Electricity

Are we taking electricity for granted? The world is using up more and more electricity, and to make electricity, we need fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. These are non-renewable energy sources and we will sooner or later run out of it. When we do, we will no longer have any more electricity to power our lights, computer, handphones, etc. Life will become primitive again unless scientists are able to come up with a replacement for these fossil fuels.

Does anyone remember the event, "Earth Hour"? We should not make it a once a year event but turn off our lights and other electrical appliances for one hour every day. Although this will still not save the electricity from our appliances, it will slow down our consumption. Hopefully, by then, scientists would already have invented a new, reliable energy source.

There are many other alternative sources of energy. Soler, nuclear, geothermal energy are all alternatives, but they are not as good as petrol. Solar energy can only be used in sunny places and it is expensive to buy and install solar panals.

So, we should treasure what is left of our supply of electricity. Do not let it go to waste. The future generations should not have to suffer for our selfishness and greed.

Buses: Air-conditioned or Not

Quite often, the buses I take to get home are quite old and non air-conditioned. The newer buses are air-conditioned and can have more seats. I prefer air-conditioned buses because they are a lot more comfortable, especially in Singapore's tropical heat. However, they are more expensive and as the financial crisis is still ongoing, some working adults may not want to take these buses.

Some of these non air-conditioned buses are very stuffy and I sometimes get headaches when going home and the weather is warm. Also, the seats are torn and a few of the "bus stopping" bells are spoilt (I once missed a stop this way). I hope the government will gradually change the older buses to newer, air-conditioned ones.

Computer Games

Are computer games nowadays too violent? Games such as GTA (grand theft auto) have some sexual content that may cause some parents to be unsure whether to allow their children to play such games. Other games contain violence and gore and gamers below 18+ may not be able to stomach these games.

Should we all play PG games like Maplestory? I do not think so. Gamers should not allow gaming to affect their lifestyle (like becoming more violent, etc) but instead think of it only as a form of enjoyment. Parents should not ban their children from enjoying such games but if they are getting more violent, I think they should be banned and the games removed. Otherwise, the child will end up being a useless person who will be very violent.

It is good that there are age limits for some games deemed inappropriate for minors. The government should continue disallowing children under 18 to purchase such games.

The Capture of Mas Selamat

A week ago, the headlines on the newspapers were all about the capture of the dangerous JI fugitive Mas Selamat. He was captured in Malaysia. He had swam across the Straits of Johor after his escape from the Whitney Detention Centre last year. I feel that the secrity in Singapore was not tight eneough and Mas Selamat got away. Who knows what might have happened if terrorist plans got carried out. Even though the police have set-up check at the customs and have stationed some officers in forests and on shores. The police have done well to recapture this dangerous criminal, but they should no have even let him escape in the first place. The authorities cannnot afford to make anothermistake such as this or the consequences could be more costly.

Recent Outbreak of Swine Flu

Due to the recent outbreak of the H1N1 virus, better known as "swine flu" , many schools have been stepping up on their measures to stop the spread of this pandemic. Although Singapore has not yet had any confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus, we should still be careful and observe some basic rules,

1. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
2. Wash your hands frequently.
3. Take your temperature twice daily.
4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
5. Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
6. Quarantine yourself have been in any countries with the spread of the H1N1 virus.

I believe the Singaporean government should raise the alert level of the country back to yellow as there are more and more people who are suspected of having the virus in the world. Although very few people have died, we should not let down our guard until we are very sure that the virus is gone for good.

The good thing is, the world is very prepared for such an epidemic and cases of this virus has gone gone down compared to last week when everyone was talking about it.

English Premier League

These days, the soccer fans in Singapore keep talking about who will win the English Premier League. Basically, this is a two horse race as only Liverpool and Manchester United have more of a chance of taking the EPL. The other two of the "Big Four" , Chesea and Arsenal, have faded in their recent form. Although Liverpool may be behind in terms of points and number of they have managed succesive big wins and I believe most pundits are betting for them to win the EPL this season. being a Manchester United fan myself, I think that Manchester United will win simply because they have a stronger team, better coach and a better playing stategy.

Liverpool only relies on two star players Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard. When these two cannot play together, it seems like Liverpool are not able to win that easily. Manchester United however, do not have star players and anyone in the team can score (especially evident when new player Marcheda scored). Manchester United may have the upper hand in the EPL, but this is not so when it comes to the European cup. During the match with Porto, they seemed lethargic and lacked energy. Maybe it was because they had only two and a half days to rest for the match. Anyway, Manchester United will have to be the first team in the EPL to beat Porto at their home ground.

The Lottery - Question 5

Relevance to Today

In our time today, we also have lotteries although they are different from the one in the story. The lottery in the story, the "winner" , is stoned by their fellow villagers. However, in modern lotteries like 4D and TOTO, the winner gets an amount of money if he guesses the lucky number. In the story, the lottery is a matter of life and death and people do not want to be stoned like Mrs Hutchinson was. This ritual was a tradition of all villages in the story. It seems to be a form of sacrifice for them to have better crops as Old Man Warner mentioned that , "lottery in June, corn be heavy soon". People in modern times also sacrifice in hopes of having a better harvest but they do not sacrifice humans but maybe fruits or an animal.

We should learn from this story and not commit such heinous deeds, especially towards another human. however much we want for our own gains, we should not resort to killing. In the story there is word among the villagers that a few villages in have already given up lotteries. They must have realised it is wrong and I believe other villages will soon follow suit.