Smooth as glass,
White as the clouds.
When i first bought it, it came in a box.
The side wrote fragile, and had a little picture on it.
Its empty stomach held a pint of liquid-water or pepsi.
I would put her lips to my mouth.
Caressing her smooth curves.
When she took her bath, i would watch her go in dirty
and come out the clean cup she was.
By,
QZ
Monday, July 27, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Reflections on a week of Home Learning
Overall, i can safely say that it was somewhat fine. The work you gave was not too much, as i could normally finish it in an hour or so. There were many advantages to home learning, for example, there would not be the factor of travelling, as we were working from our homes.
Sometimes, it gets confusing, as there are just so many sites open. I remember how my computer hanged when i tried to organise my windows. Not easy mind you. Imagine 8 different sites, all scattered around my screen, each of them with their own tabs. But eventually, i succeeded. It was a fruitful week, as we all had to excercise self-control not to drift off into other sites, a temptation that would always be present whenever it came to using the internet.
Self-discipline is key to completing your home learning work. Since you are at home, you do not ahve any teacher staring at your back or any fear of being scolded for daydreaming. So, that would be the ticket to wandering off. A ticket that you will have to reject. Overall, i feel that home learning was sometimes troublesome, but just as fun.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Lesson 6: Compulsory Blog Entry
Lotteries have been called a tax on the poor. Ultimately at only a dollar or two a ticket, anyone can play the lotteries. However, many people become addicted to buying tickets and they can cause family/maritial problems. Discuss this topic with a parent and get their biew on lotteries and specifically lotteries in Singapore. Include at least one quote from an adult, one quote or reference from either an NPR presesntation or Youtube Video in your discussion.
I have chosen to condemn the lotteries. In lotteries, what are your chances of winning? It is so low, that you might as well not gamble. But the thing is, its in our genetic makeup to take risks. If not, we would still be stuck in that cave somewhere in North America. Humans like to take risks. Especially with gains as high as those in the lotteries in Singapore, people just have to try their luck.
BUT, there is also this part of our brain that controls what we do. People that gamble know that it is bad, but they just say
" Its only $2 a ticket, never mind lar."
They keep forgetting- $2 X 100 would already have amounted to $200. The Singapore Pools ( Gambling Authorities) allow you to place bets of different amounts ranging from $2 to $50. Most of the people place only $2. But they bet at least 4 times a week. So, over the months, years of continous betting. It can amount up to massive amounts of money spent on betting.
The question is, DID YOU WIN ANYTHING? A quote from a lady who has maneged to stop her compulsive gambling habits. When asked "do you have any idea how much you lost in gambling?" Her horrific reply was "i lost $300,00 to gambling". Her entire retirement savings. This is an example how much gambling can take from you, and how little it returns.
IN the world of gambling, the chances of winning is set at a minimum. So, no human, no mortal can actually win many times. If you have won once in your lifetime. You are counted as some what lucky. People get desperate after losing too many times. Which make them resort to desperate means. Consulting the supernatural, superstition, and many other wierd ways to draw in "luck".
WHAT a desperate man can do is beyond comprehension of any psychologist. Its another genetic driving force pre-programmed into our consciousness, activated only when neccessary. Its the manual override button, which would make you do absolutely anything to succeed. They can become extremely superstitious, change their entire lifetyle to draw in luck and so on and so forth.
GAMBLING is very addictive. Once you look at the winnings ( forget winning, its nearly impossible) you feel the want for the money. Every single '0' behind the first-digit is like a magnet drawing you into the abyss of compulsive gambling. Like any strong whirlpool, you will need to fight extremely hard to get out.
CONCLUSION: Gambling is bad, so please. For heaven's sake, for your family's sake, for your spouse's sake. Don't gamble. Like my mother used to say," You don't want to gamble your life away."
I have chosen to condemn the lotteries. In lotteries, what are your chances of winning? It is so low, that you might as well not gamble. But the thing is, its in our genetic makeup to take risks. If not, we would still be stuck in that cave somewhere in North America. Humans like to take risks. Especially with gains as high as those in the lotteries in Singapore, people just have to try their luck.
BUT, there is also this part of our brain that controls what we do. People that gamble know that it is bad, but they just say
" Its only $2 a ticket, never mind lar."
They keep forgetting- $2 X 100 would already have amounted to $200. The Singapore Pools ( Gambling Authorities) allow you to place bets of different amounts ranging from $2 to $50. Most of the people place only $2. But they bet at least 4 times a week. So, over the months, years of continous betting. It can amount up to massive amounts of money spent on betting.
The question is, DID YOU WIN ANYTHING? A quote from a lady who has maneged to stop her compulsive gambling habits. When asked "do you have any idea how much you lost in gambling?" Her horrific reply was "i lost $300,00 to gambling". Her entire retirement savings. This is an example how much gambling can take from you, and how little it returns.
IN the world of gambling, the chances of winning is set at a minimum. So, no human, no mortal can actually win many times. If you have won once in your lifetime. You are counted as some what lucky. People get desperate after losing too many times. Which make them resort to desperate means. Consulting the supernatural, superstition, and many other wierd ways to draw in "luck".
WHAT a desperate man can do is beyond comprehension of any psychologist. Its another genetic driving force pre-programmed into our consciousness, activated only when neccessary. Its the manual override button, which would make you do absolutely anything to succeed. They can become extremely superstitious, change their entire lifetyle to draw in luck and so on and so forth.
GAMBLING is very addictive. Once you look at the winnings ( forget winning, its nearly impossible) you feel the want for the money. Every single '0' behind the first-digit is like a magnet drawing you into the abyss of compulsive gambling. Like any strong whirlpool, you will need to fight extremely hard to get out.
CONCLUSION: Gambling is bad, so please. For heaven's sake, for your family's sake, for your spouse's sake. Don't gamble. Like my mother used to say," You don't want to gamble your life away."
Lesson 5: Poetry on Gambling
Tom Beatty in Comparison with The Rocking Horse Winner
It is that life "stacks the cards to catch your weakness". Paul's weakness would be that he keeps hearing from the house that his family needed money. He finds it hard to refrain from gambling as he feels that he needs to prove to his mother that he is lucky. The house doesn't help conquer his weakness by constantly whispering that the family needs money. He believed that when he sat on his rocking horse in his house, his luck would show and he would bet on the right horse. After awhile of constant stress from the house and gambling, he finally gave in to all that stress and fainted, which led to his death.
As for the "gives you 70 years to play", Paul had a fraction of that time. But even with so little time, he manages to get lucky and win. Even his death was, somewhat a lucky event for him. Before the obsession got any worse, he was lucky to have died. If not, once his luck rubbed off, he would keep gambling to try and regain his former lucky glory.
The Green Clothes and Paper
Tips from Dr Soo, and his massive gains. Dry Lips after sharp drops in stock worth. Green Clothes would represent the colour of the American Dollar-money, green-eyed with green and envy.
One-dollar Gambler and Ah Boh from "Lottery"
The "blind man" would refer to Ah Boh himself. Blind to the advice of others. Ah Boh chose to blind himself from the real world and indulge in the world of gambling. The Number 13 is considered unlucky by some, which means that he was supersitious, just like Ah Boh who would go to road accidents to jot down the car number plates. The Zero dollars to bet also relate to Ah Boh in the sense that they were in dire straits and were running out of money.
It is that life "stacks the cards to catch your weakness". Paul's weakness would be that he keeps hearing from the house that his family needed money. He finds it hard to refrain from gambling as he feels that he needs to prove to his mother that he is lucky. The house doesn't help conquer his weakness by constantly whispering that the family needs money. He believed that when he sat on his rocking horse in his house, his luck would show and he would bet on the right horse. After awhile of constant stress from the house and gambling, he finally gave in to all that stress and fainted, which led to his death.
As for the "gives you 70 years to play", Paul had a fraction of that time. But even with so little time, he manages to get lucky and win. Even his death was, somewhat a lucky event for him. Before the obsession got any worse, he was lucky to have died. If not, once his luck rubbed off, he would keep gambling to try and regain his former lucky glory.
The Green Clothes and Paper
Tips from Dr Soo, and his massive gains. Dry Lips after sharp drops in stock worth. Green Clothes would represent the colour of the American Dollar-money, green-eyed with green and envy.
One-dollar Gambler and Ah Boh from "Lottery"
The "blind man" would refer to Ah Boh himself. Blind to the advice of others. Ah Boh chose to blind himself from the real world and indulge in the world of gambling. The Number 13 is considered unlucky by some, which means that he was supersitious, just like Ah Boh who would go to road accidents to jot down the car number plates. The Zero dollars to bet also relate to Ah Boh in the sense that they were in dire straits and were running out of money.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Lesson 4: Theme: Gambling
Paper.
The title refers to how people tend to put their assets on paper. In this case, which would be the stock certificate- proof that you have bought the stock. You exchange your hard-earned money for this piece of paper, this gamble.
It is a highly risky gamble, people can lose their lives' savings, or they can gain an immense amount of money. That is the gamble. Like ordinary gambling in the casino, instead of chips on the poker table, you have the stock certificate. If you choose the wrong cards, you will lose your chips. When you dare to play the stock market, its like another form of gambling, betting on horses. You bet the share you choose. You watch it rise, you watch it drop, but in the end, can you win?
In Paper, Tay Soon and Yee Lian invested their money on stocks and were lucky enough to enjoy an extremely high increase in their stock worth. However, when the fall came, they lost a lot of money. In the end, they lose so much money that Tay Soon becomes so stressed, he dies. Now, to fulfil his impossible dream house, they buy a paper house to fulfil his aspiration. In paper.
Lottery
Ah Boh's superstitions were just because he was so desperate that he was willing to try out anything, that's why he listened to every method that would "bring him luck". She just needed the money. But she was too lazy to work for the money. Instead, she sincerely believes that gambling is her sole ticket to being rich.
She does not have the gambling habit. It is so serious, that it cannot be classified in the same league as being a mere habit. Its an addiction. It was her heroin. She just wants that elusive feeling of winning the lottery. The prize money can pull a beggar out of poverty. But the thing is, she is even willing to spend her salary on gambling instead of providing for her aged mother.
The Rocking Horse Winner
I believe that it was the entire prospect of gambling that killed Paul. Uncle Oscar, Bassett and even Paul is responsible for Paul's own death. Gambling is very addictive, it can act like a magnet, that will hold you forever. Uncle Oscar and Bassettt should have known much better than to let Paul bet. The two adults should have been more responsible and refrained Paul from gambling instead of encouraging him. Paul himself should have long realised that gambling could lead to an addiction and when your addiction is very strong, you could indirectly hurt a person either physically or emotionally. in this story, Paul paid with his life.
The title refers to how people tend to put their assets on paper. In this case, which would be the stock certificate- proof that you have bought the stock. You exchange your hard-earned money for this piece of paper, this gamble.
It is a highly risky gamble, people can lose their lives' savings, or they can gain an immense amount of money. That is the gamble. Like ordinary gambling in the casino, instead of chips on the poker table, you have the stock certificate. If you choose the wrong cards, you will lose your chips. When you dare to play the stock market, its like another form of gambling, betting on horses. You bet the share you choose. You watch it rise, you watch it drop, but in the end, can you win?
In Paper, Tay Soon and Yee Lian invested their money on stocks and were lucky enough to enjoy an extremely high increase in their stock worth. However, when the fall came, they lost a lot of money. In the end, they lose so much money that Tay Soon becomes so stressed, he dies. Now, to fulfil his impossible dream house, they buy a paper house to fulfil his aspiration. In paper.
Lottery
Ah Boh's superstitions were just because he was so desperate that he was willing to try out anything, that's why he listened to every method that would "bring him luck". She just needed the money. But she was too lazy to work for the money. Instead, she sincerely believes that gambling is her sole ticket to being rich.
She does not have the gambling habit. It is so serious, that it cannot be classified in the same league as being a mere habit. Its an addiction. It was her heroin. She just wants that elusive feeling of winning the lottery. The prize money can pull a beggar out of poverty. But the thing is, she is even willing to spend her salary on gambling instead of providing for her aged mother.
The Rocking Horse Winner
I believe that it was the entire prospect of gambling that killed Paul. Uncle Oscar, Bassett and even Paul is responsible for Paul's own death. Gambling is very addictive, it can act like a magnet, that will hold you forever. Uncle Oscar and Bassettt should have known much better than to let Paul bet. The two adults should have been more responsible and refrained Paul from gambling instead of encouraging him. Paul himself should have long realised that gambling could lead to an addiction and when your addiction is very strong, you could indirectly hurt a person either physically or emotionally. in this story, Paul paid with his life.
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