Eternity

Ah Meng- more then just an ape

2008-02-09T13:53:00.000+08:00

I still remember the first time i heard about Ah Meng the orang utan of the singapore zoo. I was only in primary school then, primary 2 if i am not mistaken. Back then i was already an avid animal lover but only for those that looked cute and cuddly and most certainly to an 8year old, apes did not fall into that category. When i first saw a children's storybook about Ah Meng, the thing that caught my attention was the ape's name. My mom told me that Ah Meng was a female orang utan who was a star at the zoo. I found it strange that they named a female ah meng as i associated the name to those typical of the male gangsters such as ah beng and ah hock, and ah meng does sound like a guy's name to me. Anyway back then, i had no interest in Ah Meng at all as in my eyes all she was was just this giant, hairy, ugly uncute creature compared to little rabbits, cats and dogs. I really did not understand the big fuss over Ah Meng and often wondered why other people would even bother to visit Ah Meng at the Zoo. However as years past and i grew older, Ah Meng came to be one of my country's top national and tourism icon. Stories of activities involving Ah Meng were many over the years and i grew to love and adore this giant, hairy creature. From newspapers and video clips on the news i came to know more about Ah Meng and what a smart ape she really was. I felt that she was very charismatic and lovable from all the pictures that i've seen of her. I knew Ah Meng was quite an old ape and getting on in years as i once saw a news programme about treating her ailments which were probably caused by her old age. I have recently made a resolution to go visit the zoo some time soon to visit Ah Meng, this would be the first time i am seeing Ah Meng in the flesh. Unfortuantely things were not meant to be. I just read in the newpaper today that Ah Meng has passed on already on chinese new year day. I was really shocked and sad to hear the news and now i regret not planning a trip to the zoo earlier. All i wanna say now is bye bye Ah Meng, and i hope her legacy will shine through her offspring:)

Cleft lip woes

2006-08-20T17:02:00.000+08:00

The Sunday Times-Lifestyle pg L10, 20th Aug 2006

Nowadays, there is an increase in the number of babies born with cleft lips. This has led to many parents being worried and sad as having cleft lips is not only unsightly but it has many complications as well. I am sad to hear of this as i feel sorry for both the parents and the baby. Also, the cause of this condition is not known and so there is no way to prevent it yet. However, i am glad that with today's advance medical care and treatment such as plastic surgery, most cleft lip conditions can be corrected almost perfectly without scarring, if not corrected to look better. Knowing that medical science and technolgy today has become so advance and can help improve the lives of people makes me feel just estatic. As now these babies that were born with cleft lip are given a second chance to lead a normal life. I know that people with cleft lips would feel inferior as they would attract alot of stares from passer-bys. I just hope that everyone could learn to be more considerate and compassionate by not staring at these cleft lip people and giving them their own space, and a chance to be treated just like everyone else. Hopefully doctors will be able to find the cause of this cleft lip condition and help prevent it in the future.

Even Iran's president keeps a blog

2006-08-20T15:54:00.000+08:00

The Sunday Times-Lifestyle pg L3, 20th Aug 2006

I am surprised and amused to know that even Iran's president keeps a blog. I thought that usually it is only young teens and bored adults that have the time and are bothered to keep a blog. This shows that blogs are becoming increasingly popular that even high profile people like Iran's president has one. Blogs are usually used to express one's feelings/comments on issues or to write about their daily lives, and so far there have been many more people starting to blog. A few years ago blogging might still seem like a foreign word to some of us but today, it has become such a common thing that to not know what blogging is has become a thing of the past. Blogging has become so popular that there have even been people who became famous through their blogs, by writing about their personal life and experiences. Also, people have been sued and charged for writing offensive and discriminative topics on their blogs. Therefore as we can see, blogging has become an increasingly popular and fun pasttime. However, it does affect our lives as can be seen by the example of bloggers who became famous or were sued. Thus, i feel that we should think carefully about what we write on our blogs lest we offend others and get sued. However blogging does have its good side as anyone is able to view your blog and also give comments and views. I just feel that parents should be aware of what their children are blogging about especially those younger children, and they should guide them in their blogging.

Warning: We are becoming a Garbage City

2006-08-20T11:44:00.000+08:00

The Sunday Times pg 3, 20 Aug 2006

Singapore is said to be a clean and green city, but does this statment still apply to Singapore today? Many people think that Singapore is one of the cleanest city in the world with a strict intolerence for littering as can be seen by the heavy laws and fines imposed. However, everyday while i am walking down the road i can see pieces of trash littering the sidewalks such as tissues and cigarette boxes. Hawker centres and the void decks of estates are some of the dirtiest littered places in Singapore. Even though the government has held many Litter-Free and Clean and Green campaigns, Singaporeans are still littering alot. I feel that eveyone has a part to play to help keep the nation clean. We should not take the road sweepers and estate cleaners for granted and expect them to clean up after us all the time. Furthermore, if we litter we are throwing away our moral integrity too as since young we have always been taught in Civics Moral Education class to throw our rubbish neatly away and how to be a model citizen. By doing all these little things we are not only just showing thatnwe have moral integrity but also we are helping to make our country a better and cosier place to live in. It is important that we keep our nation clean as tourists will have a better impression of our country and its people. Also, litter can attract many pests which may carry diseases, garbage can pollute our reservoirs and kill marine life and in addition garbage is very unsightly and smelly. Thus i hope that in the future, Singaporeans will be more litter conscious and will work harder to help keep singapore clean and green.

UK mum jailed for giving son,9, heroin and cocaine

2006-08-19T11:21:00.000+08:00

The Newpaper pg 19, 18 Aug 2006 Fri

I am truly disgusted by the actions of this UK mum. How could a mother be so evil as to give her own young son drugs and get him hooked onto it. I feel that the mother was very cruel as what she had done might was life-threatening to her son as he is still young and his body is still growing and developing. The drugs would have had a more serious effect on him than on adults and might have damaged his organs. This incident has really shocked me as i thought that all mothers would naturally love their children and not harm them, except for special cases where the mother is under immense stress or is medically unsound. However, this UK mum is perfectly normal yet she can bear to give her son drugs knowing of its bad qualities. I feel that the UK mum deserved her jail term and i hope that the boy would not be scarred by this incident. The boy is now in foster care and hopefully he will find a better home and will be able to start life afresh again. Drugs have caused alot of problems and misery in the world, and everyday there are many people who suffer and even die from drugs through drug abuse and drug trafficking. Honestly i believe that the world will be a much better place to live in if it was drug free, so i hope that there will be harsher and stricter laws implemented in every country to deter the use and trafficking of drugs.

Britain Foils Major Bomb Plot

2006-08-13T23:38:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times pg1, Fri 11th Aug 2006

With the recent foiled bomb plot in Britain, which is believed to be linked to Al-Qaeda, it makes me wonder whether we are safe in this world. I shudder to think what might have been if the bomb plot had not been foiled and how many countless innocent lives would have been lost. Many people could have died that day but thanks to the intervention of the police, those lives have been given a second chance at life. I am highly disturbed by the fact that the people who were going to carry out the bomb plot were going to use beverages, liquids, electronic devices and other common objects mixed together to form a bomb. This is really bad news as it means that it is harder to detect people smuggling bombs onboard a plane as now even liquid bombs can be made. Thus the metal detectors in the airport would be of no use to eliminate such threats like a bomb. With the advances in today's technology, people are able to conjure a bomb out of liquids and common devices, making detecting a bomb such a complicated and difficult task. Technology has helped the world in many aspects such as improving communications around the world, however it has also cost us in many ways. Technology has led to the creation of many deadly weapons and today, this new kind of liquid bomb. It makes me wonder whether technology has in fact help improved our lives or actually made it worse as the world is now a more dangerous place to live in. This foiled bomb plot in Britain certainly sends out a clear message, that we all have to be on the alert and also that we should be thankful for each day we live. I hope that the airports around the world will be able to adapt to these new forms of threats(liquid bombs) and set up more advanced and stricter security measures to counteract these terrorists.

'Magic' pens the rage among Johor students

2006-08-13T21:11:00.000+08:00

The new paper pg 16, 11 aug 2006

Nowadays, students are getting more innovative in the ways they cheat in an exam. I myself am surprise that they actually made use of invisible ink to write the answers on their arms and to see them using uv light, so that the teachers themselves cannot see the ink with their naked eye. This 'magic' pen was suppose to be a toy used for pleasure and fun but now people have found other uses for it. Personally i am impressed by the creativity of these Johor students to come up with such a method of cheating, at the same time i feel sorry for the teachers as this means it is harder for them to catch those cheaters in an exam. I feel that during exam conditions, teachers should enforce stricter rules and perform more thorough checks on students. Maybe teachers should even go to the extent of limiting the number of pens and stationery brought to the examination room, this way it is easier for teachers to spot whether there are any foreign items brought in by the student, and it will be more difficult for students to bring in extra stuff that can be used to cheat in the exams. In truth, i feel sorry for those people who cheat in exams as in reality they are just deceiving themselves and are doing more harm than good for themselves. And when they enter into the real world when they grow up, they would not know how to apply their knowledge into their work as they would have learnt nothing.

Scientists here find the gene that causes blindness in kids

2006-08-02T10:12:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times-Home, 1 aug 2006, tue

Scientists in Singapore have found the gene that causes blindness in kids, and hopefully with this new discovery it might help them to treat blindness in the elderly. I am glad to know that in Singapore we have such talented scientists that are able to make such significant finds in the world of medicine. It gives me a sense of security knowing that Singapore does have such talented and professional people working amongst us. It shows that Singapore does have the talent to compete globally and prove that we are a strong and capable nation. I am also awed by the discovery of a possible cure for blindness. In the past, a thing such as a cure for blindness was unheard of and was just a dream waiting to come true. However, advances in technolgy has surprised us time and time again with many new discoveries, and it has made what seemed impossible before, possible now. Today, it is common to read in the papers or hear on the news about new inventions and discoveries, this millenium has become one of discovery and with it comes renewed hope, especially for those people who are blind. I believe that with more research and developement, it would not be long before a cure for blindness and other new paramount discoveries are made, and i am looking forward to the day when a cure for cancer and aids is finaly found, as only then will there be less sorrow in the world .

Singaporeans eating more fruits and veg, but more fat too

2006-07-30T19:46:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times, pg2, Sat 29th Jul 2006

It is pleasant to hear that more Singaporeans are eating their greens and fruits. This shows that they are eating healthier and are receiving the proper nutritions in their diets. However, sadly they are also found to be eating much more which means that they consume more fat too and this is not good. Eating your veg and fruits properly is a good thing but that does not mean one can thus eat more of fried and oily food stuff too. Eating a proper diet of veg and fruits does not necessarily mean that one is healthy, as if you continue gorging on junk food as well, then the benefits of eating your greens becomes pointless. Therefore i hope that Singaporeans will realise the importance of eating right as eating too much might lead to obesity and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Eating moderately is the right thing to do, so i encourage others to increase their intake of veg and fruits but they must also reduce the amount of fatty, oily food consumed, otherwise there is no point in taking in more veg. I hope that some people do not think that eating more veg means a healthier diet, and therefore use that as an excuse to eat more fried food.

Hit-and-run driver leaves number plate behind on PIE

2006-07-30T19:18:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times-Home, Fri Jul 28 2006

'HAHA', that is what i have to say to the hit-and-run driver who thought he was smart enough to save his own skin by speeding off, but dumb enough to leave his number plate behind. I feel that heaven has eyes and justice does exist in this world as the hit-and-run driver did not manage to get away scott-free. The hit-and-run driver got his just dessert and i am glad that he did. The driver who got hit was injured as his car had flipped onto its side, i am seriously shocked that the hit-and-run driver did not stop to offer any help and just sped off. What if the other driver had been seriously injured and needed help immediately, the hit-and-run driver could have helped by at least calling for medical services. I am ashamed of the hit-and-run driver as he was so irresponsible and unfeeling. To save his ownself he did not care about the other driver's life and left the scene in a hurry. Even if he did manage to get away, i believe that he would always be haunted by his own conscience, especially if the other driver had died. I feel that it is important to teach young children these days the proper moral values in school, so that when they grow up they will not become such an irresponsible person like this hit-and-run driver. Hopefully this hit-and-run driver has learnt his lesson, that it is better to own up for your mistakes instead of trying to run away. As this article clearly proves, justice will always catch up with you.

Spike in number of supplementary credit cards for under 21s

2006-07-26T23:28:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times-Home, 24th July 2006, Mon

Presently there are more and more teens below 21 years of age getting supplementary credit cards. I feel that it is not a wise decision for parents to give their children, especially young teenagers, supplementary credit cards as i feel that this will lead to them spending more money. With a supplementary credit card, the child can spend as much as he wants and will most likely end up overspending in the processs. Especially if the child is not disciplined and has little self control,he will tend to buy unnecessary stuff that he does not really need as spending with a card is very different from spending real money. At least with money, the user can see how fast he is using up his money and estimate when he is spending too much and stop to save some for a rainy day. However with a card, one does not know how much one is spending and one tends to keep on spending and before he knows it, he has overspent. I believe that supplementary credit cards are best tgiven to those going overseas to study as it is a convenient and easy way to get money. Also i feel that those going abroad to study really do have a real need for these cards as they would need to buy alot of stuff and necessities, and it would be difficult to bring along alot of cash. Hence i feel that the supplementary card is both good and bad in its own way, and it depends on how we use it that determines whether it is beneficial or not.

Buyers flock to CDL's Sentosa Cove condo

2006-07-18T11:15:00.001+08:00

The Straits Times, Sat July 15 2006

Sentosa Cove seems to be a hit with the public with both locals and foreigners 'zapping' up almost all the units up for sale in no time. The prices of the Sentosa Cove units are high and are thought to go up even further in the future. Therefore i believe that most of the Singaporeans buy the units for the sole purpose of investment, while majority of the foreigners buy it to stay in it. There are also many other new housing projects that are in the making and are priced really high. This shows that the value of property and housing in Singapore is on the rise. With the prices of new housing developements on the high, i hope that the money investments brought in by the foreigners buying the units will help boosts Singapore's economy. In addition, i hope that these new housing projects will help beautify singapore and make the landscape and skyline of singapore much nicer.

Pay more if you want to ride in comfort

2006-07-18T11:15:00.000+08:00

The Newpaper, July 4th

The prices for comfort cabs have gone up again, now the fare is $2.50 instead of the usual $2.40. I myself do not take cabs as i am lucky enough to have my parents drive me around, so the rise in fare price does not really affect me. However, i am against the increase in price of cabs as i feel that though it is just a 10cents increase, the difference is enough for people who use the taxi as a regular means of transport to feel the pinch. There are a number of low-income people who are handicapped and use taxis to travel to and fro between their home and the hospitals for their daily check-up, and the usual fare already burns a hole in their pocket. And now with the further increase in price of taxi fares, this is sure to cause more troubles and worries for them as they will be heavily affected. I feel that comfort should stop increasing the price of their taxi fares as i feel that many people will feel the pinch in the new price and be deterred from taking cabs. Afterall there are other forms of public transports, if forced to, commuters will definitely choose to use the public transport that is most friendly to their wallets, and then the number of taxi users will go down.

STOLEN

2006-07-16T22:31:00.000+08:00

The Newpaper, Thurs 13th july 2006

Thieves target exotic animals in zoos to supply collectors willing to pay big money for rare species. I am apalled by what some people would do for money, and how selfish the collectors are for paying these people just so that they can add that special animal to their prized collection. Nowdays, the number of species of animals declared endangered is increasing, and the increase in thefts of these endangered animals in zoos is making the situation worst. Personally i fear for the lives of these rare and exotic animals that the thieves target as the more exotic they are the higher the price and the higher the chance it is targeted. These animals are endangered and are o the verge of disappearing from the face of the earth, and the zoos are the place best equipped to handle and care for these animals. By stealing these exotic, endangered animals, it is akin to sealing their fate and killing them as i believe these animals do not adapt well to environment changes. Thus the demand for these animals are putting a pressure on the population of it in the wild, as in the wild the number of the species is insignificant and too small to replace the older generation that die out and hence lead to extinction. I am sad to here that there have already been many cases of theft of these exotic animals in the zoo. I advised the zoos to step up the zoo's security, and also to employ zookeepers that rotate between both night and day shifts so that they can keep watch over the animals around the clock. Also, they should tag the animals with microchips or smal tracking devices that are not easily removed from the body. This way if the animal is stolen, then there will be a much higher chance of finding it and rescuing it back.

What Doodles say about you

2006-07-16T11:15:00.000+08:00

Reader's Digest, July 2006

Doodling can actually help to relieve stress and it can also reflect what one is thinking. I am surprised to find out that doodling is not just mere, nonsense drawing that one does when he or she is bored. I am glad to hear that it relieves stress as i do doodle on my books too. Whenever i feel bored or sleepy in class, i usually doodle as i find it fun and relaxing. And often after doodling for a few minutes, i feel much more refreshed and able to concentrate better in class. I guess that few minutes of doodling helps to relax your mind from the strenous lessons that we sit through for long hours each day. I believe that a little doodling is good for one's self but too much is harmful as it distracts you from whatever you were doing previously. Therefore as always, we must learn to do things in moderation.

Choosy parents do it in the US

2006-06-25T21:39:00.000+08:00

The Newpaper pg13, Thurs 15th june 2006

I am surprised to learn that there are already couples in the US who practise gender selection and that the number is growing. Personally i feel that gender selection is a rather unnatural thing to do as we are in a way messing with nature. The sex of a baby is suppose to be a mystery and the revelation of the baby's sex is one of the many surprises and joy that a married couple experiences, and to take that away would make it feel that we are missing out on one of the great wonders of having a baby. Also by choosing the right sperm to fertilise the egg to get the right sex of the baby is sort of tampering with nature. By choosing the right sperm for the right sex we are choosing the baby we want to have, and in the process we are in reality denying the existence of a child that could have been if a couple decided to have a baby the natural way as it could have been any one of the other sperms to fertilise the egg. Then we will never know who that special baby might have been, one so special that he/she was not chosen by us but by God, a wonderful mystery gift from the heavens. There is a reason why the natural way of having babies does not allow us to choose the sex, and i believe we should respect it and not try to change it. As we all know nature is amazing and we should not mess with it. I shudder to think what the world will be like if we all started choosing the sex of our babies in the future, does that mean then we would all have to rely on machines and science to have a baby?

New gory images to jolt smokers to quit

2006-06-03T22:22:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times-Home, pg H4, Sat june 3 2006

Soon cigarette packs will be packaged with new and more gory images on the front to deter people from smoking. I feel that this move to jolt smokers to quit has both its pros and cons. The good side of it is that there will be smokers who will be put off by the gory images and think twice about smoking. I believe that those who smoke for fun and are not die-hard smokers will be deterred from smoking when they see the images on the cigarette packs, as they would not want to risk their lives and would rather give up smoking which is something that they are not so addicted to and dependent on. However this move of putting new gory images has its downside to. Die-hard smokers will not really be disturbed by the images as they are probably used to seeing so many campaign pictures and slogans saying how smoking can kill you, and so they ignore it, some might paste stickers to cover up the images and thus continue to buy cigarettes. Some of these die-hard smokers have little children at home and when they leave their cigarette boxes lying around at home their children might come across the gory images and be frightened by it. And these images might comtinue to linger in their minds and haunt them as the children are so young and probably get scared easily. Therefore i believe that to put new gory images on cigarette boxes it not that effective in jolting smokers to quit and also not a great idea as everyone even little children are exposed to seeing the images.

Now iKnow how fast iRun

2006-06-03T21:39:00.000+08:00

The newpaper pg16, wed 24 may 2006

Nike's lastest shoes is most likely going to be 'The Next Big Thing', the future generation's type of leg wear. It has a sensor which can send information to an ipod nano and tell the wearer his time, distance travelled and calories loss while running. Nowadays modern technology is so advanced that there are so many new innovative and handy devices and gadgets being invented. Everyday a new product is unveiled in the market and those new gadgets become the next big thing and in a few months, these products become so common that it can be found almost everywhere and has become a part of our daily lives. Some examples include the digital camera, the ipod and mp3 players. In today's modern world, technology is becoming so increasingly advanced, and the new products that are being produced in the process never fail to amaze me time and time again. Now i am so used to these new creations that everytime a new product comes into the market, i will be thinking that it is only a matter of time before a new and more improved product will make its way into our lives. I believe that technology is really an amazing thing as it has made vast improvements in our lives and without it, we would not be able to do many things. It is just so amazing how technology can transform simple things into more complicated and useful devices, such as a digital camera compared to a normal camera and an ordinary pair of shoes compared to nike's latest shoes.

One in 25 chance of getting stroke

2006-05-25T19:12:00.000+08:00

The newpaper, pg4, Wed 24 may 2006

According to studies, stroke is the fourth most common cause of death in Singapore. Many people may think that it is uncommon for one to get a stroke and do not think much of it, but the truth is strokes can happen anywhere, anytime and to anyone, but for most cases they tend to hit those aged 50 and above. There are many reasons people get strokes and there is no known cure for it and thus the person might have to live the rest of his life with the after stroke result such as paralysis. Personally i find stroke to be one of the scariest illness in the world as it can just happened to anyone anytime and there is no known cure for it so it cannot be fully treated. However i am happy to know that there is an increase in the number of neuroscience research as that means there are more doctors researching on cerebrovascula disease, which includes strokes, and with more advance research on strokes it leads to improved standards of care and treatment and ultimately maybe even a cure.

Flu a surprise major killer in Singapore

2006-05-10T14:11:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times pg1, wed 10th may 2006

A new government study has identified influenza to be the major killer in Singapore with almost 600 people dying from the disease each year. I am sad and shocked to hear of this as i have always considered the flu to be a minor illness and do not think much of it. The flu can be treated and there are vaccines to prevent us from catching the flu, therefore i feel that influenza itself is not deadly but it makes us more susceptible to other more serious infections and illnesses which might be fatal. Many people do not go for occasional health check ups and thus do not get vaccinated, therefore many easily catch the flu which results in the high number of deaths caused by influenza. I believe that these deaths could have been prevented if the people went for their regular check ups and made it a point to get vaccinated to make themselves more immune to such viruses. If people had more initiative and bothered in caring for their health there would not be so many people catching the flu in the first place. All one needs to do to remain healthy and illness free is simply to go and get vaccinated each year and maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet. That should not be too hard a thing to do in exchange for a long, healthy and happy life, but still many people take their health for granted. Many young people nowadays eat all kinds of junk food and do vigorous exercises even when they are sick, by doing so they are actually doing much more harm to their bodies, they should be staying at home to recuperate instead. There have been cases where people have died from over exerting themselves while having the flu. Therefore the next time we are down with the flu, we should not take it lightly and stay home and rest so that we can get better sooner.

Hello, library? I've got a question

2006-05-10T13:49:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times-Home pg H5, Tue 9th may 2006

The National Library's new inquiring service-Ask! is really convenient and useful. It is a phone-in hotline which fields questions from people who call the library from the comfort of their own homes. This new service from the National Library is really well received with about 150 people having called the hotline already. I feel that the is a reaaly great service provided by the National Library as it saves people alot of precious time that they usually spend travelling to the library. Also children need not worry anymore that their parents are not free to drive them to the library as the answers to their questions are now just a simple phone call away, even a young child will know how to use the hotline so it is very user friendly. This new service is really a splendid idea and i believe that with this new phone-in hotline, research work for projects will be made even more easier and convenient for students, as now students can meet up at many other places besides the library when they need to do research for their projects.

Most teens say no to pre-marital sex

2006-05-10T13:26:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times-Home, pg H4, tue 9th may 2006

95% of under 16 teens surveyed opt for abstinence. I am happy to know that such a large number of teens say no to pre-marital sex and are saving themselves for that special someone. I feel that it is morally wrong to have casual sex with many partners as we are not treasuring and are violating our own body. To treat sex as something casual is something that appalls me as i feel that our body and virginity is something so sacred and we should not take it for granted. I believe that God gave us our bodies to take care of it so we are just tenants of our body and thus we do not have the right to violate it and stain it by having sex anyhow, anytime and with anyone. All in all, i think that pre-marital sex is morally wrong as it does not require commitment and can lead to unwanted pregnancies and even abortion, which is such a cruel and selfish act. Also according to laws regarding underage sex, when a man sleeps with an underage girl it is considered rape while when a woman sleeps with a boy under 16 it is termed as molestation. Though both acts are in reality the same except that in the first case the underaged victim is a girl while in the second case the underaged victim is a boy, the one involving a male with an underage girl carries a heavier charge. I feel that this is unfair as the woman who commited the same act as the man would be charged under different terms and probably get a lighter sentence. I believe that in both cases both accused should be charged equally as i believe that the underaged boy would be just as traumatised by the 'molestation' as the girl was by the rape, even though it is the girl who appears to have lost out more in terms of virginity and chastity compared to the boy.

TEACHING CHILDREN GOOD MONEY HABITS WILL HELP IN THE LONG RUN

2006-05-08T12:42:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times pg 33 , 8th May 2006

It is good to teach children good money habits, as this way they will learn about the real importance and value of money at a young age. Often, parents are the ones who have the greatest influence on how their children view and handle money as they are the closest role models for them. If the parents handle their money loosely and flaunt them out in the open and spend it like water in front of their children, in the future the child will grow up not having much regard for money and spend it unwisely too. Therefore it is very important for parents to set good examples of practising good money habits in front of their children as they can easily pick up the behaviour of their parents. By enforcing good money habits in children, they will be able to handle their money well and save up enough for them to have a safe and comfortable life in the future. Thus it is important to teach good money habits to children while they are still young and willing to learn.

End to child labour is now no dream

2006-05-03T13:29:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times, Tue May 2nd 2006

A new global report has shown a reduction of 11% in child labour, which is quite a significant number. I am glad to hear of this as it shows a ray of hope for many poor, exploited child labourers around the world. Child labour is a disasterous act as the victims are CHILDREN. Many unfortunate children around the world are deprived of their rights to education and a proper life, they are instead exploited and made use of to do many tough and also sometimes hazardous work for a measley wage, some are even abused. I believe that every child has his own rights and should not be brutalised by exploitation, or denied excess to education or even made to work for his own survival as they are still so young, they are only juveniles. Child labour is a serious problem in the world as there are so many countless children being exploited to do labour each day, therefore i am glad that the issue of child labour is being addressed and its number is decreasing. Hopefully in time to come the issue of child labour will be fully addressed and all the children in the world will be able to live an ordinary life and be free from exploitation. Many of the products we buy from shops are the handicraft of these poor child labourers, examples are the sports shoes and carpets we buy, and most of the time these child labourers who slog their guts out only earn a few cents for each product they make. Therefore the next time we buy something, we should bear in mind that it could have been made by these child labourers and we should be thankful for the blessed lives we are leading compared to those children.

Grooming session goes wrong and Maltese puppy ends up castrated

2006-05-01T13:04:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times, 1 may 2006

I was sad to hear of the poor plight this maltese puppy was in, i feel sorry for it and feel that such a mishap could have been prevented. If the owner of the grooming shop had checked on the dog more throughly when she heard the dog's yelps of distress and not just walk away when she could not sense anything wrong just by looking at it, i believe the dog would not have been so badly burnt. I also feel that she should not have left the dog alone with the drying machine especially since the machine was new. The mishap that happened to the puppy could have easily happened to a baby and therefore people should learn from this grooming shop owner's mistake. From this incident, new parents should know that they should never leave their baby unattended at anytime and should always check on their baby by feeling and carrying it when it cries and not just look at it, as sometimes we cannot sense anything amiss just by looking. I hope this incident has increased awarness people have in handling their pets and also on their babies and young children.

Vatican to issue new statement on use of condoms against Aids

2006-04-25T23:33:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times-World, Tue April 25th 2006

The catholic church has always opposed the use of condoms and other contraceptives as part of its teachings against contraception. It maintained that promoting the use of condoms contributes to the immoral and hedonistic lifestyles of the people and the spread of Aids. However, now the Vatican are contemplating issuing a new statment allowing the use of condoms, and for the vatican to change a statement which has been present for so many years, i believe that it is due to the case of Aids becoming increasingly serious. Personally i agree with the catholic church that condoms should not be used as we should let nature take its course and not try to prevent ourselvs from getting pregnant. If we choose to engage in sexual activity we should be responsible for our own actions and not fear accidental pregnancy. I believe that Aids is getting more serious by the day as more people around the world are engaging in unprotected premarital sex. Nowadays most young people do not think much of their virginity and are thus very casual about sex, and so many such young people engage in premartial sex without 'protection'. This is dangerous as casual sex with many partners can lead to the transmission of many sex-related diseases, such as AIDs. One way to reduce the risk of catching Aids through sex is by using condoms, but these are not 100% safe. To fully protect oneself from sexually transmitted diseses is to practice abstinence, i believe that this is the safest and best way to protect one's self. In the first place sex should be between a couple who are ready to be in a relationship and are committed and faithful to each other only, who do not party and fool around and engage in affairs. By being faithful in a sexual realtionship, it can decrease the chances of Aids being spread, as a faithful partner is usually 'clean'. All in all people should think twice before they engage in casual sex and should use a condom if they are unsure of the other person's sex life history. As the issue of Aids becomes increasingly serious i do not think that we should depend on condoms but opt for the safer route instead, which is to abstain and not treat sex so casually.

Stem cells that kill

2006-04-19T13:19:00.000+08:00

Times pg 38, April 24 2006

I am fascinated by this new advancement in science which could have found a potential cure for cancer. Recently it has been discovered that only a small percentage of cancerous tumours are made up of dangerous cancer cells, the rest of the tumour is made up of relatively harmless cells some of which are called cellular noise. Those few cancer cells are the root of the problem of cancer and if they can be destroyed, the cancer can be cured. Although scientists still have not found a way to directly get rid of those cancer cells in tumour, at least they have found the root cause of cancer and this discovery could lead to new ways of treatment and a possible cure. I myself am glad that people have come a step closer to completely getting rid of the problem of cancer, and it would not be a surprise to me if in the future a cure will be found, and cancer will no longer be treated as the dreaded, killer illness, but only one of secondary importance and will be treated on the same level as that of a cold. This new discovery of cancer tumours has given cancer patients a new lease of hope, and hopefully they can be given a new lease of life too.

Behaviour tips for 'ugly Americans'

2006-04-19T00:47:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times-World, Tue April 18th 2006

The reputation of ugly Americans abroad are becoming worryingly accurate and the US State Department wants to give these Americans an image makeover by issuing tips on how to behave while travelling. Personally, i believe that the way one acts and behaves gives people an impression of the kind of person we are. So it is important for one to behave and leave a good impression especially if one is travelling into a foreign country. When we are in another country, we must pay attention to the way we behave as what we do may have great influence on how others think of our country. If we misbehave, people will have misconceptions about our country and think that allpeople in our country are generally rude and ill-mannered, and thus will avoid visiting the country. However if we just learn to behave and potray some good mannerism, people will be impressed by our behaviour and will generally have an overall good impression of the country. Therefore our behaviour is important as it is a form of common etiquette, and we should learn to control it and behave properly.

Cot on camera: Virtual visit service at SGH

2006-04-18T21:33:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times-Home, Fri April 20th 2006

I am amazed at the wonders of technolgy and the conveniences it brings to us. Now after giving birth, a new mother can go home and recuperate with a peace of mind, leaving the baby behind in the hospital. The mother can then monitor her baby from home via a live video camera trained on his cot. I am impressed with this new innovation as i believe it has alot of advantages. With this virtual visit concept, family members of the couple have a chance to catch a first glimpse of the baby and do not need to travel all the way to the hospital each day just to visit the baby, thus saving alot on transportation costs and time. Also, the video taken of the baby can be sent directly to the father's handphone so that the father can see his baby anytime, anywhere even when at work, providing alot of convenience for the working parent. Furthermore this virtual visit service is cheap and easy to use. I believe that in the future this virtual visit service will become popular among the couples and will be widely used in hospitals around the country in time to come.

Man killed by whirling helicopter blades

2006-04-04T23:59:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times, Sat 1st April 2006

A man was killed instantly when he was struck on the head by a helicopter's whirling blades. I am really sad to hear of such a tragedy. I believe that such an accident could have been avoided if more saftey precautions were taken. It is said that helicopter blades should be stationary before passengers are allowed to alight or board the helicopter, but this was not the case for Mr Joseph Chan who got hit by the helicopter's whirling blades while hurrying away from it. If there had been more stricter saftey measures taken, i believe that Mr Joseph Chan would still be alive today. If only Mr Chan had stopped and waited for the helicopter's blades to stop whirling, it might have made a big difference to his life. The company that Mr Chan was working for should have hired a professional helicopter handler to be in charge of escorting students to the helicopter instead of getting Mr Chan to do the job when he had no prior knowledge of how to get close safely to a helicopter. In this case, i feel that the company Mr Joseph Chan was working in is to blame as they should have taken into consideration the saftey factor of the job and should not have let Mr Chan work too close to a helicopter that is starting rotate its blades.

Pet poo can cause HFMD?

2006-04-04T23:34:00.000+08:00

The Newpaper, Sat 1st April 2006

To stop irresponsible pet owners from not cleaning up their pets poo, the management of Pine Grove condominium cried Hand Foot and Mouth Disease(HMFD). The condo managers put up notices saying that pets' poo may invite the outbreak of HFMD hoping it will cause residents to pick up after their pets, even though the information is false. I am shocked that this is what some condo managers would do just to stop residents from leaving their pet poo lying around. They resort to lying about something that is considered a serious matter. HFMD is a disease and should not be used to scare pet owners into cleaning up after their pets, but instead it should be taken seriously. I believe that many residents believed what was written about the pets' poo being able to cause HFMD, and this might have led to many misunderstandings. Some parents who have pets and small children might think that the pets pose a threat to their children and hence think of giving up their pets. Whatever the case it was wrong of the management of the condoinium to give out false information just to solve their own problems. By doing so the management has been unfair to the residents, and since they can lied it shows that this management is not really a good one.

Pakistan inducts first female pilots

2006-04-04T22:46:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times, Sat 1st April 2006

I am glad to know that Pakistan is finally letting women be pilots instead of the previous all male pilot rule. This shows that women are reaching a point where they are considered to have equal status and opportunities as men, and this is really interesting news in a country where women are known to be conservative and are considered less superior to men. I believe that in all countries women should be given equal treatment as men and should not be treated as the weaker sex. Now in this modern era, women have come a long way from the once meek ideology that all women should just learn to be good housewives and take good care of thier husbands. Now women have risen in the ranks in business and sports and have shown that they are capable and can be domineering too, even over men. For example, the secretary of state in the US, the president of the Phillipines and the Queen of England are all women, this shows that woman too can lead and handle great responsibilities. Therefore i am glad to see that Pakistan is opening up its doors to female pilots where it was once considered a male dominant career in the country.

She's like family

2006-04-01T23:58:00.001+08:00

The NewPaper, Thursday 30th march 2006

An Indonesian maid was on such good terms with her employers that she was considered part of the family. However one day, the maid alledgedly snapped and stabbed her employer for no apparent reason. I was quite taken aback when i read this article, I am shocked that such a thing could happen at the very place we call home. The maid just lost it and stabbed her employer out of the blue, and it really scares me to know that such a thing actually happened. I myself have a maid at home and i shudder to think of the outcome if all maids suddenly snapped like that indonesian maid and do such a scary thing. Recently over the past few years, they have been quite a few cases of maids murdering and attacking their employers and i believe that this is starting to become a more serious problem. Many of such cases are attributed to the maids, who unable to tolerate the strict scoldings, try to kill their employers to seek revenge. In my opinion, maids are humans too and have their own rights. Though they come to Singapore to work as maids, we should not treat them like slaves but instead appreciate them and give them some space of their own. I am not sure what exactly caused the indonesian maid to snap and to want to stab her employer but her actions have caused distress to the victim's family and i believe she does deserve punishment as nothing can justify what she did. No matter how angry or uncontrollable our emotions are, we should not think of violence and hatred, but insead we should learn self control. I hope that the employer is alright and that she will be able to find out the reason behind their maid's behaviour, a maid that they trusted and treated like family. This incident shows me how unpredictable life is and it makes me wonder whether maids can truely be trusted and whether they deserve to be treated as part of the family as u never know if they will turn on you just like the indonesian maid mentioned in this article. Maids afterall are outsiders.

Gunman kills six at Seattle party, then shoots himself

2006-03-27T19:19:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times, Mon 27 march 2006

A man shot and killed six people in what appeared to be almost execution-style shootings, and then he shot himself dead when confronted by police.
I am truely appalled by such gruesome and unjustifiable acts of violence and killings. It was so easy for the man to gain access to a gun and go around killing people. I feel that in countries like the US, the people are having some laws that are just too relaxed. Take this killing case for example, people in the US have so much unconstricted freedom to buy a gun which is such a dangerous weapon, the government should implement stricter laws which require certain restrictions before a gun can be bought, such as age restriction and the use of buying the gun. Even better, the people, civilians, should not even be allowed to own guns excepts for policemen and soldiers. I do not see the need as to why normal civilians should be allowed to own a gun, some may argue it is for self defense but if guns were not that easily available in the first place, the civilians would not need to defend themselves from robbers who also have the same easy access to guns. There are many gun shops all over the US and thus it is not hard to find a place to buy a gun. I believe that with stricter rules implemented on the ownership of guns, the killings and violence cases in the US will definitely see some improvement. For example in countries where guns are not a common tool to be purchased, like in Singapore, crime is much easier to handle as only the police and officers have guns and it is much easier to control the situation if the other parties, civilians, do not own a weapon to fight back. Therefore i believe that guns should not be allowed to be purchased so easily as it would only pose a threat to the people. If people say that guns need to be readily availabe to be bought as a use to protect one's self, then one can also say that guns can be easily purchased to kill.

Changi rolls out part of new train system

2006-03-27T18:53:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times, Thurs 23 march 2006

Changi airport has just launched its new People Mover System last week to ferry passengers between terminlas 1 and 2. The train runs much faster than the 16 year-old existing Skytrain and will continue undergoing upgrading to install plasma tvs and LCD screens to be ready for use with the new terminal 3 when it is ready. I am excited to hear of this new train system in our very own Changi airport, our airport is constantly being upgraded and is slowly becoming a very advanced technological hub for air travel. The new People Mover System boasts attractive features such as faster transport speeds between terminals. Also there will be LCD screens available to show passengers onboard flight information which the old Skytrain lacks. The LCD screen are a great improvment as it enables passengers to know of flight and boarding information while inside the train so they no longer need to travel 'blindly'. I believe the new People Mover System will provide much more convenience to passengers and allow for smoother and better air travel transactions. The new People Mover System will eventually operate 24/7 t0 cater to late, late flights, and i feel that that is a really great idea to provide efficient and fair services to everyone in the airport be it late or early morning flights. I believe that in the future, the new People Mover System will become very popular in our airport and will improve the quality of services in Changi Airport and make it much more convenient and attractive, thus attracting more people around the world to choose to fly through Singaore.

Airlines lost 30 million bags last year

2006-03-27T18:20:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times, Wed 22 March 2006

An estimated 30 million bags were temporarily lost by airlines last year and 200,000 of those bags never reunited with their owners. I am shocked to find out that there are actually so many luggages lost by airlines each year, it makes me feel really grateful and blessed to know that i have always managed to find my luggage on the luggage belt after each flight. I never knew that there were so many cases of lost baggage in the airports, i usually thought that only a small number of people were the unlucky ones who had the misfortune of losing their baggage, obviously i was wrong. The cause of the increasing number of lost baggage each year is attributed to many passengers changing airlines during a single journey, this causes a mix up in the bags when they are transferred to another aeroplane. I believe that the problem of lost baggage can be solved if we all were very careful. Firstly, people should try and take direct flights if possible and not take flights that need to transit, as baggages might tend to be left on the first plane. In addittion, one should never leave their bags unattended at all times. One never knows if someone might swop baggages or accidentally mistake your luggage for his as they are identical. Nowadays, there are many identical brands and designs of baggages, hence i believe the best way to identify your bag is to label it clearly by fitting it with an identity tag or a personnal mark. This way, it will be easier to identify one's bag and it would not be easy for your bag to be mistaken for someone else's. One should always be alert of one's baggage at all times and never leave it out of sight especially when in a foreign country. If baggage is lost and it contains the passport and daily necessities, the traveller will be stuck in the country's airport with no where to go.

Video Game Therapy

2006-03-26T22:38:00.000+08:00

The Sunday Times, 26 March 2006

Video game therapy is becoming more widely used around the world today. I support the use of video game therapy as a form of treatment to some patients as i think it is a creative, unique yet effective way of treatment. A boy who was pronounced brain dead awoke after a month long coma, doctors said that he will never be the same again and will never walk nor talk. Yet today the boy has caught up with his peers in school and even made a speech in front of the whole school, and he owes his speedy progress of recovery to a neuro-feedback training on the Cyber-Learning Technolgy LLC system, which is a form of video game therapy. These video game therapies are quite effective, especially to children because the incorporation of video games taps young people's fascination with animation and electronics to sweeten often long, frightening and painful medical treatments. The video games help to make the patient enjoy the medical treatments and hence lead to the improvement of these treatments. Therefore i believe that such video game therapy is effective and Singapore should also start incorporating such therapies to their medical treatments too. In some countries, schools use the game Dance Dance Revolution, which involves the participant to move about to perform dance steps, to help curb the problem of obesity among students. I feel that this is really a great idea as students not only play, but are in someway exercising and losing weight at the same time. With this method of fighting obesity, more students will be interested and determined to lose weight as it involves a fun process unlike the traditional tiresome ritual of working out till they drop at the gym. Thus i feel that video game therapy is a great new way of treatment and will definitely become more popular in the future.

Blogger gets death threats for DIY abortion guide

2006-03-26T20:52:00.000+08:00

The Newpaper, Sat 18th march 2006

A 21-year-old blogger in the US was inspired to post a DIY abortion guide on her blog after a recent signing of legislation in South Dakota that outlaws abortion, with the exception only if the woman's life is threatened if she continued with the pregnancy. Personally, i feel that abortions are acts of cruelty and selfishness. Many people who get pregnant accidentally, mostly those teenagers who engage in premarital sex, go for illegal abortions as they find it the easiest solution to their problem. However i feel that their actions are selfish, cruel and unjustifiable. In the first place, even though the pregnancy was unplanned, the unborn baby is still a LIFE and has the right to live. I think that people who go for abortion are selfish as they do not think of the consequences before they act. If they do not want to get pregnant they should not engage in sex in the first place. Also, abortion is not the only solution to unwanted pregnancy. Even if the person does not want to keep the child, she could at least give birth to the child then send it for adoption, this way at least the baby gets a chance at life. Abortion takes away a life and is not much different from murder, so if one does an abortion doesn't it makes her no different from a muderer. To me, abortion is only justifiable if the pregnancy poses a threat to the woman's life as it takes into account the life of a person. Even for rape victims, even though they do feel dislike and hatred towards the unborn baby as it was the result of an inhuman act, i feel that the unborn babies should be given a chance to live as they are truely innocent and thus should be given the right to come into this world.

Shot while saving brother

2006-03-26T00:36:00.000+08:00

The Newpaper, Fri 17th mar 2006

I am quite surprised that even in this day and time there still exists such a strong feeling of love in some people. I also feel glad to know that such love, a love stronger and more important than one's own life, actually does exist. I have alot of admiration and respect for the man who used himself as a human shield to protect his younger brother from being shot by robbers, courage and love like his is rare. If i had been in his shoes, i doubt that i would have had possesed the same courage as the man, and i definitely would not have ever thought of using myself as a human shield. Not many people would have been brave and loving enough to do what the man did, his actions really left a deep impression on me. His actions remind me of GOD dying on the cross for us so that we may be saved, and this incident shows me clearly the message behind GOD's dying on the cross. Just like the man who wanted to save his brother, GOD died for us because of a simple reason: out of love for us, and we should treasure that love. Also, nowadays with so much sin and violence happening around the world(there are even people who murder their own family), it is really pleasant to know that such sweet and sacrificial love still exists. I believe that each and everyone one of us has love and goodness inside us, even hardcore criminals. The only reason i have as to why criminals perform crime and misdeeds is that they themselves have not received any love, and so they do not know how to love and be nice to others. I really hope that the man who shielded his brother will recover soon, to me he is what i call a true hero. Love is truely an amazing and wonderful thing, without it the world would be such a cold, gloomy place. And so as the sayings go: Love knows no boundaries; Love is blind, which is so true.

Bird flu 'two steps' away from pandemic

2006-02-24T21:59:00.000+08:00

The Sunday Times, Feb 12th 2006

I am utterly horror-stricken to know that the bird flu virus is only two mutations away from a form that can spread easily among humans, sparking a pandemic which could lead to the death of millions!!! I am frightened to know that in the near future i would one day wake up to a world where that dreadful form of bird flu virus has already mutated. Each day i would live in fear of catching that virus and would have to constantly watch what i eat and do, to ensure i am not in anyway making myself vulnerable to the virus. I dread that there will be a day where all the birds had to be culled and there would be none left in the entire world, also the thought of never ever being able to eat chicken again scares me as it has always been a common dish in my diet. I have never felt so scared and panicky before in my life since the SARS incident. Looking back more than 10 years ago, i can hardly remember there ever being a serious case of a likely pandemic then. However, 10 years later down the road, things seem to have worsen. In the previous years there have been many serious outbreaks of new illnesses like SARS, Hand, Foot and Mouth disease and now this current bird flu. So many new kinds of viruses that were unheard of just 10 years ago are now common to most of us now. It is really scary to know how fast these virus mutate and evolve into such deadly threats to us humans. It makes me wonder whether we humans are still safe living in this world, where there are many forms of viruses and diseases that threaten our survival.

96% of Singaporeans back the death penalty

2006-02-24T19:15:00.000+08:00

The Sunday Times, Feb 12 2006

A survey done recently shows that majority of Singaporeans support the death penalty for heinous crimes. Personally, i feel that the death penalty is a suitable form of punishment for criminals who are so ruthless and evil and have commited unforgivable acts such as murder. These criminals have no compassion at all and are those who will never turn over a new leaf, such criminals deserve the death penalty. As for drug trafficking, i feel that the death penalty is a suitable punishment as it greatly deters crimes associated with drugs. With such a heavy penalty, one would really think twice before thinking of committing a drug related crime, and this helps in keeping Singapore drug free. However, i believe that some young teens who are caught drug trafficking are not really sure of what they are doing, some are either forced by gangsters to carry out their drug trades while others blindly engage in such activities, not knowing the seriousness of the crime. For such people, i think that the death penalty is too harsh on them, some of these teens are just being made use of to trade drugs and most of them do not really know that they were dealing with drugs. A lighter sentence on these people would seem more appropriate. For me, i think that for carrying out terrorist attacks, the criminal deserves the punishment of a death penalty as a terrorist attack is really serious. A terrorist attack affects not only one but many people and even many countries. It totally disrupts the lives of both people and country, and instils much fear among the people. Many deaths and unpleasant incidents have occured due to terrorist attacks, and it is one of the main threats that the world is trying to completely get rid of. Although the death penalty seems like the only working solution right now to detering others from committing the same crimes, i think that a life sentence is a more humane way of punishment. Being sentenced to life imprisonment is also a harsh form of punishment. The criminals are locked up for the rest of their lives with no hope of getting out, their freedom is gone and they are like living a meaningless life, just waiting for death to come. Though the death penalty is inhumane and harsh, i do belive that the cruelest and most ruthless of criminals derserve the death penalty as they are too dangerous to let live. To use the death penalty as a means to deter crime is acceptable to me, but in all honesty, i believe that only the worst of the worst kind of criminals derserve the death penalty.

New move to cut use of plastic bags

2006-02-24T18:37:00.000+08:00

The Sunday Times, Feb 12 2006

I think that the National Environment Agency's(NEA) move to cut the use of plastic bags is a good one and i support it. By cutting the use of plastic bags, the NEA helps to save resources for Singapore and also the problem of space shortage when plastic bags are dumped in landfills. Currently Singapore's average of 1.7 bags per person a day is better than some countries but not up to par with those in America and Australia. The NEA hopes to reduce the use of excesive plastic bags, as carelessly disposed plastic bags can end up as litter and collect water and become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. To encourage the use of reusable bags in supermarkets and some stores, the NEA works with some supermarket chains and offer incentives to customers who use reusable bags. I feel that the incentives are very appealing and it is an effective way to get people to start using reusable bags and less of plastic bags. I believe that this idea will indeed work for a short period of time. However in the long run, i think that the people will eventually get bored of the incentives and would not bother to use reusable bags and revert back to using plastic bags. This can be seen from previous years as there have been stores that encouraged the use of reusable bags but the response was not that great. But with more campaigns and emphasis on the use of reusable bags, i believe that Singapore will one day be able to reduce the number of plastic bags used. All it takes is just time for the people to get used to the idea on using reusable bags.

Nearly 100 detainess died in US custody

2006-02-23T11:45:00.000+08:00

TODAY, Thursday Feb 23 2006

I cannot believe the large number of deaths there are of detainees in US custody. Most of the detainees who died were held custody in Iraq and Afghanistan. There were reports that among the 98 deaths, some were deemed suspcious and some were believe to be tortured to death. This makes me belive that these detainees were specifically targeted upon and intentionally abused. I am horrified to know that there are also videos potraying the inmates being subjected to torture such as being attacked by guard dogs, and the army officers in charge of the inmates are actually enjoying watching the inmates being abused. I feel so ashamed of these US army officers who abuse their authority and seek fun in the abuse of their charges. The inmates are humans themselves and they deserve a certain amount of respect too. The US army officers have no right to judge the inmates and look down on them, as they too must have done some kind of wrong in their lives too. If they are really guilty of causing such pain and humiliation to the inmates, i hope that the US officers would be arrested and charged for their crime of abuse, and that they will receive the just punishment that they deserve.

Toddler dies after falling nine floors

2006-02-11T17:09:00.002+08:00

The Straits Times, Sat Feb11 2006

Amin Mohamad Jamaluddin, a two year old boy, was jumping on his parents bed when he bounced out the window. The boy survived the fall but died a few hours later in a hospital.

I am really sad to hear of the tradegy that befell Amin, and i feel really sorry for his parents who must be really heartbroken. The death of Amin must really have been a blow to his parents as just a minute ago he was happily jumping on the bed, and the next he was flying out the window. I think that Amin's father must really be feeling terrible as he had lunged forward to grab Amin but just could not reach him in time. Amin's mother said that the latch of the window was broken and she had tried to get the owner to repair it many times but he refused, and now it has led to such a misfortune.
Reading this article, i wonder if this accident could have been prevented. If the window had been installed with metal grilles, little Amin might still be alive today. The presence of metal grilles in windows is actually quite important and useful as it not only makes it safer for the children who live in high storey apartments, but also it prevents robbers from sneaking in and robbing the house.
Therefore i believe that all apartments units, especially those located at higher levels, should install metal grilles on their windows to prevent any child playing near a window from accidentally falling out. In addition, it would be much safer for maids to clean the windows of such high storey apartments with the grilles installed, as in the past years there have been quite a few cases of maids falling out the windows while trying to clean them.

Pups turned into heroin couriers

2006-02-11T12:32:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times, Friday, Feb 3 2006

I am quite disturbed to learn that there are actually people who are cruel enough to resort to such inhumane ways just to smuggle drugs. These drug smugglers went to the extent of surgically implanting packets of liquid heroin into the bellies of 10 puppies, the packets of heroin were estimated to be worth US$200,000. I am in disbelief at the things people are willing to do to get drugs smuggled into a country. The poor victims of this drug smuggling case were rescued during a raid, and out of the 10 puppies rescued, 3 died from infection, and that is really very sad and disheartening to hear. These puppies had just come into this world a few months ago and they had barely even enjoyed and experience life yet when they became involved in this drug smuggling case which ruined their lives. The few that were rescued and survived are truely the lucky ones as they now have a chance at a new lease of life. Some are even adpoted by the police and trained as police dogs!
Nowadays, drugs is becoming a bigger issue in our lives. Now not only does it affect and ruin human lives, it has now reached a point where even the lives of animals are not spared, an example is the puppies used in this drug smuggling case. Drugs is really a terrible thing as it also affects the lives of the family of the drug addict, and so far uncountable lives have be loss because of it. Therefore i support my country's, Singapore, decision for giving out such a heavy penalty to serious drug smuggling offenders: the death penalty. I believe with such a harsh punishment many people would think twice before wanting to smuggle drugs into Singapore.
I really wonder whether the problem of drug smuggling will ever be taken care of one day, and whether isit possible and not just wishful thinking on my part, that in the future there will be a world free from drugs, and i do hope i will live to see that day.

More parents hiring PIs to spy on teens

2006-02-10T23:51:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times-Home, Feb6 2006 Mon

This year, the number of parents hiring PIs to spy on their children has increased by a significant number. I am quite surprised to learn that there are so many parents out there who are suspicious of the company their children hang out with and the things they do, that they even have to resort to spying on them. I am quite shock to learn of some of the things that PIs find out about teens, some of them are actually prostituting themselves in order to earn extra pocket money for their spending. It really saddens me knowing that there are such people who do not treasure their bodies and are willing to sell it just to satisfy their material wants, i really look down on such people as they do have a choice in doing what they do.
Personally i think that parents hiring PIs has it advantages and disadvantages. In this present, modern day and time, privacy is the most important thing to a teenager, and i do believe that teens deserve to have their own personal space and we should respect that.Therefore if the teen finds out that his parents have been spying on him, it will break the trust the teen had in his parents and strain the relationship between them. However hiring PIs has its advantages too. By hiring PIs, parents will be able to monitor their child's movement outside the house and see what he is up too. If the child is mixing with bad company, the parents will be able to interfere quickly and try to bring their child back on the right path before he is influenced by them.
This article on parents hiring PIs to spy on teens greatly highlights the issue of communication problems between parents and children. Nowadays more and more teens do not confide in their parents and keep matters to themselves, leaving the worried parents clueless about their childrens' lifestyles, thus they resort to spying to find out more about their children.
I believe that communication problems between parents and children is a serious issue and that we should all try to address this problem. By doing so, parents will be able to interact better with teens and also understand them better, and need not resort to hiring PIs to spy on them anymore. This way both parties will be happy as i believe that parents themselves do not wish to have to spy on their own children, while the children will enjoy their new found privacy.

SPCA: We're not just a home for unwanted pets

2006-02-09T22:34:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times-Home, Sat Feb 4 2006

Nowadays, more and more people seem to think that owning a pet is a thing not to be taken seriously, and often, after the novelty of owning a pet wears off, the pet is usually 'dumped' in the SPCA, which is also known as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. I feel really angry that there are people who are so irresponsible out there, who think that they can just get a pet as and when they feel like it and give it away when it has outgrown its cuteness or they are no longer interested in the pet. A pet is also a living creature, one that has feelings of its own and can think for itself. I believe that even pets deserve a little of our respect, and we should learn to look at it as a friend and not just a mere plaything that we can abandon when we grow tired of it.
After reading this article, i am apalled at how many people take the SPCA for granted, leaving all their unwanted pets behind for the SPCA to handle. The SPCA does not have the budget to care for all these animals and those that are unable to be relocated to new homes are often put to sleep as a final solution. I find this really disheartening as i know that if the owner had been more resposible, the animal would probably still be alive. Majority of the people think that all the SPCA does is to take in stray animals and nothing else, however that is not true. The SPCA actually specialises in 4 main services: education, adpotion, sterilisation and cruelty investigation. Therefore i support the SPCA's move on creating awarness among the public of its services, and also to spread its animal welfare message by giving talks in schools and allowing group visits to the SPCA centre by schools and other organisation. By educating the public, i believe that there will be less pets abandoned and hence less strays on the road, which will result in many animals' lives being spared from being ruined by irresponsible owners.
I am glad and relieved to see that the efforts of the SPCA in promoting awarness among the public has paid off, as the number of abandoned and stray animals has decreased in the past two years. But sadly, the figure of stray and abandoned animals received by the SPCA still remains high.
Someday in the near future, i sincerely hope that the figure of stray and abandoned animals will reach an all time low, and eventually reach a point where the world will be free from strays. This way, the world would be a much better place to live in as we would not have to worry about stray animals that may carry rabbies or other diseases, and we all will be happy to know that each and every pet in the world now has a safe and loving home that they can seek refuge in, and not wandering out on the streets, all alone and without hope.

S'pore Scientists helps find tiniest fish

2006-01-28T18:56:00.000+08:00

The newpaper, Thurs Jan 26, 2006

A Singapore fish expert has discovered the world's tinniest fish, which is also the tinniest creature on earth to possess a backbone. The matured female of this species can be as small as 7.9mm, which makes some fully grown adults of this carp species about as big as a large mosquito. This species of fish, called Paedocypris progenetica, can live for one to two years and are found in some areas of Sumatra and Sarawak, in the cool, deep waters of flowing forest streams. Being so tiny, females produce only one ripe egg at a time, which is equivalent of a human with an egg the size of a rock melon.

This article is really interesting. I find the discovery of such a fine, tiny creature so amazing. Also, the fact that a fellow singaporean, a singapore scientist, helped to find the fish shows that singaporeans are capable of accomplishing great things and that makes me feel happy and proud for my country.
On reading this article, i learnt many new and interesting things that i never would have known about had i not read this article, and so i am glad i did. The unique traits and characteristics of the Paedocypris prognetica really intrigues me. I was really surprised to read that this fish which has a transparent body, also has missing portions of skull which leave the brain exposed, that is something really shocking and new to me, it makes me find the fish really unique and drawn to it as i want to find out more about what other highly interesting and unusual traits the fish has.
In this age and time, where technolgy is so advanced and over millions of species have already been found, knowing that there are new species still being discovered makes me marvel at how wonderful nature can be. Who knows how many undiscovered magnificent creatures lie out there in our midst, waiting to be discovered, and the impact it would have on our ecosystem.

Friends are People who walk into your life while others walk out

2006-01-22T02:35:00.000+08:00

Me and my new friends!!!

2006-01-22T02:28:00.000+08:00

My best friend---Rauf:)

Hirohito's brother opposes idea of female monarchy

2006-01-21T23:34:00.000+08:00

The Straits Times, Friday January 20, 2006
A Brother of Japan's wartime emperor Hirohito is opposed to the public calls to let a woman ascend the throne. Prince Takahito, 90,the only surviving brother of the late emperor, supports the views of his son Tomohito, the only prominent royal to go on record opposing female succession. In November last year, a government panel proposed to let females ascend the throne to solve the succession crisis in Japan, where no boy has been born to the royal family since 1965. Polls showed overwhelming support for female succession but Prince Tomohito sticks strongly by his decision ,which is against letting females succeed the throne. He even suggested that the Crown Prince be allowed to take concubines to produce a male heir.

Reading this article makes me feel angry that in this modern day and time, there are still people like Prince Takahito and his son, Prince Tomohito, who are prejudiced against women. Opposing the decision to allow for female succession clearly shows that Prince Takahito and Tomohito doubt a woman's capabilties and find them inferior to man. I can see no other reason why Prince Takahito and Prince Tomohito would oppose to having a female succesor for the throne other than that they thought better of boys and preferred them over girls. I know for a fact that it has always been a male who inherited the throne in Japan for many years, and maybe it is because of not wanting to break the tradition of having male heirs that caused Prince Hirohito's decision to oppose female successors. However, according to polls drawn, the public has shown their approval of having a female heir so why does Prince Hirohito still oppose the idea of female monarchy since the people are agreeable? It is known that Japanese are very loyal to tradition and culture which they follow strictly , that may be another reason for Prince Hirohito insisting on having a male heir. However sometimes rules are meant to be broken when neccessary, and since the royal family has no male heir, they should look to other sources and find alternative solutions, and not just cling onto the old way of doing things though it is no longer applicable.
In the past, man was seen as the dominant of the two sexes and usually made all the important decisions, while the woman's role was just to be a good wife and prepare good meals and to look after the husband and family. However times have changed, women now have more or less equalled men in the battle of the sexes. In today's modern era, women have even become presidents and top ranking ministers and officials, something no one would have ever believed possible in the past. We, women have come a long way to establish ourselves on the same level among the men, and it was not easy, we worked really hard to prove ourselves.
I believe that the issue of female monarchy must have taken a toll on the Crown Princess, Masako. With the royal family counting oh her to produce a male heir, Princess Masako must be under immense pressure most of the time. Furthermore, the suggestion of the Crown Prince taking in concubines must be really upsetting for Princess Masako. Itis not her fault that she could not produce a son for the royal family, and to have to share her husband with another woman because of that is really a cruel and unfair punishment she could be given.
All in all, i think that Prince Hirohito and Prince Tomohito's way of thinking is restricted and selfish. They only think about their own views on matters and want things done the way they think it should be. And since it has always been a male monarchy, they do not see how running the monarchy in a different way could be possible. Instead of opposing the idea of a female monarchy, Prince Hirohito and Prince Tomohito should spare a thought for the Crown Princess's feelings about the issue and the Crown Princess's daughter feelings of the issue when she grows up. In addition, they should also be more open-minded and try to accept the idea of a female monarchy since the people and other royals have already approved of the idea.

Juz an ordinary day...

2006-01-18T14:35:00.000+08:00

HIHI!
Now's 2.38pm, i'm in school creating a blog for GP class, yay:) Before that i had pe, we did high jump, it was tiring but fun. I think all the jumping stretched me and made me grow 1cm taller, haha:)