A Soulless Nation-State

In retrospect ten to twenty years ago, I must admit that today I no longer have that sense of belonging which I used to have in the past. My sentiments tend to agree with the people who deem us a soulless nation-state which has lost its identity.

Taking an extract from the article 'The End of Identity' by Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh, I can comprehend what he meant when he wrote:

Put another way, Singapore is possibly the only country in the world where there are more migrants — including temporary workers, permanent residents and foreign-born citizens — than native-born people. Some like to call the US a country of migrants. Singapore is much more — it is a country for migrants.

While diversity must be cheered, it would be callous to ignore immigration’s impact on feelings of identity and belonging. Singaporeans welcomed “Others” when they were a small minority; now that “Others” are flooding in, completely dissolving native-born Singaporeans in places such as Marina Bay, the core feels vulnerable.

“My Singaporean Chinese friends used to speak only English to me,” says Farouk Khan, a Singaporean who lives in Kuala Lumpur. “Now whenever we meet, they are always trying to litter their conversation with Malay words and phrases. They are trying to show that they are local Chinese, different from the Mainland Chinese.”

Some suggest that when Singaporean Chinese try to differentiate themselves from Mainland Chinese — or, for that matter, Singapore Indians from India Indians — it is because of classism or racism or some other prejudice. While perhaps true in some instances, the most basic instinct that is driving these actions is the loss of identity. Singaporeans are desperately clawing onto any vestiges of Singaporeanness.

The pro-migration camp does not seem to understand these grumblings. The common refrain is that many countries welcome migrants, and so Singapore should be no different. But this harks back to the earlier point about magnitude. While migration does occur globally, no other country has enacted such dramatic demographic change.

If you are a native born Singaporean, share with me your thoughts on this. How do you feel as the minority in this nation-state?

Iron Man 3 beats The Avengers

‘Iron Man 3′ Beats ‘Avengers’ International Box Office Numbers

Marvel Studios’international marketing strategy is paying off and the cast and crew of Iron Man 3 can feel happy knowing their time investment required to conduct a comprehensive world press tour leading up to the theatrical release of the first post-Avengers production was worthwhile.
Where last summer’s The Avengers broke not only the domestic opening weekend record, but in a dozen international markets, Iron Man 3 is already beating it out with $195.3M at the international box office.
Disney and Marvel Studios are happily sharing Iron Man 3′s impressive overseas box office numbers before the weekend’s out, emphasizing the importance of the summer-start release date and Robert Downey Jr. as the quintessential face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here are the highlights Disney noted:
International Highlights

• Biggest opening weekend ever in: Argentina, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore
• Biggest opening day ever in: Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia
• Biggest Marvel opening weekend in: Australia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, Hungary, Romania, New Zealand, Argentina, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines and Malaysia
• #1 film in every market and is the biggest opening weekend of all time in Asia Pacific and Latin America

The $195.3 million estimated haul beats out The Avengers international opening of $185.1 million and is a sign of things to come. The biggest highlight we’re noting is that the film hasn’t even opened in China, Germany or Russia yet and that’s crucial because Disney and Marvel are banking hard in the Chinese box office with their partnership with Beijing-based DMG Entertainment to make Iron Man 3 a co-production. China is even getting a slightly different version of the film with added footage.

• UK – $21.5M
• Korea - $19.2M
• Australia - $18.4M
• Mexico - $16.1M
• France - $14.7M
• Brazil - $12.3M
• Italy - $11.2M
• Taiwan – $8.4M
• Philippines – $7.4M
• Japan - $5.4M
• India - $5.2M
• Spain - $5.0M
• HK - $4.9M
• Malaysia - $4.6M
• Indonesia - $4.5M
• Other - $36.5M
• Total - $195.3M

Iron Man 3 of course hits its biggest market (North America) next Friday and as of last week, MovieTickets.com claimed opening day sales already had more than 400 theaters sold out. That was then. The increased buzz since and closer proximity to its release will increase demand of opening weekend pre-sales even further. Iron Man 2, the last non-3D title from Marvel Studios had a domestic opening of $128,122,480 and the 3D-boosted openings of Captain America and Thor couldn’t compare. It wasn’t until The Avengers brought back Robert Downey Jr. and everyone else together for the record-breaking $207,438,708 domestic opening (the biggest domestic opening of all-time). According to The Wrap last week (before the international numbers came in), Iron Man 3 was tracking for a $160 million U.S. opening which is a safe bet considering the success of Iron Man 2, the international numbers, the post-Avengers boost and the early positive reviews.

It’s safe to say Iron Man 3 will cross the billion dollar mark, justifying its role as the first chapter of Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also raises expectations for Thor: The Dark Worldand Captain America: The Winter Soldier, while also emphasizing the importance of Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle, all of whom have contracts ending with this film. As RDJ is acutely aware, he and his agent are in the best position in Hollywood and were smart to wait for the film to open before renegotiating contract extensions. For the Disney camp, like Johnny Depp with Pirates of the Caribbean, RDJ is crucial to the future of the franchise and they will need to sign him for The Avengers 2 and possibly even Iron Man 4. The film’s domestic performance will be very telling and may alter the course of the future of the franchise.
Iron Man 3 is directed by Shane Black based off of his and Drew Pearce’s screenplay, and stars Robert Downey Jr., Ben Kingsley, Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Stephanie Szostak, Jon Favreau, Rebecca Hall, William Sadler, James Badge Dale and the voice of Paul Bettany.
Iron Man 3 releases May 3, 2013, Thor: The Dark World on November 8, 2013, Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4, 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy on August 1, 2014, The Avengers 2 on May 1, 2015, Ant-Man on November 6, 2015, and Doctor Strange sometime after that.
Let me know on Twitter @rob_keyes your box office predictions for Iron Man 3!
Sources: Disney, The Wrap

Hire and Fire Employees Using the Social Media

Social Screening: How Companies Are Using Social Media To Hire & Fire Employees
Source: Mindflash.com

How Employers Use Social Media To Screen Applicants

Source: TheUnderCoverRecruiter.com

Has life come down to this? Is this the way to go in the future?

Our nations's solution to Public Transport Congestion ... free train rides for commuters who travel to the city area before 7.45am. Read more ...

Stress Reliever

One of the many advantages of being a writer or
journalist is the freedom to express unhappiness
and frustrations in writing — an excellent
way to finding relief from distress.

Puzzling Notice in Toilet

A common notice placed above the toilet bowl in Greece.



My question is, what about toilet paper?

Graffiti or Art

The difference between Graffiti and Art
is a mere line across the margin

Photo: A wall near Tras Street

Fabulous Food Up North

D' Rubinah Restaurant
South Indian & Thai Muslim Seafood
592 Sembawang Road
Singapore 758451

Taste
Beef Satay 4 ☆☆☆☆
Chicken Satay 4.5 ☆☆☆☆+
Ketupat 3.5 ☆☆☆+
Thai Seafood Fried Bee Hoon 3 ☆☆☆
Indian Rojak 4 ☆☆☆☆

Overcrowding and Patience

Healthy living is about keeping your cool amid overcrowding
in public transport and other places, despite having
your patience tested over and over again

Exaggerated Resumes

The Truth about Lying on Resumes

by Visual.Ly

Last Supper ... Singapore Style

A picture by Temasek Review ...

The Last Supper ... Singapore Style
at a Hawker Centre before it closes for renovation

The Last Supper ... by Leonardo Da Vinci

Learning from the Smokers

I don't smoke, but ...

Gadgets in the Movies

News from ScreenJunkies.com ...

7 Best Homemade Gadgets In Action Movies

Tuesday, October 30 by Penn Collins

At the end of a long month, there’s very little better than kicking back and indulging in a long article about movie gadgets. Good news! It’s happening RIGHT NOW. We’ve scoured some of the most iconic action films (and one drama with a crazy-ass gadget…see if you can spot it) and from them harvested some of the most bad-ass weaponized contraptions of all time. Sure, the gadgets listed aren’t always designed for destruction, but we feel that it’s always a device’s highest and best use. Enjoy.

Peter Parker’s Web Slingers – The Amazing Spider-Man

In the latest edition of Spider-Man, coming out on Blu-ray™ and DVD November 9, Parker takes the easy way out and builds mechanical web slingers, rather than develop them genetically, like a TRUE superhero. Just kidding. I actually find the mechanical web slingers much more impressive than the evolved ones, if only because this Peter Parker had to work to develop them, rather than just let it happen to him like another Spider-Man portrayer. Let’s just call him “Toby M.” for the sake of anonymity.

Batterang – The Batman Movies and TV Show

What’s remarkable about this homemade gadget is that it simply defies explanation. It explodes, it sometimes returns, sometimes it’s remote controlled, and it can travel incredible distances at ridiculous speeds. Why? Because Batman. That’s why.

The Tim Burton and Chris Nolan installments have done their best to distance themselves from the campy TV show, but no one can resist the subdued charm of the batterang. Not sure if I should capitalize “batterang…”

Ash’s Chainsaw Hand – Evil Dead 2

While it might not be the most ingenious weapon, it is the most hard-core and bad ass. In the series, Ash (played by Bruce Campbell) undergoes a series of unfortunate catastrophes that cause his hand to be possessed, then cause him to cut it off, replacing it with a chainsaw. It’s not exactly rocket science, but, coming from a guy that calls a shotgun his “boom stick,” it’s to be expected.

The Bolt Shooter – The Good Son

Sometimes bad people make great weapons, and nowhere is that more apparent than in The Good Son, a film that stars Macauley Culkin as the bad guy (boy). And oh, is he ever bad. He does lots of terrible things, like causing wrecks on the freeways by throwing dummies off of bridges, but the most heartless thing he can muster up is taking out a ferocious dog with a weird bolt-gun-crossbow hybrid. He’s a horrible, horrible boy, but his fabrication abilities are off the charts.

Charlie Kelly’s Rat-Bashing Stick – It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

(I am aware this isn’t his actual rat stick, but I figured an action sequence was more profound than gadget accuracy.)
When you kill as many rats as Charlie does, you get that thousand-yard stare in your eyes that comes hand-in-hand with the crushing pain of recognizing your own mortality. Fortunately for Charlie, killing rat families just got a whole lot easier with his rat-bashing stick, a modified baseball bat that features a whole slew of pointy nails and a chain or something. It’s probably the crudest device on this list, but when you see how it warms Charlie’s heart, it might also be the most endearing!

Data’s Telescoping Boxing Glove – The Goonies

I’ll be honest. This is the first device that came to mind, but I’m having a really hard time coming to terms with the efficacy of it. First of all, if you’re going to punch someone to cause them harm, using a padded glove to do it sort of defeats the purpose and mitigates the damage done. Sort of cartoon-y for a film that otherwise offers a sincere and real look at a, um, group of kids that are hunting for treasure and who accidentally stumble upon a pirate armada.

Ok. So the boxing glove is probably in keeping with the premise of the movie.

The Proton Pack – Ghostbusters

Please don’t tell me how a Proton Pack works. Not interested. All I know is that they suck ghosts into a backpack, where they are held until it’s time to more or less incinerate them in a big ghost oven. Or something like that. You know how I know these Proton Packs are homemade? Well, for one, they look like crap. And two, they’re not foolproof. In fact, they’re downright dangerous.

Never ever cross the streams of two Proton Packs. You won’t like the result.

Man of Steel (2013)

Release Date: June 14, 2013 (3D/2D theaters and IMAX 3D) 
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures 
Director: Zack Snyder 
Screenwriter: David S. Goyer 
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni, Russell Crowe 
Genre: Action, Adventure 
MPAA Rating: Not Available 
Official Website: ManofSteel.WarnerBros.com 
Review: Not Available 
DVD Review: Not Available 
DVD: Not Available 
Movie Poster: Comic-Con Art 
Production Stills: View here 

Plot Summary: Henry Cavill plays Superman in director Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel." The film also stars Amy Adams as Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane, and Laurence Fishburne as her editor-in-chief, Perry White. Starring as Clark Kent's adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, are Diane Lane and Kevin Costner. 

Squaring off against the superhero are two other surviving Kryptonians, the villainous General Zod, played by Michael Shannon, and Faora, Zod's evil partner, played by Antje Traue. Also from Superman's native Krypton are Lara Lor-Van, Superman's mother, played by Ayelet Zurer, and Superman's father, Jor-El, portrayed by Russell Crowe. Rounding out the cast are Harry Lennix as U.S. military man General Swanwick, as well as Christopher Meloni as Colonel Hardy.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Release Date: May 17, 2013 (3D/2D theaters and IMAX 3D)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: J.J. Abrams
Screenwriter: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Damon Lindelof
Starring: John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Peter Weller
Genre: Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: StarTrekmovie.com
Review: Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: View here
Production Stills: View here

Plot Summary: In Summer 2013, director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes "Star Trek Into Darkness."

In the wake of a shocking act of terror from within their own organization, the crew of The Enterprise is called back home to Earth. In defiance of regulations and with a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads his crew on a manhunt to capture an unstoppable force of destruction and bring those responsible to justice.  

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

Not Just Emotionless

Breaking news from The Straits Times ...
Published on December 20, 2012

S'poreans not only emotionless but unhappy as well
By Hoe Pei Shan

As if being least emotional nation in the world was not enough, Singapore has claimed yet another title - we are the most unhappy one as well.

That's according to international pollster Gallup, at least.

Based on a poll of nearly 150,000 people worldwide conducted in 2011 - the same one that branded Singapore as emotionless - Gallup's reading into the results put Singapore at the top of the list of countries where the fewest adults experienced positive emotions.

Singaporeans were apparently less upbeat than the people in places like Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan and Haiti.

Influenza

If you care, don't share your cold or flu with those around you!

Know how to fight influenza!

Happy 50th Birthday, SpideY

On August 10, 1962, Spider-Man made his debut to the world to become the iconic superhero he is today. Since then, movies about the Marvel character have brought in billions of dollars worldwide and his comics remain coveted collectors items. This is according to Samantha Murphy who wrote the article 'The Many Looks of Spiderman Over the Past 50 Years.'

Pornography: Children at Risks

Pornography threatening 'downfall' of church
by Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post - Sunday, May 27, 2012

Apologist and author Josh McDowell launched Just1ClickAway.org, a new website to raise awareness about online pornography which he says is a problem big enough to cause the downfall of the church.

"The downfall of the church will not come from a lack of apologetic teaching; it will come from disintegration of the families in the church," says a video posted on the website, launched in time for summer vacation when students' media consumption significantly increases.

"The greatest threat to the cause of Christ is pervasive sexuality and pornography," said McDowell.

"Today we have, by and large, lost control of the controls because an intrusive immorality is just one click away from our children. With just one keystroke on a smartphone, iPad, or laptop, a child can open up some of the worst pornography and sexually graphic content you can imagine. There's never been such access in history."

McDowell, who has written or co-authored 120 books since 1960, backs his claims with stunning statistics about the destructive impact of pornography on the Christian family.

More than 1 billion pornographic websites are one click away, and the average age of first-time viewers of pornography is 9 years old. About 80 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds have been exposed to hardcore porn, and the adult pornography industry reports that 20-30 percent of their traffic comes from children. More shockingly, half of all Christian families report that pornography is a problem, and 30 per cent of pastors have viewed pornography in the last 30 days.

The newly produced video on the website shows that pornography aggressively preys on and attacks its victims.

It features a boy, who looks below 10 years old and is seated on his bed with a tablet computer in the privacy of his bedroom. "Doing your homework?" asks a young woman, portrayed as a tempter. The boy, seeing her in his imagination, nods to say, "Yes." "Can I ask you something?" the girl says. "What's your favourite part about me? Do you wanna see more? I can show you whatever you want." Just then the mother comes into the room and tells him, "Honey, dinner is almost ready." Seeing her child's surprised reaction, she asks, "What's wrong?" "Nothing," he replies, pressing his laptop against his chest. "Finish up what you're doing and come on downstairs," his mother says.

The video goes on to feature a husband as well as a teenage girl as consumers of pornography and whose family members are also unaware of the dangerous viewing.

The video, which has a warning label for its mature content, later portrays each consumer being tortured by their addiction to pornography.

Offering hope and help, McDowell has made available resources to both spread awareness about the pervasiveness of pornography viewing and offer solutions. The Bare Facts, McDowell's "biblically based, medically sound and culturally relevant campaign" provides youth and those who influence them with an understanding of love, sexuality and relationships.

As part of a 45-city speaking tour in 15 countries throughout 2012, McDowell is touring Latin America with his Bare Facts campaign. With over 50 years in ministry, he has addressed more than 10 million young people, giving over 24,000 talks in 118 countries.

An Overcrowded Nation

Here's something for us to think about too as a nation ...

 

Half of Australians want end to immigration: poll

by AFP 2 days ago

SYDNEY — Some 50 percent of Australians want an end to the nation's immigration programme because they believe the country has too many people, a poll showed on Tuesday.

The survey of 2,000 people, conducted for the tabloid Sydney Daily Telegraph newspaper, found 51 percent thought "our population is too high (and) we should stop immigration".

Australia has some 23 million people, compared to 19.6 million a decade ago.

Canberra set its immigration programme for the year to June at 185,000 places, with another 13,750 slots available to refugees on humanitarian grounds.

But in the poll only 32 percent of respondents felt Australia should welcome more immigrants and almost two thirds, some 65 percent, said "migrants should adopt the Australian way of life".

The responses revealed a marked swing away from the more tolerant attitudes of previous surveys conducted in 2005, 2001 and 1995, the newspaper said.

Immigration expert Bob Birrell said fears over job security in the shaky global economy and local pressures on infrastructure were behind the shift in opinion.

The poll came as two asylum-seeker boats carrying some 82 passengers were intercepted off northern Australia on Monday -- taking the number of boats to arrive to four in as many days.

A total of 42 boats carrying 3,261 asylum seekers have arrived so far this year, causing Australia's refugee detention budget to spiral to more than Aus$1 billion (US$1 billion).

Though they come in relatively small numbers by global standards, the issue of asylum-seekers is a political flashpoint in Australia, dominating national elections in 2010, when a record 6,555 boatpeople arrived from Asia.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said the rush this year was "unsurprising" given the failure of a planned refugee swap deal with Malaysia in 2011 intended to deter people smuggling, after the High Court of Australia struck it down.

The government was forced to abandon offshore processing of asylum-seekers and release many detainees to live in the community after the conservative opposition blocked attempts to get around the ruling.

Bowen said it was essential to find more effective deterrents to stop people making the perilous maritime journey, usually from Indonesia.

"You are going to continue to see people arriving by boat which means you're going to continue to see deaths at sea," he said.

Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved

Fame and Reputation

When someone says our reputation precedes us, we know that person has heard about us and what we have done or achieved prior to meeting us.

In a sense, it means we have earned ourselves a certain amount of fame—good or bad. If we are known for being charitable, we are doing fine, unless all our works are done in pretense, just for hype. If we, on the other hand, have a reputation for doing the exact opposite of what is right, then we are in a sad state, often accompanied by dishonor. Beyond these two opposites is a third outcome of fame which is seemingly undesirable, yet absolutely necessary. This is the earned reputation for doing the right thing and suffering for doing it.>

Are we reputed for doing the right things or wrong? Are our good works publicity stunts to gain popularity and praise from men or are we genuinely interested in helping the needy? Is fame and face more important to us than doing the right thing? Where do we stand if we know we are to suffer disrepute or be disadvantaged doing what is right?

Mildly Amusing © Aaron Joseph

Controversial Magazine Cover

'Time' breast-feeding cover uncovers a parenting taboo?
By Natalie DiBlasio, USA TODAY - Thu, May 10, 2012

A Time magazine cover story that shows a mother breast-feeding her 3-year-old son is drawing criticism for breaking social taboos.

Jamie Lynne Grumet, the 26-year-old Los Angeles mother pictured breast-feeding on the cover of Time magazine, spoke on NBC's Today program this morning.

"We knew exactly what we were going to get into," Grumet says. "I do understand why Time chose this picture because … it did create such a media craze to get the dialogue talking." Grumet says breast-feeding advocates are upset about the cover because the image does not "show the nurturing side to attachment parenting."

"This isn't the way we breast-feed at home," she said. "It's more of a nurturing, cradling situation."

Grumet says she plans to breast-feed until Aram self-weans, but she hopes the fourth year will be the final year. Grumet was breast-fed by her own mother until she was six.

"It's a big commitment and its not right for everybody," she says. "You need to do what is best for your baby and for your own family."

Original post:

The story has drawn many critics on social media, and from noted celebrities such as actress Alyssa Milano. The controversy stems from the graphic nature of the photo, and from concern from some that the child in the picture is too old to be breast-feeding.

Milano tweeted that she feels the cover "is exploitive and extreme."

"You missed the mark," the actress wrote. "You're supposed to be making it easier for breastfeeding moms."

The picture on the Time cover shows a 3-year-old boy standing on a chair to nurse on his mother's exposed breast.

Parenting expert Joani Geltman says she isn't surprised that people are upset about the cover.

"People have an issue with nursing in public anyway, even with an infant. Here they add a 3-year-old child when most children are weaned between 6 months and a year," Geltman says. "People are up in arms simply because it depicts such an intimate act between a mother and child."

The cover story is about "attachment parenting" a trend that, Time reports, has been on the rise over the past two decades.

Attachment parenting includes extended breast-feeding, co-sleeping and "baby wearing," in which infants are physically attached to their parents by slings.

"To me, the whole point of a magazine cover is to get your attention," Time's managing editor, Rick Stengel, said in an interview with Forbes. "From the moment that we started talking about this story as a cover possibility, it was like I couldn't get out of the meetings. There was so much opinion and passion about it and discussion. What that told me is, boy, this is a story that people care a lot about."

Stengel said he hopes stores don't cover the magazine or refuse to carry it altogether. "I would hope they wouldn't cover it up in any way," Stengel says. "It's certainly a possibility."

Unusual News: Super Cool Bra

Japan iced bra aims to keep everywhere cool
AFP - Thu, May 10, 2012
 

TOKYO — A bra with built-in ice packs, a wind chime and a sprig of mint that was unveiled in Japan on Wednesday is promising to keep women cool this summer.

In a nearly-naked publicity stunt, underwear firm Triumph Japan had models parading around showing off its "Super Cool Bra", featuring what appears to be a pair of small fish tanks encompassing the breasts.
These cups are filled with a gel that remains soft and supple even when frozen, giving the wearer "a cool sensation against her skin", the company said in a statement.

A traditional Japanese wind chime -- and a mint leaf -- dangle between the cups giving an impression of cooling "by way of its refreshing fragrance and sound".

The company, which has a long tradition of novelty launches that are never made available for public sale, said it conceived of the bra in response to a need to save energy during the hot summer.
With no working nuclear reactors amid heightened public mistrust over atomic power in post-Fukushima Japan, the country has once again begun its "Cool Biz" campaign, urging people to dress down for work and avoid the need to crank up the aircon.

Watch Spider-Man Animated Series

One of the TV series I like best of Spider-Man is the animated version of 1994.

Although not in HD, if you like, you can now watch this series free online at www.marvel.com.

Fossilized Dinosaur Eggs Found

Dinosaur eggs said found in Russia's Chechnya
Reuters – Tue, Apr 17, 2012

GROZNY, Russia (Reuters) - Geologists in Russia's volatile Chechnya region have discovered what they believe to be fossilized dinosaur eggs laid by one of the huge extinct reptiles that roamed the Earth more than 60 million years ago.


"We've found about 40 eggs so far, the exact number has not been established," said Said-Emin Dzhabrailov, a geologist at the Chechen State University.

"There could be many more laying under the ground."

The find was uncovered when a construction crew was blasting through a hillside to build a road near the region's border with former Soviet Georgia in the Caucasus Mountains.

A team of geologists stumbled across the smooth, oval rock-like forms, which range from 25 cm to one meter coincidentally on a recent trip to the area, said Dzhabrailov.

He said paleontologists were needed to determine which species of dinosaur had laid them.

Dzhabrailov said that the regional Chechen government, which is eager to shed the region's reputation for violence, is considering turning the area into a nature preserve and seeking to attract tourists.

Federal forces fought two separatists wars between 1994-2001 in Chechnya, and an Islamist insurgency persists in the mostly Muslim region and surrounding provinces of Russia's North Caucasus.

However, violence has declined under the strong-arm rule of Ramzan Kadyrov, whose multi-million dollar construction projects are aimed at raising the region's profile and boosting the tourism potential of the troubled area.

(Writing By Thomas Grove, editing by Paul Casciato)

Have a Blessed Easter

Wishing All of You ...

Movie: Total Recall

Release Date: August 3, 2012
Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Director: Len Wiseman
Screenwriter: Kurt Wimmer, Mark Bomback
Starring: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, John Cho, Bill Nighy
Genre: Action, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website:TotalRecall-movie.com
Review: Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available

Plot Summary:"Total Recall" is an action thriller about reality and memory, inspired anew by the famous short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick. Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he's got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.

Movie: The Avengers

From the Set: The Avengers Assemble in Albuquerque
Source: SuperHeroHype
April 2, 2012


By now you've probably already seen the teaser, the trailer, the Super Bowl spot and possibly even more footage and photos from Marvel's The Avengers, the culmination of five years of planning by Marvel Studios to create a Marvel Movie Universe based on the popular Marvel Comics characters, some of which are nearly 70 years old.

Back in June 2011, there were so many questions about how an Avengers movie might work. At that time, we hadn't even seen Captain America: The First Avenger yet and weren't even sure if Chris Evans would work as Cap. We were especially curious to know what the dynamics would be like between the various members of the group as played by actors with a wide range from experienced vets like Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Downey Jr. to newcomers like Chris Hemsworth, at the time who we'd only seen in Thor.

Might we see Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark giving a dressing down to Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye? Would Chris Hemsworth be able to maintain his presence as the boisterous and bombastic Thor when facing such powerhouse heavyweights like Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury?

With that in mind, it was a no-brainer when Marvel's new parent company Disney invited SuperHeroHype to visit the Albuquerque, New Mexico sets where the production had taken over ABQ Studios. We're happy to say that we were able to get many answers as we joined a group of select online journalists to talk to most of the principal cast including Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, Scarlett Johansson and newbie Jeremy Renner--we even got to see them in action as Black Widow and Hawkeye--Mark Ruffalo, as well as the filmmakers, director Joss Whedon and producer Kevin Feige. While we didn't get to see or talk to Samuel L. Jackson or new girl Cobie Smulders, who plays Nick Fury's right-hand Maria Hill, we also got to spend a ton of time with Clark Gregg, whose Agent Coulson first introduced the concept of S.H.I.E.L.D. back in 2008's Iron Man.

The results were two crazy days of immersion into the movie world of the Avengers, but before we could go anywhere or anywhere, we had to face Barry, Marvel Studios' head of security, who made us sign a stack of paperwork promising to keep everything we saw a secret until a time deemed more appropriate, which lucky you... is right now!

You can read the full set report over on SuperHeroHype or check out individual interviews by clicking on the appropriate link below:

Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans / Tony Stark and Captain America
Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner / Black Widow and Hawkeye
Mark Ruffalo / Bruce Banner aka The Hulk
Director Joss Whedon
Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige
Marvel's The Avengers is out in 2D, 3D and 3D IMAX on Friday, May 4.

Cool Photo Editing with Photoshop CS6

From The New York Times — Gadgetwise ...

March 22, 2012, 6:15 pm
Adobe’s Photoshop CS6 is Free, for Now

By ROY FURCHGOTT

As of today you can get about $700 worth of the latest Adobe Photoshop software free. But there is a catch.

Adobe is putting out Photoshop CS6 for beta testing. Anyone who signs on will get a full-featured version of the coming software to use (and help uncover glitches) as it is being refined for final release.

The catch is that when the final version comes out, the beta versions will not work anymore, and you will have to pay for the software that they hope you will find indispensible.

Why indispensible? By Adobe’s count, 62 percent of the features are new — that is, in addition to tweaks and enhancements of existing features.

Some of them are fiddly little things, and some are large, behind-the-scenes changes, like a new graphics engine that will make Photoshop run faster. A lot of the changes will matter most to professional users, but this is, after all, a professional’s program (the very capable Photoshop Elements, which has almost everything a hobbyist would need, can be found online for about $80).

There are a few new features that will make pro and amateur alike sit up and take notice.

Some of the more subtle additions are improved automatic adjustments. The system now compares your photo’s histogram to those of top shots from photography schools for more nuanced corrections.

There are also improvements to the astonishing Content Aware Fill, which lets you remove part of a photo – like a piece of trash on the lawn — and then automatically fills in the spot based on the background, in this case with more lawn. But sometimes the program searched too large an area for the fill, and it might fill in that patch of lawn with some sky instead. A new tool, called Content Aware Patch, lets you choose the part of the picture used for the fill-in, so the lawn stays lawn.

There is also a new tool called Content Aware Move, which — as its name implies — lets you grab part of a picture to move it, and automatically blends it in. So the two kids playing ball can be moved closer together with a few clicks of the mouse. The success rate is partly dependent on the background, though.

If you are fascinated by the new Lytro camera, which lets you shift the focus of a photo after you take it, there is Photoshop’s “Blur Gallery,” which lets you add blurring selectively to a photo. While there are tilt-shift filters and programs today that can add blurring, the Adobe version is much more adjustable. You can even have multiple focus points, meaning you can have people at different distances from the camera in focus.

On the more mundane but useful end, Photoshop will have automatic saving to keep you from losing work in a crash.

There are literally dozens more features worth looking at, and it won’t cost you anything to do so — at least for now.

Massive Solar Storm Headed Toward Earth

The sun erupted on Tuesday evening, and the effects should start smacking Earth between 1am and 5am EST on Thursday March 8, 2012 (2pm and 6pm Singapore time), according to forecasters at the United States government's Space Weather Prediction Center.


More information available at:

CNET
The Straits Times

Divorce Numbers Up

From The Straits Times ... March 4, 2012.

Late divorces: Till an empty nest do us part
By Theresa Tan

Women have long put up with unhappy marriages for any number of reasons, but they are increasingly voting with their feet, dumping unloved husbands and putting matrimonial misery behind them.

A steadily growing number of unions that have lasted for decades have broken up in the past 20 years, as women become more emboldened to bail out after their children have grown up.

According to the latest 2010 statistics, 1,390 couples who were married for 20 or more years ended their marriages - four times more than the 346 pairs who did so in 1990.

These long-married pairs made up about 20 per cent of all divorcing couples in 2010 - almost double the 11 per cent in 1990.

Background story
'CHILDREN TOLD ME TO LEAVE HIM'

Martha (not her real name), a retired civil servant in her 60s, endured 38 years of marriage before leaving her frequently unemployed and 'verbally abusive' husband, now 70. Her two children, now in their 30s, encouraged her to leave their dad two years ago.

'I met my ex-husband at a house party and I was attracted to him as he was tall, good-looking and charming.

We had disagreements about his frequent job-hopping when we were dating, but thinking he could change after marriage was the biggest mistake I made.

He is a very proud man. He has only O levels but fantasises that he is very highly educated and deserves to be in top positions. He could not hold onto jobs and could not support our family.

We often argued about money. It was a very heavy burden as I had to support our two children, my parents, his mother and his siblings on my pay of $600 to $800 in the 1970s. It was difficult to make ends meet.

He was always blaming me for everything that went wrong in his life. He used to shout, scream and scold me when things didn't turn out the way he wanted.

He was very abusive verbally but he never laid hands on me. He was nice to me only when he needed financial help. I tried to avoid him as far as possible to keep the peace.

Each time I thought of ending my marriage, I remembered my marriage vows and I would change my mind. I knew children in broken marriages suffered a lot, and didn't want my two kids to go through this trauma.

My religion, Christianity, also taught me that trials would strengthen me and one day, God would vindicate me.

So I went through life waiting for my children to grow up and be old enough to accept my decision to leave him.

Partly, I also pitied him and worried how he was going to fend for himself. I thought he might be mentally ill and that I should not abandon him.

About a year before the divorce in 2009, he was diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, where sufferers have an inflated sense of self-importance, but he refused to go for follow-up treatment.

I realised then that I was fighting a losing battle. I had to try to get out or I would also suffer a breakdown. The verbal abuse was also getting intolerable.

My children also encouraged me to leave him. They said they would support and look after me now that they are able to do so. They too could not get along with him.

I'm happier now after the divorce because I don't have to live in fear. I also don't have to provide for him. There is so much peace now.

My hope is that one day, my children will forgive him and look after him in his old age.'

Theresa Tan


Background story
PORN ADDICTION KILLED MARRIAGE

TJ's (not his real name) addiction to pornography and womanising destroyed his 25-year marriage to a human resources professional. They have two children, now in their early 20s. TJ has since remarried a divorcee in her 40s with one son.

'I discovered pornography when I was 15 and it became a hunger that could not be satisfied. Porn drained the intimacy from my marriage. It's like I have the best chicken rice on my plate but I'm constantly thinking of sushi and I can't enjoy my chicken rice. When I'm with my wife, pornographic thoughts would come to mind and I could not enjoy her for who she was.

It led to a hunger for sex outside of marriage that I needed to feed. My wife travelled quite a bit for work and out of loneliness, I would seek satisfaction from porn. I thought I could carry on a secret life without affecting my family.

About 20 years into my marriage, I started hooking up with women I met online. In the beginning, it was just sex. But things did not work out so black and white and I had an emotional connection with my second lover. My wife discovered the affair and was devastated. But she forgave me.

I felt sorry that I had hurt my wife. But I also felt trapped because if I was not married, I would be free to pursue this other relationship. Then I had thought the other woman could fill my emptiness.

My wife and I went for marital counselling and she demanded that I stop my affair immediately. I broke it off and things seemed to be OK.

But I still maintained friendships with other women whom I had met online. This led to many fights with my wife which were very ugly and painful.

After three years of this, my wife felt it was unbearable to live with me. She suggested a divorce, which saddened me. We had lived together for so long that I couldn't imagine living without her.

But I did not try to make her stay. I was waiting for myself to feel emotionally ready before I wooed her back. But before I got to that point, we would quarrel.

If I had done the right thing - regain her trust, change my ways and rebuild the marriage - regardless of how I felt, I could have salvaged the marriage.

The news of our divorce affected our children terribly. They were in their teens then and it came as a complete shock to them.

After my divorce, I started dating again but felt I should not remarry because of my problem.

But I had a breakthrough in 2005 when I converted to Christianity and finally managed to break my addiction to porn.

Now I can think about what to do for my family. I see it as my duty to protect my relationships. I try to resolve any issues with my wife so that the relationship is not strained.'

Theresa Tan

Magazine Pulled Off Shelves

From The Straits Times ... March 3, 2012

FHM Singapore pulled off shelves over articles
Publisher withdraws magazine following protests from Christian reader

By Jennani Durai

All unsold copies of this month's issue of FHM Singapore magazine will be pulled off stands islandwide, after two articles in it sparked the ire of Christians here for being insensitive.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the magazine's senior editor, Mr David Fuhrmann-Lim, apologised on Friday for any offence caused.

He said the magazine will be pulled off shelves immediately and the process would be completed within two days. He also posted the apology on the magazine's Facebook page.

A spokesman for media regulator Media Development Authority (MDA) on Friday said it is investigating the men's lifestyle magazine 'for possible breach of content guidelines'.

Death of a Family

Today is a very sad day for me.

While on the way back from my walk at a wooded area this morning, I saw lying on the ground at a pedestrian pavement of Montreal Link a young monkey—dead with eyes opened and flies circling around.

Just an hour earlier, I saw from a distance an adult monkey climbing up and down a tree at the same spot. Several onlookers were watching from the opposite side of the road, and I stood along for a little while to watch as well, and then proceeded with my walk without paying much attention to what was going on. Now I know.

The dead monkey is one of the several monkeys in a family I used to see at the wooded area I regularly walked. The family is made up of two new born, several young, and two adults, apparently the parents. Although the young are rather active and mischievous at times, always swinging from place to place even on trees within residential landed properties, they appear harmless and do not usually come close in contact with people.

I am unsure the cause of the monkey's death. It may have been killed or died of unknown causes. These days, I hardly see the monkey family anymore, and I suspect their demise, probably gotten rid of by hired hands.

May our God have mercy on this family and the people who may have chosen or been tasked to remove them. I fail to see why the monkeys cannot be let alone or captured to be placed at a habitat of their own, such as the zoo or some other place.

Is there really a need for the extinction of monkeys in our land?

Quit Smoking

These are the last words of a non-smoker ...

I do not smoke
But I breathe in lots of smoke every day
I've suffered much with emphysema for many years
Now I am dying of lung cancer

If you are a smoker
Do you care for your loved ones
And the people around you?
If you don't
Come and join me in death

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing All My Friends ...

Your Neighborhood Friend
SpideY (",)