The following post is written as Coach Jamison.
March 26th
This boy, Phillip Malloy, is indeed one of the rare few talents here at Harrison School. He runs with a dexterity matched by few. Initially, I thought that he would become the newest star in the school track team, however a series of recent events changed my thoughts about him.
Looking at his previous grades, I thought that he would have no problems whatsoever getting into the school track team since his results seem pretty decent. However, his D in English for the latest exams is not good enough to qualify for the track team, which is really such a pity since all of us here at the track team were looking forward to him being part of us. But a rule is a rule, and that is the most important regulation that we as trackers hold by. Hence, I suggested that he do some extra credit work for his English teacher, Ms Narwin, such that he can at least get a C so that he can qualify for the team. Now, I know Ms Narwin personally and she really is very reasonable. I'm sure that she will agree to give him some extra work for extra credits if he were polite enough when you ask about it. I expect to see him in the team a few weeks later.
March 30th
I've just heard from Peg that Phillip Malloy made a fool of himself disrupting her class several times. He didn't seem like the sort of boy to do such a thing though... Really wonder what's gotten to him lately. The few times that he's come to see me, he seemed like a pretty decent boy. He did mention to me though that he doesn't really like Peg. Youngsters these days, can't even recognise a good teacher when they see one! So now I am kind of glad that he's not in the track team. I mean, I really need my trackers to follow rules, and that is especially important since track is a team effort and we need rules to make sure that the team sticks together. The boy has come to seek my understanding again regarding this while tract issue.. However, there is really nothing much that I can do. His grades are not up to standard, and this means that he will not be accepted in the track team, no matter how much the track teams loves him. Seems like this whole matter is going a bit out of hand now... Heard from several young ones that his parents are getting worked up over this whole thing too. Hopefully, it'll solve itself soon, with the budget proposal and everything that's coming up, the track team will do with a bit more funding.
April 4th
That's it. I am officially disappointed in Phillip Malloy. Looking back at my previous entries, I though that he was an angel. In fact, he always seemed like an obedient boy. However, this recent turn of events has totally made me lose confidence in him. First, what he did to Peg was simply atrocious. How does humming along with the national anthem classify as patriotism? It is outright disrespect for the nation. It is simply unfair for that Ted Griffen to blow this whole matter totally out of proportions. Taking matters into my own hands, I have encouraged Allison and Todd to start a petition. There is no way for Peg to deserve such treatment! All the hate mails are breaking her, and the school is doing little to help.
End of Post
Friday, April 3, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Current Affairs-US jobless rate increases to 8.1%
The US jobless rate jumped in February to 8.1%, according to official figures from the Labor Department.The number of people in US out of work rose by 651,000 in one month. Both figures were bigger than expected initially.
The number of job cuts in January was revised up to 655,000 while December's losses increased to 681,000.
For a country, this is an astounding rate at which Americans are getting retrenched and furthermore, the numbers are still increasing. The unemployment rate reached its peak since December 1983.
Obama speaking in Ohio, he added: "I don't need to tell the people of this state what statistics like this mean," saying that he had signed his economic stimulus package in order to save jobs. From here, you can roughly guess how serious the problem is. The extra 161,000 jobs added to December and January's figures mean that almost two million jobs have been lost in the past three months. If the figures don't mean much to you, imagine a third of Singapore's population jobless. Beggars will sprout out everywhere. It's horrible enough in Singapore but it's a hundred times worse in the US.
Current Affairs-Obama Considers Reaching Out to Taliban
Barack Obama, the newly appointed US president through election, has considered reaching out to Taliban. In an interview released Saturday, he said that the United States is not winning the war in Afghanistan and hinted at possible talks with moderate elements of the Taliban.
Highlighting the success of the US strategy of bringing some Sunni Iraqi insurgents to the negotiating table and away from Al-Qaeda, Obama told The New York Times that "there may be some comparable opportunities in Afghanistan and the Pakistani region." This strategy was carried out by General David Petraeus, a high ranking official in the US forces.
"If you talk to General Petraeus, I think he would argue that part of the success in Iraq involved reaching out to people that we would consider to be Islamic fundamentalists, but who were willing to work with us because they had been completely alienated by the tactics of Al Qaeda in Iraq," Obama said in the interview published on the Times website.
Recently, according to report, the Talibans were getting bolder and bolder so to strengthen the security in Afghanistan, the US commander-in-chief made the decision to deploy another 17,000 troops there.
I think what Obama said was right. The US aren't trying to win the war, but they are not withdrawing their troops either, claiming that they wanted to enforce the security in Afghanistan. But will it really work? It is truly a question to ponder...
Highlighting the success of the US strategy of bringing some Sunni Iraqi insurgents to the negotiating table and away from Al-Qaeda, Obama told The New York Times that "there may be some comparable opportunities in Afghanistan and the Pakistani region." This strategy was carried out by General David Petraeus, a high ranking official in the US forces.
"If you talk to General Petraeus, I think he would argue that part of the success in Iraq involved reaching out to people that we would consider to be Islamic fundamentalists, but who were willing to work with us because they had been completely alienated by the tactics of Al Qaeda in Iraq," Obama said in the interview published on the Times website.
Recently, according to report, the Talibans were getting bolder and bolder so to strengthen the security in Afghanistan, the US commander-in-chief made the decision to deploy another 17,000 troops there.
I think what Obama said was right. The US aren't trying to win the war, but they are not withdrawing their troops either, claiming that they wanted to enforce the security in Afghanistan. But will it really work? It is truly a question to ponder...
Current Affairs-The Christie's Auction
The Christie's auctioning company is one of the biggest in the world and has a good reputation throughout the years. However, a recent case has tarnished its reputation as the whole population of China is against it. How did this happen? All thanks to a French, if I'm not wrong, auctioning off an ancient Chinese cultural relic that was stolen a long time ago during the war between China and the Anglo-French Alliance. After the alliance successfully conquered some parts of China, they took the relics with them when they left China after the rebellion of the Chinese.
Now, someone is auctioning off something that they stole, don't you think it's ridiculous? So now the Chinese officials, the people are protesting against this auction. Fortunately, a Chinese VIP of the Christie's Auction Company bid the highest amount but refuse to pay, saying that the company must return the two relics to China. Before, there were many bidders but after the controversy issue was raised up, I doubt anyone would buy it as most of these bidders are reputable businessmen and they need the China market. If he buy them, the whole of China would become enemies with him and nobody gain anything.
So most probably, the two relics would be returned to China, right where it belongs.
Now, someone is auctioning off something that they stole, don't you think it's ridiculous? So now the Chinese officials, the people are protesting against this auction. Fortunately, a Chinese VIP of the Christie's Auction Company bid the highest amount but refuse to pay, saying that the company must return the two relics to China. Before, there were many bidders but after the controversy issue was raised up, I doubt anyone would buy it as most of these bidders are reputable businessmen and they need the China market. If he buy them, the whole of China would become enemies with him and nobody gain anything.
So most probably, the two relics would be returned to China, right where it belongs.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Current Affairs-Edmund Chen in his first major American feature film, Street Fighter
The story takes place in Singapore where Singapore star, Edmund Chen stars in an American movie, Street Fighter, after 20years of appearing on Asian screens. The main story plot is the old story of good versus evil where by a masked assassin Vega played by Taboo from the group Black Eyed Peas try to grab power on the streets of Bangkok only to come up against Chun-li, played by Kristin Kreuk of "Smallville" fame. They're based on the iconic game "Street Fighter" which was first released in 1987.
In the movie itself, Edmund Chen's role is Chun-li's father which required him to go through intensive training. He's routine includes waking up at 6am every morning and go for stretching and kicking for about two to three hours. Then breakfast and then wire training. Then it’s fight sequences and then a break. In the evening, he go for exclusive training with two martial arts instructors and then wrap it up with weights.
I would like to wish Edmund Chen all the best for his new movie and I would be anticipating it. Although I'm not a Street Fighter fan, the story plot intrigues me and the role of the being Chun-li's father sounds very interesting. I wouldn't want to go through the training though. I'm sure you all would wait eagerly for his new movie too.
In the movie itself, Edmund Chen's role is Chun-li's father which required him to go through intensive training. He's routine includes waking up at 6am every morning and go for stretching and kicking for about two to three hours. Then breakfast and then wire training. Then it’s fight sequences and then a break. In the evening, he go for exclusive training with two martial arts instructors and then wrap it up with weights.
I would like to wish Edmund Chen all the best for his new movie and I would be anticipating it. Although I'm not a Street Fighter fan, the story plot intrigues me and the role of the being Chun-li's father sounds very interesting. I wouldn't want to go through the training though. I'm sure you all would wait eagerly for his new movie too.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Current Affairs-Global Economic Crisis
You would have heard about the most recent global economical crisis, which is also the worst in the whole entire history of Singapore. But what could have caused this? A crisis that caused even the largest of companies to close down, even whole countries are on the verge of bankruptcy. How did all these happen? You can say that it's a chain reaction. It all started with banks.
Some banks in the US just loaned money to whoever wished to borrow. They didn't check their job status or their ability to return the loan. So more and more people loan money from banks to buy houses and others. Then came the problem. They couldn't return the loan. So they all go bankrupt. Now since ALL those people loaned the money and never returned, the bank suffered a great loss and soon, it had to close down.
What happens when banks close down? All the money which people saved in the bank over a period of time will be gone overnight, resulting in more bankruptcies. The market then became unstable and investing companies soon feel the pressure. Companies like AIG, Lehman Brothers are all in trouble. Lehman Brothers even closed down while AIG is on the bail! After people see that even the biggest investing companies close down one by one, they become afraid, afraid that they would lose money too so they dare not invest anymore.
So with no investments, companies lack the funds to carry out processes so they have no choice but to retrench workers t save money.
That is how the global economical crisis came about, with the little mistake of the banks, come the worst economical crisis the world has ever seen.
Some banks in the US just loaned money to whoever wished to borrow. They didn't check their job status or their ability to return the loan. So more and more people loan money from banks to buy houses and others. Then came the problem. They couldn't return the loan. So they all go bankrupt. Now since ALL those people loaned the money and never returned, the bank suffered a great loss and soon, it had to close down.
What happens when banks close down? All the money which people saved in the bank over a period of time will be gone overnight, resulting in more bankruptcies. The market then became unstable and investing companies soon feel the pressure. Companies like AIG, Lehman Brothers are all in trouble. Lehman Brothers even closed down while AIG is on the bail! After people see that even the biggest investing companies close down one by one, they become afraid, afraid that they would lose money too so they dare not invest anymore.
So with no investments, companies lack the funds to carry out processes so they have no choice but to retrench workers t save money.
That is how the global economical crisis came about, with the little mistake of the banks, come the worst economical crisis the world has ever seen.
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