Indie Music

http://www.indierockcafe.com/

Downloads and lists <3!

How Bush is gonna spend his last day i office

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5S88vVTDS0

Unable to embed.

The song is As Tall As Cliffs by Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos.

Prom pics

Still testing.

The Amazing Race parody

Obama, ama, ama, a, a, a....

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

The annual Tufty-Ruijie birthday was held today, a good 8 days after his actual one. This time, he has a new fangled toy conventionally known as the Ninetendo Wii. Watched Weilin and Chip trying to box, outbowl and outscore each other in a series of sporting games. I tried out Mario Cart, which I find to be quite fun, despite consistenly finishing 12th out of 12 players. Also tried out the Pokemon-Mario-Sonic fighting game, whatever it's called.

As usual, Ruijie's mother impressed us with her cooking, with that baked potato, satay and pizza.

Went to watch Quantum of Solace. Seriously, the James Bond is the nemesis of the pro-family, conservative, religious right. He sleeps around with women (as usual),dumps his allies in the dumpster (and forgets about them), and is unapologetic for all the killings/wrongdoings he made. And yet, he never gets criticized. Sheesh. Anyway, I thought it was mildly interesting. I disliked Casino Royale, especially the abrupt and rapid ending. QOS suffers from the same problem, but the fight scenes are way more interesting.

Bush and Blair play the Weakest Link

LMAO

Colo(u)r

http://www.xrite.com/custom_page.aspx?PageID=77&Lang=en

I got a 35. Mun Yi says she got a 11, and Ruijie a 4!!!

[link edited]

Important Notice

If you have any activities in mind, do tell me, and we can have a fun time together.

More funny things on the net

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_in_space

Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins published his autobiography Carrying the Fire in 1974. A contemporary Time Magazine review complimented his imagination for a passage that it quoted:

“ Imagine a spacecraft of the future, with a crew of a thousand ladies, off for Alpha Centauri, with 2,000 breasts bobbing beautifully and quivering delightfully in response to every weightless movement . . . and I am the commander of the craft, and it is Saturday morning and time for inspection, naturally. "



http://curiosidadesnanet.wordpress.com/2008/11/06/efeitos-realistas/
(thanks Mun Yi)

More chemistry!

The shitty paper 1 has ended. SO why not enjoy the following?

Tragic end to the 2008 F1 Season

I can really feel the intense agony and regret in Massa's eyes.

Damn you Hamilton. Maybe I should have jeered harder at him when he was parading around at the Singapore F1 track.

How Liberal Are You

Yes, I am bored. And unsurprisingly liberal.



http://franz.org/quiz.htm
Score: 7 [This makes me more liberal than either Clinton. Too creepy.]




http://www.blogthings.com/howliberalorconservativeareyouquiz/results/?S=100&P=100&F=50&E=100&D=100

Overall: 10% Conservative, 90% Liberal

Social Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal



Time to be attacked by conservatives.

How The World Views The US Election

http://www.gallup.com/poll/111253/World-Citizens-Prefer-Obama-McCain-Nea rly-4to1.aspx

World Citizens Prefer Obama to McCain by Nearly 4-to-1

Gallup Polls conducted in 70 countries from May to September 2008 reveal widespread international support for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama over Republican Sen. John McCain in the U.S. presidential election. Among these nations, representing nearly half of the world's population, 30% of citizens say they would personally rather see Obama elected president of the United States, compared with just 8% who say the same about McCain. At the same time, 62% of world citizens surveyed did not have an opinion. [Cedric: so the title of the article is misleading]

World citizens are more divided over whether the outcome of the U.S. election makes a difference to their country, with 31% saying it does and 21% saying it does not. Moreover, 49% of those surveyed did not have an opinion.

---

In Singapore

21% Obama
11% McCain
68% No opinion

Shocking results, I must admit.

Roy's "morning call"

For those who can't access TL's blog...

McCain, Palin and Economics

Imagine this scenario: McCain and Palin get elected. A team of top professors in economics immediately meet up with both to discuss about the financial crisis and recession. While McCain is talking with the professors, Palin says, "Excuse me while I deal with home economics. I am preparing some nice cookies for you guys with affordable yet quality ingredients." The professors start to brief McCain on the economic situation. McCain scratches his head and browses through the Economics textbooks for some basic ideas about those alien terms he heard. Then he asks the professors to explain to him what they mean because he's simply clueless. Gosh! The professors can't laugh at how senile a President is or shake their heads in front of him. So they could only pray to God that they'd never have to teach such a moron back in their university. But since they teach in the top universities, none had ever taught such a difficult student before. They become clueless how this moron could be enlightened. Palin, meanwhile, has finished baking her traditional American cookies, and serves them to the professors. Then, suddenly, while McCain is scratching his head as his hair keeps falling, he faints. He has a relapse of cancer and is hospitalised. News of the US President being hospitalised is broadcast and the stock market plunges and needs immediate attention from the White House. Then the econs professors immediately meet up with Palin, hoping that this acting President would know more about econs than McCain. Then Palin replies: "Oh, econs, I sure know a lot about Home Economics. I cut discount coupons and shop at K Mart. I could save a lot by doing these. What else should I do, professors?"

Guess the songs

So, I might be 1 week late, but that should not stop ou guys from trying to play the game.

Put your mp3 player on random. Post the first line from the first 50 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing it is. Let everyone guess what song and artist it's from. Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly. Do not Google!

(Vina, Ying Xian, Mun Yi and Judy, try not to guess everything. Also, I feel that this list is too poppy!))

01. It's morning I wake up The taste of summer sweetness on my mind
02. It's not as if New York City Burned down to the ground
03. 我曾深刻体会 对爱感到胆怯 [Dui Ni You Gan Jue - Melody Chiang feat. Michael Wong] [Mun Yi]
04. 在镜中何苦你要落泪 礼物放于手里 [I think this is the Cantonese version]
05. Early in the morning I put breakfast at your table [Superwoman - Karyn White] [Xue Ling]
06. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry Hey, baby my nose is getting big [Don't Lie - BEP] [anon]
07. Johnny wanna be a big star get on stage and play the guitar
08. I will stop, I will stop at nothing Say the right things when electioneering I trust I can rely on your vote [Electioneering - Radiohead] [Vina]
09. I know there's something in the wake of your smile I get a notion from the look in your eyes yea [2 correct answers]
10. Is it still me that makes you sweat? Am I who you think about in bed?
11. 我停下了脚步看着你 可爱又美丽的背影
12. Oh, why you look so sad? Tears are in your eyes [multiple cover versions]
13. The suburbs they are dreaming, they are a twinkle in her eye
14. 你的眼睛蓝色的一面海 总是太安静像是会有暴风雨 [Lan Yan Jing - Sodagreen and Angela Chang] [Mun Yi]
15. You better believe I'm coming You better believe what I say
16. So who's that girl there I wonder what went wrong
17. 忘记了姓名的请跟我来 现在让我们向XXXX [guess the x] [Kuai Le Chong Bai - Wilber Pan feat. Angela Chang] [Mun Yi]
18. 乌黑的发尾盘成一个圈 缠绕所有对你的眷恋 [Da Cheng Xiao Ai - Leehom] [Xue Ling/Wen Jian]
19. Are you blind Blind to me trying to be kind
20. I’m over your lies, and I’m over your games [Over It - Katharine McPhee] [zihui]
21. You can dance, you can jive Having the time of your life [Dancing Queen - Abba] [Vina and Mun Yi]
22. XXXX, I have seen the trees, I've seen the willow leaves dancing in the breeze [guess the X]
23. How do I, Get through one night without you? [multiple covers]
24. XX Who'da thunk? Sittin drunk on a wagon to Mexico? [guess the X]
25. 我爱着谁 爱到我有点醉 [Ca Jian Er Guo - Sam Lee] [Xue Ling/Wen Jian]
26. Man it's a hot one Like seven inches from the midday sun [Smooth - Santana feat. Rob Thomas] [Vina]
27. I don’t believe In the smile that you leave me with
28. I swapped my innocence for pride Crushed the end within my stride
29. There's a government whip cracked across your back Where the honor of the day is don't listen, attack
30. I woke up today Woke up wide awake In an empty bed
31. I'm Standing on a bridge I'm waitin in the dark [I'm With You - Avril Lavigne] [Xue Ling]
32. I, I always thought that I knew I'd always have the right to
33. 乌云在我们心里搁下一块阴影 我聆听沉寂已久的心情 [Feng - Jay Chou] [Xue Ling/Wen Jian]
34. You've been, with me A year, to the day
35. Summer don't know me no more Eager man, that's all
36. I hold on so nervously To me and my drink [Paralyzer - Finger Eleven] [Vina]
37. All my girls stand in a circle and clap your hands this is for you [L.O.V.E. - Ashlee Simpson] [zihui]
38. Its real late about a quarter to 1 And I'm thinkin of everything we've become[this is from the 1st verse]
39. Grew up in a small town And when the rain would fall down [Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson] [Xue Ling]
40. Now it seems to me That you know just what to say
41. What's wrong with the world, mama People livin' like they ain't got no mamas [Where Is The Love - Black Eyed Peas] [Mun Yi]
42. The lights go out and I can't be saved Tides that I tried to swim against [Clocks - Coldplay] [Vina]
43. Strain this chaos turn it into light I've got to see you one last night
44. Hey Girl Is he everything you wanted in a man? [What Goes Around Comes Around - Justin Timberlake] [zihui]
45. Working so hard, every night and day And now we get the pay back
46. Two jumps in a week, I bet you think that's pretty clever don't you, boy? [High and Dry - Radiohead/Jamie Cullum] [Vina]
47. Angel of X How did you find me? [guess X]
48. Wake up in the morning with a head like ‘what you done?’
49. 我书桌上的香水 你沉默的背对
50. There's a girl that wants to start Been thinking about having a couple of kids

The Bailout Plan

Once upon a time a man appeared in a village and announced to the
villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.

The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out
to the forest and started catching them.

The man bought thousands at $10 and, as supply started to diminish,
the villagers stopped their effort. He next announced that he would
now buy monkeys at $20 each. This renewed the efforts of the villagers
and they started catching monkeys again.

Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back
to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of
monkeys became so scarce it was an effort to even find a monkey, let
alone catch it!

The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50 each! However,
since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would
buy on his behalf. In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers:

"Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has already collected.
I will sell them to you at $35 and when the man returns from the city,
you can sell them to him for $50 each."

The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys
for 700 billion dollars.

They never saw the man or his assistant again, only lots and lots of
monkeys!

Now you have a better understanding of how the WALL STREET BAILOUT
PLAN WILL WORK !!!!

Different types of poor people

The destitute, whether they are from the slums of Sao Paulo, Lagos or Delhi, arouse sympathy and make the headlines once in a while, but are seldom able to force people to act in a unified manner. The poor in the USA however were able to drive up the sub-prime mortgage crisis, in turn causing financial markets across the world to tumble. Talk about the disparity in power among the diffrent types of poor people.

Arrogant and evil, but nice!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/3194271/Fernando-Alonso-Ill-help-Felipe-Massa-beat-Lewis-Hamilton-to-world-title-Formula-One.html

Fernando Alonso: I'll help Felipe Massa beat Lewis Hamilton to world title

By Simon Arron
Last Updated: 12:03PM BST 14 Oct 2008

"If I can help Massa, I will - no doubt," Alonso told Spanish sports newspaper AS.

Alonso and the Brazilian haven't always seen eye to eye. They banged wheels during the 2007 Spanish Grand Prix and clashed again later that year after the GP of Europe, where Alonso accused Massa of having deliberately driven into him during the final stages of a race the Spaniard won.

He later apologised for his remarks and claimed they had been made in the heat of the moment.

Their relationship is harmonious, however, compared to that between Alonso and Hamilton, who became bitter adversaries when they were McLaren team-mates last season - a situation that led to Alonso leaving just one season into a multi-year deal.

Although the two men enjoy a professional working relationship nowadays, Alonso rarely misses an opportunity to have a gentle dig at his British nemesis.

After last Sunday's Japanese GP, in which Alonso scored his second consecutive F1 victory, the top three were asked what they thought about the penalty Hamilton had been given for forcing Kimi Raikkonen wide at the first corner.

Robert Kubica and Raikkonen claimed they hadn't had a sufficiently good view to make a judgment, but Alonso grinned and said: "Yes, I agree with it."

He also passed comment on the number of errors both Hamilton and Massa have made this season. "They have dropped a lot of points," he said.

"The championship leader has 84 points after 16 races, but when I won the title in 2006 I had 82 after only nine."

Hamilton is presently five points clear of Massa in the title chase. It remains to be seen whether Alonso gets close enough to McLaren and Ferrari to challenge for victories during the campaign's final two races, in China and Brazil.

His wins in Singapore and Japan were down to luck - the timely intervention of a Safety Car - and rivals' errors respectively.

"I'm confident about the forthcoming races," he said. "But perhaps not about winning because we are still four tenths per lap behind Ferrari and McLaren."

My Grandma can do it!

If you need help for Chemistry, refer here!

http://www.singaporestudent.com/

The Prince of Darkness Prevails

Friday - After SOT, I tried to make my way to the Marina Bay Cicruit. Ended up entering through Gate 4. It seems that the screeching of F1 cars is not music to my ears, so I had to go and buy the earplugs. Darren, who received a free ticket from me, and has yet to treat me to lunch/dinner, apparently met up with Shunjie and his friend and managed to sneak into the grandstand. (That lucky *****) I settled for a spot opposite the Esplanade, which is near a giant screen and loudspeaker (to listen to the commentary). Unfortunately, that place was also an entrance to another grandstand, and the ushers kept shoving me out of my spot. ZZZ. Alonso tops the timesheets for Practice 2.

Saturday - Went with my dad. We thought that we could catch the free bus from Kallang to the desired gate. Unfortunately, it stopped at Nicoll Highway, near Gate 1, which my dad and I have no access to. We ended up racing for 2km on the bloody Nicoll Highway, got lost near Marina Sqaure, before finally arriving near the Esplanade. Practice 3 ended by the time we got there. Qualifying was a god damn disaster with Alonso qualifying 15th. Massa is 1st (yawn), Hamilton 2nd (get him off already!), the Iceman 3rd (nice...)

Sunday - There was this procession before the race where the racers sat in some vintage cars and circled round the track. My dad refused to take out the camera coz his hands were dirty. (zzzz) As Hamilton turned by my corner, I jeered at him (as did the guy in front of me.) HAHAHAHAHA. That really made my day. While he's a racing expert no doubt, and definitely "morally' deserves to win at least 2 championships in his career, I'm just hoping that it's not this year.

The entire race was awesome. When I saw that Alonso made only a 3 spot gain in the opening seconds, I thought he was doomed. Good thing that his team decided to get him to pit early. Like Jun Jie, I was also thinking whether Piquet's crash was actually a conspiracy. Well, you can only say that in hindsight, and if you do the actuary tables, it's a terribly risky thing to do. Massa, perhaps he's not fated to win the championship. (But I really hope he does, since I don't want Hamilton to win.) Rosberg could have actually placed first, while Kubica much higher up, if they had planned to do pit stops in the same lap as Alonso. And once the dust is settled, you-know-who took the lead. 37 laps of pure teeth-grinding action, where I was left wondering if the Renault engine would screw up Alonso’s best chance of a win in over a year. Poor Kimi, he had to crash yet again, resulting in his 4th straight race without scoring a single point. In the end, the most deserving driver of all drove home to his 1st win of the season. Ah, money well spent.
Next up, the Fuji Speedway. Last year’s super rainy conditions led to a dramatic turn of events, with Alonso retiring, and giving Hamilton a 12-point edge at the end of the race. How will this year’s Japanese race shake up the race? Only 1.5 weeks left to go.

Actuarial Jokes

http://users.aol.com/fcas/jokes.html

Not read all of them though, but they sure are funny.

Crazy parents

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_280424.html

THE arrival of my newborn daughter was a source of joy for my wife and myself - until I went to obtain her birth certificate from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
To my horror, she was given the number T08-XX444X. As Chinese Singaporeans are aware, the number four suggests death, and implies misfortune.

I appealed to the ICA officer, also a Chinese Singaporean who understood my discomfiture. But she firmly rejected my plea because rules were rules, I was told. Subsequently, I appealed to a superior officer and waited an agonising week, making several calls in between, only to be given the same answer.

I grant that sticking to a system of rules is important. But so too is crafting exceptions which humanise the system.

My wife and I took great pains to craft our daughter's name, consulting time-honoured cultural principles, because we wanted an auspicious life for her. Imagine having a birth certificate number like 444 which counters all that.

A birth certificate is a personal and important life-long document.

A system which forces officers to stick rigidly to the rulebook without due regard for cultural sensitivities is not a good one. Rules are made to serve citizens and not the other way round.

I'm not giving up. I hope that my daughter can be given a more appropriate birth certificate number and I'm not asking for very auspicious figures.


Joseph Tan

Other ways at looking at the Olympic medal tally

http://c4news.com/livepages/olympics2008/c4/olympicsResults.html

They even rank countries with medals in comparison to their GDP and human rights situation.

A for Apple... D for...

A look at the street circuit

An ideal race in Singapore. Personally I think there will be a good chance of rain, plus many cars retiring from the race. Now that's exciting. :D

And I can see Russia from my house!

Decided to put this up for memory's sake. Extracted from Judy's blog.





Among the jokes...


Mrs. Clinton: “I believe that diplomacy should be the cornerstone of any foreign policy.”

Ms. Palin: “And I can see Russia from my house.”

Ms. Clinton: “I believe global warming is caused by man.”

Ms. Palin: “And I believe it’s just God hugging us closer.”


ROFL

Uncyclopedia

I forgot this jewel existed until a revisit today.

http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Singapore


Generalizations of Singapore
The following contains some social perceptions in the modern day of Singapore:

1. Caucasian Dude with Singaporean chick = Singaporean chick likes tall and handsome outspoken guy.

Singaporean dude with Caucasian chick = Is that white bitch of sound mind?

2. Caucasian Dude open door for lady = gentlemanly and impresses everyone around.

Singaporean dude open door for lady = copy Caucasians, people around get suspicious and wonder "is he trying to score points here?"

3. Caucasian Dude chats up SG chick = interesting and involved conversation in no time.

Singaporean dude chats up any chick = creepy encounter, hesitant conversation.

4. Caucasian Dude speaking broken Chinese = cute and amuses everyone around

Singaporean dude speak fluent English = banana, soon outcasted by Singlish-speaking friends.

5. Caucasian Dude drive sports car = James Bond aura, chick magnet.

Singaporean dude drive sports car = Chao Ah Beng.

6. Caucasian Dude in suit and tie = CEO.

Singaporean dude in suit and tie = MLM.

7. Intelligent Caucasian Dude = Professional, outspoken, sporty, loaded, enjoys life, extroverted.

Intelligent Singaporean dude = independent worker, nerdy, softspoken, introverted, un-streetsmart, wins olympiads.




Sounds true to me.

Hybrid Regime

I used to think that Singapore deserves to be called a hybrid regime. But the fact that it is the electorate that consistently votes the PAP back into power in most constituencies means that it wouldn't be apt to label the government as so. It's not like the PAP didn't give the electorate the chance for them (the electorate) to vote them (the PAP) out.

Anyway I really do hope to vote come 2011.

Even more interesting polls to look at

Gallup has tons of interesting and fun stuff.


1. Taller People Are Happier

http://www.gallup.com/poll/110167/Taller-People-Happier.aspx

Interesting analysis there.




2. JFK and Ronald Reagan Win Gallup Presidents Day Poll

http://www.gallup.com/poll/104380/JFK-Ronald-Reagan-Win-Gallup-Presidents-Day-Poll.aspx

Seriously, after doing 18 months of history, I am convinced that most of the presidents mentioned are really unworthy.



3. Bush is most admired man in the US, Hillary Clinton is most admired woman

http://www.gallup.com/poll/103462/Hillary-Edges-Oprah-Most-Admired-Woman-07.aspx


Who would have thought? But of course, if the poll was designed such that the unpopularity percentages were included, Clinton would be pretty much a 0%, while Bush would be a -50%.

Interesting poll

Not sure whether it's rigged or biased, but apparently, more Americans are supporting 3rd party candidates than either McCain and Obama.

http://www.misterpoll.com/polls/356231/results

Mr Cave!

Ok, the hair color is different.



(Steven Soderbergh, indie-turned-mainstream movie director)

Excuses!

和平崛起

The rise of China is inevitable. They already passed the 50 gold medal mark.

It's also the reason why I'm doing a thesis entitled 西方媒体是否在北京申奥成功后企图干预中国的民主建设――以2008年北京奥运为个案分析.

Bah!

What BBC has to say on China

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7327886.stm

The challenges of reporting in China

Last week thousands of Chinese found they were able to access the BBC News website for the first time, after years of strict censorship. They e-mailed to tell us what they thought, and many were critical of our coverage.

Here the BBC's Asia bureau chief Paul Danahar, who is based in Beijing, responds to this criticism and looks at the challenges of reporting in China.

It is a pleasant surprise to be criticised by your readers when you work as a journalist in China.

Most of you viewing this page are unknowingly taking for granted a luxury that those of us living behind the "Great Firewall" have to do without.

We are in a bit of a vacuum, cut off from normal access to the outside world.

My TV blacks out when someone says the magic words Tibet or Tiananmen protests; my daily paper is an unsophisticated propaganda tool for the Chinese Communist Party and half the websites I want to read are blocked including, until recently, this one.

But when suddenly the English language edition of the BBC News website (the Chinese one is still blocked by the government) became accessible in China, some readers here, but by no means all, took exception to what they saw.

People like Xie Huai from Zhengzhou e-mailed the site saying: "I often find that stories about China diverge from the truth. Why?"

The answer to the question lies in the word "truth". Only now are many Chinese getting the chance to debate the "truth" of foreign media publications (and only those not in Chinese) because only now are they getting a point of view on some important topics at odds with the one provided by the state-controlled media.

There is, of course, enormous debate on the internet in China about all sorts of controversial issues ranging from politics to sex.

But writing about things like Tibet, Falun Gong and the Tiananmen Square protests can land you in jail.

Tibet tensions

The story that raised concerns for some of our new Chinese readers was the rioting last month in Tibet.

The foreign media was accused of misreporting the scale and nature of the trouble there.

In fact, during the BBC's total coverage of the disturbances, we managed to upset both sides of the debate.

We were the first foreign broadcasters to obtain pictures, filmed by a Chinese camera crew showing the ethnic violence against Han Chinese by Tibetans in Lhasa; events which were verified by the only (non-BBC) Western journalist in Lhasa at the time.

The Dalai Lama then said at a press conference that because of the pictures he had seen on the BBC, he was calling for an end to the violence.

However he wondered aloud if we showed them because we were biased towards the Chinese.

The next day we were the first international broadcaster to show images filmed by a Canadian crew showing the Chinese flag being torn apart and replaced with a free Tibet flag by protestors in nearby Gansu province.

That report sent the chap who presses the black-out button for my TV into overdrive all day.

People who criticise the media for their coverage in Tibet should acknowledge that we were and still are banned from reporting there.

When we tried to report on disturbances outside Tibet that did not require a special permit, we were turned back at armed checkpoints.

And only a select group, not including the BBC, were eventually invited on a strictly controlled visit to Lhasa after the rioting had ended.

"It is ironic that China, a country that does not allow the operation of a free press, should accuse the Western media of bias in its coverage of the dramatic events in Tibet, including the use of double standards" - not the words of a Western journalist but of Frank Ching writing this week in the South China Morning Post.

Disagreement and debate

It is not only the BBC that has suddenly became available. Wikipedia has now been partially unblocked by the Chinese.

But consider the next sentence, which I have reproduced exactly as it appears on the Wikipedia website (including the grammatical errors).

"The Dalai Lama, whom in the past was funded by CIA [21] , originally pushed for independence for Tibet, which was a slavery feudal society prior taken over by the P.R.C. government."

You can read this page in full but as soon as you click on the links of words like independence or Tibet, the connection drops off and you have to reload Wikipedia all over again.

This does not happen when you search the site for anything else.

We welcome comments from our readers and particularly those new ones in China, because they help inform what we do.

Journalists do make mistakes and when we do we have a responsibility to admit them.

"I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies."

Those are the words of satirist and serial complainer Pietro Aretino, who annoyed the great and not so good of the 16th Century with a flurry of public correspondence to the editors of his age.

It is a sentiment that should always go both ways.




(Do read the readers' comments at the end. It's always good to know that moderates do exist.)

Of democracy and human rights

Some people in China are furious with the Westerners for clamping hard on China on flowery issues like democracy and human rights. However, these Westerners who talk about human rights (looking at it optimistically) actually care for the well-being of the common Chinese people under CCP leadership, so the Chinese people should actually be grateful for the concern shown by these Westerners.

Where I Belong (based on the passport I'm holding)

(Ignore my lame attempt at spicing up the entry title if you wish to.) The best NDP song ever. Wishing Singapore peace and prosperity (despite the downturn of the American economy)!



Most of the other NDP songs are overated, overplayed (eg. Home, Count On Me Singapore) or far from nice (Stefanie's 03 attempt, Stars and Crescent, the Taufik and Rui En one, and the 07 one). Let's have Tanya again!

Being of Chinese descent

I will be laughing my head off if I see an athlete of CHinese descent(who represents another country) that is very anti-China, to win 1st place over a Chinese athlete (of the PRC) in the upcoming Olympics.


XXXX


http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/chinese-americans-divided-over-olympic-protests/

April 9, 2008, 5:49 pm
Chinese-Americans Divided Over Olympic Protests
By Jennifer 8. Lee

As the most-high profile Olympics in a generation approaches, just four months away, the world has simultaneously cast one eye toward the violent Tibetan clashes in China and the other toward the roving (and lately also violent) path of the Olympic torch, which has drawn the ire of protesters.

In New York City, home to a broad range of Chinese immigrants and their children, the attitudes of Chinese-Americans toward the conflicts are as diverse as the people themselves, depending upon how they feel about the government of China, the sense of an uber-Chinese identity, and the mixing of politics and sports. Attitudes range from indifference to patriotism to harsh criticism of the Chinese government.
Many people echoed the ideal that sports should be separate from global politics (though that did not stop the Americans from boycotting the Moscow Olympics in 1980 or the Soviet Union from reciprocally boycotting the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984).
“It’s like a wedding,” said Grace Zhong, 35, a Chinatown herbalist who came from Guangdong Province 15 years ago. “Think about it. Even if you hate the person, you don’t have to choose that day to ruin it for the bride and for guests.”
“If you want to work at it,” she said, “you choose the moment to say you have to change.”
The Olympics serve as a beacon of pride for those in greater China (otherwise known as places that China thinks of as China). “For so many years, it is the first time it makes me proud to be Chinese,” said Nienwen Lee, 38, a flight attendant for China Airlines who was visiting from Taiwan. “I’m so sorry about the violence between Tibet and China. I feel sorry for both sides, because we are all Chinese. The problem could be resolved, but it needs to take some time and more wisdom.”
Others may contest the idea of whether Tibetans are actually Chinese in the same way that the dominant Han majority is Chinese. “I don’t want the Olympics there,” said Lobsang Choedon, who was born in Tibet but has lived in the United States since 2000.
“I hope we have some chance of independence,” said Ms. Choedon, who was in Flushing, Queens. “It’s terrible in Lhasa. I called Tibet. My cousin told me that the Chinese government goes door to door in the night to shoot people.”
Other Han Chinese echo the criticism of the Chinese government. “I feel like the Olympics shouldn’t be in China because of Tibet,” said Kim Chen, 25, a sales clerk in an electronics store in Flushing who came from Fujian Province more than a decade ago. “I feel the protesters should be protesting.”
But the conduct of the protesters themselves also drew criticism. “They’re full of it,” said Paul Tong, 87, who came to the United States in 1934 from Guangzhou.
“It’s propaganda from the human rights people that makes them do it,” said Mr. Tong, a World War II veteran who was on his way to the American Legion office on Canal Street. He noted that the Chinese government had built a railroad to the Tibetan plateau to improve economic conditions.
And then there are those who could not be more indifferent on international relations, be it in the realm of sports or sovereignty.
Philip Ang, 22, a mortgage consultant born in the United States to parents from Taiwan, said, “I’m not too big on Chinese people, not too big on Asia or the Olympics.”
When asked about Tibet and the Olympics, Mr. Ang, who was in Flushing, asked blankly, “What does Tibet have to do with it?”

Straight or bent

There are some kinds of situation where you can choose the straight or the bent way, and decide what works best for you. Other times, you cannot, coz it's how you really feel.








And this is Matchbox Twenty's best song, Bent. Frankly I hate Rob Thomas' long and unkempt hair.

When in doubt, always consult a sign

So it really is possible to get lost and know exactly where you are.

Anyway, I think the signpost belongs to Lost, Scotland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost%2C_Aberdeenshire

The sad state of Zimbabwe

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i4kT7pJlnuzY_vpKdTACcQYIPcvQD9286J480

(Sad extracts from this article.)


Zimbabwe will drop 10 zeros from its hyper-inflated currency — turning 10 billion dollars into one — the country's reserve bank said Wednesday.

...

On Wednesday, central bank governor Gideon Gono announced he was dropping 10 zeros from the currency, to turn 10 billion dollars into one, effective Friday. That comes a week after he introduced a 100 billion-dollar note that was not enough to buy a loaf of bread.

Gono said high inflation was affecting operations of the country's computer systems. Inflation is officially running at 2.2 million percent but independent economists say it's nearer 12.5 million percent.

Computers, electronic calculators and automated teller machines at Zimbabwe's banks cannot handle basic transactions in billions and trillions of dollars.

...

One-third of Zimbabweans have become economic and political refugees. Another third is dependent on foreign food aid. But Mugabe barred non-governmental organizations from handing out food last month, claiming they were feeding only opposition supporters.

In the first major signal that companies are wary of doing business with the government, a European firm this month stopped providing paper for the bank notes whose prolific printing helps keep Mugabe's regime afloat.

Gono said the new money would be launched Friday with 500-dollar bills. He also said he was reintroducing coins, which have been obsolete for years.

Bushfires

The only good things about the current Bush adminstration

1. Laura Bush

2. G Bush attending the Olympics opening ceremony

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/06/world/main4235169.shtml

Bush: Skipping Olympics Would Be An Insult

(extract)

Above all else, President Bush views his decision to attend the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics as an act of patriotism.

"I think it would be good for these athletes who have worked hard to see their President waving that flag," he said during a press conference today.

Were he to boycott the event, as several other world leaders have pledged to do in response to the Chinese government's crackdown on Tibetan protestors, Mr. Bush thinks the Chinese people might take offense, reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

"The Chinese people are watching very carefully about the decisions by world leaders, and I happen to believe that not going to the opening ceremony for the games would be an affront to the Chinese people, which may make it more difficult to be able to speak frankly with the Chinese leadership," the president said.

3. The economy

Say say say...

Words are lethal. Sometimes you learn the hard way that these words are hard to retract. No wonder they say silence is golden.

Anyway, some music videos!

Say (All I Need) - OneRepublic



Say It Right - Nelly Furtado [the song for the politically correct, haha]

Festivals That We Should Celebrate

Mole Day - Oct 23

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_Day

Square Root Day - Mar 03 09

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_root_day

Things That Should Be Genuinely Funny

School that offers Thought

So yeah, I'm a student of SOT. Like, whoope! The Literature lesson was terribly useful. I wanted to surprise the other gals in the class today, but they had already known I was joining them since Wed. ZZZ.

Anyway, from SOT, I learnt everything is about connections. The waiting list, now that's rubbish.

Frankfurt!

Ah, frankness is a virtue. Say no to politically correct statements.

Interesting forum posts

Reply 1: YES,I hateSodaGreen,the number one just undeserving!!!!!!!!!
Reply 2: just becoz u dunnoe how to appreciate them doesnt mean that you can openly air your hatred rite...
Reply 3: precisely. if u think u can sing or compose much better than sodagreen, then go release an album and see whether your song can top charts or not.only know how to criticize. not at all constructive. and who are u to criticize sodagreen anyway?? some senior musicians?? i think just some dumb asses trying to be stupid.



My take: ZZZZZZZZ. Please, this is just old.

Translation

Oh gosh, my translation skills suck now. I can barely write in formal Chinese.

Anyway, Gary Cao is a pure load of rubbish. Even my stance on Jocie Kok has softened in the past few months.

The Minister's Wife

So while people dragged their bodies to the PSC fair, or some other fun activity or recuperating from Friday's Sports Carnival, I went to watch a comedy called the Minister's Wife. After being panfully rejected by 20 people to watch The Hypochondriac (which I eventually failed to get a ticket anyway), I have decided not to ask too many people this time round. I'm probably the only one in school to be willing to pay double the price of a school band/guitar/whatever concert to watch strangers perform, instead of my friends. (Sorry to Yingxian and Yue Zhi for not buying your band tickets over the past 4 years.) Not that I doubt my friends' skills. Big conjecture: I also feel that non-performing-arts people in my school are seriously not into the arts, and just attend concerts to please their friends.

So I was in the Black Box (National Library), watching the comedy without any familiar company. So it's about an MP expecting an important guest, Michael Han. However, another guest, a Michael Tan (who is your Ah Beng), from the grassroots, came to the MP's house to ask a favor from the MP. The MP's stupid wife mixed up the identities of the two guests, and instead told the real Michael Han of all the bashing against Michael Han which the MP told her. Along the way, it was revealed that the MP had a sex video with his maid.

However, the story never continued, because the play was apparently banned by the local authrotities. Then the 5 actors/actresses, dressed in their plain clothes, came forth and grumbled about the bureaucracy in Singapore, which eventually led to a 2 actors leaving, and another one committing suicide.

I'm not exactly pleased with the plot. Granted, it was an acceptable route to follow, and that the jokes got better as the play moved on. But still, veering off into an anti-society second half was a little too much. In short, the play got really angsty. But it is through this angst the creativity and acting skills of the actors got to shine. And because of this, it's very hard to come to a final decision about the play.

Alright, I will need to look for sponsorship for my next play that I'm going to watch.

Photograph

So some teens take tons of lame photos of themselves so that they can recollect those memories in years to come.

Ah...



I think Hillary Clinton did a great diservice to the world for being too cocky at the start of the nomination process. She was the only one who had experience and the right policies. The world had a good chance of being saved. And now, we have a white old man with experience but disagreeable policies, and a half-black man with the personality and somewhat disagreeable policies, but with hardly any experience. So if the old man gets elected, we are sure that will materialize his poor policies. If the young man gets it, we cannot really hope that the good things he proposes will be able to overcome the current bad situation. Oh boy, the future of the world is bleak.

I wish I could be idealist [recalling Mr Sng's words], but at least being a cynic means that you can be pleasantly surprised when something good happens!


Edit: Funny comment on CNN

Things that the American founding fathers would have hated about the current world

women having the vote and property rights
non white women having the same rights
no slaves
american indians having rights
jurys with blacks and women sitting in judgement of white men
women and minoritys owning guns
not being able to buy and sell women for sex slaves
not being able to buy and sell men and BOYS for sex slaves
income tax
property tax
no free militias

hahahaha...

Pictures of You, Pictures of Me

OK the photos for Dunman High ASEAN Plus Summit are out.

1. The most interesting Mengshuen photo I've ever seen. Better than his A Star Talent one.



2. Best Mr Low photo


3. Environment Council. I pity the delegates who had to look at our dull faces.


4. Erm, a happy family?


5. Hohoho


6. Hahaha


7. The super lame


8. You shouldn't be doing this!


9. Oh my, Steffi


10. And from Oxy's blog

I hereby resign from my post as chairperson of AEC

The GP essay questions were funny. There was a question specifically on wildlife preservation, another on government's role in environment, and a question of eradicating poverty. But I just didn't attempt those questions and decided to comment on whether the future of the world is bleak.

Dunman Asean Plus

Yay, it's over. I'm happy to see everyone so happy.

It's A Beautiful Day....not!

Phil Keoghan stands at the finish line and sees a couple approaching. The 5 month race is gonna end soon, he mused.

As the couple stepped on the mat...

Phil: Barack and Michelle Obama, you're offical winners of the Amazing Democratic Race.
Barack: Thank you! (x5000)

Only moments later, their rivals stepped on the mat, looking real tired.

Phil: Hillary and Bill Clinton, you're team #2 of the Amazing Democratic Race.
Hillary: It's been an honor racing against Obama. But I'm not endorsing him immediately.


****

For the second time in the race, Hillary Clinton defied polls, which predicted a double-digit loss in South Dakota, and won handily by 10 points in that state. Pundits have chosen to write her off many times, but being the wife of the Comeback Kid, she remained determined (or obstinate to the Clinton-haters) and came back many times in Mew Hampshire, Super Tuesday, Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virgina, Puerto Rico and South Dakota. Though she never made up the 200-delegate deficit after her infamous 11/12 consecutive losses, I think she still deserves recognition as the Comeback Wife.

So now we have a half-black and an old man in his seventies vying to set a new first on Nov 4. Most of the world would prefer the former, but then again the US is always full of surprises. (It is painful to learn that the electorate consists of a small percentage of misguided Americans who just haphazardly vote based on charisma, sex, race, religion, whatever you got.)

I'm inclined to use the analogy of the 2007 Formula One Gran Prix season. I know it's crude, but let's say Clinton's counterpart is Alonso in this scenario, Obama is Hamilton, and McCain is Raikkonen (gooesebumps!) Alonso (a white) entered the season last year ready for a 3rd consecutive win, and is the only previous winner entering the 2007 season. Of course, he's an early fave to win. Raikkonen enters, a seasoned driver too, but came in 2nd twice in the previous years. Hamilton appears as a rookie, not to well known. Alonso and Hamilton enagaged in one of the most bitter rivalries in F1 history, and both men had an equal number of wins. About 3,4 races left to go, Hamilton led Alonso by a thin margin. Alonso faltered, and everyone was so sure that Hamilton would win on his rookie attempt. Next thing you know, Hamilton retired from the next race, and suddenly the playing field in even again. Raikkonen gets a share of the spotlight, surprisingly, as the only racer who has a mathmatical shot at winning the crown. Of course, not many paid attention to him. But in the final race in Brazil, Raikkonen handily won the race, Alonso finished 3rd and the cocky Hamilton finished 7th. In the end, Raikkon clinched the Championship title by a single point ahead of the feuding parties.

Indeed, he should take advice from Hamilton.

Naturally, the world has high hopes. But really, American presidents have been known to disappoint. A British history textbook evaluates all the post-war presidents as having only "a limited degree of success" or "some degree of success". By far, even the most popular post-war one (and 4th in American history) Bill Clinton is not without his scandals, impeachments and failures. And he's probably the only acceptable living president by the international community.

Really, the change that the world should have undergone by now is not to hope too much from any American president.

Back to black.... and white

It's interesting. The Chinese government is considered to be one which ignores appeals regarding human rights and the situation in Tibet. The rest of the world views the US as some racist and ignorant country, while the Gulf states is just brimming with ultra-conservatives trying to capture control of the world. And Rwanda is still in some genocide-torn state.

Which is why I enjoy reading travel guides, because the writers usually try to break down stereotypes and over-generalized and myopic views. (Of course, this is assuming that the writers are writing objectively in the first place.)

More than 4 minutes

Madonna and Justin Timberlake brag that they have only 4 mins to save the world. I'm glad I've got 5 months to save my own ass. (Not that 5 months is a long period of time.)

It's Over Tonight

The dreaded H3 Math Exams has come and gone. No more rushing to classes on Tuesdays and Fridays. And hello to CSC classes on Tuesdays.

The biggest gain I got from this course is knowing about how codes work. Some codes aren't really too complicated, just doodling with the concept of congruences, modular artihmetic and matrices.

But it has been tough. Math isn't about computation, it's more of understanding and appreciation of certain theorems and proofs, and only then can application of mathematical concepts seem worthwhile.

I have made up my mind a long time back that I won't be pursuing Pure Math. But if there are other fields of Math that suits me better, and can earn some $$$, then show me the door!

Is compulsory national service anti-Singaporean too?

How fundamentally different are Singaporeans and just about any other kind of people anyway? I think most Singaporeans will argue against this, but we shall see. Mr Ng, you're welcome to debate.



http://forums.4aynrandfans.com/index.php?showtopic=6347

Compulsory National Service Is Anti-American

June 4, 2007

Irvine, CA--There has been a resurgence in calls for compulsory universal national service, most recently by former defense secretary Melvin R. Laird, who declared, "Young Americans . . . need to serve their country."

But according to Dr. Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute, "Compulsory national service is anti-American.

"According to the advocates of compulsory service, young people take America's freedom for granted, being more concerned with selfishly pursuing an education and a fulfilling career than serving their country. To remedy that, they propose forcing young people to spend a few years working in the Peace Corps, nursing homes, or soup kitchens. This, supposedly, will make them appreciate freedom. But if the government can order a young person to stop pursuing the career he passionately loves in order to plant trees or clean bed pans, there is no freedom left for him to appreciate.

"America's distinctive virtue is that it was the first nation to declare that each individual is an end in himself, that he possesses an inalienable right to pursue his own happiness, and that the government's only function is to safeguard his freedom. Compulsory national service turns young people into temporary slaves in order to inculcate in their minds the opposite premise: that they have a duty to selflessly serve society. To justify such a policy on the grounds of promoting appreciation for freedom is perverse. To call it patriotic is obscene.

"Compulsory national service is a threat to freedom. It should be condemned for the anti-American policy that it is."

### ### ###

Copyright © 2007 Ayn Rand® Institute. All rights reserved.

World's Youngest Mother

http://www.incrediblebirths.com/Worlds-Youngest-Mother.html

Pictured to the left, in 1940, is Lina Medina, her baby, and the doctor who delivered the baby. Her son was 11 months old in this photograhph

Born at full term at Lima's maternity clinic, her child was taken through a caesarian operation done by Dr. Lozada and Dr. Busalleu.

Her son, weighing 2,700 grams or 5.92 pounds, was well formed and in good health. Child and mother were able to leave the clinic after only a few days.

As a result of a disorder known as precocious puberty, Lina Medina, born September 27, 1933 in the small Peruvian village of Paurange, was 5 years 8 months old when she gave birth by cesarean section to her son on May 14, 1939 (Mother's Day of that year).

The boy weighed 5 lbs and 9 ozs.

Lina is believed to be the youngest girl in the world to give birth to a healthy, full term baby.

Doctors found that Lina had a menstrual period at the young age of 8 months old.

The reason for this disorder is not known. As it's not everyday a 5 year old girl gets pregnant, research on the disorder is hard. Dr. Gerardo Lozada the doctor who delivered her son was astonished.

When asked who the father was, Lina did not give an answer. Many believed her father had molested her and got her pregnant. He was arrested, but because of lack of evidence, the case was dropped.

When her son, Gerardo (named after the doctor who delivered him), was 10 years old he discovered something quite shocking: the girl he believed to be his 15 year old sister was actually his mother.

Gerardo died at the age of 40 in 1979 from bone marrow disease. There is no evidence of the disease having anything to do with the fact that his mother had been so young when she had him.

Lina got married to Raúl Jurado in 1972 and had a second child 33 years after she gave birth to Gerardo. To this day the father of Gerardo is a mystery. Lina's second son currently lives in Mexico.

She was one of nine children born to country folk in Ticrapo, an Andean village at an altitude of 7,400 feet in Peru’s poorest province

A book, written by obstetrician Joseph Sandoval in 2002, who had been interested in her case, brought fresh attention to Medina’s story, and raised the prospect that the Peruvian government may belatedly offer her financial and other assistance. “The government condemned them to live in poverty back in 1939.

Extreme degrees of precocious puberty in children under 5 are very uncommon but not unheard of. Pregnancy and delivery by a child this young remains extremely rare because extremely precocious puberty is treated to suppress fertility, preserve growth potential, and reduce the social consequences of full sexual development in childhood.

晨间新闻

Slate explains how the Democrats can stay in power for up to 16 years, with Clinton and Obama changing the roles of president and vice-preseident a few times. Sounds crazy but looks fool-proof. Whether or not their popularity can sustain for so many years is another thing.

http://www.slate.com/id/2187034

Witty

The following lines may be used to

i) dump a girl/guy
ii) insult someone's intelligence


1. My love for you is like press freedom in Singapore [or democracy in China] - non-existant!
2. I've been dating you for 2 years, and I think you should have been named Sandy - like the bitch (beach)!
3. I think you're like the Sahara Desert - big in size, empty in substance.
4. You're like Haw Par Villa - old and useless!

The Irony Kills Me

As the first cohort of Yr 6 students, you would expect the school do much as it can for the sake of our welfare.

The irony is, we don't even have a proper room to call our classroom. Meh. I can sympathize with the school's decision to not have fixed classrooms for the Senior High cohort, but I'm still not entirely with the irony of the situation.

*****

Here's a though-provoking poem Mdm Nora showed to the Lit class about a fortnight ago. Explains that the standarization of the society has led to the loss of individualism.




The Unknown Citizen

(To JS/07/M/378 This Marble Monument Is Erected by the State)

He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be
One against whom there was no official complaint,
And all the reports on his conduct agree
That, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint,
For in everything he did he served the Greater Community.
Except for the War till the day he retired
He worked in a factory and never got fired,
But satisfied his employers, Fudge Motors Inc.
Yet he wasn't a scab or odd in his views,
For his Union reports that he paid his dues,
(Our report on his Union shows it was sound)
And our Social Psychology workers found
That he was popular with his mates and liked a drink.
The Press are convinced that he bought a paper every day
And that his reactions to advertisements were normal in every way.
Policies taken out in his name prove that he was fully insured,
And his Health-card shows he was once in hospital but left it cured.
Both Producers Research and High-Grade Living declare
He was fully sensible to the advantages of the Installment Plan
And had everything necessary to the Modern Man,
A phonograph, a radio, a car and a frigidaire.
Our researchers into Public Opinion are content
That he held the proper opinions for he time of year;
When there was peace, he was for peace; when there was war, he went.
He was married and added five children to the population,
Which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his generation.
And our teachers report that he never interfered with their education.
Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd:
Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.

-- W. H. Auden


Simple analysis here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unknown_Citizen

******

The Senior High Student Council Investiture paled in comparison to that of the Senior High House Inauguration. I really felt that the theme was that of a Chinese wedding dinner. Firstly, there was that lame music you would hear when the dinner is being served. Secondly, there was a speech made by a guy and girl thanking everyone for their presence. Thirdly, there was a video showing the old photos of the Yr 6 members of the SC, who have officially retired as I speak. Fourthly, there were balloons and poppers being fired, as if Hillary Clinton had just won a string of primaries after losing to Obama (off-topic).

However, the only thing that sets apart this investiture and a wedding dinner is that most of the audience left the hall disgruntled without any nice food.

I'm not gonna write you a love song, but I'll talk about it here

(be warned)

Disclaimer: Everyone has different music tastes. That I know.


In some blogs, there has been some active discussion over the lyrics of certain love songs, and usually these songs are Mandopop ones. And if you haven't noticed by now, I am quite critical of Mandarin songs. Of course there are gems like Fish Leong, Tanya Chua and Sodagreen. But generally, the quality of Mandopop is just appalling and disturbing to me. According to my observations, the lyrics of Mandopop love song manifest in the following ways

- oh i love you so much
- oh i can't leave you
- oh why must we break up
- oh let me this line that sounds philosophical and sophisticated but in actual fact it's just to con people to like the song.
- with lots of cheeze on it


Regarding the first 3 points, such songs may be OK/not bad sometimes. But for most artists, their lyrics in this genre tend to be superficial, so going wow over some lyrics on a Gary Cao song (hate! hate!) is not going to please me the slightest bit.

So what do I like? Songs that carry a political message. Love songs that aren't too direct and explicit are worth looking into too. Bitter love songs also tend not to be superficial. It helps that the singers can actually SING too.


Waiting On The World To Change - John Mayer




Rise Up With Fists - Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins




What I've Done - Linkin Park (I would agree that Chester doesn't have good vocals)




Shame On You - Andrea Corr (sounds hip, but is raising awareness of the poor in Africa)




Xiao Yu Zhou - Sodagreen

The Theory of Life

When you're successful, you suddenly realize your close friends become even closer.

The Man Etiquette Test

Here's a chance for you men to find out how compassionate and sensitive you are to women. Do something she likes and you get points. Do something she dislikes and points are subtracted. You don't get any points for doing something she expects. Sorry, that's the way the game is played.

Simple Duties

You make the bed. (+1)
You make the bed, but forget to add the decorative pillows. (0)
You throw the bedspread over rumpled sheets. (-1)
You leave the toilet seat up. (-5)
You replace the toilet-paper roll when it's empty. (0)
When the toilet-paper roll is barren, you resort to Kleenex. (-1)
When the Kleenex runs out you shuffle slowly to the next bathroom. (-2)
You go out to buy her spring-fresh extra-light panty liners with wings. (+5)
But return with beer. (-5)
You check out a suspicious noise at night. (0)
You check out a suspicious noise and it's nothing. (0)
You check out a suspicious noise and it's something. (+5)
You pummel it with a six iron. (+10)
It's her father. (-10)


Social Engagements

You stay by her side the entire party. (0)
You stay by her side for a while, then leave to chat with a college drinking buddy. (-2)
Named Tiffany. (-4)
Tiffany is a dancer. (-6)
Tiffany has implants. (-8)

Her Birthday

You take her out to dinner. (0)
You take her out to dinner and it's not a sports bar. (+1)
It is a sports bar. (-2)
And it's all-you-can-eat night. (-3)
It's a sports bar, it's all-you-can-eat night, and your face is painted the colors of your favorite team. (-10)


A Night Out With The Boys

And the pal is happily married. (-4)
Or frighteningly single. (-7)
And he drives a Mustang. (-10)
With a personalized license plate (GR8 N BED). (-15)


A Night Out

You take her to a movie. (+2)
You take her to a movie she likes. (+4)
You take her to a movie you hate. (+6)
You take her to a movie you like. (-2)
It's called Death Cop 3. (-3)
Which features cyborgs having sex. (-9)
You lied and said it was a foreign film about orphans. (-15)


Your Physique

You develop a noticeable potbelly. (-15)
You develop a noticeable potbelly and exercise to get rid of it. (+10)
You develop a noticeable potbelly and resort to loose jeans and baggy Hawaiian shirts. (-30)
You say "I don't give a damn because you have one too." (-800)


The Big Question

She asks, "Do I look fat?". (-5)
You hesitate in responding. (-10)
You reply, "Where?" (-35)


Communication

When she wants to talk about a problem, you listen, displaying what looks like a concerned expression. (0)
When she wants to talk, you listen, for over 30 minutes. (+5)
You listen for more than 30 minutes without looking at the TV. (+10)
She realizes this is because you've fallen asleep. (-20)



Scoring

Start with 50 points and add your score to it. If you ended up with +15 then your score would be 65 for the 65th percentile. If you got -15 then your score would be 35 for the 35th percentile.

Clearly unhappy

Why do the school choose to announce the results of failed sports teams in the national finals that didn't win any medal(s), and fail to announce the results of our Scholars' Cup participation? Pfft.

Le haha 2

"I know, Ping Yen is skinnier than me!" - Lim Ying Xian (sulking)
"She patted (no pun intended here) my boyfriend!" - Lim Ying Xian (clearly distraught)
"lets revolt like the tibetan kids" - Cindy Wang (another dismayed girl)

Breakin Up

Breakin Up - Rilo Kiley

This LA alternative rock band released their latest studio album "Under The Blacklight" in August last year, peaking at #22 on the Billboard 200. They aren't famous, but this song managed to receive airplay in Singapore on 987FM. BTW,Jenny Lewis has a great voice!

It's one of those songs that tells you that breaking up is a good thing and should be savored.




It's not as if New York City
Burnt down to the ground
Once you drove away
It's not as if the sun won't shine
When clouds up above
Wash the blues away

Are we breaking up
Are we breaking up
Is there trouble between you and I
Did my heart break enough
Did it break enough this time

Here's to all the pretty words
We will never speak
Here's to all the pretty girls
You're gonna meet

Am I breaking up
Am I breaking up
Is there trouble on the line
Did your heart break enough
Did it break enough this time

Ooh it feels good to be free
Ooh it feels good to be free
Ooh it feels good to be free

Betrayal is a thorny crown
You wear it well
Just like a king
Revenge is the saddest thing
Honey, I'm afraid to say
You deserve everything

Am i breaking up
Are we breaking up
Is there trouble between the lines
Did your heart break enough
Did it break enough this time

Ooh it feels good to be free
Ooh it feels good to be free
Ooh it feels good to be free

It may be my life, but is it now or never?

Career Days are actually productive after all. And I'm not talking about about the bunch of freebies, which include a Snakes-and-Ladders type of board game provided by the Navy that is constructed to irritate the hell out of you unless you use 3 or more dice.

Instead of narrowing my education/employment choices, I now have more. Tell me if that's a good thing.

1. Journalist/News Anchor

Looks repsectable and glamorous, IMO at least. I admire the most successful of these journalists and news anchor for their spirit,determination, depth of analysis and poise. And if you make high enough, you get to go abroad to cover news (important meetings perhaps) in faraway lands, hopefully with a good hotel stay thrown in. Unfortunately, this means I will have to rid off my self as a procastinator, and be able to analyze many issues in depth. Sounds like a tall order.

2. GIC

Impressive occupation to most people, I believe. Offers do sound lucrative, but dwelling into accountancy and finance isn't really my cup of tea.

3. Translator/Interpreter

Sounds good, only that I have hardly been talking in Mandarin, despite going for CSC classes.


Courses that may interest me

1. Journalism/Mass Media

2. Applied Math - Career offers are aplenty, not sure how well they pay.


So it all comes down to interest vs salary/glamor. This is gonna be a hard one.

Percentage of students who pass GP

http://www.moe.gov.sg/press/2007/files/pr20071214a-chart-c2.pdf

What do Hillary Clinton and Angelina Jolie have in common?

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/03/26/clinton_criticizes_obama_over_his_pastors_inflammatory_words/

Gilded branches found on candidates' family trees
Barack Obama likes to joke that he and Vice President Dick Cheney are distant cousins.

It turns out that he and the other major presidential contenders share lineage with several other famous historical figures and current celebrities, the New England Historic Genealogical Society said yesterday.

Obama, whose mother was born in Kansas, has at least six presidents as distant cousins, including President Bush and his father; Gerald Ford; Lyndon Johnson; Harry Truman; and James Madison.

Hillary Clinton has common ancestors with actress Angelina Jolie and Camilla Parker-Bowles, wife of Prince Charles. Because Clinton's family has French-Canadian heritage, she is also distantly related to "On the Road" author Jack Kerouac and pop stars Madonna, Celine Dion, and Alanis Morissette.

John McCain is a sixth cousin of Laura Bush, the genealogical society said. The fact that most of his ancestry is Southern makes "notable connections somewhat harder to trace because of challenges to genealogists in that region," genealogist Christopher Child said.

I would never have expected A Moment Like This

11 out of 12 of the participants met at Commonwealth station at 7.45am, and we were all surprisingly on time! We hopped onto 198 to get to ACS(I), which obviously was wrong choice, as the bus started cruising onto the AYE. In the end we had to return by traveling in the opposite direction and alighting near ACJC. What a GREAT start.

At 9am, the essay round started. The question required us to discuss the influence of folklore on exploration in the historical context. In addition, there were a range of sources given which have to be used in the discussion. Not so good.

The 2nd round was an individual quiz consisting of 120 MCQs. Had to guess many of the questions on Lit and Art and History. Economics wasn't too bad for a person who just survived a 2 hour crash course the day before. Science (Astronomy) and Math were probably the easiest.

After lunch and slacking around, there were the dreaded debate sessions. Oh gosh!! Our competition consisted of 2 ACS teams. The first motion, where we had to argue that art is a more powerful form to express the frontier than a poem, went alright, although I stuttered (as usual). We (with Bing Huan and Yue Zhi) lost narrowly. The 2nd motion was about the Archbishop crap, which none of us could do as we had not read anything about it. Possibly the most humilating moment in my life. *bangs head on wall*

The Scholar's Challenge, a 110-MCQ group quiz followed. My team sucked at Art and Lit, but came out strong in Astronomy. We had tons of lucky guesses in the Math round, though the score was dismal. That concluded all the components of the competition for the day and all 12 of us celebrated.

The prize presentation for the junior division was excruciating. There were at least 18 prizes waiting to be given out to about 10 deserving members, mostly RI students. So those guys ended up picking 4-5 medals each.

The senior division presentation turned out a lot better. Turns out that studying for a mere 24 hours was already quite productive. We ended up with a haul of about 10 individual and team prizes - and we were expecting 0 up until that point of time, considering the lack of prepartion and a proper coach/mentor (hello, Ms Tan!). Managed to win my first personal medal (Gold for Math portion of individual quiz) as a school participant in my 6 years in Dunman. Big winners are Ruijie, Vina and Peiyu, and all of them are going to Seoul in end may. Hooray for them.

Shall dedicate another song to everyone.

A Moment Like This - Kelly Clarkson




Congrats all!

The devil made me do it

After the mandatory CIP activity, I joined the 11 other Scholar's Cup participants in Bing Huan's house for a mass study session. The other 11 are:
- Bing Huan + Yue Zhi (+ me)
- Judy + Ying Xian + Yixian
- Ruijie + Vina + Peiyu
- Berlinda + Meng Shuen + Mei Hui

Scope of Subjects: Fine Arts, Economics, Astronomy, Math, Literature and History

The Econs team was great. Summarized 1.5 years of Econs work in about 2 hours coherently and they also managed to make it seem so commonsensical and interesting. Although most economics students would love to refute this statement.

After that we forced ourselves to do a trial debate session. Despite Ruijie's good tips and advice and clear instructions, it seems that he can't change the inevitable in a matter of minutes.

Instead of heading back home to prepare the notes for the common good of the teams, I hopped on the bus and subway to Orchard with Meng Shuen, hoping to cash in on the Borders membership card which Jun Jie was carrying, who we would later join. Along the way, I learned that he is a Clinton supporter (the 2nd one I found, after Wenjian, who's not that ardent in supporting her) and he does eat his vegs (while consuming a McChicken). (Grr! But on 2nd thoughts, my unconventional dietary habits are pretty much on the brink of insanity, and anyone who wants to challenge that is pretty much deserving of a place in a hospital for the rest of his/her life.)


Met Jun Jie at Borders. Turns out I can't find the stuff I need, and instead have to serve as his 2nd pair of hands. (I already have issues holding stuff for girls, much less a guy..) A short trip to Kino for those guys to buy more books. Made my way home after that unfruitful trip to Orchard. Still reading Scholar's Cup material as of now, though the chances of anything registering in my brain is probably a mere 1/1000th of the odds of throwing a 7 on a single die.




To tie in with Scholar's Cup prep, I shall dedicate this song to the other 11 DHS participants.

Supermassive Black Hole - Muse




I know it's cliched, but 皆さん、頑張ります！6+ more hours!

North Korea as a role model for the rest of the world

Don't be too quick to dismiss the Hermit Kingdom as a hindrance to global development. Here are some interesting facts.

In terms of per capita carbon emissions, 1990 saw each head producing 12.4 metric tons. By 2004, the figure has dropped to 3.36. That's a 73% decrease!

The DMZ around North and South Korea is now one of the most well-preserved pieces of temperate land in the world.



They ain't so bad after all.

Le haha

Cindy Wang and I have the funniest conversation together, ever. She has really outdone herself.

cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
anywy
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
i hate you
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
)"
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
*):
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
you actually put berlinda's name down with xueling and txy instead of mine on your blog!
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
AFTER ALL THE IMMERSIONS WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
AFTER ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE DONE TOGETHER E.G. WALK INTO VERSACE IN CHINA
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
YOU PUT HER NAME INSTEAD OF MINE!!!
#un Chet voted out 5-2 http://thecriticalbits.blogspot.com/ finally updated says:
erm, sorry, your voice doesn't sound very funny
#un Chet voted out 5-2 http://thecriticalbits.blogspot.com/ finally updated says:
hahahahahahaha
#un Chet voted out 5-2 http://thecriticalbits.blogspot.com/ finally updated says:
emo girl
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
you hurt me...
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
WAILS
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
le sigh
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
looks like i;ll never be as good as berlinda
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
maybe i should just jump off the mrt platform on monday or smthg
#un Chet voted out 5-2 http://thecriticalbits.blogspot.com/ finally updated says:
, don't be sad
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
HUR
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
you superficial thing
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
i bet you put berlinda's name instead of mine cuz you think she chio and she has long legs!
#un Chet voted out 5-2 http://thecriticalbits.blogspot.com/ finally updated says:
z
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
i shall go eat my chicken chop now and feed myself lipids
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
after all
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
I WILL NEVER BE AS GOOD AS BERLINDA
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
SO WHY TRY
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
><
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
byebye
#un Chet voted out 5-2 http://thecriticalbits.blogspot.com/ finally updated says:
don't go...
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
LOL
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
i really want to eat dinner
cindy is gonna start screaming "YATTA!". {FOOD AND MORE} says:
hahaha



Cheers!

The Birthday celebrations continue

(Writing for March 11)

Question: You can't have too much of a good thing, can you?

Thesis: I disagree to a large extent.


Though the day was supposed to be good, I woke up on Tuesday feeling down coz I had to rush to Dunman to help wash and pack up those equipment. So yeah, wash, wash and wash. Colin remarked that he didn't like washing the mess tin which Kek used to whip up his half-mashed fried potato. LOL, I would have been quite willing to wash it, coz I enjoyed every cubic millimeter of it.

Then it was time for Math lecture. I actually like P and C, which is obviously way better than stuff like Vectors and Complex Numbers. I really don't like Math that deals with the abstract, which happens to fit with my personality type.

The gang (minus Ruijie, who's enjoying himself in Hong Kong, pfft, and Peiyu, who had to finish her Econs essay, and Vina and Wynne of Year 5 some place else) decided to cancel that reservation at Settlers' Cafe and opted to celebrated the birthdays of the threesome (Vina, Wynne and I) at Vivo instead.

Binghuan, the only other guy in the group ("imba (sex) ratio", as declared by the schemer) told me that he originally wanted to join ODAC. Oh great, now you tell me. But really I have to thank him for joining TKD instead; my social life is much more interesting now.

For lunch, we dined at Terra on the 2nd floor. I was treated to the meal, minus the drink. Unsurprisingly, I chose the baked potato. (The theme of my birthday this year is really revolving around this tuberous veg.) At this point of time, I was presented my presents, magnetic earrings. Awww.

After that it was a rush to enter the cinema to watch There Will Be Blood. Critically acclaimed, but I wasn't that impressed by the plot. I'm glad that stupid religious fanatic Eli was killed; apparently religion has hardly astounded me. Final rating: 5.8/10

After a trip to Page One, I boarded the train to City Hall with Wynne. She was telling me about this Dunman senior in some university who discovered a new species of......



moss! Wow, what a great time he's gonna spend examining it for the rest of his life. We both agreed that it would be much more interesting if he had discovered a new species of moth instead.

Walked to Seah St to collect my $50 medical claim, that I zipped over to Bugis to get on the train home. Gosh, I must be a real lucky guy to celebrate his birthday with friends for 3 days in a row. Somehow it is resembling CNY or Christmas, no?

In the evening, I received a message from Yu Ting saying that the damned CSC talk on Friday was cancelled. Hallelujah! Chatted with Xue Ling about it excitedly over MSN. Now if only the same would happen for future talks.

You're on the other side of the world.... or maybe just a few feet away

So birthday boy arrives at school late for the Kota Tinggi trek. Packs group stuff and leaves on bus, yada yada, waits 1.5 hours at Tuas, yada yada, Kek reveals his paper "passport" worth a grand total of $15, yada yada, arrives at Kota Tinggi, where it was pouring.

We began the climb at 1.30pm. There were many instances when I really felt that I was wasting my time, but you gotta do what you gotta do, and I had to turn to unglam language for my solace.

Reached the campsite, like 2 mins behind Kek and 5 mins ahead of Shue Ling, and 10 mins ahead of the rest of group 3. Once again, I was bombarded by Shermaine and Peixin for ditching the rest of the group. But we came to a consensus that Kek was the schemer/mastermind and I got of scot-free. (ha!)

Together with Colin, Yanwen, Wen Jian, Arthur, Bao Xue and Jia Ying (the onl girl), we started building makeshift toilets for both genders, ie digging holes using shovels. The toilets for the guys were just plain holes, and its theme was natural scenery. For the girls' toilets, we decorated each site with delicately laid stones, with designs like the universal female sign and the heart shape. And due to the nature of this task, toilet jokes were abound. (Geez, I did not have such a good laugh in days!)

So I joined my team in preparation for the Creative Cooking Competition. Everything seemed botched up, coz the spaghetti did not taste the way it was supposed to be, and some guys were arguing with Peixin over the method for cooking the veggies. Sensing the need to save them, I brought out my stash of food for the trip and whipped out the 50% cocoa (which also contains rum!) chocolate bar and the marshmallows. With Shue Ling's contribution to the marshmallows, a few of us (Shermaine, Peixin, Shueling and Gao Miao or Jiahui, one of them) started on the dessert. We melted the chocolate and marshmallows and pour the diced apples into the mess tin containing the melted chocolate.

Final product: OMG! Heavenly!!!!

The other team members have also finished their respective dishes.

Potato salad with canned tuna: Woots!
Fried potato: Oh gosh, love
Spaghetti and sausages: I thought we were so screwed. Great comeback!!
Soup: Nice~~
Kankong: Eh, didn't dare touch it.


And unsurprisingly, we won the competition, and were awarded with 2 crappy cans of cocktail syrup.

Next up, performance time. I was forced to sing, and everyone wanted something by Wilber Pan. Never the crowd pleaser, I chose to sing Other Side of the World by KT Tunstall (the most played song on my playlist). If you're interested, here's the link.





The performance soon evovled into a singing PK competition. Feeling threatened by other talented participants, Peixin stepped up her game by singing a second time to silence her competition and critics. Indeed, her beauty and abilities are unmatched. HAHAHA.校花 indeed.

Lights out at 11pm, but sentry duty at 3am. Did for an hour while listening to the Year 5s gossiping about the Year 6s. Shan't reveal the content here. Rained at 4am, so everyone went back to their tents and slept.

Breakfast time, and the group had to finish the remaining food supplies to avoid bringing them down. Peixin did not express much interest in filling her golden stomach, so Shermaine, Nigel and Kek had to shove a slice of bread into her golden mouth.HAHAHAHAHA at the brawl. The sad Peixin consumed that piece of bread as if she were a mother cat which had lost her appetite after one of her kittens died. She declared that she wanted to fight for her human rights - the right to choose what to eat. Maybe I could have been lawyer.

Just before we began the trek down, it started raining ever so GOD DAMN heavily. I was feeling so BLEAH. It would totally apt to have Xue Ling or Txy or Berlinda there to shout, "This is so screwed!". That would have made my day.

On the way down, one of the instructors told me I had a leech on my leg. Surprisingly, I didn't lose my composure, and he sprayed repellant on that leg to rid the damn bug. More was to ensue, as Shermaine later found out that there was a leech on HER NECK. This inadvertedly led to her and Peixin (next to her) to scream at the top of their voices. Geez, I dunno whether I should be sympathizing with or laughing at them. They were saved with Kek's oil, which he he trouble applying on Shermaine's neck coz she just couldn't cooperate.

Arrived safely back down, nice lunch, play at the waterfall and slide. Great stuff, especially the well-designed slide. Unfortunately Ms Lee lost her glasses and everyone had to spend time finding it, but to no avail.

Right before boarding the bus, the instructors showed up with a birthday cake to celebrate the birthdays of 2 guys; the other being Shun Jie. I have never quite acquired to art of cutting cake, and it's been 7 years since I got any birthday cake, so I had to serve some disproportionate slices to everyone. But whatever, nice cake.

Best was not to be. At the Woodlands Checkpoint, our dear friend Kek was detained because he looked like that schemer terrorist Mas Selamat, with that curly hair of his was holding on to that suspicious looking piece of paper. Moral of the story: Renew your passport many days before you plan on going overseas.

Arrived in school, packed up, waited for my father to bring me home. Not so over yet, coz I had to go to the doctor to deal with that irritating growth on my eye. He told me that it was a sty (a circumscribed abscess caused by bacterial infection of the glands on the edge of the eyelid; hordeolum.) that needed to be treated with ointment. If my situation did not improve, then I may have to go under the knife. OUCH!

In conclusion (NB: good GP students don't end with this cliched phrase), that was one heck of a birthday.

U.R.A. Failure?

Briefly, what I learnt at that USP Workshop today about the URA.

What they have done right: Void decks for most HDB apartment blocks. Void decks are a great
i) way to ventilate
ii) place to hold social activities like weddings and wakes
iii) place for elders to hang out.


What's not so right:

i) random structures that are of no use, like the viewing gallery in the park in Toa Payoh
ii) not developing Ann Siang Hill as a tourist spot
iii) tearing down the old National Library, the most awesome brick marvel in the world


Verdict: Try harder URA.