Mi Choza De Nipa

From TODAY, Tech Friday September 5, 2008 REVIEW Google Chrome Beta The newcomer pits itself against the giants, but how does it fare? As you use the browser more, it’ll churn out a customised homepage with a list of your most visited websites and recent bookmarks, each time you launch a tab. HEDIRMAN SUPIAN hedirman@mediacorp.com.sg How it scores PROS • Fast • User-friendly interface • Smart, predictive searching • Learns from your usage CONS • Buggy • Not compatible with some websites • Flaky password management THE next step in world domination for Google, it seems, is a brand new Web browser. Christened Chrome, it’s been in the pipeline for the past two years and is aimed at weaning us off the default ones preinstalled on our computers. We spent some time with the open-source browser and our experience so far has been mixed. While it does provide much-needed improvements in security, stability and speed, the software is buggy. Chrome initially refused to start after installation. O...

From TODAY, Voices Friday September 5, 2008 By Dr James Dobson I received a copy of a letter recently written by an 80-year-old grandmother to the members of her family. This is what this quiet lady named Mom Keltner wrote on that day. She said: “I hate having to rely on my children to do things for me that I could for myself a few years ago. The truth of the matter is that our roles are reversed now and I am your child needing you in a special way. I need your patience now when I don’t hear what you say the first time; so please don’t be annoyed. I need your patience with my slowness and my set ways. I want you to be tolerant with what the years have done to me physically. And please, be understanding about my personal care habits. I really can’t see when my dress is dirty or the floor needs cleaning. To sum up, time, patience, and understanding are the priceless gifts that I ask for.” Mom Keltner expressed so beautifully what many elderly people wish they could tell their children. W...

From TODAY, Voices Thursday September 4, 2008 I SAY The vital role full-time mothers play should not be underestimated Sarah Sum-Campbell news@newstoday.com.sg I REFER to “Simply a matter of choice” (Sept 3), “Balancing job and Junior” (Sept 1) and “Hail the mothers who stay home” (Aug 29). Regarding full-time mothers becoming childcare teachers, a childcare teacher’s job should be one that is highly-skilled, with the teacher having gone through many years of training. In Japan, for example, the younger the children, the more years of training teachers go through before having access to them. The rationale is that one should practically be able to throw a book at an undergraduate for the student to learn on his own, but to explain complicated concepts in the simplest and most concrete terms to a very young child takes much training. That accounts for one of the reasons many of my friends and I decided to teach our young children ourselves. As for incentives for stay-at-home mothers (Sa...

From TODAY, Voices Thursday September 4, 2008 By Dr James Dobson A prescription for renewed family life could begin with this simple phrase: “Slow it down”. People work hard and play hard, and rarely have time to talk or even sit down and rest. This kind of killing pace isn’t healthy for individuals or for family life. But the whole world seems to conspire against such reconstructive activities. I can provide a simple prescription for a healthier, happier life, but it must be implemented by the whole family. Firstly, add no new time-consuming activity of any type until you agree to remove one of equal dimensions. Secondly, as a family, you must simply resolve to slow your pace. Learn to say “no” gracefully; resist the temptation to chase after more pleasures, more hobbies, more social entanglements; “hold the line” with the tenacity of a defender in a professional football team. If the commitment is deep enough, even the busiest of families can slow down and find a new measure of sanit...

From TODAY, Voices Wednesday September 3, 2008 By Dr James Dobson How does a happy, cooperative 12-year-old boy or girl suddenly turn into a sullen, depressed 13-year-old? There are two powerful forces that overwhelm our kids in the early pubescent years, and account for some of the strange behaviour that drives parents crazy. The first is social in nature, with incredible pressures being inflicted on adolescents by their peers. The second, which I think is more important, is hormonal in nature. Human chemistry apparently goes haywire for a few years, affecting the mind as well as the body. This internal upheaval will motivate a boy or girl to do things that make absolutely no sense to the adults. There’s a tendency for parents to despair during this period of transition. Everything they’ve tried to teach their sons and daughters seems to have misfired for a couple of years. Self-discipline, cleanliness, respect for authority, the work ethics, even common courtesy may look like lost ca...

From TODAY, Voices Tuesday September 2, 2008 By Dr James Dobson Divorce often looks like the easy solution to a very unpleasant situation. Many men and women struggle today to choose between the painful process of divorce versus the lure of escape. The entire process reminds me of a documentary film made during the early days of motion pictures. Near the top of the Eiffel Tower stood a would-be inventor with homemade wings strapped to his arms. This fellow was planning to fly. The old black-and-white film captures him as he paces back and forth looking over the edge and trying to work up the courage to jump. You could see the guy struggling: “Should I or should I not?” Finally, he let go of the beam and jumped. Of course, he fell like a rock. Many depressed people are standing on that rail of divorce today wondering: “Should I or should I not?” Unfortunately, those who do jump usually find that their wings fail to deliver the lift that they expected. Instead, they are soon overwhelmed ...

From TODAY, Voices Monday September 1, 2008 I SAY Staying home to look after your child doesn’t necessarily equal quality parenting Subana Hall I REFER to “Equality in marriage? It’s yin and yang” and “Hail the mothers who stay home” (Aug 29). Although I am able to relate closely to Ms Chitra Rajaram’s experience of being a parent, I felt the other writer had a few common, but understandable, misconceptions about stay-at-home mums. It is admirable for mums, just as it is for dads, to give their careers up to stay at home to be with their children. But staying at home does not make one a better parent. I have met many full-time parents who regret the decision to give up their careers and resent their children for it. Some of them become frustrated with their lives and seek counselling. Although giving up a career to care for your child is noble, a parent needs to know how to use his or her time well to make the sacrifice worthwhile. Whether you are a full-time or a working parent, it’s ...

From TODAY, Voices Monday September 1, 2008 By Dr James Dobson One of the best ways to show your children how to succeed may be to teach them how to fail. It’s not news that youngsters mimic the behaviour of their parents. And since parents are being watched, they obviously need to be careful about what they say and do around their children. This is especially true when it comes to handling failure and disappointment. Do we set ourselves up as models of perfection that never fall short of our goals? Or, can we say to our kids: “I’m sorry – I really blew it this time”? If we fail to get something we really wanted – say, a new job – do we mask our feelings by offering phony excuses, or do we simply say: “Apparently, the bosses thought Mr Lim would be better suited for the job.” Our children must see that mum and dad can admit their failure and shortcomings, and that the world will not end because they have done so. Some of the best moments in the relationship between parents and children...

From TODAY, Voices Friday August 29, 2008 By Dr Bill Maier “But, Dad! You never listen to me!” Sounds familiar? If so, you probably have a teenager in the house. Teenagers often complain that parents don’t listen – and sometimes they’re right! As parents, it’s easy to think we’re engaging in a conversation when we’re really just talking, or making a lot of assumptions about what our children are trying to tell us. But there’s a big difference between listening and lecturing. When your teen wants to talk, turn off the television and put down the newspaper, then give them your full attention. Stay focused on what they’re saying and try to not interrupt. Instead of rendering a quick opinion, ask questions and try to assimilate all the facts. It takes more time and energy to talk through an issue before making a decision, but our children deserve that much from us. And you may find that many of their requests aren’t as unreasonable as you might have first thought.

From TODAY, Voices Friday August 29, 2008 I SAY Such women are rare and should be recognised Sarah Sum-Campbell I REFER to “The ideal teacher” (Aug 27). Ms Yeo Eng Wah is probably right that the stay-at-home mother (SAHM) probably has better insight into raising a pre-school child than a single woman. A SAHM understands a child’s concerns and can better empathise with mothers who have to leave their children in the care of someone else. However, Ms Yeo’s proposals may not work. Ideally, the SAHM should not be one who believes in the existence of childcare centres. The SAHM chooses to spend her waking hours nurturing her own child because she does not believe in sending her child off to be cared for by another person. All my SAHM (I prefer the term “go out with our children mothers” for this is what all of us do) friends and I quit our jobs to look after our children because we believe there is no one better qualified and more suited to care for our infant and pre-school children than o...

From TODAY, Voices Friday August 29, 2008 Challenging moments in parenthood ... My boy is six years old. Earlier this week at his super-advanced kindergarten, he had an interesting Science lesson. Right now, he’s still thinking about it. Tonight he’s busy at home drawing a very elaborate diagram with his crayons. It has circles and tadpoles in it, as well as the letters “XX” and “XY”. He’s carefully labelling his diagram now. With words like “Daddy’s sperm”, “Mummy’s egg”; and “chromosomes”. ---------- blogged @ mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com

From TODAY, News Friday August 29, 2008 HORTICULTURE SECTOR The ramping up of landscaping activities such as Marina’s Gardens by the Bay (picture) means more work than firms can handle. PHOTO COURTESY NPARKS

From TODAY, World Friday August 29, 2008 Passers-by looking at an upside-down house as it nears completion in Trassen-heide, north-eastern Germany, yesterday. The house will be open to visitors from next Thursday. AFP