eJustice Judges' Corridor

A Beloved Professor Delivers The Lecture of a Lifetime

Sarah Lim — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:18:00 GMT

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE

September 20, 2007

MOVING ON

By JEFF ZASLOW

A Beloved Professor Delivers

The Lecture of a Lifetime

September 20, 2007; Page D1

Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer-science professor, was about to give a lecture Tuesday afternoon, but before he said a word, he received a standing ovation from 400 students and colleagues.

He motioned to them to sit down. "Make me earn it," he said.

They had come to see him give what was billed as his "last lecture." This is a common title for talks on college campuses today. Schools such as Stanford and the University of Alabama have mounted "Last Lecture Series," in which top professors are asked to think deeply about what matters to them and to give hypothetical final talks. For the audience, the question to be mulled is this: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance?

It can be an intriguing hour, watching healthy professors consider their demise and ruminate over subjects dear to them. At the University of Northern Iowa, instructor Penny O'Connor recently titled her lecture "Get Over Yourself." At Cornell, Ellis Hanson, who teaches a course titled "Desire," spoke about sex and technology.

At Carnegie Mellon, however, Dr. Pausch's speech was more than just an academic exercise. The 46-year-old father of three has pancreatic cancer and expects to live for just a few months. His lecture, using images on a giant screen, turned out to be a rollicking and riveting journey through the lessons of his life.

He began by showing his CT scans, revealing 10 tumors on his liver. But after that, he talked about living. If anyone expected him to be morose, he said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you." He then dropped to the floor and did one-handed pushups.

Clicking through photos of himself as a boy, he talked about his childhood dreams: to win giant stuffed animals at carnivals, to walk in zero gravity, to design Disney rides, to write a World Book entry. By adulthood, he had achieved each goal. As proof, he had students carry out all the huge stuffed animals he'd won in his life, which he gave to audience members. After all, he doesn't need them anymore.

He paid tribute to his techie background. "I've experienced a deathbed conversion," he said, smiling. "I just bought a Macintosh." Flashing his rejection letters on the screen, he talked about setbacks in his career, repeating: "Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things." He encouraged us to be patient with others. "Wait long enough, and people will surprise and impress you." After showing photos of his childhood bedroom, decorated with mathematical notations he'd drawn on the walls, he said: "If your kids want to paint their bedrooms, as a favor to me, let 'em do it."

While displaying photos of his bosses and students over the years, he said that helping others fulfill their dreams is even more fun than achieving your own. He talked of requiring his students to create videogames without sex and violence. "You'd be surprised how many 19-year-old boys run out of ideas when you take those possibilities away," he said, but they all rose to the challenge.

He also saluted his parents, who let him make his childhood bedroom his domain, even if his wall etchings hurt the home's resale value. He knew his mom was proud of him when he got his Ph.D, he said, despite how she'd introduce him: "This is my son. He's a doctor, but not the kind who helps people."

He then spoke about his legacy. Considered one of the nation's foremost teachers of videogame and virtual-reality technology, he helped develop "Alice," a Carnegie Mellon software project that allows people to easily create 3-D animations. It had one million downloads in the past year, and usage is expected to soar.

"Like Moses, I get to see the Promised Land, but I don't get to step foot in it," Dr. Pausch said. "That's OK. I will live on in Alice."

Many people have given last speeches without realizing it. The day before he was killed, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke prophetically: "Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place." He talked of how he had seen the Promised Land, even though "I may not get there with you."

Dr. Pausch's lecture, in the same way, became a call to his colleagues and students to go on without him and do great things. But he was also addressing those closer to his heart.

Near the end of his talk, he had a cake brought out for his wife, whose birthday was the day before. As she cried and they embraced on stage, the audience sang "Happy Birthday," many wiping away their own tears.

Dr. Pausch's speech was taped so his children, ages 5, 2 and 1, can watch it when they're older. His last words in his last lecture were simple: "This was for my kids." Then those of us in the audience rose for one last standing ovation.

WORK OF A FIELD CORONER

Subordinate Courts of Singapore — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:02:00 GMT

The State Coroner is on call 24/7. He is contactable through the State Coroner's official handphone. He performs "Field Coroner" duties as and when he is called to perform duties outside the Court and office setting.

The State Coroner's consent is required before any organ harvesting is done on deceased persons who are made Coroner's cases, whether under the HOTA or MTERA. The organ transplant co-ordinator and the respective Investigating Officer communicate with the State Coroner and keep him informed of the circumstances of the case. Once the State Coroner is satisfied that the organ harvesting may go ahead, he gives his consent. As organ transplants are time-sensitive, the State Coroner may get calls relating to organ transplants at any time of the day or night.

Another aspect of Field Coroner duties carried out by the State Coroner is the attendance at suspected "scenes of crime". This would involve instances where a dead body is found and police suspect that there might be foul play involved in the death. Again, the State Coroner might be activated at any time of day or night for such cases. His presence at the scene is to ensure that investigations and the initial examination by the Forensic Pathologist are carried out. After preliminary investigations and the examination are done, the State Coroner gives his consent for the body to be moved to the Mortuary, where an Autopsy will subsequently be performed.

Another judicial officer is rostered, on a monthly basis, to perform field coroner duties at the Mortuary at the CFM. The officer rostered attends at the Mortuary every morning (Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays included). The officer's duties are to view the bodies of the deceased persons and decide if an Autopsy is required to determine the cause of death for each case. The officer ensures that bodies of deceased persons are correctly identified by the respective NOKs. The officer also determines if an Autopsy is required in each case, based on input given by the Forensic Pathologist. The officer will then decide whether an Autopsy is required for the deceased person, or whether the body may be released to the NOK without the need for an Autopsy.

JOURNEY OF THE HEART

Subordinate Courts of Singapore — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 05:12:00 GMT

This story is a composite picture of the many couples our counsellors at Family and Juvenile Justice Centre have worked with. The facts and identities have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the parties. Nevertheless, the themes and issues are common and this could hopefully serve as an encouragement to those who have to travail the challenges of intimate relationships.

Seed of Gratitude
Sophia Ang
18 April 2007

When Peng called her lawyer to file in the divorce petition to end her 20-year marriage, Larry was totally unprepared. In his words, “it felt like a thunderbolt”.

Five years ago, Peng left her lucrative position as a Finance Controller to help Larry start up a business venture. With her expertise in finance and his strong business acumen, their endeavour blossomed quickly and soon became a multi-million dollar enterprise. Their children were also excelling in academia. Jerry, their 16-year-old was the top student in school, and Joan, their 10-year-old was in the gifted program. To the external world, theirs was the ideal picture of a perfect family—successful couple with great children.

However, within the high walls of their prime district mansion, cracks in the marital relationship were becoming visible. Although known to be charismatic & personable to his business associates, a different side of Larry was known to the family. Larry was an authoritarian father and demanding husband who ruled the home with an iron fist. To him, building a strong family meant clear rules and order in the household. Peng, being 15 years younger than Larry, looked up to him as a strong & charismatic leader who always knew what to do. As such, Peng played the quiet supporter and deferred every decision to Larry.

Peng was also a picture of contrast on the work front. As an accountant, Peng was good at what she did and quickly rose in her career. She was seen as a confident and decisive person, well-respected by her co-workers and clients.

Problem started when Peng joined Larry in his business venture. Both saw a different professional side of the other. Peng appeared forceful in business meetings. Larry seemed to accord more respect and attention to their business associates and clients. Their professional disagreements at work often deteriorated to full blown shouting matches in the home. Both felt disrespected by the other. Peng saw the incongruence in Larry’s treatment of others and the family. Larry was confounded by the change in Peng. Unfortunately, instead of addressing these issues with each other, Peng became critical of Larry while he avoided the clashes with Peng by spending most of his time networking outside his company.

Peng felt resentful with Larry’s increasing absence. Her demands for his attention were reciprocated by more hostility. Quarrels soon became a common communication pattern. Subsequently, Peng met her loneliness and frustration through an old schoolmate that eventually led to an affair. The affair was short lived as it jolted her sense of reality about the state of her marriage. Peng was a religious person and had a deep conviction of the sanctity of marriage. However, Peng also felt desperate, not knowing how to continue in a life-less marriage while bearing the burden of guilt over her infidelity at the same time.

In that state, Peng filed for divorce.

Larry was shocked, angry and shattered when he received the writ of summons. Although he knew that the marriage was in trouble, he had not expected it to reach this critical level. He had thought, naively perhaps, that the relationship would turn around with time. Larry’s first instinctive response was to contest the divorce to save the marriage. Unfortunately, that only alienated Peng further as she felt that he was out to punish her by prolonging the court process through litigation.

The opportunity for honest dialogue came through a referral for counselling that helped uncover the hurts and misunderstanding that had accumulated over the years. It was a challenging process learning to listen to each other out of their own woundedness. Nevertheless, for the first time after many years, both listened to each other’s disappointments and hopes.

Larry acknowledged his insensitivities toward Peng, but felt deeply betrayed by her infidelity. Peng did feel remorse about the affair and apologised. She also revealed her years of disappointments and feelings of not being listened to. Both painfully realised that they missed the person they were married to 20 years ago.

In an individual session, Larry revealed that he had his own ‘epiphany’ about life and marriage. He reckoned that he had been too focused in pursuing the ‘good life of wealth and power’ that he forgot to live life and treasure the gift of relationship that his family brought to him. He felt that Peng’s adultery and divorce petition was a wake up call for him.

He saw how broken Peng had become as a result of his own selfishness and presumptions. Larry felt that he could forgive Peng with this new understanding. However, Larry wasn’t sure if this had come too late for reconciliation.

During her private session, Peng said that she noticed changes in Larry. Larry was no longer the same person that barked orders and bulldozed his ways. Some arguments were still present, but Peng appreciated that Larry listened more. There were also visible efforts made in the way he related to her and the children.

Although Peng was still uncertain if Larry might snap back to his former uncaring and domineering ways, she acknowledged that it was probably due to a lack of mutual understanding that contributed to the marital conflicts. Peng also took responsibility for her avoidant stance that prevented her from dealing issues with her husband openly and honestly.

Both acknowledged that in the midst of their selfish desires and expectations, they had forgotten to be grateful for the goodness that the other had brought into their lives. This seed of gratitude became the hope and a launching pad for their courage to seek reconciliation.

After a period of time, Peng withdrew the petition and continued the reconciliation journey with the help a marital therapist and supportive friends.

VANILLA ICE CREAM THAT PUZZLED GENERAL MOTORS!

Subordinate Courts of Singapore — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 08:10:00 GMT

"A justice system that enjoys the confidence of the public is one that pays proper heed to the needs of the community. As fundamental judicial reforms have been institutionalized, the time is right for the establishment of a specialist court that is responsive to the needs of the community. A new Community Court will be established. There will be sufficient linkages with community resources to allow for the successful re-integration of individuals back into community settings. In appropriate cases, offenders who would ordinarily be prison-bound would be linked to long-term community-based treatment. Consistent with the current penal philosophy of rehabilitation and prevention, the Community Court will adopt a problem-solving approach that combines criminal justice and community resources for a comprehensive response ..."

The Honourable the Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong
15th Subordinate Courts Workplan
18 May 2006

There may be an underlying cause to any problem that the Courts encounter. The following story may provide a simple illustration to all of us.

Never underestimate your Clients' Complaint, no matter how funny it might seem!

This is an account of what happened between a customer of General Motors and its Customer-Care Executive. Please read on. The Pontiac Division of General Motors received a complaint:

'This is the second time I have written to you, and I don't blame you for not answering me, because I sounded crazy, but it is a fact that we have a tradition in our family of Ice-Cream for dessert after dinner each night, but the kind of ice cream varies so, every night, after we've eaten, the whole family votes on which kind of ice cream we should have and I drive down to the store to get it. It's also a fact that I recently purchased a new Pontiac and since then my trips to the store have created a problem.

You see, every time I buy a vanilla ice cream, when I start back from the store my car won't start. If I get any other kind of ice cream, the car starts just fine. I want you to know I'm serious about this question, no matter how silly it sounds "What is there about a Pontiac that makes it not start when I get vanilla ice cream, and easy to start whenever I get any other kind?" The Pontiac President was understandably sceptical about the letter, but sent an Engineer to check it out anyway.

The latter was surprised to be greeted by a successful, obviously well educated man in a fine neighbourhood. He had arranged to meet the man just after dinner time, so the two hopped into the car and drove to the ice cream store. It was vanilla ice cream that night and, sure enough, after they came back to the car, it wouldn't start.

The Engineer returned for three more nights. The first night, they got chocolate. The car started. The second night, he got strawberry. The car started. The third night he ordered vanilla. The car failed to start.

Now the engineer, being a logical man, refused to believe that this man's car was allergic to vanilla ice cream. He arranged, therefore, to continue his visits for as long as it took to solve the problem. And toward this end he began to take notes: He jotted down all sorts of data: time of day, type of gas uses, time to drive back and forth etc.

In a short time, he had a clue: the man took less time to buy vanilla than any other flavour. Why? The answer was in the layout of the store. Vanilla, being the most popular flavour, was in a separate case at the front of the store for quick pickup. All the other flavours were kept in the back of the store at a different counter where it took considerably longer to check out the flavour.

Now, the question for the Engineer was why the car wouldn't start when it took less time. Eureka - Time was now the problem - not the vanilla ice cream!!!! The engineer quickly came up with the answer: "vapour lock".

It was happening every night; but the extra time taken to get the other flavours allowed the engine to cool down sufficiently to start. When the man got vanilla, the engine was still too hot for the vapour lock to dissipate.

Even crazy looking problems are sometimes real and all problems seem to be simple only when we find the solution, with cool thinking.

Don't just say it is " IMPOSSIBLE" ... without putting a sincere effort.

Observe the word “ IMPOSSIBLE" carefully.

Looking closer you will see, " I'M POSSIBLE ".

What really matters is your attitude and your perception.