BbLlOoGg

the latest news

2008-10-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

Have you been following up on the news recently?

Many innocent members of the public have been cheated by the unscrupulous bankers who sold Minibonds, Pinnacle notes, High Notes and other bank securities or products.

Following the rally at Hong Lim park, all people got was another bill of $100 to hire the services of a lawyer to lobby banks who sold the securities to return people their hard-earned money. Perhaps more could and should be done by the parties involved, especially the institutions who were distributors of the bond. A large portion of the responsibility also lies with them...

The basis of suing rests heavily on the issue of misrepresentation. The problem is whether bankers and financial advisors have made a statement that influenced a reasonable person to make a particular decision. However, this is very very hard to determine. Usually, the law will rule in favour most probably of the elderly and retirees as these are the group of people who suffer the greatest from this fiasco. How about others who lost tens of thousands but are neither retirees or elderly? I wonder what will happen. Also, the authorities have agreed to focus their energies on assisting this group of people. Hopefully, more can be done for all the victims involved in this fiasco. It probably will not jeopardize the viability of the banking industry and may even help restore investors' confidence in the banking industry - that they are able to solve their own problems without interference by outside bodies.

Sometimes I wonder: Is the regulation of the banking industry enough? Why are there double standards in certain legal issues? For stores, misrepresentation is a serious issue and many people are wary of it. What about bankers and people who sell securities and what about those people who are only interested in their commission at the expense of their clients' life savings?

More consideration should be given to the regulation of the banking industry. Singapore aspires to become the financial hub for Asia. However, at the same time, perhaps it should not forget the welfare of the people, who are the pillars of the country. Especially in moments of crisis, we need the support of people to tide the country over. Not much action has been taken so far to help these victims at the moment. I really hope that much more can be done. I believe that it is probably not really beneficial to let society become more and more stratified...

Hopefully more will be done soon!

save my blog

2008-01-02T20:45:00.001-08:00

haha I'm here to save my blog! I dun wan google to close it down due to inactivity

I SHALL share this essay wif all my readers =)

“Discuss some of the moral issues facing the world of science and technology.”

As early as two millennia ago, a myriad of wondrous natural phenomena has sent Man on an unending quest for knowledge to unravel the mysteries of Mother Nature. Today, the human race can proudly proclaim that we have advanced immensely since the ancient Stone Age. “Necessity is the mother of invention” is an age-old adage that applies to all aspects of our everyday life. For instance, Man invented the wheel to facilitate factory processes which eventually led to the Industrial Revolution which improved the lives of many. The fundamental objective of science is to bring about advancement of humankind without compromising our morality at the same time. Moreover, certain moral implications arising from scientific research might serve to slow down the pace of research. As such, we should constantly examine and reflect on the different moral issues in the field of science and technology.

Firstly, the issue of upholding scientific integrity has been brought to the forefront with the recent Korean stem cell debacle. This unfortunate incident led to the tarnishing of the image of South Korea as a leader in scientific stem cell research. South Korean scientists are now regarded with suspicion in the scientific community. Research fraud is a very significant moral issue in the field of science and technology. Scientists need to have basic integrity not to falsify results as such an act might bring about dire consequences as illustrated by the South Korean stem cell debacle. In the South Korean incident, the claims of having produced patient-specific embryonic stem-cell lines have fueled hopes of being able to cure incurable diseases like cancer in the near future. However, with the revelation that these claims are bogus, this prospect is now dashed. The reputation of the country where the scientist is based is also tarnished. Research fraud entails serious repercussions for many parties and should be eradicated. Nature reported from a confidential poll it conducted of scientists that more than 5% of them had discarded data that contradicted previous research, or had been complacent about protections for human subjects. About 15% conceded they had changed a study's parameters or outcomes to satisfy sponsors who funded the work, or ignored observations just because they felt they were inaccurate. The prevalence of such conduct underscores the urgent need for guidelines to be set in place to further regulate the scientific industry or scientists face the risk of losing valuable public trust. We also need to engage the cooperation of scientists likewise to uphold the integrity of their occupation to prevent history from repeating itself. It would be highly undesirable if scientific integrity is trumped just for selfish gains like fame and the eliciting of federal grants from governments. Let not the credibility of the scientific community and the value of science be undermined by fraud.

Another moral issue of significance arises from the mixed responses of the public towards the field of genetic engineering, which is the scientific alteration of the structure of genetic material in a living organism. This technology has led to the developments of many beneficial technologies like therapeutic cloning and the production of pest-resistant Genetically Modified(GM) food which reduce farmers’ usage of pesticides that harm the environment. Genetic engineering encompasses many aspects of the morality of mankind. Misuse of this technology could also lead to bioterrorism where terrorists invent a virus that could cause a worldwide epidemic when unleashed. As such, Singapore has enacted a law, ‘Regulation of Biomedical Research Act 2003’ to make it compulsory that all biomedical researchers are registered so as to limit the spread of knowledge to potential bioterrorists.

Cloning is a highly controversial field of scientific study. The underlying moral issue is that there is no rule that scientists own the right to tamper with embryos so as to find cures for diseases for living people. We do not know whose life is more valuable, an embryo with the potential to grow into the fullness of humanity it possesses or an ailing person waiting for a cure. Who is to say that the embryo’s life can be sacrificed for the sake of the betterment of mankind? There is no clear-cut answer. Among religious people, reproductive cloning is “playing god” and going against the natural order of human life. Moreover, reproductive cloning involves the experimentation with fertilized human embryos and opponents argue that it is a grossly immoral way of tampering with human life. Even though scientists maintain that human life officially begins after 14 days of conception, many religions still believe that the embryo already has a soul from the time of conception and should be regarded as a normal human being with basic human rights. The experimentation with the embryo is thus a violation of human rights. Embryonic stem-cell research also branches into a new area of designer babies, whether parents are allowed to modify genetic traits in babies to make them more outstanding. This interference with the child’s gene structure may produce unnaturally high expectations of parents on their babies when they are born because they spent thousands of dollars altering the genes of their babies before birth. The solidarity between children and parents may eventually break down. This is an undesirable side-effect of designer babies. However, there is a beneficial aspect as well. Allowing parents to modify defective genes in their babies before they are born will allow these children to be cured of their disabilities and they will live a normal life as other children and be exposed to equal opportunities for advancement. Such a technology will not only reduce abortions but also to ensure that these disabled children are not seen as a burden to their parents in later years and receive unfair treatment.

Increased knowledge through increased advancements in the world of science and technology is beneficial to humankind. However, this information could be exploited by terrorists or war fanatics to cause mass destruction. An example is the creation of Weapons of Mass Destruction(WMD), like the atomic bomb which was used to attack Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 causing many people to die from the after-effects of radiation. Another example is the creation of the dynamite by Alfred Nobel in 1867 for mining and tunnel construction to create a better system of transportation during the Industrial Revolution. Unfortunately, it was misused for acts of violence against fellow human beings in wars. We should not focus our energies on preventing countries from acquiring weapons technology but to create a stable global community and to constantly engage them so as to discourage these countries from resorting to war. There is no fair system of judgment, and it follows on that there is an issue of who is the one that judges that which country should be allowed to own the technology and utilize it the way they want to. For example, both America and Iran own nuclear technology but Iran is facing severe pressure, especially from America, to renounce its possession of this technology but America itself has also not disarmed its nuclear weapons even though it promised to do so in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Which party is in the wrong then? Also, misuse of technology is not the fault of science but the fault of the party who utilizes the technology in a harmful way. It is the duty of the country to reflect on the consequences of utilizing such weapons of mass destruction and to develop a strong sense of responsibility to the international community such that maintaining world peace is a prerogative in her agenda.

Religion is a major factor that pits people against the field of science and technology. To what extent should scientists compromise religious principles for the sake of scientific research? Scientists often face severe criticisms from religious clerics for destroying the sanctity of human life through artificial reproductive treatments. Two generations ago in the US, there were loud outcries against in-vitro fertilization but today, it has proved that such technology is a great boon to childless couples. If scientists then had given in to pressure from the religious community, such technology would not exist today. Even though it is not beneficial for science to strictly adhere to religious principles, religion still provides a useful marker to ensure that scientific research does not proceed to such an extent that it seriously goes against morals.

In conclusion, we can see that in the world of science and technology, there is always contention based on the potential harms or benefits any particular field of science and technology could bring about. Research fraud compromises scientific integrity, while genetic engineering could result in several negative incidents despite its promises of a better world free of illnesses. Religion and science often have conflicting interests and it is imperative for an agreement to be reached between the two. It is not exactly necessary for science research to conform entirely to the expectations of religions, but it is quintessential that science is used in a morally acceptable way, that is, to benefit humankind and not to cause mass destruction. Only then, can the betterment of mankind be achieved.

(1511 words)

LOOKING BACK MY COMMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS
GOOD LANGUAGE
NOT SO IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF ISSUES ESP FOR THE RESEARCH FRAUD (QUITE A BIT OF REPETITION IN MY LANGUAGE AND A BIT OF REDUNDANCY)
SOME MAJOR ISSUES NOT TOUCHED ON IE. THERAPEUTIC STEM-CELL RESEARCH AND GM FOOD

OK HOpe u enjoy the essay! =) i remember that i had a HARD time trying to churn out this essay man!

Ministerial Pay Rise

2007-04-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's the hottest news in town now.. This is strictly my own views.
my take on it is that it is hard to stomach for the ordinary man on the street and thus the uproar over such a measure

Let's examine the 'Against' arguments.
In brief,
1) Pay rise comes on the eve of the GST Hike
2) Ministers' pay is already very high
3) Unsuitable formula to calculate the pay
4) Irrelevance of bonus measures like the GDP
5) Public service should entail a sense of contribution to the country

"For"
1) Fear loss of talent to private sector
[After comparing the pay of ministers with the top 8 earners in the private sector, it is found that their pay falls short. However, such a benchmark is not very accurate and relevant. A country and a profit-making organisation is different. When the company makes losses, the CEOs likewise have to take some of the blow also. We commonly hear of pay rises and bonuses when the economy is good, but there is seldom any action taken when the economy is bad. Perhaps some concrete action about the pay might be taken when the economy is not faring that well. As in, instead of pegging the GDP to the bonus awarded, I think a more acceptable way would be to peg the pay rise to the GDP which most accurately reflects the state of the economy.]

2) Need a group of capable ministers to govern the country with a large economy
[Instead of comparing to our private sector, maybe the government could compare the pay to the pay of other people in similar posts in other countries]

THE STIFlIng hot weather

2007-04-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

These days are so hot!!
Has anyone wondered who is the culprit??
Global warming!!!

Scientists yet again issue another warning that Earth is facing devastation. The Supreme Court in USA has thrown out EPA's feeble claims about not wanting to look global warming straight in the eye. EU is criticising Australia. THE WORLD is LOOkiNG. All eyes are on Australia and the USA to undertake concrete actions to combat global warming.

I'm not too sure about the situation in Australia, but in the USA, states are going out of their way to do their part for the environment. This is heartening. Elsewhere, businesses are beginning to see the economic spinoffs from being environmentally conscious. Wal-Mart has promised to reduce its utilities usage and packaging. Although the motivation is mainly financial, it is nonetheless a good thing that many people are starting to do their part for the environment.

Seriously, I think that Singapore might not be doing enough. The effort to promote hybrids is not significant. The recent drive to promote alternative energy is a good start. But is it enough? It is true that we have more urgent matters to be concerned with at the moment rather than to ensure a better future for our much much later generations. However, if global warming really worsens, we might not even have Bukit Timah to survive on. As a small country, there are limitations to what Singapore can do. But in the research and innovation sector, Singapore could spearhead certain areas. The viability of certain research products could really galvanise the entire sector.

99% efficient solar cells, anyone?
(we could really do with that now)

The environmental offset business

2007-01-20T23:12:00.000-08:00

TIME magazine "lost in the forest" by Adam Smith JAN 29,2007 issue

People are becoming more environmentally considerate nowadays with the high-profile publicizing of climate problems. With increased awareness comes an increased sense of responsibility to the environment. This gives off to a growing environmental subsidiary called "carbon offsetting". These new breed of companies calculate the amount of greenhouse gases an individual or business generates by flying, driving or heating and lighting a home or office. Customers then voluntarily pay that firm to invest in projects that will cut carbon emissions by an equal amount. For example, in Treeflights.com, green-minded airline passengers pay $20 to grow a plant in say, some place like Western Wales' Cambrian Mountains, hoping that the tree planted will absorb the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide to their share spewed out during a flight.

The article raised a few problems with this issue.
Firstly, if the tree is not maintained, it might succumb to disease, fire and logging that will shorten its life and curtail its CO2 absorption capabilities.
Secondly, there is no general regulatory authority that oversees this offsetting business. So, companies could possibly be doing minute things that are not really helping the earth at all. Also, no one is really monitoring the so-called positive offsetting business that these companies are involved in. Without constant monitoring, there could be abuse. Profiteering could occur. Of course, these are just conjectures on my part.

Also, another problem with this issue ( which i think is a serious one), is that with this offsetting business, businesses, individulas can continue polluting without making changes or improvements to their behaviour. In a way, paying a bit of money allays their guilt of polluting the environment. Then, they probably will not take extra care in taking care of their natural surroundings as the guilt on them is relieved. Then, the actual pollution may exceed the offsetting.

Blog entry 2007

2007-01-19T06:42:00.000-08:00

Actually, this is a GP Blog, but i hope that the mood is not so sombre and serious ( as i have promulgated in my former posts) actually. I also hope that grammar mistakes can be taken with a pinch of salt because i have been out of touch with the language for a month plus actually. Basically, now i'm working on an internship for 6 months and my news feed basically comes from Today and mypaper. If there is any lack of detail or even inaccuracies, I would definitely appreciate any corrective comments or gentle reminders about my grammar mistakes. =) I'm back blogging again, and what i say here is my own take on issues and not designed to encourage incitement of any kind. Basically, i'm very forthright about my own opinions and i am very for the opening up of free speech in Singapore. So sometimes, i might include political posts. So, I this very paragraph is just a disclaimer for any debatable posts that i might add later on.

Economics

2006-05-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Give reasons why the poor remain poor. Can you suggest solutions to this?

Rich world should 'give till it heals'-Jeffrey D.sachs, 2/4/2005
Working out an escape from poverty-Juan Somavia 12/9/05
Diamonds are a despot's best friend
Equity and growth go hand in hand
Why the millennium goals won't work

1)Corrupt governance
People in power misuse country development funds to advance own selfish interests like amassing own wealth. Eg: President Mr Mobutu in Congo. Between 1972 and 1992, despite the inflow of a considerable sum of aid the country remained shrouded in poverty. The president misused the aid for his own personal enrichment, government expenditures on social services plunged from 17% to 0% while spending on the presidency skyrocketed from 28% to a whopping 95%. As a result, the poor in the country cannot benefit from the aid given.Also, most if not all of the profits earned from the country's sale of resources also end up in the pockets of corrupt politicians. Instead of utilising the financial resources to develop infrastructure to assist the people in escaping poverty, the money is used to fund the corrupt politicians' own vested interests. As such, the people in these countries remain poor.
Solution: Push for removal of corrupt governments. Ensure transparency and accountability of government action that will serve to protect the rights of people.

2)Lack of educational opportunities for self-improvement to earn more money and rise oneself up the social ladder. One of the Millennium Development Goals is to achieve universal primary education. A main function of education would be to empower people with knowledge necessary for them to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty and move up the social ladder. A line of argument would be that when they learn better farming methods to increase their productivity, and their profits increase. With more money earned, they can improve their lives. A larger part of the population can realise their economic potential and this bodes well not only for the country but for the citizens as well.
Solution: As the economies of these countries are usually not well-developed yet, a rudimentary system of schooling could first be introduced. And after the economy is stable, the system can be continually upgraded to suit changing needs.

3)Saddled by debt
Many poor and Third World countries owe the West billions of dollars of debt. Because these countries are required to service the debt, as such they are left with insufficient funds to develop the country
SolutiON: Write off the debts of these countries. For example, the G-8 writing off the debts of 18 poorest nations in the world. The money gained if they don't have to continually service the debt allows them to put it to better uses to develop the economy and improve lives of their citizens.

4)Underemployment or a lack of jobs. Working poor or not having a job at all.
Unemployment is growing at a rate of 26% in the past 1 years.More people are unable to find jobs to sustain themelves and to get out of the poverty trap.

5)Insufficient foreign aid.
Countries promised to provide aid to the poorest countries equal to 0.7& of their GNP. However, many countries are falling behind this goal, for example, US, which just spends 0.15% of its GNP on aid compared to the sizeable 4% of GNPit spends on its military. Foreign aid is necessary to provide the starting blocks from which countries can utilise aid to set the economic foundations of the country like that in Uganda which used to depend solely on foreign aid to set up its economy as it had no natural resources. Therefore, a shortage of aid means less resources to improve the economy to alleviate poverty, as such the poor remain poor.

6) Many of the poor are in Third World countries that are faced with a barrage of unpredictable disasters. These people survive mainly on agriculture and such disasters impose a heavy toll on them. They make heavy losses and take a long time to recover. Coupled with inefficient farming methods, some of them will sink down to abject poverty. To eke out a living based on the unpredictable means that their livelihood is not stable and secure, such that they even have trouble making ends meet. They remain poor as they are unable to eliminate the problems disasters cause them.
Solutions: Try to adopt measure that subject them to minimum impact of weather conditions. Also, set up disaster relief funds and come up with disaster plans so as to spur rapid economic recovery and resilience after a disaster.

7)Many Third World countries are finding difficulty trying to access to EU's and US's agricultural markets so that they can export and sell their produce to earn a living. The high import tariffs imposed on the goods makes gives them a competitive disadvantage. Moreover, farmers in these countries often receive hefty government subsidies to grow their goods as well, for example, cotton farmers. Such an economic setting serves to further disadvantage the poverty-ridden Third World countries. When farmers cannot sell their produce at a profitable price, they can only languish in poverty. Also when the country at a whole is not able to fare well economically, there are insufficient funds to alleviate the people from poverty as well.
SOLUTION: Rich countries remove import tariffs. However, this has shown not to be viable, as can be seen from the failed Doha Round of talks. An alternative could be to suggest to affluent countries to lower their tariffs in intervals and phase them out after some time. However, this solution might not work very well as rich countries still have their own national interests to protect so they might not be very willing to cooperate. Without the success of the trade talks, import tariffs remain high and poor people in ThirdWorld countries will not be able to export their goods. Their markets drastically decreaes and they remain poor.

The primary solution should be first to eliminate corrupt governance, or else the profits and funds garnered from the other solutions mentioned will not go to the intended target group which is the abject poor. After that, there can be focus on spurring economic activity within the country and to teach people proper technology so that they are able to increase productivity adn increase profits. There could also possibly be a larger market for export produce if the Western countries are able to cooperate and remove their export tariffs...

Public Policy

2006-05-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

Articles:
"Marshmallows and public policy- The Self-Control Test"-David Brooks - May 12, 2006
"Finding an acceptable balance"-Andy Ho May 11 2006

In the face rapid changes occurring in the world nowadays, the emphasis on values in society is gaining momentum and weight. Public policy makers are awakening to the need to balance economic and social policy to achieve the desired effects of policy making. Some important areas of consideration would be to address the problems of the co-existence of religion and state, and also to inculcate self-control in people so that they can become better citizens to contribute to the country beneficially.

Religion is an aspect that frequently clashes with public policy. In the recent controversy surrounding the release of the Da Vinci Code in Singapore, people are starting to question what it means to shape both religious identity and national identity simultaneously. The state should take this clash of beliefs seriously in making public policy. There were many past instances when there were differing view, once in 2001 about the stem cell and cloning debate, then there was the issue of gambling and casino debate. To achieve effective public policy making, the nation should be able to maintain a creative tension between moral judgment and political or national priorities. Sometimes there are clashes between economic requirements and religious beliefs so there is a need to achieve a delicate balance between the two. Ignoring either side might bring about repercussions.

The main thing about taking into consideration about cultivating self-control of the people is to inculcate in them a strong sense of self-discipline. This is advantageous to the state as people with self-discipline are usually more successful and are not a drain on state resources, so this measure effectively maximises the nation's human resource and is beneficial to the country. While pursuing a high quality education and to ace international grading exams on the level of proficiency in subjects, education systems should at the same time allocate some of its resources to cultivating this aspect of people. Public policy should take into account this aspect and accord required attention. In a classic experiment in 1970, psychologist Walter Mischel left a succession of 4-year-olds in a room witha bell and a marshmallow. If they rang the bell, he would come back and they could eat the marshmallow. But if they did not ring the bell and waited for him to return on his own, they could then have two marshmallows. Eventually, the children who waited longer went on to get into better colleges and earned higher incomes. On the flip side, the children who rang the bell quickest were more likely to become bullies and were more likely to have drug porblems at age 32.

In conclusion, public policy should achieve one main aim, which is to adequately balance state interests with personal beliefs. That is what concludes successful policy making.

population

2006-05-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

ARTICLES:
Who will feed the young? - 18/3/06
Japan's population may halve by 2100, says govt
Brake time for world's population

It has been said that taken as a whole, the problem with world population, usually manifested in the shortage of resources is not due to population growth as such but to the inequitable distribution of wealth and resources. What are your views?

There has been increasing pressure and strain on Mother Earth's resources and we often see it manifested in the form of erratic and severe weather conditions that inflict devastation on many areas worldwide. Analysts have attributed the recent shortage of resources to the population boom in the past few centuries. From one billion in 1820, it has soared to a whopping 6.3 billion today, a colossal increase in just a mere 200 over years. In my opinion, this unprecedented population growth has indeed created strains on the resources as with more people, it is natural that they need to use more energy, drink more water, and more resources will have to be consumed to meet the needs of the people. However, one should also not negate the possibility that the inequitable distribution of resources between affluent and penurious countries has translated the population growth to undue strain in the environment, especially for poor countries and on the citizens for industrialised nations.

P: Population growth strains world resources.
R: Rising human populations threaten our environment and prosperity. Rising populations increase energy use, combined with increased consumption, leads to rapid deforestation, land degradation, depletion of fisheries, and many more.
E: On average, each household in Britain produces one tonne of waste a year. Coupled with the fact that Britain has a population of 58.8 million, this means that in a year, Britain alone produces 58.8 million tonnes of waste a year. Moreover, there are 100s of countries all around the world and the people in these countries also produce a sizeable amount of waste yearly as well. The tremendous amount of waste generated from the large world population puts a tremendous strain on the environment. When the waste is incinerated, waste gases produced pollute the air, when rubbish is buried in landfills, many land areas cannot be utilised for other uses.
R: More people will inevitably cause more pollution as more factories have to be built to meet consumer demand, more waste gases produced, and there are some unethical companies also causing water pollution by dumping their industrial effluent indiscriminately. Many other kinds of pollution are likely to ensue as population grows.

P: Unequal distribution of resources causes problems with resources in poorer countries.
R:These countries are often poor and saddled with political rife and unrest. They have little resources except perhaps some natural resources like forests and land. However, these resources are also being quickly depleted. Because of the unequal distribution of resources, poor countries like Cuba with a low total fertility rate of 1.66, do not experience the similar economic prosperity as Denmark with a TFR of 1.7 =population is not the only issue affecting the resources and the quality of living of the people.
E: 17 countries that experience widespread instability and epidemics experience total fertility rates of 6 or higher. The great proportion of population growth that occurs in impoverished countries where the people experience a too mediocre standard of living that they even lack the basic impetus to protect the environment which is a transient issue to them. As most of these countries lack the ability to protect their environment, there can only be more strain on resources which will lead analysts to say that the problem with the resources is due to population growth which in actual fact, if richer countries were faced with this situation, they would be more likely to be able to cope better.

P: In richer countries, there is strain of resources as the greying population strains the countries' financial reserves.
R: More elder people, less younger people to make payments to sustain the social security system in countries. The inequitable distribution of the human resource, much more in poorer countries, and lesser in developed countries , contribute to this problem.
E: Japan, by 2100, the population may halve. The trend could severely hurt Japan's global competitiveness, result in tax shortfalls and an overburdened pension system. A declining population means lesser people to support the pension system and increasing strain on the working population which is a valuable human resource to Japan as well.

Comment

2006-04-29T05:21:00.000-07:00

http://happygolucky86.blogspot.com/2006/04/do-you-think-science-and-technology.html
Comprehensive and explores many different aspects.

I would like to raise some points. Sometimes, science and technology might have also negative tradeoffs, and this is especially true in the case of the environment. Although, science and technology can be used to invent technologies to combat such problems, the pace of research is simply too slow to bring about any significant improvement to the environment while at the same time, Man is utilizing technology(bulldozers, felling machines) to inflict harm on the environment at alarming rates.Forests the size of a football field are being cut down almost every minute, how fast can science and technology reinvent itself to save the environment from further devastation? Moreover, countries at the moment do not really have their priorities in such areas. Some large countries that are major environment polluters have even effected budget cuts to reduce overall environmental funding by 13 percent, so as to fund their other priorities. In cases like these, if in the first place there was no such technology, there would be no such means to destroy the environment and governments would not have to face the dilemma of deciding to spend more on less tangible issues like the environment and more pertinent issues like the economy.
It is true that science and technology has brought us much medical benefits but there also has to be stringent regulations to ensure that researchers do not breach ethics.
All in all, i agree with you that science and technology has indeed brought about more good than bad.

Geography(Environment)

2006-04-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

Discuss the causes of global warming,its consequences, the solutions and the problems that hinder the solutions attempted.

A biodiversity crisis, Hurricane Katrina's wake of destruction, China's severe floods, and many more climatic disasters foreshadow a serious global environmental crisis. Many environmental studies worldwide produce incriminating evidence that global warming is the main culprit behind these "mischief". Global warming is the heating up of the Earth that is caused by increased emission of heat trapping gases like carbon dioxide. The rising of global temperatures has dire repercussions for many, among them a stream of devastating natural disasters. Rising sea levels and melting ice caps threaten the very existence of low-lying countries. Many environmental activists and governments worldwide are increasingly concerned about the severity of the situation and have undertaken a few measures to combat global warming. The Kyoto Protocol is one of the most high profile initiatives mooted by the United Nations. There are also many informal conferences that have non-binding treaties to allow for flexibility.

Over the past few centuries, because of the Industrial Revolution, the way things work has changed tremendously. Great leaps in technology have brought with it the increased consumption of fossil fuels in factory production that drastically increase the amount of heat trapping gases in the atmosphere. Also, rising affluence in the world has seen the rapidly burgeoning rich and middle classes owning a large number of cars. The amount of carbon dioxide and other gases emitted from vehicle and factory exhaust are significant enough to exacerbate global warming. To aggravate the problem, Earth's very own carbon sinks-the trees are being depleted at an alarming rate. Forests the size of hundred football fields are being levelled daily. There is increasing production of carbon dioxide and a decreasing number of trees to remove the carbon dioxide produced. As a result, the Earth has been warming up considerably.

Consequences:
Melting Arctic and Greenland ice caps increase sea levels tremendously.
Rising sea levels, threatening low-lying countries like Singapore's existence.
The tiny pacific island nation of Tuvalu looks set to become a victim of global warming, with the entire country predicted to be washed away in 50 years
Global warming increase the spreading of pathogens
Many natural disasters claim many lives and cause significant property damage

Solutions:
Kyoto Protocol-sets legally binding targets for developd countries to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming by 2012. More than 140 countries have signed it.
Problem to solution: World's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, America, has refused to ratify the protocol, saying that such moves will impact the US economy negatively. Kyoto Protocol won't achieve much effect.
The Protocol only requires developed economies to sign it. As such, even if current environmental targets are applied, gas emissions will still grow by almost 50% during the next 2 decades. China is 2nd only the the US in its polluting activities and has to be included for the protocol to achieve its desired effect.

Protectionism-fear of the West towards the East

2006-04-14T05:04:00.000-07:00

"living in fear cripples nations"-22/3/06
"New globalisation debate threatens Asia"-12/4/06

With the rise of China and India, Asia on the whole is gaining an increasing share of world markets and trade. Many countries in the West are starting to feel that their supremacy and dominion in the world is being threatened and have started taking pre-emptive measures, particularly protectionism. Protectionism stifles growth and goes against the principle of fair competition and affects economic growth in especially Asia which has many poor nations that depend on revenue from exports. Countries implement such measures due to a rampant fear of losing jobs, brainpower and national security. Outsourcing and cross-border mergers are facing more resistance and opposition now than ever. Such measures might eventually stifle the rise of Asia and eventually, the development of the world economy and it will not bring about benefits for anybody.

Increasingly, there is a debate raging on about the benefits and wisdom of cross-border mergers and acquisitions versus the imperative of economic globalisation relentlessly pushing such restructuring in the name of productivity and cost-cutting. The Western states have started to feel pressure from Asia and have resorted to certain measures. For example, the China National Offshore Oil Corp(CNOOC) was not allowed to buy the oil company United and the purchase of US container ports by a Dubai-based organisation was busted. In my opinion, these stem from a fear of being overtaken and the increasing doubt that globalisation does not necessarily bring about benefits for everyone.However, these various moves augur bad for Asia which might find its way into the big league of multinationals blocked with obstacles. If Asia wants to continue growing rapidly so that the lives of millions can be improved, there is an urgent need to allay such fears of the West.

Also, protectionism will ultimately cause the decrease in global relations. Globalisation was intended to close the gap between nations, and even individuals all around the world. However, with increasing globalisation, there are increasing worries that the growth would only be concentrated in Asia and that the West would be increasing obsolete when they can't keep up with Asia's breakneck pace of growth. This augurs bad as a parallel can be drawn to a similar situation before World Wars I and II. There was a decrease in global relations thenwhen there was propensity to use economics as a tool of power politics, like when US tried to limit Japanese expansion in Asia by limiting Japan's energy imports. Increasing nervousness can only create more suspicion between countries and the worst possible scenario that could be happen is a war. The fear of being overtaken, the fear of national security being compromised by some Asian nation could very well create a cataclysmic mix. However, such scenarios might not happen if we take appropriate measures to allay such fears and suspicion. European nations and the US on their part could encourage more free trade without trade barriers and put more faith in cross-border acquisitions. Of course, with regard to deals that might affect national security as in the case of French telecommunications giant, Alcatel's bid fo Lucent, a US company that takes charge of intelligence-related issues, caution has to be exercised. In this case, even acquisition by a fellow Western counterpart faced opposition. Asian countries on their part, could help to improve confidence by being more transparent about their economies and also to have better human rights records.

Ultimately, we hope that globalisation can indeed deliver its promised returns.

Science and Technology

2006-04-08T06:24:00.000-07:00

Do you think science and technology has done more good than Bad? Consider all the aspects, from the inpact on daily life, on medical science(our health), on the environment, on ethics, on human nature, on the physical, mental and social and spiritual development of a human being.

sci n tech (as growth engine for farming),(env-come up wif clean tech to combat global env prob),(save lives through discovery of drugs-medical) BAD-allowed elderly woman to give birth n compromise rights of baby

In the wake of the South Korean stem cell debacle, the issue of whether science and technology has brought us more harm than good becomes more pertinent than ever. Such an incident might have marred the image of the scientific community and caused the morals of science to be undermined. However, this should not discount the innumerous benefits that science has brought. It is in my opinion that science has brought more good than harm in terms of helping to improve lives of farmers, to come up with green technology to combat global environmental problems, to save innumerable lives through the breakthrough discoveries of medicinal drugs as compared to the "misuse" of it to allow elder women to give birth.

Firstly, science and technology has empowered farmers in remote regions with advanced farming knowledge that would greatly increase their yields to improve their standards of living. In India, ITC has established 5500 "e-choupal" kiosks that allows farmers access to local weather conditions, soil-testing techniques and other expert knowledge that helps increase productivity through the use of the Internet. Moreover, farmers can even get the best price for their products as well as buy necessities at reasonable prices. In this aspect, science and technology has brought great benefits to the farmers of India because now they can grow better crops and sell their produce at better prices to improve their lives. Also, their markets are also greatly enlarged and they can bypass the middleman to earn more profits. Buying and selling is much easier now. Science and technology acts as an effective weapon against poverty as even poor farmers who had little knowledge of the farming techniques are able to utilise the Internet to improve their lives.

Secondly, science and technology facilitates the development of clean, green technology to combat climate change that will lead to drastic events in the world that will seek to threaten the very existence of mankind. Global climate change is a serious problem that may lead to the rising of sea levels that will sink numerous low-lying countries around the world. Rising temperatures will kill off many species of organisms globally. In order to prevent all these doomsday scenarios, we have to address the situation promptly. The Kyoto Protocol has been in place for many years to make countries reduce their carbon dioxide emissions but so far, many countries have failed to meet their required targets. Moreover, the United States(US), the largest emitter of carbon dioxide, has refused to ratify the protocol as it is not financially viable. There is little the protocol can actually do. As such, science and technology is necessary to invent new technologies that will help to mitigate the global climate problem. For example, more hydrogen fuel cars will help to reduce exhaust gas emissions from motor cars, more renewable energy sources like hydroelectric power can be used to replace conventional sources from fuels. All these will serve to reduce the strain on the environment and Earth's resources and benefit the world as a whole, showing that science and technology indeed brings about advantages to the vast majority of mankind.

Thirdly, science and technology has aided in the discovery of many medicinal drugs that have cured innumerous diseases that were once thought to be incurable. The discovery of penicillin has helped to treat many debilitating diseases, among them syphilis, and saved the lives of many. In this aspect, it is unrefutable that science and technology has brought many benefits to mankind. However, with the increasing focus on genetic forms of treatment nowadays, there have been serious concerns raised about the treatment of lab subjects and whether we are compromising the lives of embryos to do experiments just to save the majority of mankind. These are valid concerns, but they cannot discount the fact that science and technology has indeed saved many lives and will continue to do so in future, if and only if, the pace of research is not stifled. Of course, it is necessary that research occurs within stated ethical guidelines and does not endanger any lives in the process.

However, there could be misuse of science and technology which would bring harm to man. Such harm might not only be physical harm, as in the creation of weapons of destruction to kill people in wars, but also undermining of some ethical issues in society as well. In a recent case, Romanian professor Adriana Iliescu, who is 66 years old, gave birth to a baby, aided by the advanced technology of in-vitro fertilisation. Critics have protested against this as they say that this should not be the case as the child will have no one to protect her when the woman grows old. Science and technology has brought disadvantages because it allows such things to happen. The general consensus among critics would be that elder women should not be allowed to give birth as this is not normal. In my opinion, even though science and technology has allowed such things to happen, it is not the fault of the technology itself but how people has utilised it, as in the case of doctors and terrorists likewise. In this case of the Romanian professor, she is confident enough to care for her child appropriately so there is actually no harm in fulfilling her wish to have a baby through the use of technology.

In conclusion, science and technology has indeed brought about many benefits to mankind, in the aspects of farming, medicine and environment. Even though sometimes it is misused, the many feats that it has accomplished for mankind cannot be discounted in the light of these few errant situations. It is not too optimistic to expect that science and technology will continue to benefit mankind in the many years to come.

(ALTERNATIVE APPROACH: talk about one aspect every paragraph and then compare the good and bad parts of each aspect, eg. in farming, pesticides polluting environment vs its effects on increasing yield.)

Religious Freedom

2006-04-01T04:17:00.000-08:00

"At odds with modernity, and hindrance to growth" 30/3
"Afghan clerics demand death for convert" 25/3

The recent furore in Afghanistan over the release of Abdul Rahman, a Christian convert highlights the issue of religious freedom. In Islamic law, or syariah, converts are deemed to be apostates. In Afghanistan, this is a sin punishable by death. The constitution was rewritten in 2004, but the presence of such a law, seriously makes one doubt the credibility of the constitution because it infringes upon an inalienable human right, that is freedom of religion and thought etc. But let's not divert and discuss the problems with Afghanistan's new constitution here...

My point is that there is a fundamental difference in thinking between the West and the Islamic world. One difference that is most significant would be the value for tolerance. The very fact that Afghans are baying for Abdul Rahman's blood gives me the impression that they do not tolerate anything that breaches syariah. There can be no exceptions. In my opinions, apostates do not necessarily warrant death and also i think that the a person's rights to religious freedom outweighs the right to execute religious laws accordingly. This is because religion is supposed to cultivate the individual and impart correct values, and not to persecute and to annihilate. There could be some tolerance and flexibility on the side of the religion in this case.

What the West thinks might not be always applicable to Middle East countries, but there are some values that are universal. I think that protection of the rights of individual should be a top priority in every country regardless of their predominant religious practice or rules. In my opinoin, religions are espoused by their believers and flexible to changes and not a strict adherence or unquestioning obedience to laws in the religion itself.

Polygamy

2006-03-24T07:41:00.000-08:00

"Politics of modern polygamy in modern Russia" Mar 15, 2006
"Why monogamy favours men" Mar 15,2006

Polygamy is more pertinent to the Muslim population as it is part of their religious practice. Recent controversian changes to laws that have brought the issue of polygamy to the front would be the proposed amendment to the Syariah Law in Malaysia to make it easier for men to take more than one wife(polygamy). Moreover, Mr Nikolai Kurianovich, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, has just proposed a radical solution to the decline of the Russian population, which is also polygamy. This would also fit in with the Muslim tradition, as claimed by him. In my opinion, I think that polygamy should not be implemented, as the disadvantages outweigh the benefits.

First and foremost, polygamy undermines woman's rights. For centuries, men have been allowed to practise polygamy and to take several wives at once. This was especially widespread in ancient China, especially in the palace. The disadvantages of this would be that polygamy actually inflicts some form of emotional harm on the woman. She is forced to share her husband with other women and has to jostle for his affection with other women. In a way, it is like a controlled form of sexual promiscuity as well. If the husband is allowed to marry many wives, he would not value each wife as much and this is unfair for the woman as she has pledged her single-hearted devotion for life. Moreover, the other unfair aspect would be usually, only polygamy and not polyandry would be allowed. Women would be perceived to be the lesser gender as males would be allowed to take more than one wife but women not allowed to marry more than one husband. Women will not be given equal rights if polygamy is legalized.

Secondly, polygamy unleashes competitive forces. A more hypothetical argument would be that if men were allowed to practise polygamy, a proportion of males would take more than one wife and the rest of the marriages would be monogamous. The number of eligible women would actually be reduced and now there is an "excess supply of men". Many males would remain single and in fact, the birth rate might actually decrease instead of increase because of the decreased number of marriages due to the lack of eligible women. An example would be China. Because of their one-child policy, there is now an overwhelming large majority of males over females. Homosexuality is on the rise and many males are unable to get married at all because of the relatively smaller women population.

It follows from above that polygamy's competitive forces actually creates problems, even in animals. Polygamy reduces us to the similar status as that of animals. Historically, animals practise polygamy to ensure survival. Each male would have access to many females and this will facilitate the spreading of the species since the reproduction rate will be higher. However, males will constantly jostle and engage in fights so as to gain exclusive access to harems of females. An example would be the bull elephant seals. Natural selection favoured the larger bull elephant seal which would be able to outfight other males. However although this larger size gave males this advantage, it also caused them to become less mobile and more vulnerable to sharks and other predators. As such, polygamy would actually bring more harm than good because of the more intense competition for a smaller supply of females.

In view of all this, i feel that polygamy should not be implemented. We have advanced so much since historical times. Let us not lapse into our previous mistakes of viewing women in inferior ways and let men practise polygamy so has to further perpetuate thinking. Both women and men should have equal rights as both genders are able to make contributions to the society.

Do you think it is right to sideline the respect for a brain-dead person in order to prolong the lives of others?

2006-03-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

In my opinion, it is not right to sideline the respect of a brain-dead person in order to prolong the lives of others. However, the issue regarding HOTA here would be the personal initiative of a person to opt out of the scheme before he or she actually becomes brain-dead, if that day ever comes. There is a minority that are unfortunately already brain-dead when this scheme came into law, and certainly, i think that exceptions should be made for this group of people since they were not given prior notice. How is the person going to opt out of HOTA if he or she was already brain-dead when this was introduced? It would be highly uncompassionate to not make exceptions for this particular group of people.

A brain-dead person encompasses different dimensions of meaning for the doctor, the government and for the family themselves. To a doctor and to the government, the person could just be another source to obtain organs for transplant. The issue at stake here is who is more worthy of saving? Is it the brain-dead patient or the living person who is in dire need of an organ to continue living? To the general society, a brain-dead person is unable to make any contributions for the general good of the public, but a living person is able to, as such, the argument to 'sacrifice' the brain-dead person is more pertinent. However, if we were to practise such extreme utilitarian measures, it would be more of a case of the "ends justifies the means", and we wouldn't be much different from cold-blooded dictators then. To the family and the web of people around the person lying on the hospital bed, the very presence of the person would bring about hope and gratification to them and he means the world to them. If it were your family, wouldn't you have the selfish inclination to keep the person alive no matter what?

Moreover, there is no knowing where the organs go to. What if they are being transplanted to a wealthy but unscrupulous person who will bring more harm than good to the society? As Andy Ho mentions, "debts of gratitude obtain only between people with real connections", precious organs should not be given away indiscriminately and anonymously. This is a very significant issue.

Another worry is that some doctors have unethical medical practices and they might declare a person brain-dead prematurely just to obtain fiscal benefits from sale of the organs. This is a crucial issue and stringent guidelines and stiff penalties be set in place to try to stem out such unscrupulous behaviour.

It is impossible to come up with a way to please everybody. Even though I disagree that we should sideline the respect for a brain-dead person just to prolong the lives of others, i think that ultimately, the person involved should also be inclined to take on the responsibility to opt out of the scheme. However, the system should also allow donors to know who gets the organs and that such practice be monitored strictly. Also, there could be a window period of one year given after doctors declare the person brain-dead before extracting the organs for use. When the family is not given a choice, at least they have to be given time to accept the harsh facts. In conclusion, such an act is not morally abhorrent but there has to be several measures and guidelines put in place to ensure it is not abused and to make it more acceptable to the public.

Southeast Asia's political mayhem

2006-03-11T00:33:00.000-08:00

(Myanmar is also a country with a lack in political stability, in fact its military-run government has recently shifted its headquarters to a rural area, Aung San Suu Kyi still remains in detention, and a visit to Myanmar by ASEAN envoy Syed Hamid has been denied. All these has served only to isolate Myanmar further from the international community. In here, i shall only examine the more democratic systems of Philippines and Thailand.)

Referring to the recent upheavals in the Philippines and Thailand, we can see that South-east Asia is still relatively unstable politically. Both President Gloria Arroya and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra are facing an unprecedented backlash from the people, which has translated into mass protests and widespread social unrest in the country. Both leaders have brought the greatest economic growth to the country since their installation into office. Yet why has such a situation happened? Are the citizens too demanding of their leaders? Has corruption reared its ugly head? Is it allegiance to the West? Insensitivities towards needs of citizens? Misappropriation of funds??

In Thailand, the recent sale of telecommunications giant Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings is seen as a violation of national vital interests in the eyes of many Thais. They feel unsafe that such an important aspect should be internally controlled as telecommunications is an aspect of the country that is quite sensitive. Moreover, the Thaksin family structured their deal in a way that they avoided the taxes on profits from sales. The transaction even took place just one day after higher foreign shareholding ceilings in Thai companies were signed into law. This led people to think that Thaksin appeared to be placing the interests of his family and business cronies ahead of his conntry. Moreover, there is also a prevailing view among the opposition that he has manipulated the political system to his favour. Thaksin's administration was abused of abuse of power, corruption, nepotism. He was also criticised for his bid to place relatives in key positions in the country's security forces. At the moment, the opposition is boycotting the elections on April 2. But this would mean that even if Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party won, they would have won without competition and this would lead the public, especially the people in Bangkok(produces >65% of the countrys GDP), to seriously doubt the legitimacy of the candidates.

However, if Thaksin is simply overthrown without the elections, then Thailand would go back to the political uncertainty that it had suffered in the past decade, where there were 8 governments in total, even one installed by a military coup, before Thaksin came into office. All the hard work trying to institutionalize democracy would have been in vain. The political future of Thailand looks grim.

In the case of President Arroyo, she has been accused of corruption. Moreover, her recently installed curfew of one week to quell the rising unrest has even been viewed as a futile attempt to consolidate her hold on power. Her win in the elections last year was claimed to be a fraud. There are also many corruption scandals facing her and her family.

Political instability has serious repercussions for the country. Net foreign direct investment will be affected adversely and the people will eventually suffer as a result. Moreover, the reputation of the country is also affected. In the case of Philippines, the confidence of lending agencies is also affected.

In view of all these, it can be seen that transparency in the government is very important. Also, education of the people is also crucial to ensure that they are able to make critical judgments of the government and resort to peaceful means to effect a change in ruling. Political unrest ultimately brings benefits to no one and it will only be a vicious cycle, eg. 2 Filipino presidents in the past were brought down by mass protests.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/07/13/news/phils.php
Pressure mounts against Arroyo - july 14,2005 (International Herald Tribune, Carlos H. Conde)
"Will Thaksin survive biggest political storm?" 11/3/06 Leslie Lopez (ST)

Police informing parents of teens below 17 who stay on streets after 11 pm

2006-03-03T06:38:00.000-08:00

Personally, I agree to a large extent that this should be implemented. However, there should be due consideration and special care allocated to a select group of youths who grow up in problematic homes.

Firstly, this is able to get potential victims of crimes out of the way or prevent potential crimes from happening. Police will only inform the parents if the youths are loitering in a secluded area or one which has seen a spate of crime. This move is inspired by the recent 20% rise in youth crime rate last year. Youths account for 22% of the total number of arrests last year even though they constitute only 15% of the population. Many were arrested for fighting with their peers in void decks, lift landings etc, usually in the wee hours of the night. By keeping teens at home during this period of time, it is indirectly contributing to the reducing of the incidences of these crimes happening.

Secondly, this move also has an advantage as it is able to identify youths that have problematic family backgrounds. Youths who loiter around at night could be runaways from their own home, and with probing by the police, they could be appropriately referred to family service centres which would provide assistance for them. Finding out such cases early would help the development of the youths' psychological dimension and help to alleviate or put a stop to the hurt suffered by coming from a family plagued by problems. The US police put up a shelter for some teens when no family member comes to bring them home. This aids in identifying such problematic cases earlier and is beneficial to the youths.

Thirdly, this makes streets at night safer. Many wayward youths loiter around at night and are susceptible to joining gangs or participating in gang fights. People on the streets at night might face threats of fights from gangs or groups of youths. However, youths argue that it is a restriction of their freedom and it makes them feel that they are looked upon as being immature enough to make informed decisions and to realise the consequences. Moreover, they think that it would probably cause them to lose their trust with their parents when they are found walking on the streets for only a short while when they told their parents that they are studying. After parents are notified by the police, there could be a possible strain in relationship as the parents might become too dictative over their children. But if there is a strong relationship in the first place, parents are likely to know the temperament of their children well and this measure will not affect the measure of trust they have in their children. It also helps parents to identify lying, in some cases, so that they can take measures to encourage greater communication with their children. Moreover, youths can also schedule their activities to earlier parts of the day as well. Such a measure is also not as strict as the curfew imposed in America, so the situation might not be that serious as youths picture it to be.

It is unsure that this message will effectively reduce youth crime rate as the statistics might take a few years to show up any change in crime rate. However, it is a commendable attempt to stem the increasing crime rate. As society gets more open, the idea of freedom is becoming more widely accepted. Imposing such a measure would inadvertently draw protests and criticism. However, in the light of incriminating statistics that youth crime rate is on the rise and getting serious, something has to be done. The duty to maintain social order in this case outweighs the individual's right to personal freedom.

In conclusion, I think that such a measure is beneficial to a large extent. As they always say, "Prevention is better than cure", moreover, a prison record is jarring to one's life. As such, we should put in our best to prevent our youths from taking the wrong paths.

"Do you know where your kids are?" Andy Ho,2/3/06
"Police act to keep teens off streets after 11pm" 16/2/06
"Move to stop teens from loitering 'not a curfew'"

Censorship

2006-02-24T08:43:00.000-08:00

We often see censorship in many aspects of our daily lives. There is censorship in movies, censorship in speech and publications, even censorship in schools. Is censorship actually necessary? Can we do without it?

Basically, censorship is actually an integral aspect of a policy to maintain harmony among people of different people. What is deemed acceptable to one group of people might seem derogatory or blasphemous to another. Simply saying, "one man's meat is another man's poison". In the most recent case involving a clash of civilizations between the West and the Islamic world, we can imagine the positive implications if the Jyllands-Posten itself had chosen to censor the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad at its own discretion. Such an uproar wouldn't have been induced and many innocent people wouldn't have died in the unrest that ensued in many Islamic countries. Such a conflict actually reveals the lack of sensitivity in the West towards Islamic countries and is a valuable lesson learnt for many and it actually showcases the need for censorship in this case. In my opinion, as religion is central to these people, we should try to balance absolute freedom of speech with censorship as a show of respect and understanding. In Singapore, theatre and even blogs are censored, so as to prevent offending any particular group and to maintain harmony. Vadi PVSS's 2004 play, Shanmugam-The Keling Kia Trilogy, was changed to Shanmugam;The Kalinga Trilogy as the phrase "keling kia" is a Hokkien derogatory phrase after some members of the Indian community took issue with it. People are still not mature enough to see beyond the literal meaning of words and comments, as such, a certain extent of censorship is necessary to prevent disharmony as people are easily incensed by discriminatory comments eg. racial comments in blogs. 2 bloggers were charged under the Sedition Act for writing such comments. Censorship must be coupled with education so as to influence the thinking of people in a positive manner. Implementing censorship on its own will only create underlying tensions. Censorship in Singapore might be too stringent, some might say, but until people are able to accept jokes about themselves in a good way, unbridled freedom of speech might result in the proliferation of hate speech with disrupts harmony.

Censorship exists so as to protect people from being exposed to vices. Such censorship is especially pertinent to children. Parents hope that their children are not imbued with wrong values from young, as such, there is much censorship in television programmes and movies that youths and children are in contact with. These years are the crucial formative years of their mindsets, as such, it is important that they learn the correct values. If movies and television programmes were not censored, our young people would be constantly plagued by images of violence and nudity, these being censored currently, what kinds of values and ideas would they form? It can be argued that the majority of the people are able to think rationally, but we should take into consideration the fact that a few black sheep can topple the peace and harmony in society. An example would be the gun shooting in Columbine High School in America. Constant exposure to violence and the easy availability of guns both contributed to this tragic incident. Social stability is crucial to every society and it is imperative to maintain it. Moreover, the young children of today are the leaders of the country tomorrow, if they do not have correct values, how can we expect them to lead the country to success in future?

Finally, i think that censorship is necessary to prevent unscrupulous people from indoctrinating people with hate speech aimed at disrupting the harmony in society just so that they can achieve their own selfish agenda. Terrorists use the Internet to publicize their cause. If there is no attempt to censor this, they can easily garner a large base of supporters to carry out killing missions. Many innocent lives will be lost.

However, where do we draw the line between restraint and running away from diffcult realities? Self-censorship might lead to a growing opacity between the different communities in a society. As such, we should constantly take note of trends and modify the standards of censorship to suit current situations. Discussions involving contradicting views won't disrupt harmony if the form of speech is carefully regulated and people are able to take criticism in their stride. Singapore organises many meetings between religious groups so as to facilitate understanding. Saying everything out might help to breed understanding but we must be careful that what we articulate is based on facts and not personal prejudices.

Ultimately, we aim to remove censorship completely when society is mature enough to think rationally. But until then, censorship is the best form of protection against disharmony and misunderstanding.

"Let's talk about racial differences" 24/2/06
"European Media vs Muslim World" 3/2/06
"Blogging: Whose business is it anyway?" 30/4/06

T!W7 task 5 freedom of speech

2006-02-17T07:58:00.000-08:00

“How far should an individual be allowed to exercise his freedom of speech?”

“One man's cartoon can be another man's crime.” All along, most democracies have repeatedly asserted their right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression as part of their guiding principles in society as epitomized by Denmark's Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, statement that 'Of course the principle of freedom of expression is the most important principle for us. This is our priority number one.’ There should be a limit to an individual should be allowed to exercise his freedom of speech so as to ensure that this freedom of speech does not affect others adversely.

Moreover, freedom of speech is widely accepted as a basic right of individuals and countries likewise. As such, we should allow people to make a reasonable amount of criticism against unfair practices. It is also one of the guiding principles of democracy. In many European countries, freedom of speech is highly regarded. Also, there is constant feedback from the people for different policies so that they can be improved to benefit people further.

Freedom of speech generally promotes plurality and diversity of opinions in a society. By imposing restrictions on speech, a system of oppression is essentially created. This is not conducive for advancement of society. To encourage a diversity of opinions in society is also a step towards minimizing discontentment in society. Underlying tensions might build up and cause disastrous effects if freedom of speech is overtly restricted and the government and general public is unaware of problems that they need to set right. Only with the freedom of speech to speak up against unfavourable current policies or situations can there be hope of improvement.

Freedom of speech gives people and organizations the support required for exposing misdoings and this is desirable. The basic principle of freedom of speech in democracies protects individuals and organizations who ‘blow the whistle’ on unjust practices carried out by higher authority. In this aspect, freedom of speech is essential for providing people with the courage to spill the beans so as to refine existing practices or eliminate unjust practices for the advancement of society. For example, if there was no freedom of speech, Newsweek, an American magazine, would not have been able to expose to the world the humiliating torture of Iraqi prisoners by the American army without facing persecution. The publication led to the subsequent censure of the Army and further investigations to stop such barbaric behaviour.

However, too excessive freedom might bring about repercussions. As such, freedom of speech should be curtailed when it has negative effects on groups of people or countries. In this increasingly globalized world, there is rapid transfer and exchange of ideas. We should be more sensitive to areas of speech that might insult other people’s beliefs, and in the case of the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad, blasphemy to a religion, Islam, as what we say can have a wide impact. What is acceptable by Western standards might be contentious in the Muslim world. The problem with the cartoons are that not only do they go against Muslim law that disallows the prophet to be depicted, but they even depict the Prophet, a sacred figure Islam, as a terrorist. To the Muslims, it is seen as a trampling on their beliefs and their rights as in a way, they think that they are being viewed as 2nd-class and not respected in the European society. As such, this has resulted in a violent upheaval in numerous countries, Danish goods being boycotted and Danes in Muslim countries receiving death threats.

The Danish cartoons incident serves not only as a grim reminder of the lack of understanding between the Western world and the Islamic religion but also of the urgent need for every individual to exercise caution in his speech and be sensitive to others’ feelings.

MOBLOG Entry....

2006-02-14T05:27:00.000-08:00

PSC Scholar ship Application Essay: “Please tell us about the activities and interests which you believe best represent the values and beliefs you hold strongly to.”

OR Choice of 1 question from the US University Joint Application form
1) Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or thical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
2) Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
3) Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
4) Describe a character in fiction, an historical figure, or a creative work(as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
5) A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given you personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
6) Topic of your choice.

Abortion

2006-02-04T06:09:00.000-08:00

My personal opinion is that abortion of babies with disabilities should be of the choice of the parents. In my belief, it is useless to coerce a person into a certain action if the person himself is not a willing party. It is meaningless for a couple to continue with the pregnancy and give birth to the child in the end if they do not want to take care of the child and shower love on the child. In the end, it brings burden on the parents and personal misery on the child.

As Teo states, children with disabilities are a financial and emotional burden on the family. I do agree that such children would require special care and attention and accordingly, the costs of raising the child would also be higher. However, to take such a stand as the author, "It made me wonder why anyone would make a decision to carry such a pregnancy through"(last sentence), is seemingly too dismissive of the child's right to live despite disabilities. Such special attention could be a burden to some but it could also be a sacrifice that loving parents are willing to give for their children. It is definitely welcome if parents are willing to shower love on their disabled children and enjoy the process of bringing them up but we should be equally sympathetic of parents who choose to abort such children. Firstly, people often argue that organisations and the government itself will provide financial help and support, but are they able to provide 24-hour non-stop commitment to aid in the healthy growth of the child? Ultimately, it all boils down to the willingness of the parent to shoulder the responsibility willingly. It would be a tragedy if the child is abused and used as a tool for venting one's temper on if the parents are forced to carry on with the delivery.

Both Seto and Ser think that every foetus is a person and that we should not discriminate against foetuses with disabilities.

As John Stott, a famous theologian, once put it, 'the foetus is not a growth in the mother's body (which can be removed as readily as her tonsils or appendix), nor even a potential human being, but a human life who, though not yet mature, has the potentiality to grow into the fullness of the humanity he already possesses'. (paragraph 6 from Seto Hann Hoi)

Such a statement is usually a guiding principle behind the arguments of anti-abortion advocates. Moreover, many religions believe that 'ensoulment' begins from the moment of conception. So abortion is actually a form of murder, an act of violence and evil against a fellow human being. Abortion is a gruesome procedure which is revolting to many but this should not be the only reason why it is condemned. Americans introduced lethal injection so that the person who is killed does not appear in pain and evoke the sympathies and protests of the majority of the Americans. But it is equally tormenting, rupturing the lungs of the prisoner and causing the prisoner to die without expressing pain(because some chemical numbs all expression). It is important to just realise that it is inherently wrong to carry out abortion not because it is disgusting(as would the reactions of some people be when they see videos on abortion procedures).

I do agree with Ser that "[how] disabled a person is depends on how responsive the environ-ment is towards his needs too." On this note, governments should do more to strengthen their infrastructure to make their environment disabled-friendly as well. With the provision of more emotional and financial support and improvement of infrastructure, then will the argument that children with disabilities should not be aborted have a stronger basis.

Although abortion is a morally abhorrent option, sometimes it is necessary. However, instead of imposing strict regulations against abortion, let the misery suffered after abortion be a form of retribution to those who make rash decisions and view abortion as a solution to any problems.

The following statistics explores post-abortion mentalities of women in general: Even some post-abortion women who became pregnant as a result of rape or incest report that the abortion made them feel further violated. Of the other 99% of post-abortion women, many report that instead of feeling free or happy after the abortion, they feel burdened with guilt and loss.

The whopping 99% of these women show that abortion in fact brings serious moral repercussions for them later on, so it is a form of punishment in itself. However, the harm to the baby has already been done, advocates of anti-abortion laws may argue. What i think is, in time to come, more people will realise the demerits of abortion, and not as an easy solution to end unwanted pregnancies. Through understanding the harrowing experiences of others, our society will mature at the same time. Also, medical science advancements will further help to salvage situations. Maybe with the increased focus on therapeutic cloning and stem-cell research, disabilities could even be cured before the baby is delivered. The after-effects of abortion are usually very tormenting for the people involved as well, so we should not adopt a stand that condems all of them. Let us not condemn people based on our own strong personal opinion.

Korean stem cell debacle

2006-01-26T06:20:00.000-08:00

In December 2005, a series of startling revelations about the fabricating of research results by internationally-acclaimed South Korean scientist Hwang Woo Suk, plunged the scientific community and South Korea into shock. His research paper that was published in the prestigious Science magazine, claimed that he was able to produce patient-specific embryonic stem cell lines that would provide potential cures for currently incurable diseases like cancer. The publication propelled him to instant international fame and he was regarded as a national hero of South Korea, being termed as 'supreme scientist' and the 'pride of Korea'. However, with these revelations, serious repercussions have followed.

The image of South Korea as a leader in scientific stem cell research has been tarnished and South Korean scientists are now regarded with suspicion in the scientific community. Credibility of the South Korean goverment's science programmes will be seriously questioned. Moreover, the national image of South Korea is also affected as it had hailed an undeserving person as a national hero. This is representative of the lack of discern of the Korean government. The entire debacle also throws South Korean's 'hurry-up culture' into the limelight. Desire for instant results and fame could have prompted Prof Hwang to falsify research. This whole incident is a also a sharp setback for therapeutic cloning, meaning that the entire process of finding cures for incurable diseases is going to take even longer.

The wider issue at hand is to examine the causes for this incident and the probability of it happening in Singapore.

Firstly, research fraud could occur due to the fervent drive to be No. 1. In the highly competitive world where scientists worldwide are working feverishly to come up with a groundbreaking research, the drive to succeed and attain international fame may sometimes trump scientific integrity.

Social culture is also an important issue. In South Korea, there is unquestioned adherence to authority. In the 7 Jan 2006 article "S. Korean graduate students just can't say no", it states that "Blindly obeying lordly professors is seen as the surest way to success" and that Mr Kim Sun Jong, a former researcher at prof Hwang's lab revealed that he obeyed the professor's order to fabricate data for a paper on the designer stem cells published in Science in May 2005. The general culture is that challenging bosses is uncommon and failing to bow to superiors invites reproach. Such a culture of "obedience" is definitely not the way to encourage the healthy social growth of society. In this case, society is becoming increasingly 'closed'. Unwillingness to challenge authority would eventually lead to a stifling of ideas and the prevalence of unwelcome practices by unreasonable bosses.

Research fraud could also occur due to economic gains. Fabricating results to get increased government grants could be a lucrative way to boost one's income as well. Prof Hwang received US$65 million in grants. There were previous cases of research fraud as well. In 2005, nutrition researcher, Eric Poehlman, formerly of the University of Vermont College of Medicine, pleaded guilty to fraud in obtaining a federal grant for US$542,000. He made up research between 1992 and 2000 to win millions of dollars in federal grant money for studies in such areas as menopause, ageing and hormone supplements.

To liken the situation of the stem-cell debacle to the NKF saga, we can find some similarities. Through the misuse of public trust, clever politics, and deliberate misinformation, these 2 incidents were allowed to take place and to "create a "perfect storm" able to wreck any external oversight system imposed". (Dec 30:Korean stem cell debacle, can it happen in Singapore?) This might not happen in Singapore. Some reasons are that the Singapore government had already published guidelines in 2002 on the regulation of stem cell research, reproductive and therapeutic cloning. Reproductive cloning is banned, and paying for donors is strictly prohibited, while this was only banned in 2004 in South Korea. The prefixed set of stringent guidelines would be an efficient curb to research fraud. Secondly, A*Star, the major funding agency for biomedical reserach today, has strict systems for the monitoring of grant moneys as such, the likelihood of misuse of grants is quite low. At the moment, Singapore is also aiming to develop a culture of scientific integritiy in its next generation of scientists. Singapore also uses foreign scientists extensively and thus the issue of fierce national pride as in South Korea, is probably not a problem here.

Both the NKF saga and the Korean stem cell debacle were busted by whistle-blowers. This shows that individuals can make significant contributions to society as well and that their power should not be underestimated. However, there are currently no laws to protect whistle-blowers. How are we going to ensure that more of such undesirable incidents are revealed if the message we send to whistle-blowers is that they would face serious repercussions? In my opinion, protection laws for these group of people should be put in place, to encourage them to reveal unfair practices, and to keep a stronger surveillance over their superiors and organisations. Regulation by government agencies is insufficient, we need the cooperation of the masses to act as eyes and ears of the government as well. Only then, can we be assured that organisations and individuals likewise would do their utmost best to uphold the integrity of their occupations, be it in the field of science and technology or otherwise.

Let leaders come off the pedestal

2006-01-21T03:51:00.000-08:00

1) I perceive Singapore's society to resemble Asian societies more.

As mentioned in the passage, Asians tend to prefer to follow their leaders rather than take the initiative to assume leadership; as a result, they expect their leaders to be perfect which is unrealistic in actual fact. Most Singaporeans are a conservative people and they tend to be less forgiving towards actions that conflict with their ideas of a proper moral code of conduct. In the NCMP Steve Chia's incident in 2004, he was publicly chastised for taking nude photographs of his maid at his home. Even though he claims that this is an expression of art, this incident still caused a furor and a political backlash. There were even calls for him to be stripped from office. His reputation was severely tarnished. If the same incident was to take place in a more liberalized Western society where people are more open to this kind of artistic expression, I am pretty sure that it would not have entailed such serious repercussions.

Another point raised is that Asians are more inclined to think that everything the boss says is right and less inclined to contradict him. This is also quite prevalent in Singapore. Some Singaporeans place too heavy a trust on the government, so much so that they lose their sense of scepticism and doubt. In the recent Northstar V exercise, PM Lee highlighted that a particular citizen was very relaxed about the issue of terrorism coming to Singapore as he had complete faith in the government to properly handle the situation. Such subservient thinking is definitely a situation of being too trustful and lazy to step out of his comfort zone. Moreover, Singaporeans are not being supported to challenge authority as well. There are no laws to protect whistle blowers at the moment and they face serious consequences if found out by their superiors. An example is the NKF saga. 3 people who blew the whistle on NKF were sued and had to pay defamation charges while the actual culprit, the board of NKF got away scot-free. This will only further serve to encourage Singaporeans to blindly follow authority so as to avoid persecution. In Western societies, there is more freedom and people dare to expose the wrongdoings of the relevant authority in power e.g. exposing pictures showing the American army torturing Iraqis prisoners by Newsweek without fear of being sued by the Federal Government.

2) I do not agree with this proposal.

When we give authority to a person we elect to be leader, he is expected to fulfill this duties and responsibilities and at the same time, meet up to certain of the population’s expectations. We ourselves should not demand unrealistically high standards on our leaders too, like expecting them never to err. It is harder for people without authority to exercise much leadership because of the lack of political clout and influence. It is also true that having leadership skills is a prerequisite to official rank and appointment so it is quite difficult to separate leadership from official rank and appointment.

In the passage, Professor Heifetz suggests that MPs are only like authority figures and not necessarily leaders and we should not coerce them to live by impossible standards. However, the passage mentions that the width of pedestals can be adjusted and this means that our standards are already becoming more flexible. Thus, it is the duty of an authority figure to conduct himself with morally acceptable standards. Of course, we must also learn to appreciate authority figures based on their leadership abilities and not their private lives. It is imperative for a proper balance to be achieved and not a separation of authority from leadership.

French Racial Riots

2006-01-07T04:17:00.000-08:00

There have been a violent spate of riots in France in recent times, starting around the end of last year. The riots were triggered by the deaths of two youths of African descent . The two youths were troublemakers in Clichy-sous-Bois. They were pursued by policemen and accidentally electrocuted to death while hiding in a power station. Cars have been set alight every night and much instability has been brought to the country itself. Although the riots have mainly happened around Paris suburbs that are mostly ethnic ghettoes, they underline a fundamental problem in France's immigration policy.

Firstly, as from what I've read, the French hope to create a common French identity in everyone residing in France. In short, it means that there can only be one culture, and that is the French culture. However, immigrants would cherish the unique characteristics of their country of origin, so they would also seek to pass down some cultures and customs. This is also a reason why they are not very able to fit in with the French mainstream society. They do feel marginalised, and this leads to the formation of ethnic ghettoes which make them further segregated from the French society.

Secondly, not everyone is given equal opportunities, especially the immigrants. They tend to face more discrimination. Unemployment in these ethnic conclaves can reach as high as 10%. The youth dropout rate of school is also very high. These youths turn out to be vagabonds, roaming the streets at night and creating trouble. Without proper jobs and proper education, these immigrants will always be trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, which will lead to further social segregation and inequality in the country.

Thirdly, France has a very comprehensive social welfare system. Unemployment benefits are given out to people and this greatly reduces their incentive to work for a living. Without a job, some of the unemployed have a lot of free time and they would tend to create trouble.

The solutions are not easy. France has to come up with a policy that would ensure that the rights of all immigrants are protected. Moreover, they have to feel a sense of belonging to France which is not really in existent at the moment. The social welfare system could be modified in such a way to encourage a two-tiered approach among the people and the government to motivate the citizens to be self-sufficient eg. in Singapore, government bodies help people to find jobs instead of giving out unemployment benefits. Finally, "It might be time for some positive discrimination" as mentioned by French President Jacques Chirac. Immigrants could be given certain incentives like subsidised education so that their status in society can be elevated. Moreover, they will be able to break out of their poverty cycle and be better off financially. When people have a higher standard of living, they would be less inclined to indulge in violence and troublemaking.

In conclusion, the French racial riots represents a dormant problem in European society. The tricky problem of tackling immigrants cannot be resolved overnight. Moreover, the fact that such riots also occur in other EU nations eg. Britian, underscores the urgent need for action. Such inequality and unrest could be a potential breeding ground for terrorists as well. This problem, if left untouched, could fester and will eventually affect the stability of the country as a whole. Therefore, it is a pressing imperative for the different governments to formulate suitable policies to bridge the inequalities in the society.

Gold Wrapping Paper

2005-12-23T21:38:00.000-08:00

This is a story i received in an email...a story by someone called sarah(someone i do not know...)
Think it is a meaningful story..

" I received this from a friend who had a choice to make. It said that I had a choice to make too. I've chosen. Now it's your turn to choose.

The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her 5 year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child usedthe gold paper to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the next morning and said, "This is for you, Momma."The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty.She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner. "Don't you know,young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?"She had tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Momma, it's not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full."The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl, and she begged her forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later,and It is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed forall the years of her life. Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems, she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, have been givena Golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family,friends and GOD.
There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.You now have two choices:
1. Pass this on to your friends OR
2. Delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart.
As you can see, I took choice No. 1.

Friends are like angels who lift us to our feet, when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.If you receive this more than once in return just know that your friends have also thought of you. "

2005-a year to remember

2005-12-14T22:52:00.000-08:00

Throughout the entire year, my greatest lesson is that of working hard and playing hard. When I was in secondary school, I placed much emphasis on academic performance and studies, as the saying goes, “Too much work makes Jack a dull boy”, but in this case, I’m not really what you would call a boy. However, when I came to AJC this year, I found that my classmates are really a fun-loving and amiable group of people. I have learnt to be more vocal and friendly as a result and somehow, I feel that the exposure that I have been getting in AJC has created a profound effect on me. I cannot really articulate optimally what I feel in words, but simply saying, it has been an enjoyable year.

Of course, during the course of this year, there have been hiccups and unhappiness arising from different sources. Through facing obstacles valiantly and overcoming them can one ever hope to truly be more experienced and confident. In the course of everyone’s life, a myriad of events will occur. Not every incident is smooth and to one’s wishes. Being averse to challenges in life only serves to narrow one’s experiences and growing up in a protected environment only results in lower self-esteem when facing external pressures. In a sense, the variety of exposure in AJC has given me considerable experience and confidence in undertaking tomorrow’s challenges, whatever they may be.

Firstly, it was the first time I attempted to take up leadership positions in class and in CCAs and other activities. Being in the House and CCA committee is actually a very stressful affair and not as enjoyable as I envisioned it to be. Indeed, responsibilities increase when one takes on more roles. Sometimes I do feel that I cannot cope but I’m trying my best to manage. I realize that being able to put in one’s best foot for everything and excelling at them is actually very daunting. Indeed, it’s the survival of the fittest. I really hope that being exposed to such stress is actually helpful for life in the working society in the future…

In this year, I’ve learnt to talk and communicate with more people. In a way, it is like a turning point in my life as all along I have preferred to indulge myself in solitude and accomplishing things independently. Maybe I might have had an attitude problem previously, but sometimes, it is simply a case of feeling misfit and unable to merge in with the crowd. Through joking and playing around with my classmates, I suddenly realize that talking is actually an enjoyable activity. Of course, it is highly dependable on the person you are actually communicating with. But sometimes, it can get very addictive too. There seems to be a flipside to everything in life.

This year, I’ve also learnt to make myself happy. Sometimes, one should be just contented with simple things in life and laugh off any unhappiness. Quoting Chicken Little, “Every day is a new day”, I think that one should learn to get on with life and not brood over depressing issues. Although it is a tortuous affair, but ultimately, it is a test of how strong a person’s character is. And finally, I’ve learnt to weigh my thoughts carefully before deciding on my course of action because regret is a painful word.

I have made a lot of valuable friendships this year and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has brightened up my life and made it different! Hope that next year is a better year!

activites n interests

2005-11-30T13:40:00.000-08:00

“In no more than 500 words, tell me about the activities and interests which you believe best represent the values and beliefs you hold strongly to.”

I have an avid interest in music. I believe music helps one to relax and cultivate interest in the arts. A pursue of the arts, in turn, would assist in the holistic development of the person as a whole. The type of music I prefer is instrumental and soothing. Of course, I do listen to the more popular songs today as well. However, I feel that even listening to such songs involve a certain sense of discerning. Some lyrics can convey wrong concepts like violence. Instrumental music, more commonly known as mood music, on the other hand, does not involve any lyrics. Feelings and emotions are conveyed to the listener purely by the tone, volume and tempo of the music. It involves a lot more skill in appreciating and understanding. In a sense, music is very meaningful to me because it allows me to appreciate simple things in life and to decipher unspoken messages in the music itself. I learn to be patient and calm through the listening and playing of music. I have been playing the piano for many years. It is a skill as well as a hobby. The ability to create music is an empowerment. I am learning the guitar at the moment. I hope that one day, I will be able to compose my own songs. It is the hope of every musician to do so. Composing songs, in my opinion, is an implicit and subtle way of expressing oneself. It also allows one to find one’s identity in music itself.

Watching television seems like a mundane pastime. However, the type of shows one views occasionally reflects one’s innate character. I like watching cartoons. They portray a guileless vista of the world. Most cartoons feature a myriad of characters that do not exist in the real world. Some of these characters have superpowers and exhibit laudable qualities like honesty, integrity, chivalry. Such qualities seldom appear in the fast-paced modern world nowadays where it is ‘each for his own’. In a sense, cartoons bring out the inner child in me and I enjoy immersing myself in a make-believe world where the good prevails and humanity is intrinsically good.

Meditation is an area that I would like to explore when I have the time. Meditation helps to calm the soul and to relieve stress. I believe that by meditation, one will be able to reflect effectively on one’s wrongdoings and change to be a better person. It also helps people to control their impulses by cultivating a sense of self-control and discipline within them.

In my opinion, pursuing suitable activities that concur with one’s values will help to enhance one’s spiritual being, helping one to be a better person. Of course, the prerequisite for this is to have morally correct values. Having strong beliefs in oneself assists one in working towards and realizing one’s dreams.

(477 words)