Weapons of War

Introduction:

In my opinion, no history of the war would be complete without an overview of the weapons of war. This is because war has certainly broght many innovate development of weaponry. Thus, I would like to share about how different weapons of war came about...

Weapons of War:

Firstly I would like to start off with the commonly known bayonet. The bayonet is simply a blade that is attached to the barrel of a rifle for use in close combat. Even in our modern times, there are still many occasions when close combat fighting is necessary, making it the ideal scenario for the use of the bayonet. Bayonets are generally directed at the vulnerable points of the enemy's body to cripple them.



Next, I would like to direct my attention to the machine gun. The machine gun was created on a relatively simple concept. The gas produced by the explosion of powder in each machine gun cartridge would cause a recoil which served to continuously operate the machine gun mechanism. Many felt that this was rather eficient as no external power was needed and this was commonly used in the second world war.



The rifle still remained the most crucial, ever-present infantry weapon from the past. A good example of the rifle would be the sniper. Snipers played an important role in destroying the morale of the enemies as assassins would mostly taget at the leaders of the enemies. Soldiers knew that they could not walk about freely along exposed trenches or they can expect a well-aimed bullet stucked in their heads!



Last but not least, I would like to mention about the evolutions of the tanks. The tank can be dated back to the world war, where trench warfare was ever-present. Many believed that tanks had the enormous potential to break through enemy trench defences and they were proven right. After the successful demostration of the potentials of tanks, countries started building them and gradually, tanks developed into what we see in our modern day.

Man VS Wild

Introduction:

As we all know, "Man VS WIld" is a rather popular survival television series on Discovery Channel. It is hosted by hosted by Bear Grylls and the general format of each episode is the premise that Grylls is left stranded in a region.The episode documents his efforts to survive and find a way back to civilization, usually requiring an overnight shelter of some kind. He also shares with us his experiences about successful and failed survivals in the particular area which he is in.



Review of some Episodes:

Moab Desert

- In this episode, Bear Grylls is dropped by a helicopter into the Moab Desert in Utah in 110 degree temperatures, with nothing but a knife, a canteen, and a flint. He battles dehydration by soaking his t-shirt in urine, and eats two raven eggs, one raw. Lastly, Bear demonstrates how to escape from quicksand before swimming across the Colorado River. He explains that rivers will provide water for drinking, and following the river will eventually bring you to civilization.



Costa Rican Rain Forest

- In this episode, Bear Grylls parachutes into a Costa Rican rainforest in the Osa Peninsula. He is armed with only his knife and a canteen. He climbs down a waterfall using a vine and floats down a river to the ocean on a raft which he crafts out of balsa wood.He explains that in the jungle, it's not worth wasting energy hunting animals as there are plenty of plants to eat. We just have to familiarize yourself with edible plants before you set out on a trip. Last but not least, he demonstrate how someone lost in the jungle can also make it to civilization.



Sierra Nevada

- In this episode, Bear Grylls parachutes into the Sierra Nevadas, simulating the situation of the hundreds of hikers who become stranded there each year. He is equipped with only a knife and a canteen and travels through the alpine and woodland of the mountains. He tries to tame a wild horse and eats a live snake, but was rather unsuccessful. Using different techniques learn from the Mono Indians, he brushes his teeth with a manzanita leaf. In addition, he also explains that very often dew will collect on leaves and pine needles overnight. Thus, if you're desperately in need of water, this can indeed be a lifesaver.



Some survival tips:

- Always make sure that someone knows where you are going and when you're planning to come back. If something goes wrong, they will know to alert the appropriate authorities.

- Do your "homework" before going on a trip. Know the basic geography of your destination and familiarize yourself with the edible flora and fauna. You have to be prepared for the environment you're heading into and bring the appropriate tools and supplies.

- Use your common sense. If you are lost, try to get your bearings before moving on. If you're tired, just rest. If you're hungry, try to find food.

Personal Reflection:

In my opinion, I personally feel that this survival television series has indeed been very useful to me. It has made me realized how fortunate am I, to be able to live in a cosy house where everything has already been provided. In addition, it also taught me some useful survival tips which I can apply. We should not be selective of the food that we are given, but rather be grateful that we are able to fill our stomach. If we complain now that the food is disgusting, what about those in the wild? Hence, i really enjoyed watching these educational videos and I would recommend others to watch too!

Home Learning Task 2

Point of View:

By analyzing the background of the poem, i can infer that the point of view is probably that of an American soldier during the Vietnam War, who strongly opposed chemical warfare. This is evident in the poem as it states " America did not foresee". He was actually critisizing his own country, America. This can be seen from the poem as it mentions "Toll on the innocent and unborn" and "Nefariously America was led astray ". Thus, i conclude that the speaker was actually more concerned about the consequences of using this chemical and not so much on whether are the victims his allies or enemies.

Situation and Setting:

After analyzing the background of the poem, i can infer that the setting of the poem was probably in Da Nang, vietnam during the Vietnam War. The situation is in the midst of a war and a hopeless mood was created through the usage of choice of words. The word "toll" was used in the poem to create a greater impact in the readers about the uncountable amount of deaths. This then depicts a very hopeless situation where there are lots of destructions. There is also no resolution in this poem as evident by the statement " Generations untold WILL pay". This further reinforce the hopeless situation where nothing can be done about this problem.

Language/Diction:

In first stanza second line, the poet uses the word “Potpourri” which means a mixture of materials or substances. Therefore, i can infer that it is used to show the mixture of deaths created by the devastating effects of war.

In the first stanza fifth line, the poet also uses the word "toll" which refers to the deaths and sufferings that war brings about. This also depicts the pessimistic side of war where countless amount of innocent lives are lost.

Personal Response:

In conclusion, i think that the poet is trying to show the negative side of war where nobody would benefit from it. This is especially unfair to those innocent lives that were taken away in the war, despite not having a part in the war. Thus, i agree with the poet that war is indeed brutal and unjust. Therefore, i personally feel that countries should not act rashly in a moment of anger but rather consider the consequences of war.

Home Learning Task 1

Rainbow Death

America did not foresee
Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Expecting others to pay a high price.
Now thinking twice?
Toll on the innocent and unborn.

Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread!
Nefariously America was led astray -
Generations untold WILL pay -
Execrable effects of agent orange spray!

Background information of Hubert Wilson

Hubert Wilson was a Vietnam War veteran who served in the USAF Security Service. He was sent to Da Nang (an Agent Orange hotspot), where the environment was contaminated and it affected hubert wilson's health. His health problems eventually got worse, through out the war. At first it was only headaches and limb pains, then followed by the deterioration of his central nervous system. After that, he also started to experience spasms and severe headaches. However, no physician could diagnosed the specific illness. Therefore, Hubert Wilson was unable to receive any medical assistance.

Hubert's inspiration

In the poem, Rainbow death actually refers to the "Agent orange Spray. It was a chemical substance used during the Vietnamese war against Vietnam. (It was a herbicide and defoliant that are contaminated with Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin.)Approximately 4,800,000 Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth defects. It was known for causing serious skin diseases as well as a vast variety of cancers in the lungs, larynx, and prostate.

Thus, i conclude that Hubert Wilson was just trying to express his disapproval on the usage of agent orange spray as it kills numerous amount of innocent lives and also bring about horrible effects.

Integrated Resort Casino

Recently, there were many debates on the opening of the casino. There were many who opposed the building of a casino as they argue that it has a negative social impact on the community.

However, I personally feel that there is nothing wrong with setting up a casino. This is because when we look from a wider perspective, we will realize that building a casino actually brings about more benefits than disadvantages. Researches have shown that entertainment hubs may not be economically possible if we remove the casino component. Revenues generated from the casino are also used to cross-subsidies the other non-gaming attractions, thus attracting large number of visitors. When there is an increase in a country's income, the government will also have more money to spend on providing facilities for the residents. Isn't this a win-win situation to both sides?

There are no doubt side effects of building a casino. People are worried about social costs such as bankruptcies, fraud and embezzlement.

In my opinion, i feel that the choice to gamble or not actually lies in one's own hands. The government has done nothing wrong by building a casino as they have the welfare of the country at heart. The actual aim of the casino is to target tourists and not gamblers. Therefore, at times we should learn to be self-disciplined and resist our nasty temptations.

Sentosa Resorts World - Singapore

Ever since the opening of the integrated resort, Singapore's economic and tourism landscape has been changing very rapidly. Many countries like Singapore are moving quickly to develop major tourist attractions and exciting products. I guess this is probably the main reason why Singapore has to respond and adapt to the increasingly competitive environment or we will gradually lose out to others on our tourism share.

There are many advantages to an integrated resort. Firstly, it will contribute significantly to Singapore's overall positioning as a premium destination. It offers a wide range of entertainment experiences for visitors and this enhances our destination appeal. Next, it will also generate significant economic benefits for Singapore. This is due to the fact that the resort boosts tourism receipts and will attract numerous visitors, increasing Singapore's earnings. In addition, they also create significant jobs and economic spin-offs.

I have been to the integrated resorts to take a look and i am truly fascinated by its scenery. There are quite a number of shops, restaurants, convention and entertainment venues and other attractions. I highly recommend that you should go there too!

Explore Deeper......

The largest and most powerful fish in the prehistoric times was most probably the Megalodon which mean "big tooth" in Greek. It was a giant shark that lived approximately 25 to 1.5 million years ago, and was a super-predator. Its maximum size is theorized by experts to be around 20.3 metres in length and 114 short tons in weight. This makes it the largest shark in vertebrate history and also one of the biggest hyper-carnivorous predators ever known. Experiments conducted by scientists have shown that its bite force is 5 times greater than that of a T.Rex! Its teeth are morphologically similar to great white shark teeth but are more robust. They are more regularly serrated, much larger and exceeding 18 cm in slant height. However, it is not yet clear why C. megalodon became extinct after millions of years of dominance. Several factors like climatic upheavals, changes in the food chain, cannibalism and competition may have been involved.