Are Your Kids Internet Orphans?

If you are concerned about your juniors using the Internet, this article is for you.

You would be a rare stone if you are unable to use the Internet today. In the past few years, the age range of the users have widened. The Internet is no longer dominated by the teens and young adults. Young children and senior citizens are fast becoming active users of the Internet, too.


Are your juniors ready to use the Internet? May be not, you think.

I was having afternoon tea with a friend the other day. We had not met for a while and I intended to have a good chat with her. It turned out that I could only listen to her grouses about her young children spending long hours on the computer. She went on and on between sips of tea and shared with me her anxiety. I could tell that she felt helpless.

This young mother is not alone.


Young children today do not understand a world without computers. They were born into one which is extensively wired and connected. As they were taught to write, they were shown the 'ENTER' key on the keyboard too. So, parents, do get a grip of yourselves and face the new human species you are now bringing up.

In "No Kidding! Your Kids Have Two Lives", I shared that kids have 'real' and 'virtual' lives, both co-exist but do not necessarily coincide. The kids may make a set of friends in the real world and another in the various social networking sites available today.

The fact that our kids are engaged in the virtual world is not necessarily a good or bad thing. The real issue lies with the 'digital divide' between the children and their parents.


Some parents are still in denial to the fact that the digital future has arrived. They carry on raising their children the way their parents did and often wonder why they are not getting anything right.

Some parents are fully aware of the digital waves but are feeling helpless because they are incapable of joining their children in the virtual world. Watching their children having a 'virtual life' from the real world can be very distressful.

In "The Ubiquitous Digital Divide", I lamented how the 'digital divide' is tearing the social fabric that is traditionally founded on and maintained by social norms. This is one the reasons why parents find themselves unable to 'socialize' with their youngsters.


Unless you are young (below20?), you probably grew up learning social skills such as friendly handshake and polite smiles. It is no wonder parents today frown when they see their children poking their friends in Facebook and throwing smiley emoticons to express themselves.

The world has changed and do I even have to tell you that?


When we were children, we watched 'Sesame Street' on the TV. Our parents were contented watching us learning number by number and letter by letter through the episodes with Big Bird and his friends.

Today, the kids have a lot more choices than that. In fact, you would find that kids with access to the Internet find TV not so appealing. If they can get millions of video clips from YouTube, it is understandable that the TV, with limited number of channels, is quite a bore to them.

People around the world post video clips onto YouTube. There are many things in there that you would not want your children to be exposed to. Parents generally would want their children to discover complex issues involving death, murder and sex at a later age.

In fact, if you check the fine prints on the policy statement given by YouTube, it advises that "Children under 13 years are not permitted to access YouTube." That is nice but who is there to to ensure that other than the parents?


Thanks to parents' ignorance and easy access to YouTube, under-supervised children often help themselves to a slew of unsavory video contents. Just play around with the 'Search' function and you will know what your children can get hold of easily.

Parents, YouTube is here to stay and you have two obvious choices.

One: deny your children the access to the Internet and deprive them of all the genuine goodness the Internet can bring to them.

Two: Keep up with the 'digital trends' and help your children access the Internet appropriately.

The option is clear to me. Is it to you?

Resources:

Parental Guidance on Web Video for Children

YouTube Safety Center: Parents' Resources

"A child educated only at school is an uneducated child."
~George Santayana~
Spanish Philosopher (1863-1952)

Dating My TV #4

See "Dating My TV #3".

Our 3rd date was not so good. I am still waiting for my new found date to excite me. Perhaps I should not be so demanding...

Wait a moment! I do not think that I am demanding in any way (usual defense in any relationship). All I am asking for is a responsive TV on the go. Is that so difficult? Never mind, things will get better..


My next test site was in the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train. I would imagine that most users of the "TV On Mobile" service would like to watch some TV programs while commuting in the train. It would have been an enjoyable ride if a little personal 'sight and sound' could be brought along.


The test was a disaster!

A large part of the journey took place underground and the reception must have been non-existent. There was no TV program to talk about. No further comments.

Zilch!

Rating: 1/10

World Toilet Day

19 Nov 2009 is World Toilet Day.

I know many people will go 'huh?' on hearing this. Why do we even need to mark any day as the 'World Toilet Day'? If you think this is a funny or embarrassing topic, read on.

'World Toilet Day' was established on November 19, 2001 by the World Toilet Organization (WTO) based in Singapore. It is celebrated annually to increase awareness of the importance of toilet sanitation and the toilet users' rights for a better toilet environment.


The WTO is a global non-profit organization committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide. The WTO is founded in Singapore by Jack Sim who felt that the issue of basic sanitation has been much neglected. He founded WTO in 2001 and the World Toilet College (WTC) in 2005.

Every year, the WTO also organizes the World Toilet Summit to provide a common platform for stakeholders to connect, share, learn and collaborate to meet the global target for sanitation. The first summit was held in 2001 in Singapore. Subsequently, it was held in Korea, Taiwan, China, Northern Ireland, Russia, India and Macau. This year, the Summit will be held in Singapore again (2-4 Dec 09).


In Korea, the Chairman of the Korean WTO is certainly taking this awkward issue very seriously. See the shape of his house in South Korea and you would know what I mean.

We use toilets everyday and sometimes we get upset when these facilities are found to be less than desirable. We certainly have the right to have access to basic toilet sanitation and we have the right to complain when that right is not given. However, many are not aware that, out there, 2.5 billion people do not even have somewhere safe, private or hygienic to go to. That is almost half the world's population!


This is not just a matter of convenience. Rather, it is a matter of life and death. The lack of the most basic sanitation is giving a much bigger problem than many can imagine. Every year, 1.8 million children are killed because they do not have access to sanitation.

If we think that AIDS have killed many, diarrheal diseases kill five times more children in the developing world. That means, 5,000 children are dying everyday!

Lack of sanitation can cause fecal related illness. This is not surprising considering the fact that one gram of feces can contain 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs.


The theme for this year's 'World Toilet Day' is "The health of your child begins in the toilet". Besides Singapore, countries such as Australia, Germany, India, Canada, United States, United Kingdom and Nepal will be hosting "The Big Squat" events to mark this day. To help raise awareness for the 2.5 billion people who do not have access to sanitation, thousands of people are going to squat for one minute on 19 Nov.

Check the list or map for an event near you.

Squatting is used to symbolize the problems in the developing world, where the lack of sanitation forces people to squat in fields, on train tracks, or in other open places. Open defecation is certainly one of the worst problems faced by the developing world.


In Singapore, the WTO will be celebrating the 'World Toilet Day' at *Scape Youth Centre. You can join the event which will feature a "Big Squat" and a photo exhibit on "Sanitation's Irony" by Heratnor Nuri. The exhibit will run through 20 Nov 09.

I know this is a crappy topic to most people. It is unfortunate that it is a 'taboo' topic to talk about openly and many people remain ignorant about the scale of the problem. I fail to understand how this can be an unimportant topic when, on an average, we visit the toilet 2500 times a year, or 6-8 times a day. In our life time, we would have spent 3 years in the toilet.

You can help to make a difference and improve sanitation in a few ways:

1. Spread the message to increase awareness by sharing this article
2. Participate in a 'World Toilet Day' event near you.
3. Give a donation to the WTO.

Surely we can always do something for somebody.

"One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody."
~Mother Teresa~

Dating My TV #3

See "Dating My TV #2".

During the last date, I was on the move with my "mobile TV' and we lost each other a few times. It was not a pleasant date.

Our next date was in my office. (Oops! Cyberloafing ?!?)


I launched the program at my desk to test the reception. Unfortunately, the test ended before it even got started. The reception was so bad that there were hardly any decent images which came on stream.

It was a disappointing experience. Perhaps, my employer seated me within a reception blind spot knowing that this day would come. So, folks, there was no "Cyberloafing" for I was unable to take any glimpse of the TV program.

During my lunch break, I tested again in a building nearby and the streaming was great. I was not really watching any program as my lunch was more important. I surfed around and watched a little of AFC and BBC. The reception was as good as my lunch.


I have asked a few friends about Starhub's "TV on Mobile" and few were able to give me more than a "huh?". This entertainment service was launched about a year ago and from my quick straw poll, Starhub subscribers have little or no awareness of it.

Well, I am not sure if they have a lot to lose. I shall not judge my new-found date so soon. Our 3rd date within and around my office location was both disappointing and exciting all rolled into one.

Rating: 5/10.

This is (Definitely) It

MJ has done it again, even after his untimely death.

I watched "This Is It" last week. I am not sure if I should call it a movie, a concert or a documentary. I guess it is all of them, even though officially it is known as a 'concert film'.

The 111-minute film was given a worldwide release and a limited two-week theatrical run (28 Oct to 12 Nov) and it has broken numerous records via tickets both for pre-sale and sales worldwide.

This spectacular movie gives a rare 'behind-the-scene' glimpse of MJ's last concert tour. The world was so close to watching his last master piece when he died 18 days before the opening of the "This Is It" concert.


The film was made from footage during the rehearsals of the concert and it was meant for MJ's archives. The clips were sensitively stitched together, showcasing MJ's artistry and professionalism in his caring manner.

His pursuit for 'the best' is admirable. Nothing less than the best is ever good enough for MJ. Being ever so gentle, he demonstrates how one can be assertive without the use of aggression.


MJ plays his greatest hits such as "Thriller", "They Don't Care About Us" and "Billy Jean" in this concert. These familiar pieces are far from sounding stale. They are cleverly improvised and remastered to give them a more contemporary taste. There are 27 songs in all. My favorite footage is the "Earth Song". Each time I hear this song, it never fails to sadden me. I feel that I can relate to what he is trying to say.


If you intend to catch the show, look out for the concert's female lead guitarist, Orianthi Panagaris. She is simply great. It was heart-warming to see MJ egging her to push herself to give her best.

Watching how MJ constantly pushes himself beyond known boundaries is just so awesome. With the help of technology, the creative visualization is mind-blowing. I can only imagine that if all those special effects get a chance to meet his fans in the planned concert, the treat would have been undoubtedly a spectacular one.


The film reveals the sensitive and caring side of MJ as well as him being a perfectionist. He knows his music and he knows exactly what he would like to present to his fans. Each time he pauses the rehearsal to fine-tune, I get this 'isn't that good enough yet?' idea in my head.

No, nothing is good enough for MJ unless until it is at its best. This is one of the reasons why many are opposing to the making of this film. Opposers feel that MJ would not have wanted the footage to be shown because it is not showing him at his best.

Days before the release of the film, MJ fans launched a protest entitled "This Is NOT It" as they were upset that the concert promoter was trying to milk the last of MJ.

I am in no position to pass judgment on what went on behind the making of this film. I can only say that I have been presented with yet another MJ's best. I enjoyed every single minute of the film.


Kudos to Kenny Ortega who direction the movie. He has shown so much sensitivity in his choice of footage, showing enough to reveal the lesser known MJ but short of being exploitative. Besides this concert, Ortega created the "Dangerous World Tour (1992-1993) and the "HIStory World Tour" (1996-1997) with MJ. He is also the director for all the three "High School Musical" movies, among others.

The film pulled in US$101 million worldwide in its first five days and Sony (distributor) is extending the farewell performance film beyond its planned two-week run. Convincingly, MJ's music is enjoyed in every continent. Good music knows no geographical, cultural and language barriers. Indeed.


The film is dedicated to Jackson's three children, Paris, Prince and Blanket. It was reported that 90% of the profit will go to MJ's estate from which his most beloved children would be the main beneficiary.

Overall, "This Is It" is a great film. The numbers don't lie.

Verdict: MJ is an ordinary, beautiful human being with divine musical talent.

Official Trailer

This Is It Movie Official Site

"The greatest education in the world
is watching the masters at work"
~Michael Jackson~
(1958-2009)

Dating My TV #2

See "Dating My TV#1"

Our first date was exciting as I was discovering the various features of the "Starhub TV on Mobile". Getting it up and working was not too difficult. Well, at least it was not beyond my reach. Watching the "How To" short video clip on YouTube made the matter even easier.


As the OMNIA II mobile phone is new to me, I had to get use to its 'temperament' too. There are other compatible phones which allow you to watch "Starhub TV on Mobile", for example, Nokia N97, HTC Touch Pro and LG Arena. I wonder if OMNIA II has been a good choice. I picked it simply because it has the biggest screen of 3.7". I hope to hear from others who are using other models.



Today, I tuned to CNA (Channel News Asia) while I was driving. Not to worry, I was not about to perform some dangerous driving stunt by keeping my eyes on the TV.

Before I set off, I launched the program. I had to wait for awhile for it to come up. In the present day context, a 60-second wait is forever and I had to wait for longer than forever.

After the phone was connected to the program, the reception was good at the start. I left the program running just to test the smoothness of the reception as I traveled from the East to the Central North. Along the way, the reception was disconnected a few times and I had to reconnect it when I reached a convenient traffic stop.

As I seldom take public transport, I had used the service that way to simulate an experience on a bus or MRT train. Overall, today's experience was not so good.

Rating : 5/10

Julie & Julia : Two For The Price Of One?

Last week, I spent 123 minutes watching two women cook.

Cooking has never been on my "I like" list although I am well able to whip up a few simple dishes. Even then, "Julie and Julia" caught my fancy.


Julie and Julia is a very heart-warming culinary comedy involving Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and Julie Powell (Amy Adams). Written and directed by Nora Ephron, it is based on two true stories adapted from memoirs of Julia Child (My Life in France) and Julie Powell's memoir of her year spent cooking and blogging her way through Child's cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking".


The movie toggles between the two stories which are half a century apart:

Mid 20th Century: Julia Child, a restless wife of an American diplomat in Paris, constantly longing to write a cookbook about French cooking for Americans. She spends years writing one and spends a few more looking for a willing and suitable publisher.


Early 21th Century: Julie Powell, a young American wife, bored with her work, wants to do more with her life. She throws herself a challenge to replicate Child’s 524 recipes from 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' in 365 days. She blogs her way through the cookbook and her blog grows in popularity. Thanks to modern technology, she does not need to find a publisher to tell her story.


Child is a tall and gawky middle-age woman who reminds me of Big Bird. Her total lack of self-consciousness and cheerfulness can be contagious. Powell, on the other hand, is a petite young lady who constantly in need of assurance.

I am not going to turn this review into a spoiler. So, to cut the long story short, both women find their fulfillment through cooking, err, well, with lots of butter.


It may seem that I am getting two movies with the price of one but I did not get double the satisfaction. In fact, the movie would have been better being "Julia Child" rather than "Julie and Julia".

If I remove Meryl Streep from the movie, what is left would have been a bore. It is a case of 'buy-one-get-one-free' when you actually only need one.


Meryl Streep's acting is magnificent as she has always been. Each time the story flashes back to her era, the movie brightens up. I think she can play any role except singing (I watched Mamma Mia and I'm convinced that she can't sing).

The movie is rated PG in Singapore and advised to contain "some sexual references" (I'd replace 'some' with 'hardly any') . Generally, it has received fairly good reviews of about 3/5 to 4/5 stars. If you are a foodie and a blogger as well, you would probably give it a 5/5.


Overall, the movie is delicious, warm and funny. I enjoyed it. However, I am a blogger but not a foodie. I like the 'Julia' side of the story but find the 'Julie' side more dull. So, I guess my rating would be five but halved.

Verdict: 2 to 5 stars, depending on whether you are a Streep fan, a blogger or a foodie.

Official Trailer

"Find something you're passionate about and
keep tremendously interested in it."
~Julia Child~
(1912 - 2004)

Dating My TV #1

I was staring at the TV in the living room...

Have you ever wondered why the goggle box has grown to become the centre-piece in the living rooms of billions of households around the world?

I grew up with TV and it used to be an important part of my life. I remember rushing back from school so that I could catch every minute of my favorite programs. Now, when I look back, the appeal of TV back then still amazes me.


Visually, TV programs have moved a million miles from the day-one black-and-white version to today's 'High Definition' (HD). I am not surprised if 3D is just tailing behind. With giant wide screens on sexy slim casings, the hardware is looking appetizing too.

The number of channels and the choice of TV programs have exploded over the last few decades. In fact, we no longer have to let the media companies decide when we should watch what. At a price, 'TV-on-demand' works like a 'concierge'. It offers us a wide range of choices and we get to pick and watch TV programs at our convenient time. No commercials to frown upon.

We also no longer have to be leashed to the TV set. Now, we can download videos (legally!) onto our PC and view them in one go or in a few installments. This is perfect for those who are unable to spare 90 minutes for a movie at a stretch.

All these sound great.

Logically, TV should be a dearer companion of mine today given that it has grown in its overall appeal. But... not really.

Ironically, in the past few years, I find myself alienating TV increasingly. In Singapore, we get 7 basic channels and hundreds of pay TV channels. I am spoiled for choices now and yet TV is taking a lesser space in my life. Thanks to all the modern distractions such as the Internet, gaming devices and mobile gadgets, all fighting for a slice of my attention, all the time.

So, me and my TV... are we over?

What if I can bring my TV with me in my pocket and watch it whenever I want? Will I ever rekindle the fondness I used to have over it?

I have just been given a cool Samsung OMNIA II (i8003) mobile phone (courtesy of Starhub). It is for me to experience "Starhub TV on Mobile", a mobile service offered by Starhub. For the less informed, it is simply a service that allows me to watch TV channels using my mobile phone. In other words, I get to watch TV programs on the fly.

Getting used to the new mobile phone was not so hard but accessing the "Starhub TV on Mobile" needed some getting used to. I would need to log on to Starhub's 'Gee! WAP portal' and click on the 'StarHub TV on Mobile' link. It took me awhile to get things sorted out. Once that was done, the rest was easy.

There are altogether 17 channels in 6 categories: Sports, News, Chinese, Entertainment, Kids and Ethnic. The channel line-up includes CNN, CNBC, ChannelNewsAsia, Goal TV and Animax. Three of these channels, Asian Food Channel (AFC), Bloomberg and JimJam were just added recently in May.

Compared to the number of choices I get from conventional TV, the variety looks pathetic. For it to be more attractive, the choices got to be wider. Anyway, compare to "mio TV on Mobile, Starhub's 'TV on Mobile' has 6 more channels. Meanwhile, there are enough stuff for me to kick off.

I will take the next couple of months venturing into this new playground. Do come along with me on my journey too. I guess two months is sufficient to let me know if my old bond with TV can be renewed.

This shall be the first of my new "Dating My TV" series. Let's give the both of us another chance. OK?

For now, I am going to do a little channel surfing. Shhh.

Dog Carpets Are Not Art

What I am about to bring to you here is not going to be pleasant.

It is about lost humanity.

It is about cruel art.

It is about shelfish indulgence.

It is about oblivious politicians.

It is about ignorant people.

It is about our best friends.

Ondrej Brody and Kristofer Paetau, are two artists. Well, they claim they are but to me, they are cold-blooded monsters. In the name of art, they started a project in Bolivia making carpets USING DOGS!

Who are these two monsters?

Ondrej Brody, born in Prague now lives and works in Amsterdam and Prague. Kristofer Paetau, born in Finland, now lives and works in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2007, they put up a joint art* exhibition in Bolivia. (*I cringe each time I use the word 'art')


What did they do?

They went to La Paz, Bolivia and worked with the local municipal and museum on their dog carpet project. They requested for 10 street dogs from a company, Zoonosis, who was in charge of hunting street dogs in the city of La Paz. Together, they killed the dogs and turn them into carpets. With the blessing of the local authority, their 'art pieces' were exhibited in a city musuem known as 'Museo Tambo Quirquincho'.


Why Bolivia?

Compared to many other countries, Bolivia has a larger concentration of street dogs. The problem is so acute that there is a whole municipal organisation dealing with it. Zoonosis, which is engaged by the local municipal, would catch about 100 dogs a week and execute them every friday noon. To Ondrej and Kristofer, there is no better place to obtain their 'specimen'.

Why did they do it?

According to Ondrej, the dog carpets were used to depict society's hypocirsy towards having dogs and cats as pets (yes, they make cat carpets, too). Kristofer explained that traditionally, wild animals are hunted and used to make carpets as part of the hunting tradition. In this case, they have used an inappropriate animal which is a pet to question the value of such a tradition.

The duo have put it very nicely for their Bolivian project: "A hunting carpet from a dog that is being hunted by the society".

What do you think? Sounds nobel to you?


How did they do it?

They went to the pound and assisted in the killing. There, the dogs were barking and behaving nervous. Both 'artists' believed that the dogs knew what was going on. The dogs were injected with poison and they urinated and defecated after they received the injection (I can only imagine their pain). Within 30 seconds it would be over and the dogs were left there lying in their own mess.

After the killing, the duo picked their 'choice' 10 dead dogs out of probaby 80. They sent the dogs to the the local Museum of Natural History. There was no trained taxidermist in La Paz. So a janitor and a guard in the museum who took up taxidermy as a self-taught hobby, filled the gap.

The dog carpets were badly done and messily displayed. The local people were upset with the display and alerted the media and animal rights groups. The mayor of La Paz was put in hot soup and ordered the dead dogs removed from the museum.

The failed project in Bolivia did not stop the duo. They went on to participate in Prague Biennale. They found further justification of their art by obtaining dead dogs from pet hospitals. They claimed that the animals died of natural causes and were no longer wanted by their owners. This time, the dog carpet were done more professionally and their disturbing display was shown as an art form.


My thoughts

Does calling yourself an 'artist' gives you the right to do anything you want? In the name of art can the borders of humanity be pushed? In the name of art can the usual respect between humans be disregarded?

I do not think so. I cannot see how 'art' and 'cruelty' can co-exist.

I am not an artist of any kind. In fact, I hardly know art in anyway. However, I do know that humanity is universal and it is to be upheld above all other matters.

I can understand the street dog problems in La Paz and how the local authority must have been desperate to resort to culling them en mass. That seems to be an easy way out for there are definitely more humane way to overcome the problem. Putting that aside, what made the whole matter so unacceptable is the fact that the two 'artists' had seen the problem of La Paz as their opportunity to showcase their revolting art pieces.

The artists claimed that they are using this controversial route to make a statement. I am afraid I do not get any message other than the fact that they have some issues with their artistic taste. After exhibiting those dog carpets, has anyone acknowledged the message they were trying to send? I doubt it. In fact, I bet the world stay largely ignorant that something so disgusting has taken place, let alone thinking about whether they should or should not agree with the artists.



The story was a disturbing one to me. I signed the petition and hoped to stop this insane project. On 14 Oct, the petition received 5158 signatures and it is now closed. The petition is on the way to reach Bolivian President Morales.

The duo should be banned from every museum in the world and where the arms of the law could reach them, they should be locked up. The horrible service which kills 100 street dogs a week must also be stopped.

Animals are to be helped not murdered.

"We are all alike on the inside”
~Mark Twain~