RSS
 

Archive for the ‘Wider Perspectives’ Category

Tribute To A Legend- Whitney Houston

12 Feb

You must have a heart of stone if it didn’t skip a beat when you first heard Whitney Houston belting out the tunes of ‘I will always love you’.

The untimely death of the 48-year-old vocal legend just a few days before the annual Grammy Awards this year has made this writer reflect on how music has transformed over the years with the creation of new genres to markedly different styles and marketing techniques.

There have been many good singers since Whitney first came into the music scene in 1985. But the late Ms. Houston is undoubtedly one of the rare greats. Back in the day when people just sang without any fancy music videos to accompany the wholesome good ‘ol-fashioned tunes. Songs of hope,  of pain and joy. Her vocal prowess is almost unmatched, with a vocal range spanning three octaves and a versatility that is hard to come by until this day.

It is likely we’ll never see another Whitney Houston in our lifetime.

So today, let us remember how this multi-Grammy award winning songstress showed us music that will be remembered for years to come.

 

Whitney Houston (9/8/63-11/2/12)

Attached Files:

 
No Comments

Posted in Beyond Borders, Wider Perspectives

 

A Breaking Dawn Inspired Post

26 Dec

Yes, this writer has seen Breaking Dawn (Part One). In fact, I caught it within its opening week.

 

 With that, I would like to express the following:

This  goes out netizens who scold the fans of various popular media on online forums and youtube comments.

Sometimes, I do watch trashy reality programmes.

I think Justin Beiber and Lady Gaga have real talent, and I do truly like an artist as “mainstream” as Katy Perry.

But people like us aren’t necessarily “brain-washed” minions of modern society!

Please do not treat us like the plague. Put simply, different people have different preferences. This fact is not worth getting your underwear all up in a bunch!

Britney songs make me happy on a boring bus ride home, darn it. Sue me.

Now, turn your attention to more important activities.

Attached Files:

 
No Comments

Posted in Fun Stuff, Random Musings, Wider Perspectives

 

This Christmas Season: SMRT Under A Microscope

21 Dec

Last week saw SMRT, the major transport provider, suffer massive media scrutiny after a string of mishaps.

A Subjectif-Compiled Summary Of Events:

December 14: Trains on the Circle Line were delayed during morning morning rush hour after technical glitches arose.

December 15: Singapore gets its worst MRT breakdown in 24 years. It causes four thousand people to become trapped in trains on the North-South Line. This is worsened by a message displayed in SMRT cabs informing taxi drivers of an “income opportunity” arising from the aforementioned event. Further exacerbating this situation, commuters involved later complained of a lack of ventilation in stalled trains, and detailed seeing women go faint from receiving too little fresh air.  Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew has described this train disruption as an “extremely serious” one

December 16 The deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, Seng Han Thong, highlights SMRT’s need to improve its technical operations as well as its public communications.

December 17: MRT disruptions are seen again in the North South Line, ending travel between a third ot its 27 stations for seven hours. This is attributed to problems with the power rail system running trains.

December 18: The abrupt braking by one bus driver on an SMRT bus causes a 54-year-old woman, Madam Ding ,to fall and slip into a coma. Her condition is since reported to have deteriorated, due to the development of lung complications. The bus driver concerned has been suspended and further investigations are currently ongoing. Additionally, there were two-hour train delays on both the North-South and East-West Line.

Because of these events, SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa has received a flood of flak, with citizens and emotive netizens expressing their desire for her resignation. This Monday, she responded to these calls by emphasizing the need for her to remain with the organization so as to deal with SMRT’s recent issues.

Will the SMRT saga continue?  If it does…please, not on Christmas.

Now, lets just wait for Mr Brown’s take on this issue. 

Wanna read more?

Still want more?

And there’s a photo gallery too!

A thesaurus had to be used in the writing of this article as there weren’t enough ways to say “breakdown”.

Attached Files:

 
No Comments

Posted in Beyond Borders, Fun Stuff, Random Musings, Wider Perspectives

 

Do you dare to be brave?

16 Oct

It’s that time of the year again.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of Project Work for the J1s and A level preparation for the J2s there are many among us who are grieving.

Grieving for the murders of our grades that is. :O

I have noticed a strange phenomenon that occurs during this time.

The grief soon exacerbates and results in reflections of failures in all aspects of one life such as:

1.  Exaggerated notions about the lack of achievement in one’s life

2. Declarations of ‘I want to pon lectures’ in an attempt to be rebellious

3. Deep regret for choosing the JC route and having to subscribe to its rigorous curriculum

4. Great fear of upsetting parents

and a variety of other symptoms associated with grave disappointment.

In my personal opinion, dealing with failure and its effects are largely underrated in the context of school. The impact it leaves on sensitive teenagers is often downplayed.

I often feel I have failed acadamically, in my relationships with people and even as a leader. But as I’m nearing the end of of three out of four years in college, I am learning to embrace my failures.

You see, a funny thing happened to me recently. After a few cycles of disappointment and grief, I started to see myself in a new light.

I began to feel proud of myself for how much I’ve grown instead of  focusing on how much growing up I still have left to do.

I recognised that it is impossible to learn anything of worth without failing a few times.

And most importantly I think I’m finally understanding that there is great truth in the saying that all that truly matters is that we don’t give up.

I know that I will continue to struggle with picking myself up from failure, in the same way many other Victorians will too.

But today I’d like to challenge my peers to wear the scars of your disappointment and hurt with pride as they are symbols of strength rather than weakness. So stop being fearful of what has happened and what is to come.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said that you gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face.

Do YOU dare to be brave today?

 

 

 
No Comments

Posted in Random Musings, Wider Perspectives

 

Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition

06 Oct

One man’s intuition opened a new chapter in the history of technology.  This man brought us the revolutionary and the never-before-seen. His courage to follow his heart and his intuition led to the creation of a whole new league of products.

But, the legacy he leaves behind is one that exists beyond the tangible. In this world where comfort means blending in with the crowd, Steve Jobs’ amazing career teaches us the value of following our hearts and being leaders.

Steve Jobs, (1955-2011) thank you.

To pay tribute to this great man, join a group of inspired individuals on October 14th, 2011.

 

Attached Files:

 
No Comments

Posted in Beyond Borders, Wider Perspectives

 

Trending now: What did they do to deserve this?

27 Mar

Twitter has one. Facebook’s version is called ‘Top news’. Tumblr’s ‘reblog and like’ functions indicate popularity across blogs.

What am I talking about? A blaring, in-your-face trending bars that tell you what’s in and what’s not. Memes have transcended boundaries to take the Internet world through social media platforms by storm, and by default, have begun to determine the news of tomorrow even in traditional outlets like .

Rebecca Black and Charlie Sheen are just two recent viral phenomena that have gained instant popularity, if you could call it popularity as much as name-bashing, parody-making and poking fun at them. Never before has the spotlight been more cruel to those whose one claim to fame is an amateurish music video with cheesy lyrics.

When Facebook started letting people tag their friends in their statuses, it seemed that every single stupid mistake could possibly be broadcast across continents albeit within a limited social network. Now, if you have wireless or 3G and a camera, possibly with a video function, you could bring down the reputation of a little-known bathroom singer. Humor, parody and pastiche.

Rebecca Black’s Friday video has over 55 million views with comments appearing on the live feed almost every second. At least 16 parodies have spawned YouTube alone, with a special one by Conan O’Brien wittily named ‘Thursday’.

It’s a well-known fact that more people voted for the finals of American Idol than they did for their presidential polls. Perhaps all you need is a little social media spice to turn you into an instant celebrity. But can you handle the fame?

 
No Comments

Posted in Wider Perspectives

 

The Arab World: The dominoes start to fall

27 Mar

The Arab World: The Dominoes start to fall

The region’s Western-backed dictators face protests

By Abdul Rahman Khan

SINGAPORE − The Seat of the League of Arab States, Cairo is faced with a new challenge to embrace democracy as the nation faces protesters demanding an end to the Mubarak regime. Similar scenes are being reported across the Arab World. By January 2011, protests were seen in Yemen, Syria and across the Maghreb. The event was ignited when Mohamed Bouazizi, 26, burned himself in order to protest the Tunisian government’s failure to provide for the people. This was met with copycats from across the region but all point to the fall of the autocratic Arab regimes which have ruled their lands by decree through policing the streets for decades.

While the world, including the US government, protested against France’s legislation to ban the burqa, countries such as Tunisia has banned the hijab entirely. Egypt cited concerns over Muslim political parties, which are deemed legal in the West. Contrary to popular belief, the Middle East is not the bastion of Islam and Islamism, more often than not portrayed by the West. In fact, Mr Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia’s ousted dictator, was known to have arrested people for going to the mosque too often.[1]

Mr Hosni Mubarak, who is the fourth Egyptian President, said that he was “fed up with being president” in an interview with ABC News on 4 February 2011 and that “he would like to leave office now, but cannot, for fear that Egypt would sink with him”. Mr Mubarak said that he was worried of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s main Islamist opposition, taking over administration of the country. The Muslim Brotherhood has been banned for decades and suddenly saw itself in the limelight following the protests. The Muslim Brotherhood is not taking chances in seizing the opportunity and has been acting with caution − not making any half-witted comments which might blow its chances of ruling Egypt. About 20% of the Egyptian populace has expressed support of the Islamist party.

Most interestingly, peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authorities, which the conservative Israeli government has been fairly uninterested in, has seen haste in resumption by the Israeli government. Egypt and the United States of America have traditionally brokered such talks, with the Obama administration faltering at even stopping the Israelis from building settlements in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories. Seemingly, the Egyptians have accomplished in a week or so what the Americans have not been able to accomplish for years.

All in all, the West, should not fear the uprisings in the Middle East but embrace it. It cannot fully claim to be a beacon of human rights and democracy if it places stability in the Middle East over democracy and human rights because as history has proven time and time again, stability, in the long run especially, comes with democracy. US President Barack Obama should not be afraid to say the ‘D’ word when it comes to the Middle East. This is a turning point in the Middle East and there is almost nothing that the West can do to stop what the Arabs affectionately call a Tunisami.

[1] http://www.economist.com/node/17959620?story_id=17959620

Abdul Rahman is a final year student at Victoria Junior College. He is a guest blogger for Subjectif’s new series called Wider Perspectives in which students write about world issues beyond the school gates. The views expressed in this article are his own.

 

 
No Comments

Posted in Wider Perspectives