http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYKfVH2TUBU

U shld now quickly go sign up a muay thai or some other martial arts lessons, & put ur skills to good use.

There’s no such thing as satanic forces, every people has a fundamental darkness inside them, who they themselves know it. It’s ultimately up to them to overcome it. Seeking help from external sources like Exorcists (who “OOH!!! AAH!!! in the name of blah blah blah blah blah), actually in fact are running away from their own problems & not dare to face reality.

They’re also deaf, they like the blast their music from their cellphones & then ‘share’ with the passengers in buses.

ONLY EXCLUSIVELY IN S’pore, that SMRT is able to perform a F_U_C_KED UP JOB & CAN STILL GET AWAY WITH IT, & the people can do nothing about it who seems like are at the mercy of SMRT, & still able to constantly SUCK OUT the PEOPLE’s BLOOD. Their service is 200% not value for money, SMRT is a really mutha fu_cka vagina company. WELCOME TO HELL IN A BUS!!!

Rally every single internet users & download anime altogether, then let’s sit back & watch how’s Odex going to sue the majority of the population in Singapore. If want to do, must do it BIG!!! Let’s all overwhelmed Odex!!! Odex, u bloody f_u_c_k_i_n_g chee bye!!!

Immediately run to the Istana, the US embassy, or LKY’s house. The US embassy & LKY’s house, I think better, coz have the protection from the WONDERFUL GURKHAS!!!

Anyone here know what are the bus service numbers that go to Nee Soon Camp?

Do the hanging knee raise. It targets the obliques, a pair of muscles that run diagonally along the sides of your torso & are responsible for its ability to flex. It also works the lower portion of the rectus abdominis, the large muscle that flexes the torso forwards & backwards. This muscle is responsible for the rippled 'six-pack' or 'shredded' abs look so many guys covet.

Crunches alone won't deliver that six-pack - although this much appreciated exercise does assist mightily in abs development & definition. Only aerobic exercise & a fat-burning diet will reveal those much-desired bulges that yearn for development.

Singaporeans are pathetic & worse than the Chinese in COMMUNIST China. Even the farmers over there dare to protest, & then plus the famous Tiananmen incident. Singaporeans are virtually being ‘tamed’ already. Unless Singaporeans wake up their ideas & not blindly vote for the PAP, our future generations will forever be paying big money to the PAP bloodsuckers.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/ConsumerActionGuide/10ThingsYourGymWontTellYou.aspx?page=2

6. "Be sure to read the fine print on our contract."
The devil is in the details, and it's never truer than when it comes to fitness-club contracts. Fast-talking reps may offer you a deal you can't refuse, but often that's exactly what you should do.

"Sometimes you end up with salespeople trying to make quotas that engage in pressure," says Helen Durkin, the head of public policy at IHRSA, the health-club association.

Occasionally, this can lead to a glossing over of details. One Bally offer that has elicited complaints on Consumer Affairs' Web site is a 30-day trial membership with a catch: You must visit the club a minimum of 12 times during the first month to cancel without penalty; otherwise, you're locked into a multiyear membership. Some consumers complain that they did attend the required number of times but that when they decided to cancel, the club had no record of the visits. A Bally spokesperson says the company's policy is to check all members entering the club and record their usage.

Your best defense: Read every word of the contract. Never rely on a suave salesperson's "word" no matter what authority they profess, and don't let anyone pressure you into signing before you're ready. Take the contract home and read it overnight.

7. "Our equipment can be downright dangerous."
Unlike many businesses, fitness clubs do not need a special license to operate. Furthermore, although the American College of Sports Medicine and other groups publish guidelines for the industry, they don't have the teeth of the law.

"In most cases, (the gym) is not a safe place to go because there is little standardization," says Marc Rabinoff, a forensic expert and professor of human performance and sport at the Metropolitan State College of Denver.

Take equipment maintenance, for example. Although manufacturers must include instructions with exercise machines, nothing forces gyms to follow them, Rabinoff says. Injuries can result from poorly or improperly maintained equipment, says Cedric Bryant, the chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise. Harold Leon Bostick knows that all too well. Because of a design defect in a machine he was using, a stack of weights came crashing down while the law student was doing squats at a California gym in 2001, severing his spinal cord.

Bryant recommends asking to see maintenance and cleaning logs -- hallmarks of a good club. Gold's Gym, for one, says it follows manufacturers' maintenance guidance to the letter and replaces equipment every five to seven years. Avoid machines that stick or don't move smoothly.

8. "Everything is negotiable."
Balloons and freebies often signal promotion time at your local gym -- most frequently before the holidays and at the start of summer. (See "Cut-weight deals at your gym.")

Already a member? Jot down these specials and ask for one of them when it comes time to renew your membership. Some gyms will honor the rate months after the posters come down, says Mark, of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta.

If you're looking into a new membership, remember that the cheapest deals will likely be those that lock you in for a long time. For example, Bally's flexible plans, including month-to-month memberships, typically cost $5 to $10 a month more than its popular long-term plan. As for trainers, you might be able to get a break if you decide to share sessions with a friend or two, says Carol Espel, Equinox's national group-fitness director.

9. "If your wallet gets lifted, it's not our problem."
In 2003, the FBI put out a bulletin about a group of burglars stealing credit cards from lockers of health-club members on the East Coast. Since then, there's been no similar FBI bulletin, but that doesn't mean your valuables are safe at the gym. You never know who's lurking around the locker room while you're sweating away on the elliptical machine.

"For so many people, the health club is like a community," says IHRSA spokesperson Brooke Correia. "You feel very comfortable, but there are situations where potential thieves will break into the club and take advantage of that safe atmosphere."

Ben Osbun tried to end 2004 on a healthy note by working out at his local YMCA on New Year's Eve. But the day quickly soured. When the Chicago real estate agent returned to his locker, he found that the padlock had been cut and his cell phone, keys and wallet were missing. Only his jacket was left behind; the thieves showed him some mercy since it was December, Osbun says. He adds that the gym staff wasn't particularly surprised by the incident because petty theft is common in health clubs. Osbun learned his lesson; he now brings very little with him to the gym.

If you do intend to store items in a locker while you're working out, IHRSA recommends using a padlock with a key, which is harder to pick than a combination lock. That wouldn't have helped Osbun any, of course.

10. "Go ahead and sue; you'll never win."
Fitness clubs know how to watch their backs, legally speaking. It's nearly impossible to visit a fitness center without signing a waiver that absolves the club of liability -- involving everything from malfunctioning machines that cause injury to improper instruction by staff members.

In Michael Stokes' case, it was a defect in the basketball court's floor at his Kent, Wash., gym that caused ruptured tendons in his knee and shoulder. Though a judge found that Stokes may not have known what he was signing, a subsequent appellate-court ruling upheld the waiver and dismissed the case, says Mark Davis, a lawyer who represented Stokes.

That's how it usually goes because the majority of states' courts tend to side with the gyms on the matter of liability waivers, while only a handful, including those in New York and Virginia, are likely to rule against them. Occasionally, a judge will rule in behalf of plaintiffs in instances of gross negligence, but that bar is set pretty high in some states, such as Washington, Davis says.

Bottom line: Understand that you're taking your health in your own hands when you go to the gym, so you need to watch your own back -- literally.

This article was reported and written by Reshma Kapadia for SmartMoney.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/ConsumerActionGuide/10ThingsYourGymWontTellYou.aspx?page=1

10 things your gym won't tell you
Not all health clubs are problem-plagued, but don't be surprised if yours is filled with illness-causing bacteria, employs a poorly trained staff and makes it expensive to quit.

1. "If you're still here in April, it'll be a miracle."
The fitness craze is going gangbusters, with gym attendance up 23% since 2001, to 41.3 million, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA).

Most new recruits sign up in January, the busiest month for fitness clubs. That's when well-intentioned souls trying to stick to their New Year's resolutions flood their local gyms, often resulting in long lines at the treadmills, overtaxed gym staffs and towel shortages in the locker rooms.

But it's not long before the throngs thin; most people who make those resolutions trip up in the first 90 days, says Alan Marlatt, the director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center at the University of Washington. Indeed, that's what clubs expect. "They bet on it," says Meg Jordan, the editor of American Fitness magazine, adding that most gyms count on a 20% to 30% dropout rate. (See also "The skinny on weight-loss Web sites.")

In the meantime, there are ways to avoid the January crowds and make it past the 90-day hump. When selecting a gym, visit the facility during the time of day you're most likely to attend. If it's crowded, check to see whether waiting lists and time limits on machines are enforced or whether it's a free-for-all.

2. "Don't touch anything -- this place is crawling with bacteria."
About 80% of all infectious diseases are transmitted by both direct and indirect contact, says Philip Tierno, the director of clinical microbiology at New York University Medical Center and the author of "The Secret Life of Germs." That makes the gym, with its sweaty bodies in close proximity, a highly conducive environment for catching everything from athlete's foot to the flu.

In swabs of medicine balls, for example, Tierno found samples of community-acquired MRSA, a strain of staph resistant to some antibiotics. "You take your chances," Tierno says. "Any time you touch a medicine ball or machine, you have to know that your hands are contaminated and should be washed."

What about those spray bottles that some gyms provide for wiping down equipment? They may help, Tierno says, but he recommends additional measures, such as wearing long sleeves and pants while working out. Also, bring your own towels because there's no guarantee that your gym's linens have been bleached or rinsed in clean water. While in the locker room, make sure you wear flip-flops, and avoid sitting nude on any exposed surface.

3. "We're not equipped to handle health emergencies."
Almost one-third of sudden cardiac arrests outside homes and hospitals occur in fitness clubs or sports facilities, says Mary Fran Hazinski, a registered nurse and senior science editor for the American Heart Association.

Yet most health clubs aren't fully prepared for such crises. That was the case at a 24 Hour Fitness in California, where Nick Pombra, 43, collapsed after running on a treadmill in July 2004. The gym staff tried CPR, but by the time paramedics arrived, it was too late, says Mike Danko, a lawyer for Pombra's family. The fitness company declined to comment.

Though effective CPR can buy time, it won't reset a heart after cardiac arrest. That's where automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, come in. Chances for revival drop as much as 10% each minute that passes without proper CPR and defibrillation. But even in states such as New York that require gyms to have CPR equipment, as well as AEDs and trained personnel in clubs with more than 500 members, two-thirds surveyed by the attorney general's office in 2005 weren't in compliance. Find out if your club has the right equipment and, equally important, a staff trained to use it.

4. "Our trainers don't know what they're doing."
If you work out at a gym, chances are an on-site personal trainer will try to sell you his or her expertise. And with their Colgate smiles and buff bodies, they must be able to teach you a thing or two about getting into shape, right? Not necessarily. Trainers need no standard certification, and the credentials that some flash require only a quick online course or a fee, says Neal Pire, a fitness-industry consultant and former trainer.

Jonathan Jacobson, a marketing executive with a degenerative disk disease in his lower back, sought out a trainer to design a routine appropriate for his condition. But after a boxing regimen the trainer recommended, he was left in pain. When his doctor told Jacobson, 35, to stop, the trainer suggested Pilates, which only further aggravated the problem, leading to a slew of medical procedures.

"He had certificates and tons of plaques on the wall," Jacobson says. "It's taken about a year to not be in pain every day."

You should seek trainers with credentials from respected institutions such as the American College of Sports Medicine or the National Strength Conditioning Association, preferably with some training in sports medicine or physical education.

5. "We won't let you quit."
If you think giving up the Ben & Jerry's is tough, try quitting your gym. Trouble canceling membership is one of the top complaints against fitness clubs logged with the Better Business Bureau and states' attorneys general.

Before Chris Hinkle and his wife moved to North Carolina, they met with the manager at their Gold's Gym in Austin, Texas, to cancel their prepaid membership. They were told a refund check would be in the mail. That was March. After months of unreturned calls, Hinkle contacted the Better Business Bureau, which also got no answer from Gold's and gave it an unsatisfactory rating.

"I was an ecstatic booster of Gold's," Hinkle says. "Now I tell people to never go there." A Gold's spokesperson says the club sends a refund in such cases once it receives proof of a move -- documentation Hinkle says the Austin manager didn't ask for in March.

For those paying monthly, calls from collectors or a battered credit score may be the first clue a membership was never terminated, says Todd Mark of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta. Follow contract terms to the letter, providing proof of a move or a doctor's note. Create a paper trail, and alert credit agencies about any dispute. (See also "How to quit the gym (or anything).")

When the ministers pay hike was announced, not even a single soul from the parliament openly rejected the pay hike, everybody in there just gladly accepted it!!! All are pieces of s_h_i_t_s that the S’poreans can do without with!!!

1. Pay And Pay
2. Pay And Pay
3. Pay And Pay

The day that the UWC won The Arena, was the day that the traditional S’pore (or should I say Asian) academic meritocracy system was given a huge slap & punch in the face. Woooooo!!! This alone shows that scoring abundant A1s or getting excellent grades prove nothing at all, it doesn’t represent anything. The traditional Asian (Singapore) academic meritocracy system doesn’t gives the students an ‘extra’ edge, I dun know what is that ‘extra’, but I feel that the S’porean students dun have that something ‘extra’. One very good example: S’porean students have been consistently topping or scoring very well in the international math & science olympiad competitions, but I’ve been waiting & waiting & waiting & waiting & waiting & waiting & waiting & waiting & waiting for a S’porean to win a Nobel Prize.

Maybe those young PAPs are our future PARROTS & CHEERLEADERS in the parliament, BUT I think the people wouldn't want parrots & cheerleaders to serve them. I wouldn't want to pay them huge amounts of money for them just to praise whatever policies that are implemented in the parliament, what I want is really sincere people who would love to serve the people & country without complaining, regardless of the circumstances, plus they must have this mentality: "It doesn't matter if the people didn't thank me, what's most important that I'm satisfied just by serving & helping the people."
It's not surprising if the majority of the young PAPs were born with the silver or golden spoon.

Originally posted by hiphop2009:

elo~

u are really lame~

outsource, u think u running some companies is it? run govt is nt run company u noe. company go bankrupt or busted den forget it, can start again, no need tell or explain one. if govt goes bankrupt or inefficient den muz answer to 4 million pple one u noe?

Hello hiphop2009, WAKE UP, WAKE UP!!! Live after for so long in S'pore, u still dun know that S'pore is run like a company?!! U'd better ask the people around u.

ST Tuesday, March 27

"If people don't have a sense of value, they're just worse than mercenaries... My generation has a value system, we hope the present generation does. And people who don't have that, we'd better forget them. Hire more hungry non-Singaporeans to come here, & they will add to our value system. And that is the most important. If you have no value system, there is no future. I'm known as very tough because I believe we all must have a value sytem. Maybe I'm old-fashioned."

PHILIP YEO, commenting on a recent Sunday Times article, where he was reported to have clashed online with Singaporean blogger Chen Jiahao.

Bloody piece of s_h_i_t, all talk no action!!! Our fault is it?!! It's totally useless for him commenting on the newspaper. He think that S'poreans have the power to change the system, he said like very easy. If he think the present generation don't have a value system, he should go & tell LKY's PAP government, who was the actual creator of the present 'no value system', which emphasizes a lot only on obtaining good grades!!!

the sunday times March 25

TOKYO - Nearly two-thirds of Japanese voters gave Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government low marks for its first six months in office, with gaffes by ministers cited as a top factor, a poll by the Yomiuri Shimbun showed yesterday.

Some 19.8% of the 1741 voters surveyed last weekend found nothing to commend, while 40.3% found the Cabinet's performance lacklustre, the newspaper poll showed.

It also showed that 31.8% of voters called the government's performance "somewhat commendable", & only 4.5% said it was doing a highly commendable job.

Will we have see the SPH conduct the same poll on the PAP government? And will the people close their eyes AGAIN & vote in the poll, that the PAP government is doing a very job?

It only exists in your mind, & your mind is also the projector when u ‘see’ the ghost.

From what I’ve read, time will cure the hangover.

Should go straight up & tell the monk, “It’d be better for you to go some African or other third world countries & help the impoverished people over there, rather than just meditating, you’re not contributing & not helping anyone.”

Originally posted by gigabyte14:

walao, obvious answer ma, but good question.

most members are xiao di di, yes?

but nowadays secret societies called gangs now wat...

the xdd ah, join for protection, for fun, for "coolness"...

well what i can say is, still childish thinking, childish people.

let them realise their mistakes thru time lo.

They always behave like animals, only dare to bully the weak!!! If they have the 'BALLS', so much 'COURAGE' & so 'FEARLESS', they should sign up for the US Army & go & fight in the Iraq War, then we'll see how 'COURAGEOUS" are they, & how BIG their 'BALLS' are!!! If they go I'll absolutely SALUTE them for it ah!!!

ST Forum > Online Story

March 19, 2007

Disturbing it should be considered acceptable to be distraught at not achieving perfection

I FEEL compelled to respond to Mr Lim Boon Tong's letter, 'You need brains or lots of dough to pursue higher education' (Online Forum, March 10). He defends the weeping of the A-level students at Raffles Junior College as a reflection of the famed Rafflesian spirit that causes students to strive for excellence in all fields.
I have not studied in RI. Nor has my personal path been particularly entwined with that of a Rafflesian. Mr Lim's personal account is the first I have heard describing the ethos of this famous school. What I find disturbing is that it should be considered acceptable - commendable, even - to be so distraught at not achieving perfection.

These students are the cream of our academic crop. A large portion will presumably go on to premier institutions of higher learning and in time will occupy positions of authority and power. The old stereotype that 'RI boys rule the country' is not entirely without basis.

In the new economy where rules are re-written with each new venture, I would be more comfortable with leaders who are acquainted with failure and setbacks, rather than with someone whose CV begins with an honour roll of his awards and scholarships.

Mr Lim also says it is normal for students to chase paper qualifications in their youth as there will be time for non-academic pursuits later. We do a disservice to our young when we tell them to 'concentrate on their studies' when they are young and worry about other things later. To be able to hold a conversation well, to have the skills to negotiate a sticky issue, to be a good judge of character, to have the mental strength to go beyond a setback, to be able to see another person's point of view, to have the heart to see another person's need - these are skills that require time-consuming investment outside of self and studies.

In the two decades since my own junior college days I have learnt many times over that the measure of a man is not where he started (with perfect scores at every major exam, for example), nor is it the place he has arrived at (CEO at 40 years of age?), but how he has travelled along his journey.

I hope my eulogy will describe me as a good wife and a loving mother, or as a good friend, or as someone who inspired others to be something more, and not as someone who did well in her O and A levels, who collected a clutch of degrees, and who landed a plum job that enabled her to buy a condominium before she turned 30.

It is vital we teach our young to look at life and achievements and failures and imperfections in perspective.

Ong Chooi Peng (Mrs)

Texas, USA

ST Forum > Online Story

March 17, 2007

Dialect has made Singapore Chinese culture rich and colourful, but it is at risk of dying out

I HAD the privilege of growing up speaking English, Mandarin and dialect. However, dialect (meaning spoken Chinese or fangyan) is at risk of dying out and little is done to conserve and promote this integral part of local Chinese ethnicity.
If conservation of historical sites is given immense support because they are important to local culture, more should be done for dialect. Dialect has profoundly influenced local Chinese culture in numerous ways. From our dialect-inspired dishes to native lingo, dialect has made Singapore Chinese culture so rich and colourful.

As a mother, I am concerned that the global blah of TV, fast food, Internet and so on is diluting the appreciation of our roots. The local situation is worsened with increasingly more children raised by foreign maids. Local children are sent to countless enrichment classes for advancement, but given little time to learn their cultural heritage. We cannot stop modernisation, yet it is eroding local Chinese ethnicity rapidly. Many minority dialects here have dwindled or are already completely lost.

Beyond teaching our children intellectual cultural knowledge, simple dialect-speaking helps identify one's roots immediately. Dialect is fundamental to Chinese heritage. When I started speaking dialect to my daughter, she instinctively connected herself to our family roots. Previously, our cultural roots were just 'head knowledge' to her. Now, she is proud that her father is Hainanese and her mother is Cantonese. She appreciates how fascinating her family history is.

Dialect links us to our roots. Many young local Chinese do not know, or even care, which dialect group they belong to. We should still use English and Mandarin language, but dialect-speaking should not be forgotten in the process. Many Chinese do not communicate in dialect to their young anymore. If something is not done to promote dialect, local Chinese culture will have little profundity eventually.

Dialect is a beautiful aspect of Chinese culture. It is not a language for the 'old' or 'uncouth'. The next generation needs to see the value of dialect - it delves into our roots and reveals a bigger picture of ourselves.

Can dialect survive by itself in Singapore? Like environmental conservation, more must be done before it is too late. Everyone has a part to play. Perhaps because we are a majority ethnic group, we think dialect will thrive naturally. Unfortunately, it will not. We do not want to wait till the last breathe of dialect is spoken to realise what is authentic to us is truly lost.

Joanna Chan Yea Ling (Mdm)