情牢

歌曲：情牢
歌手：李克勤
专辑：最多李克勤精选

你说会永远想念我
我知道爱情已经死掉
你把自由还给了我
我却无力可逃
分分秒秒都想起
你对我的好

我想要一帖相思的解药
被回忆关起来教人受不了
你宣判我的无期徒刑
孤单是我的背号
我在漆黑的夜里
看著心被爱焚烧

**你给我一个爱的监牢
用思念作一副手铐
我号啕大哭
我颓废的笑
外面有没有人听得到
我知道爱是一个监牢
可是我不能不往里面跳
吹寂寞的风
守时间的孤岛
心睡在冰雪里
而明天只是个问号

Your Call

This is the transcript of a radio conversation of a US naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October, 1995. Radio conversation released by the Chief of Naval Operations 10-10-95.

Americans: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a Collision.

Canadians: Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

Americans: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.

Canadians: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.

Americans: This is the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, the second largest ship in the United States' Atlantic fleet. We are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers and numerous support vessels. I demand that YOU change your course 15 degrees north, that's one five degrees north, or countermeasures will be undertaken to ensure the safety of this ship.

Canadians: This is a lighthouse. Your call.

Building Trust

Have you ever thought about why some people trust you while others won't? It's a very interesting question for a salesman to ask himself. Some people trust you because you have a natural rapport. You get along with them easily, & a mutual relationship develops that you can build a sale & a customer relationship on.

Natural rapport doesn't occur with every, or even most prospects for us in selling. Many prospect's perceive us sales guys as different from them though. As untrustworthy, as sleazy, as liars, & cheats out for nothing but the buckaroos in their back pocket.

As a result of such prejudging & bias on the part of our prospects, many will not tell us why they might want to purchase what it is that we have. Instead they simply tell you they want to look at, or evaluate what you have. Then they may or may not make a decision. It's their prerogative of course to do nothing if they "don't feel like it".

The rookie salesman handles a prospect who wants to immediately evaluate his stuff as a great lead. He believes that he's got a hot one, and all he has to do is close it. The senior salesman knows he has a low chance of closing such a prospect unless he the salesman can understand the prospect's problem and vision of solution and then reengineer the prospect's solution vision to match what he the salesman sells.

The trust needed to find out your prospect's problem & current solution vision can be built two ways. One way is subconsciously. Every time a person encounters someone new, their subconscious searches the memory to see what similar people & behavior to this has been encountered before. A gut level, unconscious reaction is formed, & person decides, mostly without even being aware, whether or not they like this new person. Fortunately this subconscious process is one that you can take conscious control over. You can learn how to match & adapt yourself so that you are more subconsciously trustworthy to your prospects.

The second way that you can build trust is to ask important questions. When you probe & ask questions that uncover the nature of the prospect's problem & the consequences of it to him, you are getting him to think. And when you get him to think in this way, he also begins to think of you as someone who is helpful, & not someone who is a liar, a cheat, or someone simply trying to reach into his back pocket.

Some people will naturally trust you then. And most are probably pre-disposed to not trust you, but you can change this by taking conscious control of the unconscious process of rapport & learning how to ask important questions of your prospects.

Happy selling, my fellow salesman! And sell with pride!!

Transformers: Ratchet

Name: Ratchet
Affiliation: Autobot
Sub-Group: Micro Vehicle
Alternate Mode: Hummer H2
Function: Search & Rescue
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Motto: "You break it, I'll remake it. All life is precious"
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Character Description:
The medic & scientist, Ratchet has a strong sense of duty to protect life. When there are other robots in danger, & nothing will save them except a foolish charge into the dangerous & unknown, it's always Ratchet that gets called in.

Last Day for 5% GST

Still planning that trip to the mall to pick up some large price items?

Good news: You still have less than 24 hrs
Bad news: You only have less than 24 hrs.

Start getting used to it, my friends. The 7% GST (Government Says Tax) is here to stay until ... the next hike. So, before the next impending increase, stay calm, cool, & contented. Yeah, be content, cos that's easier done than complaining.

But then again, the rising cost of living in Singapore is starting to hit a lot of people, me inclusive. I am not complaining; I am just contemplating. Everything in Singapore is getting expansive, well almost everything. I missed the uncle at Golden Shoe Hawker Centre (where I used to work near Raffles Place) that serves his $2 for any 4 dishes lunch (& the other $2 food stalls). Now, the best deal I can clinch is $3.00 for a one-meat, 2 veg lunch!

Fact is: Taxes are up from the initial 3% -> 5% -> 7% with effect from tomorrow, over a period of 13 year. That's more than 100% inflation just over a decade! What's next? For drivers like me, ERP will rise, private car park vendors all around Singapore will increase rates. COE will go down so that there will be more cars to tax (& fine) on the road. More cars means more jams, slower traffic, longer engine idling time, more fuel burnt . . . man, I am switching to motor-cycle next week.

Everything is rising except the most important thing: take home pay. Well, at least that's my least concern since I have shed my corporate employee outfit & join the ranks of the self-employed. With the exceptions of bankers (who get pay rise recently), most of my friends (who are in the wrong line at the wrong time) do not see an increase in the amount they’re getting. In fact some of them have to bite the bullet & get a pay cut to maintain their jobs. Sad, but true.

Of course, we heard that a lot of housing agents are making it big recently. How not to? A recent 5500 sq ft condo unit in downtown was sold at a record $31 million, making it the most expansive unit to be transacted at more than $5600 per sq ft! Even that buyer was smart enough to save the 2% from the GST hike!

Okay lah, I am going to sell my humble 5-room HDB next week, switch to real estate as a real estate agent, sell my car, get a new motor-cycle, open a new bank account to deposit whatever I can garner through these changes. Anyone wanna join me?

Memory Lane is a nice place to visit once in a while, but terrible piece of real estate to invest in.
- Joseph Isaac

Transformers: Barricade

Name: Barricade

Affiliation: Decepticon

Sub-Group: Deluxe Vehicle

Alternate Mode: S281 Ford Mustang police car

Function: Patrol & recee

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Motto: "To Punish and Enslave"
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Character Description:

The Decepticon hunter who masquerades in society as a symbol of the law. Chief function in recee & intelligence gathering. Barricade is a born liar. The greatest thrill in his life is knowing people trust him because of the human decorations on his door panels. The look of betrayal they get when they realize what they’re dealing with is as sweet as candy. The only thing he likes better is chasing down Autobots & breaking them into pieces with his powerful arms & crushing, hydraulic hands.

Think Twice Before Saying

There were these 4 guys, a Russian, a German, an American & a French, who found this small genie bottle. When they rubbed the bottle, a genie appeared. Thankful that the 4 guys had released him out of the bottle, He said, "Next to you all are 4 swimming pools, I will give each of you a wish. When you run towards the pool & jump, you shout what you want the pool of Water to become, then your wish will come true."

The French wanted to start. He ran towards the pool, jumped & shouted "WINE". The pool immediately changed into a pool of wine. The Frenchman was so happy swimming & drinking from the pool.

Next is the Russian's turn, he did the same & shouted, "VODKA" & immersed himself into a pool of vodka.

The German was next & he jumped & shouted, "BEER". He was so contented with his beer pool.

The last was the American. He was running towards the pool when suddenly he steps on a banana peel. He slipped towards the pool & shouted, "SHIT!!!!!!!........."

Moral of the story: THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU SAY SOMETHING, BECAUSE SOMETIMES ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN.

Adversity

Adversity is another way to measure the greatness of individuals. I never had a crisis that didn't make me stronger.
- Lou Holtz

To all my friends who are going through a rough journey or facing some tough, difficult situation: This is for you. May these fleeting circumstances strengthen your hearts & toughen your hands. So that what is left after that will be a stronger character.

Press on, my friend. You will emerge stronger! You will!!

Superman Returns

Here is another poster I bought from Malaysia (for $26.80). Cool, right?

Disney Pixar Cars Poster

Looks like I've got to plan my retirement in Malaysia liao ... Read on to find out just how much the cost of living is like in little sunny Singapore. Seems to me that only the tow kay (businessmen) who sell their goods to us at such high premiums get to retire here hor...
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I was looking around for this poster in Singapore. Finally got to see one at Suntec, only to find out that it cost $60. I went in to Malaysia, & purchase exactly the same one for RM59 ( approx $26.80).
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Good right? This one carries the full cast & crew, all-in-one.
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I watched the DVD version together with my then 2 yr old son, & I got hooked with this show. My son must have watched it over 400 times, cos he played it everyday for the last one year.

Transformer: Jazz

Name: Jazz

Affiliation: Autobot

Sub-Group: Deluxe Vehicle

Alternate Mode: Pontiac Solstice

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Motto: "Do it with style or don't bother doing it."

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Character Description:
The smallest & feistiest of the Autobots, Jazz is one of Optimus' best warriors, talented at learning new cultures.

Don't Assume

Standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Listen," said the CEO, "this is a very sensitive & important document, & my secretary has left. Can you make this thing work?"

"Certainly," said the young executive. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, & pressed the start button.

"Excellent, excellent!" said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the shredder machine. "I just need one copy."

Moral of the story:
NEVER, NEVER ASSUME THAT YOUR BOSS KNOWS EVERYTHING

Goals & Means

First, have a definite, clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective.
Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends; wisdom, money, materials, & methods.
Third, adjust all your means to that end."

Aristotle
BC 384-322
Greek Philosopher

Vente quid levius?

A Latin Poem:

Vente quid levius? fulgur.
Quid fulgure? flamma
Flamma quid? mulier.
Quid mulier? nihil.

- Unattributed Author, Harleian Manuscript

Translated, it means:

What is lighter than the wind? A feather.
What is lighter than a feather? Fire.
What lighter than a fire? A woman.
What lighter than a woman? Nothing.

Transformers: Blackout

Name: Blackout
Affiliation: Decepticon
Sub-Group: Micro Vehicle
Alternative Mode: MH-53 Pave Low Helicopter
Function: Infiltration & Destroy
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Motto: "He who cares for the opinions of others is lost."
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Character Description:
The largest Decepticon, Blackout is fiercely loyal to Megatron & can fire electromagnetic pulses, making Decepticon attacks easier. Most often seen looming silently over the right shoulder of Megatron, he is his leader’s hound. He pursues relentless efficiency, allowing nothing to stop him in his task. Those who defy him beware: his rage knows no bounds. He will fill the air with fire & burn the land clear to take his revenge. Few Decepticons have his single-minded focus. When he is given a target, he will stop at nothing to reach & destroy it, no matter where it is. Across a continent, or on the other side of the galaxy, Blackout will go, destroying whatever gets in his way, & in his wake leaving only ashes.

TP in Disguise

Here is probably another foolproof plan from the TP.

Wah ... they also getting smarter huh...
Don't assume Uncle Sam always dress in white ...
Watch out my friends, they are now men in black (bikes) ... don't kanna caught.
Watch your rear mirrors, or else died already also don't know how they do it.

Confidence in the Direction

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live a life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

- Henry David Thoreau

放一颗心

曲名：放一颗心
歌手：杜德伟

别怕我爱的太多
爱你我很快乐
你尽管放心接受
这样温柔和我
我不怕任何结果
珍惜这一刻
就算是有一天
你突然想走

你并不需要担心太多
怕你不够了解我
只要记住无爱不痴
无爱不狂
就够

爱从来不怕付出太多
也从不保留
为了你我什么都做
看着你是种享受
拥有你更是感动

*放一颗心留在你的身边
每次离去陪你入眠
你千万记住
有我在耳边说爱你

别怕我爱的太多
爱你我很快乐
你要乖乖的
等着我回来

你尽管放心接受
这样温柔的我

The Day is Done

The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.
I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me
That my soul cannot resist:
A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.
Come, read to me some poem,
Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That shall soothe this restless feeling,
And banish the thoughts of day.
Not from the grand old masters,
Not from the bards sublime,
Whose distant footsteps echo
Through the corridors of Time.
For, like strains of martial music,
Their mighty thoughts suggest
Life's endless toil and endeavor;
And to-night I long for rest.
Read from some humbler poet,
Whose songs gushed from his heart,
As showers from the clouds of summer,
Or tears from the eyelids start;
Who, through long days of labor,
And nights devoid of ease,
Still heard in his soul the music
Of wonderful melodies.
Such songs have power to quiet.
The restless pulse of care,
And come like the benediction
That follows after prayer.
Then read from the treasured volume
The poem of thy choice,
And lend to the rhyme of the poet
The beauty of thy voice.
And the night shall be filled with music
And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Potential Vs Reality

A kid comes home from school with a writing assignment. He asks his father for help. "Dad, can you tell me the difference between potential & reality?"

His father looks up, thoughtfully, & then says, "I'll demonstrate. Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Robert Redford for a million dollars. Then go ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Then come back & tell me what you've learned."

The kid is puzzled, but decides to ask his mother. "Mom, if someone gave you a million dollars, would you sleep with Robert Redford?"

Don't tell your father, but, yes, I would."

He then goes to his sister's room. "Sis, if someone gave you a million dollars, would you sleep with Brad Pitt?"

She replies, "Omigod! Definitely!"

The kid goes back to his father. "Dad, I think I've figured it out. Potentially, we are sitting on two million bucks, but in reality, we are living with two sluts."

A Lesson for Managers

A junior manager, a senior manager & their boss are on their way to a meeting. On their way through a park, they come across a wonder lamp.They rub the lamp & a ghost appears.

The ghost says, "Normally, one is granted three wishes but as you are three, I will allow one wish each"

So the eager senior manager shouted, "I want the first wish. I want to be in the Bahamas, on a fast boat & have no worries." Pfufffff, & he was gone.

Now the junior manager could not keep quiet & shouted "I want to be in Florida with beautiful girls, plenty of food & cocktails." Pfufffff, & he was also gone.

The boss calmly said, "I want these two idiots back in the office after lunch at 12.35pm."

Moral of the story: ALWAYS ALLOW THE BOSSES TO SPEAK FIRST!

Dance - Enjoy Each Step

When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way.

- Wayne Dyer

Bear Stearns' Funds in Trouble!

Stock markets across the world had an attack of the jitters last week, led by the US. On Friday, the Dow Jones lost more than 100 points, to close down at 13,360. One of the key worries is the condition of two hedge funds ran by investment bank Bear Stearns.

The funds both invested in securities related to the US subprime mortgage market - the elephant in the global economy’s living room that all the participants are desperately trying to ignore in the hope that it will just go away. So what exactly is the problem, & could this be the start of something bigger?

Two of Bear Stearns’ hedge funds - the High-Grade Structured Credit Fund & the High-Grade Structured Credit Enhanced Leverage Fund - are experiencing problems. In essence, the funds made some bad bets on the US housing market, & now they’ve run into trouble. Other banks that had loaned the funds money to make those bets now want it back, but they don’t have it.

The troubles emerged when Bear Stearns stopped investors in the second fund (the ‘enhanced leverage’ one) from pulling money out - which is, as Bloomberg put it, “the first sign of an impending collapse.” So naturally, “the investment banks who had lent money to the Bear Stearns hedge funds said – ‘We want our money back. And if we can’t get our money back right away, we may seize collateral & sell it,'”.

Some of the banks reached deals with Bear Stearns, but others - including Merrill Lynch - began selling assets, or are at least considering doing so. Bear Stearns seems to have saved the first fund for the moment, by putting up $3.2bn of its own money to bail it out, but it looks like the second will be wound down.

The idea the funds might collapse certainly has some analysts worried. The demise of two Bear Stearns managed Leveraged Mortgage Funds could be the tipping point of a broader fallout from subprime mortgage credit deterioration that would lead to cascading de-leveraging & ultimately end with higher rates to new mortgage borrowers.

So how would this happen? Well, derivatives are complicated beasts, but like most things in finance, the basic concepts aren’t that difficult to get your head around. The big problem with the Bear Stearns funds is that a lot of the assets they have are of dubious quality & are illiquid - in other words, they don’t change hands very often. That means that no one is entirely sure of how much those assets are actually worth. And that situation is made worse by the fact that in the wake of the subprime mortgage collapse, they are probably worth much less than they were when everyone in America still believed that house prices could only go up.

The problem is not what we see happening but what we don’t see! We don’t know the price of these assets. We don’t know which banks are exposed to this sector. These conditions are classic conditions for financial crises across history.

If Bear Stearns has to sell off its assets, it will probably reveal that they are worth much less than anyone had thought. And that means that anyone else who has invested in similar assets could see huge writedowns on their value – it could also lead to a sharp rise in the number of people trying to rush out of the market.

In any case, even if the two funds go down without much of a wider impact, it shows that the problems caused by the troubled US housing market are a long way from being over. Many analysts & authority figures are keen to point to a bottom in the market, or suggest that the impact will be restricted to a very small portion of the population - the poor, basically, who should never have been able to get hold of these home loans in the first place.

But house prices in the US are already falling, while lending standards are tightening. That has an impact on everybody. With the savings rate well into negative territory, where it has been for a long time, US consumers (not just the 'poor’ ones) have been relying on being able to borrow money against the ever-increasing value of their homes for a long time, particularly as wage growth hasn‘t been enough to provide much of a boost to the average person’s standard of living.

Now they can’t do that anymore. So if you can’t borrow more money, then you either have to cut back on your spending, or you have to earn more. And one of the easiest ways to earn more is to demand more from your employer. And why shouldn’t employees ask for more? After all, we’re always hearing about how the global economy is in a ‘sweet spot’ & that times have never been so good & that corporate profits are at record levels compared to employees’ wages - why shouldn’t the workers demand a bigger slice of that?

Of course, the problem with that is that higher wage demands tend to drive up inflation. That puts pressure on interest rates to rise too, & that makes debt servicing even harder. As the US economic 'miracles’ have been built on cheap debt, its absence is likely to kick the legs from under them.

Yesterday the Bank for International Settlements (the BIS, or the ‘central banker’s central bank’ as it’s also known) warned of the consequences as borrowing becomes more expensive. “Given the key role that a benign credit environment has been playing in boosting the performance of the financial sector over the past years, a turn in the credit cycle represents a significant risk to its outlook.”

So Bear Stearns may live to fight another day - but the more testing times for the global economy are just beginning.

True Strength

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

- Mahatma Gandhi

Life's Challenges

When life presents a challenge ... take your shot (& make it a good one!).

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Years ago, I remembered someone told me that when life throws lemons at you, you can either choose to carry a sour face, or you can ... make lemonade!!! That's right, sweet, refreshing lemonade!

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The point is to make good use of what is offered to us, the good & the bad. Turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones. Turning what appears to be bad into something sweet, refreshing & positive is man's goal & destiny, his eventual reward & glory!

Right Observation, Wrong Application

A couple was having some trouble, so they did the right thing and went to a marriage counselor.

After a few visits, and a lot of questioning and listening, the counselor said that he had discovered the main problem.

He stood up, went over to the woman, asked her to stand, and gave her a hug. He looked at the man and said, "This is what your wife needs, at least once a day!"

The man frowned, thought for a moment, then said, "OK, what time do you want me to bring her back to you tomorrow?"

Powers Inside You

"There are powers inside of you which, if you could discover & use, would make of you everything you ever dreamed or imagined you could become."

Orison Swett Marden
1850-1924

Take Wisdom from the Wise

Take wisdom from the wise
It takes a man of vision to write on water
Not everyone who rides a horse is a jockey
Great men rise to greater challenges

An Arabic Poem

Nurture Your Mind

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think."

Benjamin Disraeli
1804-1881,
British Statesman and Prime Minister

ESFJ (Part II)

Functional Analysis:

Extraverted Feeling
ESFJs live in their Extraverted Feeling functioning. Feeling, a rational (i.e., deciding) function, expresses opinions easily in the E world of objects and people. ESFJs have the ability to express warmth, rage, and a range of other emotions. Actions are encouraged or rebuked based on how they affect other people, especially people near and dear to the ESFJ. This type's vocal decisiveness predisposes many of its number to facility with administration and supervision.

Introverted Sensing
The secondary Sensing function aids and abets the dominant Fe in that sensate data is collected and at once compared with the inner forms or standards. Data on which decisions are made are thus focused and given a contrast which tends to be stronger and clearer than the original stimuli. The strengthening effect of Si on Fe may be responsible for this type's reputation for wearing their "hearts on their sleeves." At any rate, ESFJs reflect the "black and white" view of reality which is common to the SJ types.

Extraverted iNtuition
Intuition is tertiary--as the ESFJ matures, and as situations arise which call for suspension of criticism, Ne is allowed to play. Under the leadership of the Fe function, iNtuition allows for a loosening of the more rigid Si rights and wrongs; teasing and slapstick humor emerge. ESFJs are also capable of discerning patterns and philosophies, but such perceiving is subject to the weakness of the tertiary position, and the results often lack the variety and complexity of connections that more complex systems require.

Introverted Thinking
The inferior Ti function may rarely be expressed. In fact, ESFJs may take affront at the aloof, detached nature of dominant Ti types, or conversely, be drawn to them. Some ESFJs construct rationale which have the appearance of (Jungian) Thinking logic, but under scrutiny are in fact command performances of "Thinking in the service of Feeling," (i.e., Thinking-like conclusions which do not obey the tenets of impersonal logic; they rather construct scenarios from only those "hard, cold facts" which support the conclusion reached by the dominant Extraverted Feeling function.

Famous ESFJs:

2 U.S. Presidents: William McKinley; William J. Clinton

EagleBoy
Jack Benny
Desi Arnaz ("Ricky Ricardo")
Don Knotts ("Barney Fife")
John Connally (former Governor of Texas)
Terry Bradshaw, NFL quarterback
Sally Struthers (All in the Family)
Mary Tyler Moore
Dixie Carter (Designing Women)
Steve Spurrier, Heismann trophy winner, Univ. of Fla. football coach
Sally Field
Danny Glover, actor (Lethal Weapon movies, Predator 2)
Margaret Butt
Nancy Kerrigan (U.S. olympic figureskater)
Elvis Stojko (Canadian olympic figureskater)

ESFJ (Part I)

My Jung Test results are as follows:

Extroverted (E) 51.22% Introverted (I) 48.78%
Sensing (S) 55.81% Intuitive (N) 44.19%
Feeling (F) 53.33% Thinking (T) 46.67%
Judging (J) 52.5% Perceiving (P) 47.5%

Your type is: ESFJ

ESFJ - "Seller". Most sociable of all types. Nurturer of harmony. Outstanding host or hostesses. 12.3% of total population.

ESFJ does not like being alone, thinks life has purpose/meaning, organized, values organized religion, outgoing, social, does not like strange people/things - likely intolerant of differences, open, easy to read, dislikes science fiction, values relationships and families over intellectual pursuits, group oriented, follows the rules, affectionate, planner, regular, orderly, clean, finisher, religious, consults others before acting, content, positive, loves getting massages, complimentary, dutiful, loving, considerate, altruistic.

Guardians of birthdays, holidays & celebrations, ESFJs are generous entertainers. They enjoy & joyfully observe traditions & are liberal in giving, especially where custom prescribes. All else being equal, ESFJs enjoy being in charge. They see problems clearly & delegate easily, work hard & play with zest. ESFJs, as do most SJs, bear strong allegiance to rights of seniority. They willingly provide service (which embodies life's meaning) & expect the same from others.

ESFJs are easily wounded. And when wounded, their emotions will not be contained. They by nature "wear their hearts on their sleeves," often exuding warmth & bonhomie, but not infrequently boiling over with the vexation of their souls. Some ESFJs channel these vibrant emotions into moving dramatic performances on stage & screen.

Strong, contradictory forces consume the ESFJ. Their sense of right & wrong wrestles with an overwhelming rescuing, 'mothering' drive. This sometimes results in swift, immediate action taken upon a transgressor, followed by stern reprimand; ultimately, however, the prodigal is wrested from the gallows of their folly, just as the noose tightens & all hope is lost, by the very executioner!

An ESFJ at odds with self is a remarkable sight. When a decision must be made, especially one involving the risk of conflict (abhorrent to ESFJs), there ensues an in-house wrestling match between the aforementioned black-and-white Values & the Nemesis of Discord. The contender pits self against self, once firmly deciding with the Right, then switching to Prudence to forestall hostilities, countered by unswerving Values, ad exhaustium, winner take all.

As caretakers, ESFJs sense danger all around--germs within, the elements without, unscrupulous malefactors, insidious character flaws. The world is a dangerous place, not to be trusted. Not that the ESFJ is paranoid; 'hyper-vigilant' would be more precise. And thus they serve excellently as protectors, outstanding in fields such as medical care & elementary education.

Excelsior

The shades of night were falling fast,
As through an Alpine village passed
A youth, who bore, 'mid snow and ice,
A banner with the strange device,
Excelsior!

His brow was sad; his eye beneath,
Flashed like a falchion from its sheath,
And like a silver clarion rung
The accents of that unknown tongue,
Excelsior!

In happy homes he saw the light
Of household fires gleam warm and bright;
Above, the spectral glaciers shone,
And from his lips escaped a groan,
Excelsior!

"Try not the Pass!" the old man said:
"Dark lowers the tempest overhead,
The roaring torrent is deep and wide!
And loud that clarion voice replied,
Excelsior!

"Oh stay," the maiden said, "and rest
Thy weary head upon this breast!"
A tear stood in his bright blue eye,
But still he answered, with a sigh,
Excelsior!

"Beware the pine-tree's withered branch!
Beware the awful avalanche!"
This was the peasant's last Good-night,
A voice replied, far up the height,
Excelsior!

At break of day, as heavenward
The pious monks of Saint Bernard
Uttered the oft-repeated prayer,
A voice cried through the startled air,
Excelsior!

A traveller, by the faithful hound,
Half-buried in the snow was found,
Still grasping in his hand of ice
That banner with the strange device,
Excelsior!

There in the twilight cold and gray,
Lifeless, but beautiful, he lay,
And from the sky, serene and far,
A voice fell, like a falling star,
Excelsior!

Leather Shoes

An Army Ranger was on vacation in Louisiana & wanted a pair of genuine alligator shoes. However, the local vendors were asking very high prices. So the Army Ranger decided to go into the swamps & get his own alligator & then have the shoes made at a more reasonable price. When he mentioned this to one of the shopkeepers, he was told that he might run into a couple of Marines who had decided to do the same thing.

So the Ranger headed into the bayou & a few hours later he saw the two Marines. They were standing waist deep in the water. The Ranger then saw a huge gator swimming rapidly underwater towards one of the Marines.

Just as the gator was about to attack, the Marine grabbed its neck with both hands & strangled it to death with very little effort. Then both Marines dragged it on shore & flipped it on its back. Laying nearby were several more of the creatures.

The Ranger then heard one of the Marines shout, "Damn, this one doesn't have any shoes either!"

A Car is a car is a car ...

But this baby is more than a car... this is my car! What alluring & arresting lines she has. Come Monday, she will make her pledge of performance & companionship to me. She may not look like a supercar, but with high level of road holding & handling, couple with safety & luxury of a coupe, it would be a shame to leave this baby in the showroom.
.
A 4-speed automatic transmission core, this 2.0-liter DOHC 16V engine cranks out 142 bhp & can bring her driver from 0 - 100 km/h in just under 11 seconds! Still, she offers the optimum balance of performance & economy. Oh...did I forget to mention that it has a moon-roof on top?
.
Damage done: Not going to tell (grin)
.
Colour: Stone Black
.
Enough said. Afterall, a car is a car is a car... but this is different!
This is a coupe.
This is a Tuscani.
This is ..... my car!

Money is Not the Measure

"If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, & ability."
- Henry Ford

Many people make the same mistake of aiming at money, making money itself a goal or desire. This is an undesirable vision & grave mistake as money is worth nothing more than the value it is given. To associate money with security is about as wise as having discussions with your money, eating your money or even burning it to stay warm. We must never forget that money is simply a measure of worth, not the worth itself.

In order to experience true wealth & abundance, we must set our sights above monetary value to those things in our world that we truly desire. We do nothing but cheapen our dreams by pricing them, no matter the value.
- John Kanary

Focus On Your Goals! - R(A)

.
Focus on your goals ... Just don't get caught focusing.
(This is hilarious!!!)

The Price of Integrity

"No man can purchase his virtue too dear, for it is the only thing whose value must ever increase with the price it has cost us. Our integrity is never worth so much as when we have parted with our all to keep it."

-Charles Caleb Cotton


Few things have as much effect on our lives, our interactions with others, our own effect on the world, as our integrity. This virtue pervades our every action, colors us in others' eyes & is fundamental to our perspective of the world & the self. Integrity could be defined as the necessity of our ideas & actions to the greater good, but this would do the virtue little justice.

Our integrity is a culmination of our past deeds & future aspirations, defining our current character. It is a trait that cannot be 'put on' nor 'taken away'. Adopting the importance of your integrity will change every aspect of our lives, but only when we recognize the method by which we create its value. We must be willing to sacrifice everything to maintain our integrity, every personal gain, material good or individual motive for the sake & cause of our necessary role in the bigger picture.

A heart cannot fail for the sake of all other organs in the body, regardless of its own weaknesses. Those weaknesses become the weaknesses of the body. We must serve our higher ideals with a non-negotiable commitment to maintain our integrity through every loss and hardship, holding our heads high & our dreams higher.

- John Kanary

Walk the Talk

Children pay little attention to their parents' teachings, but reproduce their characters faithfully.
- Mason Cooley

Indeed, more is caught than is taught.
May my little one catches daddy's plus points.

似曾相识

曲名: 似曾相识
歌手: 陶喆
专辑: 太美丽噢

那一片
阴沉如海的天
和你擦身而过
有些晃神你再回头
才发现
我的行路在延
我却无法解释是谁
乱了我生活

该怎么做
才能把回忆都删除
错过了幸福
我像跌入迷雾

遇见你有种
似曾相识的感觉 wor
仿佛有种同样感受
在你的眼底 wor..

能必能让我们再相遇
能必能让我再次认识你
似曾相识犹如游戏 yee ..wu
似曾相识 …yeah….

那一片
深入你的世界
和你擦身而过
却忘了要往哪里走
才感觉
我的心看不见
我该怎么解释是你
乱了我生活

该怎么做
才能把回忆都删除
错过了幸福…
我像跌入迷雾 wuoh…

遇见你有种
似曾相识的感觉 wor
我看见同样的感受在你眼底

能必能让我们再相遇
能必能让我再次认识你
似曾相识犹如游戏 wu …yeah….
遇见你有种
似曾相识的感觉 wor
是否在前世我们有逆转不去 wor
能必能这次改变命运
能必能这次让我真的爱你
还是往事别在提起 yeah.. who..

似曾相识,
似曾相识 wuo
Har wuu Yeah wor

遇见你有种
似曾相识的感觉
是否在前世
我们有逆转不去 (我们有)

能必能让我把你忘记
能必能把我定下对你追寻
或许我能
不再想你

Trust in Action

"You can't shake hands with a clenched fist."

- Indira Gandhi

Born to Win

"You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win."

– Zig Ziglar

Measure of the Hours

Once at a potent leader's voice I stayed;
Once I went back when a good monarch prayed;
Mortals, howe'er we grieve, howe'er deplore,
The flying shadow will return no more.

- Maurice Maeterlinck,
From: Measure of the Hours

Bad News

Johnny had responded to a call from his lawyer, insisting that they meet at once. He arrived at his lawyer's firm, and was ushered into his office.

"Do you want the bad news first or the terrible news?" the lawyer asked.

"Well, if those are my choices, I guess I'll take the bad news first."

"Your wife found a picture worth a half-million dollars."

"That's the bad news?" Johnny was stunned? "If you call that bad, I can't wait to hear the terrible news."

"The terrible news is that it's of you and your secretary."

Determination

"The difference between the impossible & the possible lies in a person's determination."

Tommy Lasorda
Professional Baseball Manager

Leadership

One can become a leader only if one is supported by an ideology which makes other people tractable & accommodating.

- Ludwig Von Mises

U.S. Open 2007, Oakmont

Angel Cabrera hit all the right shots to hold off Tiger Woods & Jim Furyk by a stroke on Sunday at the U.S. Open, shooting a 1-under-par 69 at brutal Oakmont & giving Argentina its first major championship in 40 years. And for the second straight major, Woods played in the final group & couldn't deliver in the clutch. Woods squandered birdie chances with his wedge & his putter, & Furyk paid for a risky choice of driver on the 306-yard 17th hole & fell out of the lead with a bogey.

.

The only other Argentine to win a major was Roberto de Vicenzo in the 1967 British Open at Hoylake. Cabrera made his share of mistakes — everyone did on this brutally tough course outside Pittsburgh — but he overcame late bogeys on the 16th & 17th holes with a perfect tee shot & a par that gave him the victory. Even so, this major will be remembered for gaffes by the guys chasing him.

.

Woods, a runner-up to unheralded Zach Johnson at the Masters, played the final 32 holes at Oakmont with only one birdie. He missed a birdie putt from 6 feet on the 13th, & the only clutch putts he made on the back nine were for par. As poorly as Woods hit the ball in the final round, he only needed one birdie over his final three holes to force a playoff. Woods hit 3-wood off the 17th tee into a deep bunker, but he couldn't keep it on the green & had to make a 7-footer for par. His tee shot on the 18th looked good when it left his club, but hopped along the line of first cut & deep rough, & his approach ran some 30 feet by the flag. His birdie putt was just long & right, & Woods again was the last man to leave the 18th green at a major, no trophy in hand.

.

Cabrera might not have been the winner anyone expected, especially at Oakmont, which has produced U.S. Open champions of the highest caliber. But he earned his victory against the best. Cabrera delivered a 1-2-3 knockout during a difficult week. A birdie on his final hole Friday caused second-ranked Phil Mickelson to miss the cut in a major for the first time in eight years, & he was even stronger down the stretch with Woods & Furyk, No. 1 and No. 3 in the world, both poised to catch him.

.

Woods, the best closer in golf, was a mystery. He couldn't make a timely putt at the Masters. He couldn't find his swing at Oakmont. Personally, watching him playing is both pleasure & pain, this time, more pain. That's all.

.

Better game next year, Tiger!

World View

To be matter of fact about the world is to blunder into fantasy , and dull fantasy at that, as the real world is strange and wonderful.

- Robert Heinlein

Trust & Responsibility

"Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him."

- Booker T. Washington

Nice Car, isn't she?

Wanna a spin, baby?

Health is Real Wealth

It is HEALTH that is real wealth & not pieces of gold & silver.

- Mohandas Gandhi

Health is ...

Health is the thing that makes you feel that now is the best time of the year.

-Franklin P Adams

What Do Roses Mean?

A woman and her husband have a really bad fight. He went off to work the next day without talking to her, but she doesn't care. She's busy doing her thing around the house.

All of the sudden, around 1:00 in the afternoon, the doorbell rings. She went to the door and opens it and there is a young delivery guy from the local florist shop with an enormous, beautiful bouquet of long-stemmed red roses, the expensive ones, from her husband.

She says to the delivery guy with disgust, "Oh What CRAP!"

The delivery guy says, "What's the matter lady? You don't like roses?"

She replies, "Yeah, I like roses, but do you know what this means?"

He says, "No, Lady, what does this mean?"

She answers, "It means for the next two weeks I'll be laying on my back with my legs in the air."

He replies, "Gee, Lady, don't you have a vase?"

Happy Father's Day

MY DAD
- By Kevin Spalding

My dad was one of the wisest, most compassionate and giving men I've ever known. Although not a man of great means, he endowed many lives with his encouragement, strength and hope. But then, Dad didn't preach, he just did.

One chilly fall evening in the late 1950's, Dad drove my visiting uncle across the Hudson River to the train station in Albany, NY for his return home. I didn't go with them because I was busy getting my diaper changed. As Dad said goodbye to my uncle, a bum approached him (yes, that's what panhandling, homeless men were called back then). The man was disheveled, with stubble beard and an ill fitting, dirty overcoat.

"Can you spare some change, bud?"

Dad didn't need his PhD in organic chemistry to determine from the man's odor what that change would be purchasing.

"No," he responded, "I won't give you any money, but I'll gladly buy you a sandwich and coffee."

As the two men sat in the snack bar nearby and talked, Dad asked, "So, do you have any family?"

"Yea, I got a brother in Boston."

"Really, tell me about him."

"He's a priest. So what?"

"A priest, what church is he with and what's his name?"

After paying the bill and bidding the man farewell, Dad returned home armed with answers to those and a few more questions.

He then looked up the church in Boston and called long distance.back when "long distance calling" took more than small pocket change.

Dad gave the priest all the information he could about his brother.

A couple weeks later, Dad received a heartfelt, grateful letter from the man's sister thanking him for his saintly intervention. "Because of what you did," the letter said, "we have been reconnected with our brother from whom we had not heard in a long time. Thank you."

I have no idea what happened after that, but because Dad gave without expecting any repayment, one family had a real chance to heal.

My uncle who got the ride to the train station shared this story with me a few years back. But when I asked Dad about it he responded, "Kevin, I don't recall it."

Dad just gave expecting nothing in return. Because that's just who he was. He taught me again; in hindsight, that true giving is not a transaction. But, if given freely, one receives in return riches that money cannot buy.

Dad is no longer here in body. But in spirit, yes. When I reflect on this lesson occasionally, I look up and whisper, "Dad, I hope I can remember now."

Baseline Standard in Life

"If you don't set a baseline standard for what you'll accept in life, you'll find it's easy to slip into behaviors & attitudes or a quality of life that's far below what you deserve."

- Anthony Robbins
Peak Performance Expert

Hospitalized

I apologized for missing a day in my blog yesterday.

My dad was hospitalized due to some unknown heart problem on Friday morning. This wasn't his first trip. About 4 years ago, he was admitted for a minor stroke incident. Discharged after one week, he was okay till now. This time, doctors said it will take 4 days at least. He is currently out of the danger zone & under observation. Arrangement for heart scanning had been made. We will just have to wait.....

Gosh, I was tired, & this physical phenomenon usually has a way of finding its way to your mind. I was mentally exhausted, & my thinking faculty needed a break. Thankfully, I have friends around me who encouraged & supported me through it all.

Thanks, all of you fine people, for been there.

爱情

曲名: 爱情
歌手: 郭富城

听窗外的雨
它滴滴嗒嗒
打在窗口
象我思绪
反覆的把你想念
叫做爱情
我好想证明
从不在一起
我还是不能停止想你
我对着玻璃
轻轻的吐气
再用手指
写着爱你
恰像是一起去寻找
叫做爱情
不需要证明
对白很干净
我唯一想说只有我爱你

咖啡湾外面的雨境
我们一起向前进
所有画面都很熟悉
我打开口袋里的记忆
充满的都是你
平凡又显得神奇

我喜欢说爱我的你
一样的对着玻璃
用呼吸吹醒平淡的水气
苦了也变得多麽甜蜜
再有蓝的天气
借着雨点说爱你

看窗外的你
拥抱着爱情
我们一起
继续前进
听风中的歌谱写
歌颂爱情
你我在和音
对白很清晰
会是个美丽的结局

依旧是爱情
你让我欢喜
让我执着
让我安静
不必有太多理由
叫做爱情
因我只要你
我唯一会说
只有我爱你

Happiness is ...

Happiness is more a state of health than of wealth.

- Frank Tyger

Do & Dare

The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do & dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore.

–Dale Carnegie

Nurturing What Matters - Family

Always reward your long hours of labor & toil in the very best way, surrounded by your family. Nurture their love carefully, remembering that your children needs models, not critics, & your own progress will hasten when you constantly strive to present your best side to your children. And even if you have failed at all else in the eyes of the world, if you have a loving family, you are a success.

Og Mandino
1923 - 1996
Author & Speaker

What You Become

"Please understand my friend, that where you find yourself tomorrow is a function of the positive decisions and actions you take today."

Akin A. Awolaja
Educator

Happiness lies in Health

Happiness lies first of all in HEALTH.

- George William Curtis

On the Wagon

Meaning
.
'On the wagon' - abstaining from alcohol.
'Off the wagon' - returned to drinking after an attempt to give it up.

Origin
.

Suggested explanations of the origin of 'on the wagon' focus on actual wagons that were used to transport people; for example, condemned prisoners who had taken their last drink in this life & were transported to the gallows by wagon. Another story has it that Evangeline Booth, the US Salvation Army National Commander, toured the Bowery slums in a wagon picking up drunks & delivering them to sobriety. The phrase predates Booth's work in New York, so that can't be the origin. It isn't far from the truth though, but, as we'll see below, no actual wagon rides were involved.

.
'On the wagon' was coined in the USA around the turn of the 20th century. The phrase began as 'on the water-cart', migrated to 'on the water-wagon' & finally to 'on the wagon'.
The late 19th century saw the emergence of several temperance organisations, notably The Anti-Saloon League, founded in 1893 & The Woman's Christian Temperance Union, founded in 1874. These followed on from the work of The Abstinence Society which had encouraged millions of men to 'take the pledge'. The Pledge wasn't just a vague intention to avoid drink; it was a specific and absolute promise never to drink again & was taken very seriously:

.
"I promise to abstain from all intoxicating drinks except used medicinally and by order of a medical man, and to discountenance the cause and practice of intemperance."

.

Water wagons were a commonplace sight in US cities at the time. They didn't carry drinking water but were used to damp down dusty streets during dry weather. Those who had vowed to give up drink & were tempted to lapse said that they would drink from the water-cart rather than take strong drink.

.
The first reference to it that I've found in print is from Alice Caldwell Hegan's comic novel Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch, 1901:

.

I wanted to git him some whisky, but he shuck his head. "I'm on the water-cart."

.

'Water-wagon' was soon used as an alternative and the distinction between the figurative phrase 'on the wagon' and real water-wagons was made clear in this piece from The Davenport Daily Leader, March 1904:

.
"Peter Solle took a bad fall from the water wagon this morning. The water wagon was not that imaginary, visionary affair that is sometimes applied to he who signs the pledge, but was the real thing, all there & big as life."

.

P.S. This write up is dedicated to my friend, Mr Siao Kia.

Something Bigger than Self

The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.

-Norman Vincent Peale

Purple Heart Medal

A Purple Heart Medal just proves that were you smart enough to think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive.

Happiness is When ...

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, & what you do are in harmony.

- Mohandas Gandhi

What Counts?

"It is not the critic that counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust & sweat & blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, & comes short again & again, because there is no effort without error & shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement. And at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold & timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt
U.S. President
Spoken in Paris 1910

Obstacles Ahead!

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around & give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

Michael Jordan
Professional Basketball Player

Speed Limit Breached!

Description: Caught speeding. (1st time booked for speeding!)

Disclaimer: I thought Eagle's speed limit is beyond 90km/hr?

Damage: $170 bucks to the Govt's big fat bonus next year :(

Damn it: 8 points gone! (this is the biggest heartache!!!)

.

Frankly, I am not the speeding kind, & for a few good reasons. Firstly, cruising around 80 - 90 km per hour offers the best fuel for mileage trade-off. Not speeding helps bring down the cost every time I hit the station. Secondly, speed demons attract speed demons. If I am not driving a sports car, why speed & draw attention from the Evo & the WRX. Lastly & most importantly, it's for the safety of both me & my passengers. Period.

.

So, why I got caught huh? Well, from the above traffic police charges, I was at 92 km/hr. This was my kind of speed, most of the time, except this time, I was at the wrong place at the wrong speed. That stretch of road calls for a 60 km per hour, max. So...suay lor... but I promised...no more next time.

.

Come to think of it, the market seems to be given the green light to continue speeding ahead. No slowing down as far as investors treading on the highways of Asia & China markets are concerned this week. Where are all the cautions?

.

Hope you guys don't get caught; there are financial speed-traps everywhere in these volatile market conditions. Drive carefully, wear crash helmet, or else... smile (if you can)... for the financial camera ahead...it's gonna be one nasty shot!

How Old Are You?

One morning a woman was walking out of her front door, when she noticed a strange little man at the bottom of her garden.

"You're a goblin," she said, "I caught you and you owe me three wishes!".

So the goblin replied "OK, you caught me fair and square, what's your first wish?"

The woman stopped and thought for a second, "I want a huge mansion to live in."

The goblins replied "OK, you've got it.".

Woman again thought it over, "My second wish is a Black BMW 7-Series."

"OK, you've got that too."

"My last wish is a million dollars!".

The goblin then said "OK, you've got it. But to make your wishes come true you have to have sex all night with me."

"OK then, if that's what it takes."

Next morning the little man wakes the woman up. "Tell me," said the man, "how old are you?"

"I'm 27", she replied.

"Fuck me", said the little man, "... 27 and you still believe in goblins"

Trust Yourself

"A man who doesn't trust himself can never really trust anyone else."

- Cardinal De Retz

War

War doesn't determine who is right, war determines who is left.

- Confucius

Higher Plain

It is almost as if we exist on a higher plain when we have lost ourselves in a greater power, when our activity is focused & greater than ourselves. Our focus seems to be at it's apex when our actions are greater than ourselves & on that plain there seems to exist a limitless source of energy.

I know that when I am lost in an activity that, by no means, involves me or my ego directly, time whizzes by & I only ever recognize the weariness or exhaustion once I separate myself from the activity, almost like pulling a plug. Whatever you're doing, associate your actions with a goal that is greater than yourself, move towards an object that is far out of reach or an objective that seems impossible & work on your connection with the limitless power there.

- John Kanary

Asset Allocation

I find this asset allocation chart interesting. It's self-explanatory. Have fun!

The Parable of 3 Hymns

The Sunday before Christmas, a pastor told his congregation that the church needed some extra money. He asked the people to consider donating a little more than usual into the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns.

After the offering plates were passed, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had placed a $1,000 bill in offering. He was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation and said he'd like to personally thank the person who placed the money in the plate.

A very quiet, elderly, saintly looking lady all the way in the back shyly raised her hand. The pastor asked her to come to the front. Slowly she made her way to the pastor. He told her how wonderful it was that she gave so much and in thanks asked her to pick out three hymns.

Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation, pointed to the three most handsome men in the building and said, "I'll take him and him and him."

Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda

A Poem titled: "Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda"

All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin' in the sun,
Talkin 'bout the things
They woulda-coulda-shoulda done...
But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
All ran away and hid
From the one little did.

- Shel Silverstein
Children Book Author


Do you remember being a kid & how tenacious you were especially when you wanted a new toy or you wanted to go somewhere? Do you remember how you asked your parents time & time again for what you wanted? Do you remember not giving up? I did that before; my 3-year-old son sure do too.

Imagine if you could harness the same energy & tenacity now as an adult. What goals would you be able to achieve if you applied the same energy for your goals & dreams? You most likely will attain & complete your goals & maybe live out your dreams.

You do not want to be on your deathbed thinking about all the things you could have done, would have done & should have done. I have decided now to begin living my dream. Fact is: You will be much happier that you did do something. Because doing something is better than doing nothing.

I will construct small goals & complete them. Make small consistent changes & over time you will have changed your life. For a start, this are my immediate list:

1. Sign up for Scuba Diving lessons by June 07.
2. Prepare for Mt Kinabalu in Sept 07.
3. Re-design my children room.
4. Catch up with my reading list.

Renavatio!
(means "rebirth" in latin)

Pay Attention & Listen

Setting the Bar High

If you are tired of baby steps, take a look at the goals you set. Are you setting goals that are easy to achieve? Are you creating a safe bet? We all need the affirmation of short term victories, but we must also set our sights beyond the comfortable notions we are used to, set our sights on something much greater than what we may know.

It is through the seemingly impossible that we experience the greatest drive. Don't be afraid of being overly-ambitious or setting the bar too high, that you might never complete your mission; your mission is never really complete until your life is.

- John Kanary

How IT Dad Explain it

Boy: "Daddy? How did I come into this world?"

Dad: "Well, my child, some day I'll have to tell you any way.

Boy:"So why not today? Please!"

Dad: "OK, but listen carefully. Mom and Dad met each other in a cyber cafe. In the restrooms of that cyber cafe, dad connected to mom. Mom at that time made some downloads from dad's memory stick. When dad finished uploading we discovered we used no firewall. Since it was too late to cancel or delete, nine months later we ended up with a virus."

相信

歌曲：相信
歌手：张栋梁
专辑：王子

我们都哭了
没有值得不值得
就在这里停格
框住最后的脸色
让我们最难过的
是因为曾经快乐
后来的转折
我们都无法预测

只能这样了
继续下去又如何
就当上了一课
保留被爱的资格
以后还会想你的
也许不再难过了
我们的角色
变成彼此的旁观者

我相信爱是真的
我相信你是对的
就算我们重新选择
仿佛伤害早就被预设

我相信爱是真的
所以才会舍不得
在放手的那一刻

爱在分手那一刻

Doing vs Watching

"The few who do are the envy of the many who only watch."

- Jim Rohn

The Broken Oar

The Broken Oar

Once upon Iceland's solitary strand
A poet wandered with his book and pen ,
Seeking some final word, some sweet Amen,
Wherewith to close the volume in his hand.
The billows rolled and plunged upon the sand,
The circling sea-gulls swept beyond his ken,
And from the parting cloud-rack now and then
Flashed the red sunset over sea and land
Then by the billows at his feet was tossed
A broken oar; and carved thereon he read:
"Oft was I weary, when I toiled at thee-"
And like a man, who findeth what was lost,
He wrote the words, then lifted up his head,
And flung his useless pen into the sea.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Goals & Limitations

Any man who selects a goal in life which can be fully achieved has already defined his own limitations.

-Cavett Robert


So, as EagleBoy always says:

Aim High, Soaring!
Aim Low, Boring!

Tell the Truth

"If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything."

- Mark Twain

Recovering from Failure

"Recovering from failure is often easier than building from success."

-Michael Eisner

The Truth About His Name

DID YOU KNOW THESE FACTS?

Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death! Make a personal reflection about this. Very interesting, read until the end of the verse. It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

Here are some men & women who mocked God:

John Lennon (Singer):

Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said:

"Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, ... today we are more famous than Him" (1966).

Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.


Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil):

During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.


Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer & poet):

During a show in Canecio (Rio de Janeiro), while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air & said: "God, that's for you."

He died at the age of 32 of AIDS in a horrible manner.


The man who built the Titanic

After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: "Not even God can sink it"

The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic .


Marilyn Monroe (Actress)

She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: "I don't need your Jesus".

A week later, she was found dead in her apartment .


Bon Scott (Singer)

The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang: "Don't stop me, I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell". On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.


Campinas (In 2005)

In Campinas, Brazil, a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend. The mother accompanied her to the car & was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends & she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car:

"My daughter, go with God & may He protect you."

She responded: "Only if He (God) travels in the trunk, cause inside here....it's already full "

Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact. The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none were broken.


Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist & entertainer)

Said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written. In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle .


Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus. Many have died, but only Jesus died & rose again, & He is still alive.


"If you are embarrassed about me, I will also be embarrassed about you before my Father."

Man & Immortality

At thirty, man suspects himself a fool,
Knows it at forty, & reforms his plan;
At fifty, chides his infamous delay,
Pushes his prudent purpose to resolve,
In all the magnanimity of thought;
Resolves, & re-resolves, then dies the same.
And why? because he thinks himself immortal,
All men think all men mortal but themselves.

- Edward Young,
Night Thoughts

Constant Activity

"Without constant activity, the threats of life will soon overwhelm the values."

- Jim Rohn

Procrastination

"Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone."

Pablo Picasso
1881-1973,
Artist

Hit by a Feeling

曲名：Hit by a Feeling
歌手：Michael Learns to Rock

I′ve been looking for an angle
For a shortcut to your mind
There′s no point for us to wrangle
So baby here′s the bottom line (Here it goes)

I know you never left me when you ran away'
Cause I can tell you missed me more than you will say
Suddenly the sky turns blue
I′m hit by a feeling
Whenever I am close to you
my troubles fade away
Suddenly the wind gets warm
I′m finally breathing (tonight)
That is how I know where I belong -
you will always be the one

If you′re ever feeling lonely
And you ever change your mind
You know I never blamed you for being brave
When I was way too scared
to face the mess we′d made

Suddenly the sky turns blue
I′m hit by a feeling
Whenever I am close to you
my troubles fade away
Whereever I go and whatever I do
I'm always reaching out for you
That is how I know where I belong -
you will always be the one

I am still reminded how we sat in silence
And you smiled at me and said
There's no need for us to cry
'cause this is not goodbye

Suddenly the sky turns blue
I′m hit by a feeling
Whenever I am close to you
my troubles fade away
Whereever I go and whatever I do
I'm always reaching out for you
That is how I know where I belong -
you will always be the one
I′m hit by a feeling

C is For Cookie

C is for cookie, it's good enough for me; oh cookie cookie cookie starts with C.

Cookie Monster
Sesame Street

Always Encourage

Flatter me, & I may not believe you.
Criticize me, & I may not like you.
Ignore me, & I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, & I will not forget you.

- William Arthur Ward

Lobster Pasta, Anyone?

I brought my wife to this chic little restaurant along Mohamad Sultan, called Vino Vino. The lobster pasta is simply heavenly. Accompanied by a glass of ice wine, who need caviar or cigar?
.
Best part, it won't hurt your wallet. I wrapped up the evening, food & wine, all under $80. ($110 if you anyhow park on the roadside!)
.
My advice: Stick your car under the basement carpark in UE Square.
.
Thank God for lobsters, pasta, & ...wine!
.
Coming up next ... lunch at Singapore's top Italian outlet...Garibaldi!

Reading & TV

"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book."

Groucho Marx

He who watches TV, don't read;
He who reads, don't watch TV.

EagleBoy

Rest if You Must

"Make rest a necessity, not an objective. Only rest long enough to gather strength.'"

- Jim Rohn

Cheerfulness is ...

Cheerfulness is the best promotor of health & is as friendly to the mind as to the body.

- Joseph Addison

Joy

Joy increases as you give it, & diminishes as you try to keep it for yourself. In giving it, you will accumulate a deposit of joy greater than you ever believed possible.

- Norman Vincent Peale

Don't Say It

If you wouldn't write it and sign it, don't say it.

- Earl Wilson

Truth as Hell

"I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it's hell."

- Harry S. Truman

Are Your Sisters Married?

I was drinking with a friend last night, & he threw me this question out of nowhere: Are your sisters married?

Huh? Why you care? Are you that desperate? I know he is drunk...he is arh...

But come to think of it, I am the only one in my family tree now that is still married, stayed married, & intending to grow old married. And I purpose to achieve that...all with the same person!

You see, my 2 younger sisters are single. My dad is also single, so is my mom. My only younger brother don't have a permanent female companion. Same goes for my auntie. Dead ones don't count. Even my Siberian husky has found no mate yet. I am very sure of that. I have checked with the current owner already, the poor dog is still single (we have to give it away after I got married). So that left me as the only one in the Lee clan to carry the status: 'Married'.

Now, please don't get me wrong. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong or weird by been single, or married.

"They got high standard, is it?" My friend asked.

"High standard my backside lah..." I replied.

The only standard I will set in a relationship are standards for my own, not others. If I expect my partner to be nice, I be nice first. If I want her to be understanding, I will seek to understand first, then to be understood. If I wanted her to respect & honor me, I must behave in a respectable & honorable manner. High standards attract high standards. It is who I AM, CAN & WILL BE that matter. Not what she is, can & will be.

Single or married, the standard must be there. When the right one eventually appears, it is your prior preparation & discipline that counts. Seek to have high standards in everything & everywhere, everytime.

Shanghai Down, Elsewhere Up!

Shanghai's stock market tumbled 8.3% on Monday, & that fall came on top of the 6.5% one-day drop we saw last Wednesday. The reason for the slide: The Chinese Ministry of Finance decided to raise the stamp duty on stock transactions from 0.1% to 0.3%.

Now, when the market dipped last week, many investors & readers wanted to know if this was the start of a new painful bear market for Chinese stocks. My thoughts: Probably not. Even though we saw another wave of selling today (Tuesday), I still believe that this is not the end of the boom in the Chinese economy or the Chinese stock market. I want to tell you 3 reasons why Shanghai's drop is just a bump in the road.

First, the increase from 0.1% to 0.3% is really peanuts, not coconut. I doubt that an extra two-tenths of a percent is going to have any significant long-term impact. The Chinese government has been imposing a stamp duty on stock trades since 1990. In the beginning it was 0.6%. Since then, the rate has been adjusted up & down several times. For example, in 2005 it was halved from 0.2% to 0.1% to boost the then-depressed market.

The only thing this new inconsequential tax will do, if anything, is increase the period Chinese investors hold on to stocks. It certainly won't chase them out of the market. The increase to 0.3% will be as effective as dampening the red-hot Chinese stock market as a pair of chopsticks would be at damming the mighty Yangtze River.

Second, you should put Shanghai's recent correction in the proper context. Prior to last Wednesday's drop, China's market had surged about 62% for the year on top of a 130% gain in 2006. Any market that has moved that far is not only entitled to, but desperately needs, a profit-taking breather.

In fact, this might have been the most anticipated correction I can ever recall. For the last few months, all the major media and headline-hungry pundits have been talking about the Chinese "bubble." Even Uncle Greenspan chimed in with a strong warning. Of the Chinese stock market, he said, "It is clearly unsustainable. There's going to be a dramatic contraction at some point." Now is that point lah.

In fact, the time to really get worried about a market is not when everybody is yelling "fire," but when everybody expects stocks to rise in a straight line. Oh, did I mention that even after both big-drop days, the Shanghai Composite was still up 37% for the year? Crazy isn’t it?

Third, unlike February 06 when the last China correction sparked a global sell-off, markets around the world have shrugged off the latest drops in Shanghai. After last Wednesday's Shanghai correction, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost some ground then went on a "what-me-worry" rally of 111 points to a new all-time high.

And yesterday, even though Shanghai was dropping, Asian markets like Japan & Hong Kong finished in positive territory. U.S. markets were barely changed. So, China may have sneezed, but the rest of the world doesn't seem to be catching a cold.

Bottom line: Everything I read, heard & saw told me that the great economic boom is still happening. In fact, I'm as enthusiastic as ever.

But don't take my word for it. Other major agencies agree that China still looks strong. The World Bank & Moody's Investors Service both gave stamps of approval on China. The World Bank raised its 2007 forecast for Chinese economic growth from 9.6% to 10.4%, which would be the fourth straight year that China's gross domestic product rises faster than 10%.

Meanwhile, Moody's Investors Service put its A2 rating on Chinese government bonds on credit watch for a possible upgrade. The ratings agency praised China's strong external payments position, continued success in reform, & favorable fiscal trends. See, that's what happens to countries that spend less than they make.

So, naturally, you will ask, what must I do? Well, find ways to invest in Asia as fast as possible! The last time Chinese stocks got clobbered, it was a great buying opportunity. I feel the same way about this most recent correction. If you want to add some Asian spice to your portfolio, now may be another good time, & you have a lot choices to do it.

Fact is: China isn't the only booming economy in Asia. Some of the very best growth stories are found in neighboring countries, like Taiwan, India, & South Korea. Singapore & Malaysia are not too bad either, so is Japan.

So, till the next visible sign of market cracking, stay sane, stay safe, but most important, stay solvent. And don't say I didn't say hor.

No Limitations

“There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge.”

- Napoleon Hill

Believing & Happening

“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.”

- Frank Lloyd Wright

3 Metals to Watch For - 4/4

Our third & final metal to watch for is: Gold. Fact is, the shine is back on as far as gold is concerned.

We've seen gold pull back over the last two months, & no wonder — the European Central Bank (ECB) was selling it like hotcakes. The bank issued a statement saying, "Over the past two months, the ECB has conducted gold sales amounting to 37 tonnes of gold."
Now, however, the ECB says it is done selling. And other banks should be in no rush to sell, either. According to figures from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), gold holdings by central banks & other government organizations declined for the eighth straight year in 2006 to a 60-year low!

Meanwhile, global demand is ramping up! Demand for the yellow metal increased 4% in the first quarter from a year earlier, even though the spot price of gold increased 17% during the same time. Those numbers are from the World Gold Council.

The big mover is, of course, Chinese demand. Consumer demand for gold in China was up 31% vs. the same quarter last year, as the Chinese flocked to buy gold jewelry & commemorative "lucky balls", particularly around Chinese New Year in mid-February.

Demand in India, the world's largest gold market, also surged in the first quarter, rising 50% from a year earlier. Strong economic growth & the onset of the wedding season played a role.
And this intense demand from Asia is coming on top of an existing supply/demand squeeze for the yellow metal.

Unfortunately, global gold production is falling! Around the world last year, global mine production fell by more than 3% to 2,471 metric tonnes. In certain gold-producing countries, the situation is much worse. For example, just a few days ago, Peru's Energy & Mines Ministry reported that gold production in the country was down 14% in March (year over year). Peruvian production has fallen by double-digit percentages for months now.

South Africa's gold production also fell in March (10.8% vs. the same month last year).
It's important to remember that gold production is falling even in the face of higher prices. The big gold miners would love to produce more gold; they simply don't have the resources. The only way they can get more is by exploration (which takes a lot of time & money) or buying up smaller producers.

This is where going global really pays off. There are great undervalued miners around the world, & the big miners know it. By buying stocks of those small producers, you not only can ride the rising price of gold, you can get a potential rocket launch if the stock is snapped up by one of the big boys.

So look out, the shine is still on!

我比他好

Not sure if this is his latest album, but it is really nice.

歌曲：我比他好
歌手：王杰

那一秒我知道
他偷走了你的心跳
我没有忘掉又回到
有点我们初恋的味道

有一秒我感觉到
你的手犹豫的放掉
又紧紧捉牢爱变少
分不逅鋈皇ヒ揽

你知道
我比他好
我不逃
他的出现我无法预料
有一天你会遇到
他的拥抱
有温暖寂寞的药效
希望你知道
我比他好

你知道
我比他好
我不逃
说好带你到天涯海角
有一天你真遇到
他的眼角
有迷惑幸福的微笑
只要你知道
你一定知道
我比他好

Colourful Thoughts

The thoughts we choose to think are the tools we use to paint the canvas of our lives.

- Louise Hay

Finish the Game

The movie is about two squabbling brothers propelled into deepest, darkest space while playing a mysterious game they discovered in the basement of their old house. On their fantastic journey, they are joined by a stranded astronaut & must survive meteor showers, hostile lizard-like aliens, a rocket-propelled robot run amok & an intergalactic spaceship battle. But their greatest peril lies ahead. For unless they finish the game & reach the planet Zathura, they are doomed to be trapped in outer space forever.

Zathura is based on the best-selling book by the acclaimed children's writer Chris Van Allsburg (The Polar Express, Jumanji). The film stars Oscar winner Tim Robbins, Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo & Dax Shepard.

Okay, sibling rivalry aside. What intrigued me most is the fact that without finishing the game or completing the cycle, you will never get home. My point is: Starting this life on earth is not my choice; finishing it well is. You should see the resolution in those boys' eyes as they raced to complete the game. They surmoned all their courage, casting aside their petty attitudes & differences, & strive towards the end point with deliberate focusness & determination.

I know where my planet Zathura is. I know how many more steps to reach that point. I just need to stay focus, turn the dial, make my moves one step at a time, & get to my desired destination.

Life is tough. There is no U-turn. You can't stop halfway. What you can do is to plow forward, & with each step, enjoy the adventure that life unfolds. You may be thrown into the middle of a meteoriod showers (stresses & demands); you may be chased by a mad robot (your boss); you may be haunted by hostile alien lizards (people that eat us for lunch). Hang in there.

Fight the fight!
Finish the game!!
And finish it well!!!

The Function of Power

"Power consists in one's capacity to link his will with the purpose of others, to lead by reason and a gift of cooperation."

- Woodrow Wilson

3 Metals to Watch For - 3/4

The second metal to watch out for is: Nickel.

Nickel is used to make stainless steel, so it's found in everything from cutlery to microwaves to skyscrapers. Plus, it can be found in a range of other products like batteries, coins, & magnets. Nickel has jumped more than sixfold in the past five years as supply failed to keep up with demand. Recently, there was less than two days of global consumption in stockpiles!

Again, China is behind much of the nickel story — the country's stainless steel production soared 68% last year! In fact, China overtook Japan as the world's largest producer of stainless steel & the biggest consumer of nickel.

So have investors missed the nickel boom? I don't think so! Remember, China's consumers are just starting their shopping sprees. They'll probably use up all the nickel the world can produce.
A researcher at China's Ministry of Land & Resources information center recently told a conference in Shanghai that demand for nickel in China may rise 62% by the end of the decade.
And research firm Canaccord Adams recently forecast a nickel supply deficit of 13,000 tonnes this year, a deficit of 28,000 tonnes in 2008, & a shortage of 17,000 tonnes in 2009!

In short, the market should be able to absorb any new supply for at least the next three years. So, yeah, I'm bullish on nickel! And I'm especially bullish on the small-but-growing nickel producers in Canada & Australia that are going to feed China's ravenous demand.

Conclusion: Don't miss out on this nickle bonanza!

Do You Sell Vibrator?

A little old lady (think of your grandmother) goes into a sex shop. She appears to have a case of Parkinson's Disease, as she is shaking from head to toe.

"Young Man?" she asks the clerk, "Do you sell vibrators?"

"Yes mam we do," he replies.

"Big fluorescent orange ones?"

"Yes mam we do."

"The type about 14 inches long?"

"Yes mam we do."

"The type that takes 8 D Cell batteries?"

"Yes mam we do."

"Well, how the hell do you turn it off?!!!"