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pharoah88
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20-Aug-2010 16:14
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Watch what they do,
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pharoah88
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20-Aug-2010 08:42
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pharoah88
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19-Aug-2010 21:54
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pharoah88
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19-Aug-2010 21:41
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The STRADDLING BUS that could fix China’s traffic woes HONG KONG Try designing a vehicle that takes up no road space. And make it partly solar- powered. A company in the southern Chinese town of Shenzhen has done just that. To address the country’s problems with traffic and air quality, Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment has developed a decidedly odd-looking, extra-wide and extra-tall vehicle that can carry up to 1,200 passengers. Though it is dubbed the “straddling bus” (picture), Huashi’s invention resembles a train in many respects, but it requires neither elevated tracks nor extensive tunnelling. Its passenger compartment spans the width of two traffic lanes and sits high above the road surface, thanks to a pair of fence-like stilts that leave the road clear for ordinary cars to pass underneath. It runs along a fixed route. Huashi’s outsize invention, 6m wide, is to be powered by a combination of municipal electricity and solar power derived from panels mounted on the roofs of the vehicles and at bus stops. A pilot project for the vehicle is in the works in Beijing and several other Chinese cities have shown interest. The company says the vehicle, which will travel at an average speed of 40km an hour, could reduce traffic jams by 25 per cent to 30 per cent on main routes. The Straddling Bus could replace up to 40 conventional buses, potentially saving the 860 tonnes of fuel that 40 buses would consume annually and preventing 2,640 tonnes of carbon emissions, said Mr Youzhou Song, the vehicle’s designer. The cost of construction — 50 million yuan ($10 million) for one bus and about 40.2km of route facilities — is roughly one-tenth what it costs to build a subway of the same length, he said. — What do you do if your roads are congested and polluted?THE NEW YORK TIMES |
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pharoah88
Supreme |
19-Aug-2010 19:36
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Why Singaporeans are not coming forward to support the YOG [WHO wants the YOG ? ? ? ?] Letter from Karen Tan I WAS at the Padang in February 2008, amid thousands of Singaporeans, when International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge announced that Singapore was to host the inaugural Youth Olympic Games. As an avid sports enthusiast, it was a dream come true. In July, I watched the live telecast of the flame-lighting ceremony and the subsequent legs of the torch relay over the five continents with pride. However, as the real competition kicked off, I realised not all Singaporeans were as enthusiastic about the events as they were about the opening ceremony. The attendance rate has been disappointing, even among the students who had been made to attend as a large portion of tickets had been pre-allocated to schools. Why are more Singaporeans not coming forward to support the Games? Perhaps organisations could give employees time off to catch the events during this two-week period. Let’s pack the stands and show the world the true face of a sporting nation. [Why the Cabinet is nOt there ? ? ? ?] |
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pharoah88
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19-Aug-2010 19:24
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If they’d rather nOt be there ... Students should have been asked before tickets were allocated Letter from Chew Jek Hui I REFER to the article, “Toughest fight of my life” (Aug 17). It is a pity that Daryl Tan’s parents were unable to get tickets to watch their son win a bronze medal, while at the same time nearly half of the 840 seats were emptyapparently had been allocated to schools. — many of these While members of the public scramble to get hold of tickets for the Youth Olympic Games, some students are complaining about being forced to attend the events. Earlier in the year, the Ministry of Education announced that it would procure tickets for students to watch the Games. Schools were allocated tickets even before the students indicated their interest in attending such events. As a result, schools have to “force” their students to attend the events. Surely students should have been allowed to indicate their interest before being assigned the tickets. Being there in body but not in spirit — or worse, being no-shows on the day — is a waste of taxpayers’ money and deprives those who are truly interested in supporting an athlete or watching an event of the chance to go.
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pharoah88
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19-Aug-2010 19:00
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No, sharks’ real nemesis is man Letter from David Chen I REFER to the letter “Sharks’ real nemesis: Longlines” (Aug 16). The writer, Mr Tan Keng Tat, states that the United Nations estimates about 10 million sharks were killed in 2006. But that is just the official number of sharks reported to have been caught; many more are killed off the official radar. At last year’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) talks, fisheries scientists estimated the figure at closer to 73 million. It is also not true that no sharks are on the Cites endangered species list. First, some, like the great white and whale sharks, are indeed on the list. Second, many species do not make the list for political reasons, with finning-friendly countries lobbying against their inclusion. Further, it is a logical fallacy to argue that shark finning is all right because long-line fishing is killing off more sharks. If this were true, then it’s all the more reason to stop eating shark fins to protect the dwindling population. Finally, it is not cultural insensitivity to campaign against shark finning. Many “traditional” practices have fallen, thankfully, by the wayside in recent years: Foot-binding and bear gall consumption, to name but two. Few would argue that these practices have a place in the modern world. This applies, too, to the unsustainable consumption of shark fins. |
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pharoah88
Supreme |
19-Aug-2010 18:15
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‘A lesson in responsibility’ Primary school asks students for $5 refundable deposit on FREE YOG tickets
Teo Xuanwei and Alicia Wong xuanwei@mediacorp.com.sg SINGAPORE When contacted by MediaCorp, Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary principal Clifford Chua said this was not an attempt to coerce the pupils to support the Games — an allegation that has surfaced in some quarters. Mr Chua said it was “never the school’s intent, nor is there such a necessity”; there was such “overwhelming response” that pupils had to ballot for the 100 tickets the school got for five YOG events. However, as the school gave out the tickets for free, the intent was to “ensure that our children learn the value of responsibility and not take this rare opportunity for granted, by wasting the ticket and depriving others of the chance”, he told MediaCorp. The refundable deposit, he said, was only for games that fall on non-school days, to “reinforce this message”. This was explained to parents and pupils, “and they have expressed support”. Despite the scheme, pupils who fail to turn up, even without a valid reason, will eventually get their deposits back, added Mr Chua. “Children are children. They tend not to value things that are given to them free. But really, the intention is to teach them to commit yourself and to behave responsibly,” he said. Other schools contacted by MediaCorp said response for YOG tickets has been very good. Several, including Nanyang Girls’ High School, said they gave pupils from a sports co-curricular activity priority to tickets for the same YOG sport. The remainder is given out on a first-come-first-served basis. At Bukit View Primary, the tickets are distributed equally among the levels. “We strongly encourage students to go, but if they do not want to, we get another student to go,” said the school’s subject head for physical education Goh Wee How. So far, no student has declined a ticket, and the school has had full attendance for the first game it attended. At Anglo-Chinese School (Primary), pupils are encouraged to co-pay $1 or $2 to encourage them to treasure the ticket, said principal Richard Lim. For those who are unable to pay, the school picks up the tab. The school bought additional tickets, on top of those subsidised by the Education Ministry. All tickets have been taken up, he said. Parents of Kuo Chuan pupils had mixed views about the school’s move. Technical support officer Md Alkaf, 32, said: “It’s not the right way because if the student is really interested, he would turn up.” Housewife Michelle Bellido, 43, felt otherwise. She said: “Children may not realise it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It wouldn’t be nice if someone who gets the tickets backs out when others ... are desperate to go.” Meanwhile, Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said more tickets would be released on the spot if there are empty seats at an event that was initially sold out. — To ensure its pupils attend some Youth Olympic Games (YOG) events, a primary school has asked them for a $5 refundable deposit.welfare sMICA (P) 160/10/2009 • a publication of • NEWS HO TLINE 6822 2268 Thursday August 19, 2010 www.todayonline.com we set you thinking Primary school asks students for $5 refundable deposit on YOG tickets |
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pharoah88
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18-Aug-2010 23:50
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sOmehOw sOmebOdy DON'T WANT Testing and Certification tO ensure a high level of integrity and fairness in the bankIng industry |
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pharoah88
Supreme |
18-Aug-2010 22:59
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Playing for the BIG STAKES Testing and certification ensures a high level of integrity and fairness in the gaming industry
FOR Weike Gaming Technology, testing and certification are important parts of the business as they allow the company to compete in the highly-regulated casino industry.
Founded in 1998, Weike designs, develops and manufactures gaming products such as slot machines, electronic table gaming machines and network systems for Asian markets such as Singapore, Macau, the Philippines and Malaysia.
According to chief executive David Kinsman (picture), the company’s client list includes top gaming operators such as Las Vegas Sands and the Genting Group, and sales are forecast to reach US$20 million ($27.1 million) this year.
Testing and certification are of utmost importance for the gaming manufacturer as all its products need to comply with various international and country regulations, Mr Kinsman said. In Singapore, Weike’s gaming equipment is certified to the Casino Regulatory Authority’s technical standards.
Gaming machines are first assessed on whether they match regulatory technical standards. Then, they are subjected to “platform integrity testing”, which includes electrical safety. Finally, there is a round of mathematical testing to ensure that the machines operate as they are designed to do.
Testing and certification can also help elevate the standards of manufacturing.
In the case of Weike, industry best practices were introduced to its manufacturing process to improve the quality and performance of the company’s products.
This helped Weike bag the 2009 Best Asian Manufacturer Award by However, the testing and certification process has not been easy for Weike. Each piece of gaming equipment that Weike produced had to be sent to the United States or Australia for the procedure.
“As gaming machines are typically bulky and heavy, it is costly to ship them around. It is also very time consuming,” said Mr Kinsman.
So it was good news to Weike in April this year, when the Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) granted accreditation to the first gaming testing laboratory in Singapore, BMM Compliance.
BMM has been assessed under SAC’s Accreditation Scheme for Gaming Laboratories, which is based on international standard ISO/IEC 17025. It covers both the management system and the technical capability of the laboratories.
Here, the BMM laboratory provides an easily-accessible facility for Weike to test its products for various regulated markets around the world.
“Having a laboratory at our doorstep makes the entire process simpler and faster. We can also work closely with them to improve on our products quickly,” Mr Kinsman said. Betting on future growth With some 60 casinos and 340 clubs in Asia, the gaming industry is poised for further growth. Estimated gaming machine sales for the region average between US$50 million and US$75 million annually.
The presence of gaming testing laboratories in Singapore will also attract other gaming machine manufacturers to set up operations here, said Mr Kinsman. |
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pharoah88
Supreme |
18-Aug-2010 20:36
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HARVARD leaves Princeton behind NEW YORK America’s oldest university and traditionally one of its most selective, Harvard has topped the list two of the last three years. Last year, the two elite schools shared the top ranking. Yale was the No 3-ranked university this year, followed by Columbia, and Stanford and University of Pennsylvania tied at No 5. Williams College in Massachusetts was ranked the nation’s top liberal arts school, repeating its feat of last year. The closely watched list by the Mr Robert Morse, director of data research for the report, credited Harvard’s higher scores on graduation rates, and financial and faculty resources. The rankings take into account factors such as SAT scores, selectivity, graduation and retention rates, alumni giving and peer reputation. This year, high-school guidance counsellors’ opinions were added to the mix.
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pharoah88
Supreme |
18-Aug-2010 20:18
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How about a RANGE of acceptable responses? Letter from Marjorie Lim THIS is a topic dear to the hearts of all parents and tutors, when their charges’ answers show crystal-clear comprehension but are nevertheless dismissed by rigid-minded markers who, I suspect, are overwhelmed by the volume of answer sheets and deadlines they are saddled with. One wonders if teachers are capable of creative, out-of-the-box thinking when they do not recognise and appreciate the variety of different words that can be used to express an idea. Unless clear guidelines are given, every sensible answer must be acknowledged as correct. May I suggest a team be set up to answer every national exam paper? The TEAM should include a cross-section of qualified, proficient volunteers from whom the widest variety of accurate answers can be culled and given to guide those marking the exam. Individual schools should also form teams of competent parent volunteers to do the same for their term exams. Our children must be encouraged to learn intelligently, through affirmation when they answer sensibly and relevantly. |
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pharoah88
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18-Aug-2010 20:12
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sInce thIs Is a polIcy Issue, WHAT Is the mInIster's reply ?
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pharoah88
Supreme |
18-Aug-2010 20:09
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No model answers, just RIGHT ones Schools’ hands are tied by ‘key word’ culture Letter from Brenda Tan I REFER to “When a right answer is wrong” (Aug 13). Rigidity in marking is a common topic of discussion among parents waiting to pick up their children after school. Some parents choose to have their children memorise “model answers”. Others tell their children not to focus on the “incomprehensible” comprehension questions and spend more time on “sure-score” questions. Year after year, I attend parent-teacher meetings hoping to get some insight into the rigidity with which some exams are marked, if not convince the teachers and schools that there is more then one right answer. But teachers and schools continue to insist on answers containing “key words”, no matter if the answers are to the point, demonstrate the correct analysis. Quite often, a teachers’ model answers might be correct — but a child’s answers are not wrong. In such instances, teachers can only tell the students that they are looking for the specific key words. Marks and grades are not just a means for students to get into prestigious institutions. They are also an indication of the understanding and effort the students put in. I have often had to apologise to my children, saying that while their answers seem technically correct, we cannot read a teacher’s mind on such questions. While we believe that everything the Ministry of Education does is with good intentions and is for the good of our children, we have to look at how such policies are executed by the teachers and schools. For example, my daughter, now in Primary 5, said that her Science teacher (who is also the Science Head-of-Department) insisted that “electrons” not be quoted in the answers, and that electricity flows from the negative to the positive pole of a battery. When my daughter saw a reference book quoting “free electrons move from the negative terminal to the positive terminal of the battery” and “conventional current flows from the positive terminal to the negative terminal”, she was in a fix. My husband, who has a master’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering, tried to explain to her that there is more to the answer — but that the system focussed on key words made flexibility impossible on the school’s part. All I can hope for is that such repeated episodes will not kill a child’s joy in learning, nor dampen her inquisitive spirit. |
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pharoah88
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18-Aug-2010 19:58
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Discipline is key Letter from Wong Siew Hoong Director, Schools, Ministry of Education(MOE) WE REFER to the letter by Mr Ho Kong Loon (“Where’s the discipline?”, Aug 12). MOE is committed to high standards of discipline in our schools and will take the necessary measures to ensure that schools are safe and conducive learning environments for all our students. We believe that an orderly classroom environment, marked by respect for teachers and peers, is necessary for learning to take place. MOE does not condone any display of disrespect by our students towards their teachers and considers this behaviour as a serious disciplinary offence. There are clear guidelines for principals to manage such misbehaviour. Based on these guidelines, schools decide on the approach to manage this misbehaviour, taking into consideration the student’s profile, as well as any underlying medical or psychological condition of the student. Where necessary, schools will impose severe disciplinary measures, including corporal punishment and suspension. Such an approach is also adopted when students commit other serious offences or break school rules. MOE will support measures taken by schools within our guidelines to uphold high standards of discipline in schools. MOE and our schools value parents as partners in managing student misbehaviour. Parents are ultimately the primary care-givers, and play a critical role in managing their children’s behaviour. Schools will continue to engage parents to nurture and develop students with a sound moral compass. |
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pharoah88
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15-Aug-2010 21:07
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PASSION |
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pharoah88
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14-Aug-2010 17:33
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Count me out of the insanity 48 hours at the Shanghai Expo makes one wonder: What has it accomplished? Paul Gilfeather gilfeather@mediacorp.com.sg
I travelled to Shanghai last week on assignment to review Singapore’s Expo effort. The experience of the overall event was a pretty painful one which left me asking myself one fundamental question: Who in their right mind would attend a World Expo voluntarily? The answer is some 70 million people over 180 days, apparently. I think part of the problem for me was that I hadn’t quite grasped the concept of World Expo. Rather naively, I thought I would be attending an oversized trade fair, with all the different countries’ pavilions housed under one roof. For someone who has attended more of these events than I care to remember, that would have been bad enough. But waiting for me was a totally different proposition altogether. I realised my mistake as I was told that taxis would be required to take me from one end of the Expo site to the other. But what really plunged me into a state of disbelief were the enormous queues and out-of-control crowds. Luckily, my media accreditation allowed me to bypass the thronging masses but those actually paying for the privilege had to line up for at least a couple of hours before entering the actual site. As the first visitors passed through the stringent security checks, they would make a break for it. I turned, startled, and watched as literally hundreds of people raced towards the pavilion which was top of that day’s list.
NINE-HOUR QUEUE Queueing times were being worn by participating countries like a badge of honour.
SINGAPORE, for instance, could only claim to keep people waiting in the baking heat for two hours.
Saudi Arabia, which had spent a staggering US$200 million ($270 million) on its pavilion, could boast waiting times of up to nine hours. That’s right, nine hours. Visitors were actually standing in line for a whole day for the pleasure of 20 minutes inside the Saudi tent.
I admit to being genuinely shocked when an official told me that at any one time, there could be as many as 400,000 people on site.
Those who weren’t wasting hours queueing were zig-zagging around the pedestrianised roads around the site.
This made it impossible to walk in a straight line for more than five seconds.
I was overwhelmed with feelings of claustrophobia as the throngs approached, and contending with the 37 ° Celsius temperatures of the Shanghai summer left me feeling at times as though I was suffocating.
I felt like the only attendee not enjoying myself.
Everyone else appeared to be happy. Very happy, in fact.
Smiling faces were all around me. Some would stop me and ask if they could take my photograph, presumably the novelty of seeing a white Westerner proving too much of an opportunity to pass.
At least these few brief moments allowed me to forget the madness around me, if only temporarily.
It seemed to be mainly families populating the Expo: Mum, dad and a few children in tow. Since 95 per cent of Expo’s visitors are expected to be Chinese, I imagined people streaming in from all across this vast country to congregate at World Expo like a giant holiday resort. THE GREAT RACE But as I moved tentatively from pavilion to pavilion, it seemed these visitors were not really interested in what countries had to offer. I actually doubt whether any of them cared about the controversies certain countries were attracting in the media.
It was like they were taking part in a massive game in which you had to get through the doors of as many pavilions as possible. These people, once inside, were racing around exhibits before moving on to the next country’s effort.
I imagined them ticking each country off their list as they participated in the Great Expo Race.
The Chinese government donated the land for the World Expo as each country was given free rent for the six-month-long event.
And after the masses have disappeared back to their towns and villages, all the pavilions will be razed. Only the genuinely impressive Chinese pavilion, built over 10 floors, will remain after October.
I know the event is supposed to offer countries an opportunity to exchange ideas, but I doubt whether this actually happens and I couldn’t help but feel that the World Expo is, in fact, a monumental waste of time and money.
But if you are thinking about travelling to Shanghai for this event, don’t let me put you off.
The hundreds of thousands of people who drove me mad over 48 hours seemed to think it was worth the effort. And, amazingly, 70 million others do too. The writer is the principal correspondent at Those who had journeyed to the Expo site at first light would at least get into one event with minimum fuss. After that, like everyone else, they would have to queue for each pavilion for at least two hours. There may be some things worse than having to attend the unfeasibly gigantic event that is World Expo 2010, but none spring to my mind. I exaggerate of course — but only slightly. |
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pharoah88
Supreme |
14-Aug-2010 12:09
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淫照风暴两年 “天真娇”狮城谈敏感问题 (2010-08-13) 康秀金 淫照风暴两年后,阿娇昨晚首次亮相狮城,大方举杯向粉丝敬酒和演唱一首广东歌《浪花上的人》。 穿着蓝色连身裙,阿娇单独见媒体显得有点拘谨,不过,她却说不紧张,因为早已经出来见媒体了。 她也没有避开任何“敏感问题”(淫照),对有指遭中国封杀,她说:“有工作,我就努力去做。”其余的,她不会去理会。她说,现在的心态是:“前面有路就走。” 她接着还看得很开地说:“没什么可以收起来的。我不会再提那件事(淫照),中间(消失期间)我去学了很多东西。” 至于“消失”期间的金钱损失,她也说:“不去想,我对钱的概念不大,都是妈妈在管。” 另外,她昨晚在台上,也主动提到勇气,说这是:“很有勇气的代言。”。 一小时后,在记者会上,她对“勇气”的解释是:“都很好,我相信Jaz(啤酒),不是第一次合作(续约),OK,一定是很好的,本来就很有勇气。”
专访时,对“勇气”,她又另有注解:“不说用不用我,是这啤酒的设计概念很创新,是为年轻人设计的,我不担心。” 所以,续约的酬劳,她也没有过问,都由经理人处理。 她说:“我不要求钱,不是我去谈的,我没去研究。” 信心是训练出来的 两年半以后重新站在本地舞台上,阿娇反问记者:“你觉得,恢复得算快吗?”。 阿娇上个月为两年前拍好的电影宣传接受电访,当时助理还很保护她,不让媒体重提往事。昨晚,她的助理没有一人阻止她回答“淫照”事件,因为感觉她自信心增强。究竟,还有没有心理负担?她说:“还好。” 听到方力申赞她的信心恢复了,她反问:“你觉得恢复得算快吗?过去两年...之前做了很多宣传(电影),问了男女朋友的事(指与方的绯闻炒作),答了很多次,也有信心了,是训练出来的。” 不怕男粉丝疯狂 醉男狂喊嫁给我 阿娇最近在广州遇到疯狂男粉丝示爱,又想冲上台熊抱,昨晚在本地,也有男观众几杯下肚后,以广东话对她撕喊:“阿娇,嫁给我!”。 不过,阿娇倒不担心本地观众会太疯狂。 她说:“我不担心,我会躲,我躲得很快的,我身手敏捷。” Jaz Fresh的董事经理邱武德昨晚也说,他们在去年与阿娇签下代言合约,就是看上阿娇的年轻、活力和青春,与该啤酒的讯息吻合。 至于,淫照风暴,邱武德说:“我们有想过,不过,那是她的私事,与她的工作无关。” 而阿娇在本地的歌迷会成员,昨晚也有25人到场给她壮声势,并送上她最爱的10盒班兰蛋糕给她。 |
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pharoah88
Supreme |
14-Aug-2010 11:58
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英25岁女子自曝与5千男发生性交 (香港) (2010-08-14) (联合早报网讯)香港文汇网报道,据台湾中央社报道,现年25岁的英国金发女子妮基.李(Nikki Lee)夸称,她自16岁失去童贞以来,迄今已与5000名异性发生过性关系;而且无论身在夜总会、小巷、公园、戏院或青少年迪斯科舞厅,她随时可以来上一腿。 报道援引英国《太阳报》的消息说,在英国西南部的艾塞克斯(Essex)担任美容师的妮基会在红色小本子上详细记录每一次“炒饭”的过程,而且还为每一名男伴的表现评分。她说,“床上功夫最好的男孩,我会在一旁打上星号。我在18岁搬出去和朋友住,这段时间交手的对象将近有800人”。 21岁时,她记录有案的“床伴”达到了2289人。 妮基说:“许多男人会在床柱刻下与他上床的女孩数目,我为什么不能有个记录得密密麻麻的小笔记本?” 如果男人事后想跟她约会,她会留下假电话号码,因为她很少吃回头草。 她自称某次前往西班牙伊比萨(Ibiza)渡假时,曾一夜连御四男。她告诉《爱下去》(LoveIt!)杂志:“不过我有两个原则,那就是别人的男人不碰,而且坚持安全的性行为。除此以外,要怎么样都可以。” 她说:“现在我已经跟5000多个男人睡过了,其中有些家伙还认为,我是个需要治疗的花痴。但就算我是吧,我也乐在其中,才不想接受什么治疗。” |
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pharoah88
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13-Aug-2010 15:10
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The great brain race Education protectionism is as big a mistake as trade protectionism Ben Wildavsky F But there are growing signs that the rest of the world is gaining ground fast — building new universities, improving existing ones, competing hard for the best students and recruiting US-trained PhDs to return home to work in university and industry labs. Is the international scholarly pecking order about to be overturned? There is no question that the academic enterprise has become increasingly global, particularly in the sciences. Nearly three million students now study outside their home countries — a 57-per-cent increase in the last decade. Foreign students now dominate many US doctoral programmes, accounting for 64 per cent of PhDs in computer science, for example. Tsinghua and Peking universities together recently surpassed Berkeley as the top sources of students who go on to earn American PhDs. Faculty are on the move, too. Half of the world’s top physicists no longer work in their native countries. And major institutions such as New York University and the University of Nottingham are creating branch campuses in the Middle East and Asia. There are now 162 satellite campuses worldwide, an increase of 43 per cent in just the past three years. At the same time, growing numbers of traditional source countries for students, from South Korea to Saudi Arabia, are trying to improve both the quantity and quality of their own degrees, engaging in a fierce — and expensive — race to recruit students and create world-class research universities of their own. or decades, research universities in the United States have been universally acknowledged as the world’s leaders in science and engineering, unsurpassed since World War II in the sheer volume and excellence of the scholarship and innovation that they generate.ALARM IN THE WEST All this competition has led to considerable hand-wringing in the West. During a 2008 campaign stop, for instance, then candidate Barack Obama spoke in alarmed tones about the threat that such academic competition poses to US competitiveness. “If we want to keep on building the cars of the future here in America,” he declared, “we can’t afford to see the number of PhDs in engineering climbing in China, South Korea and Japan even as it’s dropped here in America.” Nor are such concerns limited to the US. In some countries, worries about educational competition and brain drains have led to outright academic protectionism. India and China are notorious for the legal and bureaucratic obstacles they place in front of Western universities that want to set up satellite campuses catering to local students. And sometimes students who want to leave face barriers. Several years ago, the president of one of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology effectively banned undergraduates from accepting academic or business internships overseas. There are other impediments to global mobility, too, not always explicitly protectionist, but all having the effect of limiting access to universities around the world. In the years following the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001, for example, legitimate security concerns led to enormous student-visa delays and bureaucratic hassles for foreigners aspiring to study in the US. Student numbers have since rebounded despite intermittent problems, but there remain severe limits on work and residency visas, which should serve as an enticement for the best and brightest to study in the US. Perhaps some of the anxiety over the new global academic enterprise is understandable, particularly in a period of massive economic uncertainty. But educational protectionism is as big a mistake as trade protectionism. The globalisation of higher education should be embraced, not feared — including in the US. A FREE TRADE IN MINDS There is every reason to believe that the worldwide competition for human talent, the race to produce innovative research, the push to extend university campuses to multiple countries and the rush to train talented graduates who can strengthen increasingly knowledge-based economies will be good for the US as well. Above all, this is because the expansion of knowledge is not a zero-sum game. More PhD production and burgeoning research in China, for instance, does not take away from America’s store of learning; on the contrary, it enhances what we know and can accomplish. Because knowledge is a public good, intellectual gains by one country often benefit others. Chinese research may well provide the building blocks for innovation by US entrepreneurs — or those from other countries. Indeed, the economic benefits of a global academic culture are significant. Just as free trade provides the lowest-cost goods and services, benefiting both consumers and the most efficient producers, global academic competition is making free movement of people and ideas, on the basis of merit, more and more the norm, with enormously positive consequences for individuals, universities, and countries. Today’s swirling patterns of mobility and knowledge transmission constitute a new kind of free trade: Free trade in minds. The US should respond to the globalisation of higher education not with angst but with a sense of possibility. Neither a gradual erosion in the US market share of students, nor the emergence of ambitious new competitors in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East means that American universities are on an inevitable path to decline. By resisting protectionist barriers at home and abroad, by continuing to recruit and welcome the world’s best students, by sending more students overseas, by fostering cross-national research collaboration, and by strengthening its own research universities, the US can sustain its wellestablished academic excellence while continuing to expand the sum total of global knowledge and prosperity. Project Syndicate The writer is a senior fellow in research and policy at the Kauffman Foundation and author of The Great Brain Race: How Global Universities Are Reshaping the World. This commentary is exclusive to Today in Singapore. |
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