darling, you were wonderful tonight

i got to know the song 'Wonderful Tonight' when i was really young, in primary school. the cover i heard was done by the now-defunct British RnB group Damage.

i fell in love with it. the lyrics are just amazing.

in later years i found out it was originally by the guitar legend Eric Clapton, whose version is very different, but equally showstopping.

i like to think im a closet romantic and the lyrics, of an evening night out with a date, and how narrative they are, have struck a chord with me since. ive imagined that one day, hopefully, i can perform this song for a girl i like.

this sem, i finally got GV17, the singing module. as we could choose our own songs for the first performance, i racked my brain for days to draw up a songlist. after trying them out, and in different styles (ie minus-1, acapella, accompaniment), i instinctively threw 'Wonderful Tonight' into the mix. as with all things destined, i picked it, deciding on an acoustic, unplugged version.

oh, the romantic.

unlike that longtime childhood dream, where everything should be planned, this just fell into place, which made it even more 'wonderful tonight'. to my surprise, she, who against all odds has returned somewhat to my life, appeared at the showcase, partly to watch me.

i didnt realise. until right when i was gonna start, then it dawned upon me fate has worked the elements for my childhood fantasy to materialise.

but despite the scale of this personal milestone, there was no nerves. just calm, and a quiet sense of joy, exactly like the song.

irreligion

is religion important? this is a relevant question today, with the rising religiosity in our society. Singapore is unique for being multi-religious, boasting major faiths like Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism and various others. what we knew as free-thinkers, is surely seeing its population dwindle. i personally haven't met as many of them in recent years.

but back to that question, i think the answer is, in fact, no. if we gauge a society's progress by its religiosity.

irreligion is defined as the state of indifference or hostility towards organised religion. do take note that it isnt atheism. irreligious people might still be theists holding strong convictions.

the Gallup poll, the Dentsu and the Zuckerman indices are the best representations of irreligion. Singapore and the US belong to the half that places importance to religion, consisting of mainly African, Middle Eastern countries and the Americas.

but these statistics also seem to show that a lack of religion doesn't lead to an erosion of values, thus a lack of goodness, just as able countries and their peoples do not need religion. heading the list of most irreligious countries are the four legendary Scandinavian states, superpowers France and the UK, and the successful Japan and Hong Kong.

i am not irreligious. i am religious, i am faithful and i stick with it. but i cannot stand how many people are placing way too much on religion, and think it's blasphemous people like me hold such views.

it's just plain stupid when you allow religion to blind you from straightforward, rational decisions. i think Prof Alister McGrath, a Christian theologian and former Atheist from Oxford University and King's College, said it best:

"most people at most times just get on with their daily lives. but very often, a crisis will occur, and they'll need something beyond themselves, something that gives them meaning and stability, and that is when religion comes into its own. one of the key tests of whether religion is failing is what happens in moments of crisis, what do you turn to? and i still see religion playing that critical role."

this was in the BBC documentary Secular Believers, about the growing number of an almost paradoxical group that seems to be deprived genuine attention - believers, but not religious. it explains identities like atheist, agnostic, humanist, free-thinker and bright.

it also asks the questions: why did the dinosaurs come before humans? why did God create the tyrannosaurus rex? why were death and killing so prevalent in the world the dinosaurs lived in?

believers say God has a reason for everything. but doing the math, why is there still so much pointless suffering today?

the documentary also positioned: "many people have lost interest in religion. they're neither passionately atheist, nor passionately religious. they don't need to have any deep beliefs about god, or a lack of god."

catch it. it's on youtube lol.

Interview with local actress Janice Koh for Channel 5 drama Fighting Spiders 2

<br /> <a href="http://video.xin.msn.com/watch/video/hail-mabel-lee-the-kampung-mother-of-fighting-spiders-2/tnp476q3?fg=sharenoembed" target="_new"title="Hail Mabel Lee, the ‘Kampung Mother’ of Fighting Spiders 2!">Video: Hail Mabel Lee, the ‘Kampung Mother’ of Fighting Spiders 2!</a>

Interview with local actor Andie Chen for Channel 5 drama Fighting Spiders 2

<br /> <a href="http://video.xin.msn.com/watch/video/andie-chen-s-spooked-in-fighting-spiders-2/tnrb2h6p?fg=sharenoembed" target="_new"title="Andie Chen’s SPOOKED in Fighting Spiders 2!">Video: Andie Chen’s SPOOKED in Fighting Spiders 2!</a>

Risk

The notion of risk, I should point out, is inseparable from the ideas of probability and uncertainty. A person can't be said to be running a risk where an outcome is 100% certain. There is an old joke that makes this point rather neatly. A man jumps from the top of a hundred-storey skyscraper. As he passes each floor, on his way down, he says 'so far so good'... He acts as though he's making a risk calculation, but the outcome is in fact determined. (Giddens, 1999)

Interview with local artistes Chua Enlai and Tan Junsheng for Channel 5 dramedy Silver Lining

<br /> <a href="http://video.xin.msn.com/watch/video/meet-chua-enlai-and-his-son-jun-sheng/tnkdyk3v?fg=sharenoembed" target="_new"title="Meet Chua Enlai and his 'son' Jun Sheng!">Video: Meet Chua Enlai and his 'son' Jun Sheng!</a>

FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010

it was announced that the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or will be merged. two of the most disputed prizes in world football, each had its own critics and supporters, laying claim to be the ultimate individual honour for a footballer.

although sounding more like the heavyweight, FIFA World Player of the Year only started in 1991, considered a lifetime late since the sport turned pro. also, it is voted for by national coaches and captains, which although ensuring diversity, often throws up obscure nominees.

the Ballon d'Or is therefore what many consider the ultimate prize. it has a longer history and is voted for by journalists. the one gribe was originally only European players at European clubs were eligible. only since 1995 did it allow international players playing at European clubs. and it was just three years ago that the award allowed any player from anywhere in the world. because of this blot, legends like Pele and Diego Maradona have never been conferred.

after fighting for years, the two sides have finally found truce and come to an agreement, to merge the two awards, to be voted for by journalists, and national coaches and captains. now we do have the top honour.

but this brings me to wonder about its recipient this year. you see, on World Cup years (and to a lesser extent, European Championship years), these awards traditionally go to players who made major contributions to the tournaments, especially winning them.

let's not go too far back.

1988

(B) Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard

the Dutch won Euro 88.

1990

(B) Lothar Matthaus, Salvatore Schillaci, Andreas Brehme

Germany won World Cup 90, while Italy finished with bronze. Toto was Golden Boot and Golden Ball.

1994

(F) Romario, Hristo Stoichkov, Roberto Baggio

(B) Hristo Stoichkov, Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini

Brazil beat Italy in the final of World Cup 94, while Stoichkov's Bulgaria was semi-finalists. the above four names lit up the tournament, with Romario walking away with the Golden Ball.

1996

(F) 3rd Alan Shearer

(B) Matthias Sammer, 3rd Alan Shearer

Germany won Euro 96 with Sammer the Golden Ball, while Shearer was irrepressible.

1998

(F) Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Davor Suker

(B) Zinedine Zidane, Davor Suker, Ronaldo

France, Brazil and Croatia were the three best teams at this tournament. Suker was Golden Boot while Ronaldo was Golden Ball.

2000

(F) Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo

(B) Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane

the two greats fought tooth and nail this year as Zidane's France continued dominating world football while Figo's 'golden generation' signalled its arrival on the senior level.

2002

(F) Ronaldo, Oliver Kahn

(B) Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Oliver Kahn

Brazil put a fifth star on its crest as traditional rivals Germany pushed them all the way. German captain Kahn received a rare accolade for a goalkeeper.

2004

(B) 2nd Deco

as hosts of Euro 2004, Portugal went all the way to the final, in one of the country's greatest achievements, before losing to a negative-minded Greece.

2006

(F) Fabio Cannavaro, Zinedine Zidane

(B) Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon, Thierry Henry

the two unfancied giants this World Cup were the last teams standing, and although Zidane was head and shoulders above the rest, Cannavaro took home both awards as a defender.

if past evidence is anything to go by, South Africa 2010 should define this year's recipient. many expected Lionel Messi, Kaka or Cristiano Ronaldo, the past three winners, to lead their teams to victory, but all three did not make the semis. more often than not, the planet's top player would hail from one of the remaining four.

Spain, Holland, Germany and Uruguay.

doing the math, it should be a toss-up among the cast of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, David Villa, Iker Casillas, Miroslav Klose, Mezut Ozil, Thomas Muller, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben.

considering their club achievements and personal consistency, it should be either Xavi, Iniesta, Schweinsteiger, Sneijder or Robben.

only Sneijder won the Champions League.

or will Messi retain it, with his 47-goal exploits last season?

Interview with local actress-model Rebecca Lim for Channel 5 drama Fighting Spiders 2

<br /> <a href="http://video.xin.msn.com/watch/video/rebecca-lim-promotes-to-mamasan-status-in-fighting-spiders-2/tn1hiiqd?fg=sharenoembed" target="_new"title="Rebecca Lim promotes to ‘Mamasan’ status in Fighting Spiders 2!">Video: Rebecca Lim promotes to ‘Mamasan’ status in Fighting Spiders 2!</a>

爱你·离开你

the song i dig most currently. i dont usually loop my songs, but ive been looping this (and only this) for some time now.

once again, although i dont consciously follow their music, 南拳妈妈 has written a song that is leaving quite a mark in my life. again as is their trademark, not just a catchy chorus, but a very strong and emotive verse too.

this song has a rather pop-ish chorus typical of most industry ballads, but the verse, delightfully, offers a very pragmatic build-up, almost coming across as someone.. i dont know.. who has seen the light after the darkness?

given the song is about post-break up and letting go, one can only wonder at the genius of composer 宇豪 and lyricist 弹头, who perfectly create and deliver the exact mood and emotions.

枫呢喃的轻拂窗口

像爱情也只是稍事停留
风很轻 思念却很透明
怎奈穿越不了爱情

缓慢的妆流过伤口
晕开了我给不起的温柔
那一夜我们紧紧相拥
终于说出口已经不爱我

爱你所以离开你 眼泪是回忆
就让他随风去
我们走过的风景 剩下了飘零
漂泊的名叫伤心

爱你所以离开你 爱放进行李
流浪我的记忆
为你我愿变成云 跟着风去旅行
再静静的聆听 你幸福的回音

Interview with Hong Kong actor Richard Ng for Channel 5 dramedy Silver Lining

<br /> <a href="http://video.xin.msn.com/watch/video/richard-ng-my-son-carl-is-beginning-to-be-a-very-good-actor/tnrxbvjt?fg=sharenoembed" target="_new"title="Richard Ng: My son Carl is beginning to be a very good actor!">Video: Richard Ng: My son Carl is beginning to be a very good actor!</a>

Interview with local actress Rui En for Channel 8 drama Unriddle

<br /> <a href="http://video.xin.msn.com/?mkt=en-sg&vid=&from=sp&fg=sharenoembed" target="_new"title="Rui En is willing to brave dangers for her new show. 瑞恩为了新戏不怕危险。">Video: Rui En is willing to brave dangers for her new show. 瑞恩为了新戏不怕危险。</a>

Google founder Sergey Brin to use search engine to find cure for Parkinson's

Source: Telegraph

Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, is harnessing the power of his search engine in an attempt to find a cure for Parkinson's disease

Mr Brin, 36, is creating a database of information from thousands of sufferers and will use hi-tech computers to find links between them.

Mr Brin, who is worth an estimated $17.5 billion (£11.5 billion), entered the medical research field after discovering several years ago that he has a high chance of developing Parkinson's himself.

His mother Eugenia, a former Nasa mathematician, was diagnosed in 1999 and a genetic test put Mr Brin's own chances of developing the disease at 80 per cent.

The Google billionaire has described the pace of research into Parkinson's as "glacial" compared to developments on the internet, and hopes his methods will dramatically accelerate the search for a cure.

He has invited 10,000 Parkinson's sufferers to take part in the project, asking them to pay a nominal fee to make sure they are committed. Around 4,000 have already signed up.

Those involved are sent a test kit, which they spit into and return for analysis. They are also asked to answer detailed questionnaires about their lifestyle, as environmental factors can affect chances of developing the disease.

Algorithms will be used to find meaningful patterns in the flood of data.

Most previous research into Parkinson's has followed the traditional process of scientists coming up with a hypothesis and carrying out focused studies on smaller groups of patients.

Mr Brin wants to reverse the process, collecting vast swathes of information first and then using computers to look for trends.

Google has entered the health field before, quickly detecting outgreaks of flu and swine flu by tracking search queries entered by internet users around the world.

In an interview with Wired magazine, Mr Brin said: "It just goes to show that when you apply our new found computational power to large amounts of data, and sometimes it's not perfect data, it can be very powerful.

"We could be looking lots of places and collecting lots of information and, if we see a pattern, that could lead somewhere."

Parkinson's is a degenerative neurological condition that impairs functions such as speech and movement. There is currently no cure for the disease.

Around 10,000 people are diagnosed in Britain each year, with the first symptoms usually appearing in those over 50.

Mr Brin is the latest in a long line of wealthy philanthropists who have tried to find a cure for their own conditions and has already contributed some $50 million (£30 million) to Parkinson's research.

He discovered his increased chance of developing Parkinson's after taking a test offered by a genetic testing company called 23andMe, which is run by his wife, Anne Wojcicki.

Google has invested more than $6 million (£4 million) in the company and Mr Brin has put in $10 million (£6 million) of his own. It is gathering the data for his Parkinson's study.

His test showed he had inherited a mutation of the LRRK2 gene from his mother, increasing his own chances of developing Parkinson's. His one year-old son is also being tested for the mutation.

In September 2008, after discovering he could develop Parkinson's, Mr Brin said: "Until the fountain of youth is discovered all of us will have some conditions in our old age, only we don't know what they will be.

"I have a better guess than almost anyone else for what ills may be mine and I have decades to prepare for it."

Interview with actress Ong Ai Leng for Channel 8 drama Unriddle

<br /> <a href="http://video.xin.msn.com/?mkt=en-sg&vid=&from=sp&fg=sharenoembed" target="_new"title="Zheng Ge Ping: The most fearful thing is to give up on oneself. 郑各评：人最怕的是先放弃自己">Video: Zheng Ge Ping: The most fearful thing is to give up on oneself. 郑各评：人最怕的是先放弃自己</a>

this is nirvana, Rony Tan

today in a class about media law and freedom of speech, we were shown the controversial clip of Pastor Rony Tan of Lighthouse interviewing a convert in front of his congregation. ISD had deemed the actions inflammatory and met the pastor, who apologised soon after. in the lecture, he is seen using the convert's example to question the teachings and rituals of Buddhists and Taoists, putting the convert under pressure, and drawing laughter from the crowd.

as per practice, we went into discussion in our own small groups. CS being CS, i was easily outnumbered by Christians and Catholics. but i didnt say much, since the case in question is about an apparent mistreatment of Buddhism/Taoism, so i thought i shouldn't overreact.

but it didnt stay quiet. amazingly, the Christians and Catholics started debating about whether Rony Tan's actions were right (or more so, wrong), or if the clip should have been made public at all. they argued about what they felt watching it as Christians, and imagined how it would feel if they were Buddhists/Taoists. some said it is offensive, others said it's quite similar to their own sentiments.

for a moment, it seemed the lecturer almost could not get the attention back. then i quietly moved into my group and said, "Calm down."