with
thanks for your love and support throughout this tedious but rewarding journey.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Sunday, April 04, 2010
living in a world where the non-rich pretend to be rich and the rich who pretend to be not.
"people who are really rich seldom show their wealth; those who flash their wealth in the form of big houses and branded cars are merely trying to boost their low ego/self-esteem when in reality their pockets are not as deep".
I find this especially true in Singapore since ppl here chalk up huge debts by borrowing to buy expensive houses and cars. nope its not sour grapes; i dun envy those who wears bigger hats than their heads can fit.
sharing this article..
Five Billionaires Who Live Below Their Means
Warren Buffett
Millions of people read Buffett's books and follow his firm, Berkshire Hathaway's, every move. But the real secret to Buffett's personal fortune may be his penchant for frugality. Buffett, who is worth an estimated $47 billion, eschews opulent homes and luxury items. He and his wife still live in their modest home in Omaha, Nebraska which they purchased for just $31,500 more than 50 years ago.
Although he's dined in the best restaurants around the globe, given the choice he would opt for a good burger and fries accompanied by a cold cherry Coke. When asked why he doesn't own a yacht he responded "Most toys are just a pain in the neck." (Find out how he went from selling soft drinks to buying up companies and making billions of dollars).
Carlos Slim
While most of the world is very familiar with Bill Gates, the name Carlos Slim rarely rings a bell. But it's a name worth knowing. Slim, who is a native of Mexico, was just named the world's richest billionaire – that's right, richer than the uber-famous Microsoft founder. Slim is worth more than $53 billion and while he could afford the world's most extravagant luxuries he rarely indulges. He, like Buffett, doesn't own a yacht or plane and he has lived in the same home for over 40 years.
Ingvar Kamprad
The founder of the Swedish furniture phenomenon Ikea struck success with affordable, assemble-it-yourself furniture. For Kamprad, figuring out how to save money isn't just for his customers, it's a high personal value. He's been quoted as saying "Ikea people do not drive flashy cars or stay at luxury hotels." That goes for the founder as well. He flies coach for business and when he needs to get around town locally he either takes the bus or will head out in his 15-year-old Volvo 240 GL
Chuck Feeney
Growing up in the wake of The Depression as an Irish-American probably has something to do with Feeney's frugality. With a personal motto of "I set out to work hard, not get rich," the co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers has quietly become a billionaire but even more secretively given almost all of it away through his foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies. In addition to giving more than $600 million to his alma mater Cornell University, he has given billions to schools, research departments and hospitals.
Loath to spend if he doesn't have to, Feeney beats both Buffett and Kamprad in the donation category, giving out less grants than only Ford and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations. A frequent user of public transportation, Mr. Feeney flies economy class, buys clothes from retail stores, and does not wast money on an extensive shoes closet, stating "you can only wear one pair of shoes at a time". He raised his children in the same way; making them work the same normal summer jobs as most teens.
Frederik Meijer
If you live in the Midwest chances are good that you shop at Meijer's chain of grocery stores. Meijer is worth more than $5 billion and nearly half of that was amassed when everyone else was watching their net worth drop in 2009. Like Buffett he buys reasonably-priced cars and drives them until they die, and like Kamprad he chooses affordable motels when on travel for work. Also, like Chuck Feeney, rather than carelessly spending his wealth Mr. Meijer is focused on the good that it can provide to the community.
The Bottom Line
The dirty little secret of some of the world's wealthiest people is that they rarely act like it. Instead of over-the-top spending, they're busy figuring out how to save and invest to have that much more in the future. It's a habit you might want to consider in order to build up your own little storehouse of cash.
I find this especially true in Singapore since ppl here chalk up huge debts by borrowing to buy expensive houses and cars. nope its not sour grapes; i dun envy those who wears bigger hats than their heads can fit.
sharing this article..
Five Billionaires Who Live Below Their Means
Warren Buffett
Millions of people read Buffett's books and follow his firm, Berkshire Hathaway's, every move. But the real secret to Buffett's personal fortune may be his penchant for frugality. Buffett, who is worth an estimated $47 billion, eschews opulent homes and luxury items. He and his wife still live in their modest home in Omaha, Nebraska which they purchased for just $31,500 more than 50 years ago.
Although he's dined in the best restaurants around the globe, given the choice he would opt for a good burger and fries accompanied by a cold cherry Coke. When asked why he doesn't own a yacht he responded "Most toys are just a pain in the neck." (Find out how he went from selling soft drinks to buying up companies and making billions of dollars).
Carlos Slim
While most of the world is very familiar with Bill Gates, the name Carlos Slim rarely rings a bell. But it's a name worth knowing. Slim, who is a native of Mexico, was just named the world's richest billionaire – that's right, richer than the uber-famous Microsoft founder. Slim is worth more than $53 billion and while he could afford the world's most extravagant luxuries he rarely indulges. He, like Buffett, doesn't own a yacht or plane and he has lived in the same home for over 40 years.
Ingvar Kamprad
The founder of the Swedish furniture phenomenon Ikea struck success with affordable, assemble-it-yourself furniture. For Kamprad, figuring out how to save money isn't just for his customers, it's a high personal value. He's been quoted as saying "Ikea people do not drive flashy cars or stay at luxury hotels." That goes for the founder as well. He flies coach for business and when he needs to get around town locally he either takes the bus or will head out in his 15-year-old Volvo 240 GL
Chuck Feeney
Growing up in the wake of The Depression as an Irish-American probably has something to do with Feeney's frugality. With a personal motto of "I set out to work hard, not get rich," the co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers has quietly become a billionaire but even more secretively given almost all of it away through his foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies. In addition to giving more than $600 million to his alma mater Cornell University, he has given billions to schools, research departments and hospitals.
Loath to spend if he doesn't have to, Feeney beats both Buffett and Kamprad in the donation category, giving out less grants than only Ford and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations. A frequent user of public transportation, Mr. Feeney flies economy class, buys clothes from retail stores, and does not wast money on an extensive shoes closet, stating "you can only wear one pair of shoes at a time". He raised his children in the same way; making them work the same normal summer jobs as most teens.
Frederik Meijer
If you live in the Midwest chances are good that you shop at Meijer's chain of grocery stores. Meijer is worth more than $5 billion and nearly half of that was amassed when everyone else was watching their net worth drop in 2009. Like Buffett he buys reasonably-priced cars and drives them until they die, and like Kamprad he chooses affordable motels when on travel for work. Also, like Chuck Feeney, rather than carelessly spending his wealth Mr. Meijer is focused on the good that it can provide to the community.
The Bottom Line
The dirty little secret of some of the world's wealthiest people is that they rarely act like it. Instead of over-the-top spending, they're busy figuring out how to save and invest to have that much more in the future. It's a habit you might want to consider in order to build up your own little storehouse of cash.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
i am so very sneaky.
i follow you around the house.
i run away when you wanna snatch my toy from my mouth.
i look for you when you go hiding out at the balcony.
i bark at you when you scold me.
i hide underneath the bed when you want to beat me.
i growl at you when you carry me like a baby.
i jump up the dining table to look for food.
i chase after birds that block my path during walks.
i am little muffin.
hmm... not-so-little muffin!
i follow you around the house.
i run away when you wanna snatch my toy from my mouth.
i look for you when you go hiding out at the balcony.
i bark at you when you scold me.
i hide underneath the bed when you want to beat me.
i growl at you when you carry me like a baby.
i jump up the dining table to look for food.
i chase after birds that block my path during walks.
i am little muffin.
hmm... not-so-little muffin!
famous philisopher George Herbert Mead (note to Rachel Neo: not Daniel Mead hor) introduced the concept of "the I and the me" when theorizing the 'self'. the 'I' is the spontaneous self while 'me' is the socially-conscious self. 'I' will whack the shithead professor who gives him B for an essay but 'me' will not do that as it is aware of societal expectations of him, firstly as a civilized citizens and secondly as a student.
i've been having this 'I and me' conversation inside my head lately, and its driving me crazy so much that i wish to vent it all out here.
me: you are 25 years old now and he have achieved nothing in life! you haven't even started work!
I: what do you mean by I've achieved nothing in life? i've been awarded some pretty cool accolades these past years.
me: accolades so what? can put bread on the paper not? can buy house not?
I: it is not of my own choosing what. it has to do with ns...
me: you can blame the system till the cows come home but the fact is that you are a 25 year-old with nothing! no income no assets!
'me' is so damn powerful that 'I' am beginning to think like 'me'.
why didn't mead mention about 'me' influencing 'i'? or did he?
i've been having this 'I and me' conversation inside my head lately, and its driving me crazy so much that i wish to vent it all out here.
me: you are 25 years old now and he have achieved nothing in life! you haven't even started work!
I: what do you mean by I've achieved nothing in life? i've been awarded some pretty cool accolades these past years.
me: accolades so what? can put bread on the paper not? can buy house not?
I: it is not of my own choosing what. it has to do with ns...
me: you can blame the system till the cows come home but the fact is that you are a 25 year-old with nothing! no income no assets!
'me' is so damn powerful that 'I' am beginning to think like 'me'.
why didn't mead mention about 'me' influencing 'i'? or did he?
Monday, February 08, 2010
science or religion?
Source: http://library.thinkquest.org/C007461/bleeding_statues.htm
What is it
What is it
Statues and paintings in Europe has been proven to have either wept or bled. Probably the most famous case is in 1953 where a small statue of Mother Mary keep weeping profusely. Scientists even took samples of the tears, and announced that they could not differentiate it from human tears. The Catholic Church took it as a miracle, and today, the statue is still housed in a shrine specially built for it, and receives worshippers and visitors every year. Another famous incident is when a small plaster statue of Virgin Mary bleed profusely, coming from its cheek. A Bishop initially was sceptic about it, but when he witnessed the bleeding himself, he came out of it amazed and excited. In 1971, Italy, a painting of Virgin Mary was also said to be bleeding! Police locked it in a case, and when they opened it the next day, it was found that the painting was still bleeding, and that blood was actually human blood!
What is believed to have happened
Many believed this are all religious enigmas, miracles that was only made possible by the forces above us. Everyone believed that Virgin Mary was weeping and bleeding for reasons, too many to be named. The fact that they worship the weeping statue already proves that many people do believe that this is a great miracle.
What scientists believed
Scientists has always tried to solve this mystery, which is perhaps one of the most baffling secrets phenomena. But only one scientist, Dr Luigi Garlaschelli, was able to give a very well justified answer:
What is needed is a hollow statue made of porous material, such as plaster or ceramic. The icon must be glazed or painted with some impermeable coating. If the statue is then filled up with a liquid [surreptitiously, through a tiny hold in the head, for example], the porous material will absorb it, but the glazing will stop it from flowing out. If the glazing, however, is imperceptibly scratched away on or around the eyes, tear-like drops will leak out, as if materialising from thin air. If the cavity behind the eyes is small enough, once all the liquid has dripped out there are virtually no traces left in the icon. When i put it to the test, this trick proved to be very satisfactory, baffling all onlookers.
It is believed that this is perhaps one of the only logical explanations till today, with many people believing this theory. It has been proven and shown, and it looks just like the real thing.
Conclusion
Worshippers of Virgin Mary still do believe that her weeping and crying are works of miracles, but those neutral parties who have actually witnessed Garlaschelli's experiments would also be convinced that this could well be fake. But this only works for statues, what about paintings? Till today, people still argue over which is the right answer, but most people would just choose to think it's a miracle, and not look at a scientific answer. So does it really weep and bleed? Or is it just a hoax? The answer is yet to be disclosed.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
"The real political task in a society such as ours is to criticize the workings of institutions that appear to be both neutral and independent, to criticize and attack them in such a manner that the political violence that has always exercised itself obscurely through them will be unmasked, so that one can fight against them."
— Michel Foucault
Monday, February 01, 2010
fun-filled weekend 2 - dog show!!!
we attended the dog shot at tampines 1 rooftop on sunday! mummy wanted me to meet some new friends and conquer the fear i have of other dogs. she wants me to love dogs like i love human.
in the best-dressed segment, i saw some dogs and bitches all dressed up to the theme of tiger and valentine. so pretty! i wanna be dress up like that when i grow up!
the peacock!
mr tuxedo!
lovely princess!
man-in-black! and white.. and red..
and some other lovely dogs.
the most scary of all!!! mr tiger!
it was so hot that i need to look for shade. and while i was hiding under shade, mummy signed me up for two competitions! the minimum age to participate is 6 months.. i am only 5! i dunno how she signed me up but she got me all nervous... she signed me up for 'paw-paw' and 'buffet-line'. hahahahahaha i love food..!
waiting to go on stage for paw-paw!!
'paw-paw'
buffet-line!
in the best-dressed segment, i saw some dogs and bitches all dressed up to the theme of tiger and valentine. so pretty! i wanna be dress up like that when i grow up!
the peacock!
mr tuxedo!
lovely princess!
man-in-black! and white.. and red..
and some other lovely dogs.
the most scary of all!!! mr tiger!
it was so hot that i need to look for shade. and while i was hiding under shade, mummy signed me up for two competitions! the minimum age to participate is 6 months.. i am only 5! i dunno how she signed me up but she got me all nervous... she signed me up for 'paw-paw' and 'buffet-line'. hahahahahaha i love food..!
waiting to go on stage for paw-paw!!
'paw-paw'
buffet-line!
fun-filled weekend 1 - kite flying
we planned to attend some kite festival on saturday. but the weather was so damn hot that we waited at home till evening. i decided to change my image and have a new hairstyle! i was so then bored that i tried to ka-cheow the tortoises..and then i stoned..
and then i was falling asleep..
when i opened my eyes.. i found myself on a grass patch (with lots of ants)!
and i looked up to see the most beautiful sky i've ever seen - filled with kites!
then we posed for some photos with our colourful kite!
kite-flying in action!
some kite exhibits. my personal favourite is this flying bear!
follow by this tortoise that is too heavy to take off.
what a tiring day but i loved every minute of it!
Friday, January 29, 2010
in comms class now. shared by lecturer, just for laughs..
source: http://www.blogiseverything.com/fun-stuffs/the-best-headlines-of-2005/
source: http://www.blogiseverything.com/fun-stuffs/the-best-headlines-of-2005/
Note: These are actual headlines extracted from various media.
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
[No, really?]
Crack Found on Governor’s Daughter
[Imagine that!]
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
[Now that's taking things a bit far!]
Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
[What a guy!]
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
[No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-sos!]
Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
[See if that works any better than a fair trial!]
War Dims Hope for Peace
[I can see where it might have that effect!]
If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
[You think?!]
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
[Who would have thought!]
Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
[They may be on to something!]
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
[You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?!]
Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
[He probably IS the battery charge]
New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
[Weren't they fat enough?!]
Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
[That's what he gets for eating those beans!]
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
[They taste like chicken?]
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
[Chainsaw Massacre all over again!]
Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
[Boy, are they tall!]
And the winner is….
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
[Did I read that sign right?]
Thursday, January 21, 2010
a walk down pasir ris park
hi guys! its been a long time since i blogged and i'm sure i've been missed! anyway i dun feel like writing too much. the photos will paint a thousand words for me (about how shag i am during the excursion...)
i was so happy to be going out for a walk initially! so exciting!
then i started to get tired (you can tell by the amount of tongue i am showing..)
when i felt like giving up on running the marathon, i just stopped.
hahaha and it worked! they had to bring me to a shelter for a break.
sitting down wasn't going to do for me.
they also gave up and brought me back to the car for the journey back home.
opps.. i'm so sorry. i promise to build up my stamina so that i can go for longer walks!
i was so happy to be going out for a walk initially! so exciting!
then i started to get tired (you can tell by the amount of tongue i am showing..)
when i felt like giving up on running the marathon, i just stopped.
hahaha and it worked! they had to bring me to a shelter for a break.
sitting down wasn't going to do for me.
they also gave up and brought me back to the car for the journey back home.
opps.. i'm so sorry. i promise to build up my stamina so that i can go for longer walks!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Applicable ONLY to a mid-twentier
Another year goes by and suddenly I'm in my mid twenties. 2009 wasn't a good year but I'm sure this year will be. What's your new year resolution? Let me guess. Is it to lose weight? 2 out of 2 pple I asked had a new year reso which had to do with their weight. (Ya i only asked 2 pple and got bored of asking. Rayray said he has no resolution so that doesn't count)
Generalising based on 2 feedback would not be justified. I'm guessing that some pple might aim to get a gf/bf, to improve their grades, to be a nicer person, to have more sex or quit smoking.
Therefore, stop being envious of what others have, stop snatching other pples bf/gf and stop ostrasising that geek in your class or that weirdly-quiet/incessantly-talking/bulimic lady in that corner of your office.
Generalising based on 2 feedback would not be justified. I'm guessing that some pple might aim to get a gf/bf, to improve their grades, to be a nicer person, to have more sex or quit smoking.
Whatever your commitment is, time is running out. Im listening to my favourite songs as many times as I can. Eating my favourite food as and when I want to. Reading my favourite verses over again. Singing my favourite lines until someone asked me if that's the only verse i know.
Therefore, stop being envious of what others have, stop snatching other pples bf/gf and stop ostrasising that geek in your class or that weirdly-quiet/incessantly-talking/bulimic lady in that corner of your office.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Mcdonald's Doraemon SAGA
[LATEST Mcdonald's Doraemon SAGA] As a halal restaurant, McDonald's could not display or sell pig.
seems like we are not a true multi religious-racial-cultural-whatever society. what inclusive society? what integeration? pui!
its just a bloody soft toy but something so trivial ironically magnify the racial issue a zillion times and make apparent the fault lines and cracks that we often choose to believe is non-existing.
this is a discrimination against the chinese; a disrespect to the chinese culture. dun think about using the chinese zodiac as a marketing tool if you can't sell pig. you think that you can get away by replacing the pig with a cupid (a western cultural element)! it only makes the matter worse.
mc will have some explaining to do. non-thinking heads should roll.
seems like we are not a true multi religious-racial-cultural-whatever society. what inclusive society? what integeration? pui!
its just a bloody soft toy but something so trivial ironically magnify the racial issue a zillion times and make apparent the fault lines and cracks that we often choose to believe is non-existing.
this is a discrimination against the chinese; a disrespect to the chinese culture. dun think about using the chinese zodiac as a marketing tool if you can't sell pig. you think that you can get away by replacing the pig with a cupid (a western cultural element)! it only makes the matter worse.
mc will have some explaining to do. non-thinking heads should roll.
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