Post #5 - The Lion, the Bear and the Tiger

Just by looking at the photo above you would have thought it is being "photoshopped" as there is no way for three apex leaders to cohabit in the same environment. All three of them, Shere Khan the tiger, Leo the Lion and Baloo the bear had actually been living together since they were two months old. They were being rescued from drug barons that kept them as status pets and were brought to Noah's Ark Animal Rescue Centre where the owners decide to keep them together. Instead of having conflict with each other, all three of them have bonded very well and treated each other like their own kind.

As what stated by the owner of Noah's Ark Rescue Centre, this is probably the only place you can get to see this combination. There are chances where you might see this in a circus but those animals are trained and force to live with each other. In this instance, they not only bonded well despite their animal difference which will never occur in the wild. Personally, I felt that it might be the bond have with each other since young and also the harsh environment they were in before being rescued.

However, we have also heard of news where people kept wild animals as pets and were attacked by them. In some cases, the owner even got killed by their own "pet" which in the first place should be living in the wild. When Noah's Ark decide to place all three of them together the same debate came up as some people think it might cause more harm to the animals since in the wild they are mortal enemy. There are also suggestion to release them back into the wild as it is where they belong.



Do take some time to view the video as it shows how the three animals get along and the amazing bond they share. Personally, I think that Noah's Ark rescue centre has been doing a great job and the three animals have been doing very well for the past eight years. Even thought they are kept in an enclosed area but they still have each other for support, and most important of all they are safe from other dangers.

So do you think they did the right thing by keeping the animals together or they should be return to their natural habitat.

Source:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1234087/Lions-tigers-bears-oh-The-Jungle-Book-predators-forged-lifelong-friendship.html (Article)
http://www.noahs-ark.org/

Post #4 - Some like it RAW!

I refer you to the article above from The Straits Time, dated 04 March 2010. The article is about a yoga instructor that practice vegetarianism but only eats raw fruit, nuts and vegetables. The reason she became a "raw foodie" is because she found herself putting on weight and skin condition worsening. Furthermore, she tried different types of dieting plans but none seems to work till she started on the raw vegetarian concept. She became so passionate about eating raw and went on to be trained as a raw food chef. From the article, we also learn that through the practice of raw vegetarian concept, she feels younger and looks better.

Vegetarianism has been on the rise in recent years due to the media coverage of it's health benefits and many celebrities practicing it. As the mass media is very influential and people nowadays are more health conscious, from talk shows to print media we can see the extensive coverage of this topic. Some of the famous celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and Richard Gere who are both Vegan even shared their experiences on talk shows. This shows that the mass media can greatly influence the mindset of the audience.

Vegetarianism itself can be further categorized into different varieties:

Lacto-ovo vegetarianism - a vegetarian diet that permits consumption of animal products such eggs, milk, and honey.

Veganism(Vegan) - avoid all animal flesh and animal products, including milk, honey, and eggs.

Raw veganism(as stated in the article) - diet of fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables.

Fruitarianism - diet of only fruit, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant.

From the different varieties of vegetarianism we can see how it evolve from a simple practice of plant-based diet into all the different types. Although practising any one of them has it's health benefits, there are reports that actually state that a diet based solely on fruits and vegetable won't get you all the nutrients a normal human being need.

So do you agree that practising vegetarianism or in this instance raw veganism beneficial or it's all hype up due to the media?

Post #3 - Beautifully Imperfect

The above video shows how imperfections in a partner can make a relationship beautiful. It is express through the eulogy of the lady who recently lost her husband. In life we have indeed tried too hard, looking around for the perfect person or trying to be perfect for our partner. I guess from the video we can learn to appreciate the imperfections of the other person in order for us to truly love him/her.

We can be attracted to the other party physical appearance or similarities/differences but these are just the initial factors which result in the formation of the relationship. However, to manage and maintain the relationship we need trust and commitment which are the two very important factors. And of course, the ability to accept who they are and appreciate them.

This second clip shows what an individual will do for their partner and in this instance, she is willing to risk her life so that her dying husband can hold the son just in time. Just take the question that was being asked in the video, Why were we born? and What were we born for? I think all of us are born with the ability to love and to be loved by someone that matters to you. It is amazing because it's two different strangers that are willing to share their life with each other and created this bond that is so intense.

Personally, I think in most of our lives we have been searching for that perfect person or trying to get into the "best" relationship that we lost the happiness in the relationship. One simple example will be the snoring that the wife explain in the first video, most people might find it irritating or disgusted by it but only for her, she can look at it from a different point of view because it's who he is.

So we all should start putting the idea we have for our Mr/Ms Perfect and start to appreciate the people that truly love you. So commies, do you all share my view on this?

Don't let the imaginary person in your head keep you from loving the real one right in front of you. - Source: Deviant Art

Post #2 - I bless thee, laptop

I refer you to the article above from The Straits Time, dated 20 January 2010. The article is about the vicar from the St Lawrence Jewry church in London blessing the cellphones and notebooks of those worshippers. The reason the vicar uses this method is to remind the city's workaholics to have time for worship. He also state the technology is our daily working tool and should be bless.

From here I can sense the two extreme reactions we can expect from different groups of people. People that are more open-minded will think that is a good initiative by the priest to look at the world from a different perspective and cater to the current trend. There will be another group that must be thinking what the hell is he doing and no way they can accept bringing electronic products to be bless by a priest. This shows that a single act can be interpret differently by different individual.

Personally, I do see this approach as a very interesting and effective way to engage the working class and younger generation.
From my point of view, it all depends on how we see the whole picture and react to it:
- a new approach to engage the church goers
- a way to attract the younger generation to attend church
- the church initiative to come up with "new approach" for church services

I guess afterall it depends on how each of us manage our perception on situations and in this instance the church tried something out of the norm to spread God's grace.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8454032.stm
(Additional news report by BBC News)

So commies, what do you think about this?

Post #1

With the IRs getting ready to welcome the horde of people with their cold hard cash into their casinos, my mind starts to think about the increase of gambling addicts in Singapore. Even with the NCPG – National Council of Problem Gambling being setup to tackle the issue, more campaign and media coverage can be put in place to raise awareness.

Personally, I think that in Singapore children are exposed to the lifestyle and their parent’s approach towards gambling. Since young I’m used to parents or relatives asking me to give them “4D, Toto” numbers and knowing that I do get something in return for doing it. I will even get money as an incentive if they do win and to a certain extend I think that does give me a perspective that it’s acceptable to gamble.

Another example will be during Chinese New Year where my cousins and I will use some of our ang pow money to invest on Singapore Pools’ 4D. Neither parents nor my cousin’s parents see it as a negative factor since we are all kids at that time and it’s merely a way of us having fun during Chinese New Year.

Personally, I view gambling addiction as a serious issue which is comparable to smoking, alcohol or even drug addiction. As I believe parents will always warn or prevent their kids in getting into all these bad habits but gambling was pretty much neglected in my opinion. With that in mind, I think that the “harmless” activities we engage ourselves in must be handle in a appropriate approach as to reflect what obsession in gambling can harm all of us.

Even before the IRs are being introduce to us, we already have an huge array of options for gamblers - lottery from Singapore Pools, casino cruises, horse racing and illegal betting through bookmaker. These already warrant us ample opportunities of becoming a gambling addict or tempt any individual into it. People that do have gambling addiction will also often state their habit is not as destructive as compared to the other addiction. As the other addiction like smoking or alcohol addiction are often associated with bad health and death which are easier to pass the massage down to the public.

For the three posters above, all of them are trying to depict the obsession for gambling is as addictive as the others. I find that this send out a very strong message that gambling addiction is just as harmful as the others. Shock advertisement and campaign are useful in this instance as it attract the public attention and so many different forms of media platform it can target at specific group more easily. Just take the graphic pictures on the cigarette boxes that show the different harmful health effect, the message is clear and it gets the attention. The media has all the coverage on this and it’s the talk of the town from major newspaper to the cyber world, blogs etc.

This shows that with the right marketing for the campaign and the various media platform we can achieve the goal or in this instance raise awareness for the gambling addiction.

So commies, please do share your views and comment below!!