30 Free Online Resources for Teaching & Learning ESL

ESL = English as a Second Language. Now this is a link to a post that I just have to share with everyone: 30 FREE Online Resources for Teaching and Learning ESL
 
This post provides links to very useful resources that can be used by everyone here to teach or to learn English. It is written by Anne Merritt, "who has lived in Canada, Europe, and Asia, where she teaches English and writes in her spare time. Her work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, GoOverseas.com, and The Compass online. She is a regular contributor to the Southeast Asian travel site http://www.khaosanroad.com".

Opens "BBC Learning English"

One of the links is to BBC Learning English.  Among other things, this site provides resources relating to grammar, lesson plans based on current events, quizes and an animated series called The Flatlands. All of these are useful in helping the user to improve his English. And that's just one of the links provided.

This post by Anne Merritt is something that you should bookmark and explore if you really want to learn or/and teach English.

DAP Turns Teoh's Death into a Circus

The Malay Mail's Boycott of Inquiry a political stunt: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak isn't quite right with his comment. 

That's just too kind and polite of him; for the DAP, in trying to squeeze and extract the last drop of political juice from Teoh Beng Hock's death, is desperate and ruthless enough to turn it into a circus. It is more concerned about putting on a show than to seek justice.

They have no real respect for the dead man; just feigned concern and sympathy for his memory and for his family. For them, Teoh's death is worth a lot more than his life, and latest move to boycott the hearing of the Commission of Inquiry just shows that they aren't really interested in finding the truth.

And they have no qualms about using Teoh's family to try stir up sentiments, including suspicion and hatred towards anyone and anything that doesn't aid towards their real goal - a power base to call the shots in Malaysia.

Make no mistake that despite whatever socio-political differences, anyone in his right mind does sympathise with his family. Especially with his parents.

CAPTION: Teoh's parents at the inquest (Pix from the New Straits Times)

Unfortunately, when they allow themselves to be used by the DAP in its devious efforts, then they too have placed themselves in the political ring. And when you are in there throwing punches, you'll have to expect receiving them too. But the DAP doesn't care about that, of course - Teoh's parents are just another of their pawns, to be used until the party has squeezed every last drop of mileage.

In the bid to turn the inquest into a circus, the DAP and its allies also want to run the show. Essentially, they want the monkeys and chimpanzees to decide on how things go. Truth be damned - what they want is the pre-determined `findings' that "Teoh was murdered". From here, it could then be leveraged into hatred towards the Barisan Nasional. Facts? That's not important.

You can see from the beginning that this is what they really want. At first they had screamed about wanting a Commission to inquire about Teoh's death; insinuating that the government "was hiding the truth". And when this was granted, they've changed tack; for they fear that the facts might not lead to what they want.

So they've changed tactics - the objective now is to create confusion by throwing around technicalities and posturing, in the hope that they can mislead people into believing that "the system is rigged".

Teoh's death is the most important ammunition that the DAP think they have. The slogan of "Justice for Teoh" is just that - a slogan to create suspicion and anger. Justice was and is never the prime consideration for the DAP. But don't forget this: the ammunition the DAP has might well blow up with them holding it ... a classic case of Parang makan tuan that ends in poetic justice.

Woi, MBPJ: Hands off gated communities!

Can Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) give a guarantee that residents in its jurisdiction will be safe from crime?...that their homes and families will be protected from predators on the lookout for easy targets?

It can't? Well, then let the residents take care of themselves. If MBPJ really wants to be useful, it can do this: BUZZ OFF!

I'm puzzled as to how the council is so unconcerned about residents' legitimate fears about crime; and especially about its attempt to undermine systems that have proved to be effective in providing better security - gated and guarded communities. And these are facilities that the residents themselves pay for. Or, is MBPJ on the side of the criminals: burglars, thieves, robbers and rapists?

Refer to this New Straits Times item and you will see the valid points raised -  Residents: Hands off gated communities. (Pix above is from the New Straits Times)

And here's another from The Malay Mail, which is by the paper's editor-in-chief, Yushaimi Yahaya - In defence of the fence. I had written a comment here and I'm reproducing it below:

Kota Damansara - that's where I live now (Villa Damansara, and it's less than RM100 per month). Before I came to KL/Selangor from Pasir Mas, I'd definitely have sided with the people who want to dismantle the fences. After seeing what a gated community is, I'm ashamed to say that my previous stance was made out of sheer ignorance; of the Pak Kadok Bodoh-Sombong kind.

The fences and the gates - they offer a real sense of security to the residents in my area. When I first came to the city, I've been worried about crime; including and especially of cretins who invade others' abode. Living in a gated community goes a long way in helping to alleviate this, and I certainly resent whoever and whatever are trying to get it dismantled. If the authorities can't guarantee the residents' safety, then they shouldn't try to deny whatever system the residents have set up in place to do the job.

So what's the problem here...traffic flow? While it's true that it might be easier for some to travel when they can take alternate routes through these communities, bear in mind that these are places where people live - men, women and children... families. Their comfort and safety must be the prime consideration, and not that of motorists who are most often not from there. As it is, there are already the existing roads. Use them, or build new ones to facilitate traffic flow and access. BUT NOT dismantle a working system that gives peace of mind to tax- and rate-paying residents.