Straits Times Interactive has officially become my internet explorer homepage for some time now, keeping me aware of what else is going on in the world besides George Bush's speeches of taking responsibility for the Iraq War and Saddam's trial. That's like almost all the news you get on TV here. Help.

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So Dark The Con of Man

Like how cool is that, people analyzing her face? *groans* 83 per cent happy, 9 per cent disgusted, 6 per cent fearful and 2 per cent angry.

Er... so?

Anyway, this caught my eye because I just watched the trailer for The Da Vinci Code in theatres here. And I thought it is so awesome that the website is www.sodarktheconofman.com Now that's cool. I suspect this movie will be a sellout, with its fantastic cast and what a great story.

Speaking of movies, I've caught Walk the Line, Narnia and King Kong (these 3 in theatres), plus Lost in Translation (on DVD) in 3 days. King Kong is kinda draggy, but Narnia is fantastic!

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On Elitism

I've also been following the ST Forum, surprisingly, on the issue of choosing prestigious schools, in the days of early December.

"The vast majority of children from elite schools have parents who are professionals or wealthy businessmen. They mix among themselves without knowing there is a large section of society leading a different way of life, and often there is an element of snobbishness in making it to an elite school... If her PSLE result is not a fluke, she will do well whatever school she chooses... Ten years from now, I am sure, barring any change in her character, she will do well even though she did not choose RGS"

I'm in a very mixed feeling of whether to nod or shake my head.

Skeptically, Dr Lee Wei Ling (who wrote this letter) came from Nanyang and then the old Raffles Institution (which, for those who don't know, used to be RI and RJC together), and then (to her defense) University of Singapore (now NUS) and not some prestigious overseas college. So why the heck is she saying all these?

Admittedly, the old Nanyang, old RI had people from all walks of life, from the kampongs and the not necessarily well-to-do, which is what further foster the school culture so much that it became an "elite" school, because all these different people has a common dream. And heck, it's true, how often do PSLE scores reflect your capabilities? Come on. Ideally, it does not make heck of any difference where you go.

Realistically, why a school is considered prestigious is because of the people that emerged from it. Not necessarily only about brilliance, but also about other life skills that has been infused into them through the school's culture and education. If you asked me if RI was about academics, I would have laughed and told you that it's about growing up. To that effect, I'm pretty sure that I'll be a different person would I have gone through any other school.

And now maybe onto something that has become some sorts of a regret for me. That if you ain't loaded or didn't get a scholarship, there is little way for you to get an overseas degree. Even if you did, you wouldn't have the allowance/ money to really enjoy the overseas experience. To the extreme end of realism, it is not that a degree from overseas is any harder to get (in fact, I think it's easier), but it is the fact that we/ employers are still unable to break away from the myth that an overseas degree speaks of higher value. It is the vicious cycle of the better getting better that we need to break free of.

On a side note, now Oxford University might lose their historic right to choose their undergraduates, amid government pressure to admit more students from state schools and lower social classes.

Now, that's meritocracy.

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Not every man is a Warrior

Thanks to Mr Melvyn Tan, we have a heck of an issue with National Service all of a sudden, and even the need to rethink its scope other than the traditional military, police or civil-defence vocations or even letting each one serve according to his talents.

And all I really wanted to say is:

Come on, get a life will ya?

And my favourite quote from the forum article by Mr Jack Foo on 8 Dec:

"Everyone is good at something other than soldiering when they enlist at 18 years of age."

I'm glad many stood up in defense of NS. That it has served other purposes other than teaching us how to hold our weapon and kill, like discipline and responsibility. That it has showed us how vulnerable Singapore is. That it has instilled more loyalty in us.

Every man is a warrior, and it's not about the skills, but it is about how willing he/ she is to be able to make a little self-sacrifice to ensure a stable and peaceful country for his/ her family and countryman.

Everyone is a warrior if you have faith in the man training, fighting alongside you for the country.

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Hmm, I think I look like Mona Lisa now. 83 per cent happy, 9 per cent disgusted, 6 per cent fearful and 2 per cent angry.

Sweet.

# rambled by Kenneth @ 1:41 AM