Chapter 3: When I was growing up and now ..... Beano, Dandy and a Coke - salted, not stirred

Do you know who the cartoon character above is? His favorite food as you can see him eating was Cow Pie - yes with the horns and tail intact. Desperate Dan was the main character in Dandy comics. And Beano had some other characters.


If you do not, you're too young, go ask your mom or dad to buy you a beano or in this day and age, show you one online.

When I was growing up, it was a weekly treat to go get a comic book at the magazine vendor in Sri Intan in Pulau Tikus, Penang. It costs perhaps 15cents to 30cents, but the old man would always buy it for us.

And sit there and go through the magazine with a coke, salted, not stirred.

If you have not had coke from a bottle with some salt in it, try it the next time.

These were the days when you'd go out with parents to eat a 15 cent roti canai or a 15 cent thosai. Idli was not my thing.
There was a fried mee/mee hoon seller in Fettes Park that sold a plate for 20 cents.

And you would down that with freshly squeezed sugarcane water.

It probably had bacteria but we lived.

The plates, those famous melamine plates, not plastic but not glass. Some even served on bended aluminum plates.

We were out a lot, we seemed to have a lot of time.

Our parents were not always there for us. In fact, I think parents are more conscious about this quality time thingy nowadays then they were then.

They did not know what quality time was ..... the just did quality time when they had time.

Thus we are left with wonderful memories imprinted in our minds.

But as we grow, the big ego starts to be the devil's advocate.

And God get's set aside.

Money from the root of all evil become the root of all happiness.

Happiness becomes having the fanciest car, the fanciest phone, the fanciest gadget.

Sadness become lack thereof.

The world has become a sad place. You see it everywhere. People complaining about one thing or another.

The simple pleasures in life are not there.

People do not drink coke with salt anymore.

Now even coke is coke zero - emptiness like their lives have become.

You want happiness?

Seek simple pleasures, praise and glorify God daily, be grateful for each and everything in your life including the fact that you are breathing.

Do not over-indulge in heavy sweet desserts and a heavy fat laden meal and then order a diet coke or coke zero. Instead, have a salad and have a coke, salted, not stirred.

You still want a 50cent roti canai when everyone else charges a dollar? Come over to Bangsar, behind TMC, the best roti canai I have had.

Get away from that computer, from that facebook page, leave your phone at home and go out for a walk in the park or even to the nearest coffee shop and relax and observe others.

Get a Dandy or Beano or any of the newer comics (check out http://www.facebook.com/sheldongohart) and buy some new comic book.

We are all blessed, so be blessed rather than blur.

Take care and be well.

Chapter 2: When I was growing up and now .... Television

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. His hands can't hit what his eyes can't see. Now you see me, now you don't. George thinks he will, but I know he won't.

When I was growing up, my dad was a very busy man. He was in a commodities import and export business which kept him in the office until close to midnight. By the time he came home, we would be asleep. And by the time we went to school early in the morning, he would still be sleeping.

He was a rather strict man, so we would be afraid to make noise and quietly slip away to school.

We did see him in the weekends and I remember many wonderful trip in the weekend, picnics at the beach or the botanical gardens or the hill station. Watching a movie - in premier class seat up in the balcony. Meals outside. Ice cream floats.

While we were the first to have a colour tv at home, in Malaysia itself, color tv only existed since 1979 when Tun Hussein Onn was the Prime Minister (my year is estimated). So we had one of those relatively huge black and white tv's with the speakers built in and 4 wooden legs and a shutter covering the screen when not in use. I still have that tv in my storage, likely still works.

My dad also had a small portable black and white tv, perhaps 12 inches at max, looking similar to the one above in his room.

The only channels we had were RTM 1 and RTM 2 and they were good truly 1Malaysia channels then, showing shows and movies in English, Malay, Chinese, Tamil as well as Hindi. Pretty much every show had an English or Malay subtitle.

Despite how busy my dad was, there were 2 television events he would never miss. He would even take his portable tv to the office if these events happened to be during the office hours which for him was like 10am to midnight.

The first even was any World Heavyweight Boxing match, and those days when Muhammad Ali was king, there was only 1 type of heavyweight title. His office mates would crowd around to see Ali fooling around with the opponent whether it was Bugner or Frazier or Foreman. In fact, the quote from Ali above was with his match with Foreman when he taunted Foreman of being so slow that he would not even see Ali.

Ali was a boxer but he was a showman. Like a circus in town or Russel Peter's nowadays. He entertained crowds, not just boxed.

Ali truly was the greatest of them all, he was the undisputed king. Many have come and tried, Holyfield, Tyson and few others but nobody comes close to Ali.

Another big even in my dad's tv watching was the yearly budget. He would be glued to every word of the finance minister. The finance minister during the black and white days that I remembered him really glued to the budget was always Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Finance Minister from 1976-1984).

Razaleigh was another entertainer, another person whom you could admire. Someone who was candid yet serious.

Of course, for my dad, the budget was important for business and to see if taxes and duties increased or reduced and what that would mean for the commodities that he was dealing in.

But nowadays....

I have no bloody clue who the World Heavyweight boxing champion is anymore. The last time I heard, there were now three different world boxing organisations and likely there are 3 unknown champions.

And to be honest, I bet most of you reading this also do not know who it is. Some will likely Google it. But for me, boxing has reached to such a boring state that I am not even bothered to Google and see who is the champion now.

And the budget.... don't even get me started on the budget. I was working from home the other day and decided what the attraction my dad had to watching the budget. Watching Jibby speak, I fell asleep.

The budget too has become so boring, so mundane, the same old promises, extravagant government spending, some ikan bilis (anchovies) thrown out to the public and like Bleh Bleh Bleh ...... zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

So, what memories will we have of this generation? What memories would our kids have of us when they are our age?

Likely, oh my mom and dad were glued to Facebook, how old school is that.

And they would browse Internet for all information like it was God's truth.


Owh, and they watched satellite tv, through a dish, with Astro .... they would flip endlessly and watch stupid reality shows that were not even real.

Our parents may have been busy, but they showed us the great outdoors. When was the last time you took your kids out for a picnic or took them out to the nature (not the mall)?

Anyway, such is life. There is time to make a change, to be memorable, but do not wait thinking winter is still a long time away and there is still a lot of time.

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man on the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."
Take care and be well.

Chapter 1: When I was growing up ..... and now: A perspective from the aged.

I have not written for some time but lately there has been some direction and some inspiration that I may start writing again.

I have been writing some snippets of how somethings were whenh I was growing up and how things are now, some personal stories and some just stories.

But a good start to these would be a reflection of an old man that someone had sent to me recently and I have shared in Facebook.

You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly


and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was young,

just married and embarking on my new life with my mate.

And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago,

and I wonder where all the years went.

I know that I lived them all...

And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams...

But, here it is... the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise...

How did I get here so fast?

Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well...

seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people

were years away from me and that winter was so far off

that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like...

But, here it is...

my friends are retired and getting grey...

they move slower and I see an older person now.

Some are in better and some worse shape than me...

but, I see the great change...

Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...

but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks

that we used to see and never thought we'd be.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day!

And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory!

Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so...

now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared

for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability

to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!!

But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...

this I know, that when it's over... its over...

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done...

things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done.

It's all in a lifetime...

So, if you're not in your winter yet...

let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think.

So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!

Don't put things off too long!!

Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today,

as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life... so,

live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...

and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things

that you have done for them in all the years past!!

"Life is a gift to you.

The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after.

Make it a fantastic one."

Live it well.

Enjoy Today.

Do something fun.

Be happy, be thankful.

Take care and be well.

Amazing

I have not written since April 13. Now is June 27. This is not really a post.

I apologize to those who have been following me.

Changes in job, in life have resulted in me losing my writing abilities where I seem to have a block of ideas and also I am just lacking time.

I hope one day this blog will be active again.

Until then, God bless you all, I love you, I thank you, I am sorry, Please forgive me.

Take care and be well.

Manage from the Inside Out

Continuing my blog on Greatness, today's blog is not from Robin Sharma's Greatness Guide but from another book by Laurie Beth Jones titled Jesus CEO (Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership).

Most modern organizations have the alpha management style or the beta management style. Alpha using more authoritative use of power and beta more cooperative use of power.

However, the Omega method of management incorporates and enhances both alpha and beta. And most religious leaders including Jesus used the Omega method, perhaps maybe created it too.

If you think about it, He is one person who trained 12 humans who went to influence the world to the level that the time itself is now recorded as BC and AD - before and after his existence.

He worked with staff that was totally human, not divine and some of them who were illiterate, questionable backgrounds, feelings but they still went to accomplish His tasks that He trained them to do and they only did this for one main reason, to be with Him again. Is there any manager or boss in your life of working where you would go to all lengths to just be with the person again?

And the best of all, His omega leadership style is intended to be used by any of us.

Among one of his methods was that he managed from inside out, from the people closest to him.

Many companies have a sprinkler phenomenon of management, like a water sprinkler, so much energy is usually put in watering the outer reaches of the lawn that the grass closest to the sprinkler head is usually dead or yellowing.

Many managers and companies often overlook the people closest to them despite all good intentions. Most company receptionist are not aware of major functions or visitors to the building. I remember once where the functional MD of one of the businesses in the company was waiting for his sponsor to collect him from the receptionist and the receptionist was even unaware of a major function by that MD. Similarly, while many preachers and pastors talk about shepherding and finding lost sheep and sowing the fields, many preachers' kids are notorious for their own lack of it.

The author herself gives an example of a osteopathic hospital that spent millions on educating people about osteopathy on television, media ads etc. But 75% of the hospital's own staff had no idea what the word meant, the cooks, the security, the clerks and cleaning crew had no idea of the meaning.

You may think, "So what if the security guard knows more about the hospital mission?"

It means plenty, to the bottom line when the staff are more informed. Because they will communicate this to their friends, and this communication influence will be worth more than any millions you may spend on advertising.

Jesus understood this, of educating and informing his people first.

He depended on small circles to spread into bigger circles, like a ripple effect.

Jesus looked at the crowd and said, "Phillip, how shall we feed all these people?"

Phillip suggested that they be send home so they could find their own dinner. But Jesus was concerned and knew many would faint along the way. So He enlisted Phillip to help in solving their hunger and He taught Philip to empathize with people the way He did.

He made sure His staff knew what was going on at all times. Even when He was going to ascend, He said the Holy Spirit will guide you until I return. He kept the grass closest to him green, He managed from inside out.

How about you? Do you sometimes overlook the people closest to you? If so, can you correct that?

What is your system to making sure your staff is constantly informed about the facts as well as emotions or spirit of any situation?

Think about it.

Take care and be well.

Life lessons from Sponge Bob Square Pants

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea

"Spongebob squarepants"

Absorbant and yellow and porous is he

"Spongebob Squarepants"

If nautical nonsense be something you wish

"Spongebob Squarepants"

Then drop on the deck and flop like a fish

"Spongebob Squarepants"

I usually read 4 sometimes 5 books at a time. A few pages or chapters, a few minutes or an hour.

Current reading list includes The Greatness Guide (Robin Sharma), Fooled by Randomness (Nassim Nicholas Taleb), The Bible (some 200 authors perhaps), Micro (Michael Crichton) and MAD (Making a Difference) Culture.

Why do I read so much? Well, some people like to watch history channel, some like to watch the cartoons, some all the reality shows. Most people maybe read only the newspaper or perhaps some pop-culture magazine.

I like to read.

But that is not what today's blog is really about. Today's blog is from the excerpt on one of the things I read in one of the books above.

I like to watch cartoons. And while many of us adults would consider Sponge Bob Square Pants one of the stupidest mind blowing cartoons in the world, there are life lessons we all can learn from Sponge Bob.

Be the eternal optimist
Sponge Bob always sees the best in every situation. Our thinking really does shape our reality. When you look for the best, you find the best. When you look for worst, you get worst.


Value People
He values his friends even the crankiest of them. Always respect and put people 1st.

Be an Original
He is one of a kind, himself. Many of us are afraid to be ourselves and easily give up on our dreams and start to follow the crowd. Once we have courage to be true, the greatest you, then we will be the greatest us.

Laugh and Have Fun
Sponge Bob knows how to have fun and laugh. There is no point being successful but sad. Reach the mountain top but enjoy the climb as well. Life is not an ordeal. Laugh and Have fun.

Take care and be well.

Everbody's beautiful in their own way

I am unique. As I am beautiful. And so are you.



Remember you are beautiful, everybody is beautiful in their own way, under God's heaven.

Take care and be well.

So what did I do when I was 43?

Eat. Bangkok Lane, The Lil Wine Place, Tree Monkey, Mansion 32, Kopitiam, Euro Deli, G, Penang Road Chendol, etc etc
Laugh. with wife, with friend, with the world
Drink a little. Tom Yum Martini, Dirty Martini, Dry Martini and Edwinger beer, wine, water, juice.
Sleep.
Enjoy.
Catch up with a old friend.
Shop. In Gurney plaza, elsewhere, Spice Garden
On a Good Friday. Celebrate 43.
Church, on Easter Sunday. In Pulau Tikus Church of Immaculate Conception.
Eat. Or did I mention eat already.

Owh Penang, how wonderful to come home again after nearly 18 months.

Take care and be well

BAU, LWD, SLA, ASM, ISM, ITIL, ROTFLMAO

APRIL FOOLS?

BAU - business as usual.

New role starts, wonderful, ahppy. Back to program management.

What about handover, transition, old role?

BAU. Business as usual. Do both. Yay. Double pay too?

Got a message from someone, subject LWD.

So many acronyms. LWD, person leaving, last working day, farewell.

Thought I'd be rid of the ISMs and the SLAs and the BPRs etc, but oh no, not just yet, BAU my friend.

Just do it. NIKE.

Take care and be well.

Vision

An excerpt from Alice in Wonderland:

Alice was puzzled. As she searched for a way out of Wonderland, she came to a fork in the road. "Which road should I take?" she asked the Cheshire Cat.

"Where are you going?" the Cat inquired.

Alice said she didn't know.

The smiling cat gave her this reply, "If you do not know where you are going, any road will get you there."

Do you know where you are going and where you want to go?

See that your goals are clearly defined and that you know what it means to perform well. This will give you the clear focus for your energy and put you on the road to becoming high performing, empowered producers. All good performance starts with clear goals.

Also, have a vision, know who you are, where you are going and what will guide your journey to get there.

If you do not know who you are, it does not matter then where you are going or how you will get there.

You need to be clear of your values that will guide our journey and help us make the tough decisions when we hit obstacles.

It takes courage to create a vision but the most courageous person is a leader who acts on the vision.

Or you could have a plaque like most companies and most leaders do and say this is our vision. Two years on, the leader changes or the organization changes and the vision changes and another plaque is made.

Do you know where you are going?

Do you know how you going to get there?

Do you know what will guide your path?

Ask these questions and follow them.

Take care and be well.

A Dog's Purpose?

Taken from a friends FB status.

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa , and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life, like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?"

The Six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

• Live simply.
• Love generously.
• Care deeply.
• Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

1. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
2. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
3. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
4. Take naps.
5. Stretch before rising.
6. Run, romp, and play daily.
7. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
8. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
9. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
10. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
11. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
12. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
13. Be loyal.
14. Never pretend to be something you're not.
15. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
16. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

Take care and be well.

Live a Life that Matters

I WANT HAPPINESS

Take away your selfishness - I

Take away your desire - WANT

What are you left with?

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from.
It won't matter whether you are beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin colour will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?

What will matter us not what you bought, but what you built.
Not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter us not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion and courage,
or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew,
but how many will feel the lasting loss when you are gone.
What will matter is not your memories,
but the memories that live on in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered and for what.

Living a life that matters does not happen by accident,
It happens by choice.

Take care and be well.

Movies

The two movies this year winning the most Oscars at the Academy were Hugo and The Artist.

I have not seen The Artist yet as it is not shown at the cinemas at the moment and not available at my favorite DVD shop yet.

I did however manage to watch Hugo which I had bought from the DVD shop because I doubt these sort of movies will come here anytime soon.

Anyways, both movies are coincidentally about old Hollywood movies. Hugo takes us back to Hollywood golden silent moving picture era through a young boy and the Artist, a silent movie that shows the life of a silent movie actor who looses out when voice comes in.

I truly enjoyed Hugo, it was motivational and quite heartwarming.

By the way, I also go to the cinemas and not just watch DVDs. Over the weekend, I went to watch The Lorax with wifey. It's a Dr Seuss based story about environmental issues about this town living in Plastic, with everything Plastic including trees etc because real trees were harvested for other purposes.

Why am I blogging about this? Maybe I really do not know what to blog about.

But maybe, movies after a hundred years are really succeeding to make people think more, imagine more and hope more.

Movies help me to just put some of my worries aside and fantasize and hope for a better tomorrow.

Take my mind off from the racism in this country where a blatantly racist question appears in a high school history book, where a state agriculture minister officially writes for aid to a blind man to be removed because the blind man voted opposition and where the government continues to hoodwink us with one issue or another including telling us Lynas is good.

The PM said the wasted should be sent far far away from the plant. I have a suggestion, let's send it to his personal home in Pekan and Damansara Heights (note I did not say Putra Perdana because that is the official PM residence and he should be kicked out anytime soon).

Anyway, movies, take me away from this to relax my mind. It takes me away from work. Takes me away from the "wonderful" immediate family members who are such a "joy and blessing" in my life (wifey excluded as she is truly a blessing in my life despite our ups and downs).

And it takes away from all the thoughts of all the "wonderful friends" who are so good that you do not have to worry about enemies or someone stabbing you in the back, just keep an eye on your friends.

But hey, movies are wonderful. One day, I will write a novel, a book, a story that someone will make into a screenplay and hopefully become an award winning movie or play.

Until then, I will keep musing.

Take care and be well.

Simple rules - Go, Ask, Move forward

Does not need further elaboration.

If you do not GO AFTER what you want, you will never have it (you cannot have what you do not seek and go for).

If you do not ASK, the answer will always be NO (as there will not be an answer at all).

If you do not STEP FORWARD, you will always be in the same place (cause you would not have moved at all).

Take care and be well.

The oxymoron of nothing

A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word (part of speech) that in syntax conveys an action (bring, read, walk, run, learn), an occurrence (happen, become), or a state of being (be, exist, stand). In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive. In many languages, verbs are inflected (modified in form) to encode tense, aspect, mood and voice. A verb may also agree with the person, gender, and/or number of some of its arguments, such as its subject, or object.

Nothingness is the state of being nothing, the state of nonexistence of anything, or the property of having nothing.

So, technically, nothing is a verb and thus conveys an action or a state of being, a state of being nothing.

Getting confused?

Nothing is an action, so even when doing nothing, in actual fact, you are doing something, you are being in a state of nothing.

Oxymoron enough for you?

Let's do nothing.

Take care and be well.

Leaped a month in a leap year

Wow, no blog in February, I guess I leaped a month in this leap year. 2012.

I was playing hide and seek but nobody was seeking.

We just went through 21.02.2012 but the world is still here. Oh wait, that was supposed to be 20.12.2012 or was it?

When does the world end anyways? Will we have a choice in the matter? Will we just disappear on the leap year like my blog did in February?

The dinosaurs did not seem to have much choice. Did they get wiped out suddenly or over a period of time? Maybe they caught the bird flu or H1N1 or H1N5 or some virus that wiped them out over the year.

Or perhaps some asteroid hit the world and wiped them out, but where is the hole?

Most likely, some supreme power decided hey, these is no fun anymore, lets start clean again.

Maybe 100 million years or shorter from now, some type of animal will be excavating dinosaurs and humans and would be wondering the same thing.

Ramblings and musings.

Why are humans so offended when I say we are all animals? That's what I learned in science, we all come from animal kingdom. Would you rather I call you a plant or a element?

So many things have been going in in Malaysia, in the place I work, at home, in my life yet what would really matter.

Sometimes you feel like hiding but like the picture about, maybe nobody would seek you anyways.

But in all honesty, there is nothing like living in Malaysia, it's fun with cowgate, rosmahgate, ringate, berkingate, pasgate, unmogate, anwargate .... it seems if you add a gate at the end of anything, it becomes a scandal.

Off course all this starts from Watergate Hotel which a few of you will remember but it was a scandal that brought down a popular US President named Nixon.

Some may remember Nixon, but what was his full name? Don't google it, can you remember? What about his middle name? A famous Simpsons cartoon character is named after his middle name and no, it is not Bart.

Coincidentally, his initials RM are also the same as our self appointed FLOM. Hmm, no wonder so many scandals, so many RMgates.

Wonder who is the boss?

Take care and be well.

Pointy Haired Bosses and such...

I seriously think that Scott Adams or Dilbert or some Scott Adams spy is working in the company I work in.

I joined this place in Sep 2007 and while I am all for rapid changes and movement and progression, I have physically changed roles 3 times in 4 years and now time again to change again.

In Sep 2007, I started as a PM and quite liked it, or else I would not have left my previous companies.

I had a friend who rightfully used to tell people off when they said their previous company was better. "Wah, your previous company so good, why did you leave? Either you were fired or you were lousy," he would ask them with a quizzical look which often left the other party flabbergasted.

But that is true, why would you go to your new job and keep comparing to your old one? Many people do that. But why do they leave in the 1st place.

In mid 2008, I was moved to a Programme Manager role in which I truly thrived and performed well for the next 1.5 years before another change came into play in end of 2009.

So, in 2010, I was yet in another role, as a Service Manager. A role that did not quite suite me plus it is always difficult when you have a mediocre supervisor. The excellent coaching I had in the last 2.5 years just poofed and disappeared and we were all running about in this newly set up department like chickens without a head.

Nevertheless, I did the best and even took on additional things. Despite all these, efforts were nought and many wasted.

I sincerely feel I have wasted 2 years in my career, I learned things yes, but I am stuck.

So, since I am stuck, do I make a career change or do I make a job change.

There is a big difference there that many do not realise nor accept. I have, in this lifetime, since I started working in 1991, had 8.5 companies that I worked for but seriously only 3 career changes that were drastic enough. (0.5 because I worked as a contract while being full time employed - one of those deals)

A career change, to me is a change that is drastic enough that it is totally something else from what you have been doing. For me, the changes were from being a journalist (2 companies) to a manufacturing supervisor (2 companies) to Information Technology (4.5 companies).

I have been in IT proper since 2000, but started in dabbling in 1998. That is nearly 14 years in one field and in all honesty, I do not know if I am ready to move on. I have been a project manager, a program manager, a technical manager, a requirements analyst, a business systems consultant, a business development manager and a service manager - one fancy title after another.

However, in all honesty, sometimes I feel a need to change. Maybe not just yet, but maybe next 3-5 years.

I came across this article that I shared on my Facebook and I really like it. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/holly-robinson/quitting-your-job_b_1211880.html

Jobs are like college courses. Each one you take teaches you a set of new skills and offers a fresh perspective on life. They aren't meant to be permanent, most of them. They are only stepping stones.

In my daughter's case, the barista job led her to have enough free hours to do what she really loves: draw comics. She's thinking about publishing her comics online. In her free time, she also happened to stop by a new gourmet cupcake store, where she chatted with the enthusiastic owner and was hired to decorate cupcakes and work the counter. Again, it's not much money, but combined with the coffee place, it's enough for her to scrape by. Meanwhile, she has moved out of Oakland and into an affordable room in a house near the beach in Santa Cruz. She's happily experimenting with cupcake flavors and thinking about helping this new business owner with social media and marketing. She is learning something new every day. Life is good.

When you quit a job, any job, it can be terrifying. But it's also exhilarating, as you open yourself to new possibilities. So go ahead. Take the risk. Quit that job, if you hate it. You might surprise yourself.

Perhaps one day you will walk into a nice chic restaurant somewhere in KL and do not be surprised if you see me as the chef cooking up your meal. Be sure to have dessert cause that surely would have been made by my wifey.

Take care and be well.

So beaten and so battered

Look at this face
I know the years are showin’
Look at this life
I still don’t know where it’s goin’
Look at these eyes
They never seen what mattered
Look at these dreams
So beaten and so battered,
So many questions
Still left unanswered
So much
I’ve never broken through
Look at this man
So blessed with inspiration
Look at this soul
Still searching for salvation

I don’t know much
But I know I love you
And that may be
All I need to know

But is it truly
All I need to know, God?

Sometimes when I do not know what to write, I find some lyrics that writes what I need to express. I may be down, but I am never out. I will just have to get up and move on, move forward.

Take care and be well.

Note: Lyrics above taken from a song titled I don't know much, but I know I love you.

What are rights of other Earthlings

Earthling (noun) - an inhabitant of the earth.

Nature, Animal and Humankind.

Make the connection.

I have been a vegetarian all my life, mostly. I may have intentionally or accidentally eaten dead animals. As a vegetarian, I eat dead plants, for my sustenance.

I was born a vegetarian, all my ancestors have been vegetarian as far as I am aware.

However, I am not a vegetarian because of religious reasons.

I am a vegetarian because of ethical and to some extent, environmental reasons.

Recently, Mark Zuckerberg, from what I read, changed his diet. He is mostly vegetarian and only eats animals that he kills with his own hands.

It is not easy. I personally could not kill an animal to eat it, thus, I rather remain a vegetarian.

The environmentalist also claim that vegetarians have a smaller carbon footprint, so I guess inevitably, I am also doing the earth some good.

I have watched the video below a few times already. First, when "Datuk YB" lend it to me and a few times from the website. It is a 90 plus minute video and many people cringe to watch even 15-30 minutes of it.

I would say that I will not recommend it to anyone below 15 although kids are growing up fast nowadays.    

Find sometime and watch it, however long you can, and be more aware of rights of other living things on the earth. 



Take care and be well.

Know your rights as a Human

Below is a nice video on Human Rights that should be shared with as many people as possible.



Following is the complete United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Can anyone name me any country in the world that follows this beyond any reasonable doubts? Surely not USA and surely not Malaysia and if some kiasu Singaporean says the little island country does, let me give him 2 tight slaps in advance.

PREAMBLE


Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,


Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,


Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,


Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,


Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,


Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,


Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,


Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.


Article 1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6. 
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.
(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.
(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.
(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.
(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.
(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.
(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.
(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.
(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.
(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29.
(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30.
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

Now that you know your rights as a human, think about rights of other earthlings, other living things of this earth.

Take care and be well.

Pot and Kettle

"Before the throne if the Almighty, man will be judged not by his acts but by his intentions. For God alone reads our hearts" - Mahatma Gandhi

Quite often the Pot likes to call the Kettle black.

Yes, today was the so called Big Judgement Day in Malaysia, the so called verdict against Anwar and the big rallies and all the hullabaloo parades and marches.

This blog is not about politics, not about Malaysia, not about Anwar who was found not guilty if you have been living under a rock or overseas and don't give a shit who Anwar is.... which neither do I.

This blog is about the pot and the kettle, about you and me.

My guardians constantly tell me that I have to be patient and I have to be compassionate and I have to be grateful and I have to show love. I have to do this no matter what people say and people do. Yes, let them judge me but I shall not feel hate for them.

But it does still upset me when the pot calls the kettle black.

When someone picks or judges me without really knowing me or finding out the truth. When someone makes an assumption and judgement based on heresy from what they heard from another person.

Gandhi made the quote above, "Before the throne if the Almighty, man will be judged not by his acts but by his intentions. For God alone reads our hearts."

Do you really believe this? Do I?

Let's assume there is Almighty for once. I know I have a number of atheist friends that do not believe in Almighty, but let's leave that aside for a discussion some other time.

Man will be judged by his intentions and not actions? So, I can kill a hundred but not have the intention or have a good intention to kill a hundred people and it is fine?

Sounds crazy?

This is called war. Iraq, Afghanistan, WW1, WW2, Vietnam, Korea .... name it. Hundred of people are killed for so called good intentions, to overcome a tyrant, to kill a tyrant, blah blah blah.

Everyone may have good intentions and still do bad actions.

For Hitler, he was doing something crazy with "good intentions" in his crazy little mind. So was George Bush when he attacked Iraq and Afghanistan.

My school headmaster who was a Catholic Jesuit brother plus the discipline teachers used to cane problem students in their backsides so hard that some could not sit for days. The intentions were to make them better students. Good intentions, bad actions but okay in eyes of God?

So, for me, actions are as important as intentions when being judged.

So, why do people like to judge one another?

I have people who barely know me think that perhaps I drink too much. I honestly have no freaking idea where and how they make that impression without really understanding the life I lead or how much I drink on a daily basis.

But then again, maybe they are right cause I do drink 4-5 litres a day, perhaps that is drinking too much ... water that is.

As for alcohol, I personally know people who drink socially a lot more than I do but hey, who am I to judge them.

Also other habits. Some say this and that without rarely knowing what this or that is, but they are quick to pass a judgement. Everyone is bloody opinionated. Everyone is very vocal. But I guess this is the information age, everyone feels it is their right to do so.

Nevertheless, I am happy that my loved ones close to me like wifey, Al E and dad and a few close friends do not judge me for who I am, imperfect as I may be, I still am me, I am who I am. I am not going to justify my habits, good or bad to you nor do I expect anything in return.

And I forgive the pot or the kettle, I forgive you for judging me but f... off and let me lead my life the way I see fit and you enjoy your life. I know God will forgive me.

Have a wonderful life, pots, kettles, whatever you may be, black, white, purple, yellow, brown, it matters not.

Take care and be well.

Then and Now

Today is going to be a blog of pictures. Not much words as the pictures say it all.

I always liked John Lennon, he may be a commie, but hey, I want to be happy and since young, I think I understood life was about happiness and if I was happy, God would grant me anything that I so desired. 

 The picture above says it all. Nowadays, everything is done on the computer. At work, I no longer have a desk phone as all my calls are now made through the computer.

 When I was young, I would always be playing outdoors. In the rain or hot sun and never got sick. Now I make a million excuses just to exercise.

I had a study table and a bed in my bedroom with mostly school books and an Encyclopedia Britannica. No computers, no Internet existed and no television. So, going to room was a punishment. Now, it is more a reward as more and more kids hate to spent time on the dining table having a family meal together. 

 Sad but true. We have so many Facebook friends that sometimes we just do not spend enough time with real friends.

Go Google it. Google is not just a search engine anymore but it is a verb.

 The 1st scene was so common during my time. Our parents used to go to our teachers and support the teachers to punish us if we were naughty or did not pay attention. Now, we have become the parents and blaming the teachers for everything. Look at home, change your attitude and support the teachers out there, they are doing what they can within their means. Yes, not all are great but still, stop complaining and start helping the teachers.

My first TV was a 12 inch CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and now I have a 42 inch LED. My waist when I had a 12 inch CRT was 26 inches, now, 35 inches. 

 Above is me now, 29 December 2011. Below is me then, likely aged 15, Form 3, so, circa November 1984.

Times may have changed, but some things remain the same. My eyes have been the same since I was born cause eyes do not grow in size. My heart has always also been the same, filled with love and passion but also sometimes anger against cruelty and horrible human beings.

Take care and be well.

Economics for Dummies

Calvin must have been to Malaysia and visited out Government.

When the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great. But when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

An economics professor never failed a single student before, but recently failed an entire class.

That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism".

All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade soon one will fail and no one will receive an A. (Substituting grades for dollars - something more readily understood by all.)

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B.

The students who studied hard were upset. The students who studied little were happy.

As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less. The ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too, so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering and blame resulted in hard feelings.

No one would study for the benefit of anyone else. To their great surprise, ALL FAILED.

The professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great.

But when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed. It could not be any simpler than that.

These are the 5 best sentences you'll ever read and applicable to this experiment:

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for, without receiving.

3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!

5. When half of the people get the idea that, they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

Sounds familiar?

So how many percent of us pay taxes in Malaysia which is being used for all the wonderful projects like National Feedlot crap ~ the cows coming out from there must be more expensive than Wagyu or Kobe beef because of the luxury apartments the cows graze in.

How much is our defense ministry been spending for a country that is relatively peaceful? I guess to wage war against it's own citizens for peaceful protests.

How much did that ring cost again?

Sigh, Malaysia, TanahAir Ku. I love it enough to want to change it for the better but do you? Does others, do our politicians, do our teachers and businessmen, do our schools and Universities?

Take care and be well.

Resolution

Resolution

audio

a measure of digital audio quality

Resolution

logic

a rule of inference used for automated theorem proving

Resolution

law

a written motion adopted by a deliberative body

Resolution

debate

the statement which is debated in policy debate

Resolution

music

a technique in music theory

Resolution

meter

the replacement of one longum with two brevia

I do not make new year resolutions. I do not resolve to do anything. However, these are my new year wishes and hopes:
 
1. I wish I will get role, work-wise, that I truly thrive in and enjoy doing.
2. I hope that I will get the salary according to the job I have been doing (the last 2 years, I have not been getting so).
3. I wish I will not have to work late and long hours very frequently as I did in the last 3 months.
4. I hope that I will have enough money to pay off debts and some more to finally have a nice break.
5. I wish that this year will be a better year for me in terms of growth in spirituality.
6. I hope that I will enjoy doing stuff again rather than just going through the motions to complete a task.
7. I wish that I can visit Cuba or Argentina.
8. I hope that I am able to continue to make an impact in other people's lives.
9. I wish that I will have less worries financially, emotionally, spiritually, personally.
10. I hope that I will not cause stress to the ones I love.
11. I wish that wifey, daddy and Al E will be healthy, well, as well as wealthy.
12. I hope that I am able to show more peace, love and compassion to everyone that I meet.
 
12 hopes and wishes for this 12th year in the new millennium.
 
A spiritual awakening or the end of the world?
 
May we be blessed and may we rise to what we are meant to be.
 
Take care and be well.