http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070919/tap-thailand-accident-air-c8d5519.html

The Thai air plane crash that has been all over the news recently is now nearing its final moments and with its closing comes several new revelations. While the facts and amount of injured and confirmed blow are without doubt some of the more important parts of the article, the fact that the plane was twice as old as it was previously thought to be is far more thought-provoking. Certainly, it is not a good indication on the budget airlines and the Thai authorities’ part, and the tourism industry will certainly be feeling the effects. And yet, one must ask why such a basic mistake might be made.

Of course, any such guesses will not receive any indication of truth from the Thai authorities. However, possibly, it is simply because there is far too much information regarding every little detail, every small fact in the running of the country. Even the most advanced computers, and even the neatest filing systems have their limits and while the truth remains and in fact has already been found, it is nigh-impossible for everything to be available at a moment’s notice.

This is also seen in how the cause of the plane crash has still not been discovered. There are far too many factors to consider. The article names bad weather, dangerous wind conditions, airport malfunctions, and pilot error, each amazingly detailed and complicated upon study, and more importantly, each a separate field in one process. To fully understand the situation is to require the meteorologists, pilots, and aviation experts. Vutichai Singhamany, a safety director at the Department of Civil Aviation, states "the investigation will take time -- I cannot say how long.’

There have been many cases of similar cases, and it has always been said that ‘accidents happen’. This incident of the budget plane crash is but one in a series of many that attests the limits of the human ability and what happens when one ventures too far into the field of human error. Of course steps are always taken to reduce the possibility of human error, but until the day where every single last process can be automated and carried out by technology, which appears to be in the distance, it will still continue to exist. The right way and the only way to respond is to try to improve yet again, pick up the pieces, and continue to move forwards, like what the Thai authorities have tried to do.

"Young money is big"

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20070922/tap-301373-231650b.html

The article addresses the phenomenon of teenagers being the target group of many different products today. The different products show certain traits of teenagers nowadays, such as teenagers being ‘more exposed and experimental’ according to marketing manager Tan Theng Theng and the desire to be unique or in accordance with fashion. These various reasons have caused the market to concentrate more than previously on teenagers as a suitable target audience, and it would not be far-fetched to claim that this may result in certain subtle changes, such as advertisements, products, and even publicity events being aimed at teenagers. We could well see a slow shift towards a ‘younger’ outlook in industries in general.

However, beyond that and concentrating more on the teenagers themselves, it reveals certain important facts about teenagers. For example, that teenagers would make a suitable target audience for $25 facials and t-shirts shows that the amount of money teenagers have access too recently is much more than in previous times. That the teenagers are described as ‘extremely viral’ or in other words that they spread news and ideas around quickly and forcefully show that most teenagers are easily influenced by their peers. By themselves, these observations are simple and perhaps harmless.

And yet it would be advisable to read more deeply into these observations and see what it foretells. For example, the fact that teenagers are easily influenced has both pros and cons. A successful government campaign aimed towards teenagers, for example, is likely to be incredibly effective due teenagers spreading word and starting a chain reaction. And on the flip side, negative influences such as drugs that gains influence among teenagers are likely to spread just as quick and cause massive damage. That teenagers have more pocket money could mean that parents are holding a looser rein on them, which again has its negative and positive aspects.

I feel that it is especially important for the government to take note of such aspects of teenagers. As mentioned before, the government can take advantage of this and carry out its policies effectively, and it would do well to ensure that no harmful effects manifest. At the same time, I am certain that the government recognize that teenagers are and will be the future of Singapore, and as such, extra attention must be paid to them if Singapore’s prosperity is to be ensured.

In the long run, there is no telling what may happen to these important aspects of teenagers. Possibly they might increase in magnitude, or perhaps they might eventually die off. Either way, however, I feel that it is certain that they will have strong effects, and should not be ignored.