Joke of the day

NCPG highlights potential dangers of problem gambling during Lunar New Year
>By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 19 February 2007 1652 hrs

A game of cards or a round of mahjong is a common sight during Lunar New Year celebrations.

While most people dabbled with social gambling, others could cross the line.

And the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) is launching a campaign to highlight the potential risk of compulsive gambling.

Unlike substance abusers like alcoholics and drug addicts, a problem gambler may not be easily spotted, especially when they manage to hide their addiction.

But there are tell-tale signs, says the NCPG.

And this Lunar New Year, it is running a campaign fronted by MediaCorp actor Li Nanxing to remind people of the risk associated with excessive gambling.

Mildred Tan, Chairman, Public Education Sub-committee, NCPG , says: "In social gambling, people tend to have a lot of fun and laughter, and they teased each other, and I think we welcome the community bonding and social spirit that goes with these activities. I think where we would highlight is when an individual runs out of money at the table and starts borrowing, and that's beginning of potential of problems."

The Council says friends and family members can play a role to help identify those at risk.

Those affected can seek assistance from the two helplines operated by the Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society (1800-X-Gamble) and the Care Corner Counselling Centre (1800-666-8668). - CNA/ch

Of all people, Li Nanxing. He was the lead actor for the famous local drama series in the 90s - Unbeatables I, II, III. And guess what the show was all about? About god of gamblers.

Yan Fei, you go, balls! LOL.

The degree conundrum

OMG I had a dream i was in melbourne uni studying. Was that a sign or something? I checked out the course outline, pretty similar to what I took last year. Doesnt take rocket science to figure that im actually very much leaning towards it at the expense of a high price.

Im kind of sick listening to half baked teaching really. After 1st march when the summer semester results are released, I will get all my docs n go down Hui and Kuah and make another inquiry. Im hoping with exemptions from poly(low B) and my stellar first sem results(ha) might be good enough to make a claim to finish it in one/one and a half year MAX without honours.

S$60k is a lot of cash; can buy shiwei's lancer and still got left over for fixed deposit! But if things turn out the way i hope, I think i will just beg borrow, steal. Riding on the brand name, plenty of doors will be opened to me, and if im lucky to work in Aussieland, I could make back that amount in 2 years. Of course thats the ideal scenario, but as Life as we know, isnt always smooth sailing. So i just got to pray and hope.

Took snapshots for Kumar, it was funny, then when I look at Helen tan, i want to laugh at times because I will start to remember kumar's imitation of her nasal voice. That girl really can act. Today was O levels results, didnt turn out too well for people like pet and sam etc. When i saw pet's swollen eyes, the outcome was conspicuously clear. Well buddy, no ACJC no biggie la!

On another note, LKY's daughter in a face off with Philip Yeo on the biomedical woes.

"I would challenge that, having never
practised as a doctor, Mr Yeo is strategising
about biomedical research directions in
an ivory tower. He has been very successful
in selling Singapore in the past, but biomedical
research is a different ball game.
The fact that he dismisses the importance
of Hepatitis B and head injury shows how
out of touch he is with reality."

This is so going to be interesting. Philip Yeo probably never saw it coming. Probably one of the more prominent advocators in pushing Singapore in the forefront for life sciences only to make this famous U-turn statement that degree holders are only fit to wash test tubes. I wonder how the life science undergraduates at nus/ntu felt upon hearing the words of wisdom by the man himself.

But this one takes truely the cake, courtesy of sammyboy by HeWolf

1. LHL says that GST is needed to help the POOR.
2. MM LKY says that GST is to offset the 1% corporate tas cut to stay competitive.
3. GCT says GST is needed to realise promises made during GE.
4. And now the Mah Mah says that GST is needed to build roads, bridges and etc.
5. Palmer says GST is for HDB upgrade.

Now you have 5 people from the same camp saying different things. So which is the correct reason? LOL.

Wat a depressing day

Did the paper and couldnt finish on time. Now thats really fucked up. I mean if you didnt know how to do, and you left blank; it couldnt be worse than knowing how to do, yet not being able to complete due to time constraints.

Went to Mag's husband's wake to pay respects. Kind of felt for her, especially her sons. I guess she seemed ok, or more like putting a strong front. On hindsight, the whole thing was really tragic, who would have expected this? Makes one realise how life can be so precious, and to quote my gd' ol fav maxim - You live life once, just fucking do it.

Yep just fucking do it. Even if it didnt turn out well, at least you know you tried, been there, done that regardless of the outcome.

6th Feb

It falls on a tuesday and it is my exam day. 830 in the morning. Woooop deee dooop! Im so not goin to score anyway. Shouldnt have taken summer but oh well.

I asked the lecturer if he taught any other modules, he gave me a couple and asked was it because I wanted him to teach me again as he laughed. And I told him, no. In fact it was the opposite, I will strictly avoid modules taught by him.

I dont need someone to simplify the passage, I need someone to explain concepts in a concise, clear manner that can be digested by any green person. Its not as if I had deficiency in English that I required simplification, besides his English wasnt that fantastic either.

He was comparing theme as a technique in aspect programming, so I asked him was it similar to using Ajax for web applications. And the whole class and him looked at me as if I went off tangent and was babbling about the little town in Amsterdam, Holland instead.

As usual, ask the aussie lecturer himself via email. It may not be 100% clear, as compared to face to face, but surely I have an idea whats going on.