Bear stuck in jug is shot...

Minnesota wildlife officials tried for six days to capture a bear that had a plastic jar stuck over its head, but ended up killing the animal after it wandered into a city during a festival. The wild black bear -- whose head got stuck inside a 2½-gallon clear plastic jug presumably while foraging for food -- ambled into the city of Frazee, about 200 miles northwest of the Twin Cities, during the town's busy Turkey Days celebration. '

The bear was first reported near the town of Lake George, about 60 miles east of Frazee, on July 21. While the bear could breathe, it couldn't eat or drink and was likely suffering from dehydration and hunger. The supervisor from the Department of Natural Resources' area wildlife said that public safety was the main concern when the bear got into town. There was no evidence the bear was baited by hunters. The legal baiting season in Minnesota doesn't open until August 15. The bear season opens September 1.

By the time the animal showed up in Frazee, conservation officers decided it needed to be killed to avoid conflicts with humans. " [End of report]

I'm not sure if killing the bear was a fair decision. Im an animal lover, so whenever I hear news about any animal get killed, I feel sad especially in a bizarre situation as this one. If I could, I would want to help remove the jug from the bear's head. Nevertheless, I understand why they have decided to shoot it because the bears is a very strong and dangerous animal and when it is being expose to a public area filled with people, the main priority is to ensure the safety of the people. It is not like they knew that the bear was coming, they had no idea because as you can see from the report, the wildlife officials had tried to capture it but to no avail, so when it suddenly appeared at the festival, there was nothing much they could do but to shoot it. If they had a tranquilizer gun or something, then maybe it would not get killed.

I did some research about black bear and of course, like other bear species, it does attack on humans. However, they are less likely to attack humans than grizzly bears and typically flee for cover as soon as they identify a human visitor. I said typically and not always, so I think in this case, if the bear had not been shot, I think it would probably attack the people there because it could be hungry due to the stuck jug on its head, which prevented him to eat and you dont like it when the bear is hungry, therefore the killing was justified. There is a lesson though that we can learn from this incident which is that we should not throw anything that might endanger any animals. Of course don't have to worry about any bears here because the only place you can see one is at the zoo but we should consider about other commonly found animals here such as the cats or the sea creatures. We should try to dispose anything properly so that the animals wont be affected by our actions and at the same time, we are helping to keep our city clean and green.

That's about it. I have nothing much to report. So remember to do your part for the animals.

*The report was taken from Associated Press.

Why you should not swim at Pasir Ris Beach....

Based on a new international water quality guideline by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Pasir Ris Beach has been identified as one where swimming would not be recommended. However, activities like canoeing and kayaking can continue. The beach scored a fair grading because it contains an abnormal level of a type of bacteria traditionally found in human faeces and warm-blooded animals.

And for the first time, advisory signages against swimming have been erected along the 3.3-kilometre beach. They point to the high level of bacteria in the water, which could cause illnesses affecting the stomach, and eyes, like conjunctivitis. Nevertheless, the NEA said that the water quality has not deteriorated, but because the standards have become more stringent, and it is just a question of not being to meet the higher grade. Among the other five beaches, Sentosa Island scored a "Very Good" grading, while East Coast Park and Changi were rated "Good". Beaches at Seletar Island, Sembawang Park also got a "Good" rating. The six fresh water reservoirs in Singapore like Bedok, MacRitchie and Lower Seletar reservoirs all meet the new WHO guidelines. In addition, they are not affected by the new standards because swimming is not allowed in the reservoirs in the first place. Only activities like wakeboarding, skiiing and dragon boating are permitted.

Authorities will conduct annual reviews on the quality of the water at the six recreational beaches and reservoirs. Compared to other beaches in the Eastern part of Singapore like Changi or East Coast, Pasir Ris Beach is not as popular among Singaporeans. Those who frequent the Pasir Ris beach said that over the weekends, fewer than 50 people would be swimming inside these waters. The National Environment Agency, which monitors the water quality on a weekly basis, will take necessary actions for Pasir Ris Beach after a year-long study. The new WHO water quality guidelines apply to all water bodies which are open for recreational use. [End of report]

There is nothing surprising about this news to be honest because if you ask me, the water quality at majority of the beaches here is pretty bad. You see litters all over the place and the colour of the water is disgusting. Im talking about places such as the East Coast and Changi Beach even though they were rated as "Good". It is also no surprise to me that Sentosa Island received a "Very Good" grade. I think one possible reason could be that Sentosa Island is not a place that is frequently visited as compared to East Coast or Changi. Sentosa is also one of our main tourist attraction, so that is probably why it looks much better. I think that the new guideline by the WHO is great because we people tend to not taking such things seriously and by introducing a more stringent system, we will try to be more careful in ensuring that our water quality will remain in a good level. I just find it interesting that the Pasir Ris Beach has been given a lower grade than more popular beaches such as East Coast Beach because I whenever I went to Pasir Ris Beach, I rarely see a lot of people. So logically speaking, it should be the more popular beaches that should be doing much worse but it is the other way round this time.

I dont usually go to the beach because I think it is a waste of time but even if I decides to go, I will never swim in the sea despite East Coast, which is my preferred choice of beach, got a "Good" grade or to swim anywhere else for that matter apart from Sentosa of course. It's not that I have not swim at East Coast or anywhere else before, I have done that in the past but now, I try not to swim because of the condition of the water even if it receives the "Very Good" grade in the future, unless the quality of the water looks exactly the same as the one in Sentosa, which I think will never happen. I will go to the swimming complex if I want to swim because it is much safer and cleaner. I know the fact that there are some disgusting people who will do their 'business' under the water because they are lazy to go to the toilets, but I think it beats having to swim in the sea which is dirtier. I believe this news is a wake-up call to the authorities here that more needs to be done to improve the water quality here especially at the beaches where are frequently visited by the public. We should try and improve the "Good" grade to "Very Good" so that we know that it is safe for us to swim.

So remember, the next time you go down to Pasir Ris Beach, remember not to swim because of the hazards the water posed. There are other safer places to swim such as the Changi and East Coast beach. The view is also much nicer there too. I would love to hear from you regarding this issue. What do you think about the water quality at the beaches here? Do you think more needs to be done and if so, who should take most of the responsibility, the public or the respective authorities? Share with me.

*The report was taken from ChannelNewsAsia.

Iraq cleared to compete in Summer Olympics...

Iraq will be allowed to compete in next month's Olympic Games in China after agreeing to restore its independent national Olympic panel, the International Olympic Committee said Tuesday. The IOC said it lifted its ban on Iraq's athletes, clearing the country to send two track competitors to the games in Beijing. Because of deadlines for competitors to enter the games, five other athletes Iraq had planned to send won't be allowed to compete, the IOC said. However, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said at least three and as many as five of the athletes may eventually be allowed to compete.

The IOC barred Iraq from participating in the games last month, saying Iraq violated Olympic rules on government interference by disbanding the country's independent National Olympic Committee, or NOC, in May and replacing it with one headed by a government official. In June the IOC had suspended Iraq for "political interference" in its NOC which was sacked in May and replaced by a new panel headed by Iraqi Youth and Sports Minister Jassem Jaafar. The Iraqi government had said that the previous Olympic committee was sacked because of "solid evidence of blatant corruption, lack of legitimate transparent electoral processes and accountability." It said the committee had an insufficient quorum and had failed to hold elections in more than five years. After the IOC met with Iraqi officials in Switzerland on Tuesday, the parties agreed to restore Iraq's committee. The deal will allow Iraq to hold elections for its Olympic committee "no later than the end of November 2008," an IOC statement said. The two athletes cleared by the IOC to compete in Beijing are a female sprinter and a male discus thrower, an Iraqi Olympics official said. The other five athletes Iraq had wanted to send are an archer, a judoka, a weightlifter and two rowers. The IOC said a deadline to enter athletes for non-track-and-field events was July 23. The deadline to submit track athletes is the end of this month.

Basam Ridha al-Husseini, an adviser to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, last week defended Iraq's decision to disband its NOC, saying it was guilty of documented corruption. Iraq's minister of youth and sports, Jassim M. Jaffer, said last week that the IOC had failed to take into account Iraq's reasons for disbanding the NOC. Rogge, in the IOC's statement Tuesday, said he commended "the government of Iraq for reaching an agreement that serves the long-term interest of Iraqi athletes." The Beijing Games open on August 8. [End of report]

It is certainly a welcome news, particularly for the Iraqi athletes who have been training very hard for the Olympic Games even though there is only a few of them. When I heard about the news that the Iraqi team will be banned from the Olympic Games, I felt sorry for those athletes. I mean, try to imagine how did they feel when they knew that after all the preparations that they have done and the sacrifices that they have made to get them ready for the Games, they are being told that they would not be able to participate in it. I think they would definitely felt devastated. I'm not sure if the initial decision to ban the Iraqi team was fair. If the Iraqi's claim that their National Olympic Committee had elements of corruption in it, it would be fair to say that the NOC deserved to be punished, but when you disband it entirely and replaced it with one headed by a government official, it is understandable to see why the IOC thought that there might be some 'political interference' going on in the organisation. The IOC's charter does not allow political interference. But that is all over now, the Iraqi team will be allowed to participate in the Games now and I think it is only right that the IOC reversed its decision to ban them.

I think it is every athlete dream to represent their country and play in a big event such as the Olympic Games which does not happen every year and the fact that the Iraqi government was willing to fight the ban so that their athletes are able to compete in the Games shows how much they want to be part of the Games and how much it really means to them. I dont know if you have seen one of their athlete on the news before. Her name is Dana Hussain and she is a sprinter. When she heard about the ban, she cried for hours. I've been following her preparation for the Olympic for a long time now and I really admire her because of her strengths and motivation to do her country proud despite all the difficulties she faced from the people in her country itself. I have even heard she had receieved death threats before but that didnt stop her from participating in the Games. So you can imagine how devastated she was when she heard about the ban. However, thanks to the outcome yesterday, she can now get back to what she do best and Im going to look forward to her participation. Just for your information, this is not the first time that a national team was ban from the Games. Back in 1992, during the Winter Olympics, the Yugoslavia team was banned but it did however send individual athletes without raising the national flag though. In fact, Iraq had also been banned before in 1990 during the Saddam Hussein-era because of the invasion of Kuwait. It wasn't exactly the Olympic Games, it was the Asian Games, which was an-Olympic related event. The same thing wont be happening to the team this time though.

The Olympic Games will start soon, next week, August 8 to be exact. I'm not a big fan of the Olympics to be honest but I hope our Team Singapore can bring some medals home and make us proud. All the best to Team Singapore and let's hope the Olympic Games will be a great one.

*The report was taken from CNN.

A day out with Azam & Joey...

As you all know yesterday, there was a football match between our Singapore Selection team and the Brazilian Olympic Team at the National Stadium. I was not interested to go all the way down to the stadium and watch the match because there was no Newcastle player playing for Brazil for me to see, unlike the last time when Australia came down when there was Mark Viduka. I know there is the likes of Ronaldinho and Anderson but Im not a big fan of them, and with the addition of the match ticket being expensive, I thought it was not worth watching until Joey asked me.

He asked me whether I was going to see the match and I said no and he asked whether I would be interested to see the match with him. He wanted to see it but he had no one to accompany him. Therefore, I told him to check if the $30 tickets were still available and I would be interested if that is the case. So Joey go and do some checking and the $30 tickets were still available. So he bought three of them. I said three because he had ask Azam to come as well. If I had known Azam was willing to come, I probably wouldn't be buying the ticket because at least Joey had someone to accompany him and that was the main reason why I agreed to go to the match but of course it was too late to change my mind. Nevertheless, it has been a while since I last met Joey and Azam, actually it was only a few weeks ago so it was a good thing too that I went to the match. Joey told us to meet at Kallang MRT at 6.30pm. I went to meet Azam first at Bedok Interchange and took the MRT there to Kallang. We saw a lot of people there, all eagerly waiting to go to the stadium and at the same time, we waited for Joey to come. He reached at about 7pm, the match starts at 8pm. There was a free shuttle bus service from the MRT station to the stadium but the queue was long, so we decided to walk. It's not that far actually, it is about 20mins walk. We got to the stadium, chose the front seat at the back of the goalpost. It wasn't the best of view but when a goal is scored, it is probably the closest you will ever get to see it (see pictures below).

The teams warming up before the game...

The match is about to begin....

That is the closest I will ever get to Ronaldinho...

Brazil celebrating their 3rd goal...

The match itself was a one-sided affair as many would have expected despite most of the Brazil players are aged under-23. The main attraction of the night was of course Ronaldinho and he managed to score a goal. The match ended with Brazil winning 3-0 with the other 2 goals scored by Diego and Jo. It was about 10pm when the match ended and everybody went home. We stayed back for a while to take a few photos as you all know, the National Stadium will be demolish soon to make way for the new Sports Hub and then we walk back to Kallang MRT and took the bus home. Before that, Joey suggested that we should go for 'makan' first because he said it was still early. I looked at my watch and it is 10.30pm already and for me, that is already late because Im not used to staying out late. Therefore, we went straight home after that. Azam took No.7 while Joey and I took No.63. We bid farewell to each other and that was it. Alright, that was my day out with Azam and Joey. It was short but a memorable one. To Azam and Joey, if you want the photos, just ask me when Im online. I am done for now. See ya.

When The Blogging God meets The Dark Knight...

So yesterday I went to Toysrus at Vivocity to meet my favourite superhero, The Batman. I knew he was going to be there at 1pm but unfortunately I was late and by the time I reached there, it was 1.30pm. I searched around the place but saw no sign of Batman so I thought he was gone. I asked one of the Toysrus guy whether Batman was coming and he said he had came down earlier but he was gone because there was nobody who wanted to take picture with him which is sad. And I thought I was never going to see him again but luck was on my side however. The guy said that Batman was scheduled to make an appearance at the Toysrus at Tampines Mall at 4pm and so I rushed there.

I took bus No.65 from there and I thought I could make it in a time but I was wrong. The bus was so slow because of the driver and it was 3.45pm when I was still at the hill near Jalan Tenaga. I dont want to be late anymore so I alighted at the bus stop there and took a taxi to TM. I reached there at 4.05pm but when I went into the store, there was no Batman either. I thought that the show was cancelled or something and I have made another wasted trip. But when I was about to leave the place about 10 minutes later, I saw Batman walking from the side and I was overjoyed! All the kids there took photo with him and so did I. There was one disappointment about The Batman though. He looks so skinny and he looks funny as you can see from the photo I took above. I can tell there was a Chinese guy inside the Batman suit but who cares, at least his costume looks real and I couldnt help it but took some photos with him as well. I even got a limited edition of Batman goodie bags which includes a Justice League Batman toy figure, a Batman file and Batman pens among others. I think the goodie bags was meant for the kids but who cares, Im a Batman fan as well and I couldnt help it but grab one as well.

The last time I met Batman was 3 years ago I think when he was here to promote 'Batman Begins'. If I want to compare that Batman to the Batman I met yesterday, the Batman 3 years ago looks much better but anyway who cares. Its not everyday you get to see someone in the Batman costume here but I thought Toysrus could have choose a better person to become the Batman like me for example. I am even willing to do it for free. Well maybe next time when there is a new Batman movie. For now though, Im going to try to ask Toysrus on whether they are able to sell that Batman costume because it would be a waste if they just keep it and not use it anymore right because I am interested in buying it but for now goodbye.

Inter-Racial Inter-Religious Harmony Nite 2008' held last Saturday...

I was invited to the annual Inter-Racial Inter-Religious Harmony Nite yesterday at the Singapore Expo and I am now going to tell you what the event is actually all about. Well, the Inter-Racial Inter-Religious Harmony Nite is actually a celebration of the inter-racial and inter-religious harmony that we Singaporeans enjoy and it is held every year in the month of July because it falls in the same month as the Racial Harmony Day.

This event was organised by Thye Hua Kan Moral Society, the Inter-Religious Organization, Singapore Indian Development Association, Yayasan Mendaki, Chinese Development Assistance Council, the Eurasian Association, Chee Hoon Kog Moral Promotion Society and Chee Hia Kog Moral Society. If I'm not mistaken, this is the fifth year that the event is being organised and it was my first time I was invited. President S R Nathan and Mrs Nathan was this year's event Guests-of-Honour. Highlights of the event included the invocations of the various religious traditions by members of the Inter-Religious Organization and performances that showcase the harmony between Singapore's different ethnic and religious groups. I really enjoyed myself yesterday and Im hoping I will invited to the event again next year. Here are some of the pictures I took yesterday:-

The menu for the day, the shark's fin soup was my favourite...


Performance by some of the ethnic group...
The finale, National Day might just have come too soon for us...

New signs posted on priority seats in trains to encourage courtesy...

Passengers travelling on SMRT trains will now see signs encouraging them to be more courteous. The latest additions in the trains are posted on "priority seats". They have been put up by public transport operator SMRT, asking commuters to give up these seats to other passengers with special needs. It is part of the company's annual month-long nation-wide "Courtesy and Safety Programme". [End of report]

I dont know if there is any difference between the new signs and the old ones nor do I think that the new signs will work. I think at the end of the day, the results will still depend on whether the people are willing to change their attitude instead of putting on a new sign. I mean it doesnt matter how well the design of the signs are or whether the people are able to understand what the signs is saying because I believe everyone know the meaning of being courteous. The question is though whether the people want to be courteous because if you ask me, most of us Singaporeans are not that courteous when it comes to giving up our seats to other passengers with special needs, whether it is in the train or in the bus. I have seen a lot of time when most people will just do nothing and act ignorant whenever they saw passengers with special needs boarding the bus or the train despite all these 'Please Give Your Seat To Passenger With Special Needs' sign posted all over the bus and trains. I mean, they are not blind and Im sure they are not illiterate, so I dont understand why it is difficult for them to just stand up and give their seat to someone else who needs it more than they do. How about myself? I would definitely give my seat to someone else with special needs if I see one, in fact, I have done that a few times before. Whether you want to believe me or not, thats your problem, but I hope you will start doing the same thing if you havn't done so.

Then there is of course some people with special needs who refused to take the seat that you offered to them or they choose to stand when there are seats available. They must have some reason for doing so but I think the least you could do is to try giving up your seat to them first, I think that is a basic courtesy that everyone should have. If you are in a bus sitting alone and you are too embarrassed to ask them whether they want to sit, you could just move inside and occupy the seat that is nearer to the window, they will understand what you are trying to do. There is however one group of people that I just couldn't stand at your and these are the people who are all alone but they will occupy two seats instead of one by putting some of their things such as their bag beside them, hence preventing others the chance to sit. I really despise these group of people, old or young. What are they thinking? Does their family own the bus or the train? Im sure not. But anyway, back to the new courtesy signs, like I've said earlier, I dont think it will work unless the people are willing to change their attitude. I would also like to point out though that not all Singaporeans are not courteous, because I have seen instances where they actually gave up their seats other people and I will feel very happy and pleased everytime I see similar thing happening.

What do you think though? Will the new signs encouraging people to be courteous in trains actually work or do you think it is up to the individuals themselves to make the changes? Have you ever encountered incidents where people refused to give up their seats or are you one of those who never fail to give up your seats when necessary? Share your views.

*The report was taken from ChannelNewsAsia.

F1 chief wins record sum from orgy case...

Formula One chief Max Mosley has been awarded a record $120,000 after winning his privacy case against a tabloid newspaper over a story alleging he attended a five-hour sex session involving Nazi role play. The 68-year-old, was awarded £60,000 ($120,000) against the News of the World, which printed photographs of the session and posted video on its Web site. The court also ordered the newspaper to pay Mosley's legal costs, which were estimated at £450,000, ($900,000) in addition to its own costs, estimated at £400,000 ($800,000). Niri Shan, head of media at law firm Taylor Wessing, said the award was substantially higher than in past cases and it was a blow for media freedom.

Mosley, who is president of Formula One's governing body -- the FIA -- and the son of the late British fascist politician Oswald Mosley, had admitted taking part in a sado-masochistic orgy but said he abhorred the idea of Nazi sex fantasies. He told the court his life had been devastated by the claims published in March and the secretly-filmed footage, labeled "truly grotesque and depraved" by the newspaper, which attracted at least 3.5 million hits. High Court judge David Eady said there was no evidence that Mosley's orgy was intended to reenact Nazi behavior and there was no public interest or other justification for the newspaper's clandestine recording of it. News of the World editor Colin Myler said he believed the story was one of "legitimate public interest and one that I believe was legitimately published," PA reported. Myler said it was "absolutely not true" that the newspaper had fabricated the Nazi aspect. He told reporters outside the court that the judgment was more evidence of a "creeping law of privacy." The newspaper's case was dealt a fatal blow when their main witness, one of the women involved in the orgy, withdrew from testifying. Mosley, on the other hand, took the stand and gave a very frank account of the orgy, which was backed up by the other women involved.

Shan said Mosley's victory was in line with other cases involving celebrities including Naomi Campbell, JK Rowling and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones. The award was higher due to the "aggravating circumstances," notably how the newspaper had used video of the orgy on its Web site and pictures in the print edition, Shan said. However, he said the main point out of the decision was that public figures' sex lives were out of bounds unless a hypocritical element could be proved. For example, a politician who was campaigning on a moral platform while violating those morals in his private life. Shan said even this had now become a grey area, with newspapers having to make sure they had a very robust defense. He believed the decision was another blow for media freedom, and that stories of this type would not be published in the future. Shan said Mosley set out to prove there was no Nazi element to the orgy, which he had succeeded in doing, but queried the wisdom of taking the privacy case. [End of report]

It is a certainly an interesting outcome to the case but I expected it to be honest. When I heard that Mosley would be taking the issue to court, I knew that he had more chances of winning the case than the News of the World. There is no doubt that what Mosley did was embarrassing and wrong for a man of his position but then again, it is his private life and he can do whatever he wants. The only problem though his orgy act was caught on tape by a tabloid newspaper and almost everyone involved with the sport have been affected in one way or another by the incident. Nobody knows whether there was any Nazi element in the orgy, Mosley has denied that charge so I wont comment on that. As much as I think what he did was unacceptable, I believe what The News of the World did was even wrong. Now I understand that being a tabloid newspaper, it is their job to tell the readers of what might be happening and to give them accurate information whenever possible, but I dont think it also includes to the extent of breaching one's privacy as in the case of Mosley. It is his personal life and like I said earlier, he can do whatever he wants with it as long as it doesnt affect the way he perform his duty so I dont see any reason why The News of the World would want to do what it did.

I completely agree with the High Court judge when he said that "...there was no public interest or other justification for the newspaper's clandestine recording of it." I dont think any Formula 1 fans or anyone would be interested to know what is going on in Mosley's private life. I mean its not like he is a huge Hollywood star or something, he is a 68-year-old man for God sake, nobody cares on what exactly is going on in his private life. As a F1 fan myself, if I hadnt know what Mosley did, I would definitely not be interested to find out more about his private life. I am only interested in watching the race only and as long as he is doing a good job, which I believe he is, then there is no reason to do such a thing. It is definitely a huge blow to The News of the World. The award was higher particularly because the newspaper had used video of the orgy on its Web site and pictures in the print edition. I dont understand why the newspaper is argueing about the decision by saying that it "was another blow for media freedom." I mean there are a lot of other things that are much better and that the public will be much more interested in to report on other than a 68-year-old man participating in an orgy. I just hope it will serve the newspaper and other media companies a lesson on where to draw the line.

My conclusion on this issue is that it is rather a win for the right to protect the privacy of someone against the media trying get some story to make huge money by going beyond than what it should. By the way, Mosley is also suing the tabloid for defamation and violation of privacy in its internation edition in France but the case is yet to be heard. I would love to hear your views on the decision to award Mosley. Do you think it was the right outcome or do you think it is indeed another blow for media freedom? Share it with me.


*The report was taken from CNN.

SingTel announces exclusive deal with major US studios...

Singaporeans will be the first in Asia to watch the latest episodes of top television shows from the United States, although the premium they will have to pay for this privilege remains to be seen. Come September, under its new Season Pass, pay-TV operator SingTel will offer — on-demand and without advertisements — hit series such as Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Gossip Girl, 24 and Prison Break, within 24 hours of their telecast in the US. This is possible through a deal inked with major studios, Warner Bros International Televison Distribution, Twentieth Century Fox and Disney-ABC International Televison, to bring in more than 50 shows.

Details of how much this will cost however are being kept under wraps until the service's launch. Typically, episodes of US series can take anywhere from six to 12 months to reach viewers here via StarHub Cable TV or free-to-air channels. There have, however, been exceptions. MediaCorp's Channel 5 has in the past shown American Idol and Survivor, among others, "live" as they were shown in the US. SingTel has noted that its deal with the three studios include an exclusivity period of six months. Missing from its Season Pass offerings, however, are popular titles such as Heroes and CSI. StarHub though isn't sitting idle. In direct response to SingTel's announcement on Wednesday, head of cable TV services Patrick Lim said StarHub would soon launch its own video-on-demand service, carrying popular TV series "with advanced windows", though he stopped short of specifying same-day telecasts. In recent months, SingTel has moved to beef up the content and features of its mio TV service which.

It added a range of movie on-demand channels, music channel Trace, as well as infotainment channels. In May, it launched a service allowing its 3G mobile subscribers to watch dramas and channels such as Channel NewsAsia on their phones. The biggest content coup up till now, however, has been winning the rights to broadcast — including on its mobile platform — the Champions League and Uefa Cup seasons from later this year to 2012. These efforts have contributed to growing subscriber numbers, from 10,000 last September to 27,000 in March, when the Uefa deal was announced, to 45,000 today. mio TV offers a total of 48 of standard- and high-definition channels ranging from free-to-air channels like MediaCorp's HD5, to infotainment channels from the BBC. [End of report]

This is definitely a great news for any mio TV subscribers because you dont have to wait for a very long time to watch your favourite shows from the U.S. anymore now. And you are not talking about any shows here, you are talking about popular shows such as Prison Break, Ugly Betty and Lost, all of which are some of my favourite. I think everyone here would love the idea that they can watch all the latest episodes and the lastest season at just about the same time as the American. The problem for me though, I dont subscribe to mio TV. I subscribe to the Starhub Cable Vision though. If you are comparing what the subscribers to mio TV will be getting soon to what the Starhub Cable Vision subscribers are getting now, I do think it is worth it. But I am not comparing the price here though because we still dont know how much exactly the subscribers to mio TV will be paying to watch the new shows. The Season Pass will not be priced as a package of TV shows, but rather they will have to pay per season of each TV series. What this mean is that lets say you want to watch Prison Break, you can only pay for the entire series of the show and not like paying all the different shows you want to watch at one price. I heard that the price of each TV series could range from $15 to $45.

So the question now is whether it is worth for you to stop subscribing to Starhub Cable Vision if you are currently doing so, in favour of Singtel's mio TV instead. Let's look at the TV programmes that are currently being offered on both side. There is no doubt that Starhub has a wider variety of shows as compared to Singtel. For me, I dont particularly compare the price, I like to see which cable operator is available to give me the things that I would be most interested like which channels are available. I like to watch the sport channel as well as the news channel and currently, Starhub gives me a much more interesting option. You got international news channel such as BBC and CNN to choose from Starhub while Singtel only have channels such as Al-Jazeera English and CCTV-9. Singtel currently doesnt have any sport channel if Im not wrong but of course they will be showing the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup later this year. So you cant watch those matches anymore on Starhub soon but you will still be able to watch the Barclays Premier League on Starhub's Football Channel and competitions such as the FA Cup on ESPN or StarSports. Therefore I think, if you want the best option for the news and sports channel, you should stick with Starhub. As much as I hate not being able to watch my favourite TV shows from the U.S. in the quickest time possible, I cant bear not to watch my favourite football team on the TV set every weekend, so I have to pass the mio TV deal for now even though it is really tempting.

My best hope now is that Starhub will come up with something similar or even better to fight off the competition from Singtel. I still think though that Starhub offers the best deal in terms of what is available to the viewers but Singtel is fast catching up and if Starhub doesnt do anything, Im pretty sure Singtel mio TV will be the preferred cable channel for most Singaporeans. But as far as I am concern for now at least, I am content with what Starhub is offering but I cannot say that it would be the same situation in the future. If somehow in the future, there is CNN or when mio TV start to broadcast the Barclays Premier League, I will seriously consider subscribing to mio TV. For those of you who are subscribing to Starhub Cable, I have a good news to share with you. As you all know, the Olympic Games is coming up real soon. And StarHub will offer Beijing 2008 Olympic Games coverage across six dedicated cable TV channels - OLYMPICS 1 to 6 (Channels 601 to 606). All Olympic channels will run daily from as early as 8am, and will carry ‘live’ and delayed programming till midnight. The channels are made available free to StarHub’s cable TV customers with a HubStation, digital or High Definition (HD) set-top box.

So there you go. If you would like to find out more about Starhub CableTV and Singtel's mio TV, you may want to visit their website respectively at http://www.starhub.com/portal/site/CableTV and http://mio.singtel.com/miotv/default.asp . Dont worry if you do not subscribe to any of them as Channel 5 will still be showing some of the shows, but you have to wait though. By the way, if youre a mio TV subscriber, please tell me because I would love to hear from you on what you think of the channel.

*The report was taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com

`Dark Knight' sets weekend record!

Batman has sent Spidey packing as king of Hollywood's box-office superheroes. The Dark Knight" took in a record $155.34 million in its first weekend, topping the previous best of $151.1 million for "Spider-Man 3" in May 2007 and pacing Hollywood to its biggest weekend ever, according to studio estimates Sunday. Hollywood set an overall revenue record of $253 million for a three-day weekend, beating the $218.4 million haul over the weekend of July 7, 2006, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

The downside for the movie was that "Spider-Man 3" may have sold slightly more tickets than "The Dark Knight" but this could be because of the higher admission prices. At 2007's average price of $6.88, "Spider-Man 3" sold 21.96 million tickets over opening weekend. Media By Numbers estimates today's average movie prices at $7.08, which means "The Dark Knight" would have sold 21.94 million tickets. The movie's release was preceded by months of buzz and speculation over the performance of the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, Batman's nemesis. Ledger, who died in January from an accidental prescription-drug overdose, played the Joker as a demonic presence, his performance prompting predictions that the role might earn him a posthumous Academy Award nomination. "The Dark Knight" reunites director Christopher Nolan with his "Batman Begins" star Christian Bale, whose vigilante crime-fighter is taunted and tested by Ledger's Joker as the villain unleashes violence and chaos on the city of Gotham.

Overseas, "The Dark Knight" added $40 million in 20 countries where it began opening Wednesday, including Australia, Mexico and Brazil. The film opens in Great Britain last weekend and rolls out to most of the rest of the world over the next few weeks. "The Dark Knight," which cost $185 million to make, also broke the "Spider-Man 3" record for best debut in IMAX large-screen theaters with $6.2 million. "Spider-Man 3" opened with $4.7 million in IMAX cinemas. On opening day Friday, "The Dark Knight" also took in more money than previously counted, Fellman said. The film pulled in a record $67.85 million, up nearly $1.5 million from the studio's estimates a day earlier. The previous opening-day record also had been held by "Spider-Man 3" with $59.8 million. Universal musical movie "Mamma Mia!" meanwhile debuted at No.2 with an estimated ticket sales of 27.6 million. Women accounted for most of the audience for "Mamma Mia!", which Universal opened as counter-programming to the male-dominated audience for "The Dark Knight." [End of report]

When I first heard about the news, I couldnt believe it. I expected it to be big, but not as big as what is being reported on the article. If you see how much revenue that the movie got as compared to "Mamma Mia!", it looks like an outstanding feat. I dont remember when was the last time I saw the top 2 movies for the weekend having such a huge difference in the amount of revenues receieved for the opening weekend. In fact here in Singapore, the movie is also doing very well. I dont know exactly how much money the movie companies here have been getting from the first weekend but I'm pretty sure it is probably one of the the best opening weekend in terms of its ticket sales. I first went to watch the movie on Thursday, the opening day of the movie here and it was the first show. The cinema wasnt exactly full packed mainly because its a weekday when everyone is working and because it was 11am but I still thought it was a good turnout, more than what I usually see everytime I went to see a movie on the weekday. But I expected the weekend to be different though and I was right. I tried to do some research on all the movie website from Golden Village to Cathay and almost all of it was fully occupied for 'The Dark Knight'. I couldnt get enough of the movie so I went to see it again with my family last Saturday, fortunately for us, there was still some available seats.

The popularity of the movie doesnt end at the cinema itself though. If you go to Youtube and search for some of 'The Dark Knight' movie clips, you can see the number of views and how many time the clips are being add to the favourite list, it is just great. You might still be able to buy a ticket for the movie easily here but in America, almost all the shows are a sold out and the people there are going to the extreme to get their hands on the ticket. Some moviegoers were surfing eBay for tickets, and they are willing to pay five times the face value for them. The going online-auction price for an Imax "Dark Knight" ticket for example seemed to be around $50 with many sellers asking $60 and many buyers offering $40. And eBay has seen a surge in activity related to Batman in general, with nearly 23,000 items listed on Friday. As for movie-related Batman gear, Christian Bale paraphernalia is the most popular. I went to JB earlier today and I overheard one of the pirated DVD seller saying to one of its customer that the movie was out of stock. I dont support buying pirated items but Im sure their business is doing well too after the release of the movie.

Some of you might be wondering, what is so good about the movie? Well it is because I think The Batman is everyone favourite hero, well at least for me and also for the fact that this is Heath Ledger final completed film before he died due to accidental drug overdose. When Christopher Nolan's first batman movie 'Batman Begins' came out back in 2oo5, there wasnt much excitement and hype because it is a completely new Batman movie and people were wondering if it is going to be as good as the past Batman movies or even better. I think the movie was quite successful and that is why people are very excited about 'The Dark Knight' as well. Another reason could be the fact that 'The Joker' is the villain the movie. I think as any Batman fan would agree with me when I say he is probably Batman No.1 enemy and as the villain, you should hate him of course. But his character is so unique that you will find it difficult to hate him. Heath Ledger's acting as The Joker was another reason too. Many Batman fan I know wanted to know whether his potrayal of The Joker was much better than Jack Nicholson's and after watching the movie, I would say yes.

There are many other reasons but Im not going to explain any further. I dont know whether there is going to be a third Batman movie, Im hoping that will be the case. I think there will be because I have read somewhere about Christian Bale saying he has sign for 3 Batman movies, plus the ending of 'The Dark Knight' seems to suggest that there will be, although it was not as obvious as the ending of 'Batman Begins'. It would be interesting to see who is going to be the villain if there is a 3rd installment. I wont tell you whether The Joker died in the end or not in 'The Dark Knight' so I cant say whether there could or there could not be a Joker in the next movie should it happen. But for now, if you are one of those who have yet to watch the movie, I suggest you do it soon because it is worth the money you are paying for.

*The report was taken from REUTERS.

The Blogging God has finally emerge from the darkness...

Listen up everyone, I have something important to say. Now, I know that many of you have been wondering and asking why I am not blogging as much as I used to anymore. I would like to thank them for their concern but the reason that I am not doing that anymore is because I would like to tell everyone that I am temporarily suspending all my blogging activity apart from tagging my chatbox as of today. Why you may ask? It is because of you people, yes you who is reading this right now.

I am very angry and disappointed with some of you people. Instead of giving me the credit and showing me your appreciation for what I have done for you and which I completely deserve to get, some of you only knows how to open your big fat mouth and complaining about silly stuff and criticise me which is completely unfair. I tried my best every single day to search for news that might be of interest to you and me, inform you about the news, and I dont expect anything much. All I wanted was for you people to show your appreciation for what I did, but that was not the case unfortunately. I have been a victim of injustice and jealousy. It is fine with me if you people apologise to me everytime you complain or criticise me but so far I have heard nothing. So I have decided to suspend my blogging activity for the time being to punish you people for your sins. I dont care what you want to do with my blog, whether you want to delete it from your blog's link list or what, but I hope it will teach you a lesson.

When I first started blogging earlier in the year, I have inspired many people, friends and strangers alike, young and old, to start blogging as well. I have also changed some of your miserable lives. In the past when I havn't start to blog yet, you have nothing to look forward to when you wake up everyday in the morning, but soon after I started blogging, I know for a fact that the first thing you people do when you get on into the Internet is to log on to my blog. But all of that is going to come to an end now unfortunately because of what you did. I might be suspending my blog temporarily but I wouldn't mind deleting it entirely as well. I might be back or I might not be back. If I ever decide to come back, I dont really know when it is. It could be tomorrow, next month, next year or when I'm dead I have no idea but if I ever come back, you should count yourselves lucky.

And before I leave, I would like to make this clear to everyone that even though I might be gone for now, I was, I am and I forever will be the only Blogging God.

I love 'The Dark Knight'!

Today I went out to watch the first 'The Dark Knight' movie for the day at Tampines Mall and it was absolutely brilliant. I didnt want the movie to end but as we all know, all good things must come to an end just like myself. I wont tell you what happened in the movie, you have to watch it to find out but I can only say that Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker was really great, as everyone have been saying. Too bad he is gone. When I watched the movie interviews, I felt like something big is missing and it doesnt feel the same watching the movie itself. But anyway, you cant bring the dead back.

The only thing that I didnt like today was that, no it doesnt have anything to do with the movie but the 'Apek' sitting in front of me. He doesnt look like he had taken a shower before coming down to watch the movie, not only that, he kept swearing in chinese during certain part of the movie. It seems like he was taking things too seriously. How I really wish I had a small knife with me so that I can put a smile on his face for him to remain quiet. Maybe next time. That's it from me. Go catch the movie now or you will regret it. Goodbye Clowns! HeeeEeEhHAHAHAhehe HahHEeehhahahHHAHA HehehHAHAHAHeHEH!

My Quiz...

I know that some of you have been telling me to do a quiz regarding myself by asking stupid questions like what is my name or what am I doing right now. But since I have nothing to do now, I thought I would give it a go and I hope you will enjoy reading it.

1. What is your name?

The same name that you can see on my birth certificate, passport or Identification Card and soon I dont know when, my death certificate as well.

2. What is your favourite colour?

Police tape yellow.

3. What would you do if you see someone falling?

I would laugh at that person and walk off.

4. Do you have any mental illnesses?

Yes.Multiple Personality Disorder.

5. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Look at the mirror and admire that beautiful smile of mine.

6. What is your favourite thing to do on a date?

Bring my date to a romantic dinner by the riverside and throw her down the river when dinner is over. It doesnt bother me if she doesnt want me anymore afterthat. Afterall, there are many other fish in the sea for you to catch right?

7. What is your favourite type of music?

The music you hear when you go to a Theme Park or the Fun Fairs.

8. What do you look for when looking for love?

Someone who is funny, good driving skills and posseses a great knowledge of security systems.

9. If you close your eyes, what is the first image that comes to your mind?

People running around in fear while I am laughing away.

10. If you can wish for anything, what would it be?

I would wish for many explosion...........firework explosion that is especially on National Day. It's too short to enjoy.

11. What is the main purpose of life?

To become the worst you can be not in a serious way, but a funny way.

AFTERALL, WHY SO SERIOUS? =D

An exclusive clip from the upcoming Batman movie,'The Dark Knight'...

Batman fans, you will not have to wait any longer because 'The Dark Knight' will be coming out real soon, 2 more days to be exact. Its been a long time for us to wait but Im sure it will be worth it. So just before you head on to the cinema to watch it, Im going to show you one of the clip in the movie in which it shows a car chase between the Batman and The Joker. I know some of you might have seen it before, but I will just post it anyway for those who havnt. Enjoy.

2007 5A Awards Ceremony: Winners Announced.....

Alright guys, the voting opportunity for the 2007 5A Award has close and I am now going to announce all the winners.

BestFriend of the Year:- Syazwan & Azlan
Their comment on winning: Of course we are very happy to win! We have been best buddy for a very long time even until now so it is no surprise that we won.

LoudMouth of the Year:- Syairazi
His comment on winning: What? I won the LoudMouth of the Year Award? I was really quiet and shy in class as my name suggest SHY-razi so I dont think I should win but who cares. The important thing is that I win!

Absentee of the Year:- Salbiah
Her comment on winning: What to say? I was absent for a lot of time so I dont know what is happening.

Teacher's Quote of the Year:- Hold your horses ( Miss Berlina Tan)
Her comment on winning: I didnt know that the class like it so much and I hope that they will use it in their everyday lives now instead of saying 'Hang on' or 'Wait'.

Newcomer of the Year:- Shafinaz
Her comment on winning: Yes I win! Thanks to all who voted for me. Does my hair looks good?

Latecomer of the Year:- Danial
His comment on winning: Huh? What latecomer?

Event of the Year:- BNSS Fiesta
Its comment on winning: Fiesta is great as it helps the student to show their entrepreneur skills.

Victim of the Year: See Wee Tiong
His comment on winning: I didnt expect to win anything in my life but I guess I was wrong. Maybe all the bullying I got was worth it.

Couple of the Year:- Wen Jie & Amanda
Their comment on winning: Anyone want to join us fishing at Bedok Reservoir?

Teacher of the Year:- Miss Berlina Tan
Her comment on winning: 5A is one of the best class that I have ever taught. If only I could see Li Hui and Salbiah more when I was still teaching the class.

Student of the Year: Shi Heng
His comment on winning: No comment but his face turn red as he blush with embarrassment due to the unexpected win.


There you go. Congratulations to all the winners. Ive got nothing to say to the losers but win or lose, its all part of the game. So dont feel disappointed or sad because I hate it when I see such people. Let us all put a smile on our face yeah. =D

Let's put a smile on that face!

Last Sunday, I went to Wen Li's birthday celebration at East Coast because she had the BBQ as well. It was a great day and I really enjoy myself even though I had to go off early. But there was a problem that I notice on that day and the problem was that most of the people who came were not having too much fun as they wanted to. They seem like they were taking things a bit too seriously. But at the end of the day, Im sure they still enjoy themselves as much as I did. I didnt took as much photos as I had wanted too but Im just going to post one of them here. You can find more photos on Alex or Wen Li's blog. Here is the photo that was taken from my camera.

Unfortunately, they didnt smile when the photo was taken so I had no other choice but to put the smile on their faces myself. I mean, WHY SO SERIOUS? =D

Win 'The Dark Knight' Movie Poster!

Listen up Batman fans, as you probably know already, the new Batman movie, 'The Dark Knight' will be coming out real soon, and I know you are just as excited as me. And in the spirit of the movie, being a generous man that I am, I will be giving away a free poster from the movie to one lucky winner. The poster is the same as shown above. All you need to do is to answer a simple question. You just need to tell me why do you like Batman in 50 words or less. The best answer will win the poster. You may send your answer to my email in the following format:-

TDK Name Contact Number Answer

The closing date for the competition is the July 31st. If you don't know my email, ask someone who know it. Terms & Conditions Apply.

Terms & Conditions:

This promotion is open to all Singapore residents. All participants must be 18 years old or older. Prize must be taken as provided and is not exchangeable or transferable for cash. I reserves the right to substitute the prize with one or similar value. Winner will be notified by email. If the prize is not redeemed after a month of notification, the winner will be disqualified and it will be given to the participant with the second best answer. Participants may not send multiple entries or it will be disqualified.

The Blogging God will be attending Wen Li's BBQ event....

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 10, 2008


The Blogging God's Fun Affairs Ministry can confirm that he will indeed be attending Wen Li's 18th birthday ceremony this weekend. He feels very honoured that he has been invited to such an occasion but of course it would even be a greater honour for Wen Li to have the Blogging God to grace the event itself. The Blogging God is looking forward at meeting his old friends from 5A and they are expected to discuss issues such as their past and present life and of course have some fun.

Once again, he would like to thank Wen Li for inviting him and he can't wait for the weekend to arrive.

High fuel prices: How airlines companies are coping...

Record-high oil prices have sparked a crisis in the airline industry and we have seen some weaker airlines already dying off at the first hurdle in America while the remaining carriers that are left have now begun to desperately restructure their operations as they face the very real possibility that, far from declining, the price of oil could continue its upward march. So the question now is, how are they coping with the current situation and would they be able to stay in the industry if the oil price continue to rise? I did some research and Im going to tell you what I found.

I think you will probably agree with me when I say when there is such a problem concerning the oil, the airline industry would undoubtedly be one of the industry that would be the hardest hit. History have showed us what it can do and this time, it is no different either. Already in America, we have seen several low budget carriers shutting down their business because they are unable to cope with the rising cost of fuel and here in Asia, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines has recently join Indonesia's Adam Air in closing down their business. The big boys are not spared either. While they are still financially strong enough to survive the crisis, it still has taken its toll on them. American Airlines, the world's largest carrier in terms of traffic will slash domestic capacity by 11-12% year over year in the fourth quarter and retire at least 75 mainline and regional aircraft. The carrier also announced that it would introduce a $15 fee for the first checked bag as part of a package of new fee increases aimed at boosting revenues. British Airways meanwhile has said that it will review its capacity, costs and network in the context of the economic pressures and high fuel prices despite posting a strong financial performance for the 12-month period ending 31 March 2008. There are also other non-conventional ways to cut expenses. Just today, US Airways said that it would stop offering in-flight movies on domestic flights.

So how about our Asian airlines you may ask? Of course they are affected too. Our own Singapore Airlines (SIA) has recently raised their fuel surcharge back in March. I also found out that SIA has also slashed its capacity by 30 percent. Australian flag carrier Qantas meanwhile has announced plans back in May to slash domestic capacity by five percent, cut payroll, and retire several aircraft. The airline also reduced service to Asia. Thai Airways have said that it is cancelling its direct flight from Bangkok to New York, starting from this month, and selling four planes used on that route. Malaysia Airlines said it would freeze recruitment and was considering axing more routes as part of cost-cutting measures triggered by rising fuel prices. Air New Zealand today says that it has frozen the salaries of senior executives, cut out bonus payments and is reviewing "nonessential" activities to cut staff numbers as they are unable to cope with the soaring fuel costs and sliding passenger demands. Then there are of course, the budget airlines such as AirAsia and Tiger Airways. You would thought that they would have gone burst already by now but both airlines has however said that it will survive the turbulence and even emerge stronger.

I certainly hope that is the case because I think in this part of the region, the budget airlines industry here is a very profitable business because the people here usually like to travel to the nearby countries, so it would be a sad thing if it is gone. That doesnt mean though that they do not have to do anything to survive the current crisis, AirAsia for example have raised its fuel surcharges too if Im not mistaken but if they can keep the travel charges to a reasonable amount, Im sure that they will be able to maintain their passenger demands because certainly if the passengers are unable to cope with the expensive charges of the national carriers anymore, Im sure they would be willing to turn into budget carriers so there is an opportunity for them to work on in this kind of situation I think. The industry of low-cost carriers is actually a lucrative peice of business if you ask me. Nowadays, you can see the emergence of many low-cost carriers not just in Asia but in Europe and in the Middle East as well but at the same time, I think it can be a very risky business especially when you are facing with this kind of situation.

Low-cost carriers such as AirAsia and Tiger Airways might still be surviving right now but Im sure it isnt easy for them to do it and it will not be getting much easier if the fuel price continue to rise. If somehow the fuel price manage to hit the $200 mark by the end of the year, then I think we would see a completely different situation. But right now, it seems like that situation wont be happening. There has been some good news regarding oil price this past few days, instead of going up, it is going down and I hope it will continue on that way but Im not so optimistic. Whatever it is, as the number of airline casualties continues to grow and as carriers restructure their operations to make sure they're not next, it is becoming increasingly apparent that those with the biggest profit and the most fuel-efficient fleets will be the ones that survive as the industry reshapes to face what some expect to be the worst downturn in years.

*The informations found on this post was taken from flightglobal.com and AFP.

Iran Warns US, Israel Against Attack....

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have begun a military exercise and issued a warning that Israel and U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf would be prime targets if Iran is attacked. The website of the elite Iranian force posted a statement late Monday announcing the military drill, which it said involved "missile squads," but did not say where it was taking place. Iran's guards and national army hold regular exercises two or three times a year, but the statement did not say whether this drill was one of them or if it was a special exercise.

Israel's military sent warplanes over the eastern Mediterranean for a large military exercise in June that U.S. officials described as a possible rehearsal for a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, which the West fears are aimed at producing atomic weapons. The Iranian Web Site quoted guard official Ali Shirazi as saying that Israel's coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv and U.S. warships in the Gulf would be among the first targets if Iran comes under attack. An aide to Iran's Supreme Leader was quoted as saying on Tuesday the Islamic Republic would hit Tel Aviv, U.S. shipping in the Gulf and U.S. interests around the world if it was attacked over its nuclear activities. Though Washington says it prefers a diplomatic resolution to the standoff over Iran's nuclear activity, the U.S. and Israel have not ruled out a military option. Iran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, such as energy production. On Friday, Iran's top Revolutionary Guards commander, Gen. Mohammed Ali Jafari, said Iran would consider any military action against its nuclear facilities as the beginning of a war. However, Iranian leaders have said they believe the speculation of a military strike is part of a campaign of psychological warfare.

There has been a new update today. Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards test-fired nine long- and medium-range missiles today in war games officials say are in response to U.S. and Israeli threats, state television reported. Gen. Hossein Salami, a top Guards commander, was quoted as saying the exercise "is to demonstrate our resolve and might against enemies who in recent weeks have threatened Iran with a harsh language." The drill was conducted in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormouz. The report didn't provide details but said the missiles fired included a new version of the Shahab-3 missile, which officials have said has a range of 1,250 miles. The report comes less than a day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he sees no possibility of a war with the United States or Israel. For months, Ahmadinejad and other Iranian officials have said they don't believe the U.S. will attack because of its difficulties in Iraq, domestic worries and concerns over the fallout in the region but at the same time Tehran has stepped up its warnings of retaliation if the Americans — or Israelis — do attack it. [End of report]

Now if you know me well, you probably know that I am a staunch supporter of America. When they decided to attack Iraq, I supported the decision and I still have not change my views today. If you remember the main reason why the U.S. decided to attack Iraq then was because they was reportedly having weapons of mass destruction. Of course, the Americans still couldnt find it yet even until today but I know it is being hidden somewhere out there and even if it wasnt, we did free the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein. But that was Iraq and we are talking about Iran now, a completely new ball game. The Americans and Israelis have long accused Tehran of producing nuclear energy to create nuclear weapons but Tehran has denied it, saying that it is meant for peaceful purposes. I dont know which side is saying the right thing. I really want to believe Iran but the fact that they are reluctant to let the U.N. nuclear inspectors to check their nuclear facilities everytime makes me feel really doubtful that it is only meant for peaceful purposes. The Americans would like to open negotiations with Iran regarding the issue but under the condition that it will close the nuclear facilities but that is not acceptable to Iran. President Bush has always said that he is open to diplomatic ways to solve the problem, and so does Iran. The problem though is that Iran is refusing to suspend its nuclear activities, which is what America is asking them to do.

Therefore, how do you solve the issue? America has not rule out the possibility of a military attack but is it worth doing so? I dont think so. Unlike Iraq, Iran is much more stronger and bigger in terms of its military strengths and an attack against Iran would have massive impact around the world. Lets look at some of the consequences that could happen should the U.S. decides to attack Iran. For instance, Iran could attack U.S. forces stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. Tehran could launch Shahab-3 medium-range missiles, possibly armed with chemical, biological, or radiological warheads, against American forces stationed in the Middle East. Iran could use its influence in Iraq to persuade radical Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, a Shia militant who has pledged support to Tehran in the event of a U.S. attack, to have his Mahdi Army attack American soldiers in Iraq. And with the ongoing oil crisis, the oil prices would go sky high if Iran is attack. Iran has the second-highest supply of untapped oil reserves in the world and it has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if it comes under attack. About 40 percent of globally traded oil moves through the Gulf waterway and it could severely destabilize global financial markets if disrupted. There is also the possibility that conventional attacks would kill thousands of Iranian civilians. Tehran purposefully built its nuclear facilities near population centers to deter potential attackers. Therefore, if there are any attacks on its nuclear facilities, imagine the level of damage it will cause.

There are many other reasons which I think attacking Iran is a bad idea but that are just some of it. I would also like to point out that being a President Bush fan, I would not like to see his time as the president to be involve with two different wars. If he could avoid another war before he leaves office at the end of this year, I would be very grateful, even if he doesnt achieve what he want with Iran yet. His possible successor, Barack Obama and John McCain have different views on how they would solve the issue however. Barack Obama has said that he will not rule out any direct diplomacy with countries such as Iran but John McCain shares a pretty much similiar viewpoint with President Bush which is not negotiating directly with Iran so it would be interesting to see what will happen when President Bush leaves office. But whatever it is, Im just hoping that there is not going to be another war. If everyone is willing to sit down and discuss the things in a peaceful manner to find the right solution, then there is always a chance that diplomacy will work.

*The report was taken from Associated Press.