EagleBoy

Marketing with a New Mission: An Interview with Joan Ball | FaithInTheWorkplace.com

2011-02-17T13:27:00.001+08:00

Marketing with a New Mission: An Interview with Joan Ball FaithInTheWorkplace.com

A new-found faith led Joan Ball to reprioritize her life and enabled her to put her career into proper perspective.
by Becky Garrison

I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love - Chicago

2010-12-20T16:28:00.000+08:00

Thought it wouldn’t matter if we didn’t stay together
And if it was over, baby it was for the better
I was thinking I’d be alright til I thought it all through
Now I know that I ain’t really living if I have to live without you

I don’t wanna live without your love
I don’t wanna face the night alone
I could never make it through my life
If I had to make it on my own
I don’t wanna love nobody else
I don’t wanna find somebody new
I don’t wanna live without your love
I just wanna live my life with you, with you

Guess I have to go away, so much I have to go through
Guess I had to lose you to realise how much I love you
Can’t we make the fire burn again, burn a little stronger
Cos I feel alone and baby I can’t be alone any longer

I don’t wanna live without your love
I don’t wanna face the night alone
I could never make it through my life
If I have to make it on my own
I don’t wanna love nobody else
I don’t wanna find somebody new
I don’t wanna live without your love
I just wanna live my life with you

Oh if I have to make it on my own
My life will never be the same
My love would never be the same
I don’t wanna live without your love

I don’t wanna live without your love
I don’t wanna face the night alone
I could never make it through my life
If I have to make it on my own
And I don’t wanna love nobody else
I don’t wanna find somebody new
I don’t wanna live without your love
I just wanna live my life with you

I don’t wanna live without your love
I don’t wanna face the night alone
I could never make it through my life
If I have to make it on my own
I don’t wanna love nobody else
I don’t wanna find somebody new
I don’t wanna live without your love
I just wanna live my life with you

All About Loving You - Bon Jovi

2010-12-20T16:13:00.002+08:00

Looking at the pages of my life
Faded memories of me and you
Mistakes you know I've made a few
I took some shots and fell from time to time
Baby, you were there to pull me through
We've been around the block a time or two
I'm gonna lay it on the line
Ask me how we've come this far
The answer's written in my eyes

[Chorus:]
Every time I look at you, baby, I see something new
That takes me higher than before and makes me want you more
I don't wanna sleep tonight, dreamin's just a waste of time
When I look at what my life's been comin' to
I'm all about lovin' you

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've paid some dues, baby
We've been to hell and back again
Through it all you're always my best friend
For all the words I didn't say and all the things I didn't do
Tonight I'm gonna find a way

[Chorus:]
Every time I look at you, baby, I see something new
That takes me higher than before and makes me want you more
I don't wanna sleep tonight, dreamin's just a waste of time
When I look at what my life's been comin' to
I'm all about lovin' you

You can take this world away
You're everything I am
Just read the lines upon my face
I'm all about lovin' you

[Guitar Solo]

[Chorus:]
Every time I look at you, baby, I see something new
That takes me higher than before and makes me want you more
I don't wanna sleep tonight, dreamin's just a waste of time
When I look at what my life's been comin' to
I'm all about lovin' you

All about lovin' you

Doctrine Of Utmost Good Faith

2010-03-17T18:32:00.001+08:00

What Does Doctrine Of Utmost Good Faith Mean?
A minimum standard that requires both the buyer and seller in a transaction to act honestly toward each other and to not mislead or withhold critical information from one another. The doctrine of utmost good faith applies to many common financial transactions.

Also know in its Latin form as "uberrimae fidei".

In the insurance market, the doctrine of utmost good faith requires that the party seeking insurance discloses all relevant personal information. For example, if you are applying for life insurance, you are required to disclose any previous health problems you may have had. Likewise, the insurance agent selling you the coverage must disclose the critical information you need to know about your contract and its terms.

Source: Investopedia

Caveat Emptor

2010-03-17T18:29:00.002+08:00

What Does Caveat Emptor Mean?
A Latin phrase for "let the buyer beware." The term is primarily used in real property transactions. Essentially it proclaims that the buyer must perform their due diligence when purchasing an item or service.

In other words, consumers need to know their rights and be vigilant in avoiding scams. For example in the private purchase of a used car, caveat emptor places an onus on the buyer to make sure the car is worth the purchase price. This is because once the transaction is complete the buyer will not receive a warranty or return option from the seller.

Source: Investopedia

Salad Oil Scandal

2010-03-17T18:24:00.001+08:00

What Does Salad Oil Scandal Mean?
One of the worst corporate scandals of its time. It occurred when Allied Crude Vegetable Oil Company discovered that banks would make loans secured by its salad oil inventory.

When the ships full of salad oil would arrive in the docks, inspectors would test it and confirm that the ship was full of salad oil. However, the company didn't remind anyone that oil floats on water. They had filled salad oil tanks with water and put a few feet of oil on top, fooling everyone. The company would even transfer oil to different tanks while taking inspectors out to lunch. In 1963, the scam was busted and over $175 million worth of salad oil was missing.

American Express took one of the biggest hits from the scandal, losing nearly $58 million and experiencing a 50% drop in AMEX stock as a result.

Source: Investopedia

Leprechaun Leader

2010-03-17T18:16:00.001+08:00

What Does Leprechaun Leader Mean?

A corporate manager or an executive who, like the fabled Irish elf, is a mischievous and elusive creature said to possess buried treasures of money and gold.

Also spelled "Lepre-con Leader".

According to Irish folklore, the location of hidden treasure is revealed only when the leprechaun is caught. In the case of a leprechaun leader, the "buried treasure" is not usually buried, but protected in an offshore account!

Examples of leprechaun leaders are the executives of Enron, who stowed away millions of dollars until they were finally caught.

Source: Investopedia

If I Had My Child To Raise All Over Again...

2009-07-14T20:57:00.008+08:00

I came across this email the other day, and thought it was timely to share with all the parents out there. Like them, I have a 5-year-old boy (little Eaglet) and watching him grow everyday is both a privilege and a blessings. Hopefully this short little message will help us set our compass right. Here we go:

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I would build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I would finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting,
I would take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less and know to care more.
I would take more hikes and fly more kites,
I would stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I would do more hugging and less tugging.
I would see the oak tree in the acorn more often.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I would model less about the love of power, and more about the power of love.

Happy reflecting and hopefully gain some bearings :)

Relationship: Collecting or Connecting Friends?

2009-03-25T22:58:00.005+08:00

It is official. Today is my first day...as a 37 year-old man now. I have survived thus far, eating without being eaten. Thank God!

Over the last 72 hours had been exciting. Emails poured in, Facebook walls posted, SMSes recieved, phone calls, even my good old mailbox recieved birthday cards around this season of the year. Well, it's my birthday afterall :)

Talking about birthday, I am not that into cakes or gifts nowadays. Really. I have too much things already, and thankfully I have practically everything I need. So presents are not essentials. I just want to spend some meaningful time with my loved ones, friends and significant others. That to me is more important now. Get connected with loved ones. Relationsips, in short.

No wonder Pastor Bill Hybel said "relationships are the only reality in this universe". People, not things, counts. Relationships matter. So when I looked back at this road I've travelled, I asked myself how many relationships have I forged over the years. Or was it merely a collection of names and numbers here and there?

Interestingly, when I was much younger, I often asked myself do I have at least 6 good solid friends who will carry my coffin when I died. Quite silly consider the fact that here in Singapore nobody carry coffin for their deceased family members or friends. But it forces me to evaluate and take stock of what is important in life. When we are confronted with the fraility and finality of our existence, we are often reminded of our purpose and mission on earth.

More critical is what will my loved ones and friends write on my tombstone given a chance? Will they describe me as one who had impact their lives positively? Someone who make a difference in them? Will they regard me as a servant of Christ? A Faithful husband? A Loving Daddy? A Great Friend? I pray they will.

My age is but a number. But it reminds me that I am accountable to many, that I am steward to relationships, that I am a trustee to those who look to me for comfort and security, for guidance and inspiration. The bigger this age number, the larger my accountability and stewardship.

I have written this before here in my blog. But I felt it is timely to pull out this poem again, for it is so fitting to know that we should count our age not by years, but by friends. But not just friends collected, but friends connected. That, to me, is a true, sincere, genuine relationship :)

Happy Birthday to Me! :)

Count your garden by the flowers,
Never by leaves that fall.
Count your days by golden hours,
Don't remember clouds at all.
Count your nights by stars, not shadows
Count your life by smiles, not tears.
And with joy on every birthday,
Count your age by friends, not years.

The "WOW!" of Vows

2009-03-22T16:59:00.005+08:00

Vows. Promises. Word of Honour. We are familiar with them. We would have made some vows, some promises and words of honour at various times of our lives to various people: Our spouses, our employers, our country (through the pledge), even our parents and friends.

Question is: What is the real significance when we uttered those vows and promises? Is it still relevant in the modern 21st century where people no longer take their vows and promises seriously in the light of a self-serving environment? Yes, ours is the proverbial “I’ll do my best, but NO PROMISES…” Sounds familiar? You just hate it when someone disclaimed their liabilities and make light their expectation to deliver. In other words, is there a wow factor in the vow anymore in these age?

I believe there is meaning and purpose behind every well-crafted vow and promise. It is the purpose behind these words that give them significance. Essentially, it is an agreement and determination to be true and stay true. The Bible calls this consecration. Set aside. To be given priority. To be held above all else.

Is this mentality the driving force of your vows and promises – to be true and stay true? Even when the circumstances when you made those vows have changed? I drew inspirations from the sermon I heard 2 week ago about the Nazirite vow. The nature might be different but I think the application is the same.

Recently, I heard and witnessed a lot of couples struggling to keep their marriage intact and in place. Some resented their spouse. Some rejected each other already. Some get distracted by third parties and abandoned their first love. Some claimed that they have tried and exhausted all means for reconciliation.

Bullshit!
Excuses!!
Liars!!!!!!!

Truth is: They just don't want to...

Some becomes outlaws with their in-laws. Joking still, some said, "Divorce? Never! Murder? Maybe!" Husbands and wives stayed on the lifeless marriage because of the house, the kids, the finances, even ...the dog. Sad but true. How to salvage?

I believe we need to return to the very first altar when things began. Go back to the history. Why we get together in the first place? Let’s examine the basic tenets of the vow and then cast it against the backdrop of our marital vow.

A. It is all about BEING DEDICATED TO

When one make a vow (to a spouse), it is meant to be wholly dedicated to him or her. Or in another version, says “to belong to in a special way”. There are 4 possible reasons why someone would dedicate to another as spouse:

To make a ransom demand: “I dedicate myself to you, and you MUST DO THIS AND THIS….” A spouse-napper.
To gain a reward: “I dedicate myself to you so that you WILL GIVE ME…OR I WANT THIS….” A Things-Lover.
To repay a favour: “I dedicate myself to you because you HAVE DONE THIS FOR ME…..........” A grateful-partner.
A committed love response: “I dedicate myself to you because I want to bless you and make your joy my No.1 priority”.
A True Lover.

Don’t be a Things-Lover or Spouse-napper.

B. It is all about BEING SEPARATED FROM

When you study it, the Marriage Vow has at least 4 interesting features:

1. It is unique and exclusive. (Forsaking all, be faithful to ONE)
2. It is public. (In the presence of God and these witnesses…)
3. It is costly. (In sickness or health, through good/ bad times, for better/ worst, in plenty/ in want…no matter come what may… )
4. It is temporal. (as in till death do us part and be re-united when Christ returns)

Don’t let anything come in between the marriage. The union is non-negotiable. Divorce is not an option. Don’t make convenient excuses and look for way out at the very first sign of trouble. That is the summation of the vows. Being “separated from” others to be “alone with” each other.

C. It is all about BEING DESTINED FOR

When two individuals got married, the two shall become one. Problems start when the couples ask, “Which one”? Answer: Christ. That is the eventual destiny of the couple. One for another, both for the LORD (these were the words engraved on the inside of our wedding bands). There is a higher upward agenda then just mastering transitions from young married to old grandparents. When both couple seeks to draw near and imitate Christ, the two shall become spiritually one, not just mere physical or mental or social oneness. The vow seeks unity and oneness in Christ.

Inadvertently, when the vow is threatened or broken, I believe God has made provision for reinstatement, through a journey of healing and restoration by grace through faith and scriptures. I will not dwell on inner healing here. The main focus here is the centrality of the vow.

For young couples starting out, remember the vow you took. They are sacred. Don't lose sight.

For older couples who are struggling, remember the vow you took. Consecrate yourself anew and afresh to each other. Don't lose hope. Don’t give up, or give in to temptations. Be willing to pay the price, any price, to finish well.

Go.
Press on.
Dedicate yourself to God.
Consecrate your marriage again.
The goal is to not just start but finish well.
The bumps on the road are what we climb on to progress.
A good and strong marriage takes lots of effort and sacrifice….and… it is worth everything.

Of Misrepresentation & Degree Mills!

2009-03-20T04:49:00.006+08:00

After following the "Dr" Claim-en Chiang's saga for the past few days, my curiosity got the better of me. I went to google what degree mills are, and so I cut-and-paste the entire top portion for my readers below.

Now, Eagleboy remembered attending one of his "free" seminar also, round about last year. The remembrence still carried with it some post-indigestion churnings in the stomach. I could still feel the same old hardcore pressure-selling tactics to lure the un-initiated to sign up his so-called "Bao-Jiak" trading course. Sibeh sian one, listening to nothing but his metal credit card and some cave in Sentuksah...

Me, being the 'not-so-smart' one, of course missed the "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to be his student. Sad to say, Eagleboy also didn't come from a very reputable education background. He only graduated from NUS, which he always believe it stands for: Nothing Up Stairs (in the thinking department). He can't be smart enough to sign up for such a deal. Afterall, it is only $3800 what, and can use credit card and pay by instalments you know.

Suffice to say, there is no more stones around on the floor for me to cast now. All thrown already. Someone had already hurled the last one. I hate to say this but I am curious to find out how this poor ignorance bastard will defend himself. Afterall, if you claimed to carry a PhD, you cannot act "blur". That will put other PhDs in very bad lights, you know.

Now, I have always thought that PhD people have "Permanent Head Damage". But now I believe they "Purposely Hide their Deception". These people will have to "Pay Heftily until Dried". His "Program Has been Disrupted" and he will be on the "Public Hate-List Display".

But before all these shit, Eagleboy suggests the cockter better "Prepare His Defense" before a class-action suit!

Here's the site: http://www.chea.org/degreemills/frmPaper.htm

Diploma or degree mills come in many guises. Some degree mills blatantly offer to sell a degree and perhaps a transcript from a legitimate school. Others can be easily recognized by promising that an applicant can receive a degree in a very short period of time, sometimes as little as five days. Another type of degree mill will purport to look at an applicant’s life experience and award a degree based solely on a description of this experience. Others may require the student to submit papers or other assignments, but still will provide the degree in a short period of time with much less work than would be required by legitimate institutions. An advertisement that claims a student can “earn” a degree in much less time than it would take at a legitimate institution is likely evidence that the school is a degree mill.

Degree mills may resemble legitimate institutions in some ways. For example, many legitimate schools provide credit for life experience, but almost all of these schools require students to provide extensive documentation demonstrating how their experience relates to the learning objectives of the course or courses for which they are seeking credit and may require papers that relate the experience to the course requirements as well. Some schools will also provide opportunities for completing the requirements for a degree in a short period of time. Typically, however, these kinds of programs are intended for students who have completed a considerable number of college-level courses, perhaps at a number of institutions, but have not put these credits together to complete a degree.

Now, early in the 21st century, technology is the impetus for a renewed threat. In the past several years, concern over the problem of fraudulent operators has escalated because of the ease of creating a fraudulent institution on the Internet. A moderately skilled web designer can very easily and quickly create a home page for a fraudulent school with the look and feel of a home page of a legitimate school. Often, it is difficult if not impossible to track down the individuals responsible for perpetrating the fraud, and even if they were to be located, they could very well be operating from some location outside the jurisdiction of state or U.S. laws. It is likely that many of these fraudulent schools are also short-lived, making detection even more difficult. They can start up, collect considerable amounts of money from consumers, go out of business, change their name and emerge as a new entity in a very short period of time.

This is occurring at the same time that there is more and more pressure on individuals to earn degrees, not only bachelor’s degrees, but master’s and doctoral degrees as well. Jobs and promotions increasingly go to individuals with the greatest educational qualifications, even when individuals’ work experience may be more relevant to the job than is a degree. This creates pressures on individuals to obtain degrees, tempting some to take the easy route to a degree – the degree mill.

Taken from CHEA
Council for Higher Education Accreditation

Unemployment - Hope for Those Between Jobs

2009-03-11T02:41:00.005+08:00

Unemployment. Retrenchment. Job loss. All these increase a person's risk of depression and self-doubt. Different people react differently to unemployment, or the possibility of it. When word is out that their company is planning a major downsizing, or when the actual retrenchment comes, some feel vulnerable and anxious. Some are concerned about providing for family. Others are depressed that they cannot afford to continue to live in luxury. Still others are bitter that they got axed.

Whatever the emotions, being without job or unemployed is painful.

In the current global financial crisis and recession, it is inevitable that we will know of friends and loved ones who are (or will be) affected by retrenchment. How is the retrenched person to cope? What can we as friends do?

I would like to approach this sensitive issue from two front: First, my response as a friend, and second, the response as a retrenched person.

1. Response as a Friend.

We must be understanding. Job loss put people of all ages and social status into a period of agonizing uncertainty.
We must be encouraging. It is a tough period of life. A warm friendship that gently points a person to God or to some source of hope is comforting.
We must be sensitive. Don’t assume that the person can join you in outings, vacations or eating out as readily as before. Genuinely offer to pay for them (especially those with children)
We must be helpful. Perhaps you know of a temporary job to recommend. Or volunteer to take the kids out. Or offer some practical helps. It is appreciated even if the offer is not taken.
We must be prayerful (for those who believe in God). God answers prayer and people (not just the Christians) appreciate being prayed for. Lets rally around that person or family in prayer.

2. Response as a Retrenched Person/ Christian.

Replace Worry with Trust. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt6:33). Hold fast to the promises of God!
Walk closer with God. Some Christian friends have testified that in the previous recession, the retrenchment was the best things that had happened in their lives because they tend to walk closer with God and align their agendas spiritually.
Determine God’s Purpose. Crisis refines us. Our response to crisis defines us. There is purpose in the midst of pain. We can choose to be better or bitter. Knowing God’s purpose in our life helps us to be better.
Use your Time wisely. Don’t stay at home in front of the TV and wallow in self-pity. Invest your time to do what you have always wanted to do but didn’t have the time. Also, plan a definite number of hours each day to search for a job, and stick to it. Don’t let closed doors discourage you.
Join a support Group (like church group). God never intends for us to walk and struggle alone, but rather for us to be in a community. Learn to minister to each other and build each other up in the same crisis!
Review your Budget. Establish a low budget during the job search period. Simplify your life. Some luxuries can do without some times. Discourage the use of credit cards during days of financial uncertainty.
Resist the Temptation to do away with Tithing. Sure. Review it. But don’t stop giving. Even if it’s a “widow’s mite”. Given in the right spirit, God will honour it. God is no man’s debtor!

Faith does not preclude an absence of troubles in life. Rather, true faith allows for problems in life and yet trusts God to be the anchor in those storms. Jesus said that when these storms come, they actually test the foundation of our life, whether it has been built on solid rock or sinking sand (Matt 7:24). Hold fast to God’s word. Respond aright in crisis that God might bring us through the crisis. In Christ, we are victors of our circumstances, not victims.

Huperetes

2009-02-27T13:35:00.004+08:00

"Huperetes" - literally means bottom-rower or under-rowers. Servants, in today's context.

"I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a huperetes (bottom rower)..."
Acts 26:16

These are the words of the Lord to the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus. Paul, considered by many to be the greatest Apostle, was not called to be a mighty pastor, or evangelist, or even given a prominance among the twelve. He was simply called to be a bottom rower, a lowly galley slave...chained in place, never seeing where he was going, always moving with the same stroke at the will and command of the Master. No glory!

Many people today decide on their own that the Lord has called them to be something glorified. Maybe you think you ought to be the captain, or the helmsman, or even a mighty marine ready for battle. In reality, the Lord has called you to be a bottom rower. How do we know? Because He is the Captain, He is the Helmsman, He is the Soldier. All things are done for His glory, not ours. He asks us to walk in faith one step at a time, one stroke of the oar at a time.

Ours is an age of consumerism. An ungodly and carnal generation totally immersed in the preoccupation with 'my rights' and 'my choices'. There is a radical need to be tutored to serve God on His terms, not ours. We are taught the great reversal - the greater to serve the lesser.

Four key enemies to a servant of Christ, a 'huperetes'; four key spirits of our age. They are:

A consumer spirit - We fight for our rights, but go light on our responsibilities. There is nothing inherently wrong with having rights, it is dangerous when we only want our rights but discard the associating responsibilities. Many didn't know that with rights comes responsibilities. A consumer says "What's in for me?" A servant says "Can I serve you?" We need to cultivate a serving spirit. Don't covet.

A competitive spirit - We compete all the time, and on just about anything. Best view, best seats, best spot, VIP treatment, best coverage, best floor, best car, best corner office, best work table, the list goes on. The problem with competition is the "at any cost" mentality. The "to be top at all cost" attitude sabotages the proper process and posture for promotion to such high places and positions. We need to cultivate a grateful spirit. Don't exploit.

A compromising spirit - We go easy on ourselves, all the time. We lower the standards over the years for ourselves, gives excuses, and cut corners, but only for ourselves. The moral line is blurred or non-existing. A little here, a little there, we compromise and leak, a drop at a time. We need to cultivate a spirit of moral excellence. Don't succumb under.

A complaining spirit.
The best part is, if others demand some rights from us, or compromise, or just do the same things mentioned above to us, we complain, get mad, and get even. Worst, we get bitter. It is always their fault. They shouldn't do this to me. I demand a reason for such treatment...and so on. We complain because we do not regard that God is in control, and therefore we often take matters into our own hands. We need to cultivate a meek spirit. Don't churn within.

Such carnal mindsets must go for a huperetes. We are called to radical & authentic servanthood. Today is that day.

说好的幸福呢? by Jay Chou

2009-02-24T22:25:00.003+08:00

歌曲：说好的幸福呢
歌手：周杰伦
专辑：魔杰座

你的回话凌乱着
在这个时刻
我想起喷泉旁的白鸽
甜蜜散落了
情绪莫名的拉扯
我还爱你呢
而你断断续续唱着歌
假装没事了

时间过了走了
爱情面临选择
你冷了倦了我哭了
离开时的不快乐
你用卡片手写着
有些爱只给到这真的痛了

怎么了你累了
说好的幸福呢
我懂了不说了
爱淡了梦远了
开心与不开心一一细数着
你再不舍
那些爱过的感觉都太深刻
我都还记得

你不等了
说好的幸福呢
我错了泪干了
放手了后悔了
只是回忆的音乐盒还旋转着
要怎么停呢

你的回话凌乱着
在这个时刻
我想起喷泉旁的白鸽
甜蜜散落了

情绪莫名的拉扯
我还爱你呢
而你断断续续唱着歌
假装没事了

时间过了走了
爱情面临选择
你冷了倦了我哭了
离开时的不快乐
你用卡片手写着
有些爱只给到这
真的痛了

怎么了你累了
说好的幸福呢
我懂了不说了
爱淡了梦远了
开心与不开心一一细数着
你再不舍
那些爱过的感觉都太深刻
我都还记得

你不等了
说好的幸福呢
我错了泪干了
放手了后悔了
只是回忆的音乐盒还旋转着
要怎么停呢

怎么了你累了
说好的幸福呢
我懂了不说了
爱淡了梦远了
我都还记得
你不等了
说好的幸福呢
我错了泪干了
放手了后悔了
只是回忆的音乐盒还旋转着
要怎么停呢

If You throw Mud, You lose Ground...

2009-02-23T14:52:00.007+08:00

"If you throw mud, you just lose ground...is it worth it?"

I still remember a dear brother who spoke this words to me many years ago. I was less wiser then. He was my mentor, my friend, my brother in the faith, and a fellow co-labourerer in the church worship team. These words still sticked to me till this day.

As a young man then, I was unpolished, ill-disciplined, and hot-headed. I was foolish. I resented been told what to do. I just want to tell others what to do. I was proud and self-centred. In fact, I was insecure. I challenged leadership and authority. Bad ideas. My pride and insecurity had led to my inability to work as a team, or held any leadership role, for long. When confronted or counselled by my leaders, I was always defensive and judgemental, and usually left a trail of body counts. I have repented ever since.

This crisis of authority issue led me to read a very special book called "The Tale of Three Kings". It was from my mentor. It talks about a king who likes to throw spears at others when he felt threatened or insecured. One particular and unfortunate target was a young man who will one day succeed him as the next king. However, this young man had to go through harsh and life-threatening treatments under the current mad king. One simple solution to end all this is to just yanked the spear out of the wall and ...right...throw bad. But he didn't. He knows what submission means, and gladly obeyed.

The message from the book left a lasting and deep inprint in my life about submission and authority. It drilled a strong foundation in my conviction about certain things in life today. Now, years later, when I looked back, I am thankful for the love shown to me from these people who chastized and refined me. I can see further today because these spiritual giants had at some point in my life hoisted me on their shoulders and carry me through.

Well, there are still times when I felt the temptations to throw back spears that were hauled at me. I have found strength available to refrain from that these days. I used to find strength big enough to throw back twice the speed and impact. But it is not necessary now, and I am thankful. My spear-throwing days are over.

We all move on. We either get better or worse. I have chosen to get better, and better I know I have been. God has healed many wounds in my heart over the years, and has restored my trust in His goodness and faithfulness. I am secured as a son is before his father. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.

This is not my recent encounter or experience. I have always wanted to write about this years back, when I carried my first-born son in my arms. I looked into his eyes, and then I saw my Father's heart for me. What I desire for my son is exactly what my Father desires for me. I finally got in touch with that child in me when I became a father myself. This is a paradox. A watershed point. A breakthrough. A valley-to-mountain experience.

I will end this note with a quote from Rubel Shelly. It was this quote that led me to write this entry today.

"If criticism is mistaken or mean-spirited, rise above it. Maintain the high ground when you're under fire. No victory is worth winning at the expense of picking up the mud that has been slung at you and throwing it back."

Rubel Shelly

Come soar with me :)

Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T09:39:00.008+08:00

I came across this heart warming article about love, and although Valentine's Day is over, it is a good reminder and reflection of what love looks like in and from the eyes on these young ones. And as usual, this is my gift of words to you.

*******************************************************************************
When Children Ages 4-8 were asked What Love Is

'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.'
Rebecca - age 8

'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'
Billy - age 4

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.'
Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.'
Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'
Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'
Danny - age 7

'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss'
Emily - age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.'
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.'
Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.'
Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'
Tommy - age 6

'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.'
Cindy - age 8

'My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'
Clare - age 6

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'
Elaine-age 5

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.'
Chris - age 7

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day..'
Mary Ann - age 4

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'
Lauren - age 4

'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image)
Karen - age 7

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it But if you mean it, you should say it a lot.. People forget.'
Jessica - age 8

And the final one:

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

******************************************************************************

Wow, listen to this 4-year-old boy! He understood what many adults (men) don't - Tears. I wrote a song for my wife some time ago. There was this one line that says, "Every time I hear you cry, I'll cry with you."

It was Orid who wrote that "Tears are sometimes more eloquent than words." Orid, 43 BC - AD 17.

Well, Valentine's Day comes and goes each year, and so is life. But what make this life so special is the relationship and bonds we built over time, each and every time, even after we are long gone. Our children sees the love that we shared among us, and learn to love. And who says that only we can teach them how to love?

We need love's tender lessons taught,
As only weakness can;
God hath His small interpreters,
The child must teach the man.

-Author unknown

Happy Valentine's Day!

8 Lessons I learnt from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

2009-02-10T04:26:00.012+08:00

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards" - Soren Kierkegaard
(words that appear in the movie trailer)

Time : 2 hrs and 47 min
Theatre : Orchard Cineleisure
Ticket price : $8

The themes centre on love, time, aging, youth, changes, death, the impermanence of life and the reality of relationships and bonds that last a lifetime.

Mark Twain once wrote: “Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18.” In a way, it is like saying "youth is wasted on the young". Upon this quote a story was born (a story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald) and thereafter a movie was made.

For me, this is an epic tale that makes one contemplate the wonders of life, of birth and death, and most of all, love. It touches on questions we ask ourselves and choices we opt over the course of a lifetime. The backbone of this story is the developing relationship between 2 individuals, Benjamin and Daisy. And the plot is the tension that brews as Daisy grows older while Benjamin becomes younger each and every day.

I am deeply awed by the way the movie unfolds itself. The story begins in New Orleans at the end of WW1 in 1918 with the unveiling of a giant clock in the grand central train station. The clock runs backward in memory of the fallen soldiers who will never know a future. It was a heart-broken scene. He was a father, and so am I. I can identify his heartbeat.

Lets look at the individuals. They all represent something to me.

The central, emotional core of the movie is, of course, Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt). He represents for me a man, like anyone of us, who is unable to stop time or reverse it (unlike the clock-maker). However, he is also a man who has a life unlike any others. An extraordinary life journey. His is the odd condition that makes him grow younger instead of older.

Interestingly, just like the story of Forrest Gump, a sense of wonder is a trademark of Benjamin's personality. From start to finish, this character tries to be himself, accepting his flaws and celebrating his strengths as a human being: "It's never too late or too early to be whoever you want to be."

Daisy (Blanchett) represents the life of anyone too caught up in the drama and excitement of career and friends (the artistic kind). More importantly, she embodies a woman, who has to make peace with the idea of growing older while the person she loves is getting younger. She represents everybody's common fear of growing old, and losing the ability to maintain or hold on to life's various positions and demands.

Queenie (the woman who adopted Benjamin) gives the story it’s grace and warmth. Her unconditional love toward Benjamin and others is breathtaking. In fact, she is probably the only woman who ever really deserves Benjamin's love. She is the true heart and soul behind Benjamin’s story and without her it would never have carried the emotional weight it reached. She represents our parents or folks who love us unconditionally, and have a genuine interest in our well-being, without any selfish personal agenda.

Thomas Button (Benjamin's father) represents a kind of successful but lonely man in this world, and eventually an old man who is dying and wants to reconnect with the boy he ditched years ago. Thankfully, instead of showing anger or seeking revenge, Benjamin treats him with kindly compassion for he has come to realize that death is a tender moment that must be treated with respect and dignity.

Some segments of the story that deserved contemplations due to their ironical prepositions:

One of these is when he turns away Daisy as she makes sexual advances towards him while the two are in their 20th years of their lives. With her at the age of 20s and him physically closer to 60 it was a sweet and poignant decision on his part. Later, when they are closer to the same age (both in their 40s), he does not reject her advances proving he was wiser about when to accept her into his arms then instead of when she was at the younger, more foolish age.

Another focuses on the part that preaches the belief of fate. There is a line of dialogue that states our lives are predetermined and you go where fate takes you. Much like chaos theory in reasoning. The scene describes an accident that could have been prevented if only one of a large number of incidents had occurred differently. I would say that if only she turns and checks on the on-coming traffic the entire outcome would have been altered. There is no need to read too much too far behind. Period.

Still another one focuses on the brief but highly charged affairs between Benjamin and a British spy's wife. It is ironical that a spy didn't pick up any sign or signal from his "radar" that his wife was fooling around. While he is checking our the enemies, his wife is checking out Benjamin. And like any spy, she disappeared quietly too.

Lastly, it is the part that Benjamin left Daisy and his daughter. When a person is growing younger and watches their child growing older, it can cause fear and, while Benjamin explains his honest belief that what he is doing is right, it seems to be the worst thing he could do at the time. Even looking back and seeing he might have been right in this important decision, it still seems selfish as he continues his life free from the responsibilities he should be bearing. Ironically, he did exactly what his father did years ago - abandoning the child.

Lessons learnt from the movie:

1. It doesn’t make any difference whether you live your life backwards or forwards; it’s how you live your life. Choose your guiding principles wisely and live by purpose.

2. You have people and things for a certain amount of time, and then you have to be okay with letting go. You can take what you can from it while it’s here, but it’s never yours. Time can be cruel or kind to different people at different times. The only way to walk this journey is with an open heart and thankful spirit. Open to recieve, thankful when let go.

3. There was never a pity party for Benjamin. So must we. Learn to love yourself and appreciated the fact that you are different but never let your handicaps stop you from doing or achieving what you want to achieve in life.

4. I am reminded that love goes beyond age and beauty. It involves a connection between individuals. I will seek to build and nourish that connection with my loved ones, and significant others.

5. Benjamin learns how to let go and not to cling to anyone. But more importantly, to cherish those that are still around us. An old lady in the retirement home told him "We're meant to lose the people we love. How else will we know how much they meant to us?" For that, I would add that he who lost much, love much.

6. I have learned the most, strangely, from this odd duck called Captain Mike. His famous wisdom was in his dialouge with Benjamin, and I quote, "You can be as mad as a mad dog at the way things went. You could swear, curse the fates, but when it comes to the end, you have to let go." Atlas, letting go. Something so important yet so difficult to practise, isn't it?

7. I have learned to enjoy watching sunrise. I will make plans to do it at least once every year.

8. I have learned the importance of one-to-one bonding, through late night kitchen rendezvous. I will schedule regular tea or coffee time with my wife after my boy boy falls asleep. Ritualizing routines rekindle romance! For me, dating my wife all over again is not only necessary, but essential! Remember this 4 'R's :) but do it with the right woman, okay :P

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button reminds us that the best thing we can do is make the most of our journey and be thankful for the people we meet along the way. It's all a gift. Benjamin embodies the zest for life described in one of my favorite quotations by Diane Ackerman:

"The great affair, the love affair with life, is to live as variously as possible, to groom one's curiosity like a high-spirited thoroughbred, climb aboard, and gallop over the thick, sunstruck hills every day. . . It began as mystery, and it will end in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful country lies in between."

Benjamin also reminds us that life is what we make of it - no matter how different we may be from what people expect, no matter who leaves us breaking our heart, or doesn’t choose us because of how we look. Instead, life is just moments to be enjoyed, a story to be told. Take things as they come and you can always learn something new no matter how old, or in this case young, you may get.

The best part of life doesn't just came at the beginning, nor the worst part at the end. I see Benjamin's journey as a privilege, just like mine. If he did not consider and consent that he's got the worst of both worlds, we should not.

Believe.
Press on and live.
Fight against the odds.
Rest if you must, but don't stop.

Carpediem - Seize the Day! (and time as well!)

A Valentine's Day Poem

2009-02-10T03:38:00.002+08:00

They tell you what to eat and wear,
And how you should love and care.
So they created a day called "Valentine's",
When love becomes very blind.
They sell you roses costing ten times more,
For fifty, they'll take it to her door.
If love is measured by roses red,
What happens when they droop and fade?
Candlelight dinner you can't afford,
Can't tell her, or your status will drop.
If love is measured by where we dine,
What happens when stomach's not fine?
Fanciful costly card you must buy,
Everyone's doing it, so you don't ask why.
If love is measured by what's on a card,
What happens when words fail the heart?
Newspapers want to make money too,
Reserve love columns just for you.
If love is measured by such publicity,
What happens when faced with the ordinary?
Why let love be so commercialised,
An annual affair, reduced to a price.
Senseless competition of status and style,
By those all geared up to make a big pile.
It's the giving of yourself each day,
In the many small and simple ways.
That make you a true and precious friend,
Who will live and love till the very end.

Happy Valentine's Day :)

In This Life - by Collin Raye

2009-02-08T23:25:00.004+08:00

Song: In This Life
Singer: Collin Raye

For all i've been blessed with in this life
There was an emptiness in me
I was imprisoned by the power of gold
With one honest touch you set me free

Let the world stop turnin'
Let the sun stop burnin'
Let them tell me
Love's not worth goin' through
If it all falls apart
I will know deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered
Had come true

In this life i was loved by you

For every mountain i have climbed
Every raging river crossed
You were the treasure
That i longed to find
Without your love i would be lost

Let the world stop turnin'
Let the sun stop burnin'
Let them tell me
Love's not worth going through
If it all falls apart
I will know deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered
Had come true

In this life i was loved by you
In this life i was loved by you

To my beloved wife...I.N.G.

My First Movie of the Year 2009 - Inkheart

2009-01-31T07:26:00.003+08:00

.
"Every Story Written is just Waiting to Become Real"
.
Mo Folchart (Brendan Fraiser) is a "Silvertongue" -- one of a rare few who can "read" characters out of books and bring them to life. Sadly, he discovers this trait one night while entertaining his wife Resa (Sienna Guillory) and their daughter Meggie (Eliza Bennett). While indulging in a passage from the fantasy novel Inkheart, he unleashes fire juggler Dustfinger (Paul Bettany) while accidentally sending his spouse into the tome. Now, 10 years later, Mo is still looking to save her, even though his efforts have let loose more fictional faces from the book, including evil master thief Capricorn (Andy Serkis). But the criminal is not content with being a viable member of the real world. He wants to rule all of mankind, and wants Mo to help him in this horrible pursuit.
.
It's a conceit of the movie that, whenever a Silvertongue releases something from the world of books, someone disappears from the real-life world and enters the world of story. The last time he read characters into the world, his wife disappeared! Some viewers may be hoping that their mother-in-laws disappeared instead!
.
Unfortunately, there are two negative consequences of this switch-and-subtract story element. The first, of lesser importance, is that it introduces a logistics problem that is never resolved. What happens to the people who are stuck in the fantasy world? Do they get to influence the world of fantasy and change the course of literature?
.
The second, a much deeper problem, is that the device takes the one imaginative and potentially delightful aspect of the film - the prospect of story characters coming to life - and subdues it.
What we're left with is hardly inspired. Twelve years after the disappearance of his wife, Silvertongue is pursued by the wicked characters he released. They need his reading powers to loose yet more evil beings from the underworld, and once they capture him and his now-teenage daughter, the movie adopts the typical contours and landscape of an action movie.
.
Yet "Inkheart" is even worse than most action movies in that it keeps a toe in whimsy, and this turns the film into an unpleasant hybrid - a children's fantasy in which everything has a sour cast, an action movie in which nothing is to be taken seriously. There's no heart, no working metaphor to the story.
.
Helen Mirren turns up as Fraser's aunt, an outspoken bookworm. Midway through the movie, the aunt announces that she is going home and leaving the adventure. Later, she makes a perfunctory reappearance. Fact is, hers was probably the most striking character of all the cast!
.
Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire penned the bigscreen adaptation of German author Cornelia Funke's fantasy novel, the first of a trilogy. "Inkspell" was published last fall, and "Inkdawn" will be out next year.

Family Tree of Wing Chun Boxing

2009-01-31T07:14:00.002+08:00

.
To all the Ip Man fans and Wing Chun fans :)

Life Consists of ...

2009-01-31T06:31:00.000+08:00

Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Credit Suisse's Prediction Bad for SPGs

2009-01-21T15:07:00.006+08:00

I read from the Straits Times today that according to a new report from Credit Suisse, it was predicted that an astonishing 300,000 jobs could be lost in Singapore this year and next. Most of the workers to lose jobs would be foreigners, who...would then have to leave Singapore, which...would then lead to a decline in Singapore's population.

Less foreigners can be bad news for a lot of things here, among them, our SPGs (aka Sarong Party Girls). In the first place, I am not even sure if there is going to be a lot of partying going forward in the light of the economic crisis. They can still keep their sarongs, though...No? You mean their boyfriends also steal it and bring home with them?

You see, soon, many SPGs' "ang-moh" boyfriends will be leaving Singapore, some for good. Some just leave. Some leave a mess. Our SPGs have a few choices: Follow them whenever their boyfriends go, no more boyfriends, or find new ones. Life goes on, right, girls?

But I am afraid the party music may be fading.

You see, those foreigners who missed the axe, the remaining few (aka "remainers"), will most likely have their pay slashed, their work hours lengthened due to fewer colleagues in the office, or just covering that poor bastard that got axe hours ago.

These "remainers" will be pressured to work hard and not screw up the tiniest bit, least their turn to get chopped. So they work harder, come in earlier (which means no more late nights at the pubs with you SPGs), more on the ball during work time (means no more long lunches with you SPGs) or some secret escapee here and there during work hours.

In short, those remainers will have little or no time for their SPGs girlfriends.

In addition, the remainers will probably cut down on their use-to-be heavy spendings, on themselves? No! On their SPGs of course! Less flowers, less or no more Tiffany (Poh Heng may be a good alternative since gold price is quite soft now, among other things, you know), less high-end restaurants.

On the contrary, these remainers may have to downgrade from condos to HDBs, from private clubs to public pools, cars to motorcycles, gym memberships to a jog in Bishan Park. They may even consider the possibility of "digging" into the reserves of ...thier SPGs. Afterall, they should have some reserve right, shouldn't they? Most of them have enjoyed all-expensed-paid-for dates and trips. They should have some savings, hopefully. Savings is a no-brainer thingy, you know what I mean. Or did they just saved the underwears and polo-shirts of their boyfriends at home only? Not much worth though...

But all is not lost, my dear SPGs. You see, your current "ang-moh" boyfriends will not have the flare and fare to woo other SPGs liao. He will have no choice but to stick with the current loser SPG, till the next one is available. He will be less incline to have more than one "pet" because cat food is expansive! No pounds and pennies, no pets and pussies. After all, the SPGs are just their extra-curriculum activities, and extra curriculum needs extra...CASH! That can be done away for the time being.

Another good news for the SPGs. Since oil price is still low, and travel costs have drastically decreased, what better time than now to go buy a ticket on-line and fly to your boyfriends homeland, whenever it may be. Less SPGs here may not be a bad idea after all, and you will be the exotic foreign talent elsewhere. Good bye, and good luck to you. You won't be missed.

Okay, I may be joking about this whole thing at the expense of my expat friends. I apologise. If you are reading this, I hope it does not imply you. I just can't help letting my mind wonder off to the absurd eventuality as I ponder about my usual daily readings. It is not personal. Don't kill me even it is true about your life right now, whether you are that expat or the ...SPG!

Take A Step Forward...

2009-01-21T15:00:00.003+08:00

If you have a great ambition, take as big a step as possible in the direction of fulfilling it. The step may only be a tiny one, but trust that it may be the largest one possible for now.

Mildred Mcafee

Recently, a lot of my friends got retrenched or laid off. The economic crisis is not abating and many of them are looking into other industries for jobs. Some of them are in their mid thirties. To this group, the change in job scope and industries can be a major challenge and paradigm shift.

I hope this quote from Mildred will encourage their hearts :)

Believe in Yourself? Half the truth only :)

2009-01-20T19:52:00.003+08:00

Last night, I was at a company function and heard someone said, "After tomorrow, the White House will no longer be white"... haha. It brought the house down!

Today, Mr Obama took over and sworn in as the 44th President of the USA.

Many people asked: "Can Obama deliver"? Last week, I came across an interesting USA TODAY/ Gallup Poll. It seems that there are stratospheric expectations for Obama. A majority of those surveyed say Obama will be able to achieve every one of 10 major campaign promises. Every - Single - One!

I don't want to dampen hopes, and I'm not quoting this to make any predictions. But reading this poll just made me think to myself:

Why people often count on others to make changes or to deliver results?
How come it's easier for people to believe in someone they haven't met to make change in their lives, and yet they find it so hard to believe in themselves?

Isn't it time you believed in YOURSELF to make the change you want to see this year? But wait, that's not the reason why I blog this here. Believing in yourself is only half the equation.

Yes, you should believe in others sometimes, but there is One that you should believe in and put your hope and future in EVERYTIME - the LORD Jesus!

You see, those who quote that you should believe in yourself is only half correct. To me, believing in the One who changes not and who does not fail nor falter holds much more confidence than placing my trust in someone, met or not met, near or half way across the globe.

Who do you place your confidence in this year?

The Ultimate Measure of a Man

2009-01-20T19:50:00.001+08:00

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Martin Luther King, Jr.
1929-1968,
American Civil Rights Leader

Rise with the Occasion

2009-01-20T19:32:00.000+08:00

"The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion."

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
16th President of the United States

My Last Movie in 2008 - Ip Man

2008-11-15T23:39:00.007+08:00

In this bio-pic, Ip Man, one of the earliest Wing Chun martial arts exponents credited to have propagated its popularity, gets portrayed as the best of the best in 1930s Fo Shan, China, where the bustling city has its own "Martial Arts Street" where countless of martial arts schools have set up shop to fuel the craze of kung fu training. With each new school, the master will pay their respects to Ip Man and to challenge him to a duel. Ip Man, an aristocrat who spends most of his quality time developing and perfecting his brand of martial arts, will take them on behind closed doors, so as not to damage his opponents' reputation nor embarrass them in public. His humility is his virtue, and his style is never violent or aggressive, which often gets assumed and mistaken for being effeminate, since Wing Chun after all was founded by a woman.

The bulk of the story gets set in the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war, and it's not all fight and no story. With this historical setting, at times it does seem that there is an air of familiarity with the type of stories told, with how the Japanese Imperial Army had made life really miserable for the Chinese, and how the Chinese being fragmented in spirit, fail to unite during dire straits. More often than not, martial arts become a unifying force.

I'm no Wing Chun practitioner, but Donnie Yen has this marvelous calm and zen-like approach with his Ip Man character in taking out his opponents quite effectively with the minimal of moves. Like Huo Yuan Jia, he doesn't deliver the killing blows to friendly opponents, but rather simulates the various hit points, which actually calls for some astonishing control of strength and precision. This approach will change, of course, as the opponents become anything but friendly. And unlike the usual martial arts stance of crouching low, here we see him standing tall and striking with such precision and efficiency, it's like poetry in motion with some astounding closed quarter combat utilizing plenty of upper limb strength.

What a way to bring 2008 to a cinematic closure with this wonderfully crafted show. Bravo to Donnie and Master Ip!

Vision - The Things to Come

2008-11-15T23:36:00.004+08:00

All of the great achievers of the past have been visionary figures; they were men and women who projected into the future. They thought of what could be, rather than what already was, and then they moved themselves into action, to bring these things into fruition.

Bob Proctor

Good men say, "When I see it, I will believe".
Great men say, "When I believe, I will see it"!

Eagleboy, on 20 Jan 2009

Cheers to the great men!

Change...

2008-11-13T02:26:00.002+08:00

Things do not change; we change.

– Henry David Thoreau

我还想她

2008-11-11T18:21:00.004+08:00

歌曲：我还想她
歌手：林俊杰
专辑：jj陆

泪水将我淹没到底谁该难过
究竟是谁放掉这段感情
我才终于明白办不到的承诺
就成了枷锁
现实中幸福永远缺货

请告诉她
我不爱她
笑着难过
自我惩罚
想终止这一切挣扎
横了心说真心谎话

别告诉她
我还想她
恨总比爱容易放下
当泪水堵住了胸口
就让沉默代替所有回答

我才终于明白办不到的承诺
就成了枷锁
现实中幸福永远缺货

请告诉她
我不爱她
笑着难过
自我惩罚
想终止这一切挣扎
横了心说真心谎话

别告诉她
我还想她
恨总比爱容易放下
当泪水堵住了胸口
就让沉默代替所有回答

我不爱
我不痛
我不懂
我的心早已掏空
真心话言不由衷

请告诉她
我不爱她
笑着难过
自我惩罚
想终止这一切挣扎
横了心说真心谎话

别告诉她
我还想她
恨总比爱容易放下
当泪水堵住了胸口
就让沉默代替所有回答

别告诉她
我还想她
就让沉默代替所有回答

The Second Decision for Success

2008-11-07T20:01:00.008+08:00

I will seek wisdom!

Knowing that wisdom waits to be gathered, I will actively search her out. My past can never be changed, but I can changed the future by changing my actions today. I will train my eyes and ears to read and listen to books and recordings that bring about positive changes in my personal relationships and a greater understanding of my fellowman. No longer will I bombard my mind with materials that feed my doubts and fears. I will read and listen only to what increases my belief in myself and my future.

I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care.

I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits. From this moment forward, I will choose to associate with people whose lives and lifestyles I admire. If I associate with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with eagles, I will learn to soar to great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly.

I will seek wisdom. I will listen to the counsel of wise men.

The words of a wise man are like raindrops on dry ground. They are precious and can be used for immediate results. Only the blade of grass that catches a raindrop will prosper and grow. The person who ignores wise counsel is like the blade of grass untouched by the rain - soon to wither and die. When I counsel with just myself, I can make decisions only according to what I already know. By counseling with a wise man, I add his knowledge ad experience to my own and dramatically increase my success.

I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others.

A wise man will cultivate a servant's spirit, for that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will be freely shared with me. Often, the person who develops a servant's spirit becomes wealthy beyond measure. Many times, a servant has the ear of the king, and a humble servant often becomes a king, for he is the popular choice of the people. He who serves the most grows the fastest.

I will become a humble servant. I will not look for someone to open my door - I will be excited to open the door for someone. I will not be distressed when no one is available to help me - I will be excited when I am available to hep.

I will be a servant to others. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. I will choose my friends with care.

I will seek wisdom!

(Extracts from the book I read: The Traveler's Gift)

The First Decision for Success

2008-11-06T22:24:00.007+08:00

The buck stops here!

From this moment forward, I will accept responsibility for my past. I understand that the beginning of wisdom is to accept the responsibility for my own problems and that by accepting responsibility for my past, I free myself to move into a bigger, brighter future of my own choosing.

Never again will I blame my parents, my spouse, my children, my co-workers, for my present situation. Neither my education nor lack of one, my genetics, or the circumstancial ebb and flow of everyday life will affect my future in a negative way. If I allow myself to blame these uncontrollable forces for my lack of success, I will be forever caught in a web of the past. I will look forward. I will not let my history control my destiny.

The buck stops here. I accept responsibility for my past. I am responsible for my success.

I am where I am today - mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionlly, and financially - because of decisions I have made. My decisions have always been governed by my thinking. Therefore, I am where I am today because of how I think. Today, I will begin the process of changing where I am - mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally and financially - by changing the way I think.

My thoughts will be constructive, not destructive. My mind will live in the solutions of the future. It will not dwell in the problems of the past. I will seek the association of those who are working and striving to bring about positive changes in the world. I will never seek comfort by associating with those who have decided to be comfortable.

When faced with the opportunity to make a decision, I will make one. I understand that God did not put in me the ability to always make right decisions. He did, however, put in me the ability to make a decision and then make it right. The rise and fall of my emotional tide will not deter me from my course. When I make a decision, I will stand behind it. My energy will go into making the decision. I will waste none on second thoughts. My life will not be an apology. It will be a statement.

The buck stops here. I control my thoughts. I control my emotions.

In the future, when I am tempted to ask the question, "Why me?" I will immediately counter with the answer: "Why not me?" Challenges are gifts, opportunities to learn. Problems are the common thread running through the lives of great men and women. In times of adversity, I will not here a problem to deal with; I will have a choice to make. My thoughts will be clear. I will make the right choice. Adversity is preparation for greatness. I will accept this preparation. Why me? Why not me? I will be prepared for something great!

I accept responsibility for my past. I control my thoughts, I control my emotions. I am responsible for my success.

The buck stops here, indeed...

(Extracts from the book I read - The Traveler's Gift)

What All People Want?

2008-11-02T23:33:00.002+08:00

All people want and have the right to be treated with dignity and respect - No exceptions.

- Gail Pursell Elliott

如果你也听说

2008-10-30T20:04:00.007+08:00

歌曲：如果你也听说
歌手：张惠妹
专辑：star

突然发现站了好久
不知道要往哪走
还不想回家的我
再多人陪只会更寂寞

许多话题关于我
就连我也有听过
我的快乐要被认可
委屈却没有人诉说

夜把心洋葱般剥落
拿掉防卫剩下什么
为什么脆弱时候
想你更多

如果你也听说
有没有想过我
想普通交朋友
还是你依然会心疼我
好多好多的话想对你说
悬着一颗心没着落
要怎么附和
舍不得又无可奈何

如果你也听说
会不会相信我
对流言会附和
还是你知道我还是我
跌跌撞撞才明白了许多
懂我的人就你一个
想到你想起我
胸口依然温柔

许多话题关于我
就连我也有听过
我想我宁可都沉默
其实反而显得做作

夜把心洋葱般剥落
拿掉防卫剩下什么
为什么脆弱时候
想你更多

如果你也听说
有没有想过我
想普通交朋友
还是你依然会心疼我
好多好多的话想对你说
悬着一颗心没着落
要怎么附和
舍不得
又无可奈何

如果你也听说
会不会相信我
对流言会附和
还是你知道我还是我
跌跌撞撞才明白了许多
懂我的人就你一个
想到你想起我
胸口依然温柔

如果你也听说
有没有想过我
想普通交朋友
还是你
依然会心疼我
跌跌撞撞才明白了许多
冷漠的人就你一个
想到你想起我
胸口依然温柔

如果你想起我
你会想到什么

Count on my Love - Liz Phair

2008-10-29T22:28:00.007+08:00

Count On My Love – Liz Phair
Soundtrack: No Reservations
Album: Somebody’s Miracle

Don't know where we'll be tomorrow
But we'll beg and borrow everything we need
You are standing next to me,
Where I want to be
Is anywhere you are

Some day if we never said it
We might live to regret it
Come on, don't let us slip away in a daze

You can count on my love
And I'm bright out when it's raining
When you feel your hope is fading
You can count on my love

Blue eyes, bluer than the blue sky
Smiling down like sunshine
Everywhere you are
For you, I only want the best
You only have to ask
And I'll be there for you

Some day if we never said it
We might live to regret it
Come on, don't let us fade away in a haze

You can count on my love
And I'm bright out when it's raining
When you feel your hope is fading
You can count on my love
With me you'll feel protected
And you'll never be rejected

You go through your whole life waiting
But you don't know what you're waiting for
One day you'll meet somebody
And your whole world now is an open door

You can count on my love
You can count on my love
And I'm bright out when it's raining
When you feel your hope is fading

You can count on my love
With me you'll feel protected
And you'll never be rejected
When you need a friend to lean on
You know you never need a reason
To count on my love
Count on my love
You can count of my love

Energy for Change

2008-10-27T18:26:00.001+08:00

You can create the energy to turn your dreams into reality by knowing what to say when you talk to yourself.

-Shad Helmstetter

The Mighty Hedged Funds on SALES!

2008-10-24T16:49:00.014+08:00

At the end of October last year 2007, the FTSE 100 was 6,721. Just a year later, and now the index is 3,890. That’s a fall of 42%!

US, London and Japan stocks are far from alone. Share prices have plunged round the world, and have recently fallen so fast that there’s the smell of blind panic around. What’s more, now the great and the good among the politicians and central bankers are competing with each other to tell us how bad the recession will be, and how long it will last. In other words, this might seem to be about as bad as it gets – Sir John Templeton’s fabled point of “maximum pessimism” - which is just when contrarian investors start coming into their own.

But while sniffing out shares that have fallen right out of favour isn’t too difficult right now, there’s a much bigger problem out there. Hedge funds are in forced sale mode! Stock markets may be in fire-sale territory (even longer-term bears such as Jeremy Grantham believe stocks are now closer to being undervalued) but a lot of the big sellers are the hedge fund managers. They bought stocks with borrowed money, and are now having to offload them.

While we can’t yet know exactly what’s being sold, we do know there’s plenty more stock still in the pipeline. The hedge fund industry has been staggering through its worst time in two decades, with an average loss of 17% this year. That beats the performance of most global stock markets, but it’s still not exactly great for a concept that was supposed to be able to sidestep declining markets (though to be fair, ‘short-selling’ bans haven’t helped recently).

Now the heat is really being turned up. Some 8,000 hedge funds with more than $1.7 trn in assets are “being caught in a vicious cycle” say BusinessWeek’s Matthey Goldstein and David Henry, “as worried investors pull out their money”. The problem lies in the mix of plunging markets and massive de-leveraging, i.e. paying down debt, across the financial system. Over the three months to September, another $179bn was wiped off the value of hedge fund assets by falling asset prices, according to Hedge Fund Research.

Spooked by the market falls, and keen to have ready cash at hand, investors have been pulling their money out at a rapid rate, with almost $31bn being withdrawn over the quarter – which means hedgies need to sell more assets to repay clients. On top of this, as markets fall, lenders are also cutting credit lines to their hedge fund customers or are making ‘margin calls’, i.e. demanding that those funds come up with extra cash to back up their borrowings.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy is still tying up tens of billions of dollars-worth of hedge fund assets. Lots of money managers had “parked” cash and other securities at the investment bank's prime brokerage operation. But these accounts are now frozen.

But it’s about to get even worse...

That’s more than enough bad news for any industry to cope with. As many as 30% of hedge funds will be shutting up shop “in a Darwinian process”, says Emmanuel Roman at GLF Partners, and the US authorities will force-feed regulation onto the rest: “there need to be scapegoats, and they are going to go hunt people”. That will make business even harder, and lead to even more forced selling.

In London, out of 450 hedge funds, more than 100 could be at risk, says Miles Costello in The Times. New York Professor Nouriel Roubini, who has been spot on about how bad things were going to get, agrees that hundreds of hedge funds will fail. “We've reached a situation of sheer panic. Yet I fear the worst is ahead of us. Don't be surprised if policy makers need to close down markets for a week or two in coming days”. This is pretty apocalyptic stuff. But the cavalry isn’t about to appear over the horizon.

US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson confirmed to Bloomberg yesterday that unregulated firms like hedge funds won't initially get government aid as “we're focused on regulated financial institutions.” So “you can argue that it could be worse than Wall Street because no one is coming in to save the hedge funds”, says Hank Higdon at Higdon Partners.

Why you shouldn't go bargain hunting just yet? What does this mean for the ordinary investor?

Well, because of the hedgie effect, share prices could easily fall some way further than anyone expects. “The market’s going to overshoot on the downside”, says Peter Boockvar at Miller Tabak, who sees the Dow tumbling to 5,000 next year, more than 40% below today. “When that occurs, I’ll be a raging bull”. So it’s a brave man, or woman, however contrarian, who’s prepared to dip more than a very small toe in the market with the hedge funds in forced sale mode for some time to come. I certainly wouldn’t be buying any funds, passive or actively managed.

Period.

Father and Son

2008-10-24T16:49:00.012+08:00

I try to be a good father. Give my son everything he needs. Pay for his phonics class. Take him and mom out for fine dining. Have yearly photo shoots... etc...

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

You see, eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles (41.92 km) in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars - all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much - except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life," Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an institution."

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate.

"No way," Dick says he was told. "There's nothing going on in his brain."

"Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.

Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!" And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that."

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. "Then it was me who was handicapped," Dick says. "I was sore for two weeks."

That day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!"

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

"No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially. In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.
Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?"

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way," he says. Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992 - only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.

"No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century."

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago."

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

"The thing I'd most like, "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once."

By Rick ReillySports Illustrated
- Used with permission

Dick and Rick Hoyt have a book and DVD. To learn more about this very special father and son team go to: www.teamhoyt.com

Falling down or Staying down?

2008-10-22T18:57:00.008+08:00

"Failure is not the falling down, but the staying down."

Mary Pickford
(1892–1979)
Canadian actress

They may have fallen down, but they didn't stay down. Check out these examples of resourceful and resilient people refusing to give up:

Before his circus was "The Greatest Show On Earth", P.T. Barnum filed for bankruptcy due to unwise business investments, and even contemplated suicide. He chose instead to start his famous circus, which he then merged with competitor James A. Bailey's. The Barnum and Bailey Circus netted Barnum over $2 million during his lifetime.

Milton Hershey had only a 4th grade education and four failed candy businesses when he filed for bankruptcy. His fifth business attempt, the Hershey Foods Corporation (now The Hershey Company) is America's largest chocolate manufacturer.

Shares may well be cheap...but they may get a lot CHEAPER!!!

2008-10-21T04:59:00.006+08:00

Is this a good time to buy back in to the market? I am sure at some point many will be asking this question.

With share prices crashing around our ears, there’s clearly no lack of doom and gloom around at the moment. But if you’re a bit of a contrarian thinker (means people go left, you go right), who likes selling when markets are frothy and sneaking back in when everyone else is dumping stock in panic, you might be thinking it's time to buy.

Shares have dropped such a long way, it’s very tempting to start thinking about finding some bargains. But WAIT!! Are you aware what is the next scary thing thats about to unfold?

Hedged funds!

Yeah right. What’s happening on the hedge fund front may mean it’s not quite that simple and easy for you to time an entry now to buy back … really.

Yes, stocks are cheap now, but they will get cheaper, a lot cheaper soon...heehaaa :)

"Claypot" Laksa?

2008-10-20T15:42:00.007+08:00

I dined out at the Food Republic (Vivo City) last night, and had a really interesting encounter with this stall that sell one of our favourite local dish - LAKSA!

The signboard read: "Claypot Laksa: $6.90"

Wow! That's steep for a bowl of almighy but ubiquitous laksa, I thought.

Wait a minute, I just had one last week near Katong, for a mere $4.00. Served in a plastic bowl.

But wait another minute, I also just had a bowl of Laksa last last week near my good old neighbourhood coffeeshop, for... $3.00. Sadly, it was also served in plastic bowl.

So now I understand:

Between Laksa and "Katong" Laksa, the different is $1. (or the real different is actually just the word "Katong")

Okay, now between "claypot" laksa and "Katong" Laksa, the different is ... $2.90 !!! (or the real different is just the word "claypot")

Now it set me wondering:

1. Does laksa really taste better in claypot? I doubt so.
2. Does eating Laksa in Katong cost $1 or 2 more?
3. Will it be cheaper if it is Sengkang Laksa?
4. Must I pay more if my Laksa is prepared elsewhere, but sell and served in Katong?

I am sure by now you get what I am hitting :)

No no... is it really better if it is actually "COOKED" in a claypot?? I doubt so too.

So, those diners that paid $6.90 for that touted bowl of heavenly milk noodle is actually paying for the container (claypot) ... yeah ... just the vessel that hold the ordinary, everyhwere-available laksa. I find it laughable and pathetic.

Remember: Anything that is written "Claypot" is not really that "Claypot"... if you know what I mean.

Laksa in a claypot does little to enhance the flavour. It does enhance the bottomline for the laksa seller though...that I am very certain.

What a ripped-off!!!

Song: You Will Never Walk Alone

2008-10-08T18:47:00.008+08:00

Along life's road, there will be sunshine and rain,
Roses and thorns,
Laughter and pain.
And cross the miles, you will face mountains so steep,
Deserts so long,
Valleys so deep.

Sometimes the journey's gentle,
Sometimes the cold winds blow.
But I want you to remember...
I want you to know...

Chorus:

You will never walk alone,
As long as you have faith,
Jesus will be right beside you all the way.
You may feel you're far from home,
But home is where He is,
And He'll be there down every road,
You will never walk alone.

The path will wind,
And you will find wonders and fears,
Labors of love,
And a few falling tears.
Across the years, there will be some twists and turns,
Mistakes to make, and
Lessons to learn.

Sometimes the journey's gentle,
Sometimes the cold winds blow.
But I want you to remember,
Wherever you may go...

Jesus knows your joy,
Jesus knows your need.
He will go the distance with you faithfully.

Written by Lowell Alexander
Copyright 2001
Word Music, Inc
ASCAP

Seasons of Love - From RENT Musical

2008-09-24T22:24:00.003+08:00

Artist: RENT Musical
Song: Seasons Of Love

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Moments so Dear
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure - Measure A Year?

In Daylights - In Sunsets
In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee
In Inches - In Miles
In Laughter - In Strife
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure
A Year In The Life

How About Love?
How About Love?
How About Love?
Measure In Love
Seasons Of Love
Seasons Of Love

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Journeys To Plan
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure The Life
Of A Woman Or A Man?

In Truths That She Learned
Or In Times That He Cried
In Bridges He Burned
Or The Way That She Died

It's Time Now - To Sing Out
Tho' The Story Never Ends
Let's Celebrate
Remember A Year In The Life Of Friends
Remember The Love
Remember The Love
Remember The Love
Measure In Love

Measure, Measure Your Life In Love
Seasons Of Love

归宿 - 刘德华

2008-09-08T15:19:00.003+08:00

Happened to hear this song last night at a Karaoke pub.

歌曲：归宿
歌手：刘德华

不想看见你哭
找个人倾诉
毋用隐藏无助
爱伤人的栏目
泪水的温度刺骨
已无法复苏

是故意
是疏忽
也是对爱的一种侮辱
真心有苦
痴心有毒
该不该早一点结束
是坟墓
是归宿
不要走到最后才清楚
为爱而哭
不是错误
痛的领悟
总有人不会在乎

受伤的人别哭
就听我倾诉
你我逆地相处
太一样的感触
输了就心服口服
从不会忌妒

是故意
是疏忽
也是对爱的一种侮辱
真心有苦
痴心有毒
该不该早一点结束
是坟墓
是归宿
不要走到最后才清楚
为爱而哭
不是错误
痛的领悟
总有人不会在乎

Form & Focus on a Mental Picture

2008-09-05T19:46:00.009+08:00

Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding.
Hold this picture tenaciously and never permit it to fade.
Your mind will seek to develop this picture!

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

People are not Objects and Opportunities

2008-09-02T22:19:00.004+08:00

As a society we have come to a point where people often treat each other as objects and opportunities rather than as unique human beings who are worthy and entitled to be treated with dignity and respect without exception. We live in complicated times, but the solutions to some of the problems we face do not have to be complicated. Dignity and respect is a simple solution to complicated issues, although it is not always easy to do. It takes insight, awareness, and paying attention to what is going on around us. It requires us to take a stand for what we believe to be true and to be an outer representation of the values we cherish.

- Gail Pursell Elliott

Why Can't I - by Liz Phair

2008-08-19T14:05:00.004+08:00

Why Can’t I
– Liz Phair

Get a load of me, get a load of you
Walkin' down the street, and I hardly know you
It's just like we were meant to be

Holding hands with you, and we're out at night
Got a girlfriend, you say it isn't right
And I've got someone waiting too

This is, this is just the beginning
We're already wet, and we're gonna go swimming

Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you
It's inevitable, it's a fact that we're gonna get down to it
So tell me
Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you

Isn't this the best part of breakin' up
Finding someone else you can't get enough of
Someone who wants to be with you too

It's an itch we know we are gonna scratch
Gonna take a while for this egg to hatch
But wouldn't it be beautiful
Here we are, we're at the beginning
We haven't fucked yet, but my heads spinning

Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you
It's inevitable, it's a fact that we're gonna get down to it
So tell me
Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you

I'd love for you to make me wonder
Where it's goin'
I'd love for you to pull me under
Somethin's growin'for this that we can control
Baby I am dyin'

Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you
Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you
It's inevitable, it's a fact that we're gonna get down to it

So tell me
Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you

Refugee - by Tribal Ink

2008-08-17T13:26:00.006+08:00

Refugee
– Tribal Ink

In fit of drowning, as my heart keeps pounding.
Scribing on the statue, all onto what's left.
Hold on, to the strings of reality.
Bouncing on my heel of prosperity.

Me by myself, with a gleam in my eye.
Watching it all wash by, watching me die.
It's so hard, to see it all fall through.
But it's too late, nothing left to do.

Chorus:
Refugee, I’m an enemy of your beliefs.
Don't hate me, because I disagree.

Release me, from the world unkind.
A world where the blind, is leading the blind.
It's so unfair, that I can't feel free.
That I have to be, what you want me to be.

Shadows of the past, keep stabbing my back.
Reminding me all, when I slept out a drag.
You're wasting your time, another morning dawning.
Time with the restless, keeps on joining.

Chorus:
Refugee, I’m an enemy of your beliefs.
Don't hate me, because I disagree.
Refugee, I’m an enemy of your beliefs.
Don't hate me, because I disagree.

Refugee, I’m an enemy of your beliefs.
Don't hate me, because I disagree.
Refugee, I’m an enemy of your beliefs.
Don't hate me, because I disagree.

Questions and Answers

2008-08-13T13:19:00.004+08:00

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart,
and try to love the questions themselves...
Do not now seek the answers,
which cannot be given to you,
because you will not be able to live them.
And the point is, to live everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will then gradually,without noticing it,
live along some distant day into the answer.

- Rainer Maria Rilke

Game Plan

2008-08-12T09:55:00.002+08:00

One who hopes for the best will live to regret it.
Have a plan.
Have a contingency one.
Don't leave it to hope or chance.

This over-used statement still holds true:

"You fail to plan, you plan to fail".

Have a plan, and make it a damn good one!

一眼瞬间 - 张惠妹 & 萧敬腾

2008-08-10T07:18:00.002+08:00

歌曲：一眼瞬间
歌手：张惠妹萧敬腾

(女)白茫茫的星光
洒在长长路上
想念的冰凉
你知道吗
你浅浅的微笑
深似海的眼光
都能掀起我
滔天的巨浪

(男)你相信吗
这是命吗
这次我们放弃抵抗
哪怕拥抱
在身上画下深深的伤

(合)只要看你一眼一瞬间
哪怕是最后画面
我的世界
因为爱过而完美
谁都不该离太远

只要看你一眼一瞬间
足够我熬过千年
我不后悔
爱若让末日提前
我们要一起
好好迎接那句点

(女)白茫茫的星光
洒在长长路上
想念的冰凉
你知道吗
你浅浅的微笑
深似海的眼光
都能掀起我
滔天的巨浪

(男)你相信吗
这是命吗
这次我们放弃抵抗
哪怕拥抱
在身上画下深深的伤

(合)只要看你一眼一瞬间
哪怕是最后画面
我的世界
因为爱过而完美
谁都不该离太远

只要看你一眼一瞬间
足够我熬过千年
我不后悔
爱若让末日提前
我们要一起
好好迎接那句点

(女)如果相爱是错
(男)错过又算什么
(合)这一次我们宁死不放手
往彼此的心里跳
跳过天荒地老 wo oh ...

只要看你一眼一瞬间
哪怕是最后画面
我的世界
因为爱过而完美
谁都不该离太远

只要看你一眼一瞬间
足够我熬过千年
我不后悔
爱若让末日提前
我们要一起
好好迎接那句点

Courage Under Fire

2008-08-07T23:27:00.002+08:00

Worthy ideas stand up to criticism and the proverbial bucket of cold water.
Keep the fire burning.
Keep the flame burning bright and hot.
If your ideas are worthy, it will stand the test of time and tides, and emerge victorious!

BTITR – What’s the Plan & Strategy?

2008-08-06T00:20:00.003+08:00

I start by stating a statement coined by a professor from NUS as a disclaimer: “A theory that explains all things explain nothing”. To me, a layman with a basic degree only, I would say that “A knife that claims to cut all things actually cuts nothing”. So here am I, trying to offer some strategies for balancing between protection and investment, all with your hard-earned money. Truth be told, there is no "one-knife-cuts-all" solution here.

Please do not take any advice wholesale. The suggestions here are NOT the “be all - and all”. Take what is good or make sense to you, and then apply them. The rest may just be bullshit, for all you know. Sometimes, advises dished out are all over-rated, even from the professionals. Really. So be warned, beware, and be careful. Here we go and roll!

Previously, I established that BTITR is a much preferred option than the traditionally “leaving-it-all” to the insurance company track. So, how much do we allow the insurance company to earn? Or rather, how much insurance you think you need in order to have peace of mind? This is tough, and I am not going that direction. Rather, I choose to do a case study for the sake of illustration.

My subject: Mr X, 35 year-old male, non-smoker.
Assumptions: Earn about $5,000 take home

Using my previous approach, I assumed that if an agent Y approached Mr X with a $300,000 whole life plan (limited pay in 25 years), his premium is $8,700 (That will be $761 per month if you pay monthly!).

His total premium will be $8,700 X 25 years = $217,500.

His projected cash values by then is $286,011.

So technically, Mr X gets back all his premium paid plus a modest gain of $68,511. Not bad for a 25-years “investment”, you may say.

I humbly beg to differ.

So, lets suppose Mr X meets agent Z this time, and offer him instead a BTITR track, how will it pan out? Let do the numbers:

Cost of $300,000 Term Plan, 25 years: $1,800 p.a.
Total premium paid by end 25 years : $1,800 X 25 = $45,000 (gone down the drain)

Balance unused cash flow: $8,700 - $1,800 = $6,900 (or $575 per month)

Invest it into a no-frill Regular Saving-Investment Plan in unit trust for 25 years, at nett rate of 6% p.a. (after deduction of 1.5% sales charge and 1.25% p.a. fund management fee).

The future value factor (for 6%, 25 years) is 58.1564.

Meaning if you invest $6,900 equivalent yearly into an investment that yields 6% p.a. for 25 years, you will get $6,900 X 58.1564 = $401,279!

Now, you have got to subtract the cost of term insurance protection from the above.

Hence, nett returns is $401,279 - $45,000 = $356,279!

So, would you take $356,279 or $68,511?

Your call.

The bottomline is:

Do you think it is realistic to ask somebody to put aside $8,700 a year for anything worthwhile? The answer is YES!

Do you think it is practical or wise to sink the entire amount into a whole life insurance plan?
The answer is NO!

Do you think $8,700 p.a. (about $725) is a huge chuck to cut out for financial planning?
The answer is YES and NO!

No because $725 is only about 14.5% of nett take home income. This $725 comes with a $300,000 coverage some more. I exclude gross income, cos that money goes separately into the CPF OA, SA and MediSave for other utilization (housing, partial retirement and medical needs etc.). Our former Prime Minister Mr Goh CT suggested that Singaporeans should look to saving at least 1/3 of their take home pay for retirement.

Yes, it is really too much, if it all goes into a single whole life insurance plan. It is not only too much, in my opinion, it is wastage. And as always, buying whole life plans only benefits the one who sells it, not so much the one who buys it.

If you can, fire-proof your plan with 2 additional plans:

1. CPF (MediSave) - Approved Hospital & Surgical Plan (Reformed MediShield)
2. Personal Accident Plan

I personally think that if you have about just $272 per year to spare (just another $22 per month), build in a Personal Accident Plan (PA). It gives another $300,000 of death, disability and dismemberment coverage, with extra hospital income and funeral expenses.

Good news is that you can use up to $800 per year for CPF-approved reformed medishield plan. Such plan covers you lifetime with no limit for life, just an annual limit of $500,000.

With that, you are quite earthquake-proof as far as personal risk management is concerned. For more details if you want to know if you are adequately prepared for retirement or protection, email me at thereisonlyonepcm@gmail.com

Good luck in your planning.

Buy Term and Invest the Rest - Where is the Value?

2008-08-05T21:52:00.011+08:00

This has been a much debated topic in the financial planning arena since don't know when. As a student and practitioner of financial planning, I am challenged to constantly find a balance in the way I build my convictions on such financial matters. Times change, and with it many variables and components.

A whole life insurance plan that was touted by agents to offer 6-7% returns p.a. no longer holds true. We have to live with the reality that a participating plan (such as a whole life policy) now offers a dismal return of just over 3% - and that's is NOT even guaranteed okay!

Insurance companies are finding it harder to offer higher bonuses and dividends over the last 10 years. Yields have come off drastically. Inflation, on the other hand, is pushing vigilently upward. Things are getting more expensive, with little or no sign of abating. Your savings in the bank is strinking. "Eroding" in value is a better word, technically.

It is against this new or pressing backdrops that I re-evaluated my positions on "Buy Term and Invest the Rest" (BTITR). You see, life is limited, so are its resources. I am talking about income. In financial planning matters, the concept of "income" takes centre stage to and for me. Without income, you are out. Period. Income, income, income. Personal income. Generated by yourself by your hands and with your time. Pocket money from parents, grand-parents and god-parents don't count - we are adults already!

Just this morning during my usual routine run and breakfast with my esteemed associate, Wayne Koh, we talked about the topic on BTITR. We both agree that in current environment, BTITR seems to offer more appeal. Rather than leaving your money totally to the insurance companies, you deconstruct your portfolio allocation and reconstruct your own strategies and approach.

What is BTITR?

Simply, it is separating protection from participation. It is investment without involvement. It is leaving protection to the insurance specialist and investment to the professional fund managers. Let me explain in simple terms.

Protection without participation
When you buy a whole life plan, the plans are usually called "participating policies" - they participate in the returns of the life funds. Life funds is the place where insurance companies invest what is remain from the premiums collected, after commissions and overheads. They invest the funds in a broad range of diversified assets, and then declared a return to policyholders each year. Claims are made out from the life funds too, and hence the funds are not supposed to be subjected to risky investments for fear of high volatility and threats of inability to meet future claims.

When you buy term, the plans are usually called "non-participating policies" - they DO NOT participate in the returns of the life funds. You pay for protection only. Period. No returns. No strings attached. You choose how much and how long you need the coverage. Then the only liability on your part is paying the premium. It is cheap, dirt cheap. When I was a tied agent many years ago, my manager called it "Poor man insurance". Even the poor can afford it.

I call it "Wise man insurance" - Only the wise will purchase it. Buy it for its worth and value. Let me explain later.

Investment without involvement
Now, since term insurance is cheaper, way cheaper, there will be excess cash appeared from "unused" or "un-expensed" premium. Truth is, for the same amount of sum assured, say $300,000, you pay $1,800 p.a., compared to a whole life plan, which cost around $8,700. I am using a 35 year-old male, non-smoker. That's a whopping $6,900 difference. Now, what do you or can you do with this difference call "the rest"? Invest it, of course.

In this manner, you start to explore ways to park this excess cashflow. You terminate your cashflow's involvement with the insurance company's life funds and her fate or rate of returns. Haha...fate of returns, what an appropriate slip of tongue. Therefore, it is considered investment without involvement. Hence, BTITR.

Is it true? Yes!
Is it better? Depends!!

It depends on what you DO with the rest of the unused money. If invested carefully, you will outperform the life funds, with the flexibility of choosing your own portfolio of assets and not to mention the benefits of not needing to stick around with a whole life policy for at least 20-25 years before the cash value becomes visible and mature enough for withdrawal.

Yes, it is true and it can be better.

For those who need to see discreet numbers, please refer to my buddy and esteemed associate, Wayne Koh, and his notes in his blog - http://www.waynekoh.com/2008/07/btitr.html

More ideas later, okay. You must wait if you want good stuff. I don't get paid for writing, okay! Just kidding :)

Coming up next - Recommended Allocation for BTITR.

Best Movie for Q3: The Dark Knight

2008-08-04T19:29:00.007+08:00

One of the best for 2008 - I enjoyed every minute of it! I must say that the real character to watch is the Joker.

“The Dark Knight” is not a simplistic tale of good and evil. Batman is good, yes, The Joker is evil, yes. But Batman poses a more complex puzzle than usual: The citizens of Gotham City are in an uproar, calling him a vigilante and blaming him for the deaths of policemen and others. And the Joker is more than a villain. He’s a Mephistopheles whose actions are fiendishly designed to pose moral dilemmas for his enemies.

.
The key performance in the movie is by the late Heath Ledger, as the Joker. Throughout the film, he devises ingenious situations that force Batman, Commissioner Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent to make impossible ethical decisions.

The plot involves nothing more or less than the Joker’s attempts to humiliate the forces for good and expose Batman’ secret identity, showing him to be a poser and a fraud. He includes Gordon and Dent on his target list, and contrives cruel tricks to play with the fact that Bruce Wayne once loved, and Harvey Dent now loves, Assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes. The tricks are more cruel than he realizes, because the Joker doesn’t know Batman’s identity.

For an indepth review, you can visit:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200855996637

Quotes from the Joker:

I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you... stranger.

The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules!

See, I'm not a monster...I'm just ahead of the curve.

See, I'm a man of simple tastes. I like dynamite...and gunpowder...and gasoline! Do you know what all of these things have in common? They're cheap!

You'll see, I'll show you, that when the chips are down, these uh... civilized people, they'll eat each other.

Do I really look like a man with a plan, Harvey? I don't have a plan. The mob has plans, the cops have plans. You know what I am, Harvey? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. I just *do* things. I'm a wrench in the gears. I *hate* plans. Yours, theirs, everyone's. Maroni has plans. Gordon has plans. Schemers trying to control their worlds. I am not a schemer. I show schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are. So when I say that what happened to you and your girlfriend wasn't personal, you know I'm telling the truth.

It's a schemer who put you where you are. You were a schemer. You had plans. Look where it got you. I just did what I do best-I took your plan and turned it on itself. Look what I have done to this city with a few drums of gas and a couple bullets. Nobody panics when the expected people get killed. Nobody panics when things go according to plan, even if the plans are horrifying. If I tell the press that tomorrow a gangbanger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will get blown up, nobody panics. But when I say one little old mayor will die, everyone loses their minds! Introduce a little anarchy, you upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I am an agent of chaos. And you know the thing about chaos, Harvey? It's fair.

If you're good at something, never do it for free.

You have nothing to threaten me with. Nothing to do with all your strength.

Let's turn the clocks back. A year ago, these cops and lawyers wouldn't dare cross any of you. I mean, what happened? Did your - did your balls drop off? Hmm?

Never start with the head, the victim gets all fuzzy.

Ceremony of Innocence

2008-07-31T00:03:00.002+08:00

When we become more acutely aware of our personal power to make a difference, of the wonder of being an individual, and the unlimited possibilities each new day holds, it is a ceremony of innocence. This is a back to basics exercise in personal dignity and respect that frees us to once again believe that we can leave our footprints on the sands of time.

- Gail Pursell Elliott

International Cow-poration

2008-07-24T04:04:00.002+08:00

TRADITIONAL CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies and the economy grows.
You sell them and retire on the income.

AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
You are surprised when the cow drops dead.

FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.

JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow
and produce twenty times the milk.
You then create clever cow cartoon images called 'Cowkimon'
and market them World-Wide.

GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years,
eat once a month, and milk themselves.

BRITISH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Both are mad.

ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
You break for lunch and forget about the cows.

SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5,000 cows and none of which belong to you.
You charge others for storing them.

CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim full employment and high bovine productivity.

INDIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You worship them.

MALAYSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You signed a 40-year contract to supply milk at RM0.06 per litre.
Then mid-way through, you raised the price to RM0.60 or you cut the supply.
When the buyer agrees to the new price,
you change your mind again and now want RM1.20.
The buyer decided you can keep the milk,
and they go look for milk that comes from recycled cows or the cow urine instead.
Your two cows retire together with the Prime Minister with all the shit around him.

SINGAPOREAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
One cow-peh and one cow-bu.

Drink Champagne...

2008-07-22T00:07:00.006+08:00

Drink champagne...yes, drink it for no reason at all. You don't need a reason to pop a bottle. And we don't need lousy excuses to gulp down one too. Sometimes, when you feel like drinking it, just drink it. Just remember that if you drink, don't drive.... finished your drink first, then drive...okay???

Haha...just kidding. Don't you ever drive if you drink alcohol!!! I mean it!!!

Peak Performers

2008-07-18T01:35:00.004+08:00

One of the wonderful by-products of high self-esteem is that you become a “Peak Performer”.

Everyday you become more aware of your abilities and recognize that opportunities to stretch your capabilities are limitless. You desire change, growth and challenge, and a healthy self-esteem provides the energy.

Peak performers have more than goals, they have a vision of what their life will mean to themselves and others. Peak performers do not live in the future. Peak performers make sure each step taken in the present keeps them on the road toward their life goal.

Peak Performers can say:

I am motivated and have a mission with realistic and measurable goals.
I accept complete responsibility for everything I think, say, feel and do.
I look for the window of opportunity in every situation and know that I will learn from every experience if I choose.
I always help others to do their best, and I encourage everyone to contribute something.
I correct my course when I reach an obstacle. This way, when things go wrong, I am still headed in the right direction.
I expect and appreciate change. It does not overwhelm me because I am prepared.
I stand up for my own opinions and values and respect others.
I am able to manage myself. I do not require instruction every step of the way. I take initiative to act first instead of been asked.
I am not afraid of making mistakes or of taking reasonable risks.
I am my own coach. I engage in positive self-talk and rehearsals.
I am a life-long student. I am always ready to learn, and I know growth takes sustained effort.
I know myself well and still expect to find hidden talents, resources, strengths, weaknesses, energy, and interests.
I respect reality both pleasant and painful.
I engage in self-confrontation and do not blame others.
I readily forgive others and myself and correct mistakes when possible.
I am patient, kind, gentle and compassionate with myself.
I have no need to prove I am better or worse than anybody else.
I can be quiet and alone and not feel lonely because I have learned to enjoy silent and solitude as a platform for renewal and revival.
I am thankful for the good and the bad situations that present themselves daily, knowing that they toughen the character and inner man.
I take both the simple things and the classy stuffs in life with gratitude.
I dare to dream big, audacious dreams, and color them with impossible shades.
I am secured in my identity as a fearfully and wonderfully made creation of God.
I live to the fullest every minute, with depth and enthusiasm, for the Lord.

Who am I?
I am Eagleboy.
I am a Child of God.
I am a Peak Performer.

What is Real Strength?

2008-07-15T15:14:00.002+08:00

Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of those pieces.

- Judith Viorst

Learn to Sail in High Winds

2008-07-12T21:33:00.003+08:00

We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.

- Hanmer Parsons Grant

I am Rich!

2008-07-03T17:54:00.008+08:00

"I have never been a millionaire. But I have enjoyed a crackling fire, a glorious sunset, a walk with a friend and a hug from a child. There are plenty of life's tiny delights for all of us."

Jack Anthony
American Author

I am rich, indeed :)

I am rich beyond measure...because:
Because I can enjoy the coolness of my air-conditioned room at home (when the nights are warm and humid), as compared to Jack who lives in cold-climate country, and therefore his crackling fire.
And because I can enjoy seeing a sunset with my eyes almost any day of the week, any week.
And because I can have as many walks and chat with friends, as my legs are still strong.
And because, simply because, I can have a hug from my loved ones daily, tells me that I can feel and I am alive!

I am rich, indeed! :)

Fear of Poverty?

2008-07-01T04:21:00.006+08:00

You are going to let the fear of poverty govern your life and your reward will be that you will eat, but you will not live.

George Bernard Shaw

Pick Up Lines at Helipad

2008-06-30T00:25:00.003+08:00

I was chilling out at this new place called Helipad last night, and one of my female friend asked me what are some of the pick up lines that we guys often use to pick up girls. So, here we go:

You've got to refer me to your plastic surgeon.

Here’s $11. Drink until I’m really good looking, then come back and talk to me.

Do you mind if I stare at you up close instead of from across the room?

Is it hot in here or is it just you?

You know the more I drink, the prettier you get!

You must be Jamaican, because Jamaican me crazy.

Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?

You know, you might be asked to leave soon. You're making the other women look really bad.

That's a nice shirt, it would go great with my floor.

What's a nice girl like you doing with a face like that?

Hand out business card that says: 'Smile if you want to sleep with me.'

All those curves, and me with no brakes.

Live Well, Laugh Often & Love Much

2008-06-24T00:45:00.002+08:00

Today I want to share a personal perspective with you. Someone had the opportunity to spend time with a close female friend. Within months, she will no longer be with us.

Her last visit to her doctor's office was, in fact, her last visit to her doctor's office. The doctor told her to go home, "get her house in order", and spend her time with family and friends. There is nothing more that can be done.

She is 42 years young. She will leave behind three young children, a loving husband and many friends.

She has been cheated.

She wanted more out of life.

Don't we all?

She thought that she was going to live a very long time. Obviously, we know we are going to die; we just think that it will happen later in life.

This entry may have an undertone of sadness. My purpose, however, is not to tell you a sad story, but to motivate you to begin leading the life you want now because we don't know what the future will hold.

What would you do if you knew your time was limited to a few short weeks or months or years?

Whom would you call?
Where would you travel?
What would you say to your loved ones and family members that you may not have already said?
Most importantly, what will you leave behind and how will you be remembered?

Take some time to consider these questions.

Then begin today to lead the life you want. Create and fulfill goals, eat right, exercise more. And don't forget the best advice I can give - I see this daily on a plaque in my home:

Live Well, Laugh Often and Love Much!

Legal, Logical and Neither

2008-06-23T20:45:00.001+08:00

After having failed his exam in "Logistics and Organization" , a student goes and confronts his lecturer about it.

Student: "Sir, do you really understand anything about the subject?"

Professor: "Surely I must. Otherwise I would not be a professor!"

Student: "Great, well then I would like to ask you a question. If you can give me the correct answer, I will accept my mark as is and go. If you however do not know the answer, I want you give me an "A" for the exam. "

Professor: "Okay, it's a deal. So what is the question?"

Student: "What is legal, but not logical, logical, but not legal, and neither logical, nor legal?"

Even after some long and hard consideration, the professor cannot give the student an answer, and therefore changes his exam mark into an "A", as agreed. Afterwards, the professor calls on his best student and asks him the same question.

He immediately answers: "Sir, you are 63 years old and married to a 35 year old woman, which is legal, but not logical.

Your wife has a 25 year old lover, which is logical, but not legal.

The fact that you have given your wife's lover an "A", although he really should have failed, is neither legal, nor logical."

What is Time?

2008-06-19T05:10:00.004+08:00

How do I view time? Where is my perspective? How do I value or measure it?

Someone once wrote that time is like credit in the bank ... blah blah blah...remember that story?
Everyday, this bank account of yours get an automatic credit of 24hrs X 60min X 60sec = $86,400 worth of seconds...I will go find that article and put it up here later.

Another of my friend believe that life is short and time is precious. So she frantically try to live it to the fullest.

So where is my perspective as far as time is concern?
Fleeting? Brief? Lost? Stolen? Precious? Irreplaceable? Short? Money? Limited?

Throughout centuries and generations, philosophers, scientists, kings and ordinary folks have written, discussed and studied this illusive concept and construct call time.
But what does the Creator and Master of all time and space and eternity has to say about it?
Where is God in this equation of time?

Of course if you believe in this God that I know, time is of no issue to Him, only to us, mere mortals. I personally believe that even with modern medical breakthrough, human livespan can only be calibrated around 75-85 years. Beyond these boundaries lies disabilities and despair, weakness and worries, limitations and liabilities. In fact, I may believe that men can add years to their life but not life to their years. So why seek extension of life, medically and artificially?

According to a Christian bookmark I have, Time is defined as:

"A limited resources extended only by giving the first part back to God".

"Honour the Lord ... with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty... "
- Proverbs 3:9-10

I believe time is given to us as a valuable platform to enjoy doing His will. A dimension that can be altered by offering it back to God who is in charge.

May I find my time here on earth extended and expanded for His will and glory.

An Enemy Called Reality

2008-06-17T18:33:00.005+08:00

My greatest enemy is reality. I have fought it successfully for thirty years.

- Margaret Anderson

蒲公英的约定 - 周杰伦

2008-06-12T20:36:00.006+08:00

曲名：蒲公英的约定
歌手：周杰伦
作曲：周杰伦

小学篱芭旁的蒲公英
是记忆里有味道的风景
午睡操场传来蝉的声音
多少年后也还是很好听
将愿望折纸飞机寄成信
因为我们等不到那流星
认真投决定命运的硬币
却不知道到底能去哪里

一起长大的约定
那样清晰　
打过勾的我相信
说好要一起旅行
是你如今　
唯一坚持的任性

在走廊上罚站打手心
我们却注意窗边的蜻蜓
我去到哪里你都跟很紧
很多的梦在等待着进行

一起长大的约定
那样清晰　
打过勾的我相信
说好要一起旅行
是你如今　
唯一坚持的任性

一起长大的约定
那样真心
与你聊不完的曾经

而我已经分不清
你是友情
还是错过的爱情

Character Through Trials

2008-06-04T03:48:00.003+08:00

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved

-Helen Keller

Winning and Losing

2008-06-01T19:57:00.012+08:00

If you can react the same way to winning and losing, that is a big accomplishment. That quality is important because it stays with you the rest of your life.

- Chris Evert
Professional tennis player (United States)
Won 18 Grand Slam singles titles

Note: Evert's career win-loss record in singles matches of 1,309-146 (.900) is the best of any professional player in tennis history.

7 Basic Life Principles

2008-06-01T19:57:00.010+08:00

The Principle of Design:
Thanking God for your design enables self acceptance.

The Principle of Authority:
Honouring your authorities brings inward peace.

The Principle of Responsibility:
Asking for forgiveness reaps a clear conscience.

The Principle of Suffering:
Fully forgiving others brings genuine joy.

The Principle of Ownership:
Yielding your rights to God brings true security.

The Principle of Freedom:
Reclaiming areas controlled by sins brings moral purity.

The Principle of Success:
Meditating on Scriptures reveals life's purpose.

Isn't these what we need and want?

The Prayer of Jabez

2008-05-22T05:26:00.005+08:00

Dear Father,

I desire to be the most honourable person in Your kingdom, fit for the Master's use.

Today I pray that You would bless me indeed;
and enlarge my territory, my influence and my opportunities;
that Your hand would be with me, leading and guiding my thoughts and decisions;
that You would keep me, my family and my interests from evil.

Lord, may You cause me to bring blessings, joy and comfort to all that I come in contact with today.

In Jesus' Name, Amen

(2 Chron 4:10)
My own paraphrased version 2008

What is a juggler?

2008-05-20T05:28:00.008+08:00

One person in my facebook sphere called herself a juggler. Now what exactly is a juggler? I looked the word up and found this:

jug·gler - ˈdʒʌglər'/ [juhg-ler] –noun

1. a person who performs juggling feats, as with balls or knives.
2. a person who deceives by trickery; trickster; one that uses tricks, deception, or fraud.

So for simplicity sake, just know that when a person says he or she is a juggler, it can mean more than just one who perform juggling feats.

Love is Bestowed...

2008-05-16T11:06:00.000+08:00

Love is always bestowed as a gift-- freely, willingly, and without expectation...We don't love to be loved; we love to love.

- Leo Buscaglia

To Serve People...

2008-05-14T23:56:00.007+08:00

"To serve people takes dignity and intelligence. But remember, they are only people with money. And although we serve them, we are not their servants. What we do, Miss Ventura, does not define who we are. What defines us is how well we rise after falling."

Lionel
Character from the Movie - Maid in Manhattan

What is Power?

2008-05-11T00:00:00.007+08:00

Power is acknowledging our weaknesses and accepting our limitations as loving reminders to enter into Christ's strength.

"... For the joy of the Lord is your strength."
(Nehemiah 8:10)

"...[God's] strength is made perfect in weakness..."
(2 Cor 12:9)

太美丽 by David 陶喆

2008-05-06T04:13:00.002+08:00

To the only woman that I ever know, love and die for...here's my heart :)

歌曲：太美丽
歌手：陶喆
专辑：太美丽

每一滴眼泪
每一次心碎
什么爱能无疚无悔
不灰心等待
痛苦也忍耐
你坚持爱了就不后退
我知道我不是一个轻易就会说爱的人
没有想到这样的你却改变我

太美丽
太美丽
你的爱是多么的甜蜜
太美丽
爱让我也美丽
现在我不再怀疑
不怀疑有多爱你

每一个脚印
每一朵乌云
说着我的飘忽不定
伤你伤好深
别人早就要放弃
为何你还是会给我宽容
我知道我不是一个轻易就会说爱的人
可是你坚强的付出却改变我

太美丽
太美丽
你的爱是多么的甜蜜
太美丽
爱让我也美丽
现在你也不必再去怀疑

当你在风雨的未知里走过
当我在迷失的自我的漩涡
交汇在黑暗中你我发出了新的光芒
现在我已全明白
什么是爱的真义

太美丽
太美丽
你的爱让生命太甜蜜
太美丽
只有对你感激
越过表面我看见你
美丽的心

你最美丽
你太美丽

Character vs Reputation

2008-04-08T22:55:00.002+08:00

Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow.
The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.

Unknown Author

JP Morgan Buy Bear Sterns Cheap!!!

2008-03-18T02:05:00.002+08:00

JP Morgan Chase & Co announced they are buying The Bear Sterns Companies. Guess what? They got it cheap, just over US$240 million!!!

The price per share? US$2! From a high of US$171!!!

The end result? The majority of BSC employees will not only be out of a job, their investments in BSC are nearly worthless, a severe blow to their net worth. In fact, any Bear Sterns investors will take a substantial loss. One major BSC shareholders reportedly had a paper loss of about US$800 million!

JPM takes on some seriously risky debt, but the reward could be substantial. Why did I say so? According to sources from my late night CNBC, BSC is currently worth US$7.7 billion, if you break up its individual department and sell it piecemeal to the market.

Did JPM get a good deal, or are they digging themselves into a deeper hole? One thing I am certain, there will be lawsuits and protests from market players and investors. BSC stock activists are already taking a stand against this buyout.

To some, this is purely a company bailout; to the US government and the Fed, it is a system bailout. They need to show that a strong bank is willing to back up a failing branch, and in turn the Government is willing to back up that strong bank.

More later. Tread safely.

Market Overreaction

2008-03-04T09:08:00.003+08:00

What is overreaction? Simply, it is a market hypothesis stating that investors and traders react disproportionately to new information about a given security. This will cause the security's price to change dramatically, so that the price will not fully reflect the security's true value immediately following the event.

Now, typically, the price swing from overreaction is not long lasting, as the stock price will tend to return back to its true value over time. The overreaction hypothesis is not consistent with the efficient market hypothesis.

For example, suppose that company XYZ releases its annual operating results, which beat analyst expectations by a mere penny per share, which is generally not a big deal. However,
given the news, traders and investors subsequently bid the stock up to unprecedented highs. After a couple of days of trading, the stock then falls down to a price just above its price before the earnings release, which represents the stock's current intrinsic value.

Hence, don't overreact.

House "Poor": Asset Rich, Cash Poor

2008-03-03T20:47:00.006+08:00

What actually is house "poor"? In singapore, I call these people asset rich, cash poor people. Let me explain. House poor is a situation that describes a person who spends a large proportion of his or her total income on home ownership, including mortgage payments, property taxes, maintenance and utilities. House poor individuals are short of cash for discretionary items and tend to have trouble meeting other financial obligations like vehicle payments.

People typically become house poor because they buy more house than they can afford, but there are other ways that people can become house poor as well. For example, some people will become house poor after the birth of a child, when one spouse decides to stay at home with the new addition, rather than going back to work.

I have coined another term called Car "poor". These individuals own expensive and branded cars but stay in a small, public housing unit. Why these people choose to be car poor? The reason is simple: People usually do not follow you home to see where you stay. But they do get to see you on and off the road daily. So, rather than putting your wealth in hard solid ground, they prefer to show off their wealth through...right, their rides.

There is simply a high correlation between the car you drive and the type of house you live in. Hence, if you drive a BMW, you must be rich and possibly staying in a big private house. This assumption is faulty but, well, that's what shallow people think. At the end of the day, you are the best person to access who are the real wealthy ones and who are the fakes.

How To Use ETFs In Your Portfolio

2008-03-02T23:35:00.005+08:00

To recap: ETFs are an investing innovation that combines the best features of index mutual funds with the trading flexibility of individual securities. ETFs offer diversification, low expense ratios and tax efficiency in a flexible investment that can be adapted to suit a multitude of objectives. To reap the true benefit of investing in ETFs you need to use them strategically.

At the most basic level, ETFs can be used as part of both long-term and short-term investment strategies. Their low expense ratios and high trading flexibility make them attractive alternatives to traditional mutual funds.

Index Investing
From a strategic standpoint, the first and most obvious use of ETFs is as a tool to invest in broad-market indexes. On the equity side, there are ETFs that mirror the S&P 500, the Nasdaq 100, the Dow Industrials and just about every other major market index. On the fixed-income front, there are ETFs that track a variety of long-term and short-term bond indexes including the Lehman 1-to-3 Year Treasury, the Lehman 20-Year Treasury and the Lehman Aggregate Bond Index.

Using ETFs to cover the major market sectors, you can quickly and easily assemble a low-cost, broadly diversified index portfolio. With just two or three ETFs, you can create a portfolio that covers nearly the entire equity market and a large portion of the fixed-income market. Once the trades are complete, you can simply stick to a buy-and-hold strategy as you would with any other index product, and your portfolio will move in tandem with its benchmark.

Actively Managing a Longer-Term Portfolio
In a similar fashion, you can create a broadly diversified portfolio but choose a more active-management strategy instead of simply buying and holding to track the major indexes (which is passive management). While the ETFs themselves are index funds (meaning there is no active management on the part of the money manager overseeing the portfolio), this doesn't stop investors from actively managing their holdings. For example, say you believe that short-term bonds are set for a meteoric rise; you could sell your position(s) in the broader bond market and instead buy an ETF that specializes in short-term issues. (You could do the same for your expectations for equities.)

Of course, the major market indexes represent only a portion of the many investment opportunities that ETFs provide. If your core portfolio is already in place, you can augment your core holdings with more specialized ETFs, which provide entry into a wide array of small-cap, sector, commodity, international, emerging-market and other investing opportunities. There are ETFs that track indexes in just about every area, including biotechnology, healthcare, REITs, gold, Japan, Spain and more. By adding small positions in these niche holdings to your asset allocation, you add a more aggressive supplement to your portfolio. Once again, you can buy and hold to create a long-term portfolio, but you can use more active trading techniques too. For example, if you think REITS are poised to take a tumble and gold is set to rise, you can trade out of your REIT position and into gold in a matter of moments at any time during the trading day.

Active Trading
If actively managing a long-term portfolio isn't spicy enough for your tastes, ETFs may still be the right flavor for your palette. While long-term investors might eschew active- and day-trading strategies, ETFs are the perfect vehicle if you are looking for a way to move frequently into and out of an entire market or a particular market niche. Since ETFs trade intraday, like stocks or bonds, they can be bought and sold rapidly in response to market movements, and unlike many mutual funds, ETFs impose no penalties when you sell them without holding them for a set period of time.

While it is true that you must pay a commission each time you trade ETFs, if you are aware of this cost and the dollar value of your trade is high enough, the commission cost is nominal. Consider, for example, a $10 commission on a $10,000 trade. At .1%, the cost is hardly worth mentioning. Also, since they trade intraday, ETFs can be bought long or sold short, used in hedge strategies and bought on margin. If you can think of a strategy that can be implemented with a stock or bond, that strategy can be applied with an ETF - but instead of trading the stock or bond issued by a single company, you are trading an entire market or market segment.

Wrap Investing
For investors who prefer fee-based investments as opposed to commission-based trading, ETFs are also part of various wrap programs. While ETF wrap products are still in their infancy in Singapore, it's a safe bet that more are coming soon.

Conclusion
Overall, ETFs are convenient, cost efficient, tax efficient and flexible. They are easy to understand and easy to use, and they are gaining in popularity at such a rapid pace that some experts anticipate that they will one day surpass the popularity of mutual funds. If ETFs haven't found a place in your portfolio yet, there is a pretty good chance that they will in the future.

Introduction To Exchange-Traded Funds

2008-03-01T23:32:00.002+08:00

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a type of financial instrument whose unique advantages over mutual funds/ unit trusts have caught the eye of many an investor. If you find the tasks of analyzing and picking stocks a little daunting, ETFs may be right for you. In this entry I will attempt to define ETFs, highlight their advantages, and list some of the most popular ETFs available to investors.

What Is an ETF?
Think of an exchange-traded fund as a mutual fund that trades like a stock. Just like an index fund, an ETF represents a basket of stocks that reflect an index such as the S&P 500. An ETF, however, isn't a mutual fund; it trades just like any other company on a stock exchange. Unlike a mutual fund that has its net-asset value (NAV) calculated at the end of each trading day, an ETF's price changes throughout the day, fluctuating with supply and demand. It is important to remember that while ETFs attempt to replicate the return on indexes, there is no guarantee that they will do so exactly. It is not uncommon to see a 1% or more difference between the actual index's year-end return and that of an ETF.

By owning an ETF, you get the diversification of an index fund plus the flexibility of a stock. Because ETFs trade like stocks, you can short sell them, buy them on margin and purchase as little as one share. Another advantage is that the expense ratios of most ETFs are lower than that of the average mutual fund. When buying and selling ETFs, you pay your broker the same commission that you'd pay on any regular trade.

Varieties of ETFs
The first exchange-traded fund was the S&P 500 index fund (nicknamed spiders because of their SPDR ticker symbol), which began trading on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) in 1993. Today - tracking a wide variety of sector-specific, country-specific and broad-market indexes - there are hundreds of ETFs trading on the open market. You can pretty much find an ETF for just about any kind of sector of the market.

For example, if you were interested in the healthcare sector, perhaps Vanguard’s Health Care Viper (ticker VHT) would be worth looking into. Does the Austrian market peak your interest? Then take a look at the ishares MSCI Austrian Index fund (ticker EWO). Or if you’d like exposure to the internet infrastructure sector, then maybe Merrill Lynch’s HOLDRs (ticker IIH0) might be for you.

Some of the more popular ETFs have nicknames like cubes (QQQQ), vipers (VIPERs) and diamonds (DIAs). All ETFs are passively managed, meaning investors save big on management fees. Below you will find a closer look at some of the more popular ETFs:

Nasdaq-100 Index Tracking Stock (QQQQ)
This ETF represents the Nasdaq-100 Index, which consists of the 100 largest and most actively traded non-financial stocks on the Nasdaq, QQQQ offers broad exposure to the tech sector. Because it curbs the risk that comes with investing in individual stocks, the QQQQ is a great way to invest in the long-term prospects of the technology industry. The diversification it offers can be a huge advantage when there’s volatility in the markets. If a tech company falls short of projected earnings, it will likely be hit hard. Between 2000 and 2004, QQQQ was by far the most heavily traded index fund.

SPDRs
Usually referred to as spiders, these investment instruments bundle the benchmark S&P 500 and give you ownership in the index. Imagine the trouble and expenses involved in trying to buy all 500 stocks in the S&P 500! SPDRs allow individual investors to own the index's stocks in a cost-effective manner. Another nice feature of SPDRs is that they divide various sectors of the S&P 500 stocks and sell them as separate ETFs, there are literally dozens of these types of ETFs. The "technology select sector index", for example, contains over 85 stocks covering products developed by companies such as defense manufacturers, telecommunications equipment, microcomputer components, and integrated computer circuits. This ETF trades under the symbol XLK on the AMEX.

iShares
iShares is Barclay's (Barclay’s Global Investors “BGI”) brand of ETFs. In 2004 there were approximately 120 iShares trading on more than 10 different stock exchanges. Barclay has put out a number of technology-oriented iShares that follow Goldman Sachs's technology indexes. All of these particular ETFs trade on the AMEX.

Vipers
Just like iShares are Barclay’s brand of ETFs, VIPERs are Vanguard’s brand of the financial instrument. Vipers, or Vanguard Index Participation Receipts, are structured as share classes of open-end funds. Vanguard also offers dozens upon dozens of ETFs for many different areas of the market including the financial, healthcare and utilities sectors.

DIAMONDs
These ETF shares, Diamonds Trust Series I, track the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The fund is structured as a unit investment trust. The ticker symbol of the Dow Diamonds is DIA, and it trades on the AMEX.

Conclusion
A great reason to consider ETFs is that they simplify index and sector investing in a way that is easy to understand. If you feel a turnaround is around the corner, go long. If, however, you think ominous clouds will be over the market for some time, you have the option of going short. The combination of the instant diversification, low cost and the flexibility that ETFs offer, makes these instruments one of the most useful innovations and attractive pieces of financial engineering to date.

Anger and Overcoming it

2008-02-07T03:36:00.003+08:00

"Anger ruins joy, steals the goodness of my mind, forces my mouth to say terrible things. Overcoming anger brings piece of mind, leads to a mind without regrets. If I overcome anger, I will be delightful and loved by everyone."

-Charlie Crews from "Life"

Life is too Short...

2008-02-05T23:49:00.005+08:00

"Life is too short and whining is totally unattractive"

-Psylocke

Stock Taking 2

2008-02-02T04:34:00.004+08:00

If there is one thing I need to stop buying, this is it: Cuff Links!
.
The last time I counted, I have 30 pairs of them - yeah right, one for each day! And the cost for them: Around $2000 in all. (The most expensive pieces here cost around $150).
.
Okay, I must admit that my little collection is no match against some of my lady friends' accessories, whose LV bag alone can cost up to $2000 a piece already!
.
For the unfamiliar ones, a cufflink is a decorative fastener for the two sides of the cuff on a shirt.
Cufflinks are designed only for use with link cuffs shirts (also known as French Cuffs), which have buttonholes on both sides but no buttons. These may be either single or double-length ("French") cuffs, and may be worn either "kissing," with the ends pinched together, or "barrel-style," with one end overlapping the other.
.
And yes, I have 2 (actually 3) pairs of silk knot, which is an alternative fastener to a cufflink. They are also known as monkey's fists (although, technically speaking, the knot is a Turk's head, not a monkey's fist) . Despite having a lower cost than cufflinks, they are just as well regarded and just as formal.
.
The problem with cuff links shirts is that sometimes you leave home without the links! That's kind of embarrassing and you will look quite wierd without them! So, for people like me who drive, I kept an extra pair in my car (just in case) :)

Stock Taking 1

2008-02-01T02:33:00.001+08:00

As a child, I always look forward to the coming Chinese New Year. Reasons: Lots of food, ang bao, and new clothings. Sadly, for most part of my recent years, the food isn't cheap (all food bills footed by me), the ang bao received are decreasing compared to the ones I received, and ... new clothings aren't cheap.

Why?

Well, for a start, I have to pay for the mandarin oranges as well as the "bak kua", not to mention other types of goodies. Next, I prepared in the region of $800 for ang baos (some for my parents, some for parent-in-laws, and the rest for other 'outlaws') but I always received less than $800. Man...it is a money-losing business!!!

Now, as for new clothings, most of my shirts are tailor-made. On average, I arrange for 5 sets of link-cuffs shirt made every 6 months, plus a pair of black pants. On the record, I still have around 4 pairs of brand new pants in my closet!!!

Perhaps the only people that are happy during this Chinese New Year are the kids, and ... my tailor!

Fed's Cut As Expected

2008-01-31T06:03:00.000+08:00

Once again, our dear Federal Reserve stepped in and made a half-point rate cut, a move that Wall Street (and me) apparently liked :)

I know you know that many also know that the rate cut didn't come as a complete surprise, as the stock market had been banking on it. They just weren't sure if it would be the half-point cut, or a more cautious quarter-point. The move today puts the federal funds rate target at 3%, the lowest since June 2005!

Once the cut was announced just now, the stock markets went positive: within minutes of the decision, the Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 100 points at one point. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also rose following the report.

Well, it's positive news (at least for a while), but between this latest cut and last week's unexpected three-quarter point cut, will it be enough to rejuvenate the economy? Let's wait and see. To me, it has been more waiting and less seeing.

Interestingly, the Dow turned right around, gave back every penny of its gains, and ended the day DOWN 37 points at the closing bell! Why? Because most investors in the street aren't dumb. They know what's going on in their own neighborhoods. They see the handwriting on the wall in the headlines. And they realize Bernanke's caught between a rock and a hard place.

On one hand (the rock), the US economy is sinking very slowing, but surely. Home construction plunged 24% in the fourth quarter, the worst since 1981! The economy sputtered to a virtual standstill in the fourth quarter, crawling at the anemic pace of just 0.6% per year! And for the entire year, GDP growth was the worst since 2002, then when the economy was suffering from the aftermath of 9-11, a tech wreck, and a wave of scandal-ridden corporate bankruptcies — all at the same time!

On the other hand (a hard place), resurging inflation that only gets worse as the Fed cuts rates and pumps more money into the market. My favourite inflation hedger, Mr Gold, is my best indicator. Gold is on fire, surging another $7 just today! The U.S. Dollar Index got killed today — down 75 basis points on today's Fed rate cut alone. And then in November, we saw the most dramatic surge in wholesale prices in 22 years! Finally, import prices surged by a staggering 10.9%, signaling much, much higher inflation ahead!

This is serious!
This is scary!!
This is shocking!!!

It means that long before the Fed's rate cuts begin to have the desired impact on the economy, they're already beginning to backfire with more inflation. Do you see it now? Are you selling too? I am, and I suggest you do the same, at least for short term. Leave emotion out of the equation. Just clear your stock holdings and keep at least 70% cash, 20% Bonds, & 10% equities if you must.

Good luck, or else, good bye!!!

Until the Day's Out

2008-01-25T18:30:00.000+08:00

"Measure not the work until the day's out and the labor done."

Elizabeth Barrett Browning
(1806-1861)
English poet

Stay Alive!

2008-01-24T18:52:00.001+08:00

There is a remedy for everything except death.

- A French Proverb

So stay alive and you can pull through anything. Death may be near or far, but the choice to work at something worth working is yours to take today. Stay focus and stay alive!

True Brilliance is...

2008-01-23T12:26:00.001+08:00

True brilliance is not a function of understanding one's view of the world and finding order, logic, and spirituality in it.

True brilliance is understanding that your view of order, logic, and spirituality is what created your world. And therefore being forever capable of changing everything.

Got the view now?

World Largest Bond Insurer Collapsing

2008-01-21T00:00:00.003+08:00

Ambac and MBIA, the two largest bond insurers in the world, are careening toward collapse. Barring a miraculous rescue, their demise could promptly deliver a massive blow to the U.S. bond market, and severely damage America's already shaken big banks, and largely trash the net worth of millions of investors.

Just this past Friday, soon after the closing bell in New York, the watershed event happened: Ambac lost its triple-A rating! Fitch slashed Ambac's rating by two notches to AA, downgraded the long-term rating of Ambac's parent company by three notches, and said more cuts could be on the way.

Since the ratings of insured bonds are tied directly to the ratings of the insurer, Fitch was also forced to take action on the 137,000 bonds that are covered by Ambac, setting off a veritable ratings massacre in the market for municipal and mortgage-backed bonds.

Now, based on the current market price of credit swaps (bets on future defaults), Wall Street itself believes that the chance Ambac and MBIA will avoid bankruptcy is less than one in three. Next, brace yourself for the other shoes that could soon be falling. There are at least 6 of them coming our way:

First, the other two leading rating agencies — Moody's and S&P — are likely to follow Fitch's lead and also downgrade Ambac. In fact, on Thursday, Moody's already warned it could do so very soon.

Second, the other major bond insurers, such as MBIA and FGIC, will get smacked with downgrades.

Third, the ratings massacre now taking place in Ambac-insured bonds will spread to $2.3 trillion worth of municipal bonds, mortgage-backed bonds, plus asset-backed bonds packed with credit card and auto loans.

Fourth, $45 trillion in the world's fastest-growing type of derivative — credit default swaps — will be in jeopardy. Indeed, according to Friday's Wall Street Journal:

"The turmoil on Wall Street is beginning to rock a foundation of the financial system: the ability of institutions to make good on their many trades with one another."

"Today, a struggling bond insurer, ACA Financial Guaranty Corp., will ask its trading partners for more time as it scrambles to unwind more than $60 billion of insurance contracts it sold to financial firms but can't fully pay off, according to people familiar with the matter. The contracts were intended to protect Wall Street firms from losses on mortgage securities and other debt they own."

"The problem is that the insurer itself is teetering — with repercussions across the financial world. Some of its trading partners, called counterparties, already are writing off billions of dollars because of its inability to pay ..."

"This has investors and regulators worried that, through such swaps, some market players could spread their own problems to the wider financial system ..."

"The issue is raising broader concern among regulators and investors over what Wall Street calls 'counterparty risk,' the danger that one party in a trade can't pay its losses. ..."

Fifth, virtually all credit ratings, whether tied to bond insurers or not, will come under intense scrutiny. The reasons are twofold:

a) Deteriorating finances: If you're running a bank, a hedge fund or a major brokerage firm, and most of your trading partners get swiftly downgraded, your credit rating will also have to be slashed.

b) Declining investor confidence in the accuracy of the ratings themselves: If you're an investor and you see thousands of ratings falling like flies, you're going to seriously doubt the accuracy of every rating under the sun.

Sixth, the crisis could spread to hundreds of trillions in other derivatives beyond credit swaps.

Don't wait! The collapse of bond insurers, bond ratings and credit swaps is moving quickly. And it's accelerating. Don't underestimate its magnitude! This is not an isolated crisis. It could have an impact that's at least as large as the housing bust or the recession.

You can start doing something still. Greatly reducing your exposure to most U.S. stocks and bonds. Personally, I will take a 50-20-30 line-up:

50% Bonds, 20% Cash, 30% Equities.

Remember: Beware of those who might try to dismiss the warnings as "gloom and doom." Instead, just look at the facts. Then make up your own mind.

Best of Trading, God bless!

Statistics is like a Bikini

2008-01-20T23:58:00.001+08:00

Statistics is like a Bikini; what is revealed is suggestive, but what is concealed is vital.

-Unknown

That's why you should not be paying too much attention to the media. Do your own research and uncover for yourself the vitals. Then go make the right decisions.

Never Mind the Rest

2008-01-17T01:32:00.001+08:00

"Believe there is a great power silently working all things for good, behave yourself and never mind the rest."

Beatrix Potter
1866-1943,
Author and Illustrator

Which Bond to Buy?

2008-01-16T13:52:00.000+08:00

With the current uncertainties in the market, it is difficult to predict which way she will go over the next one to three months. If you think about the tough decisions regarding equities, the proponents in the opposite camps (the fixed income groups) are not having any easier space. Just look at the universe of bond funds and you will realize that getting into bonds is not as easy as getting a Char Siew Pao at your local 7-11 friendly store.

(Oh yes, by the way, if 7-11 store claims that they never closed, then why are there locks on their doors? I am still puzzled till this day? Any one knows?)

Question is: Are we done with the correction yet?

Answer: Wrong question!!!

A better question is "Are we done with the misplaced confidence in the bull market yet"?

This market is due for a crude awakening. When that realization dawn upon investors, the flight to safety will commence and then the market will start to have another set of concerns: Where to re-allocate?

Bonds have not fare well over the last 4 years (compared to equities). Will they perform now? If so, which one? Global or regional? High yield or high grade? Which fund houses? What about my local governement debt securities?

Looking at the above chart, you will find that some bonds are valued higher than others, but with much lower volatility. Now, volatility is not a bad thing. You need to manage it. Others offer value now but inherently have higher volatilities. The key is balance. If you are already in a balanced portfolio, then balance your balanced portfolio. There is much allocation to be done even within the bond segment. So take a look again at your bond holdings. It pays.

Good luck.

The Risk of Love

2008-01-15T22:36:00.000+08:00

The Risk of Love
(by Kris Hydmore)

There is a risk involved in everything
Every time you share a smile
Every time you shed a tear
You are opening yourself up to hurt.
Some people tread slowly through life,
Avoiding the closeness risk brings,
Side-stepping the things they can't understand
Turning away from those who care too much,
Those who care stay too long,
Those who hold too tightly.
There is never an easy way to love
You cannot approach it cautiously
It will not wait for you to arm yourself.
It does not care if you turn away
It is everywhere, it is everything.
Love is the greatest of all risks.
It is not reliable, it is not cautious,
It is not sympathetic
It is unprejudiced and unmerciliess.
It strikes the strongest of mind,
And brings them to their knees in one blow.
Even in the best of times, love hurts.
It hurts to need, it hurts to belong,
It hurts to be the other part of someone else,
Without either of your consent.
But, from the moment it overtakes you,
It hurts worse to be all alone.
The risk of love never depletes;
It grows stronger and more dangerous with time.
But, it's in the total surrender of all defense,
That we, no matter weak or strong,
No matter willing or captive,
No matter what, we truly experience love.
Despite the many things love is not,
Outweighing it all are the things that love is.
Love is surrender without a loss.
It is a gift without the cost.
It consumes your every thought & desire,
Every breath you take.
It is the fire that fuels you
To do more than pass through life;
It urges you, instead, to live.
No matter the outcome, having felt love,
You will never be the same.
It may scar your heart & soul
And Leave you only memories of forever.
Or, it may cause every day of your life
To feel like there is no need for tomorrow.
But, love is worth it.
It is worth the risk...
For in all of life,
Love is truly the only risk worth taking.

Love is like Bread.

2008-01-13T02:35:00.001+08:00

Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone;
it had to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.

Ursula Le Guin

Love is the Key

2008-01-12T23:42:00.000+08:00

Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness.

Oliver Wendell Holmes