I will refer to the Straits Times article, “Bomb scare on SIA” by Karamjit Kaur, on August 20th 2009. (Link) It was reported that there was a bomb scare on a plane mid-air heading towards Melbourne the previous night. The airline crew conducted a search and found nothing, and the plane landed safely. As a further precaution, the subsequent Singapore-Melbourne flight was also checked, and fortunately no bomb was found either. However, was the further precaution necessary? Is Singapore really doing too much to be safe? For me, I think that even though it seems that we do too much, the extra measures are still necessary.
Singapore takes extra precautions in many instances: the UV sterilization of NEWater at the final stage, the temperature checks and hand sanitizations to prevent the spread of H1N1, etc, but why do we do it? The answer is quite simple: to make up for areas not completely fulfilled within the system. NEWater production process and the airplane checks are all examples of systems. Each system consists of many components which work together to achieve a desired result. The implementation of further precautionary measures is essential: when one or more components fail to execute their job properly, these measures will make up for them and still produce the desired outcome.
If for example, during the NEWater production process, one of the filters was faulty and allowed some foreign microorganisms to remain, the UV sterilization will ensure that these remaining microorganisms will be killed, and the resultant water is clean. In the case of the bomb scare mentioned above, it was possible that there really was a bomb, but not on the first plane. When the first check fails to reveal it, the subsequent checks on other planes will either reveal the bomb, or confirm that there was no such bomb in the first place. In short, extra measures help make up for faults in the system, and that is why they are necessary.
Another reason why we take extra measures is that in fact, they may not really be “extra” but are actually a must. In Singapore, why do we still have compulsory National Service for men, even though there are no imminent threats to us and no wars we are fighting in? Actually, we currently have no terrorism threats, or are directly fighting in any wars now, because we have National Service: this practice helps build up a very strong defense force here, making us less vulnerable to terrorism attacks and thus less likely to be a target to terrorists.
Even then, why make it compulsory? We do not need everybody to join the army and defend Singapore, just a group big enough to defend the country. This is what we call the “extra” bit. It really is not necessary to get every single man to be a soldier, but it is still beneficial anyway: the more we have, the stronger we get, and the more prepared we will be against threats. Besides, our people are our main resource, and the government is making the most out of us. So, sometimes extra precautions are more necessary and important than others think.
Hence, I believe that even though we may take a lot of extra precautions, it can never be too much because we are still reducing the chances of a worst-case scenario from happening, no matter how slim, and this is beneficial and desired. So the next time your plane lands, and you are stuck in a long security check, do not think of this procedure as useless: it could help save more lives.
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Sunday, August 23, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
ERP...
4 c) ‘Sometimes we laugh not out of good cheer, but to avoid and absolve ourselves of a deeper pain.’ Drawing on your own experiences, write a narrative essay that illustrates this quotation.
This was the first time a theft had occurred. The students were scanning the classrooms, the canteen, and even the toilets for the missing bag. Kerry claimed that he only left it alone for a few minutes, and the next moment it had vanished.
We all knew how important Kerry’s bag was, because it contained all his valuables. If he returned home without the bag, he would get a huge scolding from his parents, and obviously we did not want that to happen.
Jordan was helping me out in the search. We were walking through the first floor classrooms, which were empty now because all the students were already dismissed.
We stepped into classroom 1A.
“Hey Jordan, how did Kerry lose his bag anyway? I thought he left it in class.”
“I don’t know, maybe he brought it to the canteen and left it there?”
“No way, it disappeared before everyone went for lunch. What about the field?”
“Impossible. He never goes out onto the field except for PE lessons. Hey Bryan, the bag’s definitely not here. Let’s move.”
How did he look so quickly? We had barely even searched half the classroom yet!
We moved into classroom 1B.
“Jordan, why would Kerry’s bag be in another classroom anyway? His bag is one of a kind, so I don’t think any student would mistake it for his own.”
“Then who would do such a thing? Some people just commit ridiculous crimes for no reason…” Jordan gave out a smirk.
“What if someone in our class was pressured to steal it? I know nobody in our class would do it to intentionally harm someone—”
Jordan suddenly let out a laugh, which was unusual for someone that was not into jokes. His laugh echoed in the deserted classroom.
“Why would our classmates steal the bag? I mean, that bag’s not that valuable, and nobody here is doing it as some dare or something…” Jordan’s voice trailed off, as though he said something he should not have revealed. Was he actually hiding the bag as a dare?
“…I’m sorry, but I need to reach home earlier today. My mom’s got something at home.” And then Jordan sprinted out.
I walked off to the next classroom on my own.
The bag was found the next day in classroom 1A, where Jordan claimed it was not there. He tricked me, but I had very little evidence that could support this accusation.
“Kerry, don’t lose the bag again, because we won’t help you find it next time!” one classmate said.
“Someone said that Jordan actually stole the bag!” another one shouted.
Everybody laughed, including Jordan himself. Surely someone like him would be too nice to steal anything. However, I knew that his mind was still plagued with the guilt of stealing the bag. Laughing may take some of it away, but the pain will still last.
If he had simply admitted the truth, he wouldn’t have to go through such a tormenting experience…
More >>
This was the first time a theft had occurred. The students were scanning the classrooms, the canteen, and even the toilets for the missing bag. Kerry claimed that he only left it alone for a few minutes, and the next moment it had vanished.
We all knew how important Kerry’s bag was, because it contained all his valuables. If he returned home without the bag, he would get a huge scolding from his parents, and obviously we did not want that to happen.
Jordan was helping me out in the search. We were walking through the first floor classrooms, which were empty now because all the students were already dismissed.
We stepped into classroom 1A.
“Hey Jordan, how did Kerry lose his bag anyway? I thought he left it in class.”
“I don’t know, maybe he brought it to the canteen and left it there?”
“No way, it disappeared before everyone went for lunch. What about the field?”
“Impossible. He never goes out onto the field except for PE lessons. Hey Bryan, the bag’s definitely not here. Let’s move.”
How did he look so quickly? We had barely even searched half the classroom yet!
We moved into classroom 1B.
“Jordan, why would Kerry’s bag be in another classroom anyway? His bag is one of a kind, so I don’t think any student would mistake it for his own.”
“Then who would do such a thing? Some people just commit ridiculous crimes for no reason…” Jordan gave out a smirk.
“What if someone in our class was pressured to steal it? I know nobody in our class would do it to intentionally harm someone—”
Jordan suddenly let out a laugh, which was unusual for someone that was not into jokes. His laugh echoed in the deserted classroom.
“Why would our classmates steal the bag? I mean, that bag’s not that valuable, and nobody here is doing it as some dare or something…” Jordan’s voice trailed off, as though he said something he should not have revealed. Was he actually hiding the bag as a dare?
“…I’m sorry, but I need to reach home earlier today. My mom’s got something at home.” And then Jordan sprinted out.
I walked off to the next classroom on my own.
The bag was found the next day in classroom 1A, where Jordan claimed it was not there. He tricked me, but I had very little evidence that could support this accusation.
“Kerry, don’t lose the bag again, because we won’t help you find it next time!” one classmate said.
“Someone said that Jordan actually stole the bag!” another one shouted.
Everybody laughed, including Jordan himself. Surely someone like him would be too nice to steal anything. However, I knew that his mind was still plagued with the guilt of stealing the bag. Laughing may take some of it away, but the pain will still last.
If he had simply admitted the truth, he wouldn’t have to go through such a tormenting experience…
More >>
Friday, April 3, 2009
Commentary (Practice)
(Last edited 7 April 09)
I'll refer to the article, "So, what's new?" from The Sunday Times, 15 March 2009, by Frankie Chee. It states that despite the $40-million makeover of Orchard Road, 40 out of the 100 people polled did not notice anything different. The landscaping changes included glass panels, flower totems and street furniture. Some had felt that the Singapore Tourism Board should have done more landscaping changes with that amount of money. Obviously a significant number of people surveyed were unsatisfied.
The question is: should the government always spend money on noticable changes? I think not; some changes need not be noticable to the public to be necessary to make, but that does not mean that everything goes unnoticed at all.
What do I mean by the necessary changes not having to be noticable? Not all of the $40 million was spent on the landscaping alone; other costs covered included lighting, power upgrading, repaving etc. These changes can help in the long run, for example, better lighting means less maintenance needed; better power may mean energy savings. These changes are not so obvious (not everyone would look up at the lamposts or look underground) but they are still necessary in the infrastructure of Orchard Road.
Still, the public expected more physical changes in the general appearance of the road. The landscaping touches are seen as too minor or unnoticable. Hence, the STB should still have focused more on the landscaping, since that was what the public was hoping for given the budget of the project. Perhaps the STB should have called the project as "upgrading works" instead of a facelift, then the focus would not shift so much on the final look of Orchard Road.
In another article, "Esplanade's outdoor theatre gets $6m facelift" by Ashraf Safdar, Channel NewsAsia, on 18 April 2007 (link), it was announced that the outdoor theatre would undergo a $6 million facelift, expanding its capacity from 200 to 1100 people. The stage would also extend from 10m to 11m over the water "with steps descending into the bay". There have been no complaints on the makeover since.
Unlike the Orchard Road scenario, this project's changes are all beneficial and obvious. It will help to accomodate the increasing crowd, especially when there are tourist attractions nearby, like the Singapore Flyer. The Orchard Road facelift has more inconspicuous physical changes, which is what the hype was all about.
Hence, the government need not always spend money on implementing obvious changes, but there must still be changes that can be easily noticable. Even a simple change of colour would catch the public's eye better and make them feel that the money was not gone to waste.
Of course, there must be proper planning involved in the landscaping. Who would want to see a neon green Orchard?
More >>
I'll refer to the article, "So, what's new?" from The Sunday Times, 15 March 2009, by Frankie Chee. It states that despite the $40-million makeover of Orchard Road, 40 out of the 100 people polled did not notice anything different. The landscaping changes included glass panels, flower totems and street furniture. Some had felt that the Singapore Tourism Board should have done more landscaping changes with that amount of money. Obviously a significant number of people surveyed were unsatisfied.
The question is: should the government always spend money on noticable changes? I think not; some changes need not be noticable to the public to be necessary to make, but that does not mean that everything goes unnoticed at all.
What do I mean by the necessary changes not having to be noticable? Not all of the $40 million was spent on the landscaping alone; other costs covered included lighting, power upgrading, repaving etc. These changes can help in the long run, for example, better lighting means less maintenance needed; better power may mean energy savings. These changes are not so obvious (not everyone would look up at the lamposts or look underground) but they are still necessary in the infrastructure of Orchard Road.
Still, the public expected more physical changes in the general appearance of the road. The landscaping touches are seen as too minor or unnoticable. Hence, the STB should still have focused more on the landscaping, since that was what the public was hoping for given the budget of the project. Perhaps the STB should have called the project as "upgrading works" instead of a facelift, then the focus would not shift so much on the final look of Orchard Road.
In another article, "Esplanade's outdoor theatre gets $6m facelift" by Ashraf Safdar, Channel NewsAsia, on 18 April 2007 (link), it was announced that the outdoor theatre would undergo a $6 million facelift, expanding its capacity from 200 to 1100 people. The stage would also extend from 10m to 11m over the water "with steps descending into the bay". There have been no complaints on the makeover since.
Unlike the Orchard Road scenario, this project's changes are all beneficial and obvious. It will help to accomodate the increasing crowd, especially when there are tourist attractions nearby, like the Singapore Flyer. The Orchard Road facelift has more inconspicuous physical changes, which is what the hype was all about.
Hence, the government need not always spend money on implementing obvious changes, but there must still be changes that can be easily noticable. Even a simple change of colour would catch the public's eye better and make them feel that the money was not gone to waste.
Of course, there must be proper planning involved in the landscaping. Who would want to see a neon green Orchard?
More >>
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
What is an exposition?
From Novelguide.com:
From Literary Terms:
From AskOxford:
In terms of music (Wikipedia):
The briefest definition I've found (Butte College):
I'm not sure what else to put... :(
Edit (23/3):
Just got the materials today. The handout states that "an exposition is a rhetorical discourse that provides information about or an explanation of difficult material." Seems like a clearer definition to me, compared to what I referenced above...
More >>
Exposition: Writing intended to explain the nature of an idea, thing, or theme. Expository writing is often combined with description, narration, or argument. In dramatic writing, the exposition is the introductory material which presents the characters, setting, and tone of the play.
From Literary Terms:
EXPOSITION
A writing or a speech that explains a process or presents information. In
plot structure, the exposition is the part of
the work that introduces the characters, the setting,
and the basic situation.
From AskOxford:
exposition
• noun 1 a comprehensive description and explanation of a theory. 2 a large public exhibition of art or trade goods. 3 Music the part of a movement in which the principal themes are first presented.
— DERIVATIVES expositional adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin, from exponere ‘present, explain’.
In terms of music (Wikipedia):
In musical form and analysis, exposition is the initial presentation of the thematic material of a musical composition, movement, or section. The use of the term generally implies that the material will be developed or varied.
The briefest definition I've found (Butte College):
Exposition: Writing that explains.
I'm not sure what else to put... :(
Edit (23/3):
Just got the materials today. The handout states that "an exposition is a rhetorical discourse that provides information about or an explanation of difficult material." Seems like a clearer definition to me, compared to what I referenced above...
More >>
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