Day 1- eoys

The English examinations for Paper 1 and 2 are officially over, that is, the compos and compres. Exceptionally okay, it went pretty well. A little more nervous about the odious topic of science though. And if you are wondering why I am actually posting during the examinations, it's just a simple way to distress after day of examinations, probably a way to ease the load before a 3 h mugging session. For letter writing, the task of writing to the director of an old folks home wasn't much of a tall task. I think I manage to encapsulate all I needed to score well. I think. Talking and elaborating about the experience gained from the elderly and such... Pretty smooth so far. Then six topics to chose from for the narrative, a large spread of topics. But the pay-off iis that 3 of them are of one category and so are the other 3. Decided between either, then went on to write a story about how me and my buddy Tom (so cliche) running away from this bully, Timothy(Spare me, says the teacher), until we have to hop into this raging river, or dangerous waters, as the introductory sentence of the topic put it. That was a little dicey, 'cause I regrettably haven't written a lot of essays like this one, so the vocab bank was slowly running dry. Hey, one hour to write a narrative? I did all I could.
A short 20 minutes break later, and it was time to take down the comprehension. Personally, I feared the summary a little more, but fortunately for me, it was manageable. Simple farmland story, questions questions, summary, then 15 minutes of blank staring. Nothing I couldn't handle. One thing though. Never really bothered to read the instructions, so instead of leaving 3 lines in between each question I went along with the usual one. Initially wanted to re-copy everything, but with 15 minutes left breathing down my neck, you know, just thought to myself heck with it. Hope nothing goes wrong there.
So, tomorrow, the 9th, time for science. Hopefully I can sneak in an A1. Toodle doo.

Mousehunt

Recently, for our principal dialogue session, we had discussed the regulation of facebook, but particularly the passive game Mousehunt. For the paltry minority who don't know, its basically a passive game where you get to "sound the hunters horn every 15 minutes", before one of the following consequences appear in your "hunter's journal" (an account of your every action, such as mice caught) : You've caught a mouse./Your cheese has gone stale./You were pillaged by the mouse.
Although I myself do not understand the allure of getting oneselves hands on a rodent, I am sad to say I have the title of Grandmaster. It's pretty funny to find yourself an exceptionally good player at something you don't quite understand yourself. Is it the user-friendly interface? The self-achievement one gets from that four-limb animal that we call in reality a pest? Or simply the peer pressure? Of course, I'm no addict. To me, it's just some trend that will blow over from time to come (I hope). Probably,in the near future, comments like "Mousehunt is damn lame leh" or Mousehunt nia!"(for my class only) would be incessantly rained down by classmates on the unsuspecting hunter who audibly, and proudly announced his newly caught mouse. Fingers crossed of course, because its fan base is growing to epic proportions.
Real gold for fake gold. In the main page of the game, there is -quite largely displayed- a oblong blue button with the words "DONATE" written in that medieval font, whatever its called. I'm pretty sure many a times the fatuous Mousehunter has, out of inquisition, clicked the button and found out about the wonders and rewards that await the respective Mousehunter if he or she so generously decides to offer that $10-$50 to the developers. Not worth it. What's the point of having a pocket full of "Superbrie" (supposedly the god of all cheese) when such money can go to better uses, such as charity? Even stuffing yourself silly to a hearty $10 meal beats 1000 pieces of worthless, prism-shaped packs of data.
Anyway, for those mugging right now, all the best for EOYs. And please, don't sound the hunters horn(Yes, it might be tempting)!

The Run

5.00 a.m, my clock read, as I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed. Well, I hadn't done much exercise in a while, so on the bright side this could freshen me up. Taking a quick bite before reaching Cashew CC, I saw mixed emotions from the crowd clad in yellow and black. Some were roaringly ready and eager to start running, while some just struggled to stay awake in the darkness of the early morning. Briefings and the all too usual temperature taking exercises took place shortly after, and then the wait for the buses began. Well, to be honest, I was pretty excited about this run, because it was a good chance to warm up my body before my CCA starts this week. So the wait for the bus was quite boring.

Alas, the bus had finally arrived. I looked up and removed my head phones, tagging along with the people in black as they boarded the bus in neat rows. I sat with my classmates in the same group as me during the bus trip as we were waiting to be dropped off. We eventually were, but however this was when the conflict occured. After 20 minutes or so, our team decided to call the student in charge, and to our surprise, we were to board the bus and head to King Albert Park! But this was where things changed for the better. Ecxited as we were, we were soon asked to run if we wished. My group hopped off, and then began a long run(5-6km?).

As I could remember, I was the last 'survivor' of the group, with the rest trailing off as time progressed. Well, the overall planning was not optimum, but I'm sure many had fun.

On overall, the event was kinda cool.

Online Assignment: My Take on Casinoes

The casino being built in Singapore is supposed to be a money-maker and job creator. However, many people have spoken against it. Talk to a parent or adult and get their view on the casino. Listen to the NPR and YouTube offerings and choose one that substantiates your viewpoint and include a quote from it as well. Your blog entry has to be at least 200 words and you must either support the casino or condemn its construction and ultimately the hardships it will cause in Singapore.
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As a young kid, and as someone with not much life experience to understand who would carelessly spend most of their time indulging in the highly-addictive gambling.
Money-maker, job creator... Yes, but out of the thousands who might come to try their luck in Singapore's casinoes, how many actually get jobs, and how many make money? Yes, probably you would've made some winnings, but can you refrain? A human being's constant and vicious yearning for more will never allow to one to step out of the casino and be happy with the money their eyes gaze upon; at least not until the term 'addiction' kicks in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chbjc-XDKLw, many have seen this before.
"One more try. This will be my last."
How many can actually bring themselves to be a man of their word and actually mean what they say?

We've seen the various posters, advertisements, and campaigns which the National Council on Problem Gambling have put up, and that is really an alarm for Singaporeans that the number of addicts are on the rise.
Singapore's population is 4.68 million, and is estimated that 58.6% have gambled before. It is also estimated that 2 out of every 100 will get addicted to gambling, which equals to:
At least 55200 people are adicted to gambling in Singapore.
I'm not very sure that's a figure to be proud of. Therefore I don't think highly of this casino idea. Yeah, sure, tourism and publicity, wait till you see the addiction figures.
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Anyway, this is my father's take on the current casino situation.

Under the economic microscopic lens , the IR will certainly generate extensive economic returns in the form of tourist spending and job creations. One of the Singapore growth elements is targeted at the shaping and sizing up our service industry and diversifying from the manufacturing industry as region countries in the likes of China and India have and will remain competitive in the latter industry . The development of the IR will well complement this strategy which strives on tourism revenue which is a main sector of our service industry.. Casting aside the economic tsunami we are currently facing , the decision is timely as the gaming industry in Asia Pacific is still at the growth phase as gaming restrictions in countries like China and Indonesia have limited competitions to gaming on-board cruise-liners.

All gains and no pain will surely construe a too picture perfect scenario. As with any development of the gaming industry and in this case the establishment of a casino would no doubt draw its fair share of social ills. The easily accessible gaming premises would further encourage addictive gambling amongst locals who would have previously went on cruises or nearby countries to try their luck. Doesn’t take much analysis to notice that already the sprouting of country-wide Singapore Pools outlets are enticing and drawing increased local participation year on year (discounting late last year and into the first half of the year due to the impact of economic recession). The ills that a compulsive gambler brings to his family and society can be devastating. That aside, other vices in the form of illegal money lending activities and prostitution that often tagged along with casino establishments cannot be discounted.
To garner the gains and rein in the ills would require prudent implementation of policing measures which believe our government is actively developing.
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Thank You, bye.

Famous poet tht I like Part2

This is part two of the famous poet that I like. Here are some poems.
Easter Day
The silver trumpets rang across the Dome:
The people knelt upon the ground with awe:
And borne upon the necks of men I saw,
Like some great God, the Holy Lord of Rome.
Priest-like, he wore a robe more white than foam,
And, king-like, swathed himself in royal red,
Three crowns of gold rose high upon his head:
In splendour and in light the Pope passed home.
My heart stole back across wide wastes of years
To One who wandered by a lonely sea,
And sought in vain for any place of rest:
'Foxes have holes, and every bird its nest.
I, only I, must wander wearily,
And bruise my feet,
And drink wine salt with tears.'

A Vision
Two crowned Kings, and One that stood alone
With no green weight of laurels round his head,
But with sad eyes as one uncomforted,
And wearied with man's never-ceasing moan
For sins no bleating victim can atone,
And sweet long lips with tears and kisses fed.
Girt was he in a garment black and red,
And at his feet I marked a broken stone
Which sent up lilies, dove-like, to his knees.
Now at their sight, my heart being lit with flame,
I cried to Beatrice, 'Who are these?'
And she made answer, knowing well each name,'
AEschylos first, the second Sophokles,
And last (wide stream of tears!) Euripides.'

The Ballad of Reading Gaol
Ths is an extremely ong poem. Here's the link:
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/oscar_wilde/poems/11065

A Famous Poet that I Like Part1

1)Ask yourself why you chose this particular poet. Why is he/she intriguing? Begin with an interesting fact, quote from a literary critic, an interview with the poet, etc. and move on to a thesis (yes, a thesis) which is not just a statement of fact, such as Sylvia Plath is a deeply disturbed woman. Think about what you feel about the poet’s work after having done the research; create a claim or opinion about him/her and let the reader know in the thesis what exactly you will be covering in the paper.

2)Background and historical context. Biographical information is fine, but make sure that it provides insight into the writer and his/her work .

3)Three poems by the poet

All outside source material or links must be cited.
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Famous Quotes

I found many of Oscar Wilde quotes, thanks to http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/oscar_wilde/quotes,
but of course I have just chosen the ones I find meaningful, brilliant or simply amusing.

"A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing."

"A poet can survive everything but a misprint."

"A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it."

"A true friend stabs you in the front."

"All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling."

"Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much."

"Ambition is the last refuge of the failure."

"An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all."

"I have nothing to declare except my genuis."

"I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best."

"No man is rich enough to buy back his past."

I find Oscar Wilde interesting because his life was a pretty tragic one, yet at the same time quirky and amusing. The early years of his life shown him to be very eccentric, as shown from the manner in which his unconventional parents behaved, etc. However, he was a victim of olden-day laws, a society where homosexuality was greatly condemned. His time in jail really changed his viewpoint on human beings, becoming more sadistic and pessimistic.
His quotes are also witty and some of them strike thought in me.
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Biography

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was born in Dublin to parents. His mother, Lady Jane Francesca Wilde (1820-1896), was a poet and journalist. Wilde's father was Sir William Wilde, an Irish antiquarian, gifted writer, and specialist in diseases of the eye and ear, who founded a hospital in Dublin a year before Oscar was born.
Already at the age of 13, Wilde's tastes in clothes were dandy's.
"The flannel shirts you sent in the hamper are both Willie's mine are one quite scarlet and the other lilac but it is too hot to wear them yet,"
He wrote in a letter to his mother. Willie, whom he mentioned, was his elder brother. It has been said that Lady Wilde insisted on dressing Oscar in girl's clothers because she had longed for a girl. In Oxford Wilde shocked many with his irreverent attitude towards religion and was jeered at his eccentric clothes. He collected blue china and peacock's feathers, and later his velvet knee-breeches drew much attention. In 1878 Wilde received his B.A. and on the same year he moved to London. His lifestyle and humorous wit made him soon spokesman for Aestheticism, the late 19th century movement in England that advocated art for art's sake. He worked as art reviewer , lectured in the United States and Canada , and lived in Paris. Between the years 1883 and 1884 he lectured in Britain. In 1884 Wilde married Constance Lloyd (died 1898) and to support his family Wilde edited in 1887-89 Woman's World magazine. In 1888 he published The Happy Prince and Other Tales, fairy-stories written for his two sons. The Picture of Dorian Gray followed in 1890 and next year he brought out more fairy tales. The marriage ended in 1893.

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it," Wilde once said.

Before the theatrical success Wilde produced several essays, many of these anonymously.

"Anybody can write a three-volume novel. It merely requires a complete ignorance of both life and literature," he once stated.
His two major literary-theoretical works were the dialogues 'The Decay of Lying' (1889) and 'The Critic as Artist' (1890). In the latter Wilde lets his character state, that criticism is the superior part of creation, and that the critic must not be fair, rational, and sincere, but possessed of "a temperament exquisitely susceptible to beauty". In a more traditional essay The Soul of a Man Under Socialism (1891) Wilde takes an optimistic view of the road to socialist future. He rejects the Christian ideal of self-sacrifice in favor of joy.
His years of triumph ended dramatically, when his intimate association with Alfred Douglas led to his trial on charges of homosexuality (then illegal in Britain). He was sentenced two years hard labour for the crime of sodomy. During his first trial Wilde defended himself, that "the 'Love that dare not speak its name' in this century is nothing unnatural." Mr. Justice Wills, stated when pronouncing the sentence, that "people who can do these things must be dead to all senses of shame, and one cannot hope to produce any effect upon them." During the trial and while he served his sentence, Bosie stood by Wilde, although the author felt himself betrayed. Later they met in Naples. Wilde was first in Wandsworth prison, London, and then Reading Gaol. When he was at last allowed pen and paper after more than 19 months of deprivation, Wilde had became inclined to take opposite views on the potential of humankind toward perfection. During this time he wrote De Profundis (1905), a dramatic monologue and autobiography, which was addressed to Alfred Douglas. "Everything about my tragedy has been hideous, mean, repellent, lacking in style. Our very dress makes us grotesques. We are the zanies of sorrow. We are the clowns whose hearts are broken." (De Profundis) After his release in 1897 Wilde lived under the name Sebastian Melmoth in Berneval, near Dieppe, then in Paris. He wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol, revealing his concern for inhumane prison conditions. It is said, that on his death bed Wilde became a Roman Catholic. He died of cerebral meningitis on November 30, 1900, penniless, in a cheap Paris hotel at the age of 46. "Do you want to know the great drama of my life," asked Wilde before his death of Andre Gide.
"It's that I have put my genius into my life; all I've put into my works is my talent."
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