Considering that the Nobel Committee once awarded its annual Peace Prize to U.S. President Barack Obama just 3 months into his presidency for doing…well, nothing, I guess the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to 3 women for promoting women’s rights is to be expected. However that still doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.
Now I have nothing against Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee or Tawakul Karman, but there is a huge difference between women’s rights and promoting world peace! By their own definition, the Nobel Committee admitted that the 3 women are promoting women’s rights. So how in the world can they justified awarding them the Noble PEACE Prize?
That makes no sense! Women's rights is women's rights; there is a lot of difference between promoting that and promoting world peace. A hell lot of difference!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Monkeys and Humans
One of the joys of the joys of walking at the Forest Walk in Telok Blangah is that at times you can see a band of macaque monkeys walking along the trail. I must have walk along that trail over 50 times and I’m always on the lookout for the monkeys.
To me, it’s a joy to see them. Unfortunately, that does not seem the case for some Singaporeans. National Parks Board (NParks) officers say that they are looking for a monkey who is attacking people along the park. To me, they should be looking out for the humans along the trail, not the monkeys.
I must have jogged past those monkeys 2 dozen times by now and not once did I ever have any problems with the monkeys. The problem lies not with the monkeys but with the idiot humans on the trail. Basically Singaporeans are city people and most of us are extremely uncomfortable with wild animals. I have seem people screaming their lungs the moment they see the monkeys. FOR NO APPARENT REASON!
The monkey will just be sitting there on the metal railings of the skywalk, the humans are the ones walking past and the moment the monkey look at them, they will start screaming. I even once saw a girl going close to take a photo of a monkey but the moment the monkey turned its head and looked at her, she backpedaled screaming. And she was the one who got close to the monkey!
To me, Nparks are looking at the wrong species. To me, the monkeys are okay because even if they follow you, after awhile they would tail off. The main problems on the trail are humans who visit a 9km chain of green open spaces and, for some reason, are afraid of seeing monkeys! To me, the problems between monkeys and humans on the trail are more due to humans than monkeys.
To me, it’s a joy to see them. Unfortunately, that does not seem the case for some Singaporeans. National Parks Board (NParks) officers say that they are looking for a monkey who is attacking people along the park. To me, they should be looking out for the humans along the trail, not the monkeys.
I must have jogged past those monkeys 2 dozen times by now and not once did I ever have any problems with the monkeys. The problem lies not with the monkeys but with the idiot humans on the trail. Basically Singaporeans are city people and most of us are extremely uncomfortable with wild animals. I have seem people screaming their lungs the moment they see the monkeys. FOR NO APPARENT REASON!
The monkey will just be sitting there on the metal railings of the skywalk, the humans are the ones walking past and the moment the monkey look at them, they will start screaming. I even once saw a girl going close to take a photo of a monkey but the moment the monkey turned its head and looked at her, she backpedaled screaming. And she was the one who got close to the monkey!
To me, Nparks are looking at the wrong species. To me, the monkeys are okay because even if they follow you, after awhile they would tail off. The main problems on the trail are humans who visit a 9km chain of green open spaces and, for some reason, are afraid of seeing monkeys! To me, the problems between monkeys and humans on the trail are more due to humans than monkeys.
Friday, October 7, 2011
The “New 52"
It has been a month since DC launched their titles under the “New 52” logo. As a marketing tool, the “New 52” is a clear success but are the titles worth the hype? It’s still early days but read on and find out my views on the “New 52”. (Now there’s no way I am going to write 52 reviews on all the #1 so I am splitting the titles under the different lines they are under.)
Justice League- DC has openly said that Justice League will be the new flagship of the DCU. Geoff Johns and Jim Lee say they have a plan for JL but it may be a standalone plan because thus far there has been little to connect the various JL titles. I know it’s just #1 but I really can’t see any connection whatsoever between Justice League, Justice League International and Justice League Dark. All 3 titles seem more interested in showing how the different teams came together which I think is a waste. DC should get its gears in order and show why all 3 teams have the Justice League name on them.
Batman- Last I checked, Bruce Wayne was globetrotting around the world putting his Batman Inc. together but under the “New 52”, he is back as Batman and struck in Gotham. Frankly I prefer him going around the world, leaving Gotham to Dick Grayson. Of all the lines, I find the Bat titles having suffered the most under the revamp. Before the revamp, the various titles have ongoing stories that were both intense and interesting. Although not much have changed under the revamp, the writers are going to have to waste a few issues to state the new status quo instead of pushing on with the stories.
Superman- Unlike the Bat titles which underwent minor changes, the Superman titles underwent massive changes in an effort to spruce things up. Sadly I found that most of the changes missed the mark. Splitting the titles to show Clark Kent as a young Superboy and as Superman is in my view a bad move. The revamp is supposed to make things easier for readers and having 2 titles showing Clark Kent in 2 different ages is just confusing. Worse, there is a separate Superboy title showing Conner Kent! Good luck trying to keep the timeline in order as the titles goes on!
Green Lantern- Unlike the changes that the rest of the DCU have undergone, the GL titles have came through the revamp untouched. It is a smart move by DC as there’s no reason to fix something that’s not broken. I’m a little worried about the new “The Red Lanterns” series as the first 2 issues have not been impressive but I feel good for the overall health of the various GL titles. No need to change a good thing.
History- Yes, I know there’s no such thing as the “History Line” in DC but there should be! I have always enjoyed history and I love the fact that DC is trying to fresh out the history of the “New 52”. Between I,Vampire, All-Star Western, Stormwatch & Demon Knights, DC is showing that although superheroes are new to the public of the DCU, there always had been beings with superpowers throughout its history. This is something DC should continue with because the potential is incredible. They could have series set in the 1930s (Justice Society), Victorian England (Batman by Gaslight) or anytime in the past and it would make perfect sense. The writers are also having a blast as they are having fun filling in the background of the new DCU. I,Vampire & Demon Knights are 2 of the better series in the revamp and we need more!
Verdict
The “New 52” had been sold out but overall I feel that they were more due to a marketing success than a creative one. Creatively there has been some success on certain titles but if the reason for the revamp was to streamline the DCU to make it more accessible to new readers, I don’t think I can call the revamp a success. Personally, I don’t think new readers will find the “New 52” any more accessible than the old DCU. I mean the “Huntress” series isn’t even set in the “New 52” DCU.
However what the “New 52” did managed to do was to get readers to pick up the books due to all the hype. On that front, on the commercial and marketing side of the business, the “New 52” can be called, yes, a success.
Justice League- DC has openly said that Justice League will be the new flagship of the DCU. Geoff Johns and Jim Lee say they have a plan for JL but it may be a standalone plan because thus far there has been little to connect the various JL titles. I know it’s just #1 but I really can’t see any connection whatsoever between Justice League, Justice League International and Justice League Dark. All 3 titles seem more interested in showing how the different teams came together which I think is a waste. DC should get its gears in order and show why all 3 teams have the Justice League name on them.
Batman- Last I checked, Bruce Wayne was globetrotting around the world putting his Batman Inc. together but under the “New 52”, he is back as Batman and struck in Gotham. Frankly I prefer him going around the world, leaving Gotham to Dick Grayson. Of all the lines, I find the Bat titles having suffered the most under the revamp. Before the revamp, the various titles have ongoing stories that were both intense and interesting. Although not much have changed under the revamp, the writers are going to have to waste a few issues to state the new status quo instead of pushing on with the stories.
Superman- Unlike the Bat titles which underwent minor changes, the Superman titles underwent massive changes in an effort to spruce things up. Sadly I found that most of the changes missed the mark. Splitting the titles to show Clark Kent as a young Superboy and as Superman is in my view a bad move. The revamp is supposed to make things easier for readers and having 2 titles showing Clark Kent in 2 different ages is just confusing. Worse, there is a separate Superboy title showing Conner Kent! Good luck trying to keep the timeline in order as the titles goes on!
Green Lantern- Unlike the changes that the rest of the DCU have undergone, the GL titles have came through the revamp untouched. It is a smart move by DC as there’s no reason to fix something that’s not broken. I’m a little worried about the new “The Red Lanterns” series as the first 2 issues have not been impressive but I feel good for the overall health of the various GL titles. No need to change a good thing.
History- Yes, I know there’s no such thing as the “History Line” in DC but there should be! I have always enjoyed history and I love the fact that DC is trying to fresh out the history of the “New 52”. Between I,Vampire, All-Star Western, Stormwatch & Demon Knights, DC is showing that although superheroes are new to the public of the DCU, there always had been beings with superpowers throughout its history. This is something DC should continue with because the potential is incredible. They could have series set in the 1930s (Justice Society), Victorian England (Batman by Gaslight) or anytime in the past and it would make perfect sense. The writers are also having a blast as they are having fun filling in the background of the new DCU. I,Vampire & Demon Knights are 2 of the better series in the revamp and we need more!
Verdict
The “New 52” had been sold out but overall I feel that they were more due to a marketing success than a creative one. Creatively there has been some success on certain titles but if the reason for the revamp was to streamline the DCU to make it more accessible to new readers, I don’t think I can call the revamp a success. Personally, I don’t think new readers will find the “New 52” any more accessible than the old DCU. I mean the “Huntress” series isn’t even set in the “New 52” DCU.
However what the “New 52” did managed to do was to get readers to pick up the books due to all the hype. On that front, on the commercial and marketing side of the business, the “New 52” can be called, yes, a success.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Comics this week
DC Universe Online: Legends #15- After a hiatus due to the New 52, the surprise hit of the old DCU continues. #15 picks up where the last issue left off with Lois Lane dead at the hands of Superman. Wrecked with guilt, Superman went off looking for Brainiac and managed to find him. He killed a robot clone of Brainiac and then flew off. Reading this issue, I get the feeling that everything is coming to a head but I also feel that writers Marv Wolfman and Tony Bedard are writing themselves into a corner. DC Universe Online: Legends is based on the online game which start with Lex Luthor and the heroes of the DCU is a fight to the death. At the end of this issue, it seems that Lex and the JLA are going to be allies! However, as this is by far one of the better series on the stands right now, I have confidence that the writers would make things right by the end.
X-Men: Schism #5- The finale of Schism is here and I find myself mixed on the results. Issue #5 doesn't hold any surprises as it show mainly the brawl between Cyclops and Wolverine and the defeat of the super-Sentinel. Writer Jason Aaron did a competent job lying down the groundwork for the spilt between Cyclops and Wolverine but I find it very hard to align their positions to their personalities. Mainly I have problem with the way Wolverine was portrayed in this series. Logan has always been the most world-weary of the X-Men and the one the X-Men look to if there is something off-the-book they need to do. For him to be the one who refused to send youngsters to war, when the mutant race was on the brink of extinction, seems totally out of character. I would have a much easier time if Scott was the one who refused to send kids to the frontline but Logan…? However the spilt isn’t really what this finale is about. Schism is mostly about introducing new reader to X-Men: Regenesis and the 10+ X-titles that will flood the market after this series. On that front, as an introduction to the X-Men, I feel the series mostly succeed. If nothing else, Schism would streamline the X-titles into titles new readers could get into and that is a good thing.
X-Men: Schism #5- The finale of Schism is here and I find myself mixed on the results. Issue #5 doesn't hold any surprises as it show mainly the brawl between Cyclops and Wolverine and the defeat of the super-Sentinel. Writer Jason Aaron did a competent job lying down the groundwork for the spilt between Cyclops and Wolverine but I find it very hard to align their positions to their personalities. Mainly I have problem with the way Wolverine was portrayed in this series. Logan has always been the most world-weary of the X-Men and the one the X-Men look to if there is something off-the-book they need to do. For him to be the one who refused to send youngsters to war, when the mutant race was on the brink of extinction, seems totally out of character. I would have a much easier time if Scott was the one who refused to send kids to the frontline but Logan…? However the spilt isn’t really what this finale is about. Schism is mostly about introducing new reader to X-Men: Regenesis and the 10+ X-titles that will flood the market after this series. On that front, as an introduction to the X-Men, I feel the series mostly succeed. If nothing else, Schism would streamline the X-titles into titles new readers could get into and that is a good thing.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Once Bitten, Never Again
The air strikes in Libya continue to have wide ramifications far beyond the fighting in Libya. Amid a crackdown in Syria by the ruling Assad regime on protestors, Western countries tabled a UN Security Council resolution threatening action against Syria.
As expected, Russia and China vetoed the resolution.
The resolution on Libya calls only for a no-fly zone but NATO used “the protection of civilians” small-print and launched air-strikes against Libyan forces. It was an incredible overstep of the Libyan resolution which changed the course of a civil war that is still ongoing.
Worse for countries like Russia, China, India and Brazil, all the oil deals they signed with the previous government are now up in the air as no one is actually sure who is in charge in Libya right now. As they say; once bitten, twice shy. No way is any resolution on Syria is going to pass the Security Council.
As expected, Russia and China vetoed the resolution.
The resolution on Libya calls only for a no-fly zone but NATO used “the protection of civilians” small-print and launched air-strikes against Libyan forces. It was an incredible overstep of the Libyan resolution which changed the course of a civil war that is still ongoing.
Worse for countries like Russia, China, India and Brazil, all the oil deals they signed with the previous government are now up in the air as no one is actually sure who is in charge in Libya right now. As they say; once bitten, twice shy. No way is any resolution on Syria is going to pass the Security Council.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
An Expected Fall
World stocks fell to a 15-month low and the Euro fell off a cliff as reports came that Greece would, once again, miss its deficit target of 7.6% this year. This increase worries that a Greek default is inevitable.
Of course it is!
Although I am no longer in the finance sector, from the outside looking in, I am not surprise that Greece missed its target. This is not the first target Greece has missed and surely it comes as no surprise that Greece continues to have problems paying its debts. A Greek default was always on the cards because try as they might, European policymakers have been unable to find a solution to the Greek crisis.
Personally I have to say this is a piece of news that everyone should already had expected. The admission by the Greek should not come as any surprise and the only surprise I have is that the market has not factor in the default already.
In my view, a Greek default should have been factor in already by the markets as the Euro's downside risk easily outstripped the potential upside. However market players seem to have hope that the politicians can pull a rabbit out of the hat and prevent a default.
However as they say; hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. So if you were by this latest downturn of the market; I’m sorry but you really should have known better.
Of course it is!
Although I am no longer in the finance sector, from the outside looking in, I am not surprise that Greece missed its target. This is not the first target Greece has missed and surely it comes as no surprise that Greece continues to have problems paying its debts. A Greek default was always on the cards because try as they might, European policymakers have been unable to find a solution to the Greek crisis.
Personally I have to say this is a piece of news that everyone should already had expected. The admission by the Greek should not come as any surprise and the only surprise I have is that the market has not factor in the default already.
In my view, a Greek default should have been factor in already by the markets as the Euro's downside risk easily outstripped the potential upside. However market players seem to have hope that the politicians can pull a rabbit out of the hat and prevent a default.
However as they say; hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. So if you were by this latest downturn of the market; I’m sorry but you really should have known better.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Allergic To The Truth
A report I read a few weeks ago complain that Americans are about the only people in the world who refused to accept the fact that the world is warming. The report said that Americans were “allergic to the concept of global warming”.
Americans should just take a look north of them into Canada as global warming as done a number on the ice shelves there. This summer 2 ice shelves that existed for thousands of years has diminished significantly with one almost disappearing altogether. Canadian scientists using satellite imagery said that the ice shelves has been steadily disappearing for years but this is the first time in thousands of years that one has almost disappear completely.
The loss of the ice shelves isn’t just a problem for scientists. Floating icebergs that have broken free of the ice shelves are posing a danger to offshore oil facilities and the shipping lanes in the area. In the long run, the disappearing ice shelves will also change the look of the Canadian coastline.
To anyone who still thinks that there’s no such thing as global warming, I don’t think you are “allergic to the concept of global warming”; I think you are “allergic to the truth”.
Americans should just take a look north of them into Canada as global warming as done a number on the ice shelves there. This summer 2 ice shelves that existed for thousands of years has diminished significantly with one almost disappearing altogether. Canadian scientists using satellite imagery said that the ice shelves has been steadily disappearing for years but this is the first time in thousands of years that one has almost disappear completely.
The loss of the ice shelves isn’t just a problem for scientists. Floating icebergs that have broken free of the ice shelves are posing a danger to offshore oil facilities and the shipping lanes in the area. In the long run, the disappearing ice shelves will also change the look of the Canadian coastline.
To anyone who still thinks that there’s no such thing as global warming, I don’t think you are “allergic to the concept of global warming”; I think you are “allergic to the truth”.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)