Info Overloaded!!!

Today went to class: IBM again, on a Sunday!!!

Though I’ve decided to put in all efforts I have now into these few months, pushing and enduring my way through for the May Examinations, going for his class still gets me scared. Scared in a way such that he keeps telling us how much we’re supposed to know about the worlds’ organization and business, the new and up coming info, bombarding me with knowledge… It’s such a terror.

Since he did that to me, bombarding me with info, I shall do that to you with what I’ve compiled over the years.

I’ve list down ‘some’ that is more ‘interesting’. I do hope that you could read this to the end, since it helps me improved my knowledge by a little, I hope it helps you too. And I’ve added a few pics/links that hopefully could make the readings easier. =)


For a start, some of these may be kind of outdated as it was compiled years back and it SHOULD be ‘facts’:



1) The no. of registered call girls(prostitutes) in S’pore is around 6,000. This comes across as a stark contrast with the image of a vibrant and decent country. [Imagine those gals who didn’t register…]


2) In 2005, a study by Ronald Kessler of Harvard Medical School estimated that each year, 1 in 15 Americans experience an episode of major depression.


3) In the Time poll, when ppl were asked about their major source of happiness, money is ranked 14th. [I always tot it should be higher in the ranks.]


4) ‘Uniquely Singapore’ has been criticized (i) for their grammar. It should be ‘Uniquely Singaporean’. (ii) not catchy enough compared to Australia’s –"Where the Bloody Hell are you?" [must see this] though STB(Singapore Tourism Board) still won the 2007 Gold Award for marketing.

5) German luxury sportscar maker, Porsche[left] has taken over Volkswagen[right], the biggest European car manufacturer, after purchasing more than 51% of VW shares in early 2009.

6) In 1995 & 1999, a study was made in both cases. S’porean students come out No. 1 in Mathematics while UK/British students ranked 16th out of the 46 participating nations. Scores for US/America students were among the lowest of all industrialized countries.

7) Pakistan have a law/policy, ‘Zena-Ordinance’ [u could read more via the link] that needs four adult male Muslims to witnessed the act of penetration, to say that it is a ‘rape’ or ‘sex out of marriage’ and THAT woman will be punished. [What a ‘nice’ law they have. Scoff.]


8) S’pore have a law that states no canning under 18. But there was an exception in 1994, where Michael P. Fay were canned for conducting numerous acts of vandalism. [I was curious and went to find photos of him but found NONE.. weird.]


9) There is a Government Feedback Unit, where this policy prevents irresponsible rants from inciting anti-government feelings that unnecessarily puts S’pore’s economy at risk. (Like ‘Mr. Brown’, the blogger, whom wrote “Singaporeans are fed up with progress”.)


10) _____ have the largest _____ population.
      (i) USA                       (i) Christian
      (ii) Catholic                  (ii) Brazil
      (iii) Buddism                (iii) Cambodia
      (iv) Muslim                  (iv) Indonesia

11) Saudi Arabia can be describe as an absolute monarchy & imports largest amount of arms/weapons.

12) Civet cats [left, cute!] is the 1st animal that carries SARS virus. This is not a cat, it belongs to the raccoon family.

13) The existing legal age of consent for sexual activities is 16 years old. As for smoking, it’s 18 years old. [Why is this so? I’ve asked my teacher b4, but have forgotten the answer. Could someone enlighten me?]

14) World’s top destinations for ppl seeking sex with children? South-East Asia [wonder y?]


15) Institute of Public Policy Research reports that there is a 90,000 baby gap – the no. of additional babies that women would like to have had.


16) In 1981, according to University of Michigan researchers, the average school-age child had 40% of a day for free time – meaning hours left over after sleeping, studying & engaging in organized activities. By 1997, the figure was down to 25%. [poor children.. I think mine would be like this too..lol.]


17) Many psychologists agree that the 1st 7 years are the most formative period of our lives. Therefore children must be placed in a conducive and stimulating environment during this crucial development period so that they can have a headstart in life. [so make sure if you want your children to learn languages, music, etc.. start early, they’re never too young to learn.]


18) Scientology – a new age religion, even being took up by Tom Cruise and John Travolta. The fact that the Church of Scientology intends to set up a church in Singapore soon is testament to how globalisation has liberated society in many ways previously unfathomable. [I think in the end, it wasn’t set up though.. cos’ I couldn’t find anything on the web. Or was it again due to my lack of resourcing skills?]


19) Britain’s ‘youngest’ mother-to-be says she lost her virginity at the age of 11, to a 15 yrs old boy, in a drunken one-night stand. [the doom of childhood]

20) Buhia Singh [right], a veteran Indian Marathon star of 4 yrs old, was obliged to run long-distances until his fragile legs gave way. [I wonder what were his parents thinking?]

21) Cord Blood (blood remaining in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth) [left] is used to replace suffering patients from leukemia (a cancer disease producing abnormal cells in large no.)


22) Accusations made about NKF’s CEO:
(i) too highly paid ($600k per yr and 12 mth bonus)
(ii) took 1st class flight
(iii) used $ to install toiletries in CEO’s room [wow! A personal toilet?!]


23) Ethical Investment Research Services (EIRS) did a study among 23 countries to asses the challenges facing companies from bribery & corruption.
(i) S’pore lags behind when it comes to biz. management system.
(ii) S’pore companies are least likely to have corporate ethical biz. codes.


24) Corrupted leader:
(i) President Estrada of Philippines
(ii) President Wahid of Indonesia
(iii) Prime Minister of Thailand

25) Honda ASIMO [right] can assist the elderly or ppl confined to bed and wheelchairs.


26) Russia, 3rd largest pool of scientists, but only contributes to 2% of global R&D (Research and Development).


27) Researches have successfully developed tobacco & potato plants that contain vaccine proteins. Thus, less expensive & an easier way than giving shots to give vaccine protection. Also, tobacco plants also have been engineered to produce a drug that helps fight AIDS. [so does that mean smoking – involving tobacco – can lead to good health? Haha!!!]

28) World War 2, Nazi regime in Germany conducted human medical experimentation in concentrated camps by Dr. Josef Mengele [left, the cruel]

(i) freezing subjects/ppl to death

(ii) change eye colour by injecting chemicals into children’s eyes

(iii)various amputations/cutting off arms and limbs

(iv) create artificial ‘Siamese twins’ by sewing the veins in 2 twins together

29) Tuskegee(a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States) scientists withheld information about penicillin and study how syphilis disease(a sexually transmitted disease) spreads and kills, conning 400 African Americans, before a leak to the press.

30) Homosexual marriage is legal in Canada and Holland.


31) Indonesia has a majority of Indonesians and minority of Chinese.
There’s policies such as:
(i)Chinese would have to carry an Indonesian name, to prove loyalty
(ii) cannot celebrate Chinese New Year there openly (ended in 1997)

32) There’s a all-male comedy ballet troupe in New York, Les Ballets Grandiva[above and below], dancing a ballerina dance musical – April 2004.

I do hope that all these have benefitted you all and in fact, you guys have a great time reading! Audieus!

ps.: I've written these to help me more or less remember them. Did I told you before, one of the reasons I started blogging is to help me improve my knowledge and English. =)