Monday, February 21, 2011

Past
Religion and racial disharmony
---Very serious problem before, during and after the merger
---Racial riots was one of the major reasons in separation
---E.g. Maria Hertogh riots, 1964 riots
Poor living conditions
---Rats and pests were rampant in the early days of independence
---Many people died from diseases
Low standards of education
---Very few schools in Singapore, especially for the Chinese
---Chinese schools received much less budget than English schools during colonial rule
Many did not have the chance to complete secondary education

Present
Declining birth rate
---Education has caused many young men and women to put off marriage and childbirth until their early 30s or even later
---Divorce rates rising
Ageing population
---Due to declining birth rate
---Heavy burden on the working class population
---Population may decline eventually
Brain drain
---Talents migrating overboard for greener pastures
---Scholarships provided for overseas studies, but many never come back
Lack of land and resources
---Densely populated areas of land:16 cm2 of land per person
---No natural resources to fall back on should imports or exports rates decline


Future
Influx of immigrants
---Foreign talents in search of jobs and opportunities here: reducing opportunities for Singaporeans
---Population growth only due to immigrants.
Unemployment rates
---Population grows, but jobs do not grow as not enough industrial space in Singapore (lack of land, natural resources and too many people for too less jobs)
---Economy may go into decline
Too small
---Country too small: may be wiped out in conflict, or when trade stops
---Too dependent on trading for economy: economy and population may decline should trade decline

Done by: Tan Guan Hao, Kevin Yee, Chan Zhi Xian, Yang Qilong

Friday, August 27, 2010

Well, we have the duos, trios, and teams that will make a impact.But,WHO will win the 2010/2011 NBA Championships, and get a nice banner to hang in their arena?

Well,here's the list of probable champions, and we will see their strengths and weaknesses.

Sleeper Pick: Milwaukee Bucks

Yes,laugh for all you want.

Dwyane Wade was the 5th pick in the NBA draft, and is now generally considered one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA.

And,look at how close Milwaukee Bucks were in the 2009/2010 season.

They were so close to the second round of the playoffs.

And they were missing their star player,cornerstone,leading scorer and prolific blocker: Andrew Bogut.

They also have a very talented point guard in Brandon Jennings, speedy and good in the paint.

They also have a good,strong backcourt,with Brandon Jennings and John Salmon,and a vastly improved Ersan Ilyasova.

So, they may not have a championship, but if Andrew Bogut stays healthy, I'm pretty sure they will meet the Lakers in the playoffs.

5.San Antonio Spurs
They are aging.

That's the biggest gripe about this team.

Tim Duncan is 34, Tony Parker is 28, Manu Ginobili is 36.

If they want a 5th championship, they got to do it. Fast.

They cannot survive for long in the intense competition in the Western Conference.

But they still have the quality to push it through, at least to the Western Conference Finals,where they will almost certainly meet the Lakers. At their peak.

4.New York Knicks
I'm picking this more because of their cap space than their current players.

Yes, they have Amar'e Stoudemire, a amazing dunker.

But they have hardly anybody else.

Yet, they may get a fast break. A really fast one.

Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony.

Both are interested to move to the Knicks, as they have lots of *money* and as mentioned in my previous post...they were scared of the Heat.

So...if the Knicks manage to get Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul being the the best point guard in the league (in my opinion) and Carmelo Anthony the most prolific scorer (in my opinion).

Championship.Maybe not.

3.Boston Celtics
They were 4 points away from banner No. 19.

Who says they can't do it.

True,they have a aging core,but they are still prolific in what they do.

Paul Pierce,explosive scorer.
Kevin Garnett,huge defensive presence.
Rajon Rondo,underrated scorer and passer.(And mind you,he's rated around 4th in the league)
Ray Allen,amazing shooter.
Kendrick Perkins,explosive and defensive.
Shauille O'Neal,almost-certain-hall-of-famer.

Crazy.But a problem:
Aging.Only Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins are below 30 in their probable study line-up.

But,if they the wind in their lungs,they can win.The 4 points they lose by in Game 7 was because Kendrick Perkins was injured,and their defensive level dropped several notches,as their backup center (then) was Glen Davis,a not proven center.

Their bench is also deep. Jermaine O'Neal,previous starting center of Miami Heat.
Nate Robinson,previous starting guard for the New York Knicks.

Good chance

2.Los Angeles Lakers
Great,great team.
Kobe Bryant,MVP.
Pau Gasol,future all-star.(Too many good power forwards in the West)
Derek Fisher,experienced leader.
Lamar Odom,great physical presence.

They've won two in a row.

What's stopping them from making it three?

One team from the West.

Which could be...

1.Miami Heat
Really.If you haven't guessed it from my previous post,it's quite easy to see.
LeBron James,Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.All three were the leading scorers on their teams before they moved to the Miami Heat.

Some say they would fall.

Some say they would rise.

Only time can tell, and these are my 5 (6 including the sleeper) picks for the championship.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

NBA history has shown that the best things come in 2:
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen
Karl Malone and John Stockton
Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Bill Russell and Bob Cousy
Julius Erving and Moses Malone
Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant
Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars

And of course,they also come in 3:
Paul Pierce,Kevin Garnett,Ray Allen
Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain
Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond
Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish

So,today,we are going to talk about the current dynamic duos and trios in the NBA that looks set to make a major impact.

*NOTE* I pick the ones that MAY make an impact,not a proven one,like Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.

Number 5 goes to...
Mo Williams and J.J. Hickson (Cleveland Cavaliers)


I picked this because I'm a Cavaliers fan.

However,the most interesting thing about this duo,is whether they can fill up the shoes of arguably the best player to ever grace a NBA court.

LeBron James.

After 2 seasons of top regular season records,yet suffering early playoff exits,Williams and Hickson has much to prove,for the Cavs fans would hardly take the blow that James has dealt them.Now,with a LeBron-James-and-Zydrunas-Ilgauskas-sized hole in the Cavs,can Mo Williams and J.J. Hickson step up to the pressure?

An interesting preposition,and we will now see how the previous Cavs team functioned SO well.



Now...only time would tell whether the Cavaliers would sneak into the playoffs,or prepare to get a lottery draft pick.

No. 4 is...
Derrick Rose,Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer

The Chicago Bulls.

The arena where Michael Jordan,Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman carved out the possibly most successful era in the NBA.

Now,a new big 3 is coming.

Carlos Boozer,a newly-acquired free agent,and Derrick Rose,probably one of the most exciting point guards to ever played the game,and Joakim Noah,a strong,talented power center/power forward.



Although missing out on LeBron James,the Bulls managed to snap up a experienced and good player in Carlos Boozer.They also managed to snap up Ronnie Brewer,a young talent that can play the point.

We shall see if it is possible for Carlos Boozer to gel with the Bulls as quickly as possible,and we can see Boozer's prowess,and the Bulls'.



Now...let's see if Chicago Bulls can replicate the Michael Jordan era,or even come close.

3 goes to...
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook



Two extremely young players,and Durant is already the 2010 NBA scoring champion.Westbrook is also one of the fastest,speediest and extremely talented shooting guard.

Both of them has amazing chemistry,amazing scoring output and amazing baskets.However,their defense and jump-shooting is almost non-existent.They managed to drag the Lakers to 6 games,which is one less than the Celtics,and same as the Suns.Not bad,dragging the then-defending champions,and now two-time champions,to 6 games.



2.Boston Celtics

For this,I will make an exception to the duo/trio rule.IT'S THE ENTIRE TEAM.

Paul Pierce,Kevin Garnett,Ray Allen,Kendrick Perkins/Shaquille O'Neal and Rajon Rondo.

Paul Pierce,one of the most explosive small forwards in the game.

Kevin Garnett,a major defensive presence and dunker in the NBA.

Ray Allen,one of the best shooters in basketball.

Kendrick Perkins,great scorer,great defense.

Shaquille O'Neal,almost sure-Hall-of-Famer.

Rajon Rondo,talented,speedy,underrated shooter and great dribbling and passing skills.

Amazing team.They were 4 points away from a championship,and that was because Kendrick Perkins was injured halfway through the game.If not,I'm sure that they would have won.

Appreciate them.



AND NUMBER ONE IS...

Who else but the Miami Heat has made deadlines over and over and over and again?

First,Chris Bosh joins Dwyane Wade in search of titles.

Then,LeBron James.

LeBron James graces the Heat court.

Damn.

The Miami Heat has made so many headlines,it's getting sick to see "Why the Miami Heat will not win the NBA" or "Why the Miami Heat will win the NBA".

Seriously.It's...too...strong.

3 of the best players in the 2003 NBA draft gets together and plays on the same court.

Rumours are that BECAUSE of this trio,Chris Paul is thinking of teaming up with Amar'e Stoudemire in New York and bring Carmelo Anthony with him.

And Steve Van Gundy says that they can break the NBA record of 72-10 regular season record.

And people burn LeBron James' jerseys in Cleveland.

And Dan Gilbert writes The Letter.

All in all...

This is the trio to watch.









These 5,are probably the ones to watch for in the NBA.The season is starting soon,and may it provide us with good sport.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

LeBron James left the Cavaliers.

It's time for a new player to take charge of the Cavs.

And who else but 21-year-old J.J. Hickson,one of the best young players to date?

"Hickson attended Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia. In the class of 2007, he was ranked as the No. 10 overall recruit and No. 2 power forward by Rivals.com and as the No. 13 overall and the No. 3 power forward by Scout.com. He was honored as a 2007 McDonald's All-American. In 2006, Hickson took the Wheeler High squad to the 5A Final Four. As a senior, he averaged 25.9 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game."
-Wikipedia

One of the top 3 power forwards scouted in 2008?That's not bad at all.Now,time to appreciate some of his (amazing) skills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwvHd_Slk4Q

He has great power,as shown by his rim-shaking dunks.He's good on the D,blocking on of the most prolific scorers in the NBA,Dwyane Wade,and one of the strongest,biggest and most athletic big man in Dwight Howard.Pretty impressive.

He has AMAZING speed.So fast that he can match LeBron.And that's no small feat.Hickson also possesses great athleticism.

However,great as his dunks are,he needs to work on his mid-range shot.He's improving,as evident from the Summer League,but it may not be good enough.Besides dunking,he has a lack of scoring options.

Also,he used to feed off LeBron James' passes to get in the post easy.However,the next best passer,Mo Williams,is hardly near LeBron's quality as a passer.As such...Hickson's numbers may drop.

He also has s lack of passing skills. Forgivable though,as he is a power forward after all.

Overall,he needs to work on his shots,his passes and his

Time will tell whether this raw talent will make it to the greats.However,I strongly believe that J.J. Hickson is headed for the stars.

Monday, May 24, 2010

This poem is based on the Afghanistan War,in which the war was initiated by then-President George Bush in 2001,and U.S. forces attacked Afghanistan in order to flash out Osama bin Laden,who was responsible for the 9/11 attacks.The Taliban regime in Afghanistan also hid Osama bin Laden,and the U.S. also wanted to destroy it.

Further information that this relates to the Afghanistan War is the mention of the "Hindu Kush" (Line 20) in the poem,which is a mountain range that stretches between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The poet,Steve Carlsen was born and lives in Dowagiac Michigan. He joined the United States Army in October 2000 and went to Infantry Basic Training, and Airborne School in Ft. Benning Georgia. He then reported to D Company 1st battalion 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. 82nd Airborne Division in Ft. Bragg North Carolina. He deployed to Kosovo in November 2001 as part of peace keeping operations. He Deployed to Afghanistan in of December 2002 where he participated in combat operations. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 2003. He currently attends Southwestern Michigan College wher his professor, Dr Michael Collins challenged him to write about his experiences.

Further proof that this poem is based on the Afghanistan War.

Without further ado,I will proceed with the Analysis.

1.POV
The point of view appears to be from the poet himself,describing the terror that was occurring in the place around him,and him receiving orders from his officers.He seems to be directly in the war,stated by the much imagery used in the poem.

His tone present in the poem seems to be a voice of a hysterical soldier in war,afraid that they will die early,and afraid that their comrades will die early.The voice is rather reliable in that although hysterical,it seems to describe the situation in the poem perfectly.The voice wants to draw the reader into the same hysterics,hoping that they can understand that war is not a great thing.

2.Situation
The situation is during the Afghanistan War,in which the poet is currently participating in.As the poem is based on his experiences,it is probably true to some sense,and seems to depict the terror he felt during the war.There is a conflict here,in which the poet is an U.S. soldier,and he is fighting during the Afghanistan
War.

The situation,the Afghanistan War,draws attention from the reader.The Afghanistan war has lasted from 2001 and is still going strong,and many people have heard of it.The setting it is set in appears to be the Hindu Kush,in which there is a firefight going on right now.The situation and setting draws attention as the Hindu Kush,a mountain ranger,is supposedly very beautiful.However,the ugly faces of war are showing up here.This seems to depict that no matter how beautiful a person or thing may be,if they get tainted by war,they will have lost themselves.The atmosphere in the poem seems to plunge you right into a firefight,with diction like "lead rain" and "baptized by fire" showing the dire situation they are in.As the situation progresses,the author gets more and more pessimistic.

3.Meaning
The meaning of the poem is to translate the terror that he had felt during the war into words.The message in the poem seems to be telling us that war is a really terrible thing.It seems to describe that the moment you take part in war,all that you really was would be stripped away,and you would be what you be,a soldier,there only to kill or be killed.It seems to be trying to tell us that war is not glorious at all!

The theme in the poem is explicitly comveyed - war is not a good thing.Through the poet's choice of words and the style he is writing in,he seems to be writing straight from the scene,and tries to drag you in,and wants you to know that war is not as good and fun as some people think.The poem seems to state that all war is not good,and there is never a need for war,whether for God or for themselves.

4.Form & Structure
The poem is in a very structured verse with a simple rhyming scheme,which is AABB.The rhythm of the poem seems to get more hysterical and quicker towards the end of the poem,trying to emulate the feelings the poet felt at war.There's also a lot of commas in the poems,indicating the pauses.

Using the structure effectively,although the word length does not significantly increase or decrease,the reading speed will be greatly affected by the diction and structure in the poem,which allows the readers to really feel what the pot felt at war.The repetition at the end of the poem seems to conjoin with the poet's hysterics,allowing the reader to be drawn further into the poem.

5.Language
The language used in the poem is mainly used to describe the terror happening then,and it seems to be that the poet was right in the thick of it,and the feelings are emanating from him.As such,the reader is forced right into the action.For example,"lead rain" describes bullets flying around the battlefield,and the poet can do nothing to stop it."washed in blood,baptized by fire" seem to draw attention to the dead soldiers that have sacrificed their life,almost as if for nothing."And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell,Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell" This two lines seems to describe that the poet has already resigned to his fate that he will die,and he thinks of the battlefield as Hell,amply describing the dire situation there.

The language used effectively changes the mindset of the reader,bracing the reader that in war,everybody has already prepared for their death.The poet also likens a battlefield to hell,allowing the reader to "see" the dire situation there using selected language.

6.Sounds
The end rhyme in the poem is obvious,and the rhyme allows for fluid reading.Also,the last word of each stanza tends to be quite powerful.For example,"blood" and "mud",describes the war effectively,showing the reader that war is just a place full of mud and blood.

The use of these sounds translates to the use of war - power.It shoves the actions right into the reader's face.

7.Style & Tone
The style of the poem is meant to be fast-paced and full of action.The tone of the speaker seems to be terrified and the speaker seems to be resigned to the fact that he will eventually die.

The tone creates an impactful lunge at the reader,forcing them into a very angsty and sad mood.The style is very appropriate,and seems to amplify the terror felt by a soldier,and compress it into a poem.The tone reveals that the speaker is not afraid of war once he is in it,as he know that he will die eventually.

8.Personal response
I feel that the poem is well written,and overall,it is an impactful poem that seems to lunge out at the readers with it's ample diction and language.The poem makes me feel as if I am observing my comrades in war,and watching how it bloodily unfolds.The poem seems to tell me that war is not an amazing thing,and will never be one.

The poem is rather simply written out,and through its simple language,much is felt about the war.There is not much cultural influences on the poem-as long as one knows about the Afghan war,they should be able to figure the language out.The poem seems to reach out to everybody through the use of simple language.

As the poem reaches out to you,it seems to create a very stern atmosphere.Overall,I feel that the poem's atmosphere not only helps to bring out its language and diction,it is easy to take note of whatever transpires in the poem,yet there is hidden meaning inside-all soldiers will die,evident from the poet saying that he will eventually go to heaven.This naked declaration allows the reader to think thoroughly:is war really worthwhile?

Monday, March 8, 2010

Today,we will be talking about my favourite player in the NBA:LeBron James.

LeBron James have a full list of achievements.Here are some of them:
"NBA Most Valuable Player(2009)
NBA Rookie of the Year(2004)
6× NBA All-Star(2005–2010)
NBA Scoring Champion(2008)
3× All-NBA First Team(2006, 2008–2009)
2× All-NBA Second Team(2005, 2007)
All-Defensive First Team(2009)
NBA All-Rookie First Team(2004)
2× NBA All-Star Game MVP(2006, 2008)
Naismith Prep Player of the Year(2003)"

-Wikipedia

However,one constant gripe about him,is that he has no low-post moves,and his shooting is not good for a superstar like him.He's changed.Check this out.

To start off,we will see how amazing his shooting has become.



Sinking 6 three-pointers in a row...

And the reason why he is a NBA Superstar now:his fast,powerful dunks.You can HEAR the sound of the basketball smashing through the net...



And his fellow NBA mates telling us how good LeBron James is at dunking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1iwGxOzShI

No video embed as embedding is disabled by the NBA.If you are interested,please copy and paste the above link.

He has the passing eye of Oscar Robertson,the dunking power of Vince Carter,the shooting of Michael Jordan,the leaping ability of Nate Robinson...the list goes on.And it shows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6j5CuLkAjc&NR=1&feature=fvwp

No video embed as embedding is disabled by the NBA.If you are interested,please copy and paste the above link.

He's the kind of player that you must idolise.The moment LeBron walk in a stadium,you hear fanatic screams of:

LEBRON!LEEEBRON!!!LAAAA-BRON!!!!

He's charismatic,and he's good.His drives to the lanes are fast.The moment his engine is ignited...there's no stopping him.

His dunks are powerful enough to make your ears ring.

He has the speed of sound.For a man with that kind of muscles,he shouldn't be able to drive to the basket so fast.But he does it anyway.

His free-throw percentage is a decent 78.0%,which is a lot better than other small forwards.

He's the only non-guard to average just over a block per game.

He's regarded as a Legend.Not many people can be that.

The only bad thing about him is his low-post moves.No,no.He doesn't even HAVE low-post moves.That's his only major gripe. (Low post - an imaginary area outside either side of the foul lane close to the basket.)

That can be the only black spot on his clean,white illustrious sheet of his basketball career.But...does he need them?The speed at which he breezes past his opponent...he never stops at the low post.But when he gets older (slower),he may need them.As such...he better practise.

AND he's still 25 years old.That's young.He has potential to grow even more.He can even be better than Michael Jordan.Ouch.

LeBron James:The King

Monday, March 1, 2010

Why are there so many mockingbirds in Maycomb?Scout,Atticus,Tom Robinson,Boo Radley,all there people are mockingbirds.Are there any flora or fauna in Maycomb that attracts them here?

"Range and Habitat
Northern Mockingbird: Breeds from northern California, eastern Nebraska, southern Ontario, and Maritime Canada southward. Spends winters in the southern part of range. Found in residential areas, city parks, farmlands, open country with thickets, and desert brush."

http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/158/_/Northern_Mockingbird.aspx

As you can see,mockingbirds are commonly found in residential areas.As such,due to the large and colourful (no pun intended) population in Maycomb,these 'mockingbirds' are attracted to Maycomb.

Also,they are attracted to open country with thickets.Althought there is no mention of thickets in Maycomb in TKAM,there is however open country,as Maycomb is a laidback and relaxed town,showing the essence of country.Mockingbirds are attracted.

Mockingbirds can be found everywhere in America.What is interesting is this:

The Northern Mockingbird is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas.

How many used-to-be racist states are in there?Maybe Maycomb supported mockingbirds too!