Casino In Singapore?

Now lets start with the fact that Singapore is a city with an abundance of "concerns" and "protection".

Firstly, lets look at the activities being banned here and deemed as illegal:

Pornography, littering, nude beaches (Obviously), Illegal Casinos, Drug abuse, Underage sex, Underage smoking, etc.

Taking out one ban would mean quite a lot wouldn't it? Its not literally taking out I mean, the government can do what they desire. Let's start a LEGAL casino!

Alright, having said that, it is obvious that there are countless illegal "gambling dens" existing on this island. How patronized are they? Very highly indeed. So, now that there is one BIG LEGAL "den" available in Singapore, how are people going to react to it? Is this really a money-maker and job creator?

Of course, the job opportunities present at the casino will be alluring. They are jobs, a steady and fixed salary following into your bank account monthly. Why not? Especially in this financial crisis we are drowning in, a job means everything to the unemployed. In this case, the casino will definitely create job opportunities, understandably.

With the casino comes patronizes. Is the casino in Singapore going to be infested and flooded with Locals? Or will it be as what it is meant to be - a tourist attraction? That is a question and doubt that is yet to be answered. But one thing is for sure, when the word "Casino" rings in your ears, the only logical place you would think about is Vegas, never Singapore.

So, suppose that the casino is, very unfortunately, mainly patronized by us, Singaporeans. Gambling addiction will be on the RISE. Its LEGAL! No need for cover, or scurrying out of that small apartment when men in blue uniform are seen patrolling around. Given that illegal gambling is already such a HOT activity, like I said, make it legal and we'll all be smiling our lives out. Adults will be seen pulling those Jackpot levers with vigor. Cards will be shuffled with anticipation. Dices will be rolled with triumph. This is - The One And Only Casino In Singapore.

What if, what if supposing, you've been addicted to gambling LEGALLY and very sadly, lady luck is not on your side and money just keeps flowing out of your pockets like water out of a kettle. This can't be happening to me! I need to get back every single cent I have lost no matter what! I need MONEY! Off you go, searching high and low for money. Then, a man spotted you in distress and offered you help - money. YES! I got it! I can do this! I can WIN! On loan that is, though, the authorities are not informed of this matter or the presence of this man. Or should he even be here? Right, illegal loan of money would be on the rise too, that is in this scenario.

After saying this all, it is kind of bias I feel, because all the scenarios I've written are mostly negative and bleak. So, obviously, I am not supporting the construction of the casino in Singapore. Let's hope for the best though, all the best. And may luck be on our side as always. May the money flow into your pockets. And not have a hole for it to flow out again.

Favourite Poet

"The phrase "Renaissance man" tends to get overused these days, but apply it to Shel Silverstein and it practically begins to seem inadequate. Not only has he produced with seeming ease country music hits and popular songs, but he's been equally successful at turning his hand to poetry,short stories, plays, and children's books. Moreover, his whimsically hip fables, beloved by readers of all ages, have made him a stalwart of bestseller lists. A Light in the Attic, most remarkably, showed the kind of staying power on the New York Times chart — two years, to be precise — that most of the biggest names (John Grisham, Stephen King, and Michael Crichton) have never equaled for their own blockbusters.

And there's still more: his unmistakable illustrative style is another crucial element to his appeal. Just as no writer sounds like Shel, no other artist's vision is as delightfully, sophisticatingly cockeyed.

One can only marvel that he makes the time to respond so kindly to his friends' requests. In the following work, let's be glad he did. Drawing on his characteristic passion for list making, he shows how the deed is not just in the wish but in the sublimation."

--------- A blurb by Otto Penzler from his crime anthology Murder for Revenge (1998)

An American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author - Shel Silverstein (September 25, 1930–May 10, 1999). This very talented individual strikes me as my favourite poet, because the poems he composed are just so addictive and intriguing. What do you get when you throw creativity, lots of wit, rhymes, stories, adventure and intelligence onto a piece of paper - a work of Silverstein.

It is amazing that Silverstein composes poems without any influences. None at all. No favourite poets. He wrote down what came from his mind. His own style.

When he was a kid in his teens, Silverstein was not good at ball, and could not dance. There goes the girls. Thus, he devoted his time to writing and from then developed a great interest in it and formed his own style of poems. The bewildering thing is, it is said that he read no other poems from distinguished poets, none that he knew of. Amazing, is it not? A teenager producing various mesmerizing short stories and poetry out of nowhere, just solely on his very talented mind. A prodigy indeed. Though some of his work may be filled with profanities, it is solely in the name of wit and realism. The world we are in. Face it.

Silverstein had his own view of how his life started out:

"When I was a kid — 12, 14, around there — I would much rather have been a good baseball player or a hit with the girls. But I couldn't play ball, I couldn't dance. So I started to draw and to write. I was also lucky that I didn't have anybody to copy, be impressed by. I had developed my own style; I was creating before I knew there was a Thurber, a Benchley, a Price, and a Steinberg. I never saw their work till I was around 30. By the time I got to where I was attracting girls, I was already into work, and it was more important to me. Not that I wouldn't rather make love, but the work has become a habit."

— Jean F. Mercier. "Shel Silverstein", Publishers Weekly, February 24, 1975).

Here are some of his works you can enjoy:

Picture Puzzle Piece by Shel Silverstein

One picture puzzle piece

Lyin' on the sidewalk,

One picture puzzle piece

Soakin' in the rain.

It might be a button of blue

On the coat of the woman

Who lived in a shoe.

It might be a magical bean,

Or a fold in the red

Velvet robe of a queen.

It might be the one little bite

Of the apple her stepmother

Gave to Snow White.

It might be the veil of a bride

Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.

It might be a small tuft of hair

On the big bouncy belly

Of Bobo the Bear.

It might be a bit of the cloak

Of the Witch of the West

As she melted to smoke.

It might be a shadowy trace

Of a tear that runs down an angel's face.

Nothing has more possibilities

Than one old wet picture puzzle piece.

Bear In There by Shel Silverstein

There's a Polar Bear

In our Frigidaire--

He likes it 'cause it's cold in there.

With his seat in the meat

And his face in the fish

And his big hairy paws

In the buttery dish,

He's nibbling the noodles,

He's munching the rice,

He's slurping the soda,

He's licking the ice.

And he lets out a roar

If you open the door.

And it gives me a scare

To know he's in there--

That Polary Bear

In our Fridgitydaire.

Whatif by Shel Silverstein

Last night, while I lay thinking here,

some Whatifs crawled inside my ear

and pranced and partied all night long

and sang their same old Whatif song:

Whatif I'm dumb in school?

Whatif they've closed the swimming pool?

Whatif I get beat up?

Whatif there's poison in my cup?

Whatif I start to cry?

Whatif I get sick and die?

Whatif I flunk that test?

Whatif green hair grows on my chest?

Whatif nobody likes me?

Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?

Whatif I don't grow talle?

Whatif my head starts getting smaller?

Whatif the fish won't bite?

Whatif the wind tears up my kite?

Whatif they start a war?

Whatif my parents get divorced?

Whatif the bus is late?

Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?

Whatif I tear my pants?

Whatif I never learn to dance?

Everything seems well, and then

the nighttime Whatifs strike again!

My tribute:

Silverstein,

O'Silverstein,

thy shall say your name.

A legend you shall be,

in thy heart and always will be.

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.com

http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com

Yahoo! Answers

Disenchanted - My Chemical Romance

Well i was there on the day
They sold the cause for the queen
And when the lights all went out, we watched our lives on the screen
I hate the ending myself,
But it started with an alright scene

It was the roar of the crowd that gave me heartache to sing
It was alive when they smiled and said,
"You won't feel a thing"
And as we ran from the cops we laughed so hard It would sting

Yeah Yeah, Oh

If i'm so wrong (so wrong, so wrong)
how can you listen all night long?
(night long, night long)
How will it matter after i'm gone?
because you never learned a goddamned thing

You're just a sad song with nothing to say
About a life long wait for a hospital stay
Well if you think that i'm wrong,
This never meant nothing to you

I spent my high school career
Spit on and shoved to agree
So I could watch all my heroes sell a car on tv
Bring out the old guillotine
We'll show 'em what we all mean

Yeah, Yeah, Oh

If i'm so wrong (so wrong, so wrong)
How can you listen all night long?
(night long, night long)
How will it matter long after i'm gone
Because you never learned a god damned thing

You're just a sad song with nothing to say about a life long wait for a hospital stay
Well if you think that i'm wrong,
This never meant nothing to you

So go,
Go, just go, run away.
Now where did you run to? and where did you hide?
Go find another way...

Woah oh, Woah oh...

You're just a sad song with nothing to say about a life long wait for a hospital stay
And if you think that i'm wrong, this never meant nothing to you, come on

You're just a sad song with nothing to say about a life long wait For a hospital stay
And if you think that i'm wrong, this never meant Nothing to you

At all...
At all...
At all...

Straight from the title, the word disenchanted means to be free from illusion or false belief. Thus, this song revolves around being freed from illusions and lies. It is normally an event that started out well but ends horrendously wrong because you are being freed from the illusions you think you are in. Much of this is evident in the course of the song.

In my opinion, the title is a symbol itself.

"And when the lights all went out, we watched our lives on the screen
I hate the ending myself,
But it started with an alright scene"

Hate the ending, but it started with an alright scene. Starts well, ends wrong. It is supposedly a metaphor, referring his life as a movie/show with the scenes and endings.

This symbol is again emphasized.

"It was alive when they smiled and said,

"You won't feel a thing"
And as we ran from the cops we laughed so hard It would sting"

Laugh so hard, it would sting. Starts well, end wrong. Disenchanted.

Hyperboles can be seen quite often.

"You're just a sad song with nothing to say

About a life long wait for a hospital stay"

Its quite exaggerating to be waiting your whole life for a hospital stay isn't it?

"I spent my high school career
Spit on and shoved to agree"

Once again, a hyperbole is seen again.

It is exaggerating to have a profession in school where you are constantly spat at or shoved to be forced to do something.

Another metaphor.

"You're just a sad song with nothing to say "

Gerard refers a life to a sad song with nothing to say. Saying that that life is merely a sad song with no significance.

Personally, I enjoy this song because of its meaning within. After analyzing, there are two possible scenarios for this song.

First, it could be the band telling their fans that they are not getting or catching what they are is driving at. For the record, every single song written by them has a meaning embedded within. So the band is criticizing them for it in "If I'm so wrong, how can you listen all night long" and if that is the case, "You're just a sad song with nothing to say" would be referring to their fans too and "Now where did you run to? and where did you hide? Go find another way..." would be asking those fans who do not catch what they are driving at to listen to some other music/band.

Second, it could be a life of a patient looking back and reflecting at his life on his death bed. "And when the lights all went out, we watched our lives on the screen. I hate the ending myself, but it started with an alright scene." After that, he reflects about his high school life and all the difficulties he faced. People insulting him and so on. It is mainly like the patient is talking to himself. In this case, "You're just a sad song, with nothing to say. About a life long wait for a hospital stay." would be referring to the patient's life. It is mournful and depressing indeed.

Name one character. Rewrite a short excerpt of the story from this character's point of view.

Book read: Raven's Gate from The Power of Five - Anthony Horowitz

Character: Matt Freeman

Pg.10, 3rd paragraph

I only had three pounds in my pocket, saved up from the newspaper round. Another twenty pounds was at home, hidden in a box under my bed. I needed money. It wasn't just because my trainers were falling apart and the games on my XBox were six months out of date. Money was power. Money was independence. I was in need of it and tonight I was here because I wanted some.

But already, I was wishing I hadn't come. It was all wrong. It was stupid. Why had I ever agreed in the first place?

I glanced at my watch. Ten past six. We had arranged to meet at a quarter to. Well, that was excuse enough. I swung myself off the wall and headed across the station front. Not taking more than a couple of steps, an older boy appeared out of nowhere and blocked my path.

Who do you think the author intended to read this book and why?

Book Read: Twilight - Stephen Meyer

After flipping through the pages of this book, an impression struck me. Teenage girls. Vampires living in bungalows, going to school, studying biology. Is this not what most teenage girls want to experience? A vampire classmate sitting beside you in class? Charming, sexy and ever-so-attractive?

In my opinion, this book is mainly intended for teenage girls to read. Not like any other teenage romance novels, this book has an element different from 'Gossip girl' or 'The princess diaries'. A touch of the supernatural! Vampires! Sexy creatures of the night. More alluring is it not? Additionally, there's that struggle of love between the two main characters of the book that acts a lot like a 'page-flipper'.

With crushes on hot and hunky guys catching up on girls in their teens, this book is definitely intended for them. Romance is definitely not lacking. Struggle for love, the mysterious vampires... the various fights between them... For the record, vampires are known to feed on blood and Bella (the girl whom Edward the vampire fancies) is human with a lot of fresh, red blood... I wonder how challenging it was for Edward to curb the urges and just take a bite...

Besides teenage girls, boys will read it too. Much battle scene is evident in the book and the action-packed novel can be enjoyed by teenage boys too. With Edward the vampire possessing supernatural powers like superhuman strength and speed, this book is somewhat similar to 'The X-men" or other superhero novels. The only thing is, it has a speck of romance that will attract that little more of your attention.

Thus, in conclusion, I personally feel that 'Twilight" is meant for teenagers of both genders though more to the females. Much of the content is what teenagers fantasize to be in. Vampires, love, supernatural powers... I am a guy and I have to admit I had a whale of a time digesting this book bit by bit and can't wait to purchase and devour the sequel.

So, girls out there if you are yet to be mesmerized by Edward, or desire for some 'vampiric romance', this book is definitely the book for you. Grab it now!

Could there be a perfect world and what would it be like?

A perfect world.... what exactly is perfect?

Perfection is, broadly, a state of completeness and flawlessness.

I define a perfect world as a world free of hunger, slavery, prostitution, greed, lust, dishonesty, murder and all the other negativities of our current world.

So, heres the question, could there be a perfect world?

No. It is straight and direct. No.

How can there be a perfect world when everyday, people are jumping to their deaths, killed by ruthless, serial murderers, young girls at the end of their wits being prostitutes, slaves being whipped.... greed... lust...

Can we put it to a stop? Or, how can we put it to a stop?

We can't.

For a toddler, a perfect world may be very easily achievable considering the fact that their needs comprises of only food, water, air and sleep. This is perfect to him. I get my food, water and sleep, that's all I require! Life is perfect!

When he goes up to elementary school, things get different. Homework, exams, friends, grades, different impressions of him.... How can all these be absolutely flawless and perfect? They can't.

Obviously, more problems will arise in high school, college, the office and at home. The world is created to be perfect but because of man's greed, solely on greed, the table is turned around.

For example, a woman named Rebecca could be living in a mansion with swimming pools, impressively huge bedrooms, endless supply of the latest fashions - a life others deem as perfect. But just because of greed, solely greed, she sees a celebrity in Hollywood owning a castle on a remote island, she starts thinking that her life needs a lot more than what she has now. A mansion... I want a castle like Madonna! Greed is the word.

Things are made to be perfect, greed spoils it all.

This world can never be perfect because men are made and created to be greedy, and if thats the case, talk about perfection.

What is beauty?

Beauty is a characteristic of a person animal, place, object or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction.

The experience of "beauty" often involves the interpretation of some entity as being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional well-being. Because this is a subjective experience, it is often said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

In my opinion, beauty can be classified into two categories - Outer and inner.

For outer beauty, it includes physical factors (physical attraction) like youthfulness, sexiness, complexion, causing others to be in admiration of you. Outer beauty is commonly associated with lust and greed, mainly because outer beauty invokes lust and attracts the opposite gender.

For inner beauty, it normally includes psychological factors such as personality, intelligence, grace, congeniality, charm, integrity, congruity and elegance.

To measure outer beauty, usual ways of measurement includes hosting beauty pageant events and comparing the different levels of beauty on a stage. It is a much more challenging task to measure inner beauty though.

However, in conclusion, I personally feel that a person is only considered "beautiful" when he/she has of both inner and outer beauty but more of inner beauty.

For example, if a person has a very attractive appearance but has bad habits like consuming drugs, will he/she be considered beautiful that way?

Thus, I find that though outer beauty attracts the eye and attention of others, it is still vital to look out for the ones with real inner beauty and realize the beauty within them that is embedded under the flesh of their bodies.