAND BY THE WHITEMEN WHO CAME TO AMERICA....AND MADE the red indians LIVE IN RESERVATIONS...

and nooo - the red indians are not indian...

I STILL REMEMBER SOME OF THE LYRICS

A proud happy people
we were here long before the white man came
the river gave us fish, the woodlands gave us wood and other wild game

ohhh iiiii ...iiii I wanna get back home again

i cant remember the rest of the lyrics - but the songs in that record painted a
beautiful picture of happy people who were one with nature...

HOW TRAGIC, THAT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE MORE AND MORE HAPPY PEOPLE DISAPPEAR
ALL IN THE NAME OF PROGRESS
A CRYING SHAME INDEED

this made me cry

2011-09-28T23:43:00.000-07:00

The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.

During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.

The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life."

Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person" Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful. Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome...incredible.

hi jian beng

2011-09-22T05:54:00.000-07:00

i have uploaded a powerpoint and two documents on tone and attitude, as requested

cheeky fella!! I will remember you!

2011-09-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

I wrote the various brainstorming techniques on the board..
a smart alec remarks...what about SPERM?
He continued: because I have it.........after a long pause........
in my essay, that is.

for me

2011-09-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

i gave 2 classes a comprehension assignment last week;
1 class just accepted the paper with nary a squeak, and proceeded to complete their assignment

the other class, objected and suggested doing something else...???????

then there was a hug commotion because I had made a mistake in the printing of the compre paper;

I shushed the class and told them...
you know, my colleague told his class that he is not going to mark this paper, and they should do it just for practice, and the whole class quietly did it; Here i say i will mark your paper and you make so much noise!!!

REtort from student: at least their paper was printed in the correct order...!!!

hi all

2011-09-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

I have also uploaded an aq sample for the compre on choices - step by step guide - for your reading pleasure
all the best

next week - you are really on your own
i will be giving you worksheets for essays, compre
for you to practise on your own ...you need to keep writing
so that u will be prepared for your exam

i will come into class - no teaching - only consultation

You need to look through all your assignments, find out where you have gone wrong, and ask questions - i could see u in groups or individually in class.

I have finished marking my quota for the term - but i will try to mark this compre i gave u - wish me luck

hi ben and isaac

2011-09-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

i have uploaded the evil compre and the articles in the week 9 folder; its a good read...the powerpoint - towards the end - consists of a few comments on evil that you might find helpful for aq

hi all - i have also uploaded one aq response; will upload the rest if they are kind enough to type it out for me...i planned to, but i hv to mark the extra compre i gave u - so no time

kiddos

2011-08-29T05:32:00.000-07:00

PLEASE PLEASE STUDY VERY HARD THIS HOLIDAY PERIOD...I WANT TO SEE

ALL

OF YOU IN JC 2 NEXT YEAR! ALL THE BEST AND GOD BLESS...

SHOULD THE STATE INTERFERE WITH OUR PERSONAL LIVES; WITH MEDIA

2011-08-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

China has banned 100 songs from being featured on websites, barring artists ranging from Lady Gaga to the Backstreet Boys apparently for being out of tune with the country's cultural authorities.

The ministry of culture said it aimed to regulate the "order" of the Internet music market, adding songs that "harm the security of state culture must be cleaned up and regulated under the law".

The notice, issued on August 19 and posted on the ministry's website, included American singer Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory", "Hair", "Marry the Night" and "Bloody Mary".

It did not explain why the songs were banned but China routinely censors anything it considers politically sensitive or offensive.

Lady Gaga's "Bloody Mary" ends with the line "Oh, libertad, mi amor (Oh, freedom, my love)", while "Hair" includes the lyrics "This is my prayer/ That I'll die living just as free as my hair".

Teng Jimeng, a professor of American studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said that sex, politics or religion could put a song on the black list but even songs about "youthful independence" may run afoul of censors.

"Sexuality should be avoided, and politics," he said.

But he saw the move as part of a broader tightening of controls over culture given the revolts in the Arab world, which have worried Beijing.

about north korean soccer players

2011-08-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

Four North Korean players who tried to defect from North Korea were back training with the squad today.

Kim Myong-won, Kim Kyong-il, An Choi-hyok and Pak Sung-hyok tried to defect before their opening group game against Brazil, but the players mysteriously turned up for training Friday much to the surprise of the World Cup Journalists.

NOTE: THEY PROBABLY DIDNT DEFECT BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE THREATENED - THEIR ENTIRE FAMILY, INCLUDING COUSINS ETC COULD BE TORTURED AND KILLED

ANOTHER ARTICLE
In June, the North Korean soccer team dropped ignominiously out of the World Cup without a point after conceding 12 goals in three games. Since the players returned home, they have been publicly shamed, according to reports. The manager has been forced to become a construction worker, and there are fears for his safety.
North Korea is one of the most oppressive regimes on earth. The soccer team's first game was not televised in the country, for fear of embarrassment. But when the team put up a remarkably good show against Brazil, narrowly losing 2-1, hopes were raised and the second game against Portugal was shown. The team lost 7-0. And then lost again, 3-0, in their last game against the Ivory Coast.
According to reports from Radio Free Asia and the South Korean media, earlier this month the team and manager were forced onto a stage at the People's Palace of Culture in front of 400 government officials, students, and journalists. According to the Guardian, the athletes were subjected to a "six-hour barrage of criticism" for their poor performances that was led by a TV commentator and sports minister Pak Myong-chol. The only players who missed out on the humiliation were Jung Tae-se and An Yong-hak, who are based in Japan.
The players were then asked to step up in turn and publicly criticize manager Kim Jong-hun, who had apparently been singled out for punishment. He has been forced into a construction job because, it is thought, his team's failure is seen as a personal betrayal of Kim Jong-un, the son of current leader Kim Jong-il. The Guardian reports that plans were in place, in the case of a good performance at the tournament, to credit the team's success to the heir apparent to help ease the transition of power. Instead, there are reportedly fears for the manager's safety.

A new twist to national identity

2011-08-22T03:13:00.000-07:00

Indian curry is what it takes to start a mass campaign with political overtones in Singapore.

Tens of thousands of people in the Southeast Asian city-state said they would cook or eat curry today in a protest highlighting growing anger over increased immigration.

The campaign began after an immigrant family from China complained about the smell of curry from a Singaporean Indian neighbour's home and local officials brought about a compromise.

A Facebook page devoted to the row after reports were published in a local newspaper has drawn over 57,600 members, many of who said they were cooking curry today in a show of solidarity with the Indian family.

"Because we live in Singapore and Singapore is such a cramped place, neighbours should understand each others' culture," said Stanley Wong, a 37-year-old accountant who helped organise the Facebook page.

He and a dozen friends and family were gathering in a small government-built flat for a potluck curry dinner.

Most of the diners were ethnic Chinese, like the overwhelming majority of Singapore's 5.1 million people. But residents say curry is a Singaporean dish and that immigrants, including those from mainland China, should accept it is part of the local culture.

"The case could create problems with the integration of foreign nationals," said Florence Leow, a freelance writer in her 40s who also was one of the organisers of the event.

"Through this event we hope to cook and share a pot of curry and get to appreciate and embrace our culture."

MAG SAY - SO WHY DO WE NEED NE LESSONS?
AFTER ALL, JUST STARTING A CONTROVERSY CAN HELP RALLY PEOPLE TO STAND UP FOR SINGAPORE AND SINGAPOREANS

CECELIA SAYS - HMMM! SOUNDS INTERESTING BUT IS THAT A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO FOSTER NATIONAL IDENTITY?

SANE THOMAS - NO...NOT A GOOD IDEA; UNLESS WE CAN GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND FIND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO FOSTER NATIONAL IDENTITY, NE IS HERE TO STAY

a constant reminder to watch what we say

2011-08-22T03:10:00.000-07:00

An Australian man who posted a foul-mouthed rant against management on social networking site Facebook has lost an employment tribunal appeal after he was sacked.

Damian O'Keefe, 28, claimed unfair dismissal, saying he posted the expletive-laden comments on his home computer outside work hours.

But Fair Work Australia, the country's workplace regulator, ruled that his employer, a homewares retailer, had the right to fire him.

AND NOW - A TRIBUTE TO JIAN BENG

2011-08-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

YOU ARE AN ANGEL!!!
HOW BLESSED YOUR PARENTS ARE...

I POPPED IN TO PROVIDE MORAL SUPPORT YESTERDAY
AND YOU SAID SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT, THAT IS SELDOM UTTERED BY PEOPLE YOUR AGE
IT SHOWS INSIGHT AND A MATURITY BEYOND YOUR AGE!

WHEN ASKED HOW MALAYSIA INSTILLED PATRIOTISM IN THEIR YOUNG
YOU SAID

THERE ARE 2 COMPULSORY EXAMINABLE SUBJECTS AND ONE NON EXAMINABLE ONE..
CANDIDLY, YOU CONFESSED THAT YOU HATED STUDYING THE SUBJECTS, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE
PROGPAGANDA ELEMENT IN IT...BUT U DID NOT MAKE IT A BLANKET CRITICISM THAT MOST PEOPLE YOUR AGE DO..

YOU WENT ON TO SAY THAT, IN RETROSPECT, YOU KNOW WHY THERE IS A NEED FOR IT AND APPRECIATE ITS IMPORTANCE...

THAT'S WHAT GP IS ABOUT...AN EMOTIONAL PERSONAL RESPONSE IS FINE, PROVIDED YOU TAMPER IT WITH INTELLIGENT AND WELL-ANALYSED VIEWS.

FOR THE STUDENT WHO LOVES TO UTTER THE WORD 'BORING'

2011-08-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

I READ SOMEWHERE THAT THIS IS HOW YOU PSYCHO-ANALYSE A PERSON WHO SAYS THE WORD BORING, IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE

1 HE IS RUDE AND UNSCHOOLED IN THE FINER POINTS IN LIFE
2 IT SAYS A LOT MORE ABOUT THE PERSON THAN ANYTHING ELSE...IN OTHER WORDS..HE IS BORING
3 IT IS A SIGN OF INSECURITY
4 IT IS AN ATTENTION SEEKING DEVICE

BUT I LIKE THE LAST ONE BEST....

IT SHOWS THAT THE PERSON HE IS WITH IS EXCITING HIM TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT HE KEEPS UTTERING THE WORD IN DISBELIEF, TO CALM HIS TIRED NERVES....

HAHAHAHAHA SK, BEING AN OPTIMIST AND A LITTLE DELUSIONAL, I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THAT THE LAST ONE IS TRUE IN YOUR CASE.
i HAVE THAT EFFECT ON PEOPLE....

THIS IS NOT A SCOLDING... BUT I DO NOT WANT TO PASS UP A LEARNING MOMENT...meant for u two especially -- my darling children

2011-08-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

THIS IS AS MUCH FOR MY KIDS!!! AS IT IS FOR MY STUDENTS...

message to my children
since all you do is roll your eyes and grunt when I advise you, I have taken to the internet to air my views...i mean you all do it without compunction...so as the cliche goes - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em...

DISCLAIMER: this is a personal opinion and is meant to open your eyes to the goodness in theis world - so that you are not so clouded by cynicism...

I GAVE BOTH MY CLASSES AN ASSIGNMENT - TO COMPLETE A POWERPOINT OF AN ESSAY PLAN WITH REFERENCES TO ARTICLES AND VIDEO CLIPS...EXACTLY WHAT I DO FOR THEM WHEN I GO THROUGH AN ESSAY WITH THEM

ONE STUDENT ASKS ME - SO, ARE YOU GOING TO USE THIS IN TWO YEARS TIME FOR YOUR STUDENTS...????

I WAS TAKEN ABACK BECAUSE 1 NO ONE HAS ASKED ME THIS BEFORE
2 THE THOUGHT NEVER EVEN OCCURRED TO ME.....

MY RETORT WAS OF COURSE CLEAR AND SIMPLE....

1 THE UNDERLYING ASSUMPTION IS THAT YOUR WORK IS SO GOOD THAT I WILL USE IT...WHICH IF IT IS TRUE -IS WONDERFUL... BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, IT IS NOT....AT LEAST NOT YET.

2 IT REALLY IS AN INSULT TO MY INTELLIGENCE AND TO MY DLLIGENCE...I TAKE PRIDE IN MY WORK..I HAVE EXACTING STANDARDS...I DO MY OWN RESEARCH AND I CHANGE MY LESSONS AND PLANS EVERY YEAR TO SUIT THE NEEDS OF MY STUDENTS...

BUT ENOUGH ABOUT MYSELF...MORE IMPORTANTLY, THIS IS WRITTEN WITH GREAT CONCERN ABOUT YOUR ATTITUDE AND RESPONSE TO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING...

1 WHEN YOU ARE GIVEN A TASK, AND THINK THAT IT IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE TEACHER, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DO A GOOD JOB. SUCH CYNICISM IS UNWARRANTED AND UNHEALTHY.

2 IT IS IMPORTANT TO ENGAGE YOUR BRAIN BEFORE YOU SHOOT YOUR MOUTH OFF...WE COME FROM DIFFERENT GENERATIONS...I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, BUT WE HAVE... IF IT IS IN YOUR NATURE TO SUSPECT THAT PEOPLE DO THINGS WITH AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE, THEN THAT IS SAD...

BECAUSE IT IS JUST GOING TO CLOUD YOUR MIND AND NOT ALLOW FOR THE KIND OF PROGRESS THAT EDUCATION IS SUPPOSED TO BRING ABOUT

THE ESSAY PLAN EXERCISE IS A VERY USEFUL ONE - IT HELPS YOU DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND ORGANISE YOUR IDEAS. THIS WILL CERTAINLY BE A USEFUL WAY TO STUDY IN THE UNIVERSITY... YOU NEED TO HAVE THE MATURITY AND WISDOM TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT YOU ARE TAUGHT HELPS; BUT WHAT YOU DO, HELPS YOU A LOT MORE!

SO THIS IS MY TEACHING POINT: A GENERATION OF INSTANT GRATIFICATION, SPEAKING YOUR MIND (WITHOUT THINKING) AND CYNICISM IS GOING TO BREED UNHAPPINESS

I HOPE YOU HEED MY WARNING; I ONLY HAVE TO BE WITH YOU FOR ONE YEAR. YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH YOURSELVES FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES...SO BE KIND TO YOURSELF AND TO THOSE AROUND YOU

(AND SON, IF THE TEACHER SAYS SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE, THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE OR SAID TO BRING ON THAT REACTION....THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GROW AS A PERSON)

david cameron belonged to a club that did what???

2011-08-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

More than 1,700 people have been arrested in England after nearly a week of rioting that started Saturday, and courthouses have had to stay open overnight to deal with the flood of defendants, the AP reports.

Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed "swift justice" for those who participated in the riots, which were sparked by the police shooting of 29-year-old Mark Duggan. Cameron has even proposed setting limits on the use of Twitter, Facebook, and BlackBerry's direct messaging service, which was reportedly used to organize the rioting. Some people have already been charged with inciting violence on social media, according to the AP.

Cameron's former adviser Danny Kruger wrote in the Financial Times that the riots are the "intifada of the underclass." But among those arrested are a straight-A Exeter University student whose family wealth makes it unlikely she would loot out of necessity, and a 24-year-old college graduate and aspiring social worker whose mother said, "She didn't want a TV. She doesn't even know why she took it," according to The Daily Mail.
Daniel Knowles at The Telegraph argues that, "Many of these criminals are no different from [liberal politician] Nick Clegg, who at the age of 16 narrowly escaped a conviction in Germany for setting fire to a professor's cactus collection for a 'drunken lark.' Or, for that matter, from the Bullingdon Club, of which David Cameron and [London Mayor] Boris Johnson were members, which goes around smashing up restaurants.

There is something deeply hypocritical about middle-aged politicians condemning teenagers as though these sorts of crimes have never happened before."

But London Mayor Boris Johnson said Londoners want to see "significant sentences" for anyone involved in looting or violence.

Here's a breakdown of some of the news-making arresting over the past few days:

The Olympic ambassador

Eighteen-year-old Chelsea Ives, a volunteer ambassador for next year's Olympic Games, was turned in by her own mother who spotted her on TV footage of the riots. "How can you sit there and see that and say 'that's OK'? We were watching people lose their homes and businesses," Ives' mother told The Telegraph. "As parents we had to say; 'She can't get away with that.'" Ives, who previously met with London's mayor as part of her ambassador duties, now faces charges of throwing a brick at a cop car and burglary. She pleaded not guilty.

The youngest suspect?

An 11-year-old girl was reportedly given a 9-month "referral order" after witnesses said she hurled rocks at two store windows during the riots, according to the Daily Mail. The girl lives in a foster home, and the Daily Mail says she refused to apologize to the judge who sentenced her.

The ballerina-turned-looter

A 17-year-old ballerina turned herself in after images of her looting were published in a newspaper and broadcast on TV, according to the Telegraph. The footage showed her taking two televisions from an electronics store.

The straight-A student

Laura Johnson, the 19-year-old daughter of well-to-do parents and a straight-A student at Exeter University, is accused of stealing electronic goods worth thousands of dollars in London. She pleaded not guilty but has a curfew of 7 p.m. and must wear an electronic tag before her court date, according to the Telegraph. Her parents run a marketing firm.

The social worker

University graduate and aspiring social worker Natasha Reid turned herself in when she became overcome by guilt over stealing a TV from a electronics store while on her way to McDonalds during the looting. According to the AP, a judge told 24-year-old Reid she would probably face jail time.

The violin thief

A 19-year-old aspiring musician grabbed a violin from a looted music store before being nabbed by the cops. According to the Daily Mail, he was sentenced to four months in jail.

GOOD ARTICLE FOR THE QUESTION ON WHETHER IT IS EASY FOR PEOPLE TO KEEP THEIR MARRIAGE VOWS

2011-08-14T02:44:00.000-07:00

Seoul - The increasing popularity of "ernai," or mistresses among wealthy men is emerging as a problem in Chinese society, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Amid the rapid development of the country's economy, large numbers of those fortunate enough to enjoy the prosperity are having affairs with mistresses, making it the symbol of the rich.

"Keeping a mistress is just like playing golf," a man told the New York Times concerning the issue, adding "both are expensive hobbies." Those seeking such liaisons offer lavishing apartments or cars as well as monthly allowances.

However, the public is angered by the trend. Chinese prosecutors believe about 90 percents of governmental executives accused of corruption have mistresses, sometimes more than 10.

In December a government employee allegedly murdered his mistresses and abandoned the body in a river when she asked for $3 million in return for putting end to the relationship.

Zheng Beichin, a lawyer who had defended a mistress, told the New York Times "the nation's elite, including judges and government officials, have little desire to tinker with the status quo."

Meanwhile, a similar phenomenon exists in Korea covertly under the name of "sponsor contract," where rich men provide money and a home to women in return for relationships.

MAGDALENE: HMM THIS SOUNDS EASY ENOUGH; WHY STUDY...JUST BE A MISTRESS AND GET EVERYTHING YOU NEED. IT IS A WAY OF LIFE THAT IS ASSOCIATED ONLY WITH THE RICH...? DIDNT THEY HAVE CONCUBINES IN THE PAST?
CECELIA: AND RUN THE RISK OF BEING KILLED/ SILENCED IF THINGS GO SOUR? IS IT WORTH THE RISK?
SANE THOMAS: TRADITIONALY VALUES ARE SPIRALLING DOWNWARDS; IN ITS PLACE..WANTON/ EXCESSIVE /DECADENT BEHAVIOUR THAT SIGNALS WORSE THINGS TO COME...WHEN FAMILIES BREAK DOWN, HOW IS THE FABRIC OF SOCIETY GOING TO REMAIN UNFRAYED?

this is sad - it shows our priority

2011-08-14T02:08:00.000-07:00

Five years ago, they joined the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) in Singapore as some of the first brand-name hires.

Now, star cancer geneticists Neal Copeland, 64, and Nancy Jenkins, 61, who left their 20-year career at the US National Cancer Institute for Singapore, are calling it quits, reported The Straits Times (ST).

They will be moving to Houston, Texas, where from October they will be co-directors of a basic cancer research programme at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute and the Methodist Cancer Centre.

While a generously funded state programme there has been attractive for heavyweights in cancer research, it is also understood that the husband-and-wife team are frustrated with the research scene here.

Nature, an international weekly journal of science, highlighted the duo's decision to leave Singapore in an article published in December 2010.

The article, titled Singapore's salad days are over, reported that the nation's total research budget was "abruptly shifted to competitive industrial alignment funds' last September. This means access to funding depends on researchers' abilities to show that their work has industrial applications.

The policy was particularly aimed at the biomedical sciences, the article claimed. Amid frustrations over issues such as how the government will review research applications, Dr Copeland and Dr Jenkins decided to leave the country, it said.

The couple, currently principal investigators at the institute's cancer genetics laboratory, did not respond to ST's request for an interview.

The constraints biomedical scientists here face include having to spend time on red tape instead of research and increased pressure to focus on economic outcomes to get funding, reported the paper.

When the pair, among the most-cited biomedical scientists worldwide, first arrived in Singapore in 2006, they wanted to take research from the bench to the bedside and commercialise basic research.

According to the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's (A*Star), which oversees the IMCB, the cancer experts made a big splash in research and training here.

A*Star's Biomedical Research Council's executive director Lee Eng Hin said they sharpened the IMCB's focus in areas such as cancer, cell biology and developmental biology.

This deepened the Institute's understanding of human diseases and encouraged the translation of basic scientific discoveries into clinically useful products and commercially viable applications.

They also helped nurture a new generation of talent, he added.

Thanking the duo for their work, he told the paper, "While we are sad to see Neal and Nancy go, we are also heartened that they remain in the international biomedical research arena."

"We expect that they will continue to make great contributions to science and to society, and wish them the very best in their endeavours," said professor Lee.

He noted that Singapore is fortunate to have attracted and anchored many international scientists.

"Even when some of these scientists move on, we believe they will continue to have Singapore on their minds, and they are critical in building bridges between Singapore and the international scientific communities," he said.

"What is important is that they have lent their scientific capabilities, international standing, extensive network as well as experience in mentoring the next generation of scientific leaders."

Some observers, however, told the paper that the couple's move could be a start of a migration of top talents, where more of A*Star's top scientists follow suit.

Former A*Star head Philip Yeo had also previously warned of an exodus of talent if scientists are tasked to produce economic outcomes prematurely.

MAGDALENE: SO THE MESSAGE SEEMS TO BE : IF THERE'S NO MONEY TO BE MADE - OUT YOU GO
CECELIA: YEAH! SO WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS WHEN WE DID IT FOR SCIENCE/FOR MANKIND?
SANE THOMAS: YES I CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION; BUT PLEASE DO STOP TO THINK...WE ARE TOO SMALL AND INSIGNIFICANT TO BE MAKING WAVES FOR THE GOOD OF SOCIETY...WE ARE IN A RAT RACE AND NEED TO DO THINGS THAT ARE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE...

MAGDALENE....HAVE YOU SOLD YOUR SOUL TO THE (PAP)? ITS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT MONEY...ESPECIALLY WHEN WE CAN AFFORD IT!!!!

this is technology for you...but also a reminder - be thankful for the face u have; dont show long face

2011-08-14T02:06:00.001-07:00

BOSTON (Reuters) - A woman who underwent a full face transplant in May after being mauled by a chimpanzee in 2009 revealed her new face in a photo released on Thursday.

Charla Nash, 57, who was photographed in her hospital bed at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, appears dramatically different with a new nose, lips and facial skin.

"I will now be able to do things I once took for granted," Nash said in a statement.

"I will be able to smell. I will be able to eat normally. I will no longer be disfigured. I will have lips and will speak clearly once again. I will be able to kiss and hug loved ones."

Nash was hurt after a friend's 200-pound (91 kg) pet chimpanzee went on a rampage two years ago. She lost her hands, lips, nose and eyes, leaving her blind and disfigured after the attack. The animal was eventually shot and killed by police.

After undergoing a grueling 20-hour full face transplant at the hospital in May, Nash in the photo now has a fair, almost blushing, complexion.

Prior to the surgery, Nash was often photographed wearing a veil to hide her disfigurement.

Nash's full face transplant was the third surgery of its kind performed in the United States, all at the same hospital.

An anonymous female donor provided face, hands and other tissue material that made the surgery possible. The hand transplant was deemed successful but the hands did not thrive after complications from pneumonia and were removed.

Another hand transplant could be attempted if a suitable donor is identified, doctors have said.

Nash's face was rebuilt by a medical team of more than 30 physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists and residents in a challenging surgery made more complex by the double hand transplant.

The world's first full face transplant was completed in Spain in 2010.

haha - a teacher's nightmare but u just gotta love them

2011-08-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

u will never see proverbs/idioms in the same way again

music as a tool of change

2011-08-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

Until six months ago, Ramy Essam was a normal student. Then the protest movement that shook Egypt and toppled President Hosni Mubarak transformed him into a hero and one of the most recognised singers of the revolution.

On 11 February, when the crowds at Cairo's Tahrir Square first heard that the Egyptian president had stepped down, a group gathered in front of a makeshift stage. They were poised to listen to a young singer play one of their favourite songs.

The melodic chant had become an anthem of the revolution. "Irhal, irhal" or "leave, leave" they cried, calling for Mr Mubarak to step down.

The performer was a 24-year-old student from Mansoura, in the Nile Delta region, north of Cairo. He had shot to the forefront of the revolution with a collection of songs that captured the fear, optimism and defiant demand for change that was sweeping across the country.

"Irhal" was a song he cobbled together from the protest chants of the revolution's early days. As he stepped up to perform it once again he realised the words were redundant - Mubarak had gone.

He quickly scribbled down new lyrics, changing the cry from "leave" to a demand for the end of military rule.

"I will never forget, there was a mother of a martyr who was with us all the time and she never laughed or smiled," Mr Essam told the BBC World Service's Outlook programme.

"It was at that moment when she looked really happy and started smiling because she heard that the words of the song had changed."

A sad day for London

2011-08-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

Police and communities have been considering what has fuelled the violence in London over the past 48 hours. It started with the fatal shooting by police of a local man in Tottenham.A member of the local community points to bad relations between the police and the black community.

Riot police have again been deployed to the streets of London as violence broke out for a third day running.Fires and violence have broken out in Hackney, Lewisham, Peckham, Croydon and Clapham Junction.Trevor Reeves, owner of a furniture store in Croydon which was set ablaze said he could not understand the "mindless" acts of arson.
His furniture business was started in the 18th century....

please stop this mindless violence..the world is already messed up without your help..thank you

another classic i wish to remember

2011-08-02T03:53:00.000-07:00

A poor memory is a blessing - but when things like these happen, I must record it so I can remember

Towards the end of the lesson today, I scolded my class - I lashed out at them for at least a few minutes - for being inattentive, unmotivated, uninterested.

Right after my scolding....my class rep asked me...Mrs Logan, did you dye your hair?

How do u scold such students??!!!

I told my colleagues this...we had a good laugh and they said ...Mag, these things happen only to you..

This reminds me of my son - he brought his report book home when he was in nursery...and there were a few negative comments...and i gave him a long lecture on teamwork; focus etc

then my brother called him - and he told my brother that I had just scolded him....then I overheard him asking my brother on the phone...Uncle Gerry, what's a report book?

Needless to say, I felt like a monster
HEAD BOWED IN SHAME...WAS I TIGER MUM?

this is so sad... i have tried to live by this creed...its not easy but it makes us better people

2011-08-01T00:50:00.001-07:00

A father's message from beyond the grave
3 days ago by

Ever wondered what it is like to have Death staring straight in your eyes? Is there anything you will like to do or change before you draw your last breath? What if you have a family with young children and perhaps some precious time left? What would you do?

Here’s a sad but true story to be shared, about a loving dad and husband, who did what he could in the little time he was left for his family. From their country cottage filled with memories of Mandy Flanagan’s late husband Paul, she shared with us their story.

Paul, a teacher, who died of cancer at the age of 45 in November 2009, passionately believed his children, Thomas and Lucy, should have more than just fading photographs to remember him by. For the children were only five and one-and-half years old at the time of his passing. “There was nothing more important to Paul than being the best father he could be,” says Mandy.

“When he knew he was dying, there was no time for self-pity. He became absolutely focused on doing whatever he could to continue being a good dad to them throughout the years, even though he wouldn’t be here in person.”

Amongst his preparation included letters, filmed messages, future birthday presents and his personal chest of favorite books. “Each book is accompanied by a note to Thomas and Lucy explaining why Paul loved it, and how much he hopes they will too when they’re old enough to read it,” explains Mandy.

But perhaps all these gifts pales in comparison to a document titled “On finding fulfillment”, accidentally discovered on his laptop by Mandy. “I opened it and, with tears rolling down my cheeks, I discovered his bullet-pointed code to living a good and happy life,” says Mandy. And this list of 28 instructions was the very way Paul lived his life.

Addressing his children who were too young to understand the tragedy that was unfolding, Paul writes, ”In these last few weeks, following my terminal diagnosis, I have searched my soul and heart to find ways in which I can reach out to you as you grow up.

“I’ve been thinking about the matters in life that are important, and the values and aspirations that make people happy and successful. In my view, and you may well have your own ideas by now, the formula is pretty simple.

“The three most important virtues are: Loyalty, integrity and moral courage. If you aspire, friends will respect you, employers will retain you, and your father will be immensely proud of you. I am therefore giving you several pieces of advice. These are the principles on which I have tried to build my life and they are exactly those that I would have encouraged you to embrace, had I been able to.” “I love you very much. Never forget that.”

“He also wrote that they should never give up, and he certainly never did. He fought so bravely, so courageously, right to the end.”

Having been first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2004, where a birthmark on his chest had become malignant. The cancer was removed in November that year when their son Thomas was only a few months old. And after years of regular follow-ups, he was given the all clear in January 2008 when Mandy was expecting Lucy.

However a swelling that appears in May 2008 proved the cancer had spread to his lymph glands in his arms and neck shortly after. Even surgery and radiotherapy was not able to halt its progression. By March 2009, the cancer had spread to his brain and his condition was terminal.

“He never pitied himself,” says Mandy. “The diagnosis, and perhaps the drugs he was on, triggered a sort of mania. He suddenly had so much energy. While I lay awake upstairs worrying, Paul would work through the nights, determined to get his affairs in order.”

Having meticulously organized the family finances, arranged his own funeral, buying presents for their children, their dining room was soon filled piles of shoeboxes filled with paperwork, hand-written letters and DVD messages for his family and friends.

With Lucy christened last summer, she now has one godmother and nine godfathers. “He wanted his friends to have a permanent tie to his family, I think,” says Mandy. “And if Lucy couldn’t have her father, a fantastic team of godfathers was the very least she deserved.”

With his passing at home, some eight months after his terminal diagnosis, Mandy was certain he’ll be able to rest peacefully knowing that he had left the best legacy any father could. “When some people are told they have just a few months to live, they decide their life won’t be complete until they’ve bungee-jumped off Sydney Harbor Bridge or seen the Grand Canyon. But that wasn’t Paul. All that was important to him was right here. He lived and died by his own rules, and I know he had found his fulfillment.”

We all have a finite amount of time in this world, some less than others. And it is not the amount of time, rather how we use it which truly matters. Ever so often we get absorbed by our daily rat race and tend to take our loved ones for granted. Perhaps it is time we slow down and re-examine ourselves before it is too late.
A FATHER'S RULES FOR FINDING FULFILLMENT

Be courteous, be punctual, always say please and thank you, and be sure to hold your knife and fork properly. Others take their cue on how to treat you from your manners.

Be kind, considerate and compassionate when others are in trouble, even if you have problems of your own. Others will admire your selflessness and will help you in due course.

Show moral courage. Do what is right, even if that makes you unpopular. I always thought it important to be able to look at myself in the shaving mirror every morning and not feel guilt or remorse. I depart this world with a pretty clear conscience.

Show humility. Stand your ground but pause to reflect on what the other side are saying, and back off when you know you are wrong. Never worry about losing face. That only happens when you are pig-headed.
Learn from your mistakes. You will make plenty so use them as a learning tool. If you keep making the same mistake or run into a problem, you’re doing something wrong.

Avoid disparaging someone to a third party; it is only you who will look bad. If you have a problem with someone, tell them face to face.

Hold fire! If someone crosses you, don’t react immediately. Once you say something it can never be taken back, and most people deserve a second chance.

Have fun. If this involves taking risks, so be it. If you get caught, hold your hands up.

Give to charity and help those who are less fortunate than yourselves: it’s easy and so rewarding.

Always look on the upside! The glass is half full, never half empty. Every adversity has a silver lining if you seek it out.

Make it your instinct always to say ‘yes’. Look for reasons to do something, not reasons to say no. Your friends will cherish you for that.

Be canny: you will get more of what you want if you can give someone more of what they desire. Compromise can be king.

Always accept a party invitation. You may not want to go, but they want you there. Show them courtesy and respect.

Never ever let a friend down. I would bury bodies for my friends, if they asked me to . . . which is why I have chosen them carefully.

Always tip for good service. It shows respect. But never reward poor service. Poor service is insulting.

Always treat those you meet as your social equal, whether they are above or below your station in life. For those above you, show due deference, but don’t be a sycophant.

Always respect age, as age equals wisdom.

Be prepared to put the interests of your sibling first.

Be proud of who you are and where you come from, but open your mind to other cultures and languages. When you begin to travel (as I hope you will), you’ll learn that your place in the world is both vital and insignificant. Don’t get too big for your breeches.

Be ambitious, but not nakedly so. Be prepared to back your assertions with craftsmanship and hard work.

Live every day to its full: do something that makes you smile or laugh, and avoid procrastination.

Give of your best at school. Some teachers forget that pupils need incentives. So if your teacher doesn’t give you one, devise your own.

Always pay the most you can afford. Never skimp on hotels, clothing, shoes, make-up or jewellery. But always look for a deal. You get what you pay for.

Never give up! My two little soldiers have no dad, but you are brave, big-hearted, fit and strong. You are also loved by an immensely kind and supportive team of family and friends. You make your own good fortune, my children, so battle on.

Never feel sorry for yourself, or at least don’t do it for long. Crying doesn’t make things better.

Look after your body and it will look after you.

Learn a language, or at least try. Never engage a person abroad in conversation without first greeting them in their own language; by all means ask if they speak English!

And finally, cherish your mother, and take very good care of her.

I love you both with all my heart.
Daddy x

this is so sad... i have tried to live by this creed...its not easy but it makes us better people

2011-08-01T00:50:00.000-07:00

i must be growing younger!!

2011-07-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

you know you are growing younger when...

i say - wow, you young teachers all have 2 laptops...how come?
reply - oh - our school laptop is very slow....

i say - really? mine is fine....
reply - a grin, a few sniggers...

i say - are you trying to say i am slow

reply - no mrs logan....and they burst out laughing!!!

pl do me a favour

2011-07-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

this blog is only for my students
don't tell others about it - especially teachers
i removed my privacy setting cos my exstudents requested it

have a good day

sounds good - shouldn't this be part of our "teach less learn more" initiative

2011-07-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

As Budgets Are Trimmed, Time in Class Is Shortened
Published: July 5, 2011

After several years of state and local budget cuts, thousands of school districts across the nation are gutting summer-school programs, cramming classes into four-day weeks or lopping days off the school year, even though virtually everyone involved in education agrees that American students need more instruction time.

ok this time my excuse is

2011-07-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

this is one of the nicest photos i have of a student
and u do have a radiant smile
it makes me happy just looking at this photo

boys in love - performing on love day

2011-07-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

my class is so going to kill me for doing this...but i want to save it before i change my phone ... excuses excuses.. this is the video that got my church friend's daughters all excited and vouching to come to mj next year...and i went ----- NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! because they have this irritating way of calling me aunteeeee magggg....!!!

ok this is long overdue

2011-07-04T18:38:00.000-07:00

to my wonderful wonderful class that i miss so much - already!!!!
thanks for the wonderfully kind words...
you have been a blessing indeed

and believe me - the new teacher is a wonderful lady - i love her immensely
and you will too
BUT don love her too much, OK?
cos next year
I WILL BE BACK TO TORMENT YOU!!!!!

paradigm shift folks

2011-06-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

MESSAGE SEEMS TO BE THAT:

ITS OKAY TO BE GAY....

Rhode Island Lawmakers Pass Bill to Allow Civil Unions for Gays

Less than a week after same-sex marriage was legalized in New YorK

MAGDALENE : MESSAGE IS - LET'S NOT JUDGE THEM; LEAVE THEM BE..THEY ARE NO CRIMINALS
CECELIA : EASY TO SAY - WHAT IF THEY WERE YOUR KIDS? WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THEM AS EASILY? AND ITS WRONG! AGAINST RELIGION; AGAINST OUR MORALS! AGAINST NATURE!

SANE THOMAS: INITIAL REACTIONS ARE UNDERSTANDABLE...WE WILL GET USED TO IT. DIVORCE WAS ANATHEMA IN THE PAST - LOOK AT IT NOW...ITS LIKE A FASHION STATEMENT...THE HUMAN MIND IS ADAPTABLE....AND OUR VALUES EVEN MORE SO IT SEEMS....

women - may your future get brighter

2011-06-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

Afghanistan is the most dangerous country for women, an international poll of experts on gender issues says.

High levels of violence, poor healthcare and poverty make Afghanistan the worst place for women, the study by the Thomson-Reuters Foundation says.

The survey places the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pakistan in second and third positions.

India is rated the fourth most dangerous country due to high levels of female foeticide and sex trafficking.

Somalia ranked fifth in the survey.
'Hidden dangers'

"Ongoing conflict, Nato airstrikes and cultural practices combined make Afghanistan a very dangerous place for women," said Antonella Notari, head of Women Change Makers, a group that supports women social entrepreneurs around the world.

"In addition, women who do attempt to speak out or take on public roles that challenge ingrained gender stereotypes of what is acceptable for women to do or not, such as working as policewomen or news broadcasters, are often intimidated or killed," she added.

The poll asked 213 experts from five continents to rank countries on issues like overall perception of danger, access to healthcare, violence, cultural discrimination and human trafficking.

"This survey shows that 'hidden dangers' like a lack of education or terrible access to healthcare are as deadly, if not more so, than physical dangers like rape and murder which usually grab the headlines," Monique Villa, chief executive of Thomson-Reuters Foundation, said.

Pakistan was included in the list for having "some of the highest rates of dowry murder, so-called honour killings and early marriages".

India ranked fourth primarily due to female foeticide, infanticide and human trafficking, the report said.

A BBC correspondent in Delhi says India's inclusion among the worst five countries in the world is bound to raise eyebrows here.

The report quotes some experts as saying that "the world's largest democracy was relatively forthcoming about describing its problems, possibly casting it in a darker light than if other countries were equally transparent about trafficking".

mag - wonder what i would have been doing if i had been born in india
cecelia - working as a maid in singapore?
sane thomas - no comments

lead poisoning

2011-06-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

China has been accused of trying to cover up the extent of lead poisoning among children, and of blocking effective testing and treatment.

A report by Human Rights Watch says local authorities in heavily-polluted industrial areas have been sending sick children back to contaminated homes.

It says that in these areas - Henan, Yunnan, Shaanxi and Hunan provinces - anyone who complains is being harassed.

China has promised to clean up chronic pollution from heavy metals.

But reports of poisoning remain widespread - hundreds of thousands of children are suffering from lead poisoning,

mag - first you tell them to have only one child...then you slowly kill them
cecelia - have a conscience please
sane thomas - the price of unfettered progress....sad

2011 - and now in syria...

2011-06-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

President Bashar al-Assad is facing the gravest threat to his family's 40-year ruling dynasty, as unrest that first erupted in the south of the country has now engulfed the north - near the border with Turkey - and is threatening to spread eastwards towards its border with Iraq.

As anti-regime demonstrations continued in many parts of the country, the government on Wednesday mobilised its own demonstration of popular support as thousands of people turned out in a Damascus suburb to wave a giant Syrian flag 2.4 km (1.4 miles) long.

MALAYSIA BOLEH (CAN)

2011-06-14T03:24:00.000-07:00

two Singaporean women were handcuffed and made to do squats naked by Malaysian immigration officials.

Two Singaporean women who drove to Johor Baru for supper were questioned by Malaysian immigration officials, handcuffed, thrown behind bars and made to do squats while naked, the Singapore Straits Times reported today.

The two women said they had driven into Johor Baru without getting their passports stamped, through an unmanned immigration lane.

Following their punishment, they were allowed to return to Singapore after 48 hours with a warning.

“People won’t want to come to our country anymore if this kind of practice occurs ... this will affect the country’s image as a tourist destination.

MAG - HELLO!!! THESE WOMEN WERE MANHANDLED AND YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT MALAYSIA'S REPUTATION - WHERE IS SOCIAL JUSTICE?

CECELIA - THEY ARE LOOKING AT LONG TERM AND BIGGER IMPACT, SILLY! THIS IS CALLED CONSIDERING THE IMPLICATIONS OF SUCH ACTIONS

SANE THOMAS - THIS IS QUITE BIZZARRE!! THAT THEY DARE TO DO SUCH THINGS IN THE FIRST PLACE SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THEIR INSTITUTIONS...DON'T THEY HAVE WATCHDOG GROUPS AND LEADERS OVERSEEING THEM? PERHAPS ITS TIME TO RESORT TO "STAYCATIONS" RATHER THAN VACATIONS ... JUST VISIT ANY OF OUR OWN ISLANDS...

OBEDIENT WIFE CLUB????

2011-06-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

1
Malaysian women launch ‘The Obedient Wife Club’
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A group of Malaysian Muslim women say they will fight divorce, domestic violence and other problems - by appealing to wives to be more obedient, one of the organisers said Friday.
Maznah Taufik said "The Obedient Wife Club" being launched Saturday is aimed at drawing women who will be taught how to please their husbands better to prevent them from straying or misbehaving.
"We just want to ask all the wives to be obedient wives so that there will be fewer problems in our society," such as infidelity, divorce and domestic violence, she told AFP.
"Obedient wife means they are trying to entertain their husbands, not only taking care of their food and clothes," Maznah said. "They have to obey their husbands. That's the way Islam also asks."
Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country, with some 60 per cent of the population practicing the religion, alongside large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities who are mostly Buddhist, Hindu and Christian.
According to local media, the country's divorce rate doubled from 2002 to 2009, with rates higher among Muslims than non-Muslims.Maznah said it was also the men's responsibility to teach their wives to be obedient.
2
KUALA LUMPUR - A Malaysian group urging wives to avoid marital problems by fulfilling their husbands' sexual desires like prostitutes has angered politicians and women's rights groups, the New Straits Times reported on Sunday.
The Obedient Wives Club, which was set up by a group of Muslim women, said domestic violence, infidelity and prostitution stemmed from a lack of belief in God and a failure of women to satisfy their husbands.
The club's president, Rohaya Mohamed, said it was open to women of all religions and would conduct seminars on how to be a good wife as well as offer marriage counseling.
"A man married to a woman who is as good or better than a prostitute in bed has no reason to stray. Rather than allowing him to sin, a woman must do all she can to ensure his desires are met," Rohaya told the newspaper.
Females outnumber males in Malaysian higher education institutions, comprising 65 percent of the intake at public universities last year, according to government data.
But rights groups say women are still often victims of gender bias, and have protested what they considered the club's demeaning portrayal of women as a cause of social problems.

MAG - SPEECHLESS
CECELIA - PREPOSTEROUS...WHAT WE NEED IS AN OBEDIENT HUSBAND'S CLUB - TO KEEP MEN FROM STRAYING...BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO STOP THE LIKES OF GIGGS!!!
SANE THOMAS - WHAT'S THE FUSS MY CHILDREN...THOSE WHO WANT TO, JOIN THE CLUB..THE REST JUST GO ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES... LEAVE THEM TO THEIR BELIEFS - IF IT WORKS FOR THEM, GOOD FOR THEM...AS LONG AS THEY DO NOT FORCE THEIR IDEAS ON YOUNG INNOCENT MINDS...

a request

2011-06-11T02:01:00.000-07:00

This is for a few O level students...

if you have good essays and notes on THE CHRYSALIDS and SOCIAL STUDIES - kindly pass them to me...thanks

WE MUST ALWAYS BE TOP 3....

2011-06-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

Singapore has overtaken Hong Kong to become the third costliest economy in Asia for expatriates' daily needs because of its strengthening currency, human resource firm ECA International said Wednesday.

It said the Singapore dollar, which has surged by more than 10 percent against the greenback, pushed the city-state to third place above Hong Kong, with Japan and South Korea remaining the two most expensive countries.

SO HOW DO WE ATTRACT FOREIGN TALENT?

MORE POLITICAL SCANDALS

2011-06-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

Dominique Strauss-Kahn formally asserted his innocence Monday to charges he tried to rape a hotel maid, but the drama unfolded outside the Manhattan courtroom as protesters jeered the former International Monetary Fund leader and lawyers for the housekeeper said she was eager to testify despite a "smear campaign" against her.

First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton watches President Clinton pause as he thanks those Democratic members of the House of Representatives who voted against impeachment in this Dec. 19, 1998. Her husband's dalliances with Monica Lewinsky left Americans baffled, and at the same time admiring, that Hillary would stand by her husband. "The most difficult decisions I have made in my life were to stay married to Bill, and to run for the Senate from New York," she said. She decided she wanted the marriage to last, if that was possible

New York State Gov. Eliot Spitzer announces his resignation amid a prostitution scandal as wife Silda looks on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 in his offices in New York City.

In this file photo, former California Governor Arnold Schwarznegger with wife, Maria Shriver, wave to supporters from the stage following his victory in the California Recall Election at the Century Plaza Hotel October 7, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. Schwarzenegger said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times that he fathered a child with a member of his household staff.

MAG - SHOULD IT MATTER WHAT THEY DO IN PRIVATE? -
CECELIA - OF COURSE IT SHOULD MATTER; THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ROLE MODELS
MAG - bUT, THEY ARE HUMAN, AND HOW DO YOU RESIST WOMEN FALLING AT YOUR FEET?
CECELIA - IF THEY HAD THE STRENGTH OF CHARACTER THAT IT TAKES TO BE AN UPRIGHT PERSON, AND HOLDER OF OFFICE - THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO RESIST ANY TEMPTATION
MAG - HMMM - EVEN GANDHI HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF BEING INTIMATE WITH A WHITE MAN...

SANE THOMAS - WELL, THEY ARE EXPECTED TO HOLD UP TO SCRUTINY. THEY ARE HUMAN AND DO FALL FROM GRACE. LET US NOT JUDGE THEM. LET US HOPE THEY WILL LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES.

MAG - FAT CHANCE!!!

POLITICALLY INCORRECT

2011-06-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

A US congressman long ridiculed for sharing the same name as a slang word for penis tearfully admitted Monday to sending pictures of his privates to young female fans online.

Anthony Weiner -- whose surname is pronounced the same as sausages used in hotdogs that are synonymous with the male sexual organ -- called a nationally televised press conference to admit he had been in a string of lewd online relationships.

Pressure had been building on the Democrat from New York after a close-up picture of an aroused male member in underpants reached a woman in Seattle via his Twitter account. For a week he hotly denied sending the picture and claimed to have been hacked.

Wiping away tears Monday, Weiner admitted: "The picture was of me and I sent it. I am deeply sorry for the pain this has caused."

He said he had been sending naughty pictures online and sexting with about six women over the years and "we had become friends." But he said he had not met any of them and had not had a physical relationship outside of his year-old marriage.

Weiner, a seven-term congressman who until now was seen as a leading candidate to take over as New York mayor in 2013, said he does not intend to resign his seat in the US House of Representatives.

"I don't know what I was thinking. This was a destructive thing to do," he said. But "I am not resigning. I have made it clear that I accept responsibility for this."

However, signaling his problems are not yet over, leading Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, said an ethics investigation should be opened.

"I am deeply disappointed and saddened about this situation; for Anthony's wife, Huma, his family, his staff and his constituents," Pelosi said in a statement.

"I am calling for an Ethics Committee investigation to determine whether any official resources were used or any other violation of House rules occurred."

With his stunning admission, Weiner becomes the third New York politician in recent times to get in trouble over kinky sex habits.

The state's governor, Eliot Spitzer, resigned in 2008 after being caught visiting expensive prostitutes, while earlier this year another married congressman, Chris Lee, stepped down over his attempt to arrange sex online.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST!

Uniquely Singapore!!

2011-05-25T22:44:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is a EAT WITH YOUR FAMILY DAY!

Eat With Your Family Day is a nation-wide initiative that serves as a reminder on the importance of having meals as a family.

Eating together goes a long way towards keeping the family close. Initiated in 2003, the Centre for Fathering realized that Singaporeans are often too busy with work, school and other personal commitments to enjoy a meal with their family. http://www.fatheringmatters.com/sg/EWYFD

MAGDALENE SAYS - SHOULDN'T THEY MAKE THIS A HOLIDAY?
CECELIA SAYS - WHOSE BRIGHT IDEA IS THIS? WORK THEM TO THE BONE FOR 364 DAYS AND LET THE POOR SOULS EAT WITH THE FAMILY SO WE CAN PUT IT ON RECORD THAT WE ARE A CARING SOCIETY?
THOMAS SAYS - NOW NOW! CHILDREN. YOU REALLY SHOULD STOP. THEY ARE DAMNED IF THEY DO; THEY ARE DAMNED IF THEY DON'T. AT LEAST THEY HAVE RECOGNISED THE PROBLEM AND HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IT'S A START. IT IS AN UNUSAUL SCHEME WHICH POINTS TO SOME WORRYING TRENDS. PERHAPS WE SHOULD WORK TOWARDS ADDRESSING THE ROOT PROBLEM, WHICH IS THAT PARENTS OVERWORKING TO THE EXTENT THAT IT IMPINGES ON THEIR FAMILY ITME. SO EAT WITH YOUR FAMILY DAY IS A GOOD START BUT WE NEED TO LOOK INTO DEEPER ISSUES THAT ARE PLAGUING OUR FAMILIES.

CECELIA - KNOW ALL!

thank you wei long

2011-05-03T02:20:00.000-07:00

this blog was created by, and dedicated to,
wonderful students like you...

marcus chin - u asked how theo was murdered

2011-04-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

here are the gory details - from wiki

"Mohammed Bouyeri murdered Van Gogh as he was cycling to work in the early morning of 2 November 2004, in front of the Amsterdam East borough office (stadsdeelkantoor), on the corner of the Linnaeusstraat and Tweede Oosterparkstraat (Bouyeri shot van Gogh eight times with an HS 2000 handgun, and Van Gogh died on the spot. Bouyeri tried to decapitate him with one knife,[4] and stabbed him in the chest with another. The two knives were left implanted; one attached a five-page note to his body. The note (Text) threatened Western countries, Jews and Ayaan Hirsi Ali (who went into hiding).[5][6] The note also referred to the ideologies of the Egyptian organization Takfir wal-Hijra.

the danish cartoon controversy - FROM WIKI

2011-04-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005. The newspaper announced that this publication was an attempt to contribute to the debate regarding criticism of Islam and self-censorship.

Danish Muslim organizations that objected to the depictions responded by holding public protests attempting to raise awareness of Jyllands-Posten's publication. Further examples of the cartoons were soon reprinted in newspapers in more than 50 other countries, further deepening the controversy.

This led to Islamic protests across the Muslim world, some of which escalated into violence with instances of firing on crowds of protestors (resulting in a total of more than 100 reported deaths),[1] including setting fire to the Danish Embassies in Syria, Lebanon and Iran, storming European buildings, and burning the Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, French and German flags in Gaza City.[2][3] Various groups, primarily in the Western world, responded by endorsing the Danish policies, including "Buy Danish" campaigns and other displays of support. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen described the controversy as Denmark's worst international crisis since World War II.[4]

Critics of the cartoons described them as Islamophobic or racist,[5] and argued that they are blasphemous to people of the Muslim faith, are intended to humiliate a Danish minority, or are a manifestation of ignorance about the history of Western imperialism.

Supporters have said that the cartoons illustrated an important issue in a period of Islamic terrorism and that their publication is a legitimate exercise of the right of free speech, explicitly tied to the issue of self-censorship. They claim that Muslims were not targeted in a discriminatory way since unflattering cartoons about other religions (or their leaders) are frequently printed.[6] They question whether some of the riots were spontaneous outpourings as they took place where no spontaneous demonstrations are allowed, and whether the images of Muhammad per se are offensive to Muslims, as thousands of illustrations of Muhammad have appeared in books by and for Muslims.[7]

NOTE - THIS EXAMPLE WOULD BE USEFUL FOR A QUESTION ON CENSORSHIP VS FREE SPEECH.
RELIGION IS A SENSITIVE ISSUE - THINK BEFOERE YOU RIGHT....A BLANKET CRITICISM OF ISLAM OR MUSLIMS IS NOT ADVISABLE.

READ MY POST ON HOW MUSLIMS IN SOME COUNTRIES ARE TAUGHT SUBJECTS LIKE MATH - AND YOU WILL SEE WHY THERE IS AN INHERENT HATRED OF EVERYTHING WESTERN IN THE MUSLIM WORLD.

ARE THEY REACTIVE BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO FIGHT WESTERN IMPERIALISM? TO PROTECT THEIR RELIGION? SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT

boot camp for effeminate boys

2011-04-20T05:09:00.000-07:00

A camp set up to correct the effeminate behaviour of Muslim schoolboys violates the law and should be abolished, says Malaysia's women's minister.

Sixty-six schoolboys identified by teachers as effeminate began counselling this week to discourage them from being gay.

They are undergoing four days of religious and physical education.

An education official said the camp was meant to guide the boys back "to a proper path in life".

But the women's minister, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, said singling out these children based on perceived feminine mannerisms was traumatising and harmful to their mental health.

The camp violates the Child Act, which protects children without prejudice, she said.

Gay rights groups have also criticised the measure, saying it promotes homophobia in the Muslim-majority country where gay sex is still illegal.

The schoolboys allegedly displayed "feminine mannerisms" - though educators in the conservative state of Terengganu did not detail what they were, the BBC's Jennifer Pak reports from Kuala Lumpur.

State officials say that, if left unchecked, the students - aged between 13 and 17 - could end up gay or transsexual.

They blame parents for encouraging boys to develop feminine traits, by dressing them up in girls' clothing at a young age.

WHAT NEXT - A BOOT CAMP FOR
TOMBOYISH GIRLS TO BECOME FEMININE?
CHILDISH ADULTS TO BECOME MATURE?
PRECOCIOUS KIDS TO REGAIN THEIR INNOCENCE?
A BOOT CAMP FOR TEACHERS WHO CAN'T YOUTUBE AND TWITTER?

ALL BECAUSE THEY WANT TO TEACH THEM THE "RIGHT" WAY?

WHY DOES THE WRITER USE INVERTED COMMAS?
BECAUSE WHAT IS CONSIDERED RIGHT IS SUBJECTIVE/ A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT

WHY DOES THE WRITER TYPE IN CAPITALS?
BECAUSE SHE IS NOT WEARING HER READING GLASSES :(

justin Baby!! beeeeber

2011-04-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

no I don't have anything against him

My son hates him like poison - but i know he is just insanely jealous
and i know u r reading this, son

my daughter hates him too - still at an awkward age perhaps - too shy to admit
that you actually have a crush? yes, conjecture on my part - but I think I am not wrong in my assessment of the situation? and don't roll your eyes at me young lady!

but as usual - i digress

I don't know why you "hate" him? Isn't that too strong an emotion for someone who has done you no harm?

You could either like him or just NOT care...i don't care for him - except it gives me great joy to sing his songs to you as you cover your ears in feigned annoyance.

but i seriously do not understand why people malign him so - hate clubs sap the enery of the world - hate is such a disempowering emotion

so chill - kiddos...

On another note .... heard this on the radio ....

father tells Hossan Leong...

I had to drive my screaming daughters to the sistic outlet and queue up with screaming girls to buy the tickets...

and a girl buys all beeeeber paraphernalia - and in purple - his favourite colour...paid for by her PARENTS....what are doing to your kid???

WASTE MY TIME TIME TIME TIME....

the good ones get punished too

2011-04-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

hi dear studnets...misspelt on purpose...

This is an official apology to my class of wonderful students
who accepted my punishment of the whole class, with nary a squeak...
(i tend to get poetic when i am sad)

am sad that the good ones get punished because of a few
but that is how i deal with "class issues"...
class ethos is certainly lacking and the behaviour of a few can mar
what would otherwise be a good fun lesson

I hope the class rep can rally the class together, some peer pressure wont hurt
get your act together class...for i prefer having fun....and enjoy my time
with you

WAKE UP YOUR IDEAS, MAN!! - IN TEEN SPEAK - THOSE RECALCITRANT FEW

Online petition against PAP’s Tin Pei Ling

2011-04-06T04:27:00.000-07:00

An online petition calling for the People's Action Party's (PAP) youngest candidate, Tin Pei Ling, 27, to be fielded in a Single Member Constituency (SMC) instead of a Group Representative Constituency (GRC), has surfaced online on Tuesday.

The petition, created by a person named Ti Kiang Heng on Monday, has gathered over 1,200 signatures. It requires users to submit a name and email address and included a special request for non-Singapore citizens to not sign the petition.

In the post, the petition originator said 'Singaporeans are genuinely concerned about undeserving candidates being inducted into parliament, not on their own merit, but rather on the back of established MPs of the ruling party in some GRCs'.

Ti also expressed 'deep concerns about Ms Tin Pei Ling's credentials and quality to stand as a PAP candidate for the upcoming election'.

The petition originator emphasised that it was not representative of an opposing view, but one that stems from concern for the quality of election candidates, citing the example of Tin's lacklustre performance when she was interviewed during her introduction as a PAP candidate.

It said, 'when she was asked by a reporter what her greatest regret was, Tin replied that her greatest regret thus far was not being able to bring her parents to the Universal Studio. We were appalled by her poorly conceived response that lacked judgment, perspective and discretion'.

Among the people who signed the petition was Eric Lim, who said, "Place her in SMC and let the people decide. $15,000 a month for this kind of standard?"

pl read the comments too - singaporeans are funny

Added Wong S. K., "Please let Ms Tin stand on her own two feet. If Singaporeans pick her, then she is worth the $15,000 salary."

However, on Tuesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong defended the party's decision to field her.

Speaking at the Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum 2011 at NUS, PM Lee said, "As far as the Web is concerned, all the flaming, that's the way it is but unfortunately in Singapore, people get carried away. Vitriol....doesn't add anything, no credit to debate, to people doing that or raise quality of debate."

"As for Tin Pei Ling, we first noticed her in this (NUS) hall in 2007 when we had a party convention. She was one of the speakers and she impressed the audience. We made the right decision. It looks like she's going to MacPherson and she'll be a good MP in due course."

LOL haven't vote already saying she'll be a good MP in due course.

We are not dismissing Ms Tin's experience, but her ability, PM Lee.

Ignoring our doubts and opinions, you make it feel like our votes won't count. Remember who it is you serve and not who it is who serve you.

oh no! i live in macpherson! i'm not going to vote for someone my age to manage this place! plus it's absolutely not suitable bcos this estate is mostly old people. they need someone who can relate to their problems & not some young girl. is she going to bring all of the old folks to universal studios?

Dear PM Lee .... I've been a strong supporter of PAP since Day 1 because Singapore would not be what it is today. Have you asked yourself Sir ... why Singaporeans are against Ms Tin and not the other newly elected candidates of PAP?

Per what I have read here, Ms Tin impressed you and the audience in 2007. But Sir, we are talking about now, in 2011 and we are talking about Singaporeans (much much bigger audiences) and honestly, I shared my fellow Singaporeans' views ... I am not impressed either. She needs to prove herself in SMC instead of in GRC. Thks. We really don't need another MBT or GKY.

Now, majority Singaporeans are worried with the spiralling costs of living, jobs lost and wages/salaries due to .... . Shortsighted, poor housing policies and policies on foreigners were the main causes of our high costs of living.

Sir ... the success of Singapore should be 2-sided ... Internationally and Domestically. We can only see one-sided Internationally success which we Singaporeans are all proud of... but not so on Domestically. Sir ... in the past, we don't see many Singaporeans needing financial helps as compared to now. Hope, if PAP is being elected again ... please sincerely review those policies that are affecting Singaporerans as a whole. In the past, I thought having Opposition Parties (like in other countries) is not a necessity in Singapore. But ... . Thks

When Mat Kastari escape, insteading of admitting their mistakes. He brushed it off and said the infamous phrase "it was an honest mistake". Now, he adds"all the flaming. Vitriol....no credit to debate". PAP never listens, they do not care what is on the ground. They are frivolus in spending the nations' money.
VOTE WISELY or you will have no say later.

techy - boon or bane

2011-04-05T04:57:00.000-07:00

"It makes me bored and annoyed when my boyfriend keeps staring at his smartphone when we are on a date," said 27-year-old office worker Han Hyung-young.

About half of those surveyed said they had had fights with their boyfriend or girlfriend because of smartphones.

Twitter or Facebook was the main offender for 44.5 percent of respondents. About 32.8 percent had fights when their boyfriend or girlfriend became obsessed with their smartphone, and 14.1 percent said spending money on applications and mobile accessories was the reason for fights.

About 4.7 percent had had a fight over their boyfriend or girlfriend stalking their ex.

"It is possible that your girlfriend can find out what you have been doing by reading your posts on Twitter or Facebook which you definitely don't want her to know," said 30-year-old office worker Choi Hee-jung.

"I've heard that a couple got in trouble when a girlfriend found out her boyfriend was flirting with girls on 'Who's Here.'"

"Who's Here" is an application which enables you to make contact with people nearby.

"We need to think about what's missing in our daily lives flooded with communications -- whether we are neglecting our loved ones,"

TUNISIA 'S TROUBLES SPILL OVER TO ITALY

2011-04-02T04:56:00.000-07:00

Unrest has continued to grip Tunisia since an uprising in January toppled President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Italy says about 20,000 migrants have arrived on its shores - mostly on Lampedusa - in the past three months, aboard overcrowded boats from Tunisia and war-torn Libya.

taly has transferred 1,716 North African migrants - most of them Tunisian - to a temporary camp site in its south-eastern Puglia region.

The migrants arrived by ship on Thursday from Lampedusa, a tiny island packed with thousands fleeing poverty and unrest in Tunisia.

A "tent city" has been set up to accommodate them in Manduria, a town in the southern heel of Italy.

Overcrowding has created unhygienic conditions on Lampedusa, officials say.

Well the print media has done it again!!!

2011-04-02T04:46:00.000-07:00

TEH PRINT MEDIA SENSATIONALISED THE ALLEGED HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIP GANDHI HAD WITH A GERMAN... AND NOW

The author of a book on Mahatma Gandhi has said it is "shameful" that it has been banned in India's western state of Gujarat.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Joseph Lelyveld said the book was banned on the basis of newspaper reviews.

He said the reviews had sensationalised his account of Gandhi's friendship with a German man, who may have been homosexual.

Although legal, homosexuality still carries a stigma in India.

Gujarat's state assembly voted unanimously on Wednesday to ban Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India with immediate effect, even though it has not yet been released in India and few people will have read it.

"In a country (India) that calls itself a democracy, it is shameful to ban a book that no one has read, including the people who are doing the banning," Mr Lelyveld was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency.
'Extreme step'

"They should at least make an effort to see the pages that they think offend them before they take such an extreme step. I find it very discouraging to think that India would so limit discussion," he said.

Indian writers and relatives of Mahatma Gandhi have protested against the ban.

Gandhi's great grandson Tushar Gandhi said he was against banning of books, and that it did not matter "if the Mahatma was straight, gay or bisexual".

TRUST THE MEDIA TO FOCUS ON THE TRIVIAL...DOES IT MATTER IF HE WERE GAY, NOW THAT HE IS DEAD?

Save the Children

2011-04-02T04:43:00.000-07:00

One in three women worldwide gives birth without expert help, a study from UK charity Save the Children suggests.

It said if a global shortage of 350,000 midwives were met, more than one million babies a year could be saved.

Some 1,000 women and 2,000 babies died every day from easily preventable birth complications - Afghanistan was the worst place to have a baby, it said.

The charity urged world leaders to show the political will to improve access to midwives and healthcare globally.
Save the Children, which is launching a campaign for more midwives, said more babies in poorer countries died from lack of oxygen at birth than from malaria.

It said women in the poorest countries were the least likely to have a skilled attendant present at delivery, were much more likely to lose their child and were the most likely to die during childbirth.
Save the children
n the UK - where there are 749,000 births a year - there are 26,825 working midwives, while in Rwanda, where 400,000 babies are born a year, there are only 46.

oh god, what have we parents done?

2011-03-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

My daughter stormed into the room this morning and said...in a distressed voice!

mum! aunty only gave me bread with butter!!! only butter!

I looked at her in disbelief...and said...Oh dear! How tragic!!!! How could she have
deprived you of ham and turkey and chicken and tuna....
just as she was looking satisfied that i could commiserate with her, i continued...
When there are millions who don't even have bread crumbs....
Of course, i got the usual response...A helpless scream - and she stalked off...

Sometimes we are so busy advising, warning and whipping into shape other people's children, while our own slowly develop the very habits and issues we decry...well, before she becomes her teacher's problem, i will have to nip this problem in the bud...

She has just been told that she gets only bread and butter for 2 weeks and her allowance is going to be cut so that she can feel for those who come to school hungry....the way I used to when I was her age....

women, move over...men need to prove their METTLE too!

2011-03-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

Since we were discussing this topic, thought you might be interested....

DISCLAIMER - there is no suggestion here that you contemplate fatherhood at this tender age...so do not read too much between the lines....

"Dads for Life is a national fathers movement that seeks to inspire, mobilise and involve fathers to become good influencers in their children's lives... for life."

http://dadsforlife.sg/

THEY DEFEND US!!!

2011-03-28T01:34:00.000-07:00

A photo of a national service man making his maid carry his backpack is making its rounds online. (Photo from Facebook)
He’s in the army, but she’s the one carrying the backpack.
A series of photographs making its rounds on the Internet has generated much debate about whether Gen Y soldiers in Singapore are too “soft” and “spoilt”.
The photos – which were taken off Facebook and posted on The Straits Times’ online portal Stomp — features a young man, fully decked out in army fatigues, with his maid trailing behind him carrying his large backpack.

LET'S NOT STEREOTYPE, BUT IS THIS WHAT AFFLUENCE BREEDS?

FR WIKI - GET OUT OF MY ELITE UNCARING FACE ( PART 1)

2011-03-28T01:08:00.000-07:00

The Wee Shu Min elitism scandal was a Singaporean scandal in October 2006 in which Wee Shu Min, daughter of parliament member Wee Siew Kim and a then-eighteen year-old student on Raffles Junior College's scholarship programme, found herself in controversy after posting on her blog what were viewed by some Singaporeans to be elitist,[1] naïve, and insensitive statements against heartlanders.

Dismissing the views of Derek Wee who voiced concerns on job security and age discrimination on his blog, she shot back with a take-no-prisoners diatribe,calling Derek a "stupid crackpot", belonging to "the sadder class" and overreliant on the government. Her post also called for Derek to "get out of my elite uncaring face."[4][5] Her response triggered an avalanche of criticism, as it came on the heels of the sensational suicide of an individual (said to be facing financial difficulties) at Chinese Garden MRT Station.[6][7] As a result, her name topped Technorati's search terms for a week She has since appeared to have apologised on another blog and shut down her own.
[edit] Response

In response to the scandal, Wee Siew Kim stated that he supported Shu Min's point in principle and that "people cannot take the brutal truth," but he and Shu Min's college principal also expressed disappointment and counselled her to be more sensitive towards others. Wee also claimed that his daughter's privacy had been violated.[2] Critics pointed out however, that he appeared to have endorsed her elitist remarks and failed to address values such as empathy and humility, and that he was apologising for the tone, but not the content of his daughter's response.[11] Furthermore, the government had previously made it clear that there was no such thing as Internet privacy with the imprisonment of bloggers under the Sedition Act just over than a year earlier,[11] and that Wee Shu Min should be old enough to take responsibility for the consequences of her statements.
[edit] Public backlash

Two days after Wee Siew Kim first spoke out in The Straits Times, he made a public apology to those who were offended by statements made in his interview, in particular Derek Wee. Commentators used the controversy as evidence that Singapore was suffering from increasing signs that political elitism, "smarter-than-thou" snobbery and class consciousness anxiety were creeping into its meritocracy model,a widening social stratification that will cause long-term implications for Singaporean society, and problems in the education system that need to be addressed. The controversy was subsequently raised and hotly debated again in the opening session of the Parliament by fellow MP Sin Boon Ann, who pointed out that elitism was now an open secret in several aspects of Singapore society, including education, the military and the civil service, commenting that it is necessary "(to) break down the institution of snobbery within our society."

get out of my elite uncaring face (part 2)

2011-03-28T01:01:00.001-07:00

A woman who taunted and urged heartlanders to “stay away from Holland Village” has apologised on public radio.

The woman, identified only as Samantha, phoned in to 91.3FM’s The Married Men on Friday morning and said she wanted to retract her words on how local heartlanders should stay away from Holland Village because they are not “high-class” and “cultured” enough.

She explained that she was at a Starbucks outlet at Holland Village on Wednesday when she heard vulgarities from two men dressed in slippers and shorts, which prompted her to vent her frustrations on radio later that morning.

But after a day of reflection, Samantha said she decided to make the public apology. However, even after she did so on Friday morning, some listeners who called in still complained about the insincerity of Samantha’s apology, reported The Straits Times.

“I live in Holland Village, and I just can’t understand why people from the heartlands want to come here. We people are cultured, and you heartlanders are definitely not cultured,” she had originally said on radio.

She defined heartlanders as being “people from Ang Mo Kio, Yishun, Toa Payoh and the nearby Bukit Batok” who “have no manners”, “talk loudly” and wear “cheap clothes from Bugis Street”.

“People who come here are cultured. So if you want to come here, you know, when you’re in Rome, behave like a Roman. When you’re in Holland, behave like us — cultured people,” she added before warning heartlanders, ”Please stay where you are, I think you fit best there.”

Her original comments triggered a firestorm of debate among netizens. Over 700 Yahoo! users alone criticised her for her elitist comments.

Said Isaac Moss, “Samantha, are you one of those rich, spoilt brat girls? Shame on you for making those comments.”

Another Yahoo! user, Homeless Lim, said, “Please don’t stereotype, stay humble.”

Popular radio deejay Rod Monteiro, one-third of The Married Men, earlier told Yahoo! Singapore that listeners who responded after the show unanimously disapproved of Samantha’s remarks.

Monteiro, who lives in Siglap, said, “It’s not just the locals, even expats thought what she said was unwarranted. Even a foreigner living in Simei called in to say Samantha’s comments were elitist.”

“Personally, I feel that it’s one people, one nation, one Singapore. It’s not really about how we dress. Of course, we should dress well while eating at posh restaurants, but when it comes to eating at Holland Village’s coffee shops, people should be allowed to wear what they want,” he added.

TOO HIGH CRASS... FOR HEARTLANDERS EH? YOU ARE ONLY FROM HOLLAND VILLAGE, DARLING, NOT HOLLAND....

JAPAN - EARTHQUAKE, TSUNAMI AND RADIATION FEARS...A TRIPLE WHAMMY

2011-03-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Radiation levels have surged in seawater near a tsunami-stricken nuclear power station in Japan, officials said Saturday, as engineers battled to stabilise the plant in hazardous conditions.

Urgent efforts were under way to drain pools of highly radioactive water near the reactors after several workers suffered radiation burns while installing cables as part of efforts to restore the critical cooling systems.

The new safety worries further complicated efforts to bring the ageing facility under control, and raised fears that the fuel rod vessels or their valves and pipes are leaking.

LET'S PRAY THAT THE BRAVE SOULS THAT ARE RISKING THEIR LIVES HAVE SOME RESPITE...SOME GOOD NEWS FOR THEM AND FOR US, PLEASE!

xould the Raelians have been right all along?

2011-03-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Many planetary scientists say it's conceivable that all life on Earth is descended from organisms that originated on Mars and were carried here aboard meteorites.

And if that's the case, an instrument being developed by researchers at MIT and Harvard could provide the clinching evidence.

In order to detect signs of past or present life on Mars-if it is in fact true that we're related-then a promising strategy would be to search for DNA or RNA, and specifically for particular sequences of these molecules that are nearly universal in all forms of terrestrial life.

"It's a long shot," "but if we go to Mars and find life that's related to us, we could have originated on Mars. Or if it started here, it could have been transferred to Mars." Either way, "we could be related to life on Mars. So we should at least be looking for life on Mars that's related to us."

WELL RAELIANS, DON'T POP THE CHAMPAGNE JUST YET! THE DARWINIANS AND CREATIONISTS HAVE NOT RESPONDED YET...

have sex will travel

2011-03-21T05:29:00.000-07:00

China Times Weekly reported that porn tourists are so desperate for three dimensional titillation, they are preparing to fly from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan for the Hong Kong-produced sex flick, "3D Sex & Zen: Extreme Ecstasy".

According to the source, it is 99.99% likely not to make release on Mainland screens, so quick-witted travel agencies have launched a tourist package to Taiwan that climaxes with a two-hour ogle at what is said to be the world's first 3D porn film.

Said to be loosely based on Li Yu's 17th century classical Chinese erotic literature "The Carnal Prayer Mat", this HK $20 million 3D re-update of the 1991 HK classic erotica stars HK porn star Vonnie Lui, Japanese AV actresses Yukiko Suo and Saori Hara opposite HK-based Japanese male model Hiro Hayama.

The film will reportedly chronicle the adventures of a young man who, after being introduced to the erotic world of a duke, realises his ex-wife is the love of his life and features "orgies, swinging and some very graphic sex scenes."

a HUH? moment

2011-03-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

FISH Leong????

you must be kidding me...

from macdonaldisation to subwayisation

2011-03-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

Subway now has more restaurants worldwide than McDonald's.

The sandwich chain surpassed the world's largest hamburger chain in terms of number of stores in the U.S. in 2002 and now it has taken the global lead.

Subway had 33,749 restaurants worldwide at the end of last year, according to the company. McDonald's Corp. had 32,737, according a regulatory filing.

Its smaller-format stores cost less to open and operate than other chain restaurants. The company's emphasis on cost-control, marketing and advertising has also helped grow the brand.

Subway, like many restaurant chains, is making a major push in international markets.

McDonald's, however, remains the industry's revenue champion.

McDonald's, based in Oak Brook, Ill., said in a statement it is still growing but it has made a "concerted effort over the past couple of years on getting better rather than getting bigger."

Well, if it is true that Macs is partly responsible for the obesity problem that plagues half the world, then it's about time,isn't it?

ONLY IN AMERICA!!!! how far would they go?

2011-03-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

No, it wasn't a Monty Python sketch. A human sexuality class really did get a live sex show in an auditorium at Chicago's Northwestern University.

The topic of the day was bondage, swinging and other fetishes. Then, after the class was officially dismissed, students were told they could stick around for a demonstration of sex toys and the female orgasm.

About 100 students -- and apparently one of their mothers who was sitting in on the class that day -- were in the auditorium when an exhibitionist couple offered to perform.Most stayed to watch as the woman undressed on stage and her male partner brought her to orgasm with a device that looked like a machine-powered saw with a phallic object instead of a blade.

"It is probably something I will remember for the rest of my life," said student Justin Smith, 21."I can't say that about my Econ 202 class and the material that I learned there."

Once the demonstration began, Smith said, "there was a lot of covering of the mouth like 'Oh my gosh.' It was pretty quiet.... I didn't really see people take affront, but they were engaged with the experience."Faith Kroll, 25, said she had planned to simply answer questions and show off her sex toys but was game to demonstrate in the flesh after the students were shown an "absurd, clinical" video.

"One of the students asked what my specific fetish was and mine is being in front of people, having the attention and being used," she told the Chicago Sun-Times. "The students seemed really intrigued."Psychology professor John Michael Bailey said he initially hesitated, but decided to allow the public sex act.

"My hesitation concerned the likelihood that many people would find this inappropriate," he wrote in a statement. "My decision to say 'yes' reflected my inability to come up with a legitimate reason why students should not be able to watch such a demonstration."The university initially defended the risque display, with a spokesman saying in a statement that it "supports the efforts of its faculty to further the advancement of knowledge" even though some of the topics may be "controversial."

But as the news went viral Thursday, the university's president issued a statement saying he was "troubled and disappointed by what occurred.""I feel it represented extremely poor judgment on the part of our faculty member," Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro said.

"I have directed that we investigate fully the specifics of this incident, and also clarify what constitutes appropriate pedagogy, both in this instance and in the future."

well, they have crossed the line...It is in bad taste, practically pornographic...
but then again, aren't some people getting a daily dose of this on-line? Well, that may be the case...but as far as possible, let' keep some things private...as long as we can before the tsunami of decadence and openness sweeps over us...

again i lament the loss of innocence

if not now, sometime in the future - u can make your dreams come true,,,believe in yourself

2011-01-11T04:54:00.000-08:00

Here's some inspiration for dejected O-level students, courtesy of a man whose teacher once told him he was hopeless.
You're too naughty, his English teacher in Changkat Changi Secondary School told him 30 years ago. You're not good enough for this school.
Go to a vocational institute (the forerunner to the Institute of Technical Education) instead.
Instead of being demoralised and feeling inferior, homegrown entrepreneur Jason Sim, 45, became even more determined to prove that teacher wrong.
Today, through hard work, foresight and some luck, his company - Jason Parquet - is one of the leaders in timber flooring here, with an annual revenue of between $28 million to $30 million.

wikileaks

2010-12-21T06:31:00.000-08:00

Julian Assange has told the BBC that he is fighting a Swedish extradition warrant because he believes "no natural justice" would occur in Sweden.

Mr Assange - The Wikileaks founder denies the allegations of rape and says the case is politically motivated.

politics 2010

2010-12-10T06:37:00.000-08:00

assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan

East Timor finally achieves independence? Cyprus joins the EU,
the retirement of Fidel Castro in Cuba

the tsunami

2010-12-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

a bout 230,000 - died in the Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 December 2004

Cyclone Nargis in Burma, and the Bam earthquake in Iran

lehman collapse

2010-12-10T06:34:00.000-08:00

The collapse of Lehman Brothers on 15 September 2008 showed just how serious the financial crisis was, and symbolised the precarious nature of the economics that had underpinned material prosperity during the Noughties.

911 - terrorist attack

2010-12-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

The attacks on the World Trade Center in New York on 11 September 2001, killed nearly 3,000 people and directly affected many more. They also led to a chain of events that altered the lives of hundreds of thousands in Afghanistan and Iraq, Bali and Madrid, London and Mumbai, and throughout the world.

the most boring day in our lifetime

2010-11-30T05:39:00.001-08:00

apparently was the 11th of April 1954
nothing happened

hahahahahahhahaha
i just find that very funny

sorry

can we depend on scientists?

2010-11-07T03:53:00.000-08:00

Twenty-one top scientists called for more research into genetically modified (GM) food Friday and demanded the reinstatement of a researcher who claimed that rats fed on GM potatoes suffered a weakened immune system. Scientists from Britain, Europe, the United States and Canada signed a memorandum supporting the findings of Arpad Pusztai, who was forced to retire last year after he said his experiments also showed GM food can damage rats' vital organs.

"Dr Pusztai's results, at the very least, raise the suspicion that genetically modified food may damage the immune system," Dr Ronald Finn, a past president of the British Society of Allergy and Environmental Medicine, told a news conference. "He has been unfairly treated." Pusztai, a world authority on plant proteins, was forced to leave the Rowett Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland, two days after revealing preliminary findings in a television documentary. The institute said his claims could not be substantiated. But a review of his experiments and research by Stanley Ewen, a pathologist at Aberdeen University Medical School, supported his conclusion that there was reason for concern.

singapore and the death penalty

2010-10-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

THE Attorney-General's Chambers on Monday accused British freelance journalist Alan Shadrake of launching a broadside and baseless attack against the entire Singapore judiciary in his book on the death penalty.

The AGC, which started contempt proceedings against Shadrake, 75, for impugning the impartiality, integrity and independence of the courts in Singapore.

14 statements alleged or insinuated that the Singapore courts bowed to political or economic pressure from foreign governments, favoured the rich and privileged and was used as a tool by the ruling party to muzzle dissent.

alvin toffler's predictions

2010-10-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

The author of 1970's blockbuster - Future shock - made some unbelievable claims in the past that has come true...so perhaps you should read this...

His Consultancy predicts

1IN THE next 40 years, an unprecedented number of women will be in positions of power,at a never-before-seen rate, as countries realise 'you can't be successful with just 50 per cent of the population participating in decision-making
2 Muslim immigration to the West will rise
3 office workers will be unchained from their cubicles
4 South America will see sustained economic growth
5 the Middle East will become 'a tangle of religions, sects and ethnicities
6 Only a very small number of states will continue to behave as 'rogue' nations, Toffler Associates says, naming North Korea and Iran.

7 China will position itself as a global economic power, allying with Brazil and India to influence currency use
8 China will ally herself with with Venezuela and African nations to ensure its energy needs are met.

9 The United States, meanwhile, will depend on China for 17 rare earth metals that are essential to produce everything from weapons components to radars to wind turbines and hybrid cars.

10 The development of alternative energy forms will create 'losers in a post-petroleum world' including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, several Gulf states, Russia and Venezuela

11Christianity will rise rapidly in the global South, while Muslims will migrate in increasing numbers to the West, where their presence will reshape public attitudes and government policies.

12 Climate change will fuel conflict as (1) melting sea ice exposes mineral wealth and oil fields in the Arctic and (2)as rising sea levels force large populations from their homes.
13 An ageing population will cause spending on long-term care services for the elderly to nearly quadruple by 2050,

14 And in the next 40 years, information-gathering will speed up even more as the world enters the Petabyte Age

trivia - for topic on technology

2010-10-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

luddite
PRONUNCIATION:
(LUHD-yt)
MEANING:
noun: One who opposes or avoids the use of new technology.

ETYMOLOGY:
After the Luddites, name taken by textile workers in England during 1811-1816 who destroyed machinery that was displacing them. They took the name after one Ned Ludd, whose identity is not clear. Ned Ludd is said to have destroyed, in a fit of insanity, a knitting frame in 1779. In response to the Luddites, the British parliament passed the Frame Breaking Act which made the destroying of knitting frames punishable by death.