Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Technology for Learning
Technology has affected my learning greatly by making it much more convenient for research. A computer is a platform where one could access the internet, thus it is easy and convenient to look for information or a source of guides. For example "Google" or "Yahoo" are free search engines available on the internet for everyone to use. One can just key is a keyword in the search box and click the "Search" button and millions of sources would appear to aid one in clearing his or her doubts. Thus, technology has helped me gain more knowledge and have cleared many of my doubts already, allowing my learning to be much easier.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Descriptive Writing
The desperate need to save their friend seemed to be the only thing in the men’s head. Three desperate men dragged a body along with them as they left the shootout taking place behind them. The shuffling of their feet filled the streets as they struggle to keep the body above ground while moving quickly to their hideout. The wind blew hard on them; air filled the small openings found in between buttons and cloth. They did not have weaponry of any sort around them, leaving them defenseless with only coats or cloth hats to protect them. Seeing their friend already perished by the evil of war, they became more desperate to escape the imminent danger coming their way. As the three got to the junction where a right turn would take them to their destination, they saw two imminent shadows approaching they could not decide to feel afraid or to feel relieved. Two of their comrades came to a halt beside them, one after another and stood helplessly beside the scene. And unable to believe their friend has parted them in just that instant. One had hands in his pocket, as if trying to look for something to grab to feel a sense of safety. While the other did not have time to react to the situation and could just leave him frozen to a shock. They never thought a day like this would come, but they could only do nothing to help their friend and stand helplessly beside his dead body and in their hearts pray to heaven that he will be fine there. Also pray that he would bless them to be safe from the war. Everything tasted bitter that time, everything sounded unpleasant, every sight seemed disgusting, every smell smelled pungent but every touch was filled with friendship.
Caffeine, Beneficial or Harmful?
Caffeine if not taking too much is beneficial to the body as it lets one get ready for the long hours ahead in the day. For example I drink a cup of "Milo" every morning and it does let me perk up a little and get ready for school. After drinking "Milo" I would then be able to pay more attention in class or be more alert to my surroundings and thus prepare myself for anything coming my way. Therefore,I would say that caffeine is beneficial to me because it allows me to be more aware of my surroundings and keep me prepared for the upcoming day.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Do we still need heroes? Essay
I my opinion, we do not need heroes nowadays in our current society because there is the government to settle disputes and problems. Many societies nowadays are democratic. Also, Most of the people are more selfish or independent and wants to do things their own ways for their own benefits. Lastly, very few people have the moral courage to do what they think is right.
In our current society, where democracy is present, heroes are much less not needed because everyone gets their equal share thus conflicts are less often sparked off. Without conflicts, there would not be a need for anyone to step-up and provide a solution to solving the problem. Even if there is a conflict brought up, there would be the government there to help solve it. Basically, it is because of the fact that it is very difficult for one to speak up because the nation is much less influenced deeply by the government and would be very difficult to change the nation’s point of view. For example in the past, where racism was very open in America; the white people despised the black people. That caused many riots and fights taking place; even the some people from government sectors are racist. When the non-racist government finally changed the point of view of the white people and racism was less observed, less riots and fights took place and the democratic society which many people live in has reduced the chance for one to speak up.
Nowadays, the "heroes" we see mostly stand up for themselves, for their own benefit, because they know that if they do not fight for themselves, they would lose the opportunity very quickly. Thus, very few will be willing to stop and wait for another to catch up then continue together; everyone is after their own interests only. Also, most people nowadays would depend on their own abilities to fight for their beliefs rather than waiting for another person to be brave enough to step up for them. Therefore, for one to become a hero it would be very hard because many others would be doing the same thing and his contributions may look less prestigious. Most people are now more independent because they know that their government believes in democracy, or they themselves believe they deserve democracy; they know that the government is mostly fair. For example, in other less developed country, such as Malaysia there are corrupted police officers but are less exposed because the some of the victims are afraid of them as they are authority. The corrupted police officers who as police officers are supposed to be heroes are doing the wrong things because of their own benefits. For those who step up and report the corruption, it would be seen as something common because almost everyone knows about them being corrupt. Then, this would be left for the government to handle because people see it as a purposeless thing to do anymore.
Many people nowadays are influenced strongly by their government, or their organisation. Therefore, they are more afraid to expose their organisation’s wrong doings because they are aware of how the organisation would handle him or do not want to lose their jobs. They are mostly aware of how vicious the wrong doers are and thus are afraid they would be “eliminated” by them. Also, as money is very important in our current society, they may be afraid to upset the wrong doers by exposing them and thus get fired. For example when a company is involved in corporate corruption, an employee who is against the idea may be fired because they do not share the same views. Thus, they wait till the government arrests then rather than exposing them.
We do not need heroes anymore because the government is here to settle disputes and solve problems. The government has already the authority and the manpower to handle the problems. Therefore, the government would already be the “hero” who solves problems and we do not need additional people to play parts as heroes anymore.
In our current society, where democracy is present, heroes are much less not needed because everyone gets their equal share thus conflicts are less often sparked off. Without conflicts, there would not be a need for anyone to step-up and provide a solution to solving the problem. Even if there is a conflict brought up, there would be the government there to help solve it. Basically, it is because of the fact that it is very difficult for one to speak up because the nation is much less influenced deeply by the government and would be very difficult to change the nation’s point of view. For example in the past, where racism was very open in America; the white people despised the black people. That caused many riots and fights taking place; even the some people from government sectors are racist. When the non-racist government finally changed the point of view of the white people and racism was less observed, less riots and fights took place and the democratic society which many people live in has reduced the chance for one to speak up.
Nowadays, the "heroes" we see mostly stand up for themselves, for their own benefit, because they know that if they do not fight for themselves, they would lose the opportunity very quickly. Thus, very few will be willing to stop and wait for another to catch up then continue together; everyone is after their own interests only. Also, most people nowadays would depend on their own abilities to fight for their beliefs rather than waiting for another person to be brave enough to step up for them. Therefore, for one to become a hero it would be very hard because many others would be doing the same thing and his contributions may look less prestigious. Most people are now more independent because they know that their government believes in democracy, or they themselves believe they deserve democracy; they know that the government is mostly fair. For example, in other less developed country, such as Malaysia there are corrupted police officers but are less exposed because the some of the victims are afraid of them as they are authority. The corrupted police officers who as police officers are supposed to be heroes are doing the wrong things because of their own benefits. For those who step up and report the corruption, it would be seen as something common because almost everyone knows about them being corrupt. Then, this would be left for the government to handle because people see it as a purposeless thing to do anymore.
Many people nowadays are influenced strongly by their government, or their organisation. Therefore, they are more afraid to expose their organisation’s wrong doings because they are aware of how the organisation would handle him or do not want to lose their jobs. They are mostly aware of how vicious the wrong doers are and thus are afraid they would be “eliminated” by them. Also, as money is very important in our current society, they may be afraid to upset the wrong doers by exposing them and thus get fired. For example when a company is involved in corporate corruption, an employee who is against the idea may be fired because they do not share the same views. Thus, they wait till the government arrests then rather than exposing them.
We do not need heroes anymore because the government is here to settle disputes and solve problems. The government has already the authority and the manpower to handle the problems. Therefore, the government would already be the “hero” who solves problems and we do not need additional people to play parts as heroes anymore.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Do we still need heroes?
In our current society, it is very hard for a person to even be called a hero, therefore I would say that we do not need heroes. In our current society, where democracy is present, heroes are much less not needed because everyone gets their equal share thus conflicts are less often sparked. Without conflicts, there would not be a need for anyone to step-up and provide a solution to solving the problem. Even if there is a conflict brought up, there would be the government there to help solve it. Of course, there are heroes who stand up for themselves as well as heroes who stand up for others. Nowadays, the "heroes" we see mostly stood up for themselves, for their own principals, because everyone has to fight hard for themselves before others in our current society. No one will be willing to stop and wait for you to catch up then continue together, everyone is after their own interests only. Most people nowadays would depend on their own abilities to fight for their beliefs rather than waiting for another person to be brave enough to step up for them. Most people are now more independent because they know that their government believes in democracy, or they themselves believe they deserve democracy.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Manga: Fairytail
I read recently a manga called “Fairytail”. I read this manga because I saw the Anime version of the manga on television. And since the Anime was new, not many episodes were released so I had to read the manga to know what was going to happen in the next episode. Subsequently, I realized that the manga emphasizes on the details of the character very much, thus I was really interested in reading on. Also the storyline of the manga got me captivated. I love to watch shows where the characters show that they are a team, or where they fight as a team. So “Fairytail” was suitable as it consists of many different guilds which was made up of wizards. There are legal guilds as well as illegal guilds who always break the laws.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Book Recommendation
I would recommend The Big Burn to my family and friends.
The Big Burn's climax is heated by a fire that burned 3 million acres in 1 weekend. Egan stated in an interview that this would be like the state of Connecticut being destroyed by flames in 3 days. The Great Fire also killed nearly 100 people.
And yet, the strongest flame here is the passion of the people who not only fought the fire but changed the American perspective in favor of the Forest Service and conservation. Immigrants, forest rangers and Buffalo Soldiers, all outcasts in 1910, banded together to fight the fire of the century along with Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot, Roosevelt's hand-picked leader of the Forest Service and as unique a character as you will find in any piece of literature. Egan helps the reader connect with these characters and relive these times through the personal accounts and eery descriptions of how the fire burned its way through the Pacific Northwest.
If there are more stories in American history left to be told, I hope Egan tells them. When a historical journalist can masterfully spin a factual yarn with vivid detail and strong affection, they come out like The Big Burn. You can tell Egan loves the story, and yet, his excitement is honed by his dedication to revere the facts and let the story speak for itself.
The Big Burn's climax is heated by a fire that burned 3 million acres in 1 weekend. Egan stated in an interview that this would be like the state of Connecticut being destroyed by flames in 3 days. The Great Fire also killed nearly 100 people.
And yet, the strongest flame here is the passion of the people who not only fought the fire but changed the American perspective in favor of the Forest Service and conservation. Immigrants, forest rangers and Buffalo Soldiers, all outcasts in 1910, banded together to fight the fire of the century along with Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot, Roosevelt's hand-picked leader of the Forest Service and as unique a character as you will find in any piece of literature. Egan helps the reader connect with these characters and relive these times through the personal accounts and eery descriptions of how the fire burned its way through the Pacific Northwest.
If there are more stories in American history left to be told, I hope Egan tells them. When a historical journalist can masterfully spin a factual yarn with vivid detail and strong affection, they come out like The Big Burn. You can tell Egan loves the story, and yet, his excitement is honed by his dedication to revere the facts and let the story speak for itself.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Prejudice Leading to War?
On whether prejudice may lead to it depends on what kind of prejudice is present. If it was gender prejudice, I do not think a war would happen because there are no country supporting solely women or any country supporting solely men. Therefore if a war would happen, it would be the people of the same country fighting one another, or when it comes to the worse case scenario the world would be split into two parts, one for women one for men. This is not likely to happen because love exists between most men and women and gender prejudice is sometimes only seen as a friendly joke, therefore would less likely advance to a war.
On the other hand if it was race prejudice, it may lead to war. There are many specific races in many different countries, therefore if one race were to enrage the other race, the whole country might be unhappy and thus start a war. Race unlike gender prejudice cannot be changed. For gender prejudice, there is a chance to change the mindset of the opposite gender by proving them wrong. But for race, a person is born to have a race and it cannot be changed. Therefore, racial prejudice is much likely to spark a war.
On the other hand if it was race prejudice, it may lead to war. There are many specific races in many different countries, therefore if one race were to enrage the other race, the whole country might be unhappy and thus start a war. Race unlike gender prejudice cannot be changed. For gender prejudice, there is a chance to change the mindset of the opposite gender by proving them wrong. But for race, a person is born to have a race and it cannot be changed. Therefore, racial prejudice is much likely to spark a war.
IN-CLASS ONLINE LESSON #6
Dear Natsu,
I’ve heard from the news of the tragic disaster that has happened in Fukushima Japan and remembered that you were living near that area so I prayed that you were alright. The following day after the earthquake happened I heard again from the news that even your area was affected by the earthquake and many buildings have fallen. I heard from Uncle Senshi that your family is now homeless and is lacking of enough food to go around. I sent some food rations to Uncle Senshi already they should have came along with this letter. I hope that the food would be able to last you another month when things would have simmered down, if not I would continue to send more over. It was glad however to hear that your family was alright and no one was seriously injured.
When the time comes when you need my help once again, just drop me a message via Uncle Senshi I would be most willing to help you. I would never have gotten pass through high school without your help in Japanese class and how hospitable your family was to me through my two years stay at Japan. Stay strong Natsu! For you know that there will always be a friend like me by your side willing to help you out. No matter the problem you have to face, it is when you give up that you really lose. Send my regards to your family for me. I look forward to see them soon in their healthy and happy state.
Yours Sincerely,
Your friend,
Yeo Eng Chow
I’ve heard from the news of the tragic disaster that has happened in Fukushima Japan and remembered that you were living near that area so I prayed that you were alright. The following day after the earthquake happened I heard again from the news that even your area was affected by the earthquake and many buildings have fallen. I heard from Uncle Senshi that your family is now homeless and is lacking of enough food to go around. I sent some food rations to Uncle Senshi already they should have came along with this letter. I hope that the food would be able to last you another month when things would have simmered down, if not I would continue to send more over. It was glad however to hear that your family was alright and no one was seriously injured.
When the time comes when you need my help once again, just drop me a message via Uncle Senshi I would be most willing to help you. I would never have gotten pass through high school without your help in Japanese class and how hospitable your family was to me through my two years stay at Japan. Stay strong Natsu! For you know that there will always be a friend like me by your side willing to help you out. No matter the problem you have to face, it is when you give up that you really lose. Send my regards to your family for me. I look forward to see them soon in their healthy and happy state.
Yours Sincerely,
Your friend,
Yeo Eng Chow
Monday, April 11, 2011
Project's Day Competition
Standing in front of the audience presenting our project was not an easy task as we were not very close with the judges and thus not know their expectations. So we tried our very best to make sure that the judges are constantly in attentive to our presentation.
Although the judges and audiences were constantly attentive, I still was not very confident about how I presented. Our group was very prepared but our preparation did not really show us some of us got too nervous and started to pronounce words wrongly. So, I got very nervous and my face started shivering. Until the QnA part where the judges gave us advices and comments then I managed to calm down a little bit because I could tell that the judges were rather impressed by our project and are keen to know more. But the shivering did not stop until I was back in the audiences for about one to two minutes. I was relieved that the presentation was finally over and I could have time again to prepare for the next round of judging. Overall, the experience of presenting in front of a crowd of people was not very relaxed as I was constantly afraid that the little actions I did would cause them to be distracted.
Although the judges and audiences were constantly attentive, I still was not very confident about how I presented. Our group was very prepared but our preparation did not really show us some of us got too nervous and started to pronounce words wrongly. So, I got very nervous and my face started shivering. Until the QnA part where the judges gave us advices and comments then I managed to calm down a little bit because I could tell that the judges were rather impressed by our project and are keen to know more. But the shivering did not stop until I was back in the audiences for about one to two minutes. I was relieved that the presentation was finally over and I could have time again to prepare for the next round of judging. Overall, the experience of presenting in front of a crowd of people was not very relaxed as I was constantly afraid that the little actions I did would cause them to be distracted.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Sources Comparision
The sources I used are http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4260.asp , cited from Wikipedia and http://anime.about.com/od/animeprimer/a/What-Is-Anime.htm which I found myself.
The source cited in Wikipedia is mainly telling its readers what Anime actually is and its special characteristics or simply introducing Anime. However, the source I found is mainly telling its readers the good, bad and origins, it goes into details and analyses Anime. Since the source from Wikipedia written solely from the western perspective of what Anime is, it does not have the all-rounded perspective and thus is less credible. Anime originated from Japan, so if the reader were to only see this “Western perspective” source he would only get the secondary point of view rather than the actual information that is seen from the original creator’s point of view. The source I found is not trying to promote Anime; it is instead answering questions about Anime. It explains the history part of Anime which is the perspective of their creators because the creators created Anime’s history. As for whether the cited source was properly used in the Wikipedia entry, it is not very obvious that the information from the cited source was used because many other sources were used too. But the cited source supports the fact that “Anime is commonly defined as animation originating in Japan. (アニメ?, an abbreviated pronunciation in Japanese of "animation", pronounced [anime] in Japanese, but typically /ˈænɨmeɪ/ or /ˈænɨmə/ in English.) The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, anime is also referred to as "Japanese animation".” Which is very true as most Anime’s nowadays are produced by Japan.
The source cited in Wikipedia is mainly telling its readers what Anime actually is and its special characteristics or simply introducing Anime. However, the source I found is mainly telling its readers the good, bad and origins, it goes into details and analyses Anime. Since the source from Wikipedia written solely from the western perspective of what Anime is, it does not have the all-rounded perspective and thus is less credible. Anime originated from Japan, so if the reader were to only see this “Western perspective” source he would only get the secondary point of view rather than the actual information that is seen from the original creator’s point of view. The source I found is not trying to promote Anime; it is instead answering questions about Anime. It explains the history part of Anime which is the perspective of their creators because the creators created Anime’s history. As for whether the cited source was properly used in the Wikipedia entry, it is not very obvious that the information from the cited source was used because many other sources were used too. But the cited source supports the fact that “Anime is commonly defined as animation originating in Japan. (アニメ?, an abbreviated pronunciation in Japanese of "animation", pronounced [anime] in Japanese, but typically /ˈænɨmeɪ/ or /ˈænɨmə/ in English.) The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, anime is also referred to as "Japanese animation".” Which is very true as most Anime’s nowadays are produced by Japan.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
UBIQ Poster
UBIQ—Late for work? No time to brush your teeth? No problem! With UBIQ "U Bring It Clean" spray-on dental care you can. It takes only 10 seconds to get equal dental hygiene. Spray it before going out of the house, spray it in the car or even in the bus! You don’t need a sink, a toothbrush or toothpaste. Just a can of UBIQ’s spray-on dental care. Costing only $9.50 you have your sink with you wherever you go! Not good enough? UBIQ’s spray-on dental care comes in many different flavours, Minty, Orange and Grape and more! A different flavor each day, what can be better!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Racial Slurs, Should they be Illegal?
Yes, racial slurs should be illegal. Firstly, all of us are humans, what gives us the rights to discriminate the opposite race. Secondly, racial slurs may lead to violence which can cause chaos. Lastly, racial slurs may cause the victim to be mentally hurt and thus is detrimental to his health. Therefore, racial slurs should be banned because it affects the victim and the culprit both physically and mentally.
My Reflections
Throughout my life, the time where i was most exposed to racial slurs was when I was in Secondary School. Some of my classmates whenever they see people with a darker skin colour would call them a "Nigger". Some other times, they would also discriminate the Muslim religion by joking around about how to agitate a Muslim person. Most of the time, they would talk about asking for pork at a Muslim food stall or offering pork to a Muslim. Out of all the races targeted, the one that is mentioned most often would be the Indian race or just people with darker skin colour. They are mostly called "Niggers" or "black people" with a insulting ascent like "brack people". And they are often refered to as dirty people or a lower form of the society. I feel that these Racial Slurers are the actual lower form of our society because they are not able to appreciate the fact that the world has people with different skin colours. To me, these racial slurers are just jealous, jealous of the fact that they do not have the same skin colour as the victim. For example, if the racial slurer has the same skin colour as the victim, do you think he would insult the victim?
My Reflections
Throughout my life, the time where i was most exposed to racial slurs was when I was in Secondary School. Some of my classmates whenever they see people with a darker skin colour would call them a "Nigger". Some other times, they would also discriminate the Muslim religion by joking around about how to agitate a Muslim person. Most of the time, they would talk about asking for pork at a Muslim food stall or offering pork to a Muslim. Out of all the races targeted, the one that is mentioned most often would be the Indian race or just people with darker skin colour. They are mostly called "Niggers" or "black people" with a insulting ascent like "brack people". And they are often refered to as dirty people or a lower form of the society. I feel that these Racial Slurers are the actual lower form of our society because they are not able to appreciate the fact that the world has people with different skin colours. To me, these racial slurers are just jealous, jealous of the fact that they do not have the same skin colour as the victim. For example, if the racial slurer has the same skin colour as the victim, do you think he would insult the victim?
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Jack and Jill
Firstly, I will rewrite the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme into a letter.
Dear Parents of Jack and Jill,
Your son and daughter, Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. I knew I should not have let two mere children to fetch a pail of water, I was very busy with sewing then remembered I had to boil water. Jack unfortunately fell down the hill and broke his crown, his condition has gotten better and is now resting. Jill also fell down but only suffered cuts and bruises, she is fit and well and is now taking care of Jack. Jack was a very brave boy, despite his broken crown, he could still get up himself and made his way back home himself. As I was busy sewing, I did not notice his injury. Therefore, he bound his head all by himself with vinegar and brown paper, it is quite smart of him is it not? Do try to come back home.
My Apologies.
Yours Sincerely,
Caretaker of Jack and Jill
Next, I will be rewriting it into a Diary entry.
Dear Diary,
Today, on the 1st of April in the year 2011, I followed Jack up the hill outside my house to fetch a pail of water. As we were skipping merrily down the hill, Jack got tripped by a rock and fell down the hill and broke his crown. Shocked, I lost my balance and fell down along with him, only that my injuries are only cuts and bruises, not as bad as the ones Jack has. As long as I turned to Jack's direction, I saw him already on his feet and capering back home surprisingly fast. I then got on my feet and headed for Jack's home to see how he was. Then at the door, I saw Jack's Aunt Mary, she told me that as long as Jack got home, he went to bed and bound his head with vinegar and brownp paper. She also told me that Jack needs a rest and I should visit him another day. Today was eventful and unforgetable, I hope that Jack is fine and we could play together again soon.
Love,
Jill
Dear Parents of Jack and Jill,
Your son and daughter, Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. I knew I should not have let two mere children to fetch a pail of water, I was very busy with sewing then remembered I had to boil water. Jack unfortunately fell down the hill and broke his crown, his condition has gotten better and is now resting. Jill also fell down but only suffered cuts and bruises, she is fit and well and is now taking care of Jack. Jack was a very brave boy, despite his broken crown, he could still get up himself and made his way back home himself. As I was busy sewing, I did not notice his injury. Therefore, he bound his head all by himself with vinegar and brown paper, it is quite smart of him is it not? Do try to come back home.
My Apologies.
Yours Sincerely,
Caretaker of Jack and Jill
Next, I will be rewriting it into a Diary entry.
Dear Diary,
Today, on the 1st of April in the year 2011, I followed Jack up the hill outside my house to fetch a pail of water. As we were skipping merrily down the hill, Jack got tripped by a rock and fell down the hill and broke his crown. Shocked, I lost my balance and fell down along with him, only that my injuries are only cuts and bruises, not as bad as the ones Jack has. As long as I turned to Jack's direction, I saw him already on his feet and capering back home surprisingly fast. I then got on my feet and headed for Jack's home to see how he was. Then at the door, I saw Jack's Aunt Mary, she told me that as long as Jack got home, he went to bed and bound his head with vinegar and brownp paper. She also told me that Jack needs a rest and I should visit him another day. Today was eventful and unforgetable, I hope that Jack is fine and we could play together again soon.
Love,
Jill
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