Thursday, May 10, 2007

My tutor the Tv

Who says that the television is beastly as it only potrays the evils of the world through that little screen it has.
In fact, the television could widen our horizons by opening the world out to us. In addition, the television also permits us to reach large numbers of people on a national or regional level in a short period of time. Television being an image-building and visual medium, also offers the ability to convey messages with sight, sound and motion horizons which appeals to our senses.
For Ong Soh Chin, a senior writer, she believes that the television taught her no rules but good pronounciation and the grasp of english language.
Today, educational TV programmes have become more and more sophisticated. Very soon, the television will replace the medium of books in schools.

Killer felt he was persecuted and was out to get even
Strait times/15 June 07

Basically a recent school shooting had occured at virginia tech college. The gunman, aged 23 from south korea, brutally killed 32 of his fellow school mates which were neither his friend nor aquitance.
Officials of south korea were worried that this uproar might turn into racism towards Asians. That is almost similar to the animousity between the terrorists and the Americans today. In my opinion, just one accident should not suffice the Americans to generalize that all Asians are evil.
With the reoccurances of school shootings, students, if not, viewers will no longer sense the seriousness of mass massacre in schools. rather, some students may take these gunmen as their role models. Worst of all, if idolizing gets carried too far, similar incidennces will repeat itself again.
The profit driven media also seems to be glamorizing such an act. In order to gain higher viewship, they are splashing the killer's face across the television and any magazine with any chance they get; Not knowing they are encouraging such brutal violence in schools or even the work place.
What made this recent school shooting possible once again? In the eyes of many are the lax gun laws in America. Law makers in state legislatures and congress have it within their power to bring sanity to the gun laws, but they lack the political will to.
The society should step up on relationship bondingas well. People should learn to forgive one another,and accept each other faults. Most importantly, to abstain from descrimination against people of another race.

Wake up and smell the coffee

Beijing's Forbidden City palace is considering closing a Starbucks on its grounds after protests led by a state TV personality who says the American coffeehouse's presence is eroding Chinese culture.
The writer claimed that economic globalisation does not give us culture. However, I disagree with his stand. It is possible, if managers of various firms learns to be more flexible. For example, starbucks could substitute the production of coffee with chinese tea at the forbidden city. This way, starbucks could continue to make their business profits and at the same time, the chinese culture of tea tasting could be taught to and experienced by the foreigners. Moreover, if the sales of tea are successful, tea production would become a unique feature of starbucks as well. Then, starbucks would not just be glorifying the western but also the chinese culture too.

Sand in your face, smoke in your eyes and a fistful of dollars

Indonesia's rapid rate of environmental destruction is also a reflection of our stupidity. It is like burning our house down while we are still living inside. So why do we do it? because we are paid to. The environmental destruction of indonesia is something that investors have always been eager to put money into- lots and lots of money.
Men are the most intelligent living being amongst all animal species. Yet, ironically, our stupidity has cost us our environment, our lives, our future, so much that the list just goes on and on. The saddest part is, only when we are at the verge of losing our precious possessions that we start regretting and crying over spilt milk. The study of history and man's actions have proven that we never learn from our mistakes.
I am not surprised that very little efforts have been placed on protecting our environment. Countries like America, are too obsessed with earning their dollars that they have blurred themselves from the effects of a degrading environment.
Investments should be diverted in producing more anti pollutant machineries rather than in unnecessary profit driven cosmetic researches. This is one way where the advancements in sciences could be placed into good use.

Embrace beauty even if it's fake

Is natural beauty truely superior to cosmetically or chemicaly enhanced beauty? And is there real value anymore to staying real?
Would you envy someone whose looks have been altered through plastic surgery?No, because it is either too fake, or too perfect that makes it seems so unatural. In my opinion, beauty is subjective. However, that is if your looks are natural. At times, it is the flaw or imperfection in one's looks that draws the opposite party's attention. It is these differences and variations in our looks that makes us unique for who we are. Plastic surgery has come into existance because of many girl's desire for good looks. And, how do they define good looks? Having a sharp nose? big wide eyes? Like that of a barbie doll or that of models on the walkway? In fact, these are only stereotypes of beauty,like fashion. Beauty is like a piece of art work, they are valued for their originiality and nothing more.
Looks are like packages.I admit that first images are important. However, packages do not decide the quality of the goods that are hidden deep within. There are other innate qualities that we should consider, like intelligence and character development, which plays a more important role in personal growth.
The writer suggested that we should embrace beauty even if it is fake because we have to learn to move forward and progress in out thoughts. However, I question the fact to why we should accept technology blindly, acting liberal, eventhough we know we are going aginst our conscience by altering the looks God have given us. In my opinion, moving forward is to only adopt new comings that are beneficial to the society and ourselves. This way, technology will not be able to manipulate us in turn.

Hamas' Mickey clone urging violence pulled off TV
Today paper/10 may 07

The only surviving child of Walt Disney has called Hamas “pure evil” for allegedly making a mockery of Mickey Mouse by turning the lovable icon into a propaganda tool for hate. This star cartoon character was being used here to encourage Palestinian children to take arms against Israel and America in hope of world domination under the “Islamic leadership”.
I was totally disgusted by such a motion. As adults, the Palestinians should encourage and help the younger generation to patch up the existing animosity between countries rather than tightening the tension, in hope for a better tomorrow. They are like feeding innocent kids with poison which would cause them to slowly waste away.
Power does not come from domination but respect. So, as long as if these Muslims continues to dream aimlessly,hoping that they would one day be a head above the rest through terrorists threats, they will not get anywhere close to success in the near future.

Executed man's last request honored -- pizza for homeless
CNN.com/ 10 may 07

Hundreds of homeless people in Nashville, Tennessee, ate well Wednesday evening -- all in the name of a man who the state put to death just hours earlier.
Should death sentence be practiced only on hard core criminals? In my opinion, yes. I see no sense to why the law should place a corrected man to death. when actually, he could redeem for his mistakes. Reporters have interviewed him and he claimed that he robbed, shot all because of the need for money. Where such crimes are only committed helplessly for the sake of survival, why should criminals like them be condemned. In fact, I see that the state is indifferent to the welfare of their people and it is their responsibility to turn such situations round.
The next problem was about criminals losing their rights to choose the type of execution they want. Of the thirty eight states that allowed death penalty, thirty seven use the lethal injection method. Recent medical studies have suggested that standard procedure is flawed as it causes the victim to die a cruelly painful and silent death. Neverthelss, the state still insisted on practising the lethal injection execution on him despite the criminal choosing to be electrocuted.
Who are the real victims here? Eventhough many of the immates are sick and lost, but they are not some cold hearted killer who thinks that they are redeemable. Unlike the law practitioners who throw people away but yet want mercy and forgiveness.

Kid breaks teacher’s neck over seized ipod
CNN news/ 10 may 07

School violence has been on the rise these days. Just after the recent school shooting at Virginia tech, we now have vicious classroom attacks on teachers. The news commented that it was in Philadelphia that such incidences occurred.
As usual, experts continues to digress about how poor family brought ups may have lead to a kid’s tendency to react violently in such cases.
I was surprised that no one has spoken or considered why students have attacked teachers. The news always place the blame entirely on students by claiming that this kid is psychologically sick, that he or she actually attacked his or her teacher over minor incidences. And why would the media do this? Because they know that students are powerless. Perhaps, violence was some student's only form of retaliation towards some teacher’s unreasonable expectations.
Nevertheless, we have to admit that kids these days are getting out of hand. There are many reasons to why kids are so disrespectful towards their elders. First of all, schools in America do not emphasize on moral virtues as they encourage liberalization. Secondly, kids are getting excessively spoilt and egoistical by their over protective parents and school's soft approach towards education.
These are some points which the media should consider.