Campus Care Network Day 2009

Selling Cheesy Fries and Nachos!!!

Aiken greets everyone with a big smile...

Samuel pouring cheese into the fries...

Besides fries, there's nachos too!

What is that xxxx word????!?!?

Preparing the fries...

Tinghui preparing cheesy fries...

Presenting the cheesy fries with their care group tutor...

Car Washing!!!

Hmmm, which car are we washing?

Elsa and Audrey posing in front of a car they just washed...

Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning...

Strong man right there!

Giggling at some private joke...

Next car to wash!

No pictures!!!

Flowers... say it with BLOOMZ!!!

Big poster advertising their merchandise...

That bouquet costed me $12...

Preparing the flowers...

More fun and jovial....

Another bouquet of flowers...

Er... leftover flowers???

Psychmedication Drink Stall!

Psych medication??? What can that be???

Selling psychmedications....

Hmmm, can soft drinks, fruit cocktails and jam change my personality???

Or will it turn me APA???

Busy preparing the drinks and looking good at the same time...

Another Flower Stall

Sunflower smiling...

More daisies to be sold...

Jesslyn and Serene advertising for their class...

Lynette, Weimin and Valerie advertises too...

Ezyanti says "You better buy a stalk of flower from us!!!"

Flowers and ladies...

Popcorn!!!

Selling popcorn...

Nicole, Sharda and Shauna smiling for the camera...

Let's shake that butter into the popcorn!!!

Oops!!! The popcorn machine gave its life for the cause... Let's salute it!!!

TP Staff Enjoying CNN Day!!!

Seow Wei & GG enjoying their food...

Mr Koh has just bought some cookies, it seems....

Ash sharing something with Kathy and Jenny

Ben buying some food from our students...

Teck Hua and Amanda poses for this picture...

Komala poses with Mr Kan Zixiang, who just dislocated his elbow from playing soccer...

Dr Tay shopping at one of our stalls...

Random Fun Pictures......

 

Samuel and Kailin basking for charity...

Pitt acting cute...

Follow them where???

Joseph and Samuel smiles for the camera...

GEM students at work...

David gets some henna...

Kenny is carrying these books where?!?!

Zack looking studious...

Kailin saying peace!!!

Janell looking cool...

Azraini and Priscilla selling TP decals...

Cookies!!!

Lin Jia and Bryan smiling for the camera...

TG04 taking pictures...

That's a handsome man.... and Coke...

What did they see??!?!

More smiles for the camera...

Hong Chern and Felix...

Anne says "Peace!"

Big smile from Zixiang, as always...

Nacho with cheese, Hershey's chocolate and caramel....

Scissors, papers and stones!!! Then Aslam had to eat the chip...

Junkai looking cute...

Raudha saying hi while applying henna on a customer...

Singapore and Democracy

This interview is somewhat enlightening. MM Lee talks about why he made the choices he made in the past, and other commentators in the west talks about his achievements.

MM Lee's Interview with Charlie Rose 2009

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Part 4



Part 5



Part 6




I always like to listen to MM Lee speak. I do not always agree with his view, but I appreciate his incisive train of thought and his views.

Gary Marcus on Information Overload

Gary Marcus is a psychologist from New York University who studies the how the mind handles information. Here he discusses how the mind deal with information overload in the world and how we can handle it.

Temasek Polytechnic Campus Relay 2009

Before the race...

During the race......

After the race......

House MD Interview

Bill Maher New Rules 2nd October 2009

This week, Bill rants at climate change deniers.

Oliver Sacks Talks About Hallucinations

In this illuminating TED talk, Oliver Sacks talks about hallucinations.

媒体应该避免散播迷信思想

(刊登于联合早报2009年9月20日)

由于相信死而复生后可以得到斩妖除魔的能力，因此八位青年相约从高楼跳下。结果，其中两位青年坠楼生亡。要不是剩余的青年听到其中一名坠楼的青年在临死前呼吁他们别往下跳，后果或许更不堪设想。

根据报导，这群青年沉迷于所谓灵异世界，而唆使大家轻生的青年自称是个灵媒。在我周遭的人听到此新闻时，一般的反应是震惊与不可置信，认为这些青年应该更理智一些。尽管如此，他们也都认为此悲剧只是个单一的特殊案例，只是因为其中一位疑似患有妄想症的青年的强力唆使，才会导致悲剧发生。

然而，我却认为此悲剧并非只是个单一的特殊案例。尽管大家都把焦点放在唆使者身上，不过让我费解的是那些自愿被唆使的青年们。为何他们没有人阻止此行为？为什么没有人怀疑唆使者的精神状况或许欠佳？在某种程度上，或许这些青年的思维都被所谓灵异世界的迷信思想所影响，所以由始至终对于死而复生后可获斩妖除魔能力的说法都不质疑。与其把焦点放在唆使者的身上，不如思考为何这些迷信思想会在这群少年的脑子里根深蒂固。对我而言，此悲剧真正反映的其实是迷信思想还普遍流行于社会的问题。

对于流行于民间的迷信思想，其中一个主要源头来自媒体。其中一个最明显的例子就是内容牵扯到鬼怪和灵异事件的电视节目。这些电视节目的操作模式就是透过搬演的方式叙述灵异故事，然后借着以匿名的方式访问当事者，以及所谓 “灵异专家” 的见解，把这些迷信的道听途说包装成类似纪录片的呈现方式，间接地在为这些灵异故事冠上正当的标签，让观众不质疑这些灵异故事的真实性。

除了电视之外，许多平面媒体也犯下同样的误导性报导。许多花边小报的标题和 “新闻报道” 都以迷信事件为主题，例如养小鬼、下蛊、闹鬼等等。对于许多教育程度不高的读者而言，电视节目和报纸所报道的事物就等同某种权威的声音。如果这些媒体不负责任地渲染迷信思想，这会导致一般大众变得越来越迷信。

最近，新加坡媒体发展管理局的英语节目咨询委员会 (Pace) 发表的报告指出他们对在电视节目里不标准的语文会导致观众语文程度变弱的担忧。对于中文电视节目，我们也多次听过类似的指责。不仅如此，每当电视节目里出现过于暴力和血腥的画面，许多民间和官方团体也都会提出关切，因为他们认为充满暴力的内容会对青少年的身心发展不健全。然而，我鲜少听到任何人对于电视节目拥有提倡迷信思想的内容而提出抗议。这点让我感到十分费解。难道培育理性思考能力不比培养语文能力来得重要吗？难道向青年灌输迷信思想的害处不比让他们接触到充满暴力的画面的害处来得大吗？

当然，我并非指责迷信的电视节目或者报章报道是导致以上悲剧发生的主要原因，不过整个大环境所营造出来的氛围却似乎有欠理想。当某新闻节目报道此社会新闻时，在其报道中就呼吁大众不要随意轻信死而复生后可以得到斩妖除魔的能力的迷信说法。很讽刺的是，同样的新闻节目在五分钟后就报道了一篇有关用人骨炼剑可以增加剑的灵性的趣闻。如果把迷信事物当成重要资讯，然后又硬拉上新闻时段做为报导时，我们又怎么能期待一般大众能够不轻易变得迷信呢？

Ferguson on Youth...

I've always liked Craig Ferguson's monologue on his show, and this is one that I particularly enjoy, even though he may be stretching the truth slightly... :-)