Baine's World

No Escape

2012-01-26T12:34:00.001+08:00

It is in my honest opinion that most Malaysians will be stuck in the middle income trap with no easy way out to escape from it.

This post is going to be quite dry so you may wish to skip it if you wish. And you may also wish to skip this post just so because I'm not an analyst with any economic research body or financial institution or any other think-thank, the place where supposedly "smart" people work in.

You know, the smart people who conjured up the whole financial crisis of a few years ago...yeah...those smart people.

Malaysia, like many other developing countries around the world are stuck in the middle-income trap. Worse still, getting out of it and moving up is a lot harder than it seems. In fact, you're more likely to find it easier to move back down a notch rather than move up.

Many developing countries reach this stage because of industrialization. Malaysia moved away from its humble origins as a rubber and tin exporter into a nation that is highly industrialized in manufacturing everything from chips to cars to rubber gloves.

Problem is the middle-income trap is a stage where growth does not translate to jobs and wage increases. When Malaysia was busy building KLCC, roads, business districts and housing developments, it created jobs and knock-on effects surrounding from such scaled projects.

Some believe that the stock market would indicate the wealth of the nation but unfortunately, it does not really translate things that way. When financial institutions such as banks rake in profits, it doesn't create new jobs. When they announce record results, it is normally due to income generated from financial transactions like stock broking and investment banking.

In fact, bank's are now highly automated behemoths that they could rely on less people yet generate the same if not bigger margins. So how do you see the financial sector which is supposed to continue its increase to the country's GDP contribution really creating jobs and increasing wages?

The same also applies to development projects. Houses are now built using state of the art practices which focuses on efficiency and limited resources. Even these limited resources are jobs that only the foreigners are willing to take up. For as long as only the latter works in sites, wages in the industry will continue to be depressed.

Manufacturers of goods now continue to automate their entire manufacturing process thus reducing the number of labourers and reliance on foreign cheap labour. Like a banker once told me, machines don't complain, they don't call in sick, they don't require benefits, they don't need increments or bonuses and all the other things that a normal employee needs.

In today's world, we can never rely on our cheap labour any more. That title is firmly held by countries like China, Vietnam and the likes around the region.

The above are just some of the many constraints that I could think of. Add to that the ever increasing household debt that Malaysians carry, the task to escape the middle income trap becomes even harder. Inflation pushes prices of goods up and reduces the value of money that you have in your pocket.

All the while interests rates on one's house, car and even credit card continues to grow. Outstanding balances normally grow exponentially when compared against one's wage increments; if there are any in the first place.

Too much doom and gloom lah Baine... Abii theennn???

I don't know. Refer to the second paragraph of this post to see if I should be the one cracking my head to find the best solution for all of the above.

I guess a good place to start is to gradually move away from relying on foreign investment in manufacturing goods utilizing cheap foreign labour. Innovation is key. Rather than manufacturing the case of the next smartphone, we should be designing, developing and manufacturing the next smartphone in collaboration with foreign counterparts.

That creates jobs. Such a collaboration then creates the need for highly skilled intellectuals who demand a salary that reflects their ability, skill and knowledge. Have enough innovation and you would see foreign companies investing in Malaysia where the jobs could possibly go to innovative and creative Malaysians rather than cheap foreign labour.

Would building a national brand recognized internationally help drive innovation and investment? That's a touchy subject. On one end of the scale you have the Fortune 500 listed Petronas while on the other end, you have Proton. I don't think I need to elaborate much on the latter.

A high income nation is more about it's people more than anything else. To have innovation cultured into the fabric of it's people, it needs to start with the education system. In Malaysia that's almost impossible when you have ignorant political bigots changing the education policy to suit their political whims.

ps: Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old

Gangguan Bekalan

2012-01-18T16:14:00.000+08:00

Some of the world's most popular websites are going on protest today. Which of these would affect you the most from the blackout?

ps: Would you like to know before I stop Did I make it or did I flop?

At First I Was Like

2012-01-11T11:20:00.001+08:00

Seriously sometimes the conspiracy theorist in you rears its cluttered head and you go...

Apekah mentadak?

Than in that few seconds your mind is filled with chase scenes from movies like Bourne or Mission Impossible and the likes. Just as fast as you imagine yourself driving the original Mini in the back alleys of Petaling Street, common sense prevails.

Ooohhh.... Like that pun boleh ke?

Seriously, how can the real CIA allow this to happen? I thought they've got their hands interwoven in the whole world wide web?

ps: Does anybody really know the secret Or the combination for this life and where they keep it

Meal Challenge

2012-01-04T21:37:00.001+08:00

No this is not a new year's resolution of mine. To be honest, there wouldn't be much left of me if I were to go on a diet.

I have recently joined a multinational corporation. For the first time in my career, I have gwai-lohs for stakeholders. Nope the challenge is not their slang , I don't have a problem with that; most of the time at least.

The challenge actually stems from the fact that none of my stakeholders are based in the country. Some of them are on totally different time zones. What this means is that conference meetings; either call or video tend to happen at extremely odd hours.

A con-call with my Australian based stakeholders would normally mean it'll clash with lunch time. Doing the same with stakeholders working out of Europe or US would mean either missing breakfast or having to cut dinner short.

It's a challenge that I still struggle at times. Sometimes I make the mistake of not looking at the calendar request properly (time zones sometimes don't present itself correctly) and end up missing my meals.

Padan muka aku.....

It's something that I need to get sorted out soon. I'm getting to an age where my health may not necessarily be as robust as it was a decade or so ago.

Dah tua lar tu......

Getting proper meals and rest may not be easy to balance as one moves in life, career and life in general. However it is a balance that must be struck none the less.

ps: Now I'm back on my feet Just a man and his will to survive

Missed The Boat

2012-01-04T17:08:00.001+08:00

It's normally a custom of mine to finish of the year with a post that pretty much sums up what a year it had been but looks like for 2011 I totally missed the boat.

We're well into 2012 now and only now that I'm writing this down.

2011 was pretty much a year of change for me both personally and professionally. 2011 was the year that I spent my first Hari Raya without my parents. It was surreal someone but I'm glad that I got through it in good stead.

2011 also saw me finally accepting the challenge of working in a new environment. My quest up the corporate ladder continues and I hope that I can at least last as long here as I did with my previous employers. It's a different environment, a place where you're pretty much expected to survive on your own.

The Kid continues to grow up, too quickly at times for me. She has her own mood swings at times and setting rules for a toddler is not an easy thing (she only gets the iPad on certain days only)

And so 2012 beckons with hope springing eternal. I'm thankful to Allah for the life he has given me and continue to give me. I pray for His mercy for my sins and hope that He guides me through life as a Muslim, a husband, a father and an employee.

ps: Now I'm walking again to the beat of a drum

Engulfed

2011-12-02T13:22:00.001+08:00

There's only 3 of us in the family. Any guesses as to which of us own which?

Winner will be treated to a free pizza on me.

ps: Blinded by me, you can't see a thing. Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream

A Year

2011-11-27T18:50:00.000+08:00

At the exact moment this post is made, exactly one year ago, I lost my mother to cancer. For six months she fought the Glioblastoma multiforme or GBM that had inflicted her. When she passed on, she was 70.

How time really flies. Just like that and it's been a year since my mother passed away. Once in awhile the memories come flooding back. Memories when she was healthy and when she battled her cancer. A few days ago my wife dreamt about her. How she wished she could go and perform umrah one last time.

She led a happy and full life.

She was a dedicated teacher for over 35 years. Teaching and imparting knowledge that I hope reaps her the benefits, just some of the things she can rely on now. In Islam, for every good knowledge that you teach or share, the good deeds will be returned to you 7 folds. Imagine how many had benefited from her guidance during that 35 year period and how many of them have imparted the knowledge to other people.

She was a sister who was always there for her siblings. At times doing things that her own children may not agree but as they say, there is no stronger bond than that off the family. Even when she was hurt by what her own siblings and relatives did or say, she was always there, the first to extend an olive branch.

As a mother, one could never ask for more, especially when it came to me. I must admit I'm not the easiest son to bring up and how I hope that I have done enough to make her proud. I am where I am today thanks to her and my dad. I have of course made my share of mistakes in the past and I can only hope that she has forgiven me.

Sometimes I wonder if I did enough for her when she was ill. I wonder if at any moment in time I had hurt her or offended her. Questions like these play in my mind from time to time. I can only hope that I was forgiven and if I wasn't than I can only leave it to Him to forgive me.

So for those who have lost their mother or father or like me, both, please always remember them in your prayers. As Muslims, there are only 3 things that you can take with you when your time comes. The good deeds and donations you made during life, the good knowledge that you thought and doa and prayers from your children.

So the next time you pray, recite this as you sit and say a prayer for your parents.

O Allah! Forgive me my sins, and the sins of my parents, have mercy on them both as they have looked after me when I was little.

Al-Fatihah...

ps: You've thought me everything and everything you've given me. I'll always keep it inside.

Why They Hate

2011-11-24T13:51:00.001+08:00

Simply because;

Despite having more oil fields than most they can't have the state run oil company break the Fortune 500 list.

Despite having more timber than most countries have land, they can't make themselves into a regional leader never mind the world.

Despite having bigger coastlines and sea territories, you still have to illegally fish in other people's waters.

Despite having all the natural resources that most countries would go to war for, they still have to venture out to others, doing things that other people don't want for a pay that is measly at best.

Despite having tourism spots that are to die for, they can't attract enough tourist to even beat tourists visiting small little Singapore.

Despite being ruled by a dictator, they achieved nothing during that rule while other supposed dictators drove their countries forward in so many aspects.

Despite other nations also being corrupt, you still hold the record for having the leader who swindled a record USD35,000,000,000; a figure Bernie Madoff himself would be proud off.

But most importantly....

It's always easier to hate other people to mask one's own deficiencies.

ps: You need to drop some new things. Have you ever had shoes with no strings?

Tunggu Apa Lagi

2011-11-06T23:12:00.002+08:00

Kereta mesti sudah dibeli,
Siap ada yang tambah motor lagi,
Rumah pun pasti dah renovate siap berseri,
Ada yang barang kemas lagi banyak dari jari,

Bercuti pun sudah di dalam dan luar negeri,
Menyelam pun siap ke sana ke mari,
Gadget pun penuh di kanan dan kiri,
Ada yang berhutang demi trend terkini,

Namun ramai yang terlupa rukun yang hakiki,
Macam mana hendak mengerjakan ibadat haji,
Sedangkan daftar pun tak buat lagi

Habuan dunia sanggup di miliki,
Sanggup berhutang untuk membeli,
Namun ramai yang lupa semuanya kurniaan Illahi,
Tak sombongkah kita walaupun diberikan rezeki,
Untuk mencari alasan melambatkan ibadah haji.

Jadi selepas membaca nukilan ini,
Terus pergi ke pejabat Lembaga Tabung Haji,
Laksanakan tanggungjawab mendaftarkan diri,
Takut tak larat nak menyahut jemputan Illahi,
Kerana zaman muda dan sihat sibuk berjoli,

Selamat menyambut Aidil Adha :)

ps: It's alright I'm okay I think God can explain

No More

2011-11-03T16:39:00.002+08:00

No more....

No more "Sorry the page you are trying too load is too large. The browser will now close"

No more paying additional service charges on top of a data plan

No more getting stuck with preloaded photos that you can't erase

No more bugged scrolling when in the navigating a long message either natively or in applications

No more having 80% of the resources taken up by the OS alone

No more having it run so sluggishly despite not having any other applications running

No more squinting when reading texts

No more having to wait for an email to load and when it doesn't, struggle to get the Get All function to even work

No more crude and ugly applications

No more size limitations when downloading files from the crappy browser

No more having to either do a battery pull or twist your fingers to reach 3 separate keys just to reboot properly

No more having to restart when installing or removing applications

No more having applications that look like it was designed by 4 year old's

No more having my GPS location being a mile away from where I actually am

No more relying on just one option for free chats

No more waiting till the paint on the wall dries before it actually starts up

No more being unable to take pictures without the stupid shutter sound

No more relying on a browser that is more outdated that IE6

No more having the LED blink in red for no apparent reason

No more having to choose to either synch with your desktop OR online calendars

No more having to open another window or application to view videos

No more having to buy application just so that I can tether

No more being unable to truly, fully switch it off without pulling the battery out

No more struggling to key in # or * when you're in the middle of a call

No more having trouble with getting Wifi to work properly without having to a billion different type of settings changed

No more physical QWERTY keypads too....but I think I can live with that

ps: Woah Woman, oh woman, don't treat me so mean

Lebih Hampas Dari Nutcases

2011-11-01T09:47:00.000+08:00

I've said it so many times, we live in a country that is ran by idiots. Check out the FB status of a common acquaintance of mine below and see for yourself.

Joking's aside, this is pathetic. And you kept wondering how the government is going to fund the recent budget that was filled with goodies without hiking taxes or implementing GST? Well I guess this is one of the ways eh?

Mind you, the fourth comment is actually the normal SOP for the JPA when handling staff retiring from the government. The more I read about this thing, the more sick I get. I really wonder how on earth can a country survive being ran by idiots.

ps: You can't play the victim this time and you're too late

The Language Necessity

2011-10-28T16:15:00.002+08:00

I got this is an email today so I'm just doing a favour to spread a cause that I agree and have touched on before in an earlier post.

I'm not sure if this blog has the volume in terms of readership for more people to pass on the message and nudge the whole initiative a lot closer to the 1 million target but none the less this is my part.

I've read some other blogs who have a much stronger view on this (both pro and against) while there are those lepers and leeches who try to turn what is a noble cause into a political one.

I believe it is a good cause for the future of our children. We need this and if the teacher's are the real issue than address the teacher's. If we don't have teacher's who can teach in English than we just have to look outside of the country.

Here's the link to the online petition. Sign it if you feel that it is a good cause to participate and support.

Give parents the choice; the option. Give our children a shot of surviving in an ever challenging world.

ps: I never thought you were a fool but darling look at you

Where Can One Find

2011-10-25T15:30:00.000+08:00

A country that provides electricity supply to its entire population for free. Not a single citizen has an electricity bill to pay for.

A country that does not charge any interest on all of its loans. All loans provided by state-owned banks charge 0% interest to its citizens as dictated by law.

A country that provides newly wed couples USD$50,000 to buy their first apartment to help start their new family.

A country that provides free education and medical treatments for every single one of its citizens. If either one of them can't be found in the country, the government will fund them to seek these services abroad for free AND provide up to USD$3,200 per month in accommodation and car allowance.

A country increased its literacy rate from 25% to 83% in only 40 years or so.

A country that pays 50% of the price of a car that its citizens buys.

A country that has no external debt but has cash reserves amounting to USD$150 billion. Compare that to the cash strapped US government who had an operating cash balance of $73.8 billion (less than Apple Inc.) from as recent as June 2011 and cash reserves of only USD$146 billion at last check.

A country that provides unemployment benefits to unemployed graduates at an average salary of the profession chosen until employment is found.

A portion from the profit of the country's main export is directly credited to accounts of all of its citizens.

A country that provides each mother who gives birth USD$5,000.

A country that was willing to spend all its money to ensure that water is readily available to everyone despite its location.

No the country is not Denmark, voted as the happiest nation in the world by the OECD.

No the country is not Costa Rica, the top nation in the Happy Planet Index created by the NEF.

No the country is not the US, the nation that supposedly is the most democratic in the world.

No the country is not Switzerland, the nation voted as the most competitive nation by the WEF.

Nor will you find the country in the developed western world, EU et all.

Most definitely not in Malaysia; regardless of rhetoric from both sides of the political divide.

You will find that the country is actually none other than Libya.You know the country that so many people think was ran by a selfish, ignorant and snobbish tyrannical dictator for more than 40 years. A country that if you read most news, seems to be stuck in the stone age.

A country that was so poorly ran that it seems its people had been living in hell rather than earth. A country that not a single thing is done right, who's people suffer daily from the tyranny of a dictator. Well at least that's what everyone is saying.

If those perks are what a tyrant can come up with than I wonder how the supposed "democracy" can better that. Funny how the whole thing seemed so familiar. Anyone care to ask the Iraqis or the Afghan's if they are better off now in their "democracy" than they were when being ruled by a dictator?

There is always two sides to a story. Remember that the next time you read some bit of news, local or foreign.

ps: Credit to OutSyed The Box for the information.

ps2: I'm not afraid of anything in this world. There's nothing you can throw at me that I haven't already heard.

Tolong Jangan Dengki

2011-10-24T13:22:00.000+08:00

I had a sneaky feeling that my last few posts were going to hit a raw nerve with someone, sooner rather than later. Looks like it came true in the end.

Let me clear a few issues right of the bat. Firstly, none of my posts that revolves around this topic is driven by envy; far from it. I'm not feeling envious because such ~~scams~~ schemes did not exist more than 10 years ago when I first started work with a salary of RM1.5k only.

It took me almost 10 years of working to buy my first home and that was together with my wife. We had to take out our EPF savings to pay for the down payment and had to make sure that we were comfortable that we could sleep at night without having to worry if we could pay next month's loan instalment.

Yes I maybe earning more than I am when compared to all those years ago but it doesn't mean that I can "beli rumah senang-senang" as what he/she claims. A house is a big purchase for anyone unless you have a last name with Gates or Buffet or Slim.

If suddenly the government comes up with a scheme to help the "middle-income" earners earn their own house, would that mean that I'd jump at the chance to pay nothing for down payment on a house worth more than a million?

Of course not, ukur baju kat badan sendiri lah beb...

Everybody wants to own their own house. Having a roof over your head that belongs to you is a great comfort indeed but at what cost? If you cant sleep at night because you're too worried that either:

You won't have enough money to cover for your loans; credit card or car or house included or
You wonder if BNM will ever bring down the OPR rates so that you pay a lower instalment amount or
You wonder if you could buy groceries if the credit card terminal is down or
You wonder if you have any cash to give pocket money to your family

Than you certainly are living a life that is besieged by debt. Yes it is true that life without debt is close to impossible these days but there are good debts and vice versa. Taking on debt that you know that you cannot service comfortably is just asking for it.

Everybody wants to stay a stone throw's away from areas such as KL, PJ and Damansara but not everybody can afford it. If one can only afford a home that is about a thousand stone throws away from the CBD's, why not?

Personally I would prefer that the government do something more about transportation and the likes rather than spending money on this. The amount of money that is coming out of the tax payer's coffers for this initiative will not be small.

Why pay so much and only get a pigeon hole up in the sky (my late mom's phrase for apartments) when I could spend the same amount and get a house with a huge lawn; assuming if one can get dependable transportation of course. If we can finally have that, I'd be the first to move out of the Klang Valley.

So Mr/Ms Anonymous please understand that I'm not motivated by envy. I for one support an initiative for as long as it does not become a burden to the very people that is supposed to help in the first place. I used simple mathematics to demonstrate and illustrate the viability of it all.

ps: They know that they can't dance. At least they know

Please Help Me With My Math

2011-10-21T11:44:00.000+08:00

I previously posted how people in our government seem to struggle with simple arithmetic equations. Funny how people who are expected to run a country can do it without such basic skills.

In my previous post, simple calculation shows that one can't really afford to serve a RM220,000 housing loan with a 3,000 monthly gross salary.So how much would one have to pay if the same RM3,000 a month gross salary earner have to pay for a RM440,000 housing loan?

So assuming even if one is able to get a loan financing at a BLR - 2.6% p.a, that's more than 50% of one's GROSS income going just to pay off a housing loan. But seriously, RM3,000 a month salary is gross and not net income.

Apa ingat BLR/BFR tak pernah naik ker nak asyik turun je memanjang?

Someone earning that much would have a minimum of 11% of their salary deducted for EPF contributions and since only those earning RM2,500 (at last check) are the only one's exempted from paying taxes, one can safely say that at least 13% of someone earning (at the bare minimum) RM3,000 would be wiped out.

So how much would that leave for someone earning RM3,000 a month in terms of disposable income? A mere RM2610 nett. Take away the figure for the RM440,000 home and that leaves the wage earner only RM500 or so.

Tak payah makan? Tak payah bayar loan kereta?

So please share with me how this is not a sign that Malaysia is hurtling towards its very own subprime mortgage crisis?

ps: Diaboli virtus in lumbis est. Diaboli virtus in lumbis est

Idiot Inside

2011-09-29T13:33:00.001+08:00

The following views is one of the blogger’s own only. The blogger is not part of any property developer, investment arm or financial institution that may stand to gain or lose from the personal views expressed in this post. The blogger shall not be responsible or liable for any damages or losses incurred as a result of using the comments and views found in this post.

Taken from The Star

This is what happens when you have an idiot running one of the biggest banks in the country. Go on and read statements from the Wall Street crooks and “too big too fail” banks that had to be bailed out using the people’s money and you will be hard pressed to spot the difference.

I’ve wrote about it before, we’re heading for our own subprime mortgage crisis. The question is not if but when. We’re replicating every single mistake that the Americans did without any regard for the outcome.

If you’re willing to read, point your browser to the Wiki article on the 2008 financial crisis that led to the worst recession since the great depression. If you’re too lazy to read, just read the headlines for each section that states contributing factor that led to the collapse of corporate America and tell me if any of it is not being practiced in Malaysia.

Semua sebijik dowh, memang cari nahas.

That news was from a few days ago and guess what popped up soon after that?

Taken from NST’s Business Times

Again, I’ve said previously, Malaysia is repeating the same mistakes that the west did and not a single person is batting an eye lid. Heck even the damn opposition is silent on this. It either means they have no idea how to run a country’s economy or they’re just as greedy as the idiots running it in the first place.

Too bad I’m no analyst with some big financial corporation for anyone to ponder or listen to the views. Then again, if I were working for one, I may not be highlighting such obvious red flags in the first place eh?

ps: You sharpen the human appetite to the point where it can split atoms with its desire; you build egos the size of cathedrals; fiber-optically connect the world to every eager impulse; grease even the dullest dreams with these dollar-green, gold-plated fantasies, until every human becomes an aspiring emperor, becomes his own God... and where can you go from there?

My First Raya

2011-09-22T15:58:00.001+08:00

Well, not really to be honest. I have been on this earth for more than 30 years so you would think that this year’s Eid Fitri is not my first. It is however the first Raya celebration that I’m having without both of my parents.

I’ve lost both of my parents, in the past. Both had been covered in this blog as a reminder to me as much as it is a display of my state of mind when each of them left this world. So how did it feel like? Mixed emotions to be honest. It was most sobering for me when I visited my parent’s graves before I left for my in laws.

A tear was shed and it was not just one.

It has been so long since I’ve ever spent Raya outside of KL. I could easily say that this year’s celebrations in JB is the first outside of the Klang Valley in almost 20 years. Thankfully though, thanks to the long break, the roads were kind to me. Having so many options to choose from as to when one would go back to their hometowns was perfect.

And when the time came for the morning on the 1st of Syawal, there was fear in me for sure. Would I break down when I see my wife with her parents when I no longer have my own? To say that I had a good night’s sleep the night before would be a gross understatement.

Thankfully I survived, keeping the good memories that I have of my parents rather than dwell on the fact that they’re no longer around. Of course there were occasions when their loss did hit me from time to time but I just keep praying for them and hope that they’re with those who are close to Him.

So while the month of Syawal is still here, I would like to wish everyone a Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf Zahir Batin. Hope that we will all be granted good health and life so that we can have yet another month of Ramadhan next year.

ps: Always look on the bright side of life

My Next

2011-08-29T14:40:00.000+08:00

My next mobile phone will not be from RIM because I'm sick of the error "Sorry but the page you're trying to load is too large..."

My next car will be a hybrid...A Toureg with FC like a Kelisa? Not entirely impossible.

My next home will not be an apartment. I'll never get used to the fact I can't take 3 steps to get to my front door.

My next home should have some land on its sides, so that my daughter can at least run to stretch her legs.

My next job should be the second last job before I reach a salary where my wife need not work anymore.

My next watch would not be a TAG... I'd rather use that money to buy a bike than get a watch that expensive.

My next watch would also not be a Rolex. I don't need another expensive item to add 10 years to my age. I like the way it's adding up just nicely.

My next set of clubs should be custom made. I struggle to fit regular off the shelf sets.

My next post should be about my experience of celebrating Hari Raya Aidil Fitri without both of my parents for the first time in my life.

ps: Regrets I've had a few but then again too few to mention

Dear Intern – Bahagian Tre

2011-08-26T11:40:00.001+08:00

The last installment of the Dear Intern series are as follows. Hope that you have managed to glean some knowledge from it.

I’m not sure if it has been covered by any of the online job portals but it definitely should. The same applies to email addresses too. Do change it if you’re still stuck with emails from your supposed cooler younger days.

I’ve touched on this before but surely this is basic. 11 years of schools and a further 3 to 4 years of tertiary education should teach you something about grammar, right?

To be fair, it’s a problem not specific to interns only. Many people do it and they should stop. As a fellow tweep replied soon after that tweet of mine, he put the truth as it is.

So really, what’s the point of assuming anything again?

Something that I myself struggle to do at times. Not sure if most people would anticipate it but it would surely be a nice surprise indeed.

And finally to round things off…a reminder again that there is life outside of work. Something that a lot of techies tend to struggle with at times.

And so that is it for the Dear Intern series. Not sure if I’ll be handling interns anymore in the near future but these people tend to bring out the best (and worse) in me so I’d definitely look forward to a few more down the road.

ps: Whatever tomorrow brings I’ll be there with open arms and open eyes

How To Survive Fasting In KL

2011-08-25T18:06:00.001+08:00

The holy month of Ramadan is nearing at the end so this post might be quite redundant. None the less, I’m sure I’m going to find this useful not only for this Ramadan but for the next one InsyaAllah. I’ll keep it to just a few for now, we’ll see if it warrants an update.

#1: Avoid driving in KL

Everyone knows that Malaysians either can’t drive, bribed their way to a license and either do not follow the rules or do not understand them in the first place. Save yourself from cursing and thus reducing the pahala you get by cursing when you’re on the roads.

#2: Avoid ATM, CDM and the likes

Some people are not very good at machines. They think it’s like an arcade game and take ages to do one transaction. If that isn’t bad enough, there are those who use them to pay like the whole family’s credit card. Again, save your pahala for cursing by avoiding such places.

#3: Do not fly with Air Asia or Firefly

Well, at least try not too. Short and tight skirts do not make good deeds for the fasting eye. Try MAS if you must travel.

#4: Avoid param’s

If you are rather short on cash for the upcoming festivities, avoid the Ramadan bazaars. They’re expensive and the food that you just splurged on may not be that nice either. Except for very few, most param’s are expensive, tasteless and ke-gelejohan will make you waste more money by buying more than you can really eat.

#5: Change money for new notes early

Most banks accept request to change new notes by the 2nd week of Ramadan. Avoid waiting last minute to do it as you’ll get old/soiled bills and wont get those free ang-pow packets because it ran out.

#6: Do not listen, read and watch any type of news

What more can reduce your pahala during fasting in the month of Ramadan then by ingesting lies, spins and the likes.

If there are no further posts before now and Syawal, I’d like to wish fellow Muslims a Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri which if of course followed by the customary wish Maaf Zahir dan Batin. To the rest of you who are taking advantage of the long break, happy holidays and be safe.

ps: Mintak mak, kuih sepotong. Saya mahu makan kerna perut kosong

Dear Intern – Bahagian Duo

2011-08-05T11:25:00.001+08:00

What can I say, I have my bad days too. And when one of those days comes around, you bet that repeating the same screw ups over and over again would definitely peeve me.

Sometimes we forget that there’s life outside of work. Even those who have worked for ages sometimes find it hard to get the balance right. Far too many companies commonly preach work-life balance principles but not many know how to actually do it.

Some interns I feel are just there to get the credit hours. Not much interest in what they’re supposed to be doing and some just fit into the whole Malay proverb “melepaskan caugh at the escalator”. These guys are normally shown the door after about a week.

It’s bad enough that I had interns who were over eager to put in the hours during the week but to do that on Friday?

Mana boleh lar ini macam geng?

There will be those who will feel that they are ready for the next challenge after completing their stint. As I’ve mentioned previously, let them fly.

I must admit that this is a decease afflicting just interns but also oldterns. Whatever reason that one has to do it, stop. It’s such an irritant that its comparable to “if you don’t forward this than you’ll get your feet stuck in the toilet and be the year’s embarrassment”.

Bercontinued…

ps: They say music can alter moods and talk to you

Dear Intern – Bahagian Satu

2011-08-04T12:18:00.001+08:00

Aahh… Its normal isn’t it? The change from the happy life that was the student days into the drone-like environment that is work is never easy for some. To be fair, some still struggle with it after years.

I’m sure I’m not the only one that has noticed the worsening quality of English among the younger one’s today. It is not helped by some idiots throwing the future of English in our education back into the dark ages.

It’ll most probably correct your spelling mistakes but not your grammar. However, if it gives up on both, you know you should go back to night school and re-learn the language again.

Not sure which is worse; death by PowerPoint or those that I had just mentioned above. I shudder when I look back at think of the black background with blinking bright yellow florescent comic sans ms fonts.

It’s normal for interns to sometime forget that they don’t have a gun to their head. There will be those who are just nervous at the prospect of their first working experience.

When one is young, one’s hormones are normally raging at light speed. Add these pimple faced boys in an environment where mature ladies may not be too afraid to flaunt their style, you get wet keyboards (and pants?) from time to time.

Stay tuned for the next bahagian of the Dear Intern series.

ps: ‘Cause the day I thought I’d never get through I got over you

Dear Intern – Trilogy Introduction

2011-07-19T22:50:00.001+08:00

I finally caved in to some of the requests made to me to compile my Dear Intern tweets. It has not been easy I must say this as I’ve definitely underestimated the enormous that is to search for your own tweets.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, I have found out that searching for your own tweets (ie: tweets by yourself) is a whole lot harder than it seems. I for one had no idea that this would be the most difficult challenge to compile my Dear Intern collection.

Most would think that the Twitter Search would be the best place to look back at your previous tweets, well one of the easiest at least but unfortunately it isn’t. While it has all your normal advanced search options including operators for better search combinations, it doesn’t go back into the past very well.

From what I’ve seen, Twitter’s search only goes back a week or so and that posed a problem. I would later find out that my first ever Dear Intern tweet was in January of 2011. So, that’s no good.

Another option is of course also your search engines such as Google and Bing but that would also pose a challenge on its own. This is especially true when you’re trying to filter out tweets by you and not by the other million other fellow tweeps in the world.

Of course, you COULD literally scroll …and keep scrolling down from your Twitter webpage of your profile until you find each particular tweet you’re looking for. Again this would be quite ridiculous especially if you have thousands of tweets. I’m not the most frequent of tweeters but I gave up scrolling just going back a few weeks never mind months.

To amend a famous quote, “Keep on scrolling till the scroll-wheel comes of”

Another option that I found after digging through the net is actually looking for services that archive your tweets. I found a few here but for this case, I’m also glad that I had somehow created a FriendFeed account. Don’t ask my why I have one in the first place.

Obviously being a service that archives, creating an account now in the hopes of trying to retrieve a tweet/post that you made months ago would be quite pointless but at least if you do create one today, you could use the advance search feature found in FriendFeed to look for specific tweets you made or from other social media channels that can be funneled through the same service.

So lucky for me, I’ve managed to retrieve all the tweets for Dear Intern installment via searching my FriendFeed but if you are not so lucky and would still need to look for your older tweets?

Then I wish you good luck if your tweets numbers in the thousands and hope that the scroll button on your mouse will survive the ordeal.

ps: It’s so much better when everyone is in. Are you in?

Working Telepathically

2011-06-14T15:59:00.001+08:00

Sometimes in the work life, you have to train or be trained by people depending on which level one is in the whole corporate ladder. Those who have followed me on Twitter would know of my occasional “Dear Intern” tweets relating my experience with my interns (yes, I know I’ve been asked to compile them but I haven’t had the time :P).

Today one of my related “Dear Intern” tweets raised a few queries as to what was going on. In the real world, the conversation I had with my intern was exactly as what I had noted down in the tweet below.

Anyone reading that off the cuff would find it difficult to comprehend what was being discussed and seriously, I don’t blame you either. The conversation actually revolved around a particular set of codes that had to be reworked due to some specific reasons.

What the conversation would have been like if both teacher and pupil didn’t have such a good working relationship? Well it would have been something like this.

Intern: But the codes are correct, it achieves the end result as per the requirement.

Me: No because there’s a better way to do things. One that takes into consideration performance and code maturity.

Intern: How would I change the code then? I think I did it to the best that I can.

Me: Think of a better options, there’s always options. We are the one’s making the system, not the other way around.

Intern: Why do we have to worry about such things when the end result is there.

Me: Yes it does matter because someone in the future is going to look at your codes and wonder why didn’t you think for a bit.

Intern: Sigh. Looks like I have to do it again then.

Me: Good my young padawan. Quickly indeed you have learned the ways of the dark side.

I’ve got a lot of hope for this particular intern. He’s pretty much got an offer from the company on the table if he wishes to accept it. Even if he decides if all that he has learned in his internship with me is best put somewhere else, I’ve come to accept that a long time ago that you just have to let them fly.

ps: Did I disappoint you or leave a bad taste in your mouth?

The Real CMMi

2011-06-09T09:34:00.001+08:00

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is a process improvement approach whose goal is to help organizations improve their performance. CMMI can be used to guide process improvement across a project, a division, or an entire organization.

CMMI in software engineering and organizational development is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements for effective process improvement. CMMI is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Carnegie Mellon University.

According to the Software Engineering Institute (SEI, 2008), CMMI helps "integrate traditionally separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide a point of reference for appraising current processes."

CMMI was developed by a group of experts from industry, government, and the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University. CMMI models provide guidance for developing or improving processes that meet the business goals of an organization. A CMMI model may also be used as a framework for appraising the process maturity of the organization………………….

………………

………

……

….

Hhhhmmm……..This can only mean a job for the “Tales of a Project Management Fireman”…..

CMMi = Cara Menambahkan Masalah IT

With that it can only mean one thing……

ps: I’m about to lose my mind you’ve been gone for so long I’m running out of time

Multi-lingual Fail

2011-06-01T15:19:00.001+08:00

Seriously, jokes aside now. Would the above fall under a Bahasa Melayu fail or does it come under the English language fail. Any guesses?

ps: Maybe we'll turn it around 'cause it's not too late. It's never too late

The Kid And Me

2011-05-23T13:39:00.001+08:00

The wife had to work over the weekend so despite the babysitter offering to help out in taking care of The Kid, I decided to take up the opportunity to spend some quality time with The Kid. This post is a testament that thankfully, I survived.

She maybe too young to remember these past few days but hopefully this blog would be verbatim for when she’s old enough.

Saturday, 10.30PM

The wife is off to work and my daughter’s a sleep. Time for me to clean up the house before she wakes up the next morning and starts ‘playing’ with her toys.

Sunday, 7.15AM

And The Kid is wide awake. It looks rather cloudy so a decision has to be made if we’re heading out to the park. First diaper change of the day and after a bottle of milk, we’re off to the park for a short run.

8.00AM

There’s an event at the park so making it hard to run. The Kid prefers the cool breeze when I jog so she’ll let the whole park know when I’m moving to slow. How about that for motivation to keep your heart rate up eh?

8.30AM

One lap around the park via the long route and we reach to The Kid’s normal spot on the playground. Unfortunately it rained the night before so her favorite slide is wet. She discovered the stairs though so picking up an almost 10kg 15 month old girl every minute or so is just the perfect workout after the run.

9.00AM

The sun has now risen past the hill and beating down on the whole area. Looks like we have to leave the park before she gets an unnecessary sun tan which the Mrs. may not like too much.

Breakfast by our small garden. She finished almost an entire slice of bread as she runs around the porch. Mommy’s car is not in so more place to run.

9.30AM

The Kid starts running through the house as she hears me preparing her bath. She gets to soak in her tub only during the weekend so her eagerness is not surprising.

10.00AM

Dried, powdered and diapered up; The Kid starts showing signs of getting sleepy after our morning excursions. Another bottle of milk and some rumbling around, she’s off for her morning nap. That’ll give me about an hour or so to clean up the house and myself.

11.00AM

The Mrs. is home but she’s just too tired so she’s off to bed too. The Kid is still asleep so a chance to pause for a little while longer indeed.

12.00AM

The Kid awakens from her morning nap and is hungreehhhhhh. Another 3/4 slice of bread and we’re off hunting for lunch. I’m not much of a cook so that mean’s we’re having take away today. The Kid decides(?) that it’s been awhile since we’ve had Popeye’s.

Being out and about I remember the look of amazement when people see me with The Kid. It’s like almost an anomaly to see me travelling around, alone with The Kid. I’m pretty sure there are dad’s out there who do the same thing that I’m doing; maybe even more often than me.

12.30PM

Walked into Popeye’s (again, more amazement) and got the food. Having The Kid around does have it’s benefit indeed. On such a hot day with the searing heat, we got complementary drinks while waiting for our order.

1.15PM

The Kid is sat on her chair at the kitchen table, straw in hand and a chunk of cookies from Popeye’s to pacify her. Lunch was rather blissful as I’m able to finish it with minimum fuss.

1.45PM

The Mrs. continues to recuperate from a long night at the office and The Kid has another bottle of milk while I prepare her favorite videos for an infinite loop of Alif Ba Ta’s, ABC’s, twinkle-twinkle litter stars, itsy bitsy spider, lagu 3 kupang, numbers/counting and Sesame Street.

3.00PM

Videos ran out and she’s getting cranky. Decided to get her to actually play with her toys but she decides that reading and playing with her alphabet cue cards was a better idea. I agree.

4.00PM

The clouds turn cloudy and so does her mood. The unbearable heat is not helping things and despite hearing thunder in the background, no sign of rain to cool the torched earth.

4.45PM

After imitating Disney cartoons by trying to keep her eyes open with her fingers despite being sleepy, The Kid finally takes the trip to la-la land.

The next few hours was The Kid at her cranky best. With her mommy at home she’s really hitting the manja’ness level and breaking new records all at the same time. I’ve learned to accept the fact that dad’s will never replace mother’s and to a certain extent, vice versa.

Each parent has their own roles in the upbringing of a child so mad respect too single parents out there.

10.00PM

The Kid’s asleep and now I get the chance to enjoy some TV. Didn’t really realize that it was almost 2.00AM when I decided to hit the sack.

Monday, 6.00AM

I’m up. Wife’s gone to office early today after having some unresolved issues over the weekend. Unlike on Sunday, I’d better get ready for work before The Kid wakes up. She’s not the type to pick up stuff and eat it but better to be safe than sorry.

7.00AM

She’s up and I’m dressed for work. Hopeful that no big ‘drama’ this morning or I’d have to change clothes :P After her morning bottle and 30 minutes of her favorite morning show, we’re off to the baby sitter’s house.

And that was pretty much it. I must say that we’re lucky with The Kid. She’s a lot more tolerable when there’s only one of us around as compared to some other children her age that we’ve seen. She’s growing up right before our eyes, faster than anyone could have ever imagined.

I was going through my phone yesterday when I stumbled upon a video of her learning to sit down on her own. She could barely sit for 3 seconds in that video and now she’s running around on her own, throwing tantrums at times when doesn’t get what she wants.

ps: I’ve been all around the world, I’ve been a new sensation but it doesn’t really matter in this generation

Want These

2011-05-11T09:25:00.001+08:00

I’ve left my gadget craze days about a decade ago. Low Yatt plaza used to be a weekend hangout place for me to splurge way back then. Saw these few stuff that I would definitely like to have yesterday. Click on the pictures for the original source of the said images.

That would be cool wouldn’t it? Not sure if it would make good traction on a wet floor though but still cool none the less. However, while the shoe would be a cool addition, I definitely want the following, no doubt.

Seriously, how cool is that!? That would be an awesome addition to any house or even office! Don’t tell me you wouldn’t want it in yours?

ps: You are the antidote that gets me by something wrong like a drug that gets me high

Ideal Full Cream Evaporated Milk

2011-05-10T15:51:00.001+08:00

Picture courtesy of Ditzy

Ideally I would like to be in a place that has an average temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.

Ideally I would like to be on roads where motorcycles are banned.

Ideally I would like to be in a place where politics only appear for 1 week and 1 week only; that being only once in 5 years.

Ideally I would like to live in a place where I can cycle safely to work.

Ideally I would like to be able to enjoy public transport that is as dependable as the sun continues to rise every day.

Ideally I would like to be working for a company that has a day care center within its own offices.

Ideally I would like to be able to have a real work life balance rather than just a policy plastered on the office wall.

Ideally I would like for my daughter to be in an education system which emphasizes on the application of knowledge rather than just memorizing.

Ideally I would like to work in a company who’s management does not block access to websites because they think it’s counter productive.

Ideally I would like to see schools to have proper fields so that children can run about and enjoy the outdoors.

Ideally I would like to be in that ideal place. Do you know of any?

ps: Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me

Trolling Middle Earth

2011-04-29T10:53:00.001+08:00

This is what happens when it’s raining, the network at the office is slow and the whole atmosphere is better suited for a nice afternoon nap rather than anything else but as Boromir once said, “They have a cave troll”.

And my reaction to all the big fuss over smart phones keeping/tracking location data of its owners?

And like most trolling activities, it just won’t go away.

I’m not sure how does the Nazgûl’s fell-beast taste like but it can’t be good. None the less, enjoy the long labor day weekend aights ;)

ps: Ash Nazg Durbatuluk, Ash Nazg Gimbatul, Ash Nazg Thrakatuluk, Agh Burzum-ishi Krimpatul

Discarded Old Friend

2011-04-22T17:21:00.001+08:00

Can you see the dust colonies setting up shop on the bag? That pretty much tells you how long it has been that the semi-acoustic has been taken out from its protective cover. Yes as surprising as it may sound, I used to play a few musical instruments back in the day, the guitar being one of them.

I haven’t touched the semi-acoustic for years now. To be honest, the two most important people in my life right now, my wife and my daughter has never, ever seen me play guitar live in front of them. There’s some amount of guilt in me that they’ve been unable as yet to experience my poor musical abilities.

I’m not the most brilliant writer, I never was to be honest. I’ve had my fair share of composition but they just remained on paper and nothing more. I may have had a few lyrics down on paper a decade ago for which very few have seen and read.

There was a time I was into composing my own dance tracks for which only 1 person had ever listened to. I think it was titled The Antz but one’s thing is for sure, I haven’t got a clue what happened to it.

That happens when you don’t back up your work properly…..Rrrraaagggeeeeeeeeeee

I’ve always preferred the ‘engineering’ part of music. I’ve always preferred to sit in front of the huge console, dissecting every track on a song and arranging them so that it sounds right. That has and will always be my dream job, producing music.

My biggest challenge should I wish to pick that discarded old friend back again is time. Back then life was much simpler, my priorities were so much more different back then. These days I’ve to contend with so much more than finding the time to search for tabs and actually practicing on it would be quite a monumental task indeed.

Terus teringat zaman jamming kat balcony in campus

Maybe I should pick up the guitar again. Everyone has the same number of hours in a day and some can still make the time to play music despite their hectic schedule. Maybe it’s time to make the fingers on my left hand become crusty again eh?

ps: Gather up your tears, keep ‘em in your pocket. Save them for a time when you’re really gonna need them

Design Disparity

2011-04-15T15:35:00.001+08:00

For most of us, nicely designed European marquees are out of our grasps. They cost too much and cost even more to maintain should something happened to it. Most have to contend themselves with either Japanese made cars or from the selection of our own local car manufacturers.

Like it or not, a vehicle’s aesthetics plays a part in one’s choice of cars. The beauty of our national car makers is that the design for a particular model hardly changes. The cycle that these company’s go through is normally longer than its global competitors.

Problem with Japanese makes are that their cycle of models tend to be between 3 to 5 years and unlike our local manufacturers, the design change from one model to its successor can be radical. While Proton and Perodua will drag a model with numerous SE, FL, LE and other cosmetic touch-ups to a model, Japanese auto-makers roll out totally new cars when they change/switch models.

Of course, unless you frequent automotive sites, you won’t really know if the car that you’re buying is nearing the end of its lifecycle. I know of a few people who have been caught by this and some regret till it this very day. Just imagine, you’re new car is hardly a few months old and suddenly you see the new model launch with a design to captivate one’s senses.

Ada rasa macam nak hentak kepala pun ada kan?

Let’s see a few examples, firstly let’s look at Honda’s Civic range. This is what it used to look like.

Now that’s a decent design right? Now imagine if you had bought the car with no idea that the new model would be launched in a couple of months; then imagine your reaction when the new model looks like this.

You’d be lying if you said you wont feel gutted by such a radical design change. The gulf between the two models in terms of looks is far too obvious to ignore. The difference between the two is so great that it seems the previous design was made for the 70’s and 80’s.

Nothing you can say or do boleh sedapkan hati ok?

Another example that can be used is also from Honda, this time the City range. Same scenario happened to a few of my colleagues too. Here’s what the previous version looked like.

Not that bad to be honest don’t you think? In fact, this one was so much more a design for this millennium compared to the Honda City model before the picture above. Then, Honda decided to come out with the one below as its replacement.

You’d have to be quite a ‘thick’ to say that the new Honda City is not better looking that the previous model. Just like the Civic, the difference in design between the previous and new model is far too big. You’d be in ‘pain’ when you see the new models roll out when you haven’t even paid for the road tax and insurance renewal of your own car.

Sakit dalam hati tengok kereta baru siapa yang tahu…. :P

I could go one with other examples but that would turn this post into something out of Top Gear or something which this blog is most definitely not. What I’m trying to say is that if you’re planning to buy a new car, do your research.

The wonderful world that is the internet is a place filled with information if you care to search for it. Read up on sites such as Paul Tan or go to the forums of the car that you’re planning to buy. These are the people who would know if the new model will be coming out and some may even have glimpse of the new model.

If you are pretty sure that the new model isn’t going to displace the current one within the next 1 or 2 years, then go ahead. If you know that the new model is going to be launched in less than a year and is a much better one that the current model, wait. That is if you want to wait of course.

ps: The pictures above are credited to its respective sources. Click on each pictures to view original source.

ps2: The miles are getting longer, it seems, the closer I get to you

Ease In Company

2011-04-12T17:40:00.001+08:00

Some are not very good when it comes to human interaction. They find it uncomfortable trying to talk with people, especially people that they aren’t familiar with. The fact of the matter is, public speaking is not for everyone. You are either good at it or you’re not, unless you specifically train for it.

Many prefer to hide behind emails and technology if they are to interact with persons unknown. Many who are such vocal people behind technology when they’re in forums and internet in general tend to struggle at real world, real life human interaction. They prefer to have that shield and wall between them.

I on the other hand feel that the opposite applies. I prefer being able to talk to someone in person. I can see their reactions when I speak to them and read the body language. Without this visual cue I’m lost. I know that sounds funny but I’m not kidding. I feel awkward having to talk to someone through a phone call.

This morning I had to attend an exploratory call regarding a certain aspect of my work with a person who I don’t know. We’ve never met but he would most probably know more about me than I do about him. He had a dossier of me in his hand while all I had was just a name and his position.

The next 30 minutes felt like an age. I’ve been in situations where I am at ease despite being surrounded by a whole host of people. I can talk, discuss and demonstrate with ease because I can see them, I can hear them and I can sense and ‘feel’ my audience. This is not the case this morning.

I found myself doubting everything that came out of my mouth. I’m normally quite fluent in conversing but this morning I found out that even something as basic as that was a challenge. I began to wonder how he would react to my statements, losing the ability to judge a person’s reaction is paramount to me.

I began to ask myself….oi, apasal aku gagap nih?

Without the benefit of sight of my audience, I must say it was quite the challenge for me. My palms were all sweaty as I pondered his reaction. Is he impressed or is he laughing at me? Should I have elaborated further on the points? That question is difficult to ascertain when you do not have the body language through actual interaction to assist you.

I don’t normally need to be asked to further elaborate on a certain point as I normally observe the body language to determine if it is necessary or not. A raised eye-brow, a twitching forehead, a shrug of the shoulder or someone leaning forward are all ‘signs’ that people give out when their interest is piqued by something you said or presented.

So while some my find it uncomfortable to speak when they’re in the presence of strangers, I find that it does not apply to me. I relish the human interaction, being able to read the body language is important for me. Without it, I lose a lot of my normal confidence and quickly begin to doubt myself.

I’m at ease in company of other people but that does not necessarily apply to everyone.

ps: Without the mask Where will you hide?

Proud To V Malaysian?

2011-04-07T17:58:00.001+08:00

I’ve realized that my last post had been on the tad bit heavy side. Life’s serious enough for me to not be reminded by my own blog. I was searching the internet for the topic of Virtualization when Google’s instant search replied me with some interesting results.

Of course virtualization starts with a V and given Google’s almost real-time computation, guess what it dragged up.

I must say, I’m not too proud to be a Malaysian at the moment. I’m just glad that those results only came up on Google.com.my and not the main Google site.

ps: No need for confession now Cause now you have got the fight of your life

Schools Of Thought

2011-04-06T15:59:00.001+08:00

In my line of work, you're always judged on your management skills according to 2 major groups. You're either a street-smart manager or a book-smart manager. Both groups tend to reach the same stage of their career using different methods. The book-smart manager are those who went through the whole learning curve via books and courses. They tend to arm themselves with the knowledge gained from this channel before embarking on a role that requires their management skills.

The street-smart manager on the other hand tend to learn and/or ply their trade by actually doing the task, learning and stumbling (at times) along the way. They absorb from their surroundings and mould a manager based on the knowledge and experience gained from their senses.

Is one personality better than the other? Susah nak cakap larr...

I admit that I belong to the street-smart group. I've hardly read books about management and I can't really remember going to any formal training or course regarding management in the past 10 years. My wife on the other hand is going through the "right" process as she moves into the management level. She's going through proper management manuals and would be attending formal courses specific for her future duties.

Some people assume that these two groups of managers tend to have different ways of doing things. Well that statement is both true and false. They might have different ways in managing things but normally the end result is still the same.

It's like having 3 ways to get to KLIA from the same spot larr...

A few days back she shared with me how some of the things that she has seen me gone through are actually part of the formal, book-smart way of managing things. I myself found this surprising because I never thought such similarities exists between these two groups. The things that she described from her reading materials were exactly the same thing I’ve been practicing all this while.

So kira betul lar what I’ve been doing selama nie…

Like I said earlier, I’m not typically trained by formal means. I learnt my trade from sifu’s who were street-smart managers too so I guess my sometimes disinterest in attending courses, seminars or reading management books does come from there somewhat. I learnt from 3 managers who were already doing all the complex management work before all these courses and certifications became a fad.

These people learned from real-life experience, taking risks. Sometimes they win and sometimes they don’t. That’s just how life is and that is how management is. I believe that street-smart managers will always have the advantage against those who read from cover to cover in terms of that ‘gut feeling’ or instinct.

You can’t read to learn that nor can you attend a course to pick up that skill. That comes from years of plying your trade within the confines of real world realities. Formal courses and books sometimes tend to overlook reality because the focus is and as always will be the ‘best practices’. Trying to consume lesson’s learnt from a book will never have the same impact when you yourself went through the actual scenario.

Some might say that the tools and best practices in formal trainings are designed to reduce dependency on this ‘gut-feeling’ or expert judgment inconsistencies. That’s normal, humans are flawed that way and I for one welcome if there are ways to reinforce one’s management call.

Would you trust an 18 year old with all the management tools, books and best practices to run your company, ada berani?

Personally, I feel ‘street-smart’ managers tend to be better people managers compared to ‘book-smart’ managers. In my most humble opinion, ‘street-smart’ managers are better at interacting not only with their charges but also stakeholders, both internal and customers. I maybe stereo-typing but ‘book-smart’ managers that I’ve seen in my career so far do tend to struggle with the human aspect of management.

Is one group better than the other? No one can conclusively claim that. Both have their own strengths and also weaknesses. Ideally of course, a manager should merge the best of both school of thoughts. Having the ‘real-world’ experience coupled with formal best practices would make a near perfect manager.

ps: It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We got each other and that's a lot

BM Fail

2011-03-23T14:29:00.001+08:00

If you surf the internet enough, you’ll know that there are numerous websites that compiles collections of fails. Some of them tend to go viral with enough people keeping it going. One of these sites is of course Engrishfunny

Aku pun nak start jugak lah, bahasamelayufail.blogspot.com…amacam?

I think I would like to start one of my own. Mostly you’d find this ‘fails’ among those who struggle with English but let me prove to you that our little known Malay language has its fair share of fails too. Don’t believe me? Check this out.

Siap complete dengan exclamation point yang tak tahan tuh :P

I’m not sure what to make out from the above to be honest. I was pretty sure that this wasn’t a recycling center and I don’t think you’d donate your worn out shoes to charity either. I’m also pretty sure that this wasn’t a huge garbage bin either, this was a shop lot somewhere up north in the peninsular.

It WAS a restaurant it seems so I guess after eating, you’d have to dump your shoes at the shop and walk back barefooted. Good idea what? After eating all those oily and fatty stuff during lunch and walk back to your car or office with no shoes on. Imagine walking on our roads during lunch with no shoes or slippers in 33 degree temperatures and you’d know where I’m getting at.

Confirm jalan macam all those fire-walkers. Fast paced walk/run is always good to bring your metabolism up :P

So yeah, just like other people we too struggle with our own national language. I would love it if someone could read what the Chinese words mean in the picture above. I have a feeling that the Malay words were actually a poor, direct translation of the statement in Chinese.

ps: Do you see what we’ve done? We’re gonna make such fools of ourselves

RHB – Really Hopeless Bank

2011-03-21T14:26:00.001+08:00

This might be a multi-post topic that I may embark on, depending on the outcome of my communication with Really Hopeless Bank (RHB). I’m sure everyone has their fair share of horror stories with banks, me included but this time it’s not with Maybank but with RHB.

On 31st of December 2009 at 11.45am, I had cancelled my credit card at RHB’s Taman Tun Dr. Ismail’s branch. The reason for the cancellation? The service tax of RM50 imposed by the government. That was supposed to be the end of my ordeal, unfortunately this is not the case.

A year passed, with no word nor a single monthly statement sent to me. Amazingly in December of 2010, a full year after I had cancelled my credit card, I was sent a statement with the RM50 service tax charged, the very reason I terminated my card in the first place.

Apekah mentadak?!

What follows is the normal talking to machines when you call the bank up, being thrown from one person to another and the rest of the pinball madness that the client, me, has to go through to rectify a mistake made by them, the Really Hopeless Bank itself.

On the 17th of February 2011 I finally managed to talk to an actual person, not a machine. I was promised that it would be resolved within 2 days. Today is already more than a month and the RM50 service tax has now ballooned to almost RM180, destroying my CCRIS record at the same time. I was told that the card wasn’t cancelled but was just blocked.

Apekah RHB banker’s don’t understand English kah?

Which part of the word CANCELLATION did they not understand? It was their form/letter to start off with and not even mine. I managed to call the person in charge today and got the excuse “it has already been submitted to my manager”. Didn’t know it takes a month to resolve a problem created their inability to understand simple English.

Will the Really Hopeless Bank reimburse me for my phone bills? I’m pretty sure I spent at least an hour in total talking to machines and people without getting anything resolved. What damages can I claim for my now poor CCRIS record? A record that I’ve been so careful to take care of for the past 10 years?

Please lar, bukannya aku nak mintak duit pun. Just clear my record.

I had submitted my complaints to customer_service@rhbbank.com.my and also via RHB’s website. Shockingly, despite a page dedicated for Complaints & Feedback, there’s no option for complaints but there is an option for COMPLIMENTS! How more self-serving and delusional can a financial institution get?

Have I heard from either of the channels? Nope. Did I hope that I would received a call saying that they’re at least looking into my complaint? Not really, I know how bank’s work.

I know that I’m not the only one suffering from this. News of BNM’s new guidelines will surely more people will be looking to cancel their cards and most like go through the same hell that I’m going through. Until then, my ordeal with this Really Hopeless Bank continues.

I’ve spent a good portion of my career in the finance industry so I know that they can’t fool me around forever. I’m going to give the Really Hopeless Bank until the end of next week failing which, all hell will be unleashed.

ps: They're out to get you, better leave while you can

USIM – Ini Penipuan Tahap Angau

2011-03-18T08:56:00.001+08:00

USIM or the Islamic Science University of Malaysia is relatively new among Malaysia’s established IPTA’s. Beginning operations in 2000, it’s the 12th IPTA in Malaysia. Having said that, it is NOT a university that I would send my daughter, my family members or my friends kids there. Why? Read on.

Most would know that quite sometime back I did my first ever blog plug. Aididleaks is a blog dedicated fully to the fight against MLM’s, pyramid and ponzi schemes. Things that I’ve said many times, a malaise affecting the Malay’s.

How would you feel as a parent about sending your children to a tertiary education institute where one of it’s senior teaching staff is actually doing MLM schemes and practicing it among his students? Imagine your children being prey to an unscrupulous lecturer who’s intent is nothing more than to skim money off of his students.

That is the situation found in USIM, an Islamic centric tertiary education of all places. The name of this senior lecturer? MOHD ZOHDI MOHD AMIN. What’s more shocking is that he is from the Faculty of Quranic and Sunnah Studies, two things that are so against discriminatory practices found in such leeching MLM and pyramid schemes.

So kalau dah ada lecturer perangai macam tuh, nak hantar anak2 korang pegi USIM lagi ker?

Now this post is not done without supporting truths and facts. The picture below are verbatim, nothing added and/or modified.

Pictures above courtesy of Aididleakes.

This scheme that this lecturer is peddling is discussed on Aidid’s blog. Please feel free to read them in your spare time. This lecturer has his own website too to promote a product so worthless that it’s pathetic. Here you go http://zohdi5.ads4blog.net/

The writer has since raised a complaint via USIM’s HelpDesk system, TWICE! Not because I’m over enthusiastic but because the first complaint I raised had mysteriously disappeared from the system. System error or something more sinister, a cover up? You be the judge.

I cannot understand how USIM, a tertiary institute aligned to Islam can allow one of their teaching staff take advantage of young adults for his own benefit. Young adults who are only beginning to understand the world and its tribulations. Most of these young adults always look to a trusting figure as they grapple with life, a lecturer is supposed to fit the bill and not take advantage of that.

Such a scenario is nothing more than setting up a conveyer belt supplied with lambs to a wolf lying on his back.

As a parent, my daughter will never set foot in USIM. As a friend, I’ll advice my friends to keep their children away from USIM. As a colleague, I’ll say the same thing, get away/out of USIM. USIM is not a tertiary education center for anyone I know for as long as this so called lecturer is still working there.

So who should be responsible for allowing such a deceitful lecturer to teach our future generations? Does USIM be held totally responsible for allowing such a senior teaching staff remain among their ranks? Such a leech will only bring continued disgrace to USIM as an organization supposedly respected for its alliance towards Islam.

Still have your doubts? Checkout the video below direct from the donkey’s mouth. Justifying a so called business model and a wonder product that only the daft would buy into.

So, still it’s a hoax? A fitnah? Pictures and videos don’t lie. The video above is voluntary, not set in Afghanistan with a Kalashnikov to his head. The website is his and the facebook profile is also his. The pictures are not photoshopped, that’s really him, a dark red background that even John Milton would be proud off.

So if you’re a parent reading this post, I leave the decision to you. I told you that I wont let my child or her friends or anyone that I know set foot in USIM for as long as this senior lecturer is on its payroll. The facts have been presented and please spare me the whole a single rotten apple spoils the whole basket and stuff.

USIM is an institute of higher learning of standards inclined to the wonderful teachings of Islam. For someone to be able to ply his ‘trade’ there and no one even batting an eyelid is unacceptable.

ps: Free will. It's like butterfly wings: once touched, they never get off the ground. No, I only set the stage. You pull your own strings.

Universal Fail

2011-03-15T15:17:00.001+08:00

The last time I checked, Days are associated in terms of Monday’s through Sunday’s. Time was measured in either seconds, minutes and hours. However CIMB seems to be on a different zone altogether, echoing it’s corporate mantra of being ASEAN’s leading universal bank which I’m sure is just a step towards universal domination.

No wonder they seem to be on an alternate plane compared to everyone else. Being universal, they need to cater for customers from the planet Gorgon and others such as Cybertron, Tirol and Optera. Amazing eh? So anybody wants to take it up with @CIMB_Assists ?

ps: You can make a large bet Macheath is back in town

Subprime Reappears Potentially

2011-03-14T15:45:00.001+08:00

The government recently launched the the “Skim Rumah Pertamaku” or SRP as part of the nation’s 2011 budget presented by the PM. It’s an initiative by the government to help first time house buyers earning less than RM3000 a month to purchase houses within the RM100,000 to RM220,000 price range. They can purchase their first home without having to shell out a single cent for down payment.

A lot of good things have been written about the scheme. Most people have given rave reviews about the program and how beneficial it will be for all parties involved, buyer, seller and financier. However, the road to hell is always paved with good intentions. This is where I come in.

Plays the movie Devil’s Advocate in the background

I cannot be the only one that thinks that this SRP scheme is nothing more than a pre-cursor to what kicked off the great financial crisis (GFC) of 2008. How is this different from the general initiative of George W. Bush during his presidency of providing each and every American a home that they can call their own, even when they cant afford it.

I believe that all the ingredients are there for Malaysia’s very own subprime mortgage crisis. Do we have a government initiative to help everyone own a home? Check. Do we have a housing/property bubble fueled by astronomical rise in prices? Check. Easy credit environment with low interest rates? Check. Do we have an ever increasing household debt ratio? Check. Do we have ever increasing cost of living? Check.

So how are all of those not strike anyone of these brilliant economist and/or financial experts that we’re digging our own grave. I don’t get it. We’re replicating every single mistake that the American’s did without a single hint of worry or learning from other people’s mistake. Is everyone tuning a blind eye in search of profit?

A RM220,000 loan for a tenure of 30 years at a modest 4% interest rate will already eat up almost RM1050 of a person’s RM3000 gross salary. How much does that leave the borrower to spend on his or her car, food and other living expenses? Everyone knows that finding a property under the RM220,000 price ceiling of the scheme within 20km of the major central business districts is impossible.

Habis, tak payah isi minyak and bayar tol ker?

That’s what baffling me with the whole thing. Out of the 20 or so articles I’ve read about the whole scheme since it was launched has been positive, only a handful seem to be raising some red flags on the dangers that might come from what is a good initiative which in terms of policy, a good intention.

All you need for this subprime lenders to get into trouble? Pick and choose. Rise in transport cost due to increase in crude oil prices? Only the delusional would think that the price at the pump is going to stay the same or become cheaper. And how much would a borrower would have to pay to the bank’s should the interest rate even go up a mere 1%? One’s installment would go up by almost RM150.

Ini kes orang tak nampak ker orang buat-buat tak nampak?

Some may say I’m being unfair to the less fortunate and that they too have the right to own a home just like anyone else can. Agreed but all I’m saying is there must be some sense of practicality in forming any policy and initiative, no matter how well intended it may seem to be. I don’t know about other people but to me, what’s the point of having a roof over your head when your plate is empty?

And please don’t expect banks to act as the moral guard to turn away eligible candidates just because their credit risk scoring is borderline. They’re in the money making business and look at every single bank in the world and a majority of their portfolio is property related. If I’m not mistaken, most banks locally have at least 70% exposure to property related lending activities.

So there, I’ve called it. I hereby am making the case that we’re headed for a subprime mortgage crisis of our own. Everything is set. I may be proven wrong but then again, I’m not being paid thousands a month unlike some people to forecast this.

SRP, not Sijil Rendah Pelajaran but Skim Rumah Pertamaku. Is it good? A noble idea indeed but it can easily be that SRP also stands for the title of this post.

ps: What are you? Oh, I have so many names... Satan. Call me Dad.

ps2: Behold I send you out as sheep amidst the wolves

Slide Tweak

2011-03-10T17:58:00.001+08:00

Most people always preach not to leave things till the last minute. It tends to add madness especially when a critical deadline is involved. May it be work or study or life in general, leaving things till the very last is never a good thing.

Not for me though, especially when it come to presentation slides. Presentation slides or PowerPoint slides as it is commonly known are a norm in today’s corporate world. It is one of the most used tool after Word and Excel spreadsheets. In fact PowerPoint slides can be a bane when it is overused.

“When we understand that slide, we’ll have won the war”

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal once said that. To be honest, I don’t think I disagree with him. Some people take presentation slides to the extreme, one example is of course the figure at the beginning of this post. I’d say the same thing too if I was presented with such a presentation slide.

I’m the type of people that cannot have too much time in between the completion of the presentation slides and the actual presentation itself. The more time I have to go over the presentation slides, the more changes I make to it. Every time I run through the slide, I’ll always find something to tweak.

The feeling is like someone screeching on the school blackboard with a really old chalk :P

You get the urge to add more points and vice versa. You start reading ever sentence, word for word. Wondering if there’s a better way to explain it. You wonder if the content is too brief or are you going to bore them to death with too many words. Is the graph too big or would a pie chart be a better representation than a bar graph?

I think you know where I’m getting at. The urge to supposedly correct or perfect the presentation slide is endless and having far too much time to review it will only add to the woe. The saying goes that an idle mind is the devil’s playground. Come to think of it, time before a presentation is definitely dangerous for the presenter.

With time, a 10 slide presentation can turn into 20 and the opposite is just as possible too. Confidence is affected when you start to wonder should the slide be tweaked even more. All possible when one has time to ponder over the presentation slides over and over again.

I’ll have to find a way to curb my tweaking enthusiasm. No matter how you try not to open the slide after telling yourself that you’re done with it, the urge will be there for “one last review” and before you know it, you’re stuck in the vicious cycle all over again. Maybe you could recommend some ideas on how for me to resolve this?

ps: Oh this is a start of something good, don’t you agree?

Where They Are

2011-03-08T16:49:00.001+08:00

Have you ever had that feeling that bewilders your entire mind to its core? I'm sure that you've been in this position before. There you were, sitting in room full of managers and senior managers and the first thing that comes to your mind was,

HOW ON EARTH that these people get to be where they are again?

There you were, sitting among people 3 or 4 rungs higher you are in the corporate ladder, earning the big bucks and yet can't seem to justify any of them. Their inability to relate and/or share their experience on what is a routine tasks is baffling. The tasks being discussed is not rocket science from another field of work, its what’s expected for people at their level to do.

You see the discussion flying over their heads as they try to make out what it is actually being discussed. They give the look as if the entire meeting was being conducted in Urdu rather than plain old English. You struggle to comprehend why the much more junior team members are the one’s contributing rather than them.

The hard truth is that all of us have been in this position before. Most would feel that an injustice has been thrown against them. How can these people be where they are now despite being so ill equipped to be there in the first place. You would feel that you could do a hundred times better compared to those people.

The fact of the matter is though life is just like that. I stopped bothering to question why they are where they are as that would just be a waste of time and brain cells. I’ve come to the point that it’s better I do my work right the first time so that I can quickly move on to something else rather than spend more time with these people.

Life is unfair when these kind of things strike you. You feel that these people have no right to be there at their current level of experience and expertise but life decides that they do. Maybe they got a lucky break, sold the moon during an interview or happens to be the neighbor who’s son is the nephew to the uncle that is a 2nd cousin on the grandmother’s side second sister of the company’s CEO.

It’s best to use them as a motivation to not be like them when you get there rather than dwell on life’s supposed unfairness.

ps: Off in the night while you live it up I’m off to sleep

Jalan Hilang

2011-02-24T14:28:00.001+08:00

The above video is for a song that is one of my favorite songs from U2. Come to think of it, I think it’s one of songs I like most of all in terms of the entire music industry as a whole. Fortunately, I’m not going to bore you to death with another music plug post.

Where the streets have no name could also easily translate to the subject of this post, Jalan Hilang. And there’s no where in this world that the jalan hilang concept is more prevalent than in this wonderful country of ours, Malaysia. I’m sure have gone through this frustration before while driving on our roads right?

Have you ever tried going to a new place without the aid of a GPS unit but just relying on the street signs? Ahaa…. I sense those scared memories are rushing back from the past. Frustrating wasn’t it? All you did was follow the road signs to your destination only to find that your destination has suddenly disappeared from the face of this earth.

Rrraaageeeee mode initiated

While this can be acceptable if the road sign is damaged but to have the destination suddenly disappear from the road signs one has diligently followed is baffling. Don’t forget those cases where while your intended destination may still be on the signboards but they’re hidden thanks to trees or plants! What is JKR’s fascination with placing signboards behind trees?

I’ve heard a story told by a common acquaintance how an expat got lost while following the road signs when he had just moved to Malaysia. He was attempting to reach Jalan Ipoh in KL and when got lost, he called a local friend. After describing his surroundings and a lot of banter being exchanged between the 2, he actually ended up in Ipoh, the real one in Perak and not Jalan Ipoh in KL.

Another scenario that I’ve also encountered is slightly opposite of the previous examples. While driving on the brand spanking new LEKAS highway I came to a point where I was presented (if memory servers me right) with 3 signboards pointing through different routes heading towards the same destination, KLIA.

Apekah mentadak?!

If you’re familiar than you could quickly bring your head around that there are 3 ways to head to KLIA from that spot but I don’t believe that it will help people like the expat guy I mentioned earlier. Add to that our infamous jalan hilangs, driving in Malaysia can be an exasperating experience. Of course, don’t get me started on the drivers either.

ps: I'll show you a place, high on a desert plain where the streets have no name

Local Google

2011-02-11T16:30:00.001+08:00

Google has been in the news lately in terms of its expansion plans in Malaysia. They’re planning to setup an office here to cater for the South East Asia regional plans. As I’ve mentioned previously, Google has also recognized that Malaysia is indeed a hotbed for a lot of their businesses.

Apparently Google has started to acclimatized itself to the local Malaysian environment and this is evident in the image below.

Aiyaakk….this Google arrr very good liauw. All Malaysian aahh should be vely ploud worrr got Google in our lational shores wan. I oso vely ploud that our lation is chosen aahh to be their office place. But they not afraid ahh, our lation oso very like to sue-sue wan hoorrr. Dat day aahh got news leh mamak shop want to sue the blogger but oso go and sapu Google wan.

I would like to also take this opportunity to wish everyone a rather belated Happy Chinese New Year. May this year be a prosperous one for all of you living in this lation of ours that can be irritating at times. Huattt aarrrrr!!!!!!

ps> Someone finds salvation in everyone, another only pain

Confused Reader

2011-01-26T10:53:00.001+08:00

I stumbled upon this in my Google Reader a couple of days back.

Now I didn’t know that Google also suffers from the TB disease. No folks, not Tuberculosis folks but Takut Bini :P

ps: Looking back at me, I see that I never really got it right

News Fail - Part 3

2011-01-18T15:39:00.001+08:00

Alamak Datuk Rocky, ini kasi malu lar Datuk.

This one really topped my 2 earlier news fails. Not only the title but even the the URL of the article is in error.

I know that those who get into trouble with banks because of credit cards feel like dirt but to call the card itself dirt? I’ve had my reservations about Maybank in the past but I wouldn’t call them dirt, yet..

It took The Star almost 24 hours before the earlier error was corrected, let’s see how long it takes for “the paper that cares” to correct its mistakes.

ps: How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat. Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

ps2: 9.29am the following day, the error in the said article has not been corrected. At least The Star did fix its error.

The Myth of AirAsia

2011-01-18T15:03:00.001+08:00

Now everyone can fly is the tag line for the above mentioned company that has revolutionized air travel in this region. While there are many good things about having cheaper flights, there is also a lot of myth surrounding this company. The following are just my views which you may or may not agree on so if you are part of the latter, spare me the abuse.

Myth1: AirAsia is the cheapest way to fly.

Not entirely so. I present to you the following price comparisons between AirAsia and one of their competitors. Same travel dates, same number of travelers and the same destination.

So AirAsia, despite all the hype about cheap air travel is not the only option. Scout around the next time you plan to travel and don’t just buy into the whole marketing aura that has swamped every able bodied human in this region.

Myth 2: Every Malaysian can be proud of AirAsia.

Sort of. The company may have been founded by Malaysians but other than that there’s nothing to be proud of. AirAsia is currently owned by foreigners and run by a lot of them too. In its latest filing to Bursa, AirAsia is now owned by foreign entities that hold 51.55% of AirAsia shares. What is the likelihood of these foreigners allowing AirAsia to provide any national service with their profits?

Myth 3: AirAsia bucks the trend that low-cost carriers can’t be profitable.

There’s a saying among businessmen that you should trust accountants as much as you trust a hungry lion. There’s a reason why auditors sometime coin the term “creative accounting” and why most investors look at numbers with a healthy pinch of salt. How can AirAsia be so profitable when the likes of Ryan Air and Easy Jet are struggling to break even? It’s all in the numbers, if you care to look at them.

Myth 4: AirAsia can be depended upon to ensure you meet your schedules.

Hahahahaa….. I doubt that I would have to elaborate on this part. Everyone knows that AirAsia is as dependable as a kid locked in a room filled with cookies and no adult in clear view. Some claim it’s because of the landing and parking charges, claims which is very hard to dispute given the thin margins that AirAsia works under.

Myth 5: AirAsia is successful due to the brilliance of its CEO unlike other GLC’s who depend on the government for subsidies.

Ek ehh…betul ker? So if AirAsia is profitable, why do they need to have their training wheels still attached to them? One of the most under reported news of last year was how AirAsia gets tax break extension for the next 5 years. For a company supposedly so profitable, it enjoys subsidies (when the rakyat are having it yanked one by one) and mengelat yang amat when required to paid their overdue taxes to MAHB.

Itu pun dapat diskaun baru nak bayar….poyo

Mind you, who gets the benefit when you’re being charged for the taxes on your tickets when they don’t pay taxes to the government nor to MAHB? Interesting point to ponder eh?

Myth 6: No frills means no hassle for passengers

True for as long as your flight is not cancelled. While other carriers would be gracious enough to provide lodging and the likes, AirAsia has a no refund policy. Yeap folks, your flight gets cancelled is your problem. How does AirAsia get to bypass the Aviation Act? Your guess is as good as mine. Don’t forget if you’re an OKU, be prepared to pay more than normal able bodied persons.

Myth 7: Free seating means less ink is wasted on your boarding pass.

If you fly AirAsia and something catastrophic happens, the authorities may not be able to identify your body because nobody has any idea or record who sat where during the flight. I know that’s a bit too much but a point don’t you think?

Myth 8: AirAsia is profitable because of our excellent management and structure.

The following quotes were taken from this blog. I leave it up to you to decide what to make of it:

"My engineers talk to my pilots about how to fly the plane more efficiently, "We went from 80 landings per set of tyres to 180. We showed them how to brake on the runway, how to use the reverse thrust, how they should descend. We burn just 770 US gallons per hour of fuel. MAS, using a similar plane burns 1100 US gallons”

“Cost cutting is an obsession for Mr. Fernandes, who often oversees operations from AirAsia's tiny headquarters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport . He once suggested that pilots avoid using their brakes as long as possible upon landing. "Friction usually does the trick, so our brake pads and tires last a damn sight longer than most," he says.”

I think I’ll stop at 8 for the moment. There’s a few more I have in mind but while the internet can be a great source for news and info that gives the other side of the story, there can be too much of it. The need to go through all of them and identify issues that I can relate to takes time which can be quite the commodity lately.

Maybe you could share a few?

ps: In the night I hear 'em talk, the coldest story ever told. Somewhere far along this road he lost his soul

Start Clutching

2011-01-13T12:20:00.001+08:00

“Do take heed sir that no empire lasts forever and the past few weeks have shown that no company, no matter how big they are, are too big to fail. Your competitors are catching up and gaining on you and if you're not careful, you'd be clutching at straws soon.”

The above was what I wrote in my blog 2 years ago. It was a post dedicated to the current CEO of Maybank. News in the past few days seem to lend credence. I’m not claiming to be able to predict the future nor am I even close to the powers of the Oracle from Omaha.

I first got wind of the news of CIMB preparing a bid for the second smallest anchor bank left in Malaysia late evening on Tuesday, 11/01/2011. I began to make some calls to friends in the industry and most confirm that it’s a strong rumor with the only point of contention being the RM6b CIMB would have to part with.

Soon after, the blogs began to pick up on the rumor as news began to filter through. Esteemed bloggers such as Rocky Bru and Salvatore Dali began to run the story. News was scarce the following day but it seems that the rumor continues to grow even more today. More coverage were given to the supposed rumors as Affin’s share prices hit 10 year highs.

Now the problem with rumors is that left unresolved, just like lies that are told repeatedly over and over again; people start believing in them. In the corporate world, denials and press releases would almost always require every word and messages found in between lines to be analyzed to its last vestiges.

The point that I’m trying to make is not about corporate rumors but relates back to the beginning of this post. Maybank, just like any other big conglomerate must always continue to evolve to stay ahead of the game. It is something that must be done in the dog eat dog world of the corporate world.

The two compete on every front to be Malaysia’s biggest bank. In terms of regional presence, CIMB has definitely stolen a march on Maybank with its operations in countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand growing by each quarter while the same cannot be said of the latter, especially with problems in its acquisitions in Pakistan and Indonesia.

The only frontier left for CIMB to conquer still controlled by Maybank is Malaysia itself. While CIMB for a couple of days did eclipse Maybank’s value in terms of stock valuation in 2010, Maybank is still seen as the largest commercial bank in Malaysia. However this may soon change. Assuming that the rumor holds true, CIMB would automatically become Malaysia’s largest bank in terms of capitalization.

As Sir Alex Ferguson once said, “the aim is to knock them off their f****** perch”.

Is CIMB better than Maybank? Not necessarily but that is not the point of this post. What I’m trying to point out is that when you’re at the top, it is too easy to get comfortable. When you’re chasing the top spot, you always find ways to climb onto that pedestal; something that can be quite difficult and often overlooked when you are the top dog.

If the rumors turn out to be nothing more than just rumors, it does not hide the fact that Maybank’s position may no longer be status quo. If the rumors turned out to be true, the only question that remains is if it’s too late for Maybank to be clutching and straws looking for a reaction.

The quote clutching at straws means that when you are desperate, you will look for anything that might help you, even if it cannot help you very much.

So, if Dato' Abdul Wahid Omar claims he can continue to maintain Maybank’s top position will you believe it? A drowning man or company will clutch at a straw. Am I surprised that this could happen in such a short time? Most definitely not.

ps: And I ain't even know how it came to this except that fame is the worst drug known to man

Office Irritants - Part 2

2011-01-12T15:43:00.001+08:00

Earlier I posted about some of the irritating things that happens at one’s office but that one was pretty much about things in the office. This post however is dedicated to the people that you find in an office. I bet that you would have bound to have seen this people in action before.

They maybe of different species but they all belong the same parent; the Officitous Irritantouses Crappilosus

Kalau agak2 nak terasa boleh stop reading here. As per my last post, cili memang pedas.

Kipas KDK

This person tends to idolize the people in power. This person is also known as kaki ampu, kaki kipas, bum polisher and also a few other monikers. Sometimes we pity their bosses as the Kipas tend to bug them with every question under the sun. This is done to show the bosses that they have so much work to do compared to others.

Sleeping tiger hand on mouse

Believed by many scientist to be the poor twin of the crouching tiger hidden dragon. These people have the uncanny ability to fall asleep while looking like doing work. From most angles, it looks as if they have one hand on their head; deep in their thoughts while the other hand is on the mouse.

These people are so good that the only time they get caught napping at their desk is when they let out the odd snore or when the monitor screen starts displaying the screen saver or worse still, just go into sleep mode.

Macam tuan dia jugak :P

King Kong keyboarder

Normally these people are not much different from the KDK Kipas. Typing on their keyboards as loud as possible so that they can irritate everyone by showing that they are the only one that has work to do. If only the keyboard could speak it would tell the horrors it goes through being tortured on a daily basis.

Talam 2 face

There are many variants of this type but I’ll only touch on one. When that person was around, you come to their cubicle every morning to ask what they had for breakfast. 10 minutes before lunch you’re already peeking over the cubicle asking where to go for lunch. Then the person resigns and everything that comes out of the Talam 2 face belies the truth of how the former was your only friend in the whole company.

Atrociously Very Pathetic

I have touched on this in an earlier post but in summary, this species of people are those who oversold themselves during the interview period only to be found out soon after. Here’s another detailed investigation into this branch of the Officitous Irritantouses Crappilosus that I have done on this unique species.

Lost polar bear

No need for the awwwwww reaction now, these are not the one’s you find stranded on an ice-block floating mercilessly at the seas. These are the people who forget they have a cubicle and not their own office but due to their thick skin, they have to make everyone else suffer with near-zero temperatures. If the office a/c could go below zero degrees you bet these bears would insist it would be set that way.

Social leech

Everyday without fail, hours are spent researching, investigating and writing up material not for the company but for their own personal blogs. Yes, while reading other people’s blog during company time is bad enough (ek hem, where are you reading this post from?), they take it to a whole new level by blogging on company time.

Group may also include Facebook farmers, restaurant operators, mafia wannabe’s and Tweeter stalkers.

Korok-tak-ok

Most people tend to sing in their hearts to the beats coming out through their headphones but these group of people are the remaining believers of the panggil hujan tribe with their not so awesome singing. What’s worse is that without speakers to actually help with the beat and tune, these korok-tak-ok type can make some American Idol contestants seem like Andrea Bocelli.

Stumbling Dumpty

Another species of the from the Officitous Irritantouses Crappilosus that I’ve touched on before in an earlier post.

I think that’s enough for now. I’m sure I can think of more and I’m sure you have some too; do share ;)

ps: Let mercy come and wash away what I’ve done

Thy Neighbor

2011-01-05T15:31:00.001+08:00

Some of us Malaysians tend to look to our neighbors down south as a near perfect place to earn a living in. One hardly hears any bad things written about Singapore don’t you think? They have a good public transport infrastructure and although we keep punting jokes about chewing gums, its a cleaner city than KL none the less.

Then again, there’s always 2 sides to a coin.

To be honest, Singaporeans whine just as much as we do when it comes to their city-state. If you don’t believe me than please feel free to visit the bustling website of The Temasek Review. Don’t get confused though, this is no mouthpiece of the big conglomerate that acts as the investment arm for the Singapore government.

One could pretty much put Temasek Review in pretty much the same category to Malaysiakini or Malaysia Today. A place where disgruntled citizens of the city state come to vent against the ruling government. I’ve been following Temasek Review and from what I can gather (now, this is my opinion only ya), the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side.

Just like us, they complain about the high cost of living and the ever increasing prices of houses; or in their case flats. They hate their politicians running the country just as much as some of us hate ours too. They too worry about talent leaving the city state thus contributing to the brain drain malaise which also affects us.

Just as we have issues with illegal immigrants, they too share the same disdain. The only difference being their immigrants aren’t illegals (FT’s and PRC’s) and we’re not as pissed at these immigrants when compared to Singaporeans. Those who like to use Singapore as a model democracy should also take note, till this very day, even Singapore still practices detention without trial ie: ISA.

Opposition? What opposition party? You mean they exist? Yes they do it seems.

Read through the daily updates on the site and you’ll find that just like ours, their politicians are just as dirty and corrupted as ours too. They too fear about the rising rates of crime and they too suffer from racism whenever it rears its ugly head. Just like some who call into question of Khazanah’s ability to invest state funds properly, it’s namesake GLC comes under some heavy criticisms too.

Now for did you know quirks from what I’ve learned from browsing Temasik Review.

Did you know that due to the ruling parties ULTRA-liberal immigration and pro-foreigner policies, foreigners now make up nearly 40 percent of Singapore’s population, up from 14 percent in 1990 as claimed here. Yes folks, almost HALF of the entire population of Singapore or Singaporeans are not even original Singaporeans!

Did you know that Singapore once implemented birth control project to check the number of births in the city state? Now the previous paragraph’s message might be more understandable.

Now don’t laugh but did you know that in Singapore, there’s a hospital called Kandang Kerbau Children and Women Hospital (KKCWH). Go to the website and you won’t find Kandang Kerbau being shown but most Singaporeans would know it.

Kandang Kerbau? Apasal tak tukar nama until this very day?!

While that was funny this is a tad bit shocking. Did you know that the highest office bearer is paid an astonishing SGD$3,000,000.00 in salary a year?! Yeap, that’s right peeps. For your information, the president of US earns a meager USD$400,000.00 a year managing the world’s largest economy while our very own dear PM has to manage a country with a population more than 4 times larger and a country countless times bigger than Singapore on a measly RM22,826.65 a month salary.

This is the same PM that despite earning such a fat paycheque still requires a mentor minister, 2 senior ministers and 2 deputy prime ministers. I’m not sure about facts but if one were to take his salary and divide it by the size of the country or population, he must be the highest paid government servant in the world!

Yet despite this there are those who still think Singapore is the perfect place to live in. The reaction from our neighbors as found here borders on the hysterical. Singaporeans are proud of who they are and yes some still look at us and also their other neighbors to be no better and in some extreme cases, have no right to be better than they are. To read their response when this article came about can again be quite funny indeed.

The mood currently found in the site is quite a rebellious one. Singapore is due for a general election sometime in 2011 so the whole site has an aura of hoping for a similar political tsunami similar to what we went through in 2008.

So it just goes to show that when you’re peeping through the peep-hole, one’s view is only a selected, a portion and skewed view of the entire room. The main stream media there are just as much tools for the government as you may find anywhere else in the world.

ps: Selfishly hated, no wonder you're jaded you can't play the victim this time and you're too late

News FAIL - Part 2

2011-01-04T10:23:00.001+08:00

A few posts back I blogged on how even what used to be good points of reference for one to improve their English is no longer reliable and yesterday I found living proof that it’s true. After Utusan’s earlier bomb of a blunder, The Star is now carrying the flag for the English dailies.

FACT: The letters Q and O are separated by the keys W, E, R, T, Y, U, and I. That’s SEVEN keys on the keyboard.

FACT: If one is to type with their fingers in the correct position, the letters Q and O should be only be pressed by different fingers on different hands.

FACT: Unlike the previous Utusan case, there’s no way that this can be a case of fat fingers on a tiny keyboard.

FACT: The mistake was still evident in the article even at 6.00pm on the day it was published.

FACT: Just like Utusan’s case, it is the article’s HEADLINE for Abu’s sake! How can you misspell an article’s title?

FACT: The journo and also who ever edits Eugene’s work must be asleep on the job.

I wonder if anyone could check if the same glaring error was also made in the print version of the article. I can’t check because I don’t buy newspapers anymore and most of the people I know don’t buy either. Can someone from the industry please explain to me the process of editing an article before it gets published please? Pray tell, I beg you.

ps: What’s the worse that I could say. Things are better if I stay

A Ride Like No Other

2010-12-31T22:01:00.001+08:00

Not sure what to make of 2010 to be honest. The emotional, mental and physical roller-coaster that I went through this year was something that I’ve ever experience in my life so far. The wheel of life was in constant turn throughout the entire year from start till the end.

The year started of well as we welcomed the birth of our daughter into the world. Until this very day I am thankful to Allah for the gift that He has bestowed upon us. A heavy responsibility indeed although some seem to think otherwise. A child is a gift but also at the same time a responsibility that is not to be taken lightly.

Then the foundations of my life was shaken to its core. My mom was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme, a type of cancer that inhibits a persons brain. She went through the whole process of removing the cancer from her brain but due to her age and limitations of chemotherapy and radiology treatments, she couldn’t proceed with the latter.

What followed was a constant struggle; to balance the needs of my young daughter, my very own young family and also the responsibility to my ailing mother. There were times when the whole thing got to me but with the support of my family and kak’s family we managed to pull through. After 7 months of battling cancer, my late mom passed away on the 27th of November 2010.

There was further loss too as a week before my mother passed away, I lost a cousin to a fatal road accident. She was in her early 20’s. She was only a wife for just over a year while a mother for only a few months. Parent’s should never have to go through the pain of seeing their children pass on before they do.

Older cousin’s are not supposed to be the one’s to bury their younger cousins.

The big C also affected the other people in my life too. My grand-auntie was diagnosed with the same GBM cancer while my good friend, office colleague and fellow golfer is now currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy for the Nasopharyngeal carcinoma cancer. Unlike my late mom and her auntie, he has the advantage of health, youth and proven chemo and radio treatment to help him. I pray for his speedy recovery.

It’s been a tough year health-wise for me too. I’m current battling the flu but to be honest, I’ve been lurching from one sickness to another for a good month now. I hope the long weekend would give my body the chance to recuperate. Is it age or something else? I guess only He knows and I can only do my best to stay healthy in 2011. The responsibilities I have pretty much demands it.

The Kid too had her battles with her health. The worse of course being when she was down with viral fever. Ok lah tuh, bapak kena bacterial infection, anak kene viral fever :P Thankfully she’s ok now although she did suffer from fever a couple of weeks back no thanks to his continuously sick dad I guess.

She continues to amaze me and the Mrs daily with her antics. She’s certainly growing by the day and she is indeed the life of our lives; and also for kaks too. She’ll be 1 soon and I’m thankful for that and also knowing the fact that while my late Abah may not have got the chance to meet her, her late grandmother cared for her during those first few weeks after she was born.

Blogging wise sees me match 2009’s post count although I had earlier planned to exceed this sometimes disregarded blog of mine. There were months where the posts just went dry but then again, that has always been a hallmark of mine. A few facelifts for Baine’s World this year too which I’m quite glad to be able to achieve.

Career wise is pretty so-so. I’m pretty much where I am and have been for quite sometime to be honest. The urge to seek a new challenge continues to grow by the day. I’m beginning to feel the need to seek for something new to make sure that I don’t hit the ceiling and settle into a plateau.

My greatest fear is getting comfortable in the plateau and stagnate for the rest of my life. No I cannot afford that.

So as we all bid adieu to 2010 and usher in 2011, it is good to take stock of what have lost and gained this year. The latter of which is something that we should cherish as much as possible.

Thanks for the memories 2010. May we all learn from you and live 2011 to the best that we can.

ps: All the wounds that are ever gonna scar me. For all the ghosts that are never gonna catch me

False Dawn

2010-12-30T14:21:00.001+08:00

Pictures courtesy of The Malay Mail

Well I’m sure myself and also the millions of long suffering Malaysian football fans certainly hope it’s not. The country is still in euphoria thanks to the Harimau Muda’s first ever victory in the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup in its history. For those of you who know me, I’m not the most enthusiastic supporter of Malaysian sports.

It’s not that I’m not patriotic but I choose to be realistic.

It is a feeling born out of years of suffering through one heartbreak after another. Too many times when the hopes of Malaysian’s alike were built up only to be pummeled to the ground. That takes its toll no matter what people say. Far too many have become disenchanted and just give up the hope. Some wonder if it’s all worth it.

For those who follow Malaysian football knows that the past 20 years or so have been barren. Gone are the days where the likes of the late great Mokhtar Dahari and the likes struck fear in opponents such as Japan and South Korea. In fact, the latter 2 nations were nothing compared to what Malaysian football was back then.

I feel the Maxis advert showing Soh Chin Aun watching in the rain kids playing football is brilliant.

Then came the whole episode of match-fixing scandal that rocked the country’s foundation to its core. An entire generation of players were wiped out from the fraternity and all that was left was an empty shell. The Malaysian football scene was already in decline before that and the whole episode just accelerated the whole processes.

That’s when people stopped watching local football. The EPL than overtook the nation and stadium attendances fell. Even the best players of the time were involved in the whole bribery episode. People began to become more engrossed with Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea rather than Selangor and the likes.

Let’s hope they build on this.

I for one certainly do. I know of a colleague who is very much part of the local football scene being a former player himself. He is the most ardent supporter of local football and to me knows more about it than most. As I’m typing this post his words kept ringing in my head.

“Our boys are good. Under 15’s, under 18’s, under 21’s and 23’s are all good. It’s when they reach the age of 25 and play for the state teams that’s when the problem start.”

I cannot help but agree with him. Very very few Malaysian sportsmen managed to keep their career intact when fame and fortune is splashed before them. Just look at the careers of footballers between 2000 till recent. They get big. They get popular. They start dating actresses and artists. They run away to Thailand and get married. They get divorced. They join TV dance shows. Their career tanks.

They end up setting up satay stalls in the end.

Scour the web today and they’re already unsavory news about the current crop of players. Fans are beginning to speculate which of the current team is going to be poached next by the world of entertainment. Am I surprised? Of course not. That’s how things have been all this while.

I certainly hope that these boys really break the whole perception that has been engrained in fans like me. Their achievement have been nothing short of a miracle; a welcomed one at that. In the euphoria surrounding the nation I would like to preach patience. They are still young boys after all with much to learn.

Give them time to grow and don’t expect the impossible from them. Yes they’ll kick on from here (we hope) but they’re bound to slip and fall from time to time. We need to be supportive but at the same time critical. My greatest fear? That these boys fall into the trap that my colleague mentioned earlier and even worse, the return of the football bookies. The latter would just devastate football for good.

Will these be the boys that win the next Asian Cup? Will I get to see Malaysia qualify for the World Cup in my lifetime? I and the entire Malaysian nation certainly hope so.

ps: But it's been no bed of roses, no pleasure cruise. I consider it a challenge before the whole human race and I aint gonna lose

Atrociously Very Pathetic

2010-12-23T15:02:00.001+08:00

There are those who come waltzing in, dropping on every name that they could conjure up to back what little ability they have. You get that ridiculous pay you deemed appropriate for someone of your ‘stature’ and the company falls for yet another conman; sometimes through no fault of its own. You were just that brilliant in the art of deception.

A method actor in the truest sense?

And yet experience tells and you’re quickly found out. The names that you dropped have never even heard of you while your ‘achievements’ were nothing more than basking in other people’s hard work and glory. Suddenly the time came for you to walk the talk. Never mind walking but even crawling would be a difficult ask for you.

You began to clutch at straws, looking for help. Unfortunately people are smart too and can read you like an open book. People would give you a break and teach you but not forever. You are an exceptional talent right? Exceptional people don’t get fish brought to them all the time. After awhile people expect for you to fish for your own meal.

What happens then? How long can you hide behind the ‘probie’ excuse? You’re brought in to add value and not as an expensive passenger. What will you do when people start seeing you for who you are rather who you play out to be? Are you going to run to the bosses and ask for a reduction in your salary or rank?

Fat chance eh?

So you struggle on, gasping for air as you fight to stay above the water line. Suddenly the kiddy pool is a deep ocean which is what life in reality is. Your survival instincts starts and desperation sits in. Things that were supposed to be basic and natural to you suddenly becomes an ordeal like scaling mount Everest.

It is during this time that the people around you will begin to understand which is taller, your ability or your ego driven lies. There will be those who will begin to regret their mistake; counting the days till when you decide to walk away with your tail between your legs. There will be those who greeted you with relief now wondering if you’re going to be more of a hindrance.

The fact of life is that companies sometimes get into a rut that they can’t get out from. There will come a time when each new appointment is just one disappoint and mistake after another. You just lurch from one fail to another one. You try to change the way things are done but can only hope for the end of the rut rather than be sure of it.

Assistant Vice President? How about the title of the post for a better AVP acronym.

ps: No sir, well, I don’t wanna take the blame. Not anymore

Reference Point?

2010-12-21T16:51:00.001+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Have you ever gone to forums or blogs and read things that makes you want to rip your eyes out from its socket ala Kassim Selamat? The short form is bad enough to try and figure out what is the word actually means without having atrocious grammar to go with it. I mean how many rules can you break in one sentence?

I find it sickening to be honest and I can’t stand it. You can tell the difference between someone who actually does converse well in the English language and those who do not. Some of it are just so bad that like me, you might feel like pulling your hair out when reading it.

But they’re learning, give them a break lar…

That’s a whole lot of crap. Grammar is grammar; there’s no 2 ways about it. A sentence can b written in short form n still b readable 2 most ppl but shortened words does not mean that you do lose any sense of structure to a sentence. You don’t mix past tense with the present and of course the cardinal crime of all; Manglish.

But it’s part of the culture lar…

No way. If having poor grammar is part of being associated with the young and current than no, I wouldn’t want to be part of it. I’ll be old and out of date so long as people who read my posts understand it properly. It’s not like I post golden nuggets all the time but at least, there’s still some resemblance of structure in it.

People used to say that if you want to improve your grammar, reading is the best way. I agree and disagree both at the same time because it depends on what you read. Are newspapers a reliable source? I’m afraid that they have lost that part. Read news papers today and you’ll find grammar and spelling mistakes strewn all over it.

You would understand (somewhat, I guess) if online portals have errors in their haste to get the news out fast but newspapers? The amount of editor review that goes through a piece of news and proof reading before it actually gets printed to press should be sufficient to catch errors and yet, you would still find it.

So even the editors suffer from basic grammar weaknesses? I can’t really comment on that to be honest. Maybe it’s the monotony of the work or maybe they trust the writers too much. Maybe because everyone expects the next person to catch the slip-up when actually no one ever does or maybe, the standards have really fallen that much, who knows eh?

So news papers are not reliable then the only thing left is books?

I guess so but the only problem is books in Malaysia are just too freaking expensive. For a country trying to cultivate the habit of reading, the books are priced ridiculously high. Why? I have no idea, the gomen would have to answer that for you. I mean how do you expect people to buy books priced at RM70 and above when the actual price of the book (as printed on some books) is hardly RM50?

For me, it has to be a combination of both; reading and speaking. Of course some will say that they know of people who would ace their grammar when writing but couldn’t converse even if their life depended on it. Those I term as bigots and no I’m not going to justify why either. In general, someone with a good sense of grammar would still write well even if the words used are shortened for linguistic or style stake.

Unfortunately the world wide web is unregulated. No grammar police is going to issue a warning to you no matter how crappy your grammar is. I guess that would mean that the next time I browse the web, it is best I keep the knife and forks out of arms reach and maybe have a really short hair cut.

ps: I try to see the good in life. But good things in life are hard to find

Let Them Fly

2010-12-09T16:28:00.001+08:00

There will come a time in one’s career when you’ll stop learning and being trained and start putting the other shoe on. You’ll be the one guiding people and showing them the ropes. You’ll be the one to impart the experience and knowledge that you have gained in the hopes that it would be beneficial to them as it was to you.

And you will spend all that time and effort to guide them. Some learn faster than others; some just don’t get it. You put your heart and soul to mould these rough diamonds into something more presentable. Along the way, you separate the diamonds from the silt. Along the way you would also find what looked like diamonds but were nothing more than glass.

Then one day they will come up to tell you that it’s time for them to seek pastures anew. You will no doubt be taken aback; some will feel devastated and even betrayed. How could you do this after all that I’ve done for you? How can you leave when I haven’t even had the chance to reap the benefits of all the training I’ve given you?

No doubt, some of you will ask those questions; at least in your heart.

Some of you will feel betrayed. How could all those effort training them from nothing now be the benefit to other people? Is it unfair for you to feel that way? Of course not. The knowledge and experience that you have imparted on them would be priceless and repeating the same process again would just be too draining. There will be some of you who would feel so deflated that you wouldn’t want to go through the same process all over again.

Why should I? They’ll just leave and benefit other people when I was the one that put in the effort..

All I can say is that don’t stop. Knowledge and experience are to be shared and imparted on other people. For all you know, you were once in their position too at least once in your career. I’m sure that there were people who had walked you through and could not rest under the shade of the tree that they planted.

You hope that they’ve learned enough from you that they would kick on from where they are now. You may not be able to enjoy the shade of the tree but people are bound to know that the tree’s wonderful shade was shaped by you. Isn’t that something to be proud of? Well to me at least; it is a whole lot more noble but maybe I’m just a romantic.

Don’t you worry about repeating the whole process all over again, that’s just life. Rather than feeling down, disappointed and disheartened, just accept that life moves on no matter. Only than you would be able to appreciate the seeds of your labor; when you let them fly.

ps: So you took a chance and made other plans but I bet you didn't think that they would come crashing down, no

Mama Dah Tak Ada

2010-12-06T13:39:00.001+08:00

Arwah Ibunda telah selamatkan dikebumikan di tanah perkuburan Islam Bukit Kiara at about 11am on the 28th of November 2010. Mama breathed her last breath at around 6.50pm at my sister’s place in Bukit Jelutong on the 27th of November 2010. She leaves behind 2 daughters, a son, 6 grandchildren and thousands of students during her 38 year career as a teacher.

Allah may have decided that 6 months of fighting the Glioblastoma Multiforme cancer as a 70 year old lady was enough time for her to meet with her siblings, relatives and friends. Most importantly, we all hope that she had the time to repent and ask for forgiveness for all of her sins.

She is now in His care, the world she has left is now poorer of a wonderful soul that walks this temporary life on earth. She had passed on just a little over 6 years after Abah had passed away.

I am at lost for words right now and I may extend my hiatus for a little while longer. Writing is supposed to be an outlet for me but I’m in a mental block at the moment.

ps: I’m staring out into the night, trying to hide the pain. I’m going to a place where love and feeling good doesn’t cost a thing

First Blog Plug

2010-11-18T11:33:00.001+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

In the 5 year history of Baine’s World, this blog has never once dedicated a post just to plug someone else’ blog so this is a first indeed. Most people would know that I read a lot of blogs but follow very few as evident from my blog list on the side of this blog. The blog that I’m about to plug below is really worth the effort of an entire post for it.

Malaysia is a multi-racial country and each of it’s race has its own Achilles heel. The Chinese continue to fall for the loan sharks or Ah Long’s to satisfy their gambling appetite while for the Indians, well there’s always the whole MICA Holdings debacle, caste issue and what naught. The Meleis (to borrow the term coined by Obefiend) meanwhile continue to con themselves into get rich quick schemes.

MLM you know…Mesti Lah Menipu..

MLM or Multi-Level Marketing is not much different from your typical pyramid or Ponzi scheme. The whole idea is to develop down liners or affiliates and use their money to pay for the early adopters and so on. Sounds familiar? It should be. Bernie Madoff turned it into an art and squandered billions of the ever depreciating US dollars worth of investor’s funds.

If you are like me and you’re tired of MLM’s bugging your life via phone calls, Facebook and being conned into a teh-tarik turned preaching session, you have now a resource with enough wealth to counter these annoying bigots. We all have been through it. Friends, families and relatives maybe many but there will be a few of these people who irritate the life out of you.

Aidid Mu'addib... You Know My Name

That’s the blog that you should read, recommend, share and follow if you’re a person who’s sick of MLM and their conniving schemers. The description of the blog reads; I am against MLM & Pyramid-Schemes... and I am deadly serious! How could a sane human being think that earning money by exploiting and swindling other people is a way to make a living? Aren't they ashamed of themselves? Do they think they can get away with this inequity without consequences? Hey... Allah knows them well. And they will all get what they deserved... in this world or the next. Allah's judgment cometh... and that right soon.

It took me almost an entire week to read all of his posts and digest all its contents and comments. The posts can be long and agro but a good read none the less. Despite the rage, his arguments are all backed with facts. One gets a feeling that he’s a medical doctor by profession but he claims to be no more than a rubber tapper.

Ish…betul ker bro?

For Malay-Muslims, he clearly states the obvious in terms of the halal and haram of earning one’s keep via MLM. Along with extensive research and of course mathematical explanations, the blog is just a great resource to arm yourself with enough information and facts to counter all the lies and sweet nothings whispered by MLM practitioners; whether you’re a Malay-Muslim or not.

The author’s writing style is sharp, witty and funny. The cursing can be excessive sometimes but it just goes to show his passion on the matter being discussed. The blog is mostly written in Malay so do be careful if you’re going to rely on Google’s translator to read it as from my own experience, the actual meaning might just get lost in translation.

I don’t understand why my fellow Malay-Muslims continue to fall for these get quick rich schemes. To quote Aidid’s blog, there’s no such thing as an infinite down line for you to build, the number of the human population is a finite number. It goes to show how lazy my race can be. If one can really make millions from this, there would be no poverty in this world.

Nak jadi kaya tapi malas nak kerja, Apakah?

The statement above is very typical isn’t it? It’s certainly a malaise that is effecting the Meleis in Malaysia. MLM and it’s equivalents have destroyed the lives of many people everywhere around the world. Are all MLM’s bad? Of course not but 99% of them are. Can one really become rich by doing this? Of course you can; if you’re at the top of the pyramid. As formerly mentioned, 99% are left with nothing but debts.

If you’re a Malay-Muslim, then 2 concepts that should be enough to counter future advancements of MLM people are Riba' al-Fadl and Riba' an-Nasiah just to name a few while for those non Muslims, it didn’t take rocket science mathematics to expose the scam either. Then again, all these facts tend to fall on deaf ears as most of them are so engrossed in these schemes that they turn a blind eye to all that is wrong against them.

So there you have it ladies and gents. A blog that can be heavy to read but once you’re done. you will certainly be well read. There’s a Facebook group called Say No To MLM that you should consider joining too. Either way Aidid, his blog and his readers just goes to show that if you hate the scam, you’re not alone.

ps: Truth or dare mami listen and learn. I got a drop I just took off the top. It’s your turn

Straight and Dangerous

2010-11-16T14:45:00.001+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Different car makers may term it differently and Honda calls it VSA or Vehicle Stability Assist but it all serves the same purpose. This technological marvel called ESC (Electronic Stability Control) helps prevent either understeer or oversteer which results in the loss of steering control of one’s vehicle. In Honda’s, VSA works either by braking or by cutting power to the engine to keep the car stable.

Most illustrations of VSA and ESC (for other car makers) tend to illustrate the technology taking the appropriate corrective action(s) during a bend or a corner on the road. Why is this so? Taking corners and bends at high speed or on a slippery surface will normally cause either understeer or oversteer depending on the type of the car you’re using and driving conditions.

Theoretically VSA would not be required on a straight road right? SALAH!

I was driving back from JB to KL on the PLUS highway that runs down the spine of Peninsular Malaysia’s west coast states. It was raining so speed is obviously capped. The windshield wipers were not really at full throttle so you could say that the rain pelting down from the sky wasn’t too ferocious that one would be driving blind.

Shocking thing that I realized was that as I approached a stretch of road that was straight for as far as the eyes can see, I realized that the VSA indicator on my dashboard blinking. That shows/means that the said technology was working to keep my car straight on a straight road.

Apakah? But you said VSA is for corners and bends? Why is it kicking in on a straight road?

VSA kicking in while you’re driving on a straight road goes to show the quality of our roads here in lovely Malaysia. It goes to show that the roads are uneven; though you don’t need VSA to tell you that to be honest. Uneven roads causes pockets of water to collect on the road surface. Couple with that the poor drainage of the roads, one’s car is susceptible to aquaplane even on a straight road.

Pockets of water on roads are hard enough to look out far after the rain stops so trying to avoid it when the heaven’s open up is an even more difficult task. I could feel the engine sputtering as the VSA cuts power to the engine. The VSA indicator on my dashboard was lit for a good 5 seconds before it stopped so I’m guessing it had to be at least 200 to 300 meters the whole VSA was working.

Problem is, I’m fortunate enough to have such a feature in my car. Buyers of Proton will tell you that this essential feature is “optional” and only available in its high-end models. Amazing how such a feature can be “optional” when it comes to safety. How about those cars who do not have VSA or ESC or its equivalent? Knowing that I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share of cars without such features driving insanely eh :P

You would need reflexes of an F1 driver to “catch” your car and know what to do to stop the under or oversteer.

Of course no amount of technology is going to help you if you drive like our typical champion Malaysian drivers. Further in my journey I saw 2 accidents involving cars with similar technologies in it so yeah, common sense prevails despite all the technology in one’s car. But that does not hide the fact that even on our uneven roads, nothing is to be taken for granted.

We might have highways crisscrossing our lives and the country and yet they are nowhere near as good as it should probably be. Paying toll must count for something and I would prefer they do something about the roads rather than building more and more R&R’s, It’s a known fact that our roads in Malaysia do not meet international standards in terms of characteristics of the road and the materials used in it and that’s disheartening.

I reiterate again, no amount of technology is going to help you if you drive like a headless chicken. Having technology in your hands doesn’t mean that you can take it for granted. If you drive a car that does not have such essential safety features, be extra vigilant. In Malaysia, our roads can be straight and dangerous.

ps: You twist to fit the mould that I am in

Losing Corporate Status

2010-10-28T15:12:00.001+08:00

How time changes everything. Those who do not invest and keep up with it end up suffering the indignity of falling from grace. Sunway Leisure Commerce Square was once known as Bali when it was first launched. It was hip back then and everyone flocked to own a piece of real estate there. How times have befallen this once great place.

If I had a business, this would be the last place that I ever consider to set up shop. I’m not sure what the management has been doing but it has fallen way behind other areas that really, it’s like an old relic waiting to be blown away by the sands of time. The whole area is poorly maintained, with the basement parking lot resembling a sound stage for a zombie movie.

Believe me, jangan pandang belakang when you try getting to your car late at night.

There’s nothing here to attract new tenants. The place is pretty run-down and the infrastructure is so out of date that most government offices in and around Jalan Duta would look futuristic compared to this place. Most who still operate from here are those who have bought space or are just too lazy to move elsewhere.

The lifts here are so poorly maintained that it resembles lifts at low cost flats than a business center. Not a week goes by without having tenants stuck in the lift and causing unnecessary discomfort. The building itself is dirty and doesn’t look as if it has been washed since it was first built all those years ago. Old buildings can still look old but practical and comfortable.

Nak tengok bangunan berdaki, boleh datang melawat.

Amnesties have not only failed to improve but are actually getting worse. Not only does its lifts breakdown constantly, the parking machines suffer the same fate too. One pays through the nose here if you’re not a season parker and yet sometimes you can’t even get the basic operation of allowing cars to enter and leave the area in an orderly fashion.

New office blocks coming up in and around the same area is not helping either. In fact, it’s making the whole place age faster and look worse than it should be. Not sure what the joint management committee has been doing but they look more like accelerating rather than addressing the decline of this place.

From what I can understand the rates for office space here is not that cheap either. Not sure what is its selling point but as an existing tenant, I see no reason for high rates given the overall condition of this place. I have admitted before that the whole place is not very conducive for business to operate here.

The opinion above is of mine and the stakeholders of the place might disagree but I call a spade a spade. The location of this place is so ideal that it’s shocking how the positives are almost never even given a chance to shine. I’ll stick with my stand that if I had a business, Leisure Commerce Square would be the last place I operate from.

ps: What day is it? And in what month? This clock never seemed so alive

2010-10-27T11:20:00.001+08:00

Image via CrunchBase

Relationships Matter. That’s of course the tagline from the social networking service Linkedin. It’s pretty much just like FB but one tries to cut out the childish what I ate today crap as most people use Linkedin for their professional relationship building. I guess in short you could say it’s like Facebook for grownups.

Linkedin is where most people disclose what they do and their previous employment history. I have known of certain companies who actually do look into FB and also Linkedin when scouting for prospective employees. I know of at least 1 HR manager who actually does go to Linkedin to see if the resume fits.

He also uses that as an excuse to bypass the corporate firewall to get into these sites :P

The beauty of Linkedin and almost any other social networking service is that you do not really have to be directly connected to someone in order to view that person’s details. You could be the friend of a friend who’s aunty is the sister of the daughter that you’re planning to employ and yet be able to view details of someone; depending on their profile settings of course.

I was browsing the network the other day when I stumbled upon the profile from one of my ex-staff. Unfortunately, it is not a staff that I regret losing. It is one of those where when they were around it was a waste of time and resource and who’s decision to leave did not shed a single tear. We all will have a staff like that at least once in our careers.

As I went through the profile I started to see a recurring theme in it. There are obvious lies all over the employment history and also qualification. Knowing what the person actually did while working for me and seeing what is written was totally shocking. The amount of truth found was just as big as the lies that were strewn in it.

The amount of lies could not justify any justification to angkat bakul sendiri ok?

The fact that you got someone who DID NOT work directly with you at the organization write a recommendation/testimonial for you saying what a good worker or team player you were is ridiculous. And no, the simple words of “Hi” does not constitute a recommendation/testimonial of the service that you provided either.

As for reading the things that you did, well, it made more sense to read a fictional novel than reading what you claim to have done. It looked more like you took sentences from job descriptions that you were applying for and copying it straight into your work experience/skills. Shocked and flabbergasted were the only things that I could think of when I read it.

There are those who still think they’re working for that company when they’re long gone too.

Question is when you find such blatant lies; what do you do? Do you keep it to yourself? Doing that would mean the next employer might be repeating the same mistakes that you did. Is it fair? If one does decide to share the truth, would that mean you’re closing one’s future opportunities then?

I have been in this position before if I’m not mistaken but I doubt it’s as blatant as telling a lie and sharing it with the whole wide world. So if you were in my shoes, what do you think you would do? Would you call the person out for who they really are or do you keep it to yourself and hope that the new employer do not make the same mistake as you did?

LInkEdin is not only a place for you to build relationships but could also be the place that finds you out.

ps: I cant tell what it really is I can only tell you what it feels like

Mitsubiton

2010-10-22T18:06:00.001+08:00

Kuala Lumpur: Group managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said that the initial response to the new Proton Inspira has been excellent. “Customers are demanding. They want to upgrade to a bigger and better car. So we need to offer a better product. So this is what Proton has to do or we will lose out. We’re offering a vehicle in a new segment that is not represented by Proton.”

As to the continued questions regarding Proton’s decision to re-badge rather than design their own car, he rebutted. Syed Zainal said it would cost Proton as much as RM700mil to develop a new car from the ground up but only half the amount via collaborations. “Proton is a profitable company that is at the leading age of the local automotive industry. Our product line inspires imagination and provides our customers with the best product possible”.

To another question for a model in Proton’s line-up that is beginning to get long in the tooth, Syed Zainal had this to say. “The Proton Satria-Neo is entering its end-of life cycle. Since the development of a new hatchback would cost Proton RM700mil, Proton has decided that it will continue it’s partnership with Japan’s Mitsubishi. This relationship has been long-standing and built over years of technology transfers between the two companies.”

When pressed for an answer to why yet another rebadged exercise, Syed Zainal again rebutted.

“RM700mil is a lot of money. We’ve been in business for more than 20 years and have received so many benefits from the government in terms of its policy. The government is looking to keep the country’s budget deficit at a minimal level and asking for another RM700mil on top of the tax cuts, R&D grants, duties on foreign cars and AP policy would only burden the rakyat. No-no, we cannot afford to do that”.

Towards the end of the press conference, Syed Zainal finally relented when asked about the rumors about the Satria-Neo replacement. “Proton always looks to provide its customers with the best driving experience as possible. The Satria Neo will be replaced 2013 with a new model”. Syed Zainal then displayed the picture of the Staria-Neo replacement from his Apple iPad.

We at the Baine’s World news agency have the exclusive pictures below:

ps: Don't judge it by the color, confuse it for another. You might regret what you let slip away

ps2: The above is purely fictional, a joke, satire. Please don’t take it seriously ok? Please have a sense of humor when reading.

ps3: Pictures courtesy of Paul Tan’s Automotive News

Doesn’t Mix Well

2010-10-14T16:57:00.001+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Education institutions and business centers where professionals ply their trade do not function in the same space. The two are world’s apart in so many ways that trying to coexist in the same place is bound to irritate either party. In terms of age and maturity, the two groups are literally like oil and water, they just wont mix.

Working people are stressed out enough not having to face cramped elevators and loud kids. Deadlines and targets are tough enough and it doesn’t need an elevator filled to the brim of loud screaming kids. All working professionals just want to get on with their work. We don’t need the extra noise from kids, we have enough of our own when we get home.

Whatever hope that the university has that the working environment and it’s people would rub off on its student’s is neglected and a false hope rather than anything else. These kids are not grown up enough to be able to absorb anything as they’re too engrossed with their books or trying to look cool.

The place suffers too. When you have brash young kids things tend to break more often. I maybe stereotyping but it’s just facts. Try moving into a building or premises that was used as an educational place and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Suddenly the elevator buttons start disappearing. Dah macam flat pulak dah…Bau badan pun harum :/

I have no qualms or anything against uni students as I was one myself but you don’t hear Oxford or Harvard or MIT having a campus IN the the financial district in New York or London right? There’s a difference between exposing your students to a working culture and trying to teach them in a working or business district.

It is just common fact that most of them are still kids. Most of them are still playing “cinta monyet” digital love letters and the boys are poking girls like what you saw back in primary school. Some are still running around playing hide and seek while there are those who are in a relationship trying to reconcile or save it in public.

Serious macam kanak-kanak sekolah kan?

Kids will be kids so let them grow up at their own pace. No reason to plunk one’s whole campus in the middle of the business district and incur the ire of everyone else around it. You might gain in terms of the “address” where your campus is but whatever hopes that you may have to place your students for industrial training would be diminished by your own student’s attitude.

Believe me when I say it that I have no intention of employing students from the recently moved university to where my current office is. In an interview you see only the best of a person and trying to see if it is fake or the genuine article can be difficult. However when you’re outside of the interview room you see the real person for who they are and I have seen NOTHING that would make me employ any of them.

I may not be running the company but I’m in charge of recruitment for my team. If the bosses come to me with a set of candidates for trainees from the university, I’ll be hard pressed to give it a fair shot without having any preconceived perception in my head. How can I not have one when everyday I bump into these people in their true colors?

Call me judgmental or typecasting but when I employ someone, he/she has to be able to work in my team. There’s only so much that I can change to adapt to different personalities and attitudes but I have my own rules too. It has served me well and I plan to stick to it. Unfortunately for the students of this particular university, we don’t mix well.

ps: She said some days I feel like shit. Some days I wanna quit and just be normal for a bit

Alih Suara

2010-10-12T14:10:00.005+08:00

Image by Salihan.com via Flickr

I was browsing Baine’s World’s traffic (yes, I had THAT much free time) and found an interesting item in the mountain of stats that is website traffic. Google has a service that I’m sure some of us have used that is website translation. Have you tried it? Maybe you should because it can be interesting you know.

I had a visitor from our neighbor Indonesia who viewed a translated version of one of my earlier post. So being the curious me I started to do the same and actually translated that blog post from English to the Indonesian version of the Malay language.

Try hold a straight face while reading the translated version, it can be quite funny.

While the statement above rings true I was more worried about the translation misinterpreting the actual meaning of my statements. It happens often when you remove the human element from translating text and as the cliche’ goes, the message gets lost in translation. The meaning of it all is easily lost when you’re translating words rather than the message.

As I read through the translated version of that post I can’t help but notice some of the words were literally translated without any thought of sentence structure. It especially struggles with common quotes and/or phrases that went translated word for word, totally loses the whole meaning. Let me give you a few examples.

Bahkan nabi pernah pernah ingin sesuatu yang buruk terhadap musuh-musuhnya dan bahkan ia bahkan berdoa untuk terburuk dan paling sengit musuh nya Umar Al-Khatab

That whole translated statement is totally wrong. What I initially wrote was this. “In fact the prophet never once wished anything bad against his detractors and in fact he even prayed for his worst and most fierce enemy Umar Al-Khatab”. Scary isn’t it? The whole meaning was totally lost to the point that a positive statement was turned totally upside down.

Here’s another one not so serious but quite funny from the same post. Tiba-tiba pergi ke pengadilan mengenakan songkok dan jilbab adalah sebuah keharusan. Bodoh. Siapa f *** yang Anda coba untuk anak? The actual sentence from the post? Suddenly going to court wearing the songkok and head scarf is a must. Bodoh. Who the f*** are you trying to kid?

That one really had me laughing like an insane guy.

A few other funnies were of course found as I read through the post. Knee-jerk reaction was translated to brengsek reaksi lutut while I also learnt that in Indonesian, civilians are also translated to warga sipil and struggle is translated as berkutat. Like the Malay practiced in Malaysia, Indonesians too adopt certain English words directly and absorb them into their own. Route is absorbed as rute while claim is known as klaim.

The above goes to show how one’s message can easily be misinterpreted when translation is involved. I hope the reader who read the translated version of that post of mine got the message what I was trying to convey. I fear because the literal translation provided by the machine lost quite a number of important messages throughout the blog post.

I’m sure we’ve all seen similar gaffes in translation in our time. From funny movie title translations to dialogs from TV programs. How about you give it a shot? Type in the URL of your choice and read with amazement (and shock I guess) of how machines will never quite replace a human. Not that human translators don’t have their deficiencies either :P

ps:I drowned out all my sense with the sounds of its beating

Silent Drive

2010-10-11T17:41:00.002+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Nope I’m not referring to the type of peaceful driving experience you get in a plush S-Class Merc or 7 series Beemer or even a Maybach. I’m pretty sure these cars would run over most mat-rempit’s because you couldn’t hear them coming but what I’m referring to is an essential component of the modern car.

The car stereo.

Yes ladies and gentlemen the car stereo is now a staple in most vehicles for the past 40 years or so. Unfortunately for me, it has recently decided to give up on me in my first ever car; the humble Perodua Kelisa. It died on me last week and I’ve been driving to work with no sound coming out from the stock standard speakers at all.

Bosan kan?

Driving without your stereo on of course has it's pro’s and con’s. A silent drive would provide you with ample opportunity to ponder on life’s many, many things. Either when you’re driving or most likely sitting idle in a gridlock, the mute sounds of one’s failed car stereo provides the driver with more than enough to think about.

One’s thoughts easily fly away as you wonder or most likely dread driving to work. On that meeting that you do not enjoy or that meet up with the client who has a boatload of complaints about your product. You reflect on life wondering if you’ll ever own that dream house or buy that Lamborghini Superleggera (damn cool name dowh!) that you just read in the magazine.

You wonder if you’re being responsible with your life and the things in life that He has given to you. Your mind flashes back to all of the things that you did and perhaps some regret might creep in. So much time is suddenly available for you to think about yourself and your life when you’re driving without the radio on.

You can also hear all the coins being thrown around too!

A silent drive also has it’s fair share of con’s too. Suddenly you hear every squeak and every rattle of your dashboard. Suddenly the engine sound's rougher and the whole experience becomes an act of trying to find out which part of the car is contributing to the whole orchestra of sounds. You wonder where did all these noise come from.

It has always been there but had the stereo on so loud you’re legally not hearing properly.

To be honest I haven’t had many things on my Kelisa that has failed me. The radio was changed earlier from the stock one that came with the car so I guess this isn’t a Perodua defect. As for the rattles in and around the car, at least it is not as bad as my driving experience with the Proton. The Kelisa is 8 years old so I guess it’s normal wear and tear when we drive on our “excellent” roads.

Believe me it’s no fun not being able to listen to the radio. I know there’s mp3 players and stuff but they don’t have news or the traffic report. Besides I don’t want to use up my playlist when I need it to get through yet another long day at the office. Imagine being stuck in traffic with no radio; no fun right? Well I’m going through that right now.

Looks like I’ve got to bide my time to get a new one. Well not by choice rather but more as a result of some hasty spending activities for the recently concluded Aidilfitri celebrations. How would you feel if yours got broken and what would you do in your car during your silent trips from one place to another? Or maybe you should go through a day of driving without your radio on?

Until then I’m resigned to enjoy my silent drive. Pondering, flash-back, rattles and squeaks included.

ps: You said you read me like a book but the pages all are torn and frayed

Bursting Lies

2010-10-07T14:33:00.001+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Those who rely on flipping property as a mode of investment should also stop reading here.

Now that we’ve got part out of the way, let’s continue then shall we.

We’ve been hunting for an upgrade to our property that we bought 2 years ago recently with the hopes of obtaining a better house. Note that I used the term house and not home. Home is what one makes of it while a house is nothing more than a building of bricks.

A small house can be a big wholesome home but not necessarily vice-versa.

What shocked us is how the house we bought less then 2 years ago has now appreciated to a value that we never ever imagine. Half a million ringgit for a double storey house that cost half of that 2 years ago is simply ridiculous. While it may be good that it has appreciated that much but it also means that the next house we’re looking at has appreciated by the same rate too.

Has that particular housing area developed so much to justify the increase? Has bricks and cement doubled up in price in just 2 years to justify the unreasonable price increase? Now of course if you’re looking to flip property to make the quick buck, this situation is ideal for you but not for us; folks who are looking for a house to build a home with.

So who’s the Bernie Madoff driving all these prices up? All of them. The banks, the property developers and the property agents are all in cahoots to drive up the prices beyond sensibility. There’s no way that the cost of building material, amnesties in an area or even inflation can drive up prices this much. Capital appreciation can go up 15% to 30% in a year or two but not in 4 months!

I feel for those looking to purchase their first home today, it must be tough. Paying close to RM500k for a house that may not even have 2000 sq ft of built up area can be so frustrating. Thanks to these property bubble blowers, affordable homes for most middle income people are getting beyond their reach.

When the wart pops, it’ll be ugly.

Of course it will. How many people that you know who’s income either individual or with their partner are less than RM10k a month carrying mortgages of RM400 or more? I bet if you threw a stone out you’re bound to hit one of them. A loan that much at current rates is already close to R2.4k a month. What happens when the % rate goes up?

A property bubble of epic proportions in Kuala Lumpur will erupt and suddenly no one will be laughing.

When this bubble bursts it is us the people who would suffer. The bank’s can run to the government for a bail out while property developers can just go back to selling houses at decent prices again. Property agents can then become normal people again rather than scheming thieves though I know that I’m stereo-typing here.

But what happens to those saddled with loan amount that is twice the amount of their annual income? What can be affordable now is subjective as % interest rates are very low. That same monthly amount mentioned can easily go up to RM3k if the % rate goes up. Will it go up? Of course it will. Sooner or later it will. Have people forgotten what happened less than 15 years ago? Don’t you remember what the % was back then?

Suddenly having as much as RM1k wiped out from one’s monthly expenses can be tough for us normal folks tau.

It is in my personal opinion that prices of property are being inflated by unscrupulous people right now. Don’t believe all the crap that you read in the newspaper saying that prices are backed by fundamentals and stuff. These people have their hands in the cookie jar and are not done munching on them at your expense yet.

Those who say that there’s still demand that outstrips supply are not telling the whole truth. Property launches are always packed with people but how many are truly, really 1st time buyers looking to buy a house for their young family?

Demand is high for affordable homes and not million ringgit houses. Not everyone is earning RM20k a month lah please…

Most middle income folks like me have to go further and further away from our normal work areas in order to find a house that we can afford. That means further away from good amnesties, neighborhoods and also offices. All that contributes to costs of trying to live in Klang Valley

If you’re looking for your first house chances are you’re going to have to get it at least 30 minutes away from the main business areas. Access roads will most probably be limited and you’ll have to time your trip if you don’t want to lose your sanity. To summarize my personal view on this, let me say the following:

Should you buy a house? Yes if you find the location ideal and the price within your range. Remember, % rates goes up and down. Ask yourself if you can afford the installments if the % rates goes up by 1 or 2%?

Should I rent instead of buying a property far away? It depends. If you’re paying rent that is as expensive as owning a house, you might want to consider buying. Why not pay off your own house rather than paying off someone else’s.

Should I cash in now and wait for the prices to come down? Unfortunately prices will never come down to where you think or hope it would. Yes having a load of cash from flipping the property can be invested somewhere else but assuming that you can get that house later at a cheaper price takes more than hope and prayers.

I feel for those who are in my shoes, the real rakyat. We’re not buying houses to make a profit but looking to build a home out of it. I for one agree with the proposal by BNM to increase the requirement for down payments on properties especially for those buying the 2nd, 3rd or 4th and so on. These people should have only be allowed up to 60% for margin of financing.

My views above may only be my personal one that some might disagree with but I know that there a lot more people out there who agree with my views. Properties in the Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley are all lies waiting to burst. When it does, look no further that the subprime crisis in the US for what will happen to all of us.

ps: I needed somewhere to hang my head without your noose

Substance Or Plug

2010-10-06T17:53:00.001+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Got an email from a fellow blogger who requests anonymity (he’s afraid if his intention is like “angkat bakul sendiri”) which I would like to spare some thought into.

Bro, I was listening to BFM radio yesterday evening and they even interviewed some blogger who’d been blogging only for 2 years. So you know lah, another SoPo blogger getting all the limelight. Bila nak credit bloggers who’ve been around for donkey years churning out good material all through out?

Regards.

At first I kinda chuckled as I recalled an earlier post about blogging. I had thought about replying the email but I thought what better way to force him to read my blog than to post my views here instead of an email to him only?

Muahahahaha…cheap plug at its best bro! :P

Here is my take on this. There are many, many excellent bloggers who have been blogging even longer than my 6 years who never get the credit that so many SoPo bloggers get these days. I guess when you post dirt about someone, you get the bang for your buck indeed. As someone told me before, nothing sells news like bad news.

It must be our human nature to dig on dirt about someone else. Kay-poh-chee?

Bloggers these days get paid by politicians, get to meet ministers and are even quoted by the other forms of media all the time. Sometimes they are quoted by media institutions who have been in existence longer than they have been alive.

Honestly I don’t know who was that dude that was interviewed yesterday. I looked it up based on my friend’s email and honestly I have never heard of that guy before. How did he get on radio? Beats the hell out of me. Do I care? Absolutely not. Why? Why should I.

It all again goes back to why one blogs in the first place. For some who are like me, blogging is just another outlet to exercise the mind. There of course those who do it for a living and in my view the bottom of the heap blogger; the one that does nothing but take content from other sites and plunks it into their blog. I’ve seen some blogs literally plagiarize content from other sites down to a T.

Location image siap point back to original site lagi dowh!

Bloggers have become celebrities and spokesperson for a particular party. Some have even turned themselves into politicians and conveniently forget the principles that they once championed through their blogs. There are some who have played on both sides that the term “lalang” is almost a middle name to them.

They’ve spin enough crap to the point where there’s no difference between fact and crap anymore.

To answer my friend’s question if these “mushroom bloggers” since 2008 are better than those who have been around for more than 5 years; it depends on what you compare the 2 against. In MY honest opinion, I still prefer reading blogs which have been around long enough that you do not automatically associate them with the 12th GE.

The former; the one’s that I read at least, are normally written in a more mature manner. Mature not just in terms of articulation of ideas but also the use of the English language itself. I’m sorry but there are just far too many “mushroom blogs” who’s grammar will make my eyes bleed.

There’s less hate and petty name-calling too. I guess when you’ve blogged long enough you know that if you get emotional than you’ll lose readers faster than you can post a new update to your blog.

Also it helps me that not every single post or update is SoPo related :P

For those who have been posting their thoughts on the net long enough will know that this is just another phase. We all went through it back in ‘04 and ‘05. There were huge number of blogs then but how many are still around and active till this day? I bet out of hundreds of blogs that used to be in your blogroll back then, we’ll be lucky if even half of them are still alive and kicking.

So that’s my take on it. Not sure if I made any sense of it all or if I answered his question. One thing I AM sure is that Baine’s World has got 1 extra page view thanks to he having to read my response on the blog :P hahahahaha

ps: But you proved to me unintentionally. That you would self destruct eventually

5 Minutes To Save Your Sanity

2010-10-05T15:38:00.001+08:00

Image by rmlowe via Flickr

Quite the subject line eh? But that’s the truth don’t you think? For most people living in the Klang Valley, one’s sanity is pretty much dependant on the level of traffic that one encounters on a daily basis. If one’s drive to/from work that day was smooth, you’re likely to have a rather sane person for yourself.

Get the opposite and you’re most likely have a special room reserved in Hospital Bahagia all ready for you.

It’s amazing how 5 minutes can separate between having a smooth drive to or from the city and the horrific opposite. If you find it hard to believe than obviously you have not been driving around KL’s hotspots enough. That would mean you either have your own business that you can clock in at anytime or your office is near enough to walk to.

Don’t believe me? Track the following route to test your mental health.

One of the famous exits on the NKVE highway is of course the Damansara toll. The route is ploughed through by people either working in Petaling Jaya, TTDI, Damansara Heights, Bangsar and even KL city itself. With it being the entry point for those living outside the area such as Subang, Sunway, Shah Alam, Sg. Buloh and even Klang, one can imagine how much traffic passes through the Damansara toll.

The rule of thumb if you’re looking to avoid the rush hour traffic here is that one MUST pass through the infamous toll before 7.00AM in the morning in order for you to have a sane trip towards KL and its surround area. If you happen to arrive at the toll house anything after 7.05AM, what would normally take less than 5 minutes to get onto the SPRINT highway would likely see you take 30 minutes.

Who wouldn’t go mental if it takes you 30 minutes to travel less than 5km eh?

If there’s anyone that can explain this sanity shattering phenomenon than I’d love to hear it. It makes no sense how being late 5 minutes can mean that you get stuck in traffic that would be faster if you walked the distance that actually driving it. It is like everyone living miles apart decide to leave at that specific moment to contribute to the huge traffic surge.

Obviously there are many other similar stretches of tarmac that can claim the same thing but the former I mentioned is something that I go through and see on a daily basis. Unfortunately the whole situation is just going to get worse as more and more cars ply through these routes. Things like this don’t get better; they just become worse.

I guess if as a boss you’re wondering why some of your staff get into the office looking like they’re just gone through the gauntlet, save a thought for those who slammed the snooze button on their alarm clock one time too many.

Your views and also your perceived level of sanity if you miss the “sweet spot” window would be nice ;)

ps: The road to hell is paved with good intentions, yeah

WLW

2010-10-01T18:20:00.001+08:00

You might want to avoid this post because I’m just playing around with the Windows Live Writer. Obviously there are many ways for one to update their blog entry these days and the Windows Live Writer is one of them. So far it it looks to be quite a breeze to handle.

The spell checker is really a help :P (hhmm…this isn’t the normal color that I use…)

At least I don’t have to depend on Firefox to correct my spelling mistakes. Now let’s see how it handles photos…

Aahh..that wasn’t so difficult. At least it is much easier than trying to upload pictures via the Blogger tool itself. Until recently, one need not have to upload the picture into Picasa first before being able to upload pictures into a blog post. Why did Blogger put such a rule when most people normally upload pictures from their local machines?

Btw, that’s a picture The Kid that was given to fellow blogger Nilesh Babu during the run-up to his recently concluded wedding.

One thing that I wished Windows Live Writer had is a service like Zemanta’s that is built-in together with Blogger. It does help a lot at providing suggestive links, pictures and also other resources by ~~spying~~ analyzing the words in your post as you type it. I guess that an option would be to send the post as a draft to Blogger first and letting Zemanta run through the post to suggest more things to the post.

Now isn’t that such a hassle. I’m sure Microsoft is used to ~~spying~~ analyzing things on people’s machine but it seems Google has taken it to a whole new level.

Other features include adding tables (not the real one larr) and maps taken from Bing maps. That and also a whole host of other stuffs including plug-ins that I have yet to dabble with given the rush that I am in right now. ~~Unfortunately the Tags option is not pulling Labels that I already have from my earlier Blogger posts or am I getting myself confused with tags and labels?~~

Funny how the Preview option seems to be assigning Labels of which I have no control over? Sebab preview kot

And so looks like Windows Live Writer is a pretty decent tool. Enough for a normal blogger like me who isn’t really looking for something so sophisticated that I’ll get a nose-bleed if I tried using it. We’ll see how it looks like once it’s posted. I think from past experience I’ve known that Microsoft and it’s products tend to not play well when it comes to HTML stuff.

ps: What I'm needing now is some sweet revenge To get back all that I lost then

Cartoon Medicine

2010-09-30T17:25:00.000+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

About 2 weeks ago The Kid was down with what the doctor diagnosed as viral fever. It seems a lot of kids her age seem to be suffering the same thing. Maybe it is the seasonal shift welcoming the end of the year monsoon weather.

We took her to the private hospital nearby to be assessed after her fever wouldn’t go away after 2 days. Unfortunately for us, her pediatrician was on Raya leave so it was the normal doctor’s that looked at her.

After having blood drawn (another post on that experience alone for sure) and her body checked; the good doctor Datin Dr. Amanjeet Kaur concluded that based on the findings and our daughter’s behavior that she may have contracted viral fever.

As she continued to explain and interact with The Kid, she also spoke to us on the remedial care while she’s under the spell of the viral fever. Being a baby still, antibiotics are not an option so basically it is up to her own immune system to fight the viral fever away.

Other than the syrup based Uphamol, the doctor also provided is with medication to be administered from The Kid’s behind. It is at this moment in time that every time she explained the medicine Voltaren that my mind kept wondering off to my childhood.

Aaahh…so the cartoon Voltron got its name for a medicine inserted via your rectal behind!

I’ve got a weird mind that replaces the word Voltaren with Voltron every time the good doctor spoke that word. I could remember the figure of the combined Voltron robots into the mega-dude for that big-final-battle-royale being displayed in my mind every single time.

Good marketing or just pure TV brainwash?

I’m not sure. All I know is I tried to keep a straight face throughout the whole time. When we got out of the doctor’s room and I related my experience to wifey who responded with a burst of laughter. I find it amazing that images of the Voltron cartoon is still clear in my mind. I must’ve been no older than 6 or 7 years old back then and to still be able to vividly recall the images from the said cartoon surprised me.

It wasn’t until I got my hands on the medication’s packaging that I stopped wondering whether the spelling is really different from the cartoon. So yes it is Voltaren and not Voltron. And yes adults have to get it in the rear end too if your fever is too high :P

ps: Wake up everyone. How can you sleep at a time like this unless the dreamer is the real you

Cheers Off

2010-09-29T17:22:00.007+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

I’ve always signed off my blog posts with the phrase “Cheers!!! :D” for as long as Baine’s World has been around. It was first introduced in the blogs’ third post and it has been around ever since.

Unlike most who use it to signoff as part of their culture; I tend to use it for a whole different manner altogether. Back in the day I used to be quite paranoid that my blog would be hijacked and something rather nasty would get posted that would get me in trouble.

Isn’t that some paranoid stuff eh?

I could always argue with the authorities (if I got into trouble) that my “signature” is always “Cheers!!! :D” with the exact same configuration. Capital ‘C’, 3 exclamation marks, space and a big smiley. I was under the impression that if someone did impersonate me, they would get this signature wrong.

That’s some cool cryptic code to keep my identity eh :P

But with the blog having gone through 5 layout changes and of course my writing style/material having changed considerably since then; I guess it’s another reason for me to change how I signoff posts on the blog too.

No lah, it’s not because I’m more religious these days either.

So this post will be the last one that will be finished off with the former. I’m still trying to figure out how I shall signoff or replace it yet; though I did try to change it up in this post and got a rather funny response from fellow commenter’s.

Should I figure out another way to signoff my posts that will ensure I’m not being impersonated (gila paranoid Baine)? If I found something than of course I would have to keep it to myself because disclosing it would defeat the purpose right? :P

I’m also open to other suggestions to if you have any but please not “Salam 1Malaysia” ok?

Cheers!!! :D

Fresh Machine

2010-09-28T17:10:00.000+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

One of the things that I dread most is having to format my laptop. Earlier in my career I used to do this is on my own but since I'm using gear provided by the company, there's someone else who has to go through the headache of re-installing the operating system.

It is someone else who has to worry about formatting the partition, updating the security patches, re-installing all the software and the most irritating one is of course searching for the right drivers for the hardware. During this time, Google is your best friend.

Get it wrong and you'll most probably have a mute machine.

However that doesn't mean I get to escape from the other tribulations when it comes to formatting my gear. Backing up data is a bane. Work documents, project documentations and a whole host of other staff has got to be transferred to a portable HD. Believe me, that can take ages.

Most of the things in My Documents are pretty easy to transfer but not so others. If you're on Outlook, you'd have to dig through your machine and traverse through maybe 4 or 5 trees of folders before finding your pst file that you need to keep for use in the freshly installed machine.

Normally after about half a day the good people in tech support would normally return your freshly formatted laptop. You boot up Windows and it's amazingly fast. A freshly formatted drive doesn't have its bytes and sectors scattered all over the place but then you realized also another factor why your machine is so darn fast.

Other than Windows and Office, not much else is installed. No wonder larrr....arrggghhhhh...

Imagine having to re-install each and every other application back to the freshly minted laptop. Everything from Flash to PDF to IM's and the rest. That would involve a lot of scouring through different websites, downloading installers and actually installing each and every single application one by one. Not anymore thankfully.

Thanks to the folks at Ninite, this part of the nightmare is over and people the world over (admins especially) tabik spring to you!

With Ninite, everything is done depending how fast of an internet connection are you connected to and voila your freshly minted laptop is now ready for more abuse. Unfortunately Ninite is a silent installer which means you don't get to choose the location of the applications that you selected will be installed. Not sure if there's a way around it but if there is that would be great. If there isn't I'm willing to live with that draw back.

I'm currently enjoying the performance of my "new" laptop but the question is, how long before Windows become cluttered again and status quo returns. Everything is fast from booting up the OS to opening applications, everything's a breeze.

Unfortunately a fast laptop doesn't really mean I'm more productive though :P

Cheers!!! :D

For That Brief Moment In Time

2010-09-13T13:30:00.000+08:00

Image by MacSchlumpf via Flickr

For that brief moment in time I thought it was over. For that brief moment in time I felt the weight being lifted off of my now weak shoulders. For that brief moment in time I felt at ease. For that brief moment in time I thought that it was time to move on.

For that brief moment in time I prayed to Allah and said thanks for the strength that He has given me. I thanked Him for getting me through this phase in one piece. I thanked Him for keeping my sanity in check and keeping my health in good company.

For that brief moment in time I was grateful for the time that He has given me. For that brief moment in time I felt that I finally have a grip on my life again. For that brief in time I felt calm despite the chaos going all around me. For that brief moment in time, I felt I was breathing again.

For that brief moment in time I was no longer shrouded in fog and haze. For that brief moment in time my vision was cleared and I could see clearly again. For that brief moment in time I knew what I needed to do and what I had to do. For that brief moment in time I felt alive.

For that brief moment in time I felt no numbness. For that brief moment in time the baggage pulling down on me disappeared. For that brief moment in time I felt I was breathing air again. For that brief moment in time I felt I could be weak again.

And just as quick that brief moment in time disappeared. I was back to where I was before that brief moment in time. Life reverted back to status quo and I was back to where I was before that brief moment in time. The sense of normalcy returned together with the weight that comes with it.

It must be wrong for me to feel this way, He may not be best pleased with me. But to Him I say that I am human, a weak one at that. I too have my limits and my strength does have its boundaries. I am no angel that has no feelings and never questions the tasks at hand.

I may be sinned for having such thoughts but I am no martyr who has had his slate wiped clean. I am what I am today because of the events that has shaped my life, my emotions and my mind. No doubt I will be reprimanded for this, no questions can ever be asked of such things.

If that is the case, Allah I pray to You for mercy for You are the Most Merciful. Give me, Your most humble and weak believer strength and guidance to go through this all over again. Give me the clarity of mind and sight as I tumble through this life of mine.

Forgive me for all of my sins, previous, now and in the future for I am bound to sin. I plea to You to keep me healthy so that I can care for my family. Give me the patience to carry the people around me for I am the one that they turn to.

You may have taken away from me that brief moment in time but I'm grateful none the less for that brief moment of release that I enjoyed.

Cheers!!! :D

Forgetting My Guli

2010-09-07T12:45:00.000+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

For those who may not be familiar, the title above pretty much means losing my marbles. A rather quaint way of putting my state of mind in this past few days. Don't worry as it's not like I'm going mental or crazy, that much I'm pretty sure.

What I'm suffering from is short-term memory loss.

A couple of days ago I went through the whole big hoo-haa of thinking that I've locked myself out of my car with the key in it. It was only when putting my nephew through some incredible torment of driving across state lines before I found my car keys lodged between the sofa.

The same car keys were also making me slip and fall face first on the floor. The whole time it's got a monkey on my back face-palming yet another fail moment. Last night while I was doing the laundry (ie: modern speak for loading the clothes into the washing machine) when I had actually washed one of my work pants with my car keys still in one of its pockets!

I knew I entered a new club a little while back but twice in less than a week?

Maybe it's because I'm trying to juggle too many things at the same time. Maybe I can blame it on trying to do too many things at one go. Maybe that's why the circus is no place for the uncoordinated blur-sotong klutz.

I could also blame trying to change The Kid's diapers for it too :P

I've got some white/grey hair sprouting around on my head but at the age where I am right now, I'm nearing my prime. I can't be suffering from short-term memory loss though I know that sometimes we all fall guilty to the selective memory problem.

Surfing the net there's almost endless possibilities in terms of exercises, tools, products and even food to ensure that we maintain the good condition the most powerful ever super computer that He has created for mankind. Careful not too read too much into these stuff or you might think yourself into a problem that you don't actually have.

As with all things electronic things, I can't use that set of keys for the foreseeable future. One has to really let it dry out properly (ie: some use hair dryers to expedite the process) if you do not want to fry the circuitry found in most items in our lives today.

Until then I'm going to have to make sure I don't forget my guli's anymore.

Cheers!!! :D

Poker Faced Demo

2010-09-06T16:21:00.000+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

If there was ever one thing that I would like to change in my life, it would have to be the ability to keep a straight face when presented with a situation that professionally and/or personally requires me to do so. This is one skill that I have yet to master.

My old sifu once said that this is a skill that I must conquer in order to succeed.

The problem that I recently had was during a product demo at a place in KL. Obviously I was invited in the capacity as observers looking to ensure that my client's best interest are always at the forefront and also the interest of my company are considered too.

Yes yes I am a CONsultant just like so many of you out there.

During that demo, the other service provider got found out. Suddenly a water-tight solution seemed to have more holes in it than a bee-hive. The presenter started of well prepared and composed yet by the end, he was lost of words. Everything was just falling apart.

Such adversity means the boys rather than the men; start clutching at straws.

In a bid to save his face and that of his colleagues, ideas were being spewed from every possible orifice of the human body. Some worked but most of it was just desperate. It was either too complicated, introduced hindrances and manual process or just plain silly and unacceptable.

While this whole process was panning out in front of me, I glanced over my shoulder to see my colleague keep a straight face while pretending to scribble something on the notepad. It is at this moment that I had realized that I had either been smirking or gasping for air when a ridiculous idea came out.

I realized this fact and began to wonder if my client saw it too.

I was pretty sure that the other service provider did not. I had earlier strategically rearranged my seat the minute I saw a diagram that looked more like a carbonara pasta with white cream source and shrimp, mushrooms and prawn rather than a cohesive infrastructure that would benefit the customer.

I consider myself lucky that I wasn't reprimanded for my behavior as I have been in the past previously. I don't know how to do it. I struggle to not display the first reaction that pops out in my mind every time I hear something so ridiculous.

I feel that I must learn this trait in order for me to keep growing as a person. I don't believe that keeping a straight face also means being able to lie without getting caught although I'm sure far too many believe it to be that way. I guess I need to have my game face on, no smiles, laughter or even a hint of a smirk in similar situations in the future.

I need to keep a poker face not to win a bet; but to give an edge and advantage in my career.

Cheers!!! :D

Stumbling Out The Exit

2010-08-26T16:44:00.000+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

There is a custom in the working life that some of us tend to pen nice going-away emails to our colleagues on one's last day at work. Some people who's presence are cherished will always have this last email valued by your soon to be ex-colleagues.

Then there are those who fall into the category of good riddance.

For those who fall into this category, nobody really cares how much you enjoyed your time at the company. We don't care how much you've learned from the other people in the organization or how much experience you have gained.

All we want is for you to take your behind and walk out of that door.

Now going back to the former, these people who's lost will be felt tend to write short and simple emails. They normally either don't care to write long soppy good bye stories or just prefer to get straight to the point and get the message across.

The latter normally tends to use this last email as an opportunity to air out their grievances and complaints. They know that no matter what they write and say, no one can do anything to them. Rant and rage all they want and nobody can do anything to them.

Throwing stones and then hiding one's hand; cowardly douches.

So the next time you leave a company that you didn't particularly enjoy, be mindful when composing your good bye email. Save whatever reputation and respect that you have and don't think of throwing it all away. It's a small world and there's only 6 degrees of separation between us.

Let us be honest with you. We most probably didn't realize who you are because if we did it normally means that you are some that was valuable and an asset to us. Writing such emails only serves to reinforce the notion that indeed you're better off somewhere else than here.

Just move on with your life because that's what we'll do. It's better not being remembered at all than being remembered for the one that sent that rather lame and stupid email on their last day of work.

Exit stage left gracefully; please.

Cheers!!! :D

Excusing The Present

2010-08-25T12:31:00.001+08:00

Image via Wikipedia

There is a certain type of people in our lives. These are the sort of people who always worry about the future. They are so preoccupied with what tomorrow, next month or next year holds that the do nothing at all in their present lives.

They use the future as an excuse to escape work from the present.

This kind of people really gets on my nerves. They will find so many different ideas of what the future is just so that they can escape their current responsibilities. That has got to be the lowest a person can ever stoop to in trying to find excuses for their lives.

I wonder how do you deal with such people. People who take the whole concept of planning for the future into an obsession. I wonder how many ways are there to tell someone to stop expending energy on something that is uncertain but concentrate on what's on one's plate.

Isn't it true that what ever happens in the future is anchored by the results of the now? What future would these people have if they're not doing anything at all right now? The tree that provides that shade for us in the future grew from the seeds that we plant today.

Far too much metaphors for my own liking, will stop.

I wonder if the image at the beginning of the post would cure this sickness that some of us are afflicted with. A burning sensation that leaves a rather nasty mark every we procrastinate about the present by thinking what the future will hold in a a year or so.

It may be a bit harsh of a punishment but for those who are unfortunate enough to work with these people knows how frustrating it can and will get. Nothing gets done for fear of something occurring in the not so distant future.

To those who are suffering from this, do your best to stop. You'll achieve a whole lot more in life and you'll also allow yourself and the rest of the people around you to finally get things done.

Cheers!!! :D

Priorities

2010-08-16T15:04:00.000+08:00

The month is Ramadhan is here in full bloom. It’s my first Ramadhan as a parent and with the other things going on in my life; it has been a rather tough Ramadhan for me so far.

Ramadhan is a time when fasting is done to remind the fortunate how life is tough for those who are not so fortunate. I’ve blogged previously how the fortunate are always wasteful and the trend doesn’t seem to be changing.

In fact things look to be getting worse.

One of the devil’s sinister ideas that it plants in weak humans is fear of death and also stinginess. The devil whispers in His subjects how donating one’s fortune to other people will only lessen one’s treasure chest.

This of course leads far too many Muslims to forget about their responsibility with the gift of luxury provided by Him. The wealth entrusted to them are spent needlessly somewhere else rather than to help those in need.

The owner of Machester City football club is of course none other HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He has spent ridiculous amounts of money on the club. In preparation for this year’s English football season alone, he’s already spent more than 100 million pounds on new players.

That translates to about USD155.59m and for ease of calculation, let’s just round it to USD150m. Now rather than the good HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan spending that much amount of money on his toys, let’s see how much USD150m could have done for his fellow Muslims.

According to UNRWA, assuming that the USD150m was split equally into the 5 categories highlighted by the UNRWA; with USD150m HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan could have:

USD50m would provide about 650 abject poor families with the cash assistance just to get by in Gaza strip.

USD50m would provide the poorest refugees in the Gaza Strip with regular food parcels, which include rice, sugar, flour cooking oil and milk. UNRWA requires USD311,750 to provide for 99,760 people so how many fellow Muslims in Gaza could benefit from USD50m?

USD50m of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan would help create more than 47,000 jobs for Palestinians in the Gaza strip. That's much better than pay a single football player more than USD300,000 a week just to kick a football around a pitch.

With USD50m also more than half a million worth of prosthetic devices could be provided to the people of Palestine who need it. That’s a lot of prosthetic legs and arms for the people in the Gaza strip.

And the final USD50m of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan will help feed more than 677500 Palestinians studying in locations organized by the UNRWA. People who need knowledge that the Israelis work so hard to block it can be fed.

The amount of people that can be helped above is staggering when you think that the total population of Palestinians in the Gaza strip is only just above a million people. Can you imagine that a single USD can help children in Africa access to critical items such as clean water, food, healthcare and education? Imagine what USD150m can do for them?

I have nothing against the football club, they’re just lucky enough to be bought over by a confused Muslim who has far too much of worldly riches for his own good. Ramadhan was a month provided by Him to allow his subjects to make up for their past mistakes and sins.

I’ve heard in a Friday prayer sermon before that the Arabs despite being the group from which the last Prophet (p.b.u.h) was chosen will end up being shamed for their failure to practice the teachings of Islam.

You can see that now, with the IOC powerless to do anything and some of the worlds richest countries in the Middle East fail to unite against the atrocities happening in the Gaza strip. Heck, the country that is blocking the land route to Gaza is none other than another Muslim country in the form of Egypt.

To my fellow friends; a reminder to you and especially to myself. The wealth that we have today is not fully ours. It is His gift to us and the condition is that a portion of everything we own is actually for other people. Let me share some verses from the holy Quran on this.

For those who are bent on denying the truth, the life of this world (and its wealth) is being made beautiful (and extremely attractive with all manner of temptations); hence they (become arrogant) and scoff at the faithful. But those who are conscious of Allah (because of their faith), shall be above them (the unbelievers) on the Day of Resurrection. And (remember) Allah gives without measure to whom He wills (in accordance with His divine laws). Al-Baqarah, 2:212

Every soul is bound to taste death. And you shall receive your rewards fully on the Day of Judgment. On that day, whoever is spared Hell and is admitted to Paradise shall surely triumph. And (remember) the life of this world (with all its luxuries, wealth and privileged positions) is nothing but an enjoyment of self-delusion. Al-Imran, 3:185

And the disbelievers should not think that Our giving them rein (and they having a long life) is good for them. We give them rein only so as to let them grow in wickedness (in this world). Theirs shall be a shameful punishment (in the Hereafter). Al-Imran, 3:178

That is why we pay tithe and we should donate to the needy as much as we can.

Unfortunately I cannot say if HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is the best example from what I can see at least; I maybe wrong.

They will ask you (O Muhammad): What they should spend (and on whom). Say: "Whatever you bestow in charity that is good (and lawful) must go to your parents and your kinsmen, the orphans, and the needy and wayfarer in need." And (remember) that Allah is aware of whatever good you do (and you shall be rewarded for it). Al-Baqarah, 2:215

Happy Fasting!

Cheers!!! :D

Pertunjukkan Komedi Rambang

2010-08-13T11:48:00.000+08:00

Malaysians have a need to copy everything that happens in the west don't you think? When Bill Clinton was caught with his pants down, we had our very own CSL who made Mr. Hefner look like a virgin with his antics.

Now we have our very own version of the Watergate scandal with our very own I BOUGHT A 30 YEAR OLD SPY CAM AND PLACED IT IN MY OWN OFFICE-gate scandal. Our politicians need to learn something and they better do it quick.

You can fool the fools following the big fool but not everyone else who has a brain that functions.

Specifications:

Size: Will NOT fit in your palm.

Video: Resolution options in Blur, Unclear, Not Very Clear or Kabur Kelabu Asap

Audio: Unsure as may require hearing aid enhancements to be purchased separately

Battery: Unknown but it will BEEP loudly when it runs out of battery.

Memory: Superlarge SD with 12MB!

Price: RM15,000.000.00

Manufactured By: SSB 30 TD Sdn. Bhd (Syarikat Sudah Bankrup 30 Tahun Dulu)

Specifications:

Camera: 1 Lux low light rating, 55 Degree AOV
128 MB internal Flash Memory
Micro SD Card slot up to 2GB
320X240 Resolution
MPEG 4 Compression
TV output port
Continuous Recording 6 hours
Recording on Motion Detection 24 hours
Rechargeable Li-Polymer Battery 3.7V DC 380mA
USB Connector/Adaptor 5V DC, 2A

Price: USD225.00

Manufactured by: SpyGeeks.com

Come on lah, even kids could see right through the whole scam.

What gives? And to top it all of in the entire I BOUGHT A 30 YEAR OLD SPY CAM AND PLACED IT IN MY OWN OFFICE-gate scandal, we read this about the whole thing and I quote from the news papers on this:

"Saya sedang melakukan tugasan apabila terdengar bunyi dan sebaik mencari di seluruh bilik saya menemui alat perakam video itu yang disorok di belakang langsir bilik saya," katanya selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat mingguan exco negeri."

Aaahhh....maybe THAT's why the spy went for the 30 year old spy cam. It comes with the feature of being able to see through curtains! That's OHSOME!

That's all for your Pertunjukkan Komedi Rambang program for today.

Cheers!!! :D

Send It To Yourself

2010-08-09T15:12:00.000+08:00

How many of us have vented our anger in frustration only later to regret it. Be it an sms, an email, a phone call or even when speaking. Human nature dictates that if we lose our cool, we tend to regret the things that we said or did in the heat of things.

As always, remaining calm and composed when you're certainly not is not an easy thing to do. As they say it is far easier said that done. Many people tend to struggle in these circumstances and regretting the after effect of such behavior is more often than not a complete drain and waste.

Different people have different ways to calm themselves down before they end up doing something they'll regret. Some count to 10, some bite their tongue, some just walk away while there are those who light up the ciggies in the hopes of puffing it all away.

I think it really depends on the person going through it. You can read all the books you want or try to learn from others but the best solution is always what you come up with. I was thought much earlier in my career, when you're not head's not squarely on your shoulders, send that email to yourself first.

If you read it and it helps rather that makes things worse, then you should send it out.

Maybe that's the same thing that we should all do when we're faced with the same situation. Try putting yourself in the other person's shoes; try being at the receiving end of the volley of actions to see if it's going to help makes things better.

Good idea but then again in the heat of the moment, everything happens so quick. Reactions are almost always as a result of reflex rather than proper thought processes. Our reactions tend to show how we are as a personality because it is the "muscle memory" rather than the brain dictating the scene.

Regret is a painful thing to go through. It brings far too many what if, if only and I should have's into our lives. Hard as it is for us to accept it but everyone lives with some form of regret whether they like it or not. Maybe that's why time travel will be a bad thing. We'll just live in a vicious circle of trying to go back into time trying to correct everything.

Send it to yourself, what think?

Cheers!!! :D

Spare A Thought

2010-08-05T12:35:00.000+08:00

Being grateful; far too many of us struggle to do it. Sometimes you never realize how lucky you are and that makes those who are not fortunate enough despise those who aren't grateful. Despite everyone around you telling how things are already at its best for you, you continue to demand more.

I feel for those who aren't fortunate enough in life. They struggle with what life has dealt them and to make things worse, they face prospects of seeing people who have everything keep complaining about not having it good enough.

If only you can see that He has given you everything that you need. There are far too many who would pray to only have half of what you have. Be grateful, be thankful. Thank Him for everything that He has given you and instead pray for Him to continue to be kind to you.

Sometimes you make people wonder what it is that you want more. They can see no fault in what you have and yet you demand for more and more. You refuse to accept what life has dealt you but continue to stay in denial.

Things that have been done in the past will have a bearing in the future. You reap the benefits of the seeds that you plant way back when. Be grateful because no one is perfect, including you. Everyone is doing their best and so should you.

Accept the fact that everything that happens life has a reason for it and only He knows best. There's no point in wondering why or what as all it does is makes things worse. Dwelling on how things could have been different is just a waste of time.

Get tough mentally so that you wont be overcome by your own mind. An idle mind is the devil's playground and that makes it more of a reason to ensure that it doesn't happen. A weak mind helps no one and only makes things worse than it already is.

Life is what you make of it; If other people can do it why can't you; Stop being childish and grow up. You used to preach these so now practice it. It is the action on these words that matters now. Action speaks louder than words; just like how it was always said.

Stop being sorry for yourself and start leading life for what it is. Life on earth is temporary for all so why waste it away by crying over spilled milk. Life is too short for that. Open your eyes to the fact and trudge on with it.

Spare a thought for those who aren't as fortunate as you are. How they would love to be in your position, in your life. Spare a thought for how even the simplest of things for you are a near impossibility for them. Spare a thought for them who have the will but not the means.

Spare a thought for them who have never had anything and never will have anything. Their envy is a bigger pain to carry that yours. There are far too many who aren't as fortunate as you are.

Be grateful, be thankful.

Cheers!!! :D

In The New Club

2010-07-28T11:41:00.000+08:00

Some say it is called the 3-series club.

In binary form it's 11110_2 (I don't know how to the the small 2 :P)

It is an even number.

It is a number of integer partition of 9.

Its regular gon is constructable with straightedge and compass.

It's quadratic residues module is 1, 19.

In degrees of a compass it corresponds to north north east.

It's prime factorization involves 5, 2 and 3.

It is the sum of the first four squares, which makes it a square pyramidal number.

It is a primorial and is the smallest Giuga number.

It is the largest number such that coprimes smaller than itself are also prime.

It is also a Harshad number.

I know share the atonomic number of zinc, brilliant!

Cheers!!! :D

Have Some Cents

2010-07-19T14:58:00.001+08:00

This is somewhat of a follow up to my earlier posting on credit cards. It's in the news again today thanks to the local papers. So much analysis is being put by people paid ridiculous amounts of money to point out the obvious.

We in Malaysia like to do that don't we?

As always the blame is always on the borrower when things like these happen. Yes it is true that the borrower holds the brunt of the blame when they get into trouble with the loans that they applied for but guess what; people are also missing the point that it takes two to form a relationship.

The legalized ah long's (or bank's as it is commonly known) should bear some of the blame for creating an environment ripe for bankrupting people. Here's my take on why they should also shoulder the blame too:

Guarantor

A check on most of the bank's website neglect the need for this or any form of collateral for loans sometimes up to 5 figures. Some of the bank's also state that a minimum salary of RM800 is required in order to be eligible.

Now how on earth that someone who makes RM9600 gross a whole year would pay for a RM5000 personal loan? He or she would struggle to even clear the principle never mind the interest for the said loan. Some banks also claim to be able to provide a margin of financing up to 5 times of gross income which is staggering.

How is that not an environment to create a nation full of bankrupts?

Credit Cards

Bank's are getting sneaky these days. Look around and more banks are beginning to "fashion" out lifestyle cards for students and young adults. In fact you would only need to be working for 3 months to be eligible for a credit card.

And what's the minimum wage for a credit card holder in Malaysia? Only RM1500 a month and you'll get a RM8000 credit limit to go with that. Please lah, how do you expect someone who makes a gross pay of RM1500 supposed to pay back his maxed out credit card (plus interest and fees and charges)?

Tak payah makan ker?

Festive Nightmares

This is a problem in Malaysia. The kiasu'ism that exists between us every time Aidilfitri or CNY in terms new things is just ridiculous. Again we can choose not to fall for it but the financial institutions are playing a rather wonderful devil's advocate again.

It's only July with the fasting month of Ramadhan another month away but guess what; personal loans so that you enjoy a "Syoknya Raya" is already in the press today.

Puasa pun belum tentu cukup and some are already taking out loans for it.

Salary Parasites

Some financial institutions are given the right to directly deduct your salary to pay back the loan(s) that you've been coaxed into getting in. So what happens is that your net salary dwindles even more when their balance sheet burgeons.

What happens when you don't have enough salary left to live on, people will then turn to the second item I listed above. Are you a bankrupt if you pay off your personal loan but you're unable to pay off your credit cards?

Of course you are.

All you need is to max out on a couple of cards and you'll hit the definition set by the that declares someone a bankrupt in Malaysia.

Profit Motivation

Everyone is driven by this. Bank's need to turn a profit and the best way is to give out loans. Don't get the understanding wrong; money that you deposited to your savings account in the bank is not an asset for them, its a liability. A loan given out by them to you is their asset and your liability.

Bank's need to turn profit why? Because their shareholders are mainly the government. Most if not all banks in Malaysia have substantial stakes in them owned by the likes of PNB, Khazanah and EPF among others. All are of course Government ~~Losing~~ Linked Companies that need to turn a profit.

Give Us A Break

Nope, not looking for tax breaks or anything like that. It's just that life in Malaysia is just a debt driven country. Without credit it is close to impossible to survive in the big cities in the peninsular. Everything's expensive because we give benefits to the wrong people and groups.

We give tax breaks to companies like AirAsia who makes handsome profits every year. We pay over the odds for cars because we need to protect Proton, Perodua, Naza and the likes. We pay for tolls because some in the government think it was a good idea to outsource these things at lopsided conditions back in the day.

Our electricity bills are expensive because we have IPP's who do nothing other than line up their own deep pockets. We have to live 40km outside from the business centers because houses nearer to it are being driven up by more profit driven maniacs. Of course if we have a decent public transport service in place, it won't be that bad.

So yeah, give us the rakyat a break lah. We didn't dig this hole on our own, we had quite an excavator to help us out. We don't want to be like the states where people have debt on them the minute they're born but we want to live quite comfortably too.

Kata nak kurang subsidi so that Malaysia don't turn into Greece but what about corporate subsidies then?

Everyone just need to look around accept the fact that it's time we take stock and make cents of what's going on around us.

Cheers!!! :D

Will I Live Long Enough

2010-07-08T14:26:00.001+08:00

To see

Picture courtesy of Angah316

The Negaraku being sung at the World Cup.....

Picture courtesy of Sirloin Skipper

Malaysia is rid of motorcycles from its roads and streets....

Picture courtesy of The Nut Graph

Politicians actually doing what's best for us; the people who voted them in the first place rather than lining their own pockets.

Picture courtesy of Edmond Yeo

Malaysia winning the Thomas Cup again...

Picture courtesy of Transit Klang Valley

Enjoy free intra-city buses and dependable overall public transportation.

Picture courtesy of The Star

We finally have proper city and urban planning to put an end to the mess that we're all in right now.

Pictures courtesy of Magnetic Control Systems

Not having to pay toll anymore to drive into traffic jams and uneven roads.

Will I?

Cheers!!! :D

Someone To Be Me For Me

2010-07-01T17:20:00.000+08:00

Another song with lyrics that pulls on the heart strings and rocks my soul these days. First time I heard the chorus, I just couldn't help but keep nodding in agreement. The lyrics of the chorus just tugs at my soul.

I can't help it but the song is on repeat at the moment...

Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now) (wish right now)
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now) (wish right now)

Yeah
I could use a dream or a genie or a wish
To go back to a place much simpler than this
Cause after all the partyin and smashin and crashin
And all the glitz and the glam and the fashion
And all the pandemonium and all the madness
There comes a time where you fade to the blackness
And when you're staring at that phone in your lap
And you hoping but them people never call you back
But thats just how the story unfolds
You get another hand soon after you fold
And when your plans unravel
And they sayin what would you wish for
If you had one chance
So airplane airplane sorry Im late
Im on my way so dont close that gate
If I dont make that then Ill switch my flight
And Ill be right back at it by the end of the night

Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now) (wish right now)
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now (wish right now) (wish right now)

Somebody take me back to the days
Before this was a job, before I got paid
Before it ever mattered what I had in my bank
Yeah back when I was tryin to get into the subway
And back when I was rappin for the hell of it
But now a days we rappin to stay relevant
Im guessin that if we can make some wishes outta airplanes
Then maybe yo maybe Ill go back to the days
Before the politics that we call the rap game
And back when aint nobody listened to my mix tape
And back before I tried to cover up my slang
But this is for the Cada, whats up Bobby Ray
So can I get a wish to end the politics
And get back to the music that started this shit
So here I stand and then again I say
Im hopin we can make some wishes outta airplanes?

The song is Airplane (part 1) by B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams.

Cheers!!! :D

Just Numbers

2010-06-24T17:42:00.000+08:00

I got an interesting IM yesterday. The sender asked me a question that to be honest; I haven't really thought about before this. Would just like to share with you just in case some of you are worried about your blog and your posts.

Sender: Baine, your blog used to have hundreds of visitors and tons of comments previously but its dried up after that initial spurt, aren't you worried?

Me: Not really. I'm not one to lose sleep over how many page views or how many comments I get. I hardly visit blogs these days myself, I read from my RSS reader and to comment, well sometimes I do the same thing that you're doing right now.

Sender: So you're ok not hitting like a million hits despite your blog being more than 5 years old?

Me: No, not really. The counter you see has been reset so many times that I've lost count.

Sender: But without comments, you're not afraid that people find your content boring?

Me: Honestly, I used to worry about this but after some time I realized it wasn't worth the anxiety. I came to the point, years ago, that I'll write/post things that I want and not people want.

Sender: But that would make it harder to earn bucks from your blog?

Me: As you can see, my blog is ad-free. I know a lot of people do it and make money from it but no me.

Sender: So you're really just doing it just because you want to write?

Me: Strange as it sounds but it's true. I write to release, to share and also to keep my mind/brain moving.

Sender: Wow, ok but you used to have lots of comments. You're not afraid that people don't read your blog anymore? You're not afraid that you're posts are not being appreciated?

Me: Nope. Honestly it was fun back then but people have moved on. Trusts me, when you have 50 comments to reply to, it can be quite cumbersome and tiring.

Sender: Do those people still visit your blog and vice-versa.

Me: I'm not sure, maybe. Those that still blog till this day I do visit.

Sender: Oh, ok. So, these are just numbers eh?

Me: Yeap.

My guess is that this is a new blogger starting out and wondering whether the blog is being read by people. Everyone has that anxiety. Everyone wants to know if their content is something people like.

It's human nature.

If you're starting out, forget about page views, hits, ads and comments unless you're doing it for that sole purpose. If like me; you use blogging as an avenue to write and share, those stats are nothing more than just numbers.

Cheers!!! :D

Best Of You

2010-06-23T15:27:00.000+08:00

I've got a lot of things on my head for the past few weeks; or month or so; I'm not sure. Different times I relate to different stories, memories, events and songs to get me through. A couple of posts ago I relied on that video to get me through.

I need to draw strength, inspiration or motivation from somewhere to get me through.

Lately I've been having a number of songs on repeat. Some of it for its music and some of it for the lyrics. One of those songs has the lyrics that goes something like this.

I've got another confession to make
I'm your fool
Everyone's got their chains to break
Holdin' you

Were you born to resist, or be abused?

Is someone getting the best
The best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best
The best, the best, the best of you?

Or are you gone and onto someone new?

I needed somewhere to hang my head
Without your noose
You gave me something that I didn't have
But had no use
I was too weak to give in
Too strong to lose

My heart is under arrest again
But I'll break loose
My head is giving me life or death
But I can't choose
I swear I'll never give in
I refuse

Is someone getting the best
The best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best
The best, the best, the best of you?

Has someone taken your faith?
It's real, the pain you feel
You trust, you must confess

Is someone getting the best
The best, the best, the best of you?

Has someone taken your faith?
It's real, the pain you feel
The life, the love
You'd die to heal
The hope that starts
The broken hearts
You trust, you must confess

Is someone getting the best
The best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best
The best, the best, the best of you?

I've got another confession my friend
I'm no fool
I'm getting tired of starting again
Somewhere new

Were you born to resist, or be abused?
I swear I'll never give in, I refuse

Is someone getting the best
The best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best
The best, the best, the best of you?
Has someone taken your faith?
It's real, the pain you feel
You trust, you must confess

Is someone getting the best
The best, the best, the best of you?

The song above is of course by the Foo Fighters. The version of the song that I'm enjoying right now is the acoustic version from their Skin and Bones album. Less rocking tunes rather pronounces the lyrics even more clearly.

Many sections of the lyric shows the turmoil that I go through from time to time. Mr. Grohl and gang must have dug deep into their own experiences to come up with some of those lines.

There are a number of lines in the lyrics where it really hits home, period.

I'm going through quite a battle right now. I'm not too sure how I'll end up after all the dusts settles. I'm being pulled in so many directions that I begin to lose track of where is the watermark. My energy is being sapped faster than I can replenish it.

There are times where I'm running on vapors to get through a day. There are times I doubt my own ability to persevere through this but I know I don't have a choice not too.

The best of me?

There are times when I doubt whether that would even be good enough.

Cheers!!! :D

Baine's World

*No Escape*

*Gangguan Bekalan*

*At First I Was Like*

*Meal Challenge*

*Missed The Boat*

*Engulfed*

*A Year*

*Why They Hate*

*Tunggu Apa Lagi*

*No More*

*Lebih Hampas Dari Nutcases*

*The Language Necessity*

*Where Can One Find*

*Tolong Jangan Dengki*

*Please Help Me With My Math*

*Idiot Inside*

*My First Raya*

*My Next*

*Dear Intern – Bahagian Tre*

*How To Survive Fasting In KL*

*Dear Intern – Bahagian Duo*

*Dear Intern – Bahagian Satu*

*Dear Intern – Trilogy Introduction*

*Working Telepathically*

*The Real CMMi*

*Multi-lingual Fail*

*The Kid And Me*

*Want These*

*Ideal Full Cream Evaporated Milk*

*Trolling Middle Earth*

*Discarded Old Friend*

*Design Disparity*

*Ease In Company*

*Proud To V Malaysian?*

*Schools Of Thought*

*BM Fail*

*RHB – Really Hopeless Bank*

*USIM – Ini Penipuan Tahap Angau*

*Universal Fail*

*Subprime Reappears Potentially*

*Slide Tweak*

*Where They Are*

*Jalan Hilang*

*Local Google*

*Confused Reader*

*News Fail - Part 3*

*The Myth of AirAsia*

*Start Clutching*

*Office Irritants - Part 2*

*Thy Neighbor*

*News FAIL - Part 2*

*A Ride Like No Other*

*False Dawn*

*Atrociously Very Pathetic*

*Reference Point?*

*Let Them Fly*

*Mama Dah Tak Ada*

*First Blog Plug*

*Straight and Dangerous*

*Losing Corporate Status*

*LInkEdin*

*Mitsubiton*

*Doesn’t Mix Well*

*Alih Suara*

*Silent Drive*

*Bursting Lies*

*Substance Or Plug*

*5 Minutes To Save Your Sanity*

*WLW*

*Cartoon Medicine*

*Cheers Off*

*Fresh Machine*

*For That Brief Moment In Time*

*Forgetting My Guli*

*Poker Faced Demo*

*Stumbling Out The Exit*

*Excusing The Present*

*Priorities*

*Pertunjukkan Komedi Rambang*

No Escape

Gangguan Bekalan

At First I Was Like

Meal Challenge

Missed The Boat

Engulfed

A Year

Why They Hate

Tunggu Apa Lagi

No More

Lebih Hampas Dari Nutcases

The Language Necessity

Where Can One Find

Tolong Jangan Dengki

Please Help Me With My Math

Idiot Inside

My First Raya

My Next

Dear Intern – Bahagian Tre

How To Survive Fasting In KL

Dear Intern – Bahagian Duo

Dear Intern – Bahagian Satu

Dear Intern – Trilogy Introduction

Working Telepathically

The Real CMMi

Multi-lingual Fail

The Kid And Me

Want These

Ideal Full Cream Evaporated Milk

Trolling Middle Earth

Discarded Old Friend

Design Disparity

Ease In Company

Proud To V Malaysian?

Schools Of Thought

BM Fail

RHB – Really Hopeless Bank

USIM – Ini Penipuan Tahap Angau

Universal Fail

Subprime Reappears Potentially

Slide Tweak

Where They Are

Jalan Hilang

Local Google

Confused Reader

News Fail - Part 3

The Myth of AirAsia

Start Clutching

Office Irritants - Part 2

Thy Neighbor

News FAIL - Part 2

A Ride Like No Other

False Dawn

Atrociously Very Pathetic

Reference Point?

Let Them Fly

Mama Dah Tak Ada

First Blog Plug

Straight and Dangerous

Losing Corporate Status

LInkEdin

Mitsubiton

Doesn’t Mix Well

Alih Suara

Silent Drive

Bursting Lies

Substance Or Plug

5 Minutes To Save Your Sanity

WLW

Cartoon Medicine

Cheers Off

Fresh Machine

For That Brief Moment In Time

Forgetting My Guli

Poker Faced Demo

Stumbling Out The Exit

Excusing The Present

Priorities

Pertunjukkan Komedi Rambang

Send It To Yourself