"Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months."
~ Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist, Novelist & Poet (1854 - 1900)

Posted by digitalk team at 03:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A small but select group of you folks turned up at Jurong Regional Library last Saturday and Sunday. You were drawn of course by the prizes but we like to think that you also partly came to try out the 2D barcode. NLB, working with iDA, iCell and TAG-IT wanted to test out the usefulness of the 2D barcode technology in a live public library environment.

So what is a 2D barcode? Also known as "matrix code", the main thing to grasp is that they are able to hold more information than conventional one dimensional barcodes. Conventional barcodes get longer as more data is encoded. 2D barcodes make use of the vertical dimension to squeeze in more data.

So using your mobile phone you can now capture the 2D pre-printed image which then allows access to the web or other multimedia content source embedded in the barcode. This dynamic interactivity through your mobile phone allows a whole range of things to be done including including payments and delivery of content. So far, it has been used in a variety of applications involving identification and access control, and is already being used by a number of countries for travel -related documents, e.g., Tunisia for passports, and the United States for visa applications. The 2D format provides sufficient space to encode in an encrypted form all the data needed about an individual, including a digitized photo and fingerprints. They have also been used to "flag" offers or promotions by a variety of commercial organisations including burger chains, computer companies and international airlines. Another area where the 2D format has made in-roads is event ticketing where the ticket can be sent as an SMS and then read at the event venue. An refreshingly innovative application of 2D is Semapedia With Semapedia you can hyperlink your physical world by creating small tags a 2D Barcode that will link others to the content you provide. You can tag buildings, books, airplanes, cars or whatever.

Libraries too have begun to look into their benefits, including: (1) delivery of new information services to meet the needs of patrons, (2) enhancement of user friendliness and (3) acquisition of prompt feedback from patrons. One of the more useful services could be an OPAC service for mobile users allowing people to carry out catalogue searches on demand. The user friendliness is obvious - capturing a barcode beats pushing the keypad of your mobile and would appeal to young children, senior citizens of differently-abled people. Finally libraries have been exploring using 2D for patron feedback, for instance, to test and aid the development of new services. There are however some drawbacks in the library environment (1) technical problems inherent adopting in new technology , (2) the increased probablity spam mails and (3) security vulnerability. Of course you need a clear barcode and right now there are several types of 2D in the market - standardisation does not look like it is coming soon. Maintaining the consistency of the encoded information would be crucial to successful implementation of the 2D barcode-guided mobile Internet service in a library environment.

Just so that you can get a "feel" for 2D, the barcode opposite encodes the following rhyme from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. there are 249 characters in total, including punctuation

"Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle;
For Tweedledum said Tweedledee
Had spoiled his nice new rattle.

Just then flew down a monstrous crow,
As black as a tar-barrel;
Which frightened both the heros so,
They quite forgot their quarrel."

DIRECT LINKS
1. How-to-use 2D Graphic courtesy of TAG-IT
2. 2D barcode of Tweedledum and Tweedledee courtey of barcodeman.com

Posted by digi.talk team at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

‘Singapore's population has officially passed the four million mark, swelled by a huge influx of foreigners who make up nearly 20 percent of the population.’ -(2)

In 2000, one out of four people here were of non-Singaporean nationality. The percentage of foreigners in Singapore had reached 24%.- (3) Singapore has always been known as a multiracial country. Very soon, we may be known as a multinational country too! Imagine, ‘regardless of race, language, religion and nationality’.

Many countries such as Spain, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates rely on immigration to boost a shrinking labour force. But Singapore's immigration plan is unique because it would boost the population by nearly 50 percent, to the point where those born in Singapore would barely form a majority in their own country. Singapore's government is so worried about the low birth rate and greying population that it is turning to immigrants to add another two million people to the island of 4.5 million over the next 40 to 50 years. –(6)

The high migration rate has been boosted by the fact that this city-state has a lot to offer. Clean air, affordable housing, good schools, reliable phone and internet connections, and an income tax rate of up to 20 percent that is one of the lowest in the region. Not to mention, the government has also taken an increasingly relaxed attitude to immigration, particularly of skilled workers.

However, the astounding number of foreign talent may take a toll on Singaporeans in future.

Education

Singapore is fast emerging as the destination of choice of those aspiring for higher education. The number of students migrating to Singapore has increased considerably during the past five years and is all set to go further up. The tiny island's lack of natural resources has led it to put a heavy emphasis on human capital and resulted in a fiercely competitive education system.

In NUS, the number of undergraduates stand at 23,900, with foreigners making 20% of them. The number of postgraduates stand at 9,100, with foreigners making 50% of them. In NTU, the number of undergraduates stand at 19,114, with foreigners making 20% of them. The number of postgraduates stand at 8,538, with foreigners making 33% of them. In SMU, the number of undergraduates stand at 4,300, with foreigners making 19% of them. The number of postgraduates stand at 190, with foreigners making 40% of them. –(10)

"Many pupils find the education system to be stressful," Anthony Chang, a psychologist with the National University of Singapore, told Reuters. As such, some choose to migrate to other countries where it is seemingly less stressful. ‘Some 5 to 7 per cent of each year's cohort of Singaporeans is likely to emigrate’, estimates Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew –(4). This leaves the country vulnerable to brain drain. On the other hand, there are those who stress themselves in order to keep up with the rat race. (‘Suicide spotlights stress students face’, Reuters News Service, 2 September 2001).

Labour Force

While the economy grew 7.9 percent last year, creating a record 176,000 new jobs, about half of those went to foreigners. The island has nearly one million foreigners, mostly low-skilled maids and construction workers and another 110,000 professional expatriates. Such a huge influx of people is worrying many Singaporeans, who fear that they will lose their jobs to foreign immigrants. Singaporeans are concerned they will become "second-class citizens" in their own country, at a time when many poorer Singaporeans already feel left behind because of a widening income gap. –(6)

Defence

In a country where all Singaporean men have to do National Service, foreigners who are not residents are sometimes resented because they take advantage of Singapore's comfortable lifestyle and good education while avoiding military service. "At first we didn't know what National Service was all about, and we thought it was quite a problem," says Mr. Mui, an expatriate from Hong Kong. "But later, some of our Hongkonger friends who are SAF volunteers told us all about it, so we began to accept it. But we do know of some friends with teenage sons who have delayed migration to Singapore because of NS.” –(9)

However, with the declining birth rate, it seems that the government has little choice. Fear of future labour shortages and increasing aged-dependency ratios prompted the authorities to offer cash payments to parents –(5). Such financial inducements, however, failed to boost the birth rate. Singapore’s population currently stands at approximately 4.5 million people. However, the total fertility rate (the number of children born to a woman during her lifetime) stands at 1.06, ranking her 205th out of 207 countries, just ahead of Macau and Hong Kong (according to our World Atlas database). This is way below the optimum replacement rate of 2.1. ”If we do not top up our talent pool from the outside, in 10 years' time, many of the high-valued jobs we do now will migrate to China and elsewhere, for lack of sufficient talent here,' said Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in his National Day Rally Speech in 2001. –(7)

As such, Singaporeans either have to do their part by boosting the birth rate, to ensure that the population remains at an optimum level or accept that we may be the next ‘United Nations’.

Data taken from: World Atlas
: (1)- Singapore: Population, 26 May 2006 © 2006 The Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd, Factiva
: (2)- Foreigners push Singapore population over four million mark, 31 August 2000, Agence France- Presse, Factiva
: (3)- Foreigners make up 24% of population today, from 9% in ’80, Jane Cheong, 21 March 2000,
Business Times Singapore, Factiva
: (4) Our best are not migrating- PM Lee, 22 May 1990, Business Times Singapore, Factiva
: (5)- Education@Singapore, N.J. Nair, 13 July 2004, The Hindu
: (6)- Feature- Singapore woos immigrants to boost population, Koh Gui Qing, 26 March 2007,
Reuters News, Factiva
: (7)- S’pore can’t afford to relent in its foreign-talent hunt, Asad Latif, 25 August 2001, Straits
Times, Factiva
: (8)- Suicide spotlights stress students face, Amy Tan, 2 September, Reuters News Service,
Factiva
: (9)- Not everything is perfect, Lee San Chouy, 14 September 1989, Straits Times, Factiva
: (10)- Which university, 27 March 2007, Straits Times, Newsbank
Images taken from: Factiva
: "Singapore." Facts On File, Inc. World Atlas. .

Posted by digitalk team at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Image taken from: Pop Culture eCollection (Thomson Gale)

Neo: I thought it wasn't real.
Morpheus: Your mind makes it real.
Neo: If you're killed in the matrix, you die here?
Morpheus: The body cannot live without the mind.

Image taken from: Pop Culture eCollection (Thomson Gale)

- Memorable quotes for The Matrix (1999)

Posted by digitalk team at 04:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week, the Digital Library Services Promotions Team organised a database training session. This time round, it was targeted at young people, titled ‘Young People’s Special’.

Indeed, it was a special training dedicated solely to our special young people. Six informative databases were covered in this session namely Ancient and Medieval History Online, Nature.com, World Atlas, Science Online, Grove Art Online and Modern World History Online.

Students attended this training session and went back with information that was useful for their schoolwork. ‘It gives me an introduction to the many resources that can be helpful to my schoolwork,’ as a participant had noted in his feedback form. Even the teachers who accompanied their students were deeply impressed by the amount of resources available at our Digital Library.

Here are some moments captured during the training session.

A sneak preview of our informative, fun-filled training session.

Our participants listening attentively.

Ms. Tay Pei Lin, reference librarian, introducing everyone to the NLB Digital Library Website and its extensive services and resources available.

Our participants learning more about the NLB Digital Website services.

Going back to Ancient History with Mr. Ben Jacobs, who came from the United States specially for the session.

Our participants having a hands on session. As mentioned by Ng Wei Bo in his feedback form, he exceptionally liked the ‘hands on’ element of the session.

‘The trainers were helpful and warm,’ as quoted by a participant, Lim Rong Xin Joshua

Learning about nature with Ms. Lang Wui Ting.

Around the world in 20 mins with Mr. Ben Jacobs.

‘Gasps, never knew the NLB Digital Library’s e-resources offered so many information!’

Our room completely packed with inquisitive young people.

Time for refreshments!

The session was so interesting that some participants were still looking through the resources while having their refreshments!

Our participants actively involved in the session.

Want to know more about Picasso? Ms. Ariya shows the participants how to get the information they needed.

‘I know, I know!’

This participant was showing the rest how to retrieve information. They sure are fast learners! Of course, prizes were up for grabs!

Information was readily available. Be in online or in physical form.

Our participants filling in the feedback form at the end of the session.

Posted by digitalk team at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NLB eCollections is a gateway to NLB digitised and born digital content.

In the forthcoming weeks, Digi.talk would be providing a series of online tutorials, showing how to do basic searches, using the eCollections offered in NLB's eResources.

This week's tutorial will be targetted at the British Library Collection. A selection of digitised rare and unique historical materials on Singapore residing in the British Library.

To view our online tutorial on how to use British Library Collection, click here.

To visit our databases, visit <eCollections.

Look forward to many more useful tutorials on how to use our various eCollections in the upcoming weeks!

Posted by digitalk team at 04:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NLB eCollections is a gateway to NLB digitised and born digital content.

In the forthcoming weeks, Digi.talk would be providing a series of online tutorials, showing how to do basic searches, using the eCollections offered in NLB's eResources.

This week's tutorial will be targetted at the Singapore Heritage. Discover Singapore's history and heritage through our digitised collection of older Singapore imprint.

To view our online tutorial on how to use Singapore Heritage, click here.

To visit our databases, visit <eCollections.

Look forward to many more useful tutorials on how to use our various eCollections in the upcoming weeks!

Posted by digitalk team at 04:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NLB eCollections is a gateway to NLB digitised and born digital content.

In the forthcoming weeks, Digi.talk would be providing a series of online tutorials, showing how to do basic searches, using the eCollections offered in NLB's eResources.

This week's tutorial will be targetted at the Research Guide. Research Guide is a collection of bibliography, pathfinders (subject guides) and resource guides compiled by our Reference Librarians to help you conduct research on various topics.

To view our online tutorial on how to use Research Guide, click here.

To visit our databases, visit <eCollections.

Look forward to many more useful tutorials on how to use our various eCollections in the upcoming weeks!

Posted by digitalk team at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NLB eCollections is a gateway to NLB digitised and born digital content.

In the forthcoming weeks, Digi.talk would be providing a series of online tutorials, showing how to do basic searches, using the eCollections offered in NLB's eResources.

This week's tutorial will be targetted at the Singapore Infopedia. Singapore Infopedia(previously known as InfoXpress) is made up of a searchable collection of articles on topics that have helped to shape Singapore's history, culture, landscape and thinking.

To view our online tutorial on how to use Singapore Infopedia collection, click here.

To visit our databases, visit <eCollections.

Look forward to many more useful tutorials on how to use our various eCollections in the upcoming weeks!

Posted by digitalk team at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NLB eCollections is a gateway to NLB digitised and born digital content.

In the forthcoming weeks, Digi.talk would be providing a series of online tutorials, showing how to do basic searches, using the eCollections offered in NLB's eResources.

This week's tutorial will be targetted at the Singapore Story. Singapore Story features researched packages on people, events and places that have made their mark on Singapore. Each package provides a narrative on a particular theme and is enhanced with images from the digitised collection

To view our online tutorial on how to use Singapore Story collection, click here.

To visit our databases, visit <eCollections.

Look forward to many more useful tutorials on how to use our various eCollections in the upcoming weeks!

Posted by digitalk team at 03:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have ever met were those who knew that they were wrong. ~ Letterman, David (American Comedian)

Posted by digitalk team at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

that we behaved as they would wish us to, and are buried here.” – William Golding, The Hot Gates, 1965 (From Wikipedia).

This quote was taken from an essay written on the Battle of Thermopylae by author William Golding, in his collection of essays titled “ The Hot Gates”. Golding’s reasons for choosing “The Hot Gates” (the English translation of Thermopylae) as the title for the collection are perhaps explained by the following from his Battle of Thermopylae essay:

“Neither your nor Leonidas nor anyone else could foresee that here thirty years’ time was won for shining Athens and all Greece and all humanity.” “A little of Leonidas lies in the fact that I can go where I like and write what I like. He contributed to set us free.” (Information taken from URL: http://www.william-golding.co.uk/w_hot_gates.html)

Well Golding wasn’t the only one who admired Leonidas. Renowned comic writer Frank Miller and Lynn Varley retold the Battle of Thermopylae in their graphic novel “300,” which has been remarkably dramatized by Hollywood in its adaptation of “300.”

Prepare for glory Zack Snyder, director of “300,” did when he started this project as the film is now 2007’s first certified blockbuster with ticket sales of US $70 million over its opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. (4)

That gives you about US $233, 000 for every one of the gung-ho 300 Spartan warriors who fought against the very much larger army of Persian soldiers in the epic battle of Thermopylae.

"On a Spartan-by-Spartan basis, that's a lot of money," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "Summer came a little early, because this is a summer-style opening." (4)

This film is based on a battle between the Spartans and Persians back in 480 BC. The trouble starts when Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) sends word that he wants a token of Sparta's submission to his rule. Now, this involves presenting him with earth and water, in addition to some bowing and scraping. “That's a bit of a problem,” says Sparta’s King Leonidas, who is thwarted in his bid to send the Spartan army against Xerxes by a sleazy politician and some corrupt priests. Instead, he goes to war with a tiny force of 300 elite warriors (hence the movie’s title). (5)

Leonidas (Gerard Butler) defies the will of the Greek people and the governing council, leading his men to their legendary doom. The Spartans try to hold off what they think is a million or so Persian invaders from entering central Greece. While Leonidas and his men are off bludgeoning for valor, his wife, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), remains behind both to ward off the leering insinuations of Theron (Dominic West), a scheming politico, and to urge the government to commit more troops to back her husband. (8)

The Spartans, aided by a force of less motivated-and-trained fellow Greeks, defend a narrow pass between two steep cliffs and fight off a succession of attacks by the Persians. Yes, we know how the story ends (it’s history replayed on screens after all), but it’s nevertheless breathtaking to watch. (5)

Anyway, so much talk about 300 but exactly who were these historical characters (represented by present day Hollywood actors and actresses in 300), what had happened, where the battle took place and etc without all the Hollywood exaggeration and drama. We decided to dig deeper into our history databases to gather some ancient facts.

And this is what we found:

Thermopylae: This seasite mountain pass connects the frontiers of Thessaly and East Locris, at the easter edge of the Mt. Oeta range, in northeast-central Greece. In 480 BCE, during the Persian Wars, Thermopylae was the site of a famous three-day battle in which 5,000 Greek hoplites, led by the Spartan King Leonidas, blocked a Persian army of perhaps 200,000 marching south under the command of King Xerxes.

From: Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Revised Edition
Database: Ancient and Medieval History Online

Sparta: One of the greatest city-states of mainland Greece, uniquely known for its program of patriotic indoctrination and full-time military service for males.

From: Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Revised Edition
Database: Ancient and Medieval History Online

King Leonidas: Agiad king of Sparta 488–480 BCE. He succeeded his stepbrother Cleomenes I, having married his daughter Gorgo. While Spartans were celebrating the Carnea, he marched to Thermopylae (Hot Gates) as commander of an allied Greek army of about 6,000 or 7,000 men, occupying the strategic pass from north to central and southern Greece to stop the Persians invading central Greece. Ephialtes showed the Persians under Xerxes a mountain path around the pass. Leonidas dismissed his allies in the army, but he himself remained and was killed along with 300 Spartans. A hero cult was later established at Sparta.

From: Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece, Updated Edition
Database: Ancient and Medieval History Online

Xerxes I; Khshayarshan: Successor to Darius I, Xerxes I, king of Persia, is best known for his unsuccessful invasion of Greece. His defeat at a naval battle at Salamis marked the beginning of the decline of the Achaemenid dynasty.

From: Dictators & Tyrants: Absolute Rulers and Would-Be Rulers in World History
Database: Ancient and Medieval History Online

Oracle: Oracles were a form of natural divination in which a god gave a response to a question by a worshipper. It was the most prestigious method of divination, and oracular shrines were scattered across the Greek world. Oracles were consulted on personal, religious and political matters by men and women, both rich and poor, by slaves and by delegations from groups and communities. Each oracle made certain demands on those consulting it (usually sacrifices and rituals of purification); each also had its own rituals to be performed by the priests or priestesses at the oracle as well as by the worshippers. Records

From: Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece, Updated Edition
Database: Ancient and Medieval History Online

History is old, but definitely not boring.

“Go tell the Spartans, passerby,
That here, by Spartan law, we lie.” – Frank Miller, “300”

Direct Links:
1) Images courtesy of OnAsia.com
2) “Mighty Spartans.”
Koltnow, Barry. The Orange Country Register. March 9, 2007.
Taken from: Factiva.com

3) “Graphic Warriors Frank Miller’s ‘300,’ Chronicling Spartan Glory, Makes a Triumphant Leap to the screen.”
Kaltenbach, Chris. March 9, 2007.
Taken from: Factiva.com

4) “Review: ‘300’ a monumental masterpiece: Frank Miller’s graphics come alive in ya-gotta-see-‘em-to-believe-‘em images.”
Villarreal, Phil. The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson. McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
Taken from: Factiva.com

5) “300 Makes Easy Conquest of US Weekend Box Office With $70M.
Dow Jones International News. March 12, 2007.
Taken from: Factiva.com

6) “Epic battle of bods, sweat and more blood - '300' proves such movies can still be imaginative and entertaining, says GEOFFREY EU.”
Eu, Geoffrey. Business Times (Singapore). March 9, 2007.
Taken from: Factiva.com

7) “More than just a numbers game - Never mind if I've nothing. The Spartans in 300 have taught me that I can turn that into something.”\
Keak, Tay Yek. Straits Times, The (Singapore). March 12, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

8) “A sword-and-sandal epic for the Wii Generation.”
LONGINOStaff, BOB. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The (GA). March 9, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

9) “Sweating it out at the Hot Gates - In `300,' swords, sandals, and buff bodies pile up.”
MorrisGlobe Staff, Wesley. Boston Globe, The (MA). March 9, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

10) “Battle of the Manly Men: Blood Bath With a Message.”
SCOTT, A.O. New York Times, The (NY). March 9, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

Posted by digitalk team at 06:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

NLB offers a wide range of ebook services for on-screen reading via your computer or on a variety of supported devices. Read them online 24x7 without ever worrying that you have to pay library fines for late return.

In the forthcoming weeks, Digi.talk would be providing a series of online tutorials, showing how to do basic searches, using the eBooks offered in NLB's eResources.

This week's tutorial will be targetted at the NetLibrary collection. Overdrive is a collection of 5,000 popular ebooks and audio books, including all kinds of genres and many general interest subjects, coming from publishers such as HarperCollins, McGraw-Hill, Time Warner, Scholastic, and Nolo Press

To check out ebooks/audio books, you are required to type in your username and NRIC or Membership no. or FIN that you first used, when you registered for an NLB Digital Library account.

To view our online tutorial on how to use netlibrary collection, click here

To visit our databases, visit eBooks collection.

Look forward to many more useful tutorials on how to use our various eBooks collections in the upcoming weeks!

Posted by digitalk team at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NLB offers a wide range of ebook services for on-screen reading via your computer or on a variety of supported devices. Read them online 24x7 without ever worrying that you have to pay library fines for late return.

In the forthcoming weeks, Digi.talk would be providing a series of online tutorials, showing how to do basic searches, using the eBooks offered in NLB's eResources.

This week's tutorial will be targetted at the NetLibrary collection. TumbleBook Library is a collection of animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love. TumbleBooks are created by taking existing picture books, adding animation, sound, music and narration to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you.

To view our online tutorial on how to use netlibrary collection, click here.

To visit our databases, visit eBooks collection.

Look forward to many more useful tutorials on how to use our various eBooks collections in the upcoming weeks!

Posted by digitalk team at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NLB offers a wide range of ebook services for on-screen reading via your computer or on a variety of supported devices. Read them online 24x7 without ever worrying that you have to pay library fines for late return.

In the forthcoming weeks, Digi.talk would be providing a series of online tutorials, showing how to do basic searches, using the eBooks offered in NLB's eResources.

This week's tutorial will be targetted at the NetLibrary collection. NLB netlibrary collection provides access to NLB?s eBook collection. With over 5,000 digitised books available, you can access your library's eContent 24 hours a days, seven days a week.

To view our online tutorial on how to use netlibrary collection, click here.

To visit our databases, visit eBooks collection.

Look forward to many more useful tutorials on how to use our various eBooks collections in the upcoming weeks!

Posted by digitalk team at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For decades, soccer has also been known as The Beautiful Game. More than that, the players have made the game even more beautiful. Just think David Beckham, David Villa, Michael Owen and more.

However in recent years, soccer has been known for its more than beautiful game play. Last summer’s match-fixing scandal which implicated top Italian Teams like Milan, Juventus, Florentina and other clubs has blackened the integrity of the sport. We have witnessed the brawl at the League Cup final between Arsenal and Chelsea. We have heard the French club Lille defend, as Thailand did last month, the players' right to walk off the pitch if they don't like the referee's decision. In Spain, Sevilla's coach was knocked out by a bottle thrown by a Betis fanatic during the derby

The ‘Beautiful’ Fist and Kick

In the League Cup Finals between Chelsea and Arsernal, John Terry ducked to head the ball in Arsenal's goalmouth, and straight into the raised boot of Abou Diaby. The world watched as medics worked to revive him and to prevent his tongue blocking the airway. For the third time in six months, a Chelsea player was stretchered off in an oxygen mask and a neck brace. True enough, that unfriendliness surfaced in the fracas that ended the League Cup while Terry's head was being examined in the hospital. John Obi Mikel grabbed Kolo Toure by the shirt, tempers and then fists flew. Francesc Fabregas and Frank Lampard also became involved.

In August, Mendes from Portsmouth was flattened by the most pre-meditated assault I can remember on a playing field. He was smashed in the face by Ben Thatcher. He suffered an epileptic seizure, but returned gamely to say that he wanted to put the incident behind him. To forget, if not forgive. When Portsmouth next played Manchester City, Mendes was 'taken' from behind by Joey Barton. The excuse was that Barton is an aggressive ball-winner who over-stepped his tackle.

And then there was the brawl between China's Olympic squad and a team of reserves from the London club Queens Park Rangers. There were punches, gongfu kicks, a morass of grown men laying into one another like kids in the school yard or drunks outside a pub.

The ‘Beautiful’ Silence

'I have never seen anything like that in football,' said the Manchester United manager, after watching Lille walk off the pitch to protest against Ryan Giggs' free-kick goal. Ferguson had seen or heard about Thailand's National Stadium walkout on Jan 31, during the Asean Football Championship final against Singapore, he was not letting on. Lille's walkout in the Champions League tie was for just one minute, compared to the 15 minutes the Thais spent on the sidelines arguing against a penalty decision.

The ‘Beautiful’ Dive

Cristiano Ronaldo should have been named the Man of the Match against Tottenham but wasn't picked as he cheated. Replays showed that there was no contact between goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and Ronaldo, when he won a 19th-minute penalty. The match had been tight until the 45th minute, when Ronaldo collapsed without being touched. He got up, scored the penalty.

With millions around the world tuning in each match, the message the ‘Beautiful’ game is portraying is indeed questionable. Now, what about the thousands of fans that constantly pose a threat to the soccer players, coaches, referees, law enforcement personnel and even rival fans?

The ‘Beautiful’ Fans

When Liverpool met Juventus in May 1985, it resulted in the Heysel Stadium tragedy. This was a result of Liverpool's aggressive fans, and because of a decrepit stadium in Brussels, a wall collapsed and killed 39 people. Most of them were Juventus fans. Then there was the Champions League match between the rival Milan teams at the San Siro, where some fanatics smuggled a moped into the top tier and sent it crashing on the people seated below.

Recently, a 38-year-old police officer was killed by a home-made bomb lobbed into his vehicle. It happened during the rioting outside Massimino Stadium in Sicily. Another policeman is critically ill. This incident has left a 9 year old boy fatherless. In a separate incident, a 40-year-old official at a fourth-division game died after he tried to stop a brawl between fans.

Is The Beautiful Game as ‘beautiful’ as it is made out to be?

Direct Links:-

1) Ronaldo clouds his supreme talent by diving
Straits Times, The (Singapore) February 6, 2007
Author: Abdul Hafiz
Taken from: Newsbank

(2) Heysel, 1985 - 39 people died that day in the European Cup final, a chilling reminder to Liverpool and Juventus of how violence can easily lead to tragedy if passion runs wild
Sunday Times, The (Singapore) April 3, 2005
Author: Rob Hughes
Taken from: Newsbank

(3) The sad state of footbrawl - Wrong sporting values like violence being exported out of England through television
Sunday Times, The (Singapore) March 4, 2007
Author: Rob Hughes, HEART OF FOOTBALL
Taken from: Newsbank

(4) 'Great Brawl' not good for football - Papers have fun with headlines over QPR v China violence, but fall-out is not funny
Straits Times, The (Singapore) February 10, 2007
Author: Rob Hughes
Taken from: Newsbank

(5) Curb violence the English way
Sunday Times, The (Singapore) February 4, 2007
Author: Rob Hughes
Taken from: Newsbank

(6) Only change can lift Italian soccer - English football remains a crowd-puller because it rooted out fan violence
Sunday Times, The (Singapore) February 11, 2007
Author: Rob Hughes, HEART OF FOOTBALL
Taken from: Newsbank

(7) Petulant, pathetic, pointless - Lille's over-zealous protests and walkout create ugly scenes in the final minutes
Straits Times, The (Singapore) February 22, 2007
Author: Richard Jolly
Taken from: Newsbank

(8) Walkouts can cause bigger trouble
Straits Times, The (Singapore) February 22, 2007
Author: Marc Lim, SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Taken from: Newsbank

(9) Drogba's double win it for Chelsea - He scores twice but win is marred by Terry's injury and extra-time fracas
Straits Times, The (Singapore) February 26, 2007
Author: Rob Hughes
Taken from: Newsbank

Images taken from: Newsbank Electronic Image Edition
: Factiva

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Avoiding Project Disaster Titanic Lessons for IT Executives by Mark Kozak-Holland Series: Lessons from History Publisher: Multi-Media Publications Inc Imagine you are in one of Titanic’s lifeboats just sighted by the rescue ship Carpathia. As you look back at the wreckage site, you wonder how such a disaster could have happened. What were the causes? How could things have gone so badly wrong? Why did she founder? No one had expected it. Titanic’s maiden voyage was a disaster waiting to happen as a result of the compromises made in the project that constructed the ship. This book explores how modern executives can take lessons from a nuts-and-bolts construction project like Titanic and use those lessons to ensure the right approach to developing online business solutions. It will help you successfully maneuver through the ice floes of IT management in an industry with a notoriously high project failure rate. Read this book to: - Improve the probability of success and mitigate the risk in your IT projects. - Deliver your goods and services in an environment of uncertainty. - Anticipate and mitigate online outages to save money, customer goodwill, and maybe your job. - Ensure your investments in individual IT projects, related to online operations, are well directed. - Run with the IT jargon wolves without being devoured. - Know what to measure and how to measure it. To access this title! Click on OVERDRIVE.

Posted by digitalk team at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”
~ Albert Einstein (German born American Physicist, 1879-1955)

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