Merry X'mas

and a Happy New Year!

A Dilbert X'mas riddle:
What do you call a FAT GUY who works only ONE DAY of the YEAR?








Answer: The BOSS

my postbox, the dumping site

I did not clear my postbox for one day
this was the implication, sad to say.

Perhaps my postbox is rather small
should get a big one to fit them all.

My postbox is not the dumping site
stuffed with junk mails, no it ain't right!

if you have a kid or sibling in Year 4...

I have three copies of Science Year 4 revision books to be given away.

The title of the book is called New Vision Science Year 4 (published by SNP Panpac or better known as Eastview) and it is based on the latest syllabus.

The book comes with a free CD-ROM. I wrote the book but the CD-ROM is not my idea. In this book, there are easy to understand notes and the questions are pretty much UPSR-oriented.

I only have three copies to be given away. You don't have to pay a single sen (shipping is free as well). Just send me your name and address to my e-mail address.

angelina jolie should be TIME person of the year

I was wondering what are the criteria for a person to be chosen as TIME magazine 'Person of the Year'.

Personally, I think Angelina Jolie should be the one instead of Mr. Bill Gates & wife and Bono U2. Yes, they have done a lot to help the unfortunates but so did Jolie. Jolie did a good job as the goodwill ambassador for UN. She has contributed a lot in terms of financial support and relief effort. She visited quake victims and refugee camps. And she is a good mother of two kids, Maddox and Zahara.

A lot of celebrities or influential people contribute back to the society too. I think Oprah and Bob Geldof did a pretty good job as well in year 2005. But Angelina Jolie grabbed more headlines than anyone else throughout the year. With her humanitarian effort, the attention she gets in movies, her role as a mother and relationship with Brad Pitt, she is the 'Person of the Year'. Unless the TIME magazine is on the Aniston camp.

prof helped hundreds of internet-hooked youths kick the habit

Last night, my Dad asked me to watch a programme on CCTV channel called Up Close because he thought I might be interested (not because I'm addicted to the Internet but because I'm interested in education-related topics).

The guest of the show was Prof Tao Hongkai, a guest professor in Huazhong Normal University. His effort in helping youths who are addicted to the Internet particularly online gaming had made him a household name in China.

In one case, in her last resort, a mother had to contact the media and asked for help. Her daughter, who was once a top student in her class, started skipping school to get to her daily fix of online gaming. Prof Tao who read the paper contacted the family. Several days later, after a nine-hour consultation, the 17-year agreed to skip the Internet cafe instead of classes. She kept her promise and today she is a top student again.

Under the China government support, Prof Tao gives talks and consultations for free. So far he helped over 300 teenagers. According to him, his skills of persuasion is not enough to help these Internet-hooked youths. Parents also need to change in order to help their children. In fact, the most crucial part in changing a teenager's addiction to the Internet is to build/enhance the relationship between parents and the child.