tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703956769164613552024-03-14T05:39:20.928-07:00Values newsEducation Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-32216163283367471962013-04-01T03:12:00.001-07:002013-04-01T03:12:39.604-07:00How to Measure Your Property’s Actual Investment ReturnsI recently came across two investors who made money in property
investing in the property boom during the last three years (i.e. from
mid-2009 to end 2012), albeit in very different ways. I have taken the
liberty to simplify and change some numbers as well as ignore all
expenses so that we can compare apples with apples. Also, I used
residential properties for this article as it’s very much a familiar
arena to most readers.<br />
<strong>Calculating your investment returns</strong><br />
There are many different ways to calculate a property investment returns but the <em>Internal Rate of Return (I.R.R)</em>
is by far one of the most accurate methods of calculating the
cumulative property investment returns over a specific holding period.<br />
Inexperienced property investors and home owners who only look at
capital gains as a measure of investment success are always surprised by
the difference between the earnings that they expected to realise from a
property investment and the actual investment return.<br />
Capital Gains or Growth do not equal investment returns due to many
variables like financing, nature of loan amortization and many other
costs involved in the entire property transaction process.<br />
<strong>How IRR Works</strong><br />
Because a dollar in hand today is preferable to one a year or five years from now, <em>Internal Rate of Return </em>reveals in mathematical terms what a real estate investor’s initial cash investment from <em>Day 1</em> will yield based on today’s dollars, not tomorrow’s dollars.<br />
Here are the details of the example we will be using: Both properties
are located within a 5 minute walk to MRT station and are near the
city.<br />
<em>Note: A financial calculator or Excel is needed for I.R.R calculations (a basic tool for all true blue investors).</em><br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Investor A:</span></strong><br />
Purchased a <em>newly launched</em> 916 square feet condo in a mature estate.<br />
Purchase Price (2009): S$930,000<br />
Down-Payment: S$180,000 (20%)<br />
Loan Amount: S$744,000<br />
Upon completion and T.O.P in 2012, he received offers for S$1.2 million.<br />
Equity = S$1,200,000 – S$744,000 = S$456,000<br />
Gross Profits = S$1,200,000 – S$930,000 = S$270,000<br />
<strong>I.R.R = 36% per year</strong><br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Investor B:</span></strong><br />
Purchased an old 16 year-old 936 square feet apartment in a growth location.<br />
Purchase Price (2009): S$520,000<br />
Down-Payment: S$104,000 (20%)<br />
Loan Amount: S$416,000<br />
Rental Income (3 years): S$2,400 per month<br />
He received offers for S$800,000 in late 2012.<br />
Equity = S$800,000 – S$416,000 = S$384,000<br />
Gross Profits = S$800,000 – S$520,000 = S$280,000<br />
<strong>I.R.R = 78% per year</strong><br />
Here are some questions to ponder:<br />
1. Who is the smarter or luckier investor in this case?<br />
2. If you were presented with both investment options, which would you go for and why?<br />
<strong>My analysis of the two investments</strong><br />
<ol>
<li>Investor B had similar gross dollar profits with Investor A (S$280 thousand as compared with S$270 thousand) but his <em>actual</em> return on cash invested is two<em> times </em>greater than investor A!</li>
<li>Investor B has a lower down-payment (S$104K for B compare to S$180K for A), but B’s actual return on cash invested is two<em> times</em> greater than A.</li>
<li>The returns are higher for B, in terms of cash invested now
(down-payment), rental yield now, probably higher returns in future than
A’s since B’s property is also located in the growth corridors of
Singapore, while A’s property is already in a matured estate.</li>
<li>Similarly, there are higher chances of rental increments due to a
growth location and possibly a bigger and more stable tenant base for B,
and lower vacancy rates.</li>
<li>Investors A’s property is a new property bought directly from a
developer, while B’s property is an older re-sale property from an
individual seller. One of the arguments I stand firm on is that the
higher profits that A should have gotten, have already been discounted
into the developer’s profit margins and expensive marketing costs.</li>
<li>
<em></em>Investor A’s <em>Day 1</em> initial cash has <em>zero</em> returns for 3 years until property completion. Investor A is waiting for his returns to materialise <em>3 years later</em>, while Investor B’s cash is already working hard for him through a strong rental cash flow from <em>DAY 1.</em>
</li>
</ol>
<strong> My recommendations of which investment to choose</strong><br />
Choose investment B, if your strategy is to hold for rental as well
as property value gain. This property will probably give you a good
rental over the years as it appreciates in value. I would highly
recommend this low-risk strategy to the average investor with limited
cash resources and who seeks safety.<br />
Choose investment A if your strategy is to buy and sell. Reinvest the
money again in a similar way but good profits will only come during a
booming economy. And of course, if you sell high, you buy high too. This
strategy is <em>speculative </em>and only suitable for an investor with <em>‘fun’</em> money.<br />
<strong>My concluding thoughts</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Why plant a seedling if you can plant a tree today? Investor B is already making money from <em>Day 1. </em>Yes! You can have your cake and eat it too.</li>
<li>If I were given 10 such opportunities, I would invest 10 times in
the B type of investment scenario. Better rental yield, better capital
appreciation, better long term potential, less risk, less dependence on
the economy ( good or bad, I still get rental income regardless of
property value)</li>
<li>For A, maybe unless you want to use it for your own use or as a gift for loved ones.</li>
<li>Investor A has an easier no-brainer task – SELL, pocket the profit
and look for more deals like this. He thinks making money in property
can be as easy as this and will most likely try to replicate the same
strategy again. But tomorrow is not today… crazy economies like today
don’t always happen.</li>
<li>Buying an older re-sale property (Investor B) can have much higher <em>actual</em> returns than simply buying an off-the-plan property (Investor A).</li>
<li>B’s property does require a lot more leg work and sweat before the sweetness… but that’s the whole point of it – <em>‘FUN’</em>! Its <em>‘fun’</em> that makes it all worthwhile for a true blue investor who loves and <em>knows</em> investing!</li>
</ul>
Simply taking <em>Rental Yield</em> alone as a benchmark for
analysing investment properties is like taking a bow and arrow to a real
gun fight! Understanding and knowing how to calculate <em>Internal Rate of Return (I.R.R)</em> in any of your investments is a crucial skill of an investor. Measuring your property investment’s <em>actual</em> returns through <em>I.R.R</em> will help you become a more savvy and educated investor in today’s more volatile times.<br />
<em>By guest contributor Gerald Tay, CEO of </em><a href="http://www.crei-academy.com/"><em>CREI Academy Group</em></a><em>,
who exposes widely-held property investment myths that have proven
highly ineffective in creating wealth, and prevent a comfortable
retirement for the ordinary investor.</em>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-13479468711528550572013-03-29T02:22:00.001-07:002013-03-29T02:22:09.582-07:00The 5 Cs aren’t enough; Singaporeans need the 6th CIn February, I wrote about the <a href="http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/5-cs-actually-happy-singaporean-012052570.html" target="_blank">new 5 Cs that will actually make us happy Singaporeans</a>:<br />
<br />
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/5-cs-aren-t-enough-singaporeans-6th-c-045321605.html<br />
<ul>
<li>
<b>Compare</b> less</li>
<li>
<b>Cherish</b> what you have</li>
<li>
<b>Choose</b> your attitude</li>
<li>
<b>Complain</b> less</li>
<li>
<b>Change</b> your circumstances and yourself</li>
</ul>
I'm pleasantly surprised to see that the article has received more
than 400 comments and has been shared 8,200 times on Facebook!<br />
Clearly, the “5 Cs” is something that’s close to Singaporeans’ hearts.<br />
<b><span style="color: black;">The 6<sup>th</sup> C that I missed out: <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Compliment</span> others</span></b><br />
Soon after the article was published, I had a conversation with my cousin.<br />
He said, “Daniel, you missed out one ‘C’. We should <i>compliment</i> others more. That’s something we don’t do enough of in Singapore.”<br />
I spent the next few days reflecting on what my cousin had said.<br />
My cousin was right: It’s not part of Singaporean culture to compliment others.<br />
(In this article, I’m referring to genuine compliments, not false
praise that you might give your boss or teacher if you’re trying to get
into his or her good books.)<br />
When was the last time you heard someone say…<br />
<ul>
<li>“You gave such a well-organized and persuasive presentation just now”</li>
<li>“Your report was both informative and clearly written”</li>
<li>“You facilitated the discussion skillfully”</li>
<li>“You led your project team effectively”</li>
<li>“The meal you cooked was delicious”</li>
<li>“Good effort”</li>
<li>“I’m proud of you”?</li>
</ul>
<b>Why we don’t compliment others</b><br />
I’m not saying that we never, ever speak kind words to our friends, colleagues or family members.<br />
I’m just saying that we ought to do it more often if we want to build a happier Singapore.<br />
Here are some possible reasons why we don’t make many positive remarks:<br />
<ul>
<li>We tend to focus on the negative</li>
<li>We’re quick to <a href="http://www.daniel-wong.com/2013/01/13/10-ways-to-make-the-most-of-criticism/" target="_blank">criticize</a>
</li>
<li>We’re competitive people who find it unnatural to acknowledge it when others perform better than us</li>
<li>We like to <a href="http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/why-singaporeans-complain-much-015621592.html" target="_blank">complain</a>
</li>
<li>We don’t make an intentional effort to take notice of others’ admirable qualities</li>
<li>When things go well, we assume that that’s the expected result anyway, so there’s no need to pay a compliment</li>
</ul>
<b>Benefits of giving compliments</b><br />
No matter what the reasons are that we don’t give more compliments, we all like receiving them.<br />
As someone who does a lot of <a href="http://www.daniel-wong.com/speaking/" target="_blank">speaking</a> and <a href="http://www.daniel-wong.com/as-seen-on/" target="_blank">writing</a>, I’ll admit that sincere compliments make my day!<br />
We can make someone else’s day by paying him or her a compliment.<br />
Moreover, giving compliments has many benefits.<br />
It boosts your mood, improves communication with the other party, and gets you into the habit of looking for the good in others.<br />
It helps you to get beyond yourself and focus on other people. It
increases your awareness that life isn’t mainly about you. It makes you a
more generous person.<br />
It reminds you that kindness is of vital importance, despite the fact
that we can easily get caught up with our individual pursuit of
success.<br />
Most of all, it makes our society happier, gentler and more appreciative.<br />
<b>What you can do today</b><br />
I hope you’re convinced that the 6<sup>th</sup> C is something that all of us should aspire towards.<br />
The best thing is that it’s completely free! (And if there’s
something that we Singaporeans like—myself included—it’s free stuff.)<br />
So…<br />
If you enjoy your next meal, tell the chef (who might even be your parent, spouse or domestic helper).<br />
If someone helps you, write a thank-you note.<br />
If your colleague does a solid job with a sales presentation, send a congratulatory email.<br />
If you’re grateful for a friendship, send a text message and tell that person so.<br />
When we combine the new 5 Cs with this 6<sup>th</sup> C, we’ll be well on our way to finding the happiness and fulfillment that we’re looking for as a society.<br />
One day a time, one compliment at a time.Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-27692344588325279702013-03-28T20:16:00.000-07:002013-03-28T20:16:10.514-07:00When relationships break down and break up is inevitableWhether you’ve signed a lease together or it’s date number
five, pulling the chord on a relationship can be a tricky, awkward and painful
act.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
But there are rules for navigating matters of the heart and
a number of courtesies that can make the process more graceful and you more
gracious. A look at how to call it off, regardless of what stage you’re at in
coupledom.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong>Date number one</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You went for coffee with your friend’s co-worker’s cousin’s
sister that everyone thought you would be just <em>perfect</em> for – but there wasn’t even a hint of a spark between the
two of you. If you know for certain you’re not interested, there’s no need to
commit to a second date just to be nice and get her hopes up. Conversely,
dropping off the face of the earth is a jerk move, especially if she shows
interest you can’t reciprocate. At this point, an email or text explaining you
had a lovely time but don’t see things progressing is acceptable. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong>The “getting-serious”
mark</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The L-word has been dropped, you’ve met each other’s friends
and there have been several serious talks about the future. But for whatever
reason, it’s not working anymore. Ask Men <a href="http://ca.askmen.com/dating/dating_advice_500/570b_how-to-break-up.html">points
out</a> that “if you have been dating someone long enough to tell other people
that you are, in fact, dating, then you must sever ties face-to-face.” A
digital break-up is only acceptable if you’ve known each other all of three
hours. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong>Very much together</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Without getting into an exact number, there’s a certain
point in serious relationships where lives become especially intertwined. When
things reach a settled point, it can be exceptionally difficult to split up a
long-term relationship. There’s a fine line between saying too much and saying
too little. As Match.com <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=570395676916461355">points
out,</a> there needs to be reasons for the split. Laurie Puhn, author of <em>Instant
Persuasion: How to Change Your Words to Change Your Life</em>, told the dating
website that the reasons should focus on your general incompatibility without
being too critical or specific. So don’t tell her “she’s no longer attractive
to you, or you’re insanely attracted to her best friend. These kinds of
reflections shouldn’t be shared.”</div>
Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-70973298323691872952013-02-22T16:28:00.000-08:002013-02-22T16:28:37.329-08:004 Tips for Mid Life Folks<div class="yom-mod yom-art-hd">
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<h1 class="headline">
4 Tips to Have Great Relationships in Your Mid-Life</h1>
<a href="http://healthmatters.sg/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><cite class="byline vcard">By <span class="fn">Aktive Learning</span> | <span class="provider org">HealthMatters.sg</span> – <abbr title="2013-02-14T07:08:16Z">Thu, Feb 14, 2013</abbr></cite></div>
<div class="bd">
<cite class="byline vcard"><abbr title="2013-02-14T07:08:16Z"> http://sg.news.yahoo.com/4-tips-great-relationships-mid-life-070816325.html</abbr></cite></div>
</div>
<br />
By Eileen Tan and Ui Wei Teck (guest contributors)<br />
<br />
In the second phase of your life, you will start to have a lot of
time for yourself. You have been working hard during your twenties and
thirties with a stable job. You have been dedicated to raising a family
with your partner, providing the best for your next generation and
cultivating their values.<br />
It is fulfilling to have good relationships with colleagues and
friends, and especially so when you have a good relationship with your
family. You may feel a sense of loss if you don’t manage this properly
due to the drastic changes that take place when we enter our mid-life.
In this article we will look at X ways you can continue to have great
relationships with your friends and family in your forties and beyond.<br />
<br />
<strong>1. Choose to forgive</strong><br />
<span class="yom-figure yom-fig-right" style="width: 310px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20653514@N00/88870771/" target="_blank" title="JapanSMP_0594"></a></span><br /><small><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20653514@N00/88870771/" target="_blank" title="openg"></a></small>
It is not healthy to hold on to anger, so choose to forgive and
forget, free yourself, learn to laugh at the situation and support one
another. Don’t ask why this person you are angry with is not doing what
you expect, but ask yourself what you can do for this person.<br />
<br />
Many times, when I am upset with someone, asking myself this question
of what can I do for him or her will change my mood almost instantly
and make not only my day, but the day of the people around me better.
Try this out! It is an instant healing process.<br />
<br />
<strong>2. Be caring towards your family and friends</strong><br />
Build a little network with those you love and those who love you –
such interactions will bring you joy. Listen to how they feel, and don’t
be too quick to judge or expect others to change or be like you. Take
the initiative to discuss things to iron out issues and resolve
conflicts. Nothing is more important than maintaining a harmonious
environment by showering our love and affection on the ones we love.<br />
<br />
<strong>3. Let them know that you are watching out for them</strong><br />
<br />
<strong></strong>One day when we leave this world, we will have no fear that we have
not lived a good life. Happy people have no regrets. Death ends a life,
but not a Relationship. Death cannot take away our memories with a
person who has lived wisely and happily. In handling the loss of your
loved one, it is perfectly okay to let go and be happy once again.<br />
<br />
<strong>4. Prioritize family time</strong><br />
<br />
Having a strong family bond is more important than chasing after
success and wealth. Cherish the time you have with your family, support
each other with encouragement and celebrate regularly. Be committed to
make each other’s lives pleasant and enjoyable.<br />
<br />
With each of us putting in the effort to have a beautiful life for
our family and those around us, wouldn’t the whole world be a better
place to live in?<br />
<br />
<em>By Eileen Tan and Ui Wei Teck, authors of </em><a href="http://aktive.com.sg/store/enjoying-mid-life-without-crisis/">Enjoying Mid-Life Without Crisis</a><em></em>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-64997350961904853442012-12-18T16:02:00.002-08:002012-12-18T16:02:33.053-08:00<div class="yom-mod yom-art-hd" id="yui_3_5_1_1_1355875052885_1415">
<div class="bd">
<h1 class="headline">
7 shocking things that shorten your life span</h1>
<a href="http://www.realbuzz.com/home/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><cite class="byline vcard"><span class="provider org">RealBuzz</span> – <abbr title="2012-12-17T09:00:00Z">Mon, Dec 17, 2012</abbr></cite></div>
</div>
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</ul>
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<div class="image-thumbnail" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="yom-figure yom-fig-right" style="width: 310px;"><img alt="7 shocking things that shorten your life span" height="207" id="image-thumbnail-242a6ee3b306a946806bd03943e8bff4a635" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/9ElA1feoQGqjvQamDOiU3g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTMxMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_GB/News/RealBuzz/242a6ee3b306a946806bd03943e8bff4a635.jpg" title="7 shocking things that shorten your life span" width="310" /><span class="legend"></span></span></div>
<h3>
<strong>No sense of humor </strong></h3>
You know how people always say “laughter is the best medicine?”
Turns out they’re telling the truth. A study carried out by Sven Svebak
at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, which covered
54,000 subjects, found that people with a high capacity for humor were
35 per cent more likely to be live longer than people who ranked at the
bottom of the humor scale. If you are planning to go through life
keeping laughter to a minimum, you’ll be missing out on health benefits
such as stress reduction, immune system improvement, and increased blood
flow, which could reduce your life expectancy when compared to your
chuckling peers. <br />
<h3>
<strong>Flying</strong></h3>
It’s been proven that taking regular holidays is a stress busting
health booster, but it seems the way we travel to those holidays isn’t
quite as healthy. In fact, flying can be downright bad for you. It’s
already been proven by the Association of Flight Attendants that people
who have careers in the aviation industry are more at risk of dying from
cancer, and now it’s become apparent why. According to physicist Robert
Parish, when you reach the average cruising altitude of 39,000 feet in a
plane you are subject to 64 times more radiation than at sea level due
to cosmic rays, which over time can seriously affect your wellbeing. <br />
<h3>
<strong>Nasty co-workers</strong></h3>
You know that person who you can’t stand at work? As if things
weren’t bad enough already, they’re actually shortening your lifespan.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University found that a person’s colleagues have
a significant bearing on their wellbeing, with friendly and supportive
co-workers leading to lowered stress levels and a reduction in blood
pressure and cholesterol. People at work who cause arguments and don’t
share the workload equally have the opposite effect, causing stress and
subsequently a higher risk of dying amongst their colleagues. These
negative effects were most obvious in subjects between the ages of 38
and 43, so if you fall into that bracket it might be time to bury the
hatchet with your work enemies. <br />
<h3>
<strong>Retiring</strong></h3>
Retiring is often the light at the end of the tunnel for stressed
workers, especially for those who have saved all of their life so that
they can do it earlier. Sadly, that lifetime of financial sacrifice is
leading to a shorter lifespan according to research carried out by Shell
Health Services. The study discovered that people who retire at 55 on
average died younger than those who waited until they were 65. John
Rother, chief lobbyist of the American Association of Retired Persons,
explained it rather bluntly by saying “you use it or you lose it” – by
retiring early, your body misses out on its daily dose of activity and
you gradually become more unhealthy. <br />
<h3>
<strong>Not drinking alcohol</strong></h3>
We’re always told to cut back on how much alcohol we drink, and
rightly so – excessive alcohol consumption can severely damage your
health. However, go to the opposite end of the drinking spectrum and you
could be in even more trouble than heavy drinkers. A study at the
University of Texas found that non-drinkers have a lower life expectancy
than people who drink a moderate amount, and in some cases even lower
than heavy drinkers. This is partly due to missing out on the health
benefits associated with alcohol. Alcohol (in sensible amounts) helps to
protect against heart disease, and decreases the likelihood of
Alzheimer’s and dementia through improved neuron function in the brain. <br />
<h3>
<strong>Sleeping too much</strong></h3>
Getting enough sleep is important when it comes to good health, so
surely the more shut-eye you get the better, right? Wrong. Consistently
going too far over the recommended eight hours can negatively affect
your health according to a study conducted by RealAge.com. The findings
showed that participants who slept for more than nine and a half hours a
night suffered from a staggering 60 per cent increase in heart disease,
and a higher mortality rate when compared to people who stick to the
recommended amount. As well as heart disease, over-sleeping has also
been linked with a whole host of health issues, including obesity,
diabetes, headaches and depression.<strong> </strong> <br />
<h3>
<strong>Not having sex</strong></h3>
Sex is good for you. Is anyone still here? For those of you who
haven’t frantically run off to tell a significant other the good news,
we’ll explain why. The <em>British Medical Journal </em>conducted a sex
survey and found that men who didn’t have sex at least once a month
experienced twice the mortality rate of those who were getting lucky
once a week. It’s not hard to see why this is the case – having sex
burns kilojoules, lowers blood pressure, boosts the immune system, and
much, much more. A study at Duke University also backed this up, finding
that women who had enjoyable sex lives lived eight years longer than
those who didn'tEducation Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-20250227365713241032012-08-06T17:48:00.003-07:002012-08-06T17:48:54.859-07:00Singapore tops world in Olympic gold medal cash payout<h1 class="headline">
Singapore tops world in Olympic gold medal cash payout</h1>
<cite class="byline vcard">By <span class="fn">Elizabeth Soh</span> | <span class="provider org"><a href="http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-sports/">Fit To Post Sports</a></span> – <abbr title="2012-08-05T11:46:09Z">Sun, Aug 5, 2012 7:46 PM SGT</abbr></cite><br />
<br />
<cite class="byline vcard"><abbr title="2012-08-05T11:46:09Z">If there's a medal for the highest cash payout for winning an Olympic gold, Singapore would top the charts.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/us-olympic-medal-winners-bonuses-170523656.html">According to a story by broadcaster CNBC,</a> it said Italy was the most generous with a S$225,000 (USD 182,400) payout for gold, followed by Russia with S$167,000.<br />
France rounded up the top 3 with an S$80,000 payout.<br />
In contrast, US gold medal winners only pocket $31,000 for gold, S$18,000 for silver and S$12,000 for bronze.<br />
<br />
However, the CNBC story obviously did not include Singapore.<br />
Under the <a href="http://www.singaporeolympics.com/mmdap.php">Multi-Million Dollar Awards Programme</a> (MAP), Olympic gold medal champions in individual events stannd to win S$ 1 million, S$500,000 for silver and S$250,000.<br />
For example, <a href="http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-sports/singaporeans-congratulate-feng-olympic-medal-win-153855106.html">Feng Tianwei's bronze medal victory </a>in the women's single of the table-tennis will earn her a quarter of a million dollars<br />
.<br />
However, she has to plough a mandatory 20 per cent back into the National Sports Association for future training and development.<br />
<br />
<div id="yui_3_5_1_1_1344299695718_388">
Although there is no definitive list of cash incentives paid out for Olympic gold, <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AhbYrIkDct4Ho2Ia9KxwW_UU8el_;_ylu=X3oDMTFpNDNidTViBG1pdANCbG9nIHBvc3QgYm9keQRwb3MDNQRzZWMDTWVkaWFCbG9nQm9keUFzc2VtYmx5;_ylg=X3oDMTJvaTU5aWdrBGludGwDc2cEbGFuZwNlbi1zZwRwc3RhaWQDNjFjZWM5ZjktMzFhNi0zMGYxLWJjNjItYTliNGMyM2RlNmNlBHBzdGNhdANibG9ncwRwdANzdG9yeXBhZ2U-;_ylv=0/SIG=13qredl55/EXP=1345509285/**http%3A//www.examiner.com/article/congrats-michael-phelps-how-much-money-did-he-and-other-olympians-make" id="yui_3_5_1_1_1344299695718_387">a quick check online</a> reveals that other South-east Asian countries can also be pretty generous.</div>
Singapore's closest neighbour, Malaysia, have the second biggest offer -- one million ringgit, or almost S$400,000 for a gold.<br />
<br />
Both Singapore and Malaysia have never won the gold medal at the Olympics.<br />
The Philippines is third with S$380,000.<br />
In contrast, gold medal athletes from traditional Olympic heavyweights receive significantly less.<br />
Chinese-language Sports Weekly reported that gold medlalists at the last Beijing Olympics received just US$51,000, or 350,000 yuan.<br />
<br />
Japan is more generous, paying its top medalists US$100,000, a similar amount to Russia's $135,000 reward<br />
<br />
Athletes from host-country Britain will have to contend with just pats on their back and basking in the glow of doing their country proud -- British cyclist Bradley Wiggins, and rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, all of whom won gold, will receive nothing.<br />
<br />
Still, countries like the USA, Britain, and Japan have thriving sports industries which fight to offer gold medallists sponsorships worth millions - - far more than the cash they receive for winning.<br />
<br />
It's been reported that Michael Phelps' endorsement with Nike is worth a reported US$50 million.<br />
<br />
Over in Malaysia, badminton star Lee Chong Wei -- who narrowly lost to Lin Dan in Sunday's gold medal final -- stood to win 2 million Malaysian ringgit in cash or S$800,000 if he had brought him the country's first-ever gold, <a href="http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/8/4/nation/11796922&sec=nation" target="_blank">according to Malaysian daily The Star</a>.<br />
RM 1 million would have been from the Government through the National Sports Council's (NSC) incentive scheme and another RM 1 million cash from local furniture company <a href="http://archives.thestar.com.my/search/?q=3V%20Holdings%20Sdn%20Bhd" target="_blank">3V Holdings Sdn Bhd</a>.<br />
He would also have won a 12.5kg gold bar worth RM2mil offered by gold mine owner and <a href="http://archives.thestar.com.my/search/?q=KL%20Racquet%20Club%20Bhd" target="_blank">KL Racquet Club Bhd</a> <a href="http://archives.thestar.com.my/search/?q=Datuk%20Seri%20Andrew%20Kam" target="_blank">chairman Datuk Seri Andrew Kam</a> as well as a lifetime monthly pension of RM5,000 under the NSC scheme.<br />
<br />
For his silver medal win from the 2008 Beijing Games, Lee was awarded a Datukship by the Penang government, RM300,000 cash and a RM3,000 monthly lifetime pension, as well as two cars from Proton.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Top 10 countries with highest payouts for an Olympic gold medal</span></strong><br />
<br />
1. Singapore — S$1,000,000<br />
2. Malaysia — S$400,000<br />
3. Philippines - S$423,300 (according to 2008 figures)<br />
4. Thailand - S$372,600 (according to 2008 figures)<br />
5. United Arab Emirates - S$337,800<br />
6 Italy - S$226,500 <strong></strong><br />
7 Russia - S$167,650<br />
8 Japan - S$124,200<br />
9 Bulgaria - S$95,100 (according to 2008 figures)<br />
10 France - S$81,000<br />
<br />
<strong>Congrats Michael Phelps! How much</strong> <strong>money did he and other Olympians</strong> <strong>make?</strong><br />
<br />
Congratulations <a class="inline_link" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/michael-phelps">Michael Phelps</a> for becoming the <a class="inline_link" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/olympian/articles">Olympian</a> with the most metals (21) and winning gold 17 times! So how much does Michael Phelps make from his victories? According to <a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_money_does_an_Olympic_gold_medalist_earn#ixzz22YfWBlhQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WikiAnswers</a>, the USA gives $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze. That's not bad, $425,000 from the gold metals alone!<br />
But according to some recent reports, Michael Phelps is going to have to pay $9,000 per gold metal. <br />
<br />
That's crazy, especially since it's not a fraction of the cost gold finalists from Singapore receive.<br />
<em>Reward for Olympic metals by countries in dollars:</em><br />
**The numbers below have not been independently verified and are a combination of rewards for the 2008 and <a class="inline_link" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/2012-olympics">2012 Olympics</a>.**<br />
<ul>
<li></li>
<li><ul>
<li>athlete who can bring </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Singapore:</strong> Gold metal, $708,800</li>
<li><strong>Philippines:</strong> - Gold metal, $340,900<ul>
<li> President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday raised the Olympic incentive to 15 million pesos (340,909 U.S. dollars) for any Filipino athlete who gets a gold medal in Beijing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Malaysia:</strong> Gold metal, $307,000<ul>
<li>Malaysia, which has never won an Olympic gold medal, is offering a bonus of one million ringgit (307,000 dollars) to any athlete who can bring home the top prize from this year's Beijing Games.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Thailand:</strong> Gold metal, $300,000<ul>
<li>Thai gold medallist at the Beijing Olympics will be rewarded of 10 million baht (about 300,000 U.S. dollars), runner-up will get a six million baht bonus and bronze medallist four million baht.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>United Arab Emirates:</strong> Gold metal, $272,000<ul>
<li>Also silver medal winners would be paid just over $200,000 while those winning bronze would get $136,000.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Russia:</strong> Gold metal, $100,000<ul>
<li>Russian gold medallists at the upcoming Beijing Olympics are to get a bonus of 100,000 dollars (63,700 euros), Russian Olympic supremo Leonid Tiagachov said.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Japan:</strong> Gold metal, $100,000</li>
<li><strong>Bulgaria:</strong> Gold metal, $76,620<ul>
<li>Every Bulgarian athlete who wins a gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will receive a 100 000 leva bonus from the Bulgarian state.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>China:</strong> Gold metal, $51,000<ul>
<li>Central sports officials in China have not said how high the bonuses they give will be, but the Chinese-language Sports Weekly reported they are likely to hand gold medal winners 350,000 yuan ($51,000) each, plus big payments shared out from sponsors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Dominican Republic:</strong> Gold metal, $30,000<ul>
<li>Winners could also get a car. It is the first time the Dominican government has made such an offer.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>USA:</strong> Gold metal, $25,000<ul>
<li>The USOC gives $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Australia:</strong> Gold metal, $20,000<ul>
<li>Australian Olympians are expected to get a $20,000 government bonus for gold medals at Beijing - less than winners from the USA, Japan, Germany, Israel, Thailand, Malaysia, Greece and Russia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</abbr></cite>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-90987889690075548182012-08-03T23:39:00.004-07:002012-08-03T23:39:38.367-07:00Judo triumph after trauma<h1>
Judo triumph after trauma</h1>
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<h2 class="readout">
<a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/judo_triumph_after_trauma_H5YGLRW9m2iRR9jBVANRPN">American golden girls’ amazing paths to Summer Games glory</a></h2>
<div class="byline">
By MARK CANNIZZARO in London and DON KAPLAN in New York</div>
<div class="byline">
With AP</div>
<div class="date updated">
<em>Last Updated:</em> 8:09 AM, August 3, 2012</div>
<br />
She’s spun the deepest pain imaginable into Olympic gold.<br />
<br />
Kayla Harrison overcame injury and thoughts of suicide brought on by four years of sex abuse by her coach to become the first American to win gold in judo yesterday.<br />
“I did it,” the Ohio native, 22, said after she defeated the UK’s Gemma Gibbons.<br />
<br />
“This is the happiest I’ll ever feel in my life. I’m walking on clouds right now. My feet haven’t touched the ground yet. As far as the rest of my life goes, it was all about this moment. Everything that was sacrificed by myself, by my family, it was all for that, and it was worth it.”<br />
<br />
Before her triumph, Harrison spent a few moments recalling her tortured past.<br />
<br />
“I feel incredibly sad for that little girl,” she told London’s Telegraph, referring to her younger self. <br />
“I can still see her. I can still see her crying her eyes out and not knowing how to escape. But I’m happy for her because I know she had the courage to say, ‘I won’t be a victim of sexual abuse.’ ”<br />
Harrison was just 6 when her mom, Jeannie Yazell, a black belt, introduced her to judo. Two years later, it was clear the girl could be a star, and she began training with world-class expert Daniel Doyle, then 24.<br />
<br />
For years, he took advantage of his relationship with Harrison and her family. He coached her to two national titles before she was 15, attended family barbecues and even baby-sat for her and her siblings — all while he was sexually molesting the girl.<br />
<br />
“I was an emotional wreck, severely depressed, suicidal. I hated my life. Finally, it got to the point where I couldn’t take it anymore,” she told the paper. <br />
<br />
Finally, she revealed her secret to another judo student, future fiancé Aaron Hardy, and he told her mother.<br />
<br />
“It was devastating,” Harrison said. “When I was young, he [Doyle] would say, ‘We have to keep this between us or we will get into trouble,’ and, honestly, as I got older, I was pretty brainwashed. I knew it was wrong, but I thought I loved him and he loved me . . . My world revolved around Daniel. He was my sun. All I wanted to do was please him.”<br />
<br />
Doyle pleaded guilty in 2007 to illicit sexual conduct for abusing Harrison at matches in Venezuela, Estonia and Russia beginning when she was 12. But she thinks the abuse may have started earlier.<br />
He’s serving a 10-year prison sentence and has been expelled for life from USA Judo, the sport’s national governing body.<br />
<br />
After Doyle was arrested, a traumatized Harrison reinvented herself at a training facility in Wakefield, Mass. <br />
<br />
“To say that she’s a different person today — I don’t want to say that she’s done a 180, because Kayla was a strong-willed person and she was goal oriented,” said legendary judo coach Jimmy Pedro, who was at her side yesterday. <br />
<br />
Two years ago, Harrison faced off against her molester at his sentencing. <br />
<br />
“I was so scared,” she told the Telegraph. “I forgive him. I almost pity him . . . But I said my piece, told the judge the truth . . . It’s closure.”<br />
<br />
She became world judo champ in 2010 and won bronze in the competition last year. <br />
Four months ago, her Olympic dreams were suddenly in jeopardy after she suffered a knee injury while training in Japan. But she never doubted she would recover.<br />
“I feel accomplished,’’ Harrison said after her gold-medal win yesterday. “I’m at peace with myself<br />
<br /><br />Read more: <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/judo_triumph_after_trauma_H5YGLRW9m2iRR9jBVANRPN#ixzz22YZrlvEj" style="color: #003399;">http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/judo_triumph_after_trauma_H5YGLRW9m2iRR9jBVANRPN#ixzz22YZrlvEj</a><br />Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-84947530788745270792012-08-03T22:29:00.001-07:002012-08-03T22:29:14.282-07:00The forgotten story of Sohn Kee-chung, Korea's Olympic hero<h1 itemprop="name">
The forgotten story of Sohn Kee-chung, Korea's Olympic hero</h1>
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A Korean athlete won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics as a member of the Japanese delegation</div>
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A Korean athlete won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics as a member of the Japanese delegation</div>
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<img alt="SOHN" height="276" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2011/8/27/1314478188965/SOHN-001.jpg" width="460" />
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Sohn Kee-chung at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, where he won a gold medal in the marathon. Photograph: Associated Press</div>
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Where does the story start? In the back of a taxi. It's as good a
place as anywhere. Maurice Greene arrived in Daegu this week. He took a
cab from the airport and when he was done he gave the driver a signed
picture of himself. The baffled cabbie did a double-take, then handed
Greene a photo back, taken of himself 20 years ago when he was working
as a fireman.<br />
The sorry truth is that sports journalists always
use taxi drivers as barometers of local opinion. It's a little lazy, but
when you spend your days shuttling back and forth between the stadium
and the hotel you don't get too much time to talk to the locals, and
cabbies tend to be more forthcoming than waiters and stewards.<br />
<br />
A lot of people in the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/athletics" title="More from guardian.co.uk on Athletics">athletics</a>
community are as confused about what they are doing in Daegu as Greene
and that taxi driver were with their exchange. It's a pleasant but
nondescript sort city, 2.5 million citizens and an hour's flight from
Seoul. By coming here the IAAF are trying to take the sport to new
markets, but the flip side of that is that these championships are being
hosted by a country that has no great love for, or interest in,
athletics. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/south-korea" title="More from guardian.co.uk on South Korea">South Korea</a> has never won a medal at a world championships, and it doesn't look like they are going to add to that tally in the next week.<br />
<br />
And
yet, despite that, there is a Korean hero at these championships His
face is plastered on posters around the city, and his life story is
written down in leaflets piled up at the information booths. The opening
ceremony included a film of his life story. His name is Sohn Kee-chung,
and while he may not be well known in the west, his autobiography is
part of the school syllabus in South Korea. He died only eight years
ago, but his life is already part of the national mythology.<br />
<br />
You may not have seen it, but Sohn is the man at the centre of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sohn_Nam_British.jpg" title="">one of the iconic photographs of Olympic history</a>.
It is more understated than the snap of Tommie Smith and John Carlos
giving the black power salute at Mexico '68, but just as powerful. It
was taken on 9 August 1936, at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. It shows
three athletes on the podium during the medal ceremony of the Olympic
marathon. At the back is the British silver medallist Ernie Harper. He
is standing tall, shoulders back and head held high, a proud smile on
his face. In front of him are two Korean runners, Sohn, gold medallist,
and Nam Sung-yong, bronze medallist. Their heads are bowed and both are
staring at their feet in, what they later called, "silent shame and
outrage". Sohn is clutching a young oak tree to his chest. Nam would
later say how envious he was of his team-mate. Not because of colour of
his medal, but because unlike Sohn he had no oak tree to cover up the
Japanese flag that was emblazoned across his shirt.<br />
<br />
We remember
the 1936 Olympics for Jesse Owens and his four gold medals. Sohn's was
just as defiant a victory. And if history has forgotten that, it is
because it was many years before the wider world realised the
significance of what he did. Between 1910 and 1948 Korea was part of the
Japanese empire, who suppressed the indigenous culture and language.
The flags that were raised and the anthem that was played to salute Sohn
and Nam were not Korean, but Japanese, and the press and the IOC did
not award or record the victory as a Korean triumph, but a Japanese one.
Sohn was not even allowed to compete under his own name, but went by
the Japanese transliteration, Son Kitei.<br />
"<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/japan" title="More from guardian.co.uk on Japan">Japan</a>
produced three fine marathon runners in Son, winner of the marathon,
Nan, third in the same race, and Kohei Murakoso, the only man who could
give the Finns a race in the 5,000 and 10,000m," wrote E A Montague in
the Manchester Guardian the day after the race. All three men were
Korean.<br />
During his stay in Berlin Sohn tried to tell the would
that they should not think of him as Japanese. He would sign his name in
Korean characters, and would often draw a small picture of his country
alongside his autograph. After the race he tried to tell the
newspapermen again and again that he was Korean, not Japanese, but his
minders refused to translate his remarks. Montague's mistake was
repeated right around the world, with one conspicuous exception. Back in
Korea the newspapers blurred the Japanese flag out of the photographs
of Sohn. The Korean daily <em>Dong-A Ilbo</em>, which still exists
today, carried the photo – with the Japanese flag scratched out – on its
front page on 25 August. Immediately afterwards the Japanese government
shut the <em>Dong-A Ilbo</em> down for nine months and arrested, then tortured, eight of its journalists.<br />
<br />
Sohn
was born in Sinuiju, in what is now North Korea, in 1914, four years
after the country was annexed by Japan. In school he was taught
Japanese, and had to learn his own language in secret. He began to run,
racing against friends on bicycles, and when his teachers realised how
talented he was they sent him to study in Seoul. There he was coached by
Lee Sun-il, who used to make him run with stones strapped to his back
and his pockets filled with sand to help him build his strength and
stamina.<br />
<br />
The regime worked well. When he was 17, Sohn won his
first marathon. And in the next five years, between 1931 and 1936, he
would run in 12 more, winning nine of them. In November 1935 he ran the
Tokyo marathon in 2hr 26min and 42sec, a world best, five minutes faster
than the time that won Argentina's Juan Carlos Zabala gold at the 1932
Olympics. The next year Sohn finished third in the Olympic trial, behind
his countryman Nam. The Japanese had made a lot of noise about how they
intended to finish third in the medal table. They were happy to send
the three Koreans to Berlin, a 12-day train journey away, to represent
them in the marathon, so long as they ran under Japanese names and in
the Japanese kit.<br />
<br />
Zabala was the favourite for the race itself. He
led the field out from the Olympic Stadium, the 56 runners trailing in
his wake through the Grunewald forest. His fast pace meant he stretched
out ahead of the pack. Sohn, 90 seconds behind after three miles,
considered making a move to catch him. But as he set off he heard a
voice come over his shoulder. It was Harper, the Englishman. "Take it
easy," he said, "let Zabala run himself out." Sohn couldn't speak
English, but he understood the sentiment. For the next 14 miles he and
Harper ran together. And then, after 19 miles, the exhausted Zabala
tripped and fell. Sohn and Harper passed him. Staggering and stumbling,
Zabala dropped out two miles later.<br />
<br />
Harper began to suffer with
blisters, and his shoes filled with blood. Montague wrote afterwards
that "Harper's performance, the last 10 minutes of it with a blistered
and bandaged foot, can vie with Owens' sprinting as the finest
performance of the Games." Sohn kicked on, racked with pain, his leaden
legs pounding the tarmac track. "The human body can do so much," Sohn
said later. "Then your heart and spirit must take over."<br />
<br />
Heart and
spirit carried him up one final slope, back into the stadium and across
the line. As athletes always do, Sohn looked up at the scoreboard as he
finished. He did not see his name, but the Japanese transliteration of
it, and alongside it was not his nationality, but that of his nation's
conquerors.<br />
Soon after the race the Japanese athletes held a party
to celebrate Sohn's victory. But neither he nor his team-mates were
there. Instead they were at the house of An Bong-geun, a prominent
member of the Korean nationalist movement. At An's house Sohn is said to
have seen the Korean flag, forbidden from use, for the first time in
his life. He was overcome with shame at the memory of being forced to
wear the Japanese Rising Sun emblem in Berlin.<br />
<br />
After the war, Sohn
became the head coach of the Korean marathon team. Fourteen years on
from Berlin, after Korea had been liberated from Japan and then occupied
by the US and the Soviet Union, Sohn led a team of South Korean runners
– the first athletes ever to wear the Korean flag on their kit – to a
clean sweep in the 1950 Boston marathon. He was still coaching 42 years
later, and was in the stadium in Barcelona to watch his protege, Hwang
Young-jo, win South Korea's second Olympic gold in the marathon.<br />
<br />
In
his own country Sohn was already a hero. But it took 50 years for the
rest of the world to acknowledge what he had done. He was an
instrumental member of the Seoul Olympics Organising Committee, and it
was only when Korea was awarded the Games that the athletics community
rewrote the record books. In 1986 Sohn was invited to a ceremony in
Culver City in California, where his nationality and name were changed
on a monument to Olympic marathon winners. Two years later he carried
the torch into the stadium for the opening ceremony of the 1988
Olympics, to a standing ovation from 80,000 of his countrymen.<br />
<br />
"The
Japanese could stop our musicians from playing our songs. They could
stop our singers and silence our speakers," Sohn said before he died.
"But they could not stop me from running.</div>
</div>
</div>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-20857997426771165142012-08-02T04:08:00.002-07:002012-08-02T04:08:22.579-07:00China morning round-up<h1 class="story-header">
China morning round-up: Olympic badminton row</h1>
<br />
<div class="caption body-narrow-width">
<img alt="China's Yu Yang, left, and Wang Xiaoli talk while playing in a women's doubles badminton match at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, 31 July 2012" height="171" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/61971000/jpg/_61971007_015495280-2.jpg" width="304" />
<span style="width: 304px;">Yu Yang (left) said on her microblog that she will quit badminton following the disqualification</span>
</div>
<br />
<div class="introduction">
Newspapers discuss the Olympic badminton row after eight players - including China's Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang - <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19072677">were disqualified</a> from the women's doubles competition. </div>
<br />
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) disqualified the players
for trying to lose in an apparent bid to secure an easier passage to
the medal stages.<br />
<br />
In regional newspapers such as <a href="http://www.shanghaidaily.com/nsp/Sports/2012/08/02/Teams+who+tried+to+lose+kicked+out+of+the+Games/">Shanghai Daily</a> it is the top story. <a href="http://newspaper.jfdaily.com/xwcb/html/2012-08/02/content_854849.htm">Shanghai Morning Post</a> described the punishment in a headline as "swallowing their own bitter fruit".<br />
<br />
The reports, however, also say teams blamed the BWF's
introduction of a round-robin stage rather than a knock-out tournament
as the cause of the problem.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://sports.people.com.cn/london2012/n/2012/0802/c221689-18650389.html">People's Daily Overseas Edition</a> describes the punishment as "unprecedented", while its <a href="http://sports.people.com.cn/london2012/n/2012/0802/c221689-18650625.html">domestic edition</a>
says the event was "a crash of rules with ethics". It said the BWF
should not punish players because of the federation's own problems.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bjnews.com.cn/opinion/2012/08/02/214128.html">Beijing News' editorial</a>
says the "utilitarian" and "shameful" act cheated the spectators. It
also reminds athletes that on top of winning medals comes sportsmanship.<br />
<br />
But <a href="http://opinion.huanqiu.com/1152/2012-08/2979588.html">a Global Times Chinese editorial</a>
asks people not to take the whole affair too seriously, because "all in
all, the Olympic Games is a big party, everything to do with the Games
should remain in the 'entertainment sport' level".<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.shanghaidaily.com/nsp/Sports/2012/08/02/Double+winner+Ye+remains+calm+as+she+answers+critics/">Shanghai Daily</a>
and others celebrate the second gold medal won by women's swimming
talent Ye Shiwen late on Tuesday, while papers including Guangzhou's <a href="http://gcontent.oeeee.com/8/9f/89f03f7d02720160/Blog/775/f279dc.html">Southern Metropolis Daily</a> congratulate resident Lei Sheng for winning China's first-ever fencing Olympic gold.<br />
<br />
Also on Thursday, <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2012-08/02/content_15639375.htm">China Daily</a> and <a href="http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/n/2012/0802/c1024-18650529.html">People's Daily</a>
report Premier Wen Jiabao has urged officials to prepare for a double
typhoon with typhoons Saola and Damrey poised to hit eastern China. <br />
<br />
Mr Wen said the forecasted movement of Typhoon Damrey has
many similarities to that of Typhoon Nina in August 1975, which caused a
series of dam collapses in Henan province, <a href="http://www.jfdaily.com/a/3697895.htm">Shanghai Morning Post</a> reports.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2012-08/02/content_15639357.htm">China Daily</a> and the <a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/724743.shtml">Global Times</a>
also report Beijing's protest over Washington's decision to place
sanctions on the Bank of Kunlun - an affiliate of the China National
Petroleum Corporation - for its ties with Iran. <br />
<br />
China's foreign ministry urged the US to revoke the sanctions, said the reports. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-19071383">The massive power cut in India</a> provided China with a lesson to learn, a Global Times <a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/724737.shtml">bilingual editorial</a> says.<br />
<br />
"As power consumption further rises, society has to develop a
consensus on developing nuclear power, hydropower and clean energy," it
said.Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-59247282130052698792012-08-01T23:34:00.001-07:002012-08-01T23:34:13.483-07:00Olympics 2012<h1>
Fencer Shin refuses to accept 'special medal' after sit-in protest</h1>
By <a class="author" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Sportsmail+Reporter" rel="nofollow">Sportsmail Reporter</a><br />
<br />
<span class="article-timestamp"><strong>PUBLISHED:</strong> 21:55 GMT, 31 July
2012 </span>| <span class="article-timestamp"><strong>UPDATED:</strong> 21:55 GMT,
31 July 2012</span><br />
<br />
<span class="article-timestamp"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Fencing's governing body announced that
heartbroken South Korean Shin A Lam will receive 'a special medal' after she
felt she was robbed of a proper one in the women's epee on Monday
night.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The medal will be for 'aspiration to win and
respect for the rules,' said the International Fencing Federation in a
statement.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">But Shin said: 'It does not make me feel
better because it's not an Olympic medal.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'I don't accept the result because I believe
it was a mistake.'</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Shin was speaking back at the ExCeL Arena,
scene of the biggest controversy of the Games so far at the end of her
semi-final with Germany's 2008 Olympic champion Britta Heidemann.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The 25-year-old was in floods of tears and
stayed on the piste for over an hour while arguments raged about the result, but
her defeat stood and she then lost the bronze medal match as
well.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Shin thought she was through to the final when
the clock went to zero, but Austrian referee Barbara Csar then ruled there was
actually still a second left, during which time Heidemann scored.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Korean Olympic Committee president Park
Yung-Sung revealed today the FIE had made the offer of a consolation prize and
recognised that they had acknowledged that 'you can have human
error.'</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">He added: 'They know they are very sorry about
her and they have to recognise her sporting spirit.'</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The FIE said they had, as yet, no confirmation
of the date or place of the medal award ceremony.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The Korean team's protest was rejected this
morning and Park also said: 'They cannot make a new decision after rejecting our
appeal, but they are sorry and sympathise with Shin so they want to recognise
her in the spirit of the Olympics.</span>'<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Shin, who said through an interpreter that she
had slept for only about two hours last night, could still win a 'real' medal in
the team event on Saturday - and could face Heidemann once more in the
final.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Park blamed the timing system for the
incident, claiming it was not accurate enough.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'They have never experienced this before with
three attacks in the last second. Their timekeeping machine only has seconds,
not fractions of a second. It cannot handle a situation like yesterday. That
they admit.'</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In their written appeal the Korean team had
said: 'I can't agree with the decision of the referee. Who can believe this
situation? The Korean team cannot accept this situation.'</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">But an official statement issued in response
read: 'It is for the referee to decide how much time remains. The referee
confirmed the last hit. Neither the DT (the technical director) nor the
refereeing delegations can change a question of fact. The DT decides to reject
the protest.'</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Meanwhile, Park confirmed that the Korean team
had accepted an apology from their Swiss counterparts after footballer Michel
Morganella was expelled from the Games for directing an allegedly racist insult
at South Koreans on Twitter.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The 23-year-old defender was sent home after
posting the message in the wake of his team's 2-1 defeat to South Korea on
Sunday. Morganella has also apologised and his Twitter account has been
deleted</span><br />
<br />Read more: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2181812/London-2012-Olympics-Shin-A-Lam-refuses-special-medal.html#ixzz22MlmxSbH" style="color: #003399;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2181812/London-2012-Olympics-Shin-A-Lam-refuses-special-medal.html#ixzz22MlmxSbH</a><br />
<br />
<h1>
The disgraceful moment eight Badminton players are KICKED OUT of the
Olympics for deliberately trying to lose their games</h1>
<span style="font-size: 1.4em;">Longest rally in one game between Korea and
China was just four strokes</span>
<br />
<ul style="font-weight: bold;">
<li><span style="font-size: 1.4em;">Locog said it would not refund tickets for
the matches</span>
<li><span style="font-size: 1.4em;">Lord Coe said: 'Depressing. Who wants to sit
through something like that'</span></li>
</li>
</ul>
By <a class="author" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=David+Williams" rel="nofollow">David Williams</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Eight women badminton players have been thrown
out of the Olympics in disgrace for deliberately trying to lose their
games.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Yesterday’s mass disqualification is
unprecedented at an Olympic Games and followed uproar among 16,000 spectators,
who booed their disgust at the players in the Wembley Arena on Tuesday
night.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Four pairs – two from South Korea and one each
from China and Indonesia – went to extraordinary lengths to avoid
winning.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The players had all qualified for the
quarter-finals of the women’s doubles and were accused of trying to manipulate
the draw by losing so they would be matched with easier opposition in the next
round or avoid playing their teammates.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Amid shameful and embarrassing scenes, players
were deliberately serving into the net or hitting the shuttlecock over the
court’s lines. The longest rally in one set lasted just four shots.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">As a furious backlash grew, Lord Coe, head of
London 2012, described the players’ actions as ‘depressing and unacceptable’.
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The spotlight will be on the Chinese, who
dominate world badminton but have been accused of manipulation before.
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Petya Nedelcheva, a Bulgarian player who was
on an adjacent court at the time of the first match, said Chinese players
routinely tried to avoid playing each other. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">She said: ‘China control everything. I don’t
know who controlled the match to lose but if it is China again, they did it so
many times last year – they didn’t play against each other in 20 matches. They
do what they want.’ </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The Wembley fiasco began when Chinese top
seeds Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang started to show little interest in beating Koreans
Jung Kyung-eun and Kim Ha-na to finish top of Group A.
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9WLBzOdx2bYElFo5urS668Mk2n1HOU9RFaqAhKYpxcHupmM8xN9TDuGmSPuqak0dJpWqTB35DFhWlv0dv9V8iZwk4e4PIpYD6k843PRxLG-ZsL0zaliqAszzyQEWj7vTE0hOLhOWJPU/s1600/Dsqualify.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9WLBzOdx2bYElFo5urS668Mk2n1HOU9RFaqAhKYpxcHupmM8xN9TDuGmSPuqak0dJpWqTB35DFhWlv0dv9V8iZwk4e4PIpYD6k843PRxLG-ZsL0zaliqAszzyQEWj7vTE0hOLhOWJPU/s320/Dsqualify.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Coming second would have meant avoiding
compatriots and second seeds Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei until the
final.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The Koreans responded to China’s antics by
copying them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Referee Torsten Berg warned all the players
and produced a black card, meaning they would be disqualified. After protests,
this was rescinded.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The match restarted and the Koreans went on to
win 21-14, 21-11. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The matter did not end there as a second
Korean pair, third seeds Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung, attempted to engineer
defeat in their match against Indonesia’s Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia
Polii.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Their motive was apparent retaliation to avoid
Xiaoli and Yang in the quarter-finals, an outcome they failed to achieve as they
won 18-21, 21-14, 21-12.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The Indonesians were not bystanders in the
affair as they responded to the Koreans by trying to lose themselves.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Gail Emms, the former British badminton star
and Olympic silver medallist, said: ‘You cannot do this in an Olympic Games,
this is something that is not acceptable . . . it was just disgraceful.’
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Miss Emms said the potential for match-fixing
was raised in a managers’ meeting on Monday but the referee had dismissed
concerns. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">She added: ‘All the managers got together with
the referee and said, “look, this has happened; in Group D you will find some
very dodgy matches going on in the evening because of it” and the referee
laughed and said “don’t be silly”. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">‘The managers said “we know the game, we know
the players and we know the teams and we know this is going to
happen”.’</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Korea’s coach Sung Han-kook laid the blame
squarely at the feet of China. He said: ‘The Chinese started this. They did it
first. They didn’t want to meet each other in the semi-final.’ </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The Badminton World Federation yesterday
disqualified the players. Their places will be taken by the teams who finished
third and fourth in their qualifying groups concerned – Canada, Australia,
Russia and South Africa.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Locog said fans would not be given any
refunds, even though some paid up to £80 to see the world’s best players. Chief
executive Paul Deighton said: ‘You get in to all sorts of strange precedents if
people aren’t satisfied with what they see – it is very grey and dangerous
territory.’</span><br />
<br />
<br />Read more: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2181902/Olympics-2012-Badminton-descends-farce-China-South-Korea-attempt-LOSE.html#ixzz22MopiATV" style="color: #003399;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2181902/Olympics-2012-Badminton-descends-farce-China-South-Korea-attempt-LOSE.html#ixzz22MopiATV</a><br />
<br /><br /> </span>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-5522140283616711042012-07-31T08:17:00.001-07:002012-07-31T08:17:28.637-07:00The next generation Y and their values<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
<a href="http://kimwhye.blogspot.sg/2012/07/the-next-generation-of-kids-and-their.html">The Next Generation Y and their values</a></h3>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
ST, 23 July 2012
</h3>
<br />
Straits Times July 23, 2012<br />
<br />
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-939216308518609990" itemprop="articleBody">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://ourbrainhurtsalot.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/generation-y2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-119" height="158" originalh="238" originalw="300" scale="1.5" src="http://ourbrainhurtsalot.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/generation-y2.jpg?w=450&h=357" title="generation-y2" width="200" /></a>SINGAPORE'S
'Linksters' view themselves as global citizens, are optimistic about
the future and their values are firmly entrenched in the family.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
These traits showed up when The Straits Times spoke to 200 students
between the ages of 13 and 19 last month. They were asked about their
social and economic backgrounds and current influences in face-to-face
interviews.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Broadly, they have grown up in small, more affluent households with an
average of 3.5 members. By contrast, the Department of Statistics had it
that the average teenager in 1970 grew up in a household with 5.4
family members, and in 1990, with 4.2 members. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Twenty years ago, just over half - or 51.5 per cent - of families lived
in HDB four-room flats or larger, including private housing. In 2010,
this number had jumped to 74.4 per cent. In the Straits Times poll, 167
lived in such flats, or 83.5 per cent, including private housing. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
More than a quarter, 26.7 per cent of respondents, lived in households
with a maid. Almost everyone had at least one computer at home - about
50 per cent had two or three. About 50 per cent also owned their own
cameras and music players, while about 40 per cent had portable game
consoles.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Culturally, Linksters feed off viral videos, ubiquitous social media and
live Twitter updates. The result: a heightened awareness of world
issues, even if they do not act on it. Up to 72.5 per cent agreed they
'felt strongly' on issues such as animal welfare and poverty, but only a
third - 32.1 per cent - were doing something about it. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Interview results also suggested an ambivalence towards local politics.
When asked if they felt they mattered in the development of public
policy, most indicated a 'neutral' response.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
ike Gen Y a decade ago, many Linksters
grow up in homes with live-in maids; they have fewer siblings and more
disposable income. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Linksters come from even smaller households, where families have shifted
from a 'parent- centric' to a 'child-centric' dynamic, as sociologist
Tan Ern Ser of the National University of Singapore put it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Their parents dote on them and shield them from hardships such as deprivation, he said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But though they take these material things for granted, they say they do
not seek affluence. They aspire towards loftier ideals and, nurtured by
Internet connectedness, identify themselves as global citizens (see
table).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
These results from The Straits Times' interviews echo the findings of
Singapore-based LifeWorkz, a training and management consultancy
specialising in work-life and generation issues.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Having observed qualitative focus groups of more than 500 young people
in four societies (China, India, Singapore and Hong Kong), it found that
teens today regard personal time as a 'premium commodity'. Globally,
Linksters are similar, they are less worried about bread-and-butter
issues and more likely to 'choose where they want to live, then find
work there'. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
They set high career goals. 'For example, they will be asking to be
posted to London and New York, not the far-flung parts of China. There
is a lot of work in emerging countries, but this generation may not want
to go there,' said Ms Liew-Chng, referring to youth generally across
countries. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />Associate Professor Tan calls them 'post-materialist', unconcerned about
fulfilling basic needs because they have never had to worry about
money. They are also less traditional in their ways.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Linksters use phones as an active medium - for exchanging news and
information, and to express themselves. Reaching a wide community
through a mobile phone tops their list of priorities.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But when it comes to work, being
'offline' is a prized commodity. For instance, they may not want to take
on jobs that require them to carry BlackBerry devices and answer e-mail
24/7. As consumers, this interconnectedness has made them a homogenous
demographic. Universally, Linksters are exposed to the same brands and
marketing, as geographical location has become irrelevant. As they come
of age, businesses, employers and even governments will want to steel
themselves for this demanding generation: They want things fast,
flexible and in tune with their beliefs. To meet the challenges of
crashing economies and global unemployment, they must be prepared.</div>
<br />
They are not reticent, like Gen X-ers or Baby Boomers, about making themselves heard. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<img border="0" height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://www.businesspundit.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/millennials.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="252" /><img border="0" height="150" id="il_fi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKv52ISrMApX8eBgpIxHCY5apvgm75zrIvL8On6mhDB1HQ2Ym9pm90u7LzqvUI6fcJnR5bv-UZatZ183AidAzlx8QViy6LgjPzto70RzKB3K3KETDBt-ZjDW3MZuZ9IJ_AXtE-umuUlow/s200/gen-y-10-charachteristics.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
</div>
</div>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-68025123871018907112012-06-14T14:17:00.001-07:002012-06-14T14:17:14.750-07:00Rea reason behind Sg's obsesson with tuition<h1 class="headline">
Real reason behind Singapore’s obsession with tuition</h1>
<cite class="byline vcard"><div class="yom-art-author" id="yui_3_5_1_1_1339707691976_298">
<div class="bd">
<div class="profile hidden">
<div class="info clearfix">
<div class="author-name">
<strong>By <span class="fn">Yahoo! Singapore</span></strong></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="bd">
<strong>By <span class="fn">Yahoo! Singapore</span> | <span class="provider org"><a href="http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/">SingaporeScene</a></span> – <abbr title="2012-06-13T10:28:23Z">Wed, Jun 13, 2012</abbr></strong></div>
<div class="bd">
</div>
</cite><div class="bd">
<strong>By Daniel Wong</strong></div>
<div class="bd">
<strong>Singapore is a tuition nation.</strong><br />
<br />
Previous reports from the Department of Statistics show that households spent $820 million a year on both centre and home-based private tuition.<br />
<br />
In addition, <a href="http://www.asiaone.com/print/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120304-331546.html">the number of tuition centres has increased</a> five times over the past decade. There are now more than 500 centres in Singapore.<br />
<br />
In comparison, there are fewer than 400 primary and secondary schools in total.<br />
Through my work as an education excellence coach and speaker, I've had the privilege of speaking to and working with thousands of students. Through these interactions, I estimate that more than 90% of students attend some form of tuition classes.<br />
Students continually complain about their huge struggle to complete their school and tuition homework, participate actively in their co-curricular activities, and lead a somewhat balanced life.<br />
<br />
Most students tell me that they don't get more than 5 or 6 hours of sleep every night because there's just so much they have to do!<br />
<br />
Clearly, there's something wrong with this picture.<br />
<br />
In this article, I'll share my observations about how our obsession with tuition reveals deeper issues we face as a society—issues that go far beyond the pursuit of academic success.<br />
<br />
<strong>The fear of failure starts with parents</strong><br />
<br />
Parents send their children for tuition classes because they fear their children getting left behind. That's a reasonable fear, because it seems like every other student attends classes outside of school.<br />
<br />
But the bigger fear that parents have is the fear of failure, not just for their children, <em>but for themselves, too</em>.<br />
<br />
It's difficult to measure your performance as a parent, so parents often subconsciously gauge their success by how their children are doing in school.<br />
<br />
Your child is a straight-A student? Then you must be doing a wonderful job!<br />
Your child is struggling academically? Then you're failing as a parent.<br />
Few parents verbalize it, but these thoughts are at the core of their decision to send their children for tuition classes. At the end of the day, no parent wants to feel like a failure.<br />
What parents really want for their children<br />
<br />
There are other implications, too. Parents' fear of failure gets passed on to their children, who grow up thinking that the best path is the one that's free from failure, risk and disappointment.<br />
But is that really the <em>best</em> path? No, that's merely the <em>good</em> path, yet it's also the one that parents unintentionally push their children to pursue. A lot of the time, the best path is the one that's full of uncertainty and adversity.<br />
<br />
That's why it's generally incorrect to say that parents want what's best for their children, because they usually only want what's good.<br />
<br />
<strong>Be curious, not competitive</strong><br />
<br />
Moreover, parents who are fixated on their children's academic performance instill a spirit of competition in their children. In today's Information Age, however, what's needed in order to excel is a spirit of curiosity, rather than a spirit of competition.<br />
<br />
There's an incredible amount of information available on the internet, which means that if you want to become knowledgeable in some field, you probably could. It just requires that you have enough genuine curiosity to compel you to look up the information online.<br />
<br />
If students are caught up trying to compete with their peers and outperform them, it's difficult to cultivate a real love for learning and discovery—the things that form the basis of a meaningful education and of long-term success in the Information Age.<br />
<br />
<strong>Success is more about will than skill</strong><br />
<br />
Furthermore, if students feel like they're being forced to improve academically, there's a limit to how successful they can become. To achieve success—I'll go one step further and use the word "greatness"—in any field, you need to make a conscious decision to be great.<br />
<br />
After all, no great pianist, athlete, engineer, doctor, mechanic, nurse or entrepreneur became that way without intentionally <em>choosing</em> the path of excellence.<br />
<br />
You can't force anyone to become great. It's possible to force someone to become mediocre or even good, but greatness requires commitment.<br />
<br />
If parents make their children go for tuition classes without also empowering them to take full responsibility for their own education, it's impossible for the children to become great students.<br />
At the heart of it, greatness is much more a matter of will than it is of skill. Before we teach our students the skill of studying more effectively and of doing better on exams, we need to encourage them to make a deliberate choice about their education, their future and their life.<br />
<br />
<strong>Tuition isn't a bad thing</strong><br />
<br />
Just to be clear, on its own, tuition isn't a horrible thing. I have no doubt that tuition classes can help children to become more disciplined, knowledgeable, hardworking and determined.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, if it's not done with the correct mindset, sending children for tuition classes can be dangerous.<br />
<br />
It's possible that we're currently creating a generation of sleep-deprived, overworked, unfulfilled, and unhappy students. I fear that this generation of unhappy students is going to become a generation of unhappy workers and, later on, a generation of unhappy parents.<br />
<br />
This is a problem we cannot ignore.<br />
<br />
So whether you, as a parent, decide to send your children for tuition classes or not, I urge you to make that decision with the right perspective. Make sure your children understand that it's more important to finish <em>well</em> than it is to finish <em>first</em>.<br />
<br />
The future of our country depends on it.<br />
<br />
<em>Daniel Wong is the author of </em><a href="http://www.thehappystudentbook.com/"><em>"The Happy Student: 5 Steps to Academic Fulfillment and Success"</em></a><em>. He is also an </em><a href="http://www.daniel-wong.com/services/"><em>education excellence coach</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://www.daniel-wong.com/speaking/"><em>speaker</em></a><em>. He writes regularly about topics related to education, career and personal development at </em><a href="http://www.daniel-wong.com/"><em>Living Large</em></a><em>.</em></div>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-8776331678492176702012-06-14T14:12:00.001-07:002012-06-14T14:12:27.624-07:00Hooligan Penguins Report 1912Necrophilia, rape, and murder — George Levick's 100-year-old observations on Adélie penguin culture are just now seeing print, and shocking readers<br />
<br />
<div class="first">
Humans tend to view penguins — who walk upright and appear dressed for a formal dinner party — as adorable, even genteel, little avian half-cousins. No wonder British doctor and naturalist George Murray Levick was appalled to discover <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18370797" rel="nofollow">"astonishing depravity"</a> among the Adélie penguin population 100 years ago in Antarctica, where he was part of famed explorer Capt. Robert Scott's 1910-1913 Terra Nova expedition. A hundred years after Levick studied the raw, violent sex lives of Adélie penguins, his notes have finally been <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18370797" rel="nofollow">published</a>, in the Cambridge University journal <em>Polar Record</em>. Here, a look at what Levick found, and why it scandalized him so:</div>
<div class="first">
<br /></div>
<span><strong>What is Levick's story?</strong></span><br />
<span><strong><br /></strong></span>In February 1912, Levick and five other members of Scott's expedition got trapped by ice at Camp Adele on Antarctica's coast, barring them from continuing on with Scott's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Falcon_Scott" rel="nofollow">ill-fated trek</a> to the South Pole. (Scott and four companions died on the way back to the ship after discovering that Roald Amundsen's Norwegian team had beat them to the pole.) Levick spent the hard Antarctic summer observing the Adélie penguins, making him the first and (so far) only scientist to have watched an entire breeding season. All six members of Levick's group survived, and Levick wrote up his findings upon returning to England in 1913.<br />
<br />
<span><strong>What kind of "depravity" did he encounter?</strong></span><br />
<span><strong><br /></strong></span>Levick describes necrophilia — young male penguins having sex with dead females, some of whom had been frozen for a year — rape, and (perverse to him) homosexuality, among other things. "There seems to be no crime too low for these penguins," <a href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2012/june/penguin-sex-habits-study-rediscovered-at-museum110510.html" rel="nofollow">he wrote</a> in a four-page pamphlet, <em>Sexual Habits of the Adélie Penguin</em>, that he deemed too shocking to publish at the time, save for 100 copies circulated among selected scientists. (And even those were written in Greek, so only his fellow educated gentlemen would understand.) He also published a book, <em>Natural History of the Adélie Penguin,</em> but suppressed the sexual details from that account.<br />
<br />
<span><strong>Why did it take 100 years for these revelations to surface?</strong></span><br />
<span><strong><br /></strong></span>At least two copies of the sex pamphlet survived the century and Douglas Russell, bird curator at the London Museum of Natural History, stumbled upon one while researching the Scott expedition. "It is the most graphic account of challenging sexual behaviour you are ever going to read," Russell tells the BBC. Levick likely omitted these sexual observations from his penguin tome because he was a man of his "era of restrained post-Edwardian etiquette, gentlemen scientists, and stiff upper lips," <br />
<br />
<span><strong>Why do penguins act this way?</strong></span><br />
<span><strong><br /></strong></span>Levick blames the bad behavior on "little hooligan bands of half a dozen or more" young male penguins who hung out on the outskirts of the large Adélie colonies, and he really does make them sound like "depraved little sex gremlins," <a href="http://jezebel.com/5917091/the-sexual-depravity-of-adelie-penguins-is-one-of-sciences-dirtiest-secrets" rel="nofollow">says Doug Barry at <em>Jezebel</em></a>. For his part, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18370797" rel="nofollow">Russell argues</a> that Levick's observations should be taken with a grain of salt. To some inexperienced male penguins, he points out, dead female penguins might look like "females who are awaiting congress." Plus, socially inept penguins only have a few weeks in October to mate, so tend to cram in as much sexual activity as possible. Bottom line: Levick fell into "the same trap as an awful lot of people in seeing penguins as bipedal birds and seeing them as little people," says Russell. "They're not. They are birds and should be interpreted as such."Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-24912696182291377572012-06-14T14:08:00.002-07:002012-06-14T14:08:47.873-07:0010 things your interviewer won't tell you<h1 class="headline">
10 Things Your Interviewer Won't Tell You</h1>
<a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="nofollow"><img alt="U.S.News & World Report LP" class="logo" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/7beGRUi9hJi2xAvkJ4XgMA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9Zml0O2g9Mjc-/http://media.zenfs.com/152/2011/07/27/usnews-106x27_183722.png" title="" /></a><cite class="byline vcard">By <span class="fn">Alison Green</span> | <span class="provider org">U.S.News & World Report LP</span> – <abbr title="2012-06-11T13:17:53Z">Mon, Jun 11, 2012 9:17 PM SGT</abbr></cite><br />
<br />
Wondering what's running through your <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1339420826_0">interviewer</span>'s mind? Here are 10 things your interviewer might be thinking--but probably won't tell you:<br />
<br />
<strong>1. You showed up too early.</strong> <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/slideshows/10-surefire-ways-to-annoy-a-hiring-manager">Many interviewers are annoyed</a> when <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1339420826_1">candidates</span> show up more than five or 10 minutes early, since they may feel obligated to interrupt what they're doing and go out to greet the person. Some feel guilty leaving someone sitting in their reception area that long. Aim to walk in five minutes early, but no more than that.<br />
<br />
<strong>2. We're judging how you're dressed and groomed</strong>. In most industries, a <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1339420826_4">professional appearance</span> still matters. You don't need to wear expensive clothes, but showing up in a casual outfit or clothes that don't fit properly, having unkempt hair, or inappropriately flashy makeup can harm your chances.<br />
<br />
<strong>3. We don't want you to try to sell us.</strong> It's a turn-off when a candidate seems overly focused on closing the deal, rather than on figuring out if the job is the right fit. No <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/slideshows/21-things-hiring-managers-wish-you-knew">hiring manage</a><a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/slideshows/21-things-hiring-managers-wish-you-knew">r</a> wants to think she's being aggressively sold; we want the best person for the job, not the pushiest spiel.<br />
<br />
<strong>4. Little things count.</strong> <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1339420826_2">Candidates</span> often act as if only "official" contacts, like interviews and formal writing samples, count, but hiring managers are watching everything, including things like how quickly you respond to requests for writing samples and references, whether your email confirming the time of the interview is sloppily written, and how you treat the receptionist.<br />
<br />
<strong>5. We might act like we don't mind you bad mouthing a former employer, but we do. </strong>We'll let you talk on once you start, but internally we're noting that you're willing to<a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2011/07/04/what-you-should-never-say-in-a-job-interview"> trash-talk</a> people who have employed you in the past and are wondering if you'll do that to us too. What's more, we're wondering about the other side of the story--whether you're hard to get along with, or a troublemaker, or impossible to please.<br />
<br />
<strong>6. You might be talking too much.</strong> Your answers to your interviewer's questions should be direct and to-the-point. Rambling and unnecessary tangents raise doubts about your ability to organize your thoughts and convey needed information quickly. If you're tempted to go on longer than two minutes, instead ask, "Does that give you what you're looking for, or would you like me to go more in depth about this?" If the interviewer wants more, she'll say so.<br />
<br />
<strong>7. Fit really, really matters, so we think a lot about your personality.</strong> You might have all the qualifications an employer is looking for, but still not get hired because your working style would clash with the people with whom you'd be working. Remember, it's not just a question of whether you have the skills to do the job; it's also a question of fit for this particular position, with this particular boss, in this particular culture, and in this particular company.<br />
<br />
<strong>8. We want you to talk about salary first for the exact reason you fear.</strong> <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/05/30/10-salary-negotiating-mistakes-to-avoid">Salary conversations</a> are nerve-wracking for job seekers because they know that they risk low-balling themselves by naming a number first. And that's exactly why <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1339420826_3">interviewers</span> push candidates to throw out a number first. In an ideal world, employers would simply let candidates know the range they intend to pay, but in reality, plenty take advantage of the power disparity by making candidates talk about money first.<br />
<br />
<strong>9. We're going to ask other people what they think of you.</strong> We're going to ask anyone who came in contact with you for their impressions--from the receptionist to the guy who you met for two minutes in the hallway.<br />
<br />
<strong>10. We like thank-you notes, but not for the reason you think.</strong> Post-interview thank-you notes aren't just about thanking the interviewer for her time; the ones that are done well build on the conversation and reiterate your enthusiasm for the job.<br />
<strong><em class="em">Alison Green</em></strong><em class="em"> writes the popular <a href="http://www.askamanager.org/">Ask a Manager</a> </em><em class="em">blog, where she dispenses advice on career, job search, and management issues. She's also the co-author of Managing to Change the World: The Nonprofit Manager's Guide to Getting Results, and former chief of staff of a successful nonprofit organization, where she oversaw day-to-day staff management, hiring, firing, and employee development.</em>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-77922507083104960722012-06-08T06:47:00.000-07:002012-06-08T06:47:04.651-07:00Louis Theroux on porn: The decline of an industry<div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1">
BBC News 8 Jun 2012</div>
<div class="introduction">
<br /></div>
<div class="introduction">
The adult entertainment industry is
struggling to compete with free internet alternatives - and porn stars are
having to get ever more resourceful, writes Louis Theroux.</div>
<br />
On a movie set in an industrial area of Las Vegas, Tommy Gunn, one of
America's top porn stars, was describing his ideal woman: "Self-sacrificing and
caring and nurturing and wants to have children. Honestly, I'm not going to find
her in this business."<br />
<br />
In the eight years he's been working in porn, Tommy's done something like
1,200 scenes. Muscular, faintly Latin-looking, with a slight touch of Robert De
Niro, he's built a reputation as dependable in an industry where reliability is
a man's most highly-prized professional asset. <br />
<br />
You can get some idea of the nature of Tommy's films from the titles.
Addicted 2 Sin, Call of Booty, Fleshdance.<br />
<br />
A few days earlier, at his rented ranch house in the countryside north of Los
Angeles, Tommy had showed me the small army of statuettes he'd won for his
performances - the porn equivalent of Oscars. <br />
<br />
In his garage, amid the collection of motorbikes testifying to his past life
as a mechanic, he'd taken down a few of his DVDs from a high shelf.<br />
<br />
<div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1">
The adult entertainment industry is
struggling to compete with free internet alternatives - and porn stars are
having to get ever more resourceful, writes Louis Theroux.</div>
<br />
On a movie set in an industrial area of Las Vegas, Tommy Gunn, one of
America's top porn stars, was describing his ideal woman: "Self-sacrificing and
caring and nurturing and wants to have children. Honestly, I'm not going to find
her in this business."<br />
<br />
In the eight years he's been working in porn, Tommy's done something like
1,200 scenes. Muscular, faintly Latin-looking, with a slight touch of Robert De
Niro, he's built a reputation as dependable in an industry where reliability is
a man's most highly-prized professional asset. <br />
<br />
You can get some idea of the nature of Tommy's films from the titles.
Addicted 2 Sin, Call of Booty, Fleshdance.<br />
<br />
A few days earlier, at his rented ranch house in the countryside north of Los
Angeles, Tommy had showed me the small army of statuettes he'd won for his
performances - the porn equivalent of Oscars. <br />
<br />
In his garage, amid the collection of motorbikes testifying to his past life
as a mechanic, he'd taken down a few of his DVDs from a high shelf.<br />
<br />
One of the top male performers went by the porn name Jon Dough. So prized a
performer was he that one of the high-end production companies, Vivid Video, put
him on contract to work exclusively for them.<br />
<br />
I interviewed him on-set around this time. He was starring in a remake of the
adult "classic" Debbie Does Dallas, directed by an ex-performer called Paul
Thomas.<br />
<br />
Jon Dough killed himself nine years after that conversation, at the age of
43. Most of the industry put it down the pressures of the business and the
difficulties of making a living in a market that was saturated with free
product. Several people blamed his death on declining DVD sales.<br />
<br />
Jon Dough was married to a fellow performer, Monique DeMoan, who is now
retired and living 800 miles from Los Angeles. She said her husband killed
himself because of drug addictions. <br />
<br />
Still, it says something about the industry that so many were ready link the
suicide to the plight of DVDs.<br />
<br />
The decline of the porn industry is part of a general trend affecting music,
print journalism and mainstream movies. The many ways of getting content for
free have slashed the profits of the professionals in their respective
fields.<br />
<br />
But where moviegoers and music fans may feel a loyalty to, say, Pixar or U2,
and understand they need to pay for the fruits of their labour, the consumers of
porn have less compunction about stealing the product. Many feel it's more moral
not to pay for adult content.<br />
<br />
Female performers have been resourceful about finding other outlets for their
work. <br />
<br />
I spent a surreal evening at the home of a top porn performer, Kagney Linn
Karter, while she did a live web show in her bedroom. Webcam work is one of the
few kinds of content that can't be pirated, since it's live and interactive.
While Kagney stripped on her bed in front of her laptop, I hid out in the
kitchen with her boyfriend Monte.<br />
<br />
Many female performers also work as prostitutes for extra cash. Where a
female performer might make $600 to $800 (£388 to £518) for a straight sex scene
in a movie, she can get double that - for less work - by "doing a private". <br />
<br />
For many performers, the movies are now a sideline and a kind of advertising
for their main business of prostitution.<br />
<br />
While the wages stagnate, and the jobs dry up, the pressure on the performers
continues. <br />
<br />
During my visit, Monte expressed his unhappiness about a scene Kagney had
just been booked for, involving a sex act so outlandish it can't really be
described in a mainstream news forum.<br />
<br />
<div class="story-feature narrow">
The male performers' options are even more
circumscribed. No prostitution for them, no webcam shows, and lower pay.</div>
<br />
The top echelons of the profession, people like Tommy Gunn, still get regular
work. But he still struggles with a sense of loneliness and the strange
combination of stigma and fame that his very peculiar profession brings with
it.<br />
<br />
After his scene in Las Vegas wrapped, I joined him in his unglamorous motel
on an unfashionable stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard.<br />
<br />
I complimented him on the solid performance he'd just turned in. I was aware
it was a strange thing to say, but I also wanted to acknowledge how much he'd
had militating against him - the people, the length of the scene, the apparent
lack of interest of his partner.<br />
<br />
"That's my job," he said.<br />
<br />
For a moment, there seemed something both sad but also oddly heroic in his
ability to discharge the strange responsibility he'd taken on. <br />
<br />
But for how much longer the job will exist is unclear.Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-25349570391444320252012-04-30T18:50:00.002-07:002012-04-30T18:50:10.403-07:00Susan Cain - Power of Introvers (Ted Talks)When I was nine years old I went off to summer camp for the first time. And my mother packed me a suitcase full of books, which to me seemed like a perfectly natural thing to do. Because in my family, reading was the primary group activity. And this might sound antisocial to you, but for us it was really just a different way of being social. You have the animal warmth of your family sitting right next to you, but you are also free to go roaming around the adventureland inside your own mind. And I had this idea that camp was going to be just like this, but better. (Laughter) I had a vision of 10 girls sitting in a cabin cozily reading books in their matching nightgowns. <br />
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(Laughter) </div>
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Camp was more like a keg party without any alcohol. And on the very first day our counselor gathered us all together and she taught us a cheer that she said we would be doing every day for the rest of the summer to instill camp spirit. And it went like this: "R-O-W-D-I-E, that's the way we spell rowdie. Rowdie, rowdie, let's get rowdie." Yeah. So I couldn't figure out for the life of me why we were supposed to be so rowdy, or why we had to spell this word incorrectly. (Laughter) But I recited a cheer. I recited a cheer along with everybody else. I did my best. And I just waited for the time that I could go off and read my books. </div>
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But the first time that I took my book out of my suitcase, the coolest girl in the bunk came up to me and she asked me, "Why are you being so mellow?" -- mellow, of course, being the exact opposite of R-O-W-D-I-E. And then the second time I tried it, the counselor came up to me with a concerned expression on her face and she repeated the point about camp spirit and said we should all work very hard to be outgoing. </div>
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And so I put my books away, back in their suitcase, and I put them under my bed, and there they stayed for the rest of the summer. And I felt kind of guilty about this. I felt as if the books needed me somehow, and they were calling out to me and I was forsaking them. But I did forsake them and I didn't open that suitcase again until I was back home with my family at the end of the summer. </div>
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Now, I tell you this story about summer camp. I could have told you 50 others just like it -- all the times that I got the message that somehow my quiet and introverted style of being was not necessarily the right way to go, that I should be trying to pass as more of an extrovert. And I always sensed deep down that this was wrong and that introverts were pretty excellent just as they were. But for years I denied this intuition, and so I became a Wall Street lawyer, of all things, instead of the writer that I had always longed to be -- partly because I needed to prove to myself that I could be bold and assertive too. And I was always going off to crowded bars when I really would have preferred to just have a nice dinner with friends. And I made these self-negating choices so reflexively, that I wasn't even aware that I was making them. </div>
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Now this is what many introverts do, and it's our loss for sure, but it is also our colleagues' loss and our communities' loss. And at the risk of sounding grandiose, it is the world's loss. Because when it comes to creativity and to leadership, we need introverts doing what they do best. A third to a half of the population are introverts -- a third to a half. So that's one out of every two or three people you know. So even if you're an extrovert yourself, I'm talking about your coworkers and your spouses and your children and the person sitting next to you right now -- all of them subject to this bias that is pretty deep and real in our society. We all internalize it from a very early age without even having a language for what we're doing. </div>
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Now to see the bias clearly you need to understand what introversion is. It's different from being shy. Shyness is about fear of social judgment. Introversion is more about, how do you respond to stimulation, including social stimulation. So extroverts really crave large amounts of stimulation, whereas introverts feel at their most alive and their most switched-on and their most capable when they're in quieter, more low-key environments. Not all the time -- these things aren't absolute -- but a lot of the time. So the key then to maximizing our talents is for us all to put ourselves in the zone of stimulation that is right for us. </div>
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But now here's where the bias comes in. Our most important institutions, our schools and our workplaces, they are designed mostly for extroverts and for extroverts' need for lots of stimulation. And also we have this belief system right now that I call the new groupthink, which holds that all creativity and all productivity comes from a very oddly gregarious place. </div>
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So if you picture the typical classroom nowadays: When I was going to school, we sat in rows. We sat in rows of desks like this, and we did most of our work pretty autonomously. But nowadays, your typical classroom has pods of desks -- four or five or six or seven kids all facing each other. And kids are working in countless group assignments. Even in subjects like math and creative writing, which you think would depend on solo flights of thought, kids are now expected to act as committee members. And for the kids who prefer to go off by themselves or just to work alone, those kids are seen as outliers often or, worse, as problem cases. And the vast majority of teachers reports believing that the ideal student is an extrovert as opposed to an introvert, even though introverts actually get better grades and are more knowledgeable, according to research. (Laughter) </div>
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Okay, same thing is true in our workplaces. Now, most of us work in open plan offices, without walls, where we are subject to the constant noise and gaze of our coworkers. And when it comes to leadership, introverts are routinely passed over for leadership positions, even though introverts tend to be very careful, much less likely to take outsize risks -- which is something we might all favor nowadays. And interesting research by Adam Grant at the Wharton School has found that introverted leaders often deliver better outcomes than extroverts do, because when they are managing proactive employees, they're much more likely to let those employees run with their ideas, whereas an extrovert can, quite unwittingly, get so excited about things that they're putting their own stamp on things, and other people's ideas might not as easily then bubble up to the surface. </div>
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Now in fact, some of our transformative leaders in history have been introverts. I'll give you some examples. Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Gandhi -- all these peopled described themselves as quiet and soft-spoken and even shy. And they all took the spotlight, even though every bone in their bodies was telling them not to. And this turns out to have a special power all its own, because people could feel that these leaders were at the helm, not because they enjoyed directing others and not out of the pleasure of being looked at; they were there because they had no choice, because they were driven to do what they thought was right. </div>
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Now I think at this point it's important for me to say that I actually love extroverts. I always like to say some of my best friends are extroverts, including my beloved husband. And we all fall at different points, of course, along the introvert/extrovert spectrum. Even Carl Jung, the psychologist who first popularized these terms, said that there's no such thing as a pure introvert or a pure extrovert. He said that such a man would be in a lunatic asylum, if he existed at all. And some people fall smack in the middle of the introvert/extrovert spectrum, and we call these people ambiverts. And I often think that they have the best of all worlds. But many of us do recognize ourselves as one type or the other. </div>
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And what I'm saying is that culturally we need a much better balance. We need more of a yin and yang between these two types. This is especially important when it comes to creativity and to productivity, because when psychologists look at the lives of the most creative people, what they find are people who are very good at exchanging ideas and advancing ideas, but who also have a serious streak of introversion in them. </div>
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And this is because solitude is a crucial ingredient often to creativity. So Darwin, he took long walks alone in the woods and emphatically turned down dinner party invitations. Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, he dreamed up many of his amazing creations in a lonely bell tower office that he had in the back of his house in La Jolla, California. And he was actually afraid to meet the young children who read his books for fear that they were expecting him this kind of jolly Santa Claus-like figure and would be disappointed with his more reserved persona. Steve Wozniak invented the first Apple computer sitting alone in his cubical in Hewlett-Packard where he was working at the time. And he says that he never would have become such an expert in the first place had he not been too introverted to leave the house when he was growing up. </div>
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Now of course, this does not mean that we should all stop collaborating -- and case in point, is Steve Wozniak famously coming together with Steve Jobs to start Apple Computer -- but it does mean that solitude matters and that for some people it is the air that they breathe. And in fact, we have known for centuries about the transcendent power of solitude. It's only recently that we've strangely begun to forget it. If you look at most of the world's major religions, you will find seekers -- Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad -- seekers who are going off by themselves alone to the wilderness where they then have profound epiphanies and revelations that they then bring back to the rest of the community. So no wilderness, no revelations. </div>
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This is no surprise though if you look at the insights of contemporary psychology. It turns out that we can't even be in a group of people without instinctively mirroring, mimicking their opinions. Even about seemingly personal and visceral things like who you're attracted to, you will start aping the beliefs of the people around you without even realizing that that's what you're doing. </div>
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And groups famously follow the opinions of the most dominant or charismatic person in the room, even though there's zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas -- I mean zero. So ... (Laughter) You might be following the person with the best ideas, but you might not. And do you really want to leave it up to chance? Much better for everybody to go off by themselves, generate their own ideas freed from the distortions of group dynamics, and then come together as a team to talk them through in a well-managed environment and take it from there. </div>
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Now if all this is true, then why are we getting it so wrong? Why are we setting up our schools this way and our workplaces? And why are we making these introverts feel so guilty about wanting to just go off by themselves some of the time? One answer lies deep in our cultural history. Western societies, and in particular the U.S., have always favored the man of action over the man of contemplation and "man" of contemplation. But in America's early days, we lived in what historians call a culture of character, where we still, at that point, valued people for their inner selves and their moral rectitude. And if you look at the self-help books from this era, they all had titles with things like "Character, the Grandest Thing in the World." And they featured role models like Abraham Lincoln who was praised for being modest and unassuming. Ralph Waldo Emerson called him "A man who does not offend by superiority."</div>
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But then we hit the 20th century and we entered a new culture that historians call the culture of personality. What happened is we had evolved an agricultural economy to a world of big business. And so suddenly people are moving from small towns to the cities. And instead of working alongside people they've known all their lives, now they are having to prove themselves in a crowd of strangers. So, quite understandably, qualities like magnetism and charisma suddenly come to seem really important. And sure enough, the self-help books change to meet these new needs and they start to have names like "How to Win Friends and Influence People." And they feature as their role models really great salesmen. So that's the world we're living in today. That's our cultural inheritance. </div>
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Now none of this is to say that social skills are unimportant, and I'm also not calling for the abolishing of teamwork at all. The same religions who send their sages off to lonely mountain tops also teach us love and trust. And the problems that we are facing today in fields like science and in economics are so vast and so complex that we are going to need armies of people coming together to solve them working together. But I am saying that the more freedom that we give introverts to be themselves, the more likely that they are to come up with their own unique solutions to these problems. </div>
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So now I'd like to share with you what's in my suitcase today. Guess what? Books. I have a suitcase full of books. Here's Margaret Atwood, "Cat's Eye." Here's a novel by Milan Kundera. And here's "The Guide for the Perplexed" by Maimonides. But these are not exactly my books. I brought these books with me because they were written by my grandfather's favorite authors.</div>
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My grandfather was a rabbi and he was a widower who lived alone in a small apartment in Brooklyn that was my favorite place in the world when I was growing up, partly because it was filled with his very gentle, very courtly presence and partly because it was filled with books. I mean literally every table, every chair in this apartment had yielded its original function to now serve as a surface for swaying stacks of books. Just like the rest of my family, my grandfather's favorite thing to do in the whole world was to read. </div>
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But he also loved his congregation, and you could feel this love in the sermons that he gave every week for the 62 years that he was a rabbi. He would takes the fruits of each week's reading and he would weave these intricate tapestries of ancient and humanist thought. And people would come from all over to hear him speak. </div>
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But here's the thing about my grandfather. Underneath this ceremonial role, he was really modest and really introverted -- so much so that when he delivered these sermons, he had trouble making eye contact with the very same congregation that he had been speaking to for 62 years. And even away from the podium, when you called him to say hello, he would often end the conversation prematurely for fear that he was taking up too much of your time. But when he died at the age of 94, the police had to close down the streets of his neighborhood to accommodate the crowd of people who came out to mourn him. And so these days I try to learn from my grandfather's example in my own way. </div>
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So I just published a book about introversion, and it took me about seven years to write. And for me, that seven years was like total bliss, because I was reading, I was writing, I was thinking, I was researching. It was my version of my grandfather's hours of the day alone in his library. But now all of a sudden my job is very different, and my job is to be out here talking about it, talking about introversion. (Laughter) And that's a lot harder for me, because as honored as I am to be here with all of you right now, this is not my natural milieu. </div>
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So I prepared for moments like these as best I could. I spent the last year practicing public speaking every chance I could get. And I call this my "year of speaking dangerously." (Laughter) And that actually helped a lot. But I'll tell you, what helps even more is my sense, my belief, my hope that when it comes to our attitudes to introversion and to quiet and to solitude, we truly are poised on the brink on dramatic change. I mean, we are. And so I am going to leave you now with three calls for action for those who share this vision.</div>
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Number one: Stop the madness for constant group work. Just stop it. (Laughter) Thank you. (Applause) And I want to be clear about what I'm saying, because I deeply believe our offices should be encouraging casual, chatty cafe-style types of interactions -- you know, the kind where people come together and serendipitously have an exchange of ideas. That is great. It's great for introverts and it's great for extroverts. But we need much more privacy and much more freedom and much more autonomy at work. School, same thing. We need to be teaching kids to work together, for sure, but we also need to be teaching them how to work on their own. This is especially important for extroverted children too. They need to work on their own because that is where deep thought comes from in part. </div>
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Okay, number two: Go to the wilderness. Be like Buddha, have your own revelations. I'm not saying that we all have to now go off and build our own cabins in the woods and never talk to each other again, but I am saying that we could all stand to unplug and get inside our own heads a little more often. </div>
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Number three: Take a good look at what's inside your own suitcase and why you put it there. So extroverts, maybe your suitcases are also full of books. Or maybe they're full of champagne glasses or skydiving equipment. Whatever it is, I hope you take these things out every chance you get and grace us with your energy and your joy. But introverts, you being you, you probably have the impulse to guard very carefully what's inside your own suitcase. And that's okay. But occasionally, just occasionally, I hope you will open up your suitcases for other people to see, because the world needs you and it needs the things you carry. </div>
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So I wish you the best of all possible journeys and the courage to speak softly. </div>
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Thank you very much. </div>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-31739959245842953012012-03-18T02:29:00.001-07:002012-03-18T02:29:15.170-07:00Fruit Fly Experiments<span class="story-date"><span class="date">15 March 2012</span> <span class="time-text">Last updated at </span><span class="time">18:32 GMT</span> </span>
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Sex-starved fruit flies turn to drink</h3>
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<span class="byline"><span class="byline-name">By Jason Palmer</span> <span class="byline-title">Science and technology reporter, BBC News</span></span><br />
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<span class="byline"><span class="byline-title"><div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1">
Male fruit flies that have been
rejected by females drink significantly more alcohol than those that have mated
freely, scientists say.</div>
<br />
In <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6074/1351">an article in
Science</a>, researchers suggest that alcohol stimulates the flies' brains as a
"reward" in a similar way to sexual conquest.<br />
<br />
The work points to a brain chemical called neuropeptide F, which seems to be
regulated by the flies' behaviour.<br />
<br />
Human brains have a similar chemical, which may react in a similar way.<br />
<br />
The connection between alcohol and this chemical, which in humans is known as
neuropeptide Y, has already been noted in <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/222421.stm" title="Drunken mice and alcoholism">studies involving hard-drinking
mice</a>.<br />
<br />
The new work explores the link between such reward-seeking and the study of
social interactions, said the lead author of the report Galit Shohat-Ophir, now
of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Virginia, US.<br />
<br />
"It is thought that reward systems evolved to reinforce behaviours that are
important for the survival of both individuals and species, like food
consumption and mating," Dr Shohat-Ophir told BBC News. <br />
<br />
"Drugs of abuse kind of hijack the same neural pathways used by natural
rewards, so we wanted to use alcohol - which is an extreme example of a compound
that can affect the reward system - to get into the mechanism of what makes
social interaction rewarding for animals."<br />
<span class="cross-head">'Control
system'</span>
<br />
Working in the <a href="http://keck.ucsf.edu/neurograd/faculty/heberlein.html">laboratory of
Ulrike Heberlein</a> at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr
Shohat-Ophir and colleagues subjected a number of flies to a wide variety of
fates.<br />
<br />
In one set of experiments, male flies were put in a box with five virgin
females, which were receptive to the males' advances. In another, males were
locked up with females that had already mated and which thus roundly rejected
the males' attempts at sex.<br />
<br />
Offered either their normal food slurry or a version charged with 15%
alcohol, the mated males avoided the alcohol, whereas the sexually deprived
males went on a comparative bender.<br />
<br />
The team then went on a hunt for a chemical that could tie the two parts of
this story together, hitting on neuropeptide F (NPF).<br />
<br />
<div class="caption body-narrow-width">
<img alt="Neuropeptide Y" height="180" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/59103000/jpg/_59103915_59103913.jpg" width="304" /> <span style="width: 304px;">In mammals, the "rewarding"
brain chemical is called neuropeptide Y</span> </div>
<br />
They found that the heavy-drinking rejected males had a lowered level of the
chemical, and sated, mated males had an elevated level.<br />
<br />
"What we think is that these NPF levels are some kind of 'molecular
signature' to the experience," Dr Shohat-Ophir explained.<br />
<br />
To show that the NPF is actually responsible for the change rather than just
associated with it, the researchers actively manipulated just how much NPF was
in the flies' brains. <br />
<br />
Those with depressed levels acted like the rejected males, and those with
elevated levels behaved like the mated males. <br />
<br />
"What this leads us to think is that the fly brain - and presumably also
other animals' and human brains - have some kind of a system to control their
level of internal reward, that once the internal reward level is down-regulated
it will be followed by behaviour that will restore it back," Dr Shohat-Ophir
said.<br />
<br />
It is tempting, given that humans share a similar brain chemical, to imagine
that NPF drives human behaviour as well.<br />
<br />
However, <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6074/1309.summary">in
an accompanying article in Science</a>, Troy Zars of the University of Missouri
wrote that "anthropomorphising the results from flies is difficult to suppress,
but the relevance to human behaviour is obviously not yet established".<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, he suggested that the work linked "a rewarding social
interaction with a lasting change in behaviour".<br />
<br />
"Identifying the NPF system as critical in this linkage offers exciting
prospects for determining the molecular and genetic mechanisms of reward and
could potentially influence our understanding of the mechanisms of drugs of
abuse."</span></span>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-81510862160209953112012-02-15T16:33:00.001-08:002012-02-15T16:33:55.095-08:00A letter on marriage -“When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.<br /> <br /><span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show"> Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?<br /> <br /> I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!<br /> <br /> With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.<br /> <br /> The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.<br /> <br /> In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.<br /> <br /> This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.<br /> <br /> I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.<br /> <br /> My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.<br /> <br /> On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.<br /> <br /> On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.<br /> <br /> She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.<br /> <br /> Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.<br /> <br /> Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.<br /> <br /> But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.<br /> <br /> She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.<br /> <br /> That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed -dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce.— At least, in the eyes of our son—- I’m a loving husband….<br /> <br /> The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves.<br /> <br /> So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!<br /> <br /> If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you.<br /> <br /> If you do, you just might save a marriage. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up</span><br />
<br />
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<span class="fcg"> — </span></div>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-81610398947966374342011-12-04T18:38:00.000-08:002011-12-04T18:49:52.261-08:00Socratest remembered - 4 Dec 2011 BBC<div>
Former Brazil captain Socrates has died at the age of 57.He had been in a critical condition with an intestinal infection since being admitted to intensive care on Friday at a hospital in Sao Paulo.Socrates, who was widely regarded as one of the greatest ever midfielders, was moved onto a life support machine on Saturday.He played in two World Cups, won 60 caps for his country between 1979 and 1986 and scored 22 goals.</div>
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The former Corinthians player, whose full name was Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Sousa Vieira de Oliveira, was taken to the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo with food poisoning on Friday, according to his wife.A hospital statement said on Saturday that the former footballer was "in a critical condition due to a septic shock of intestinal origin".It added he was breathing with a ventilator and using a dialysis machine.</div>
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On Sunday Corinthians won their first Brazilian league title for six years after their 0-0 draw against Palmeiras was enough to edge out Vasco da Gama by two points.Fans held up several signs honouring Socrates and players held their closed right hand up in the air during the moment of silence before the match, imitating his trademark celebration after scoring."The Corinthians nation woke up very sad today because of the loss of this incredible person," striker Liedson said. "The title comes as a small way to honour him."Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff said Brazil had lost "one of its most cherished sons"."</div>
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On the field, with his talent and sophisticated touches, he was a genius," she said. "Off the field... he was active politically, concerned with his people and his country."</div>
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Socrates scored 172 goals in 297 games for Brazilian club side Corinthians, having begun his career at Botafogo.More than a decade after retiring, he joined non-League Garforth Town at the age of 50 on a one-month deal as player-coach, but managed just 12 minutes as a substitute.Zico, a team-mate of Socrates in the iconic Brazil side of the 1970s, told website <a href="http://globoesporte.globo.com/">globoesporte.com</a>: "He was a spectacular guy.</div>
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"As a player, there is not much to say; he was one of the best that I ever played with. His intelligence was unique."Paolo Rossi, who scored a hat-trick in Italy's memorable 3-2 quarter-final win over Socrates's Brazil in 1982 - widely regarded as one of the greatest games in World Cup history - paid tribute to his former opponent."It's a piece of our history that's broken off and gone away," he said."Socrates seemed like a player from another era. You couldn't place him in any category - on the pitch and even more so off it."Everyone knew about his degree in medicine and he had a lot of cultural and social interests as well. He was unique from every point of view."Socrates scored Brazil's first goal in that match, beating Dino Zoff at the near post after running on to Zico's wonderful through ball.</div>
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I remember the goal he scored against Zoff; he was one on one and it didn't seem like he could get to the ball. He looked slow but in reality he wasn't."He was a very dynamic player with a sublime foot but, most of all, great intelligence."Fiorentina, where Socrates spent one season, held a minute's silence before the Serie A match against Roma, when the players wore black armbands.A club statement read: "To the unforgettable 'Doctor' who played with the purple shirt in 1984/85, playing 25 matches and scoring six goals and who will always be remembered for his footballing intelligence, he will be affectionately remembered by the club, the team and the Fiorentina fans."Giancarlo Antognoni, a team-mate of Socrates at Fiorentina and an opponent in that famous 1982 World Cup clash, said: "I'm really hurt."He was a true personality, above the rules with his own methodology, his way of life and his idea</div>
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"He struggled to adapt to our football but he was an authentic champion, full of refined class, great charisma and character."Giancarlo De Sista, Fiorentina's coach at the time, also spoke of his admiration for Socrates as a player and a person."Socrates was a very intelligent man; he had great class," he said."I remember that he was an objector. He wanted to know everything - why he couldn't smoke on the team bus, why we had to be in retreat on the Saturday nights before games."He was an intelligent person who was interested in politics, although he smoked and drank a bit too much."<a class="hidden" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16017071.stm#skip_feature_02">Continue reading the main story</a>Sad start to the day. Rest in peace Dr. SocratesFormer Brazil striker Ronaldo on TwitterFormer Brazil striker Ronaldo wrote <a href="https://twitter.com/ClaroRonaldo">on Twitter</a>: "Sad start to the day. Rest in peace Dr. Socrates."Socrates was taken to hospital in August and September this year with bleeding in his digestive tract.After these incidents he admitted he had problems with alcohol, especially so during his playing career. He is also well known for his smoking habit.In a recent television interview, Socrates said he had considered alcohol his "companion" but believed its regular use did not affect his performance on the field."Alcohol did not affect my career, in part because I never had the physical build to play this game," he said."Soccer became my profession only when I was already 24. I was too thin and when I was young I did not have the opportunity to prepare myself physically for the sport."</div>
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SOCRATES FACTFILE<a class="hidden" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16017071.stm#skip_feature_02">Continue reading the main story</a> Born on 19 February 1954 in Belem do Para, Brazil Rated as one of the greatest midfielders of all-time At 6ft 4in tall he was known for his physical strength, as well as two-footed vision and skill Played for Botafogo and Corinthians in Brazil before a one-season spell at Fiorentina Saw out his career with Flamengo and Santos before retiring in 1989 aged 35 In 2004 aged 50, Socrates made an appearance as sub for Garforth Town in the Northern Counties League after a one-off deal to become player-coach</div>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-61434375163695935212011-12-04T05:58:00.000-08:002011-12-04T18:50:15.419-08:00They don't get harder than Smokin' Joe FrazierThey don’t get any harder than Joe Frazier. The son of a sharecropper, he grew up in the blackest part of black America, Beaufort County, South Carolina. He spent his childhood makin bootleg corn liquor and beating on a stuffed burlap sack. As a child on the farm his left arm was mauled by a 300 lb hog. Unable to pay for medical attention, the arm healed crooked, leaving it permanently cocked for the perfect left hook.<br />
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In the 70s, Joe Frazier’s gym on Broad and Indiana was the best place to train in the United States. He had the greatest trainer who ever lived, Eddie Futch. Following a training accident in 1964, Joe Frazier was partially blind in his left eye for his entire career, still going on to be one of the greatest fighters ever to live. That legacy was cemented in the annals of boxing history in 1971, after he became the first man ever to defeat Muhammad Ali. In doing so he captured the greatest title in all of sports: Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World.<br />
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Boxing is the hardest sport, by far. There aint no teams. It’s just you getting punched in the face for three minutes at a time. It aint the UFC. You can’t tap out. You can’t quit. You can’t rest. You gotta hit the other guy harder than he hits you. It’s the only sport where the players are willing to pay the ultimate price to win. Fighters die in the ring every year. Joe Frazier said that he would have been prepared to die to fight the last round of the Thrilla in Manilla, his third and final fight with Ali. As a blind Frazier begged Eddie Futch to go on, he through in the towel before the start of the fifteenth round. Little did they know that Ali was begging his corner to cut his gloves off, and probably would not have stood had that bell rung.<br />
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Human beings are the last step in an evolution of animals that crawled out of the ocean. The only thing we have in common with those beasts is the will to fight to the death in order to triumph.<br />
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Boxing is the only thing in the world that brings out that desire in humans today.For his last thirty years, Joe Frazier lived in a room on top of his gym on Broad and Indiana.<br />
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He was broke from various failed business ventures, most notably, after buying 140 acres in Bucks County for $800,000. He eventually lost the land, and today it is worth over $100 million.<br />
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He didn’t have it all bad though. Still a revered figure in boxing history, he toured the country frequently, being paid to appear at various functions.<br />
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He was also a regular at Philly’s own B&W Sports Bar on 22nd and Spring Garden, where he enjoyed a New York Strip or Blackened Tilapia, along with his favorite drink — Courvoisier and ginger ale.<br />
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There is a disgraceful statue of of Sly Stallone, who stole many of Frazier’s real life training exploits (including pounding beef carcasses and running up the art museum steps) standing in front of the Art Museum. Where is Joe Frazier’s statue?<br />
<br />Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-69851602300379852092011-12-04T05:51:00.000-08:002011-12-04T18:50:21.321-08:00Joe Frazier, Ex-Heavyweight Champ, Dies at 67<div>
Joe Frazier, the former heavyweight champion whose furious and intensely personal fights with a taunting <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/a/muhammad_ali/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Muhammad Ali.">Muhammad Ali</a> endure as an epic rivalry in boxing history, died Monday night at his home in Philadelphia. He was 67. </div>
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His business representative, Leslie Wolff, said the cause was liver cancer. An announcement over the weekend that Frazier had received the diagnosis in late September and had been moved to hospice care early this month prompted an outpouring of tributes and messages of support. Known as Smokin’ Joe, Frazier stalked his opponents around the ring with a crouching, relentless attack — his head low and bobbing, his broad, powerful shoulders hunched — as he bore down on them with an onslaught of withering jabs and crushing body blows, setting them up for his devastating left hook. It was an overpowering modus operandi that led to versions of the heavyweight crown from 1968 to 1973. Frazier won 32 fights in all, 27 by knockouts, losing four times — twice to Ali in furious bouts and twice to George Foreman. He also recorded one draw. A slugger who weathered repeated blows to the head while he delivered punishment, Frazier proved a formidable figure. But his career was defined by his rivalry with Ali, who ridiculed him as a black man in the guise of a Great White Hope. Frazier detested him. </div>
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Ali vs. Frazier was a study in contrasts. Ali: tall and handsome, a wit given to spouting poetry, a magnetic figure who drew adulation and denigration alike, the one for his prowess and outsize personality, the other for his antiwar views and Black Power embrace of Islam. Frazier: a bull-like man of few words with a blue-collar image and a glowering visage who in so many ways could be on an equal footing with his rival only in the ring. Ali proclaimed, “I am the greatest” and he preened how he could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Frazier had no inclination for oratorical bravado. “Work is the only meanin’ I’ve ever known,” he told Playboy in 1973. “Like the man in the song says, I just gotta keep on keepin’ on.” Frazier won the undisputed heavyweight title with a 15-round decision over Ali at Madison Square Garden in March 1971, in an extravaganza known as the Fight of the Century. Ali scored a 12-round decision over Frazier at the Garden in a nontitle bout in January 1974. Then came the Thrilla in Manila championship bout, in October 1975, regarded as one of the greatest fights in boxing history. It ended when a battered Frazier, one eye swollen shut, did not come out to face Ali for the 15th round. The Ali-Frazier battles played out at a time when the heavyweight boxing champion was far more celebrated than he is today, a figure who could stand alone in the spotlight a decade before an alphabet soup of boxing sanctioning bodies arose, making it difficult for the average fan to figure out just who held what title. The rivalry was also given a political and social cast. Many viewed the Ali-Frazier matches as a snapshot of the struggles of the 1960s. Ali, an adherent of the Nation of Islam who had changed his name from Cassius Clay, came to represent rising black anger in America and opposition to the Vietnam War. Frazier voiced no political views, but he was nonetheless depicted, to his consternation, as the favorite of the establishment. Ali called him ignorant, likened him to a gorilla and said his black supporters were Uncle Toms. “Frazier had become the white man’s fighter, Mr. Charley was rooting for Frazier, and that meant blacks were boycotting him in their heart,” Norman Mailer wrote in Life magazine after the first Ali-Frazier bout. Frazier, wrote Mailer, was “twice as black as Clay and half as handsome,” with “the rugged decent life-worked face of a man who had labored in the pits all his life.” Frazier could never match Ali’s charisma or his gift for the provocative quote. He was essentially a man devoted to a brutal craft, willing to give countless hours to his spartan training-camp routine and unsparing of his body inside the ring. “The way I fight, it’s not me beatin’ the man: I make the man whip himself,” Frazier told Playboy. “Because I stay close to him. He can’t get out the way.” He added: “Before he knows it — whew! — he’s tired. And he can’t pick up his second wind because I’m right back on him again.” In his autobiography, “Smokin’ Joe,” written with Phil Berger, Frazier said his first trainer, Yank Durham, had given him his nickname. It was, he said, “a name that had come from what Yank used to say in the dressing room before sending me out to fight: ‘Go out there, goddammit, and make smoke come from those gloves.’ “ Foreman knocked out Frazier twice but said he had never lost his respect for him. “Joe Frazier would come out smoking,” Foreman told ESPN. “If you hit him, he liked it. If you knocked him down, you only made him mad.” Durham said he saw a fire always smoldering in Frazier. “I’ve had plenty of other boxers with more raw talent,” he told The New York Times Magazine in 1970, “but none with more dedication and strength.” Ali himself was conciliatory when Frazier’s battle with cancer became publicly known. “My family and I are keeping Joe and his family in our daily prayers,” Ali said in his statement over the weekend. “Joe has a lot of friends pulling for him, and I’m one of them.” And when word reached him that Frazier had died, Ali, in another statement, said: “The world has lost a great champion. I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration.” Billy Joe Frazier was born on Jan. 12, 1944, in Laurel Bay, S.C., the youngest of 12 children. His father, Rubin, and his mother, Dolly, worked in the fields, and the youngster known as Billy Boy dropped out of school at 13. He dreamed of becoming a boxing champion, throwing his first punches at burlap sacks he stuffed with moss and leaves, pretending to be Joe Louis or Ezzard Charles or Archie Moore. At 15, Frazier went to New York to live with a brother. A year later he moved to Philadelphia, taking a job in a slaughterhouse. At times he battered sides of beef, using them as a punching bag to work out, the kind of scene used by Slyvester Stallone in the film “Rocky,” though Stallone said that he drew on the life of the heavyweight contender Chuck Wepner in developing the Rocky character. Durham discovered Frazier boxing to lose weight at a Police Athletic League gym in Philadelphia. Under Durham’s guidance, Frazier captured a Golden Gloves championship and won the heavyweight gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He turned pro in August 1965, with financial backing from businessmen calling themselves the Cloverlay Group (from cloverleaf, for good luck, and overlay, a betting term signifying good odds). He won his first 11 bouts by knockouts. By winter 1968, his record was 21-0. A year before Frazier’s pro debut, Cassius Clay won the heavyweight championship in a huge upset of Sonny Liston. Soon afterward, affirming his rumored membership in the Nation of Islam, he became Muhammad Ali. In April 1967, having proclaimed, “I ain’t got nothing against them Vietcong,” Ali refused to be drafted, claiming conscientious objector status. Boxing commissions stripped him of his title, and he was convicted of evading the draft. An eight-man elimination tournament was held to determine a World Boxing Association champion to replace Ali. Frazier refused to participate when his financial backers objected to the contract terms for the tournament, and Jimmy Ellis took the crown. But in March 1968, Frazier won the version of the heavyweight title recognized by New York and a few other states, defeating Buster Mathis with an 11th-round technical knockout. He took the W.B.A. title in February 1970, stopping Ellis, who did not come out for the fifth round. In the summer of 1970, Ali won a court battle to regain his boxing license, then knocked out the contenders Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena. The stage was set for an Ali-Frazier showdown, a matchup of unbeaten fighters, on March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden. Each man was guaranteed $2.5 million, the biggest boxing payday ever. Frank Sinatra was at ringside taking photos for Life magazine. The former heavyweight champion Joe Louis received a huge ovation. Hubert H. Humphrey, back in the Senate after serving as vice president, sat two rows in front of the Irish political activist Bernadette Devlin, who shouted, “Ali, Ali,” her left fist held high. An estimated 300 million watched on television worldwide, and the gate of $1.35 million set a record for an indoor bout. Frazier, at 5 feet 11 1/2 inches and 205 pounds, gave up three inches in height and nearly seven inches in reach to Ali, but he was a 6-to-5 betting favorite. Just before the fighters received their instructions from the referee, Ali, displaying his arrogance of old, twice touched Frazier’s shoulders as he whirled around the ring. Frazier just glared at him. Frazier wore Ali down with blows to the body while moving underneath Ali’s jabs. In the 15th round, Frazier unleashed his famed left hook, catching Ali on the jaw and flooring him for a count of 4, only the third time Ali had been knocked down. Ali held on, but Frazier won a unanimous decision. Frazier declared, “I always knew who the champ was.” Frazier continued to bristle over Ali’s taunting. “I’ve seen pictures of him in cars with white guys, huggin’ ‘em and havin’ fun,” Frazier told Sport magazine two months after the fight. “Then he go call me an Uncle Tom. Don’t say, ‘I hate the white man,’ then go to the white man for help.” For Frazier, 1971 was truly triumphant. He bought a 368-acre estate called Brewton Plantation near his boyhood home and became the first black man since Reconstruction to address the South Carolina Legislature. Ali gained vindication in June 1971 when the United States Supreme Court overturned his conviction for draft evasion. Frazier defended his title against two journeymen, Terry Daniels and Ron Stander, but Foreman took his championship away on Jan. 22, 1973, knocking him down six times in their bout in Kingston, Jamaica, before the referee stopped the fight in the second round. Frazier met Ali again in a nontitle bout at the Garden on Jan. 28, 1974. Frazier kept boring in and complained that Ali was holding in the clinches, but Ali scored with flurries of punches and won a unanimous 12-round decision. Ali won back the heavyweight title in October 1974, knocking out Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire — the celebrated Rumble in the Jungle. Frazier went on to knock out Quarry and Ellis, setting up his third match, and second title fight, with Ali: the Thrilla in Manila, on Oct. 1, 1975. In what became the most brutal Ali-Frazier battle, the fight was held at the Philippine Coliseum at Quezon City, outside the country’s capital, Manila. The conditions were sweltering, with hot lights overpowering the air-conditioning. Ali, almost a 2-to-1 betting favorite in the United States, won the early rounds, largely remaining flat-footed in place of his familiar dancing style. Before Round 3 he blew kisses to President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Imelda, in the crowd of about 25,000. But in the fourth round, Ali’s pace slowed while Frazier began to gain momentum. Chants of “Frazier, Frazier” filled the arena by the fifth round, and the crowd seemed to favor him as the fight moved along, a contrast to Ali’s usually enjoying the fans’ plaudits. Frazier took command in the middle rounds. Then Ali came back on weary legs, unleashing a flurry of punches to Frazier’s face in the 12th round. He knocked out Frazier’s mouthpiece in the 13th round, then sent him stumbling backward with a straight right hand. Ali jolted Frazier with left-right combinations late in the 14th round. Frazier had already lost most of the vision in his left eye from a cataract, and his right eye was puffed and shut from Ali’s blows. Eddie Futch, a renowned trainer working Frazier’s corner, asked the referee to end the bout. When it was stopped, Ali was ahead on the scorecards of the referee and two judges. “It’s the closest I’ve come to death,” Ali said. Frazier returned to the ring nine months later, in June 1976, to face Foreman at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. Foreman stopped him on a technical knockout in the fifth round. Frazier then announced his retirement. He was 32. He later managed his eldest son, Marvis, a heavyweight. In December 1981 he returned to the ring to fight a journeyman named Jumbo Cummings, fought to a draw, then retired for good, tending to investments from his home in Philadelphia. Both Frazier and Ali had daughters who took up boxing, and in June 2001 it was Ali-Frazier IV when Frazier’s daughter Jacqui Frazier-Lyde fought Ali’s daughter Laila Ali at a casino in Vernon, N.Y. Like their fathers in their first fight, both were unbeaten. Laila Ali won on a decision. Joe Frazier was in the crowd of 6,500, but Muhammad Ali, impaired by Parkinson’s syndrome, was not. In addition to his son Marvis and his daughter Jacqui, Frazier is survived by his sons Hector, Joseph Rubin, Joseph Jordan, Brandon Marcus and Derek Dennis; his daughters Weatta, Jo-Netta, Renae and Natasha, and a sister. His marriage to his wife, Florence, ended in divorce. Long after his fighting days were over, Frazier retained his enmity for Ali. But in March 2001, the 30th anniversary of the first Ali-Frazier bout, Ali told The New York Times: “I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment that I shouldn’t have said. Called him names I shouldn’t have called him. I apologize for that. I’m sorry. It was all meant to promote the fight.” Asked for a response, Frazier said: “We have to embrace each other. It’s time to talk and get together. Life’s too short.” Fascination with the Ali-Frazier saga has endured. After a 2008 <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/p/presidential_debates/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="More articles about presidential debates.">presidential debate</a> between Barack Obama and John McCain, the Republican media consultant Stuart Stevens said that McCain should concentrate on selling himself to America rather than criticizing Obama. Stevens’s prescription: “More Ali and less Joe Frazier.” Frazier’s true feelings toward Ali in his final years seemed murky. The 2009 British documentary “<a href="http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/thrilla-in-manila/index.html">Thrilla in Manila</a>,” shown in the United States on HBO, depicted Frazier watching a film of the fight from his apartment above the gym he ran in Philadelphia. “He’s a good-time guy,” John Dower, the director of “Thrilla in Manila,” told The Times. “But he’s angry about Ali.” In March 2011, however, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the first Ali-Frazier fight, Frazier said he was willing to put the enmity behind him. “I forgave him for all the accusations he made over the years,” The Daily News quoted Frazier as saying. “I hope he’s doing fine. I’d love to see him.” But as Frazier once told The Times: “Ali always said I would be nothing without him. But who would he have been without me?” </div>
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By <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/richard_goldstein/index.html?inline=nyt-per" rel="author" title="More Articles by Richard Goldstein">RICHARD GOLDSTEIN</a>Published: November 7, 2011. NY Times</div>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-72153191077250286192011-11-24T21:05:00.000-08:002011-12-04T18:43:25.223-08:00Top PSLE Student 2011<div>A female student from Rulang Primary School emerged as this year’s primary school leaving examination (PSLE) top scorer.Yasmin Ziqin binte Mohamad Yousoof achieved an aggregate score of 283, the highest amongst the 45,251 primary 6 students that sat for the examination this year, according to results announced on Thursday.Out of 17 top students listed by the MOE, three came from Raffles Girls Primary School and St Hilda’s Primary School each. The others came from schools such as Tao Nan Primary School and Greenridge Primary School.The MOE said that out of the total number of examinees, 97.4 per cent or 44,106 students may proceed to secondary school. Out of that number, 62.9 per cent are eligible for the Express course while 23.1 per cent and 11.4 per cent qualify for the Normal Academic and Technical courses, respectively.Six schools also made it into the list of those who have made good progress in the PSLE results. They are: Ai Tong School, Anderson Primary School, Bukit View Primary School, Kheng Cheng School, Park View Primary School and White Sands Primary School.This was based on criteria such as achieving at least 5 per cent improvement in percentage of students who qualify for the Express course as well as positive improvement in pupils able to enter Normal Academic and Technical courses as compared to 2010 results.Parents whose children qualify to progress can submit their choices of secondary schools through the Secondary One Internet System (S1-IS) which is accessible 24 hours a day from 12 noon today till 3pm on 30 November.They can also submit the option form through their child’s primary school which started from 12 pm to 3pm on Thursday and will continue from 9am to 3pm between 25 and 30 November.Results of the postings will be released on Wednesday, 21 December and pupils are expected to report to the secondary schools they are posted to on the day after at 8.30am.Last year, out of 45,049 students who took the examination, Alex Tan from Rosyth School emerged as the PSLE top student with an aggregate score of 282 and straight As in all his subjects.More about the story</div>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-11380806188610880442011-11-14T18:31:00.001-08:002011-11-14T18:31:53.544-08:00Does S’pore need tools to hammer home filial piety?<strong> Deborah Choo</strong><br />
<em>"</em><em>Love cannot be a legal obligation, and genuine concern cannot be commanded by a court order." </em><br />
<em> - Alice Chen Yan, </em><em>Sydney Globalist writer </em><br />
A devoted mother, drenched from running miles under the rain to the nearest hospital, cradled her child in her arms and sang the old classic "天黑黑" ("Dark skies"). Years passed. Her son soon set up his own family.<br />
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Day by day she grew older. Her husband passed away. She developed problems walking. Her health deteriorated, and she was soon admitted into hospital, her life relying on machines for support.<br />
That day, it was raining too.<br />
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"Dad, grandma always treated mum and you so badly. How can you still be sad for her?" the grandson asked his father at the hospital.<br />
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His father looked out into the rain. Pitter-patter, pitter-patter…<br />
It was Singapore in the 60s. A mother cradled her feverish son in her arms, desperately flagging a vehicle. None stopped. Rushing to the hospital on foot, she frantically grabbed a nurse to seek help. Wait, she was told.<br />
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Settling in a chair, she sung that classic song.<br />
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This fictional story is the plot for a 2010 TV advertisement '<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=120vm6jui/EXP=1322533732/**http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv=CzPfoVaHMMQ"><span style="color: #005790;">Father and Son</span></a>'. Spearheaded by the National Family Council and supported by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), the ad aimed to promote the value of filial piety.<br />
Setting aside the controversy that followed, an MCYS spokesperson told <em>The New Paper </em>last year that the reason for the ad was because "Singapore's population is rapidly ageing and the traditional value of filial piety may be lost in an increasingly globalised society."<br />
But is it true that filial piety is making way for modernity?<br />
An alarming story broke this week of an <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=130pch0tm/EXP=1322533732/**http%3A//sg.news.yahoo.com/couple-kicked-out-of-flat-by-son-find-new-home.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #005790;">elderly couple who was forced out of their eldest son's home</span></a> after a heated discussion that eventually culminated in the police's involvement.<br />
Foo Tin Tak, 62 and his wife, Tham, 55, claimed their son owes them money. He in return claimed his father had threatened to kill him with a knife during the quarrel.<br />
Foo and his wife, both of whom have difficulties walking, resorted to spending two sleepless nights at a fast-food outlet before approaching the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh for help. They are now settled into a congested three-room flat with another family. Their youngest son, 27, is also living together with them now.<br />
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To be fair, a single story is not suggestive of an emerging trend.<br />
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<strong>Law used to underscore tradition</strong><br />
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Respect and filial piety has long been the cornerstone in Asian societies. Almost like an unspoken defining social contract that has been carried on through generations,<strong> </strong>the government is now taking on a proactive -- and some might argue, an invasive -- role to preserve this tradition.<strong><br /></strong><br />
In this Asian country, singles face limitations such as the purchase of HDB flats since most children are expected to live with their parents until marriage. Also, a special type of CPF housing grant is made available for married child living near his or her parents -- specifically either in the same town/estate or within 2 km of the married child's HDB flat.<br />
Monthly monetary contributions too are seen as an act of reciprocity. In the event filial piety fails though, there is the Maintenance of Parents Act of 1995 where parents can use to sue their scions for monthly allowances.<br />
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As of 2009, there has been about 1,400 applications filed for maintenance at the Tribunal, out of which about more than 1,000 maintenance orders were made. It is recorded that in 2008, over 170 applications were received.<br />
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Interestingly enough, most parents who resorted to this measure are Chinese fathers, usually single -- either widowed or divorced.<br />
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The burgeoning need, it seems, to take recalcitrant children to task may serve as a safeguard for the cultural value of filial piety.<br />
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However, as Vivian Balakrishnan, former Minister of MCYS and current Minister for the Environment and Water Resources rightfully pointed out, the law should be used as a "last resort".<br />
A blunt instrument as that might be a tad too harsh; sometimes almost tantamount to inflicting damage on a family relationship that might already be teetering precariously on the edge of resolution. <strong><br /></strong><br />
Moreover, blatant propaganda does not go over well with the public. In a <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11v08qjno/EXP=1322533732/**http%3A//marketing-interactive.com/news/24157"><span style="color: #005790;">recent NUS survey</span></a>, one in two out of 200 Singaporeans revealed that the campaigns are excessive.<br />
The staggering amount of finances poured into campaigns might go a lot longer — and in a more subtly supportive way — when it's given out as financial support to the elderly who need it.<br />
I do not speak for all Singaporeans when I say this: Yes, we are modern and may prefer our freedom and independence, but we remain willing to provide for our parents.<br />
The metaphorical saying goes that "If you tell a child he can fly, he will believe he can fly".<br />
To draw a parallel, positive reinforcements such as awards (which are comparatively given less prominence in our society) encourages not only the polite and filial citizens in our midst, it also acts as an invisible check on the people by the people.<br />
If the next generation is continually being raised under a highly reprehensive society where constant reminders via campaigns or even legal conditioning that elicits only fear, over time they will believe that they are ungracious and unfilial. This only serves to propagate the opposite intention more pervasively through generations.<br />
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So instead of legislative imposition from higher authorities down the societal pyramid, let's work collectively as a society — to lead by example, and be generous where credit is due.<br />
<em>Deborah Choo used to write for an array of websites such as Youth.SG and The Online Citizen. She now</em><em> </em><em><a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11bqidlpd/EXP=1322160631/**http%3A/deborahchoo.com/"><span style="color: #005790;">blogs</span></a></em><em> </em><em>in her free time.</em>Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-63269877932519386932011-11-14T18:24:00.001-08:002011-11-14T18:27:06.393-08:00<em>Under our "Inspiring People" monthly column, we highlight the incredible journey of one person who has overcome tremendous odds to achieve personal success. This column celebrates the triumph of the human spirit and we hope it will inspire you to reach for your dreams, too. This month, we bring you <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321182413_0"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321182787_0"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321183397_0"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321183433_0"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321183585_0"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321184151_0">Jeremy Lim</span></span></span></span></span></span>, whose fragile condition has not stopped him from actively pursuing his dreams.</em><br />
Each time one of his bones breaks, it's like a sword has pierced his body. <br />
“The pain is as excruciating as it is traumatic,” describes 21-year-old <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13oin70jb/EXP=1322532965/**http%3A//sg.search.yahoo.com/search%3Fp=Jeremy%2BLim%2BOsteogenesis%2BImperfecta%26fr=fp-today%26cs=bz" target="_blank"><span style="color: #005790;">Jeremy Lim, who was born with brittle-bone disease</span></a>.<br />
Yet when he was only 12-years-old, Lim held back his tears and told his mother that he was not in pain after breaking his arm and leg from a fall.<br />
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His mother, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321182787_1"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321183397_1"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321183433_1"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321183585_1"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321184151_1">Wong Liang Ming</span></span></span></span></span>, recalled, “In the car, he was the one comforting me, saying, ‘Don’t cry, I’m okay’."<br />
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“And as I carried him into the house, with the help of my husband, there he was holding back tears just so I won’t feel bad. And he told dad that it’s not mummy’s fault. There he is in pain and protecting me. … At that point, I have the highest respect for my son,” she said.<br />
Lim’s reaction perhaps stems from a philosophy he holds close to his heart, that “nothing can change what happens to you but you can change how you react to an incident”. <br />
“From an early age, my parents taught me to look at the bright side of life because if you look on the bright side, there will not be a dark shadow in sight,” Lim told <em>Yahoo! Singapore</em> in an hour-long interview.<br />
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Lim was born with <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=1399r3kgs/EXP=1322532965/**http%3A//sg.search.yahoo.com/search%3Fp=Osteogenesis%2BImperfecta%26fr=fp-today%26cs=bz" target="_blank"><span style="color: #005790;">Osteogenesis Imperfecta</span></a>, also known as brittle-bone disease which affects one in some 20,000 births. As a child, his bones would break with a “pop” sound every other week as he rolled over in his sleep or tried to open a box of toys on his own.<br />
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His bones are sturdier now thanks to an experimental drug he has been taking the last 13 years to increase bone density. The last time he broke a bone – his collarbone – was a few years ago.<br />
Still, Lim’s delicate condition has not stopped him from reaching out to help the less fortunate or from steadfastly pursuing his dreams.<br />
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<strong>‘Only natural to help other people’</strong><br />
If he looks familiar to some, Lim was a young ambassador for the <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13ega5cc8/EXP=1322532965/**http%3A//sg.search.yahoo.com/search%3Fp=National%2BKidney%2BFoundation%26fr=fp-today%26cs=bz" target="_blank"><span style="color: #005790;">National Kidney Foundation</span></a>’s children’s medical fund from 2001 – 2005. His stint ended after malpractices by former NKF chief executive T T Durai were uncovered. <br />
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As ambassador, Lim would collect cheques, give speeches, visit beneficiaries’ homes to cheer them up and check on their health. <br />
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When he was in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321182787_2"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321183397_2"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321183433_2"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321183585_2"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1321184151_2">Temasek Junior College</span></span></span></span></span>, Lim participated in school initiatives to help the needy. He went with other students to collect newspapers and recyclable material from households to raise money for charity. If there was no lift at a particular flat, Lim, wheel-chair bound, would stay behind to look after the collected material, he recalled.<br />
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He would also visit old folks’ homes and talk to residents to cheer them up.<br />
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His mother recalls that his charitable nature was apparent from his younger days. In primary three, Lim would take the school-issued pledge card and enthusiastically ask his father’s friends to donate to charity. <br />
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“With my condition, I want to focus on what I can do, focus on making a positive difference in the lives of the less fortunate... I think God has been kind to me, he’s given me a lot of blessings. It’s only natural for me to help other people,” said Lim.<br />
He listed several people who have helped shaped his life.<br />
There was his then-principal of Pei Chun Public School Chen Keng Juan who offered him a place to study when many other schools rejected him because of his health condition. “Some even thought I was mentally ill,” said Lim. <br />
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Then in Temasek Junior College, principal Loke-Yeo Teck Yong had ramps retrofitted and a lift built in the school in preparation for Lim’s attendance there. During the orientation games, organisers made him a station master when he could not participate in the games. <br />
“It’s not about the hardware, it’s about the heartware,” said Lim. “It made me feel very included.”<br />
“I don’t think I could be where I am today without these people. There’s so many people in my life whom I’ve had the honour of meeting. They’ve touched my life, they’ve wanted me to succeed and helped me to achieve my goals,” he stated.<br />
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<strong>Pursing his passions</strong><br />
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This year, Lim fulfilled one of his dreams to be a published author. He wrote and published his autobiography titled “Beyond Bone Breaking”, where he shared life experiences that he hopes will inspire readers. <br />
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The book contains a foreword by former President S R Nathan, whom Lim first met when he was 12. The pair have kept in touch through the years.<br />
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Other than writing, Lim counts Japanese animation as among his passions. He has shelves of Japanese anime figures at home. <br />
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The second year student at the National University of Singapore is now deciding between majoring in Japanese studies or new media communications.<br />
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He once had dreams of becoming a genetic engineer but realised chemistry was “too abstract” for him. He is considering writing, animation or even opening a toy shop selling Japanese toys as career options.<br />
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No matter what choice he makes, he has already shown many people the path to touching people’s hearts. <br />
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“Jeremy has made a difference in our lives,” said Lim’s mother, Wong. “People say society is less gracious (now). Maybe they are put here to remind us we must be humble and count our blessings.” <br />
<br />Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570395676916461355.post-63207529235115644282011-06-19T08:30:00.000-07:002011-11-14T18:23:03.994-08:00The 5 Regrets5 regrets people have on their deathbeds<br /><br />Ms. Bronnie Ware has worked with the dying for many years. She recently detailed the top 5 regrets that people have on their deathbed on her blog <br />(http://www.inspirationandchai.com/Regrets-of-the-Dying.html).<br /><br />While we are all bound to have some regrets in life, here are the top 5. <br /><br />1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.<br /><br />Ware said that this was the most common regret of all. It’s easy to let our dreams slip by due to circumstances or decisions that we’ve made. These choices mark the divide between living a fulfilled life or one that is full of regrets.<br /><br />It’s important that we aim to achieve at least some of our dreams along the way. We often put off trying for our dreams due to a myriad of reasons. Before we know it, we would have lost our health and therefore, our chance to attain them.<br /><br />If your dream is to start a business, get to it. If it’s to learn how to dance or try skydiving, book a class. If you want to make music, pick up a guitar.<br /><br />Don’t put it off any longer.<br /><br />2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.<br /><br />In between having ends meet and aiming for a luxurious lifestyle, it’s easy to see why we get caught up with our work.<br /><br />Ware said that this was a common regret of male patients who didn’t manage to spend enough time with their family.<br /><br />It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race, but remember to set aside some time for the important things in life. Most importantly, you will have to understand why you do what you do. Is it for your own personal achievement, for family, or for a higher calling?<br /><br />3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.<br /><br />Hands up anyone who has suppressed their feelings in order to avoid potential embarrassment or argument.<br /><br />Avoiding arguments is good for a harmonious life, but the problem comes when we take it too far. When we blindly follow the opinions of someone more assertive just to avoid arguments, we’re shortchanging ourselves.<br /><br />While it’s understandable that we use Twitter and blogging to rant about things we are unhappy with, do remember that talking about it face-to-face is always a more sincere option.<br /><br />So if an issue is major enough, try approaching the person for an honest and frank chat. We’re not saying that the talk will be smooth sailing, but your relationships will emerge stronger and healthier.<br /><br />4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.<br /><br />It’s easy to lose touch with good friends. A busy lifestyle can take away time from the ones you love. This is where technology comes in.<br /><br />With services like Facebook, WhatsApp and Yahoo! Messenger, it’s easy to keep tabs on old friends. Talking to friends is so effortless today that we have no reason to let staying in touch with friends take a backseat.<br /><br />At the end of the day though, nothing beats chatting over a cup of coffee. So always remember to occasionally take things offline and catch up with your friends the old fashioned way.<br /><br />5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.<br /><br />Many don't realize until the end that happiness is a choice’, said Ware in her blog post.<br /><br />This is very true. Happiness is something that we choose for ourselves. Many get upset over the circumstances in their lives. What they do not realize is that they can choose to face difficulties with a smile.<br /><br />Take a moment and enjoy life. If difficulties come your way, remember that pain is inevitable but wallowing in misery is always optional.<br /><br />Choose to be happy.<br /><br />Education Sg Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10373054213549012468noreply@blogger.com0