Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The relationship between bad news and vacations

I don't know what is the link between bad news and my decision to go on holidays. It seems I am not meant to enjoy my holidays.
When I first too a long holiday to Taiwan - being the first time I am out of the country, I was told my mentor resigned and I was to take over her position.
After that, I thought to myself: Better do not go overseas to so faraway. Local vacation is not bad. Bad things will happen if I leave Singapore.
And now, when I decided to go Sentosa, I was told by another colleague who was leaving that I "will remember him once in a while, gradually it fades until memories is all that is left."
Upon hearing this, do you know how sad and heart wrenching this sounds?
Who is dictate how this is going to be, for me and for us?
Does that mean that besides work, there is nothing left?
I really resented the resoluteness and conviction in which this sentence was delivered to me.
I am quite angry about it.
I still remember my primary school classmates and keep in touch with some - those really close ones.
Why is it that we cannot maintain the relationships?
Am I too sentimental, a relationship hoarder or I am simply thinking too highly of myself that people want to be friends with me and maintain our relationship because it is worth the time and effort?
Why is it that it seems that I cannot seem to enjoy my vacations because they are all postmarked with departure and sadness?
I really hate dealing with that.
I do not blame people for leaving after all the pastures are greener outside but I resented the timings. I really do.
I have reached my conclusions.
Really. It does not matter if I take my vacation overseas or locally. Bad news just follows.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

赌

赌，贝加者也。
贝乃古时之钱币也。
者乃人人也。
赌实乃人与人之间以钱为活动也。

之古至今众人都离不开赌。
不顾炎炎夏日或是绵绵细雨，
不管风吹雨打日晒雨淋，
人组之龙必然成为街道指标。
奖金越高，人龙也不间断。
好像是一种心魔，
不买好像浑身不对劲。

细瞧之下就会发现这些人有什么。

一张张的脸孔有着不同的表情。
有些人脸上露出兴奋的表情，
有些人眼中透着渴望，
有些人带着希翼却又害怕失望的眸光，
有些人已经绝望但是放不下，
毕竟已经投注了太多心血，
想戒也戒不掉。已经上瘾了。
是一种生命的寄托。
有些则当成是一种投资。
有一些则是发呆似的排着队，双眼无神，仿佛这一切都是义务。
多可怕啊！赌到最后竟然成了义务，把钱分给别人的公司也是义务。
如果善待自己，把拿去赌的钱存起来，当作真正的投资，回报是不是比较确切些？
想想自己的家人，想想自己，值得把自己把至亲的生活搞得乌烟瘴气吗？
是谁欠了谁？

Friday, April 15, 2011

intolerable behaviour on bus

News from overseas received from other countries. Comparisons made between the country and ours become stark. Information flows at much faster rate than the past. And with this speed, come the technology whereby citizens or users are able to air their feedback as soon as they feel an urge to do it. The speed of airing views have changed and the culture of citizen journalism takes shape with such technology. The need for self-censoring seems to be placed at a lesser priority than before or the speed of self-censoring actually increase together with the speed of technology.

Posted on 01 Apr 2011

Commuters here get it easy: Baby was kicked off bus in Australia 'for laughing'
STOMPer babysbreath was shocked to learn that a mum and her baby in Darwin, Australia, were kicked off the bus just because the 13-month-old toddler was laughing.

The STOMPer feels that in comparison, commuters in Singapore get off easy forfar more inconsiderate behaviour.

According to an article on the Northern Territory News website, the bus driver threatened to throw Toni Hay and her daughter off three times, for making squealing noises and laughing on the bus.

The STOMPer tells us more:

"This apparently happened in Darwin, Australia.

"Mum, Toni Hay, boarded the bus with her daughter, Heather. Heather was making happy squealing noises and laughing because she was excited to be on the bus.

"The bus driver threatened to throw both of them off three times before she finally did it.

"I don't get it. The baby wasn't crying or screaming, she was laughing. Is it a crime to laugh?

"If people are getting thrown off the bus in Australia just for laughing, then we should be doing the same to the inconsiderate commuters here who eat, drink and hog seats, among other things."

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Dilemma

I was in the office debating with a good colleague of mine over something trivial. The main focus was not on the issue but what drove me to rebutt the poor man. (Poor man because he is there facing my tyranny.)

On the journey back, I was wondering what caused my outburst. This is not the 1st time I had the outburst.

Then I realised 2 things.

I need a career fueled by my PASSION. Something that I feel very strongly about and I am willingly to do it at all costs.

I need a career that gives me a sense of contribution and SATISFACTION at the end. I need to do something I feel proud that this is the thing that bears my signature.

I hope to achieve both. How can I do it?

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Opposition in SG and social media

This round of General Election is worth waiting and watching for. This time the candidates from each party actually make full use of the social media to advance or inform the public of their political aims. Let's see how much social media can affect the outcomes of the General Elections then.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

LinkedIn great for business

After the wonders of social networking sites e.g. Friendster, Multiply, Tagged and Facebook, together with the public communication forum e.g. Twitter, there is a need to set up a networking site that focus strictly on business and professional relationships.
Business and coaching gurus begin to emphasise on the need to get connected through LinkedIn in order to advance in career.
It is like the business version of facebook and an online CV for business recruiters and headhunters.
It may impact on the global labour shift and business climate if labour can be sourced differently focusing on the expertise.

LinkedIn CEO: We're adding a new user every second

By Julianne Pepitone, staff reporterNovember 18, 2010: 1:41 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO (CNNMoney.com) -- LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner spilled some new statistics Wednesday highlighting the business networking site's rapid global growth.

LinkedIn is adding one new user per second, Weiner said, and about half of all new accounts are created overseas. China and Brazil are the fastest growing regions. The site now has 85 million users -- and the latest 1 million signed up within the last nine days.

"On our site it's not about passing the time, it's about saving time," Weiner said at the Web 2.0 Summitin San Francisco. "So we're not looking at the time spent on the site. We have a pretty traditional way of measuring [user engagement]."

That approach to building and serving a member base is very different from Facebook's, conference moderator John Battelle pointed out. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg boasted Tuesday that half of all Facebook users visit the site every day.

"People tend to lump us in with Facebook and Twitter," Weiner replied. "But we're three very different things. Facebook is massive in scale and scope. Twitter is a public communication forum, but if I'm following you, you're not necessarily following me. LinkedIn is, simply, a professional network."

While Facebook users may "friend" people they barely know, and Twitter users can follow celebrities they've never met, LinkedIn pushes people to connect only with people they know well. Those social connections typically track one of three close relationships, Weiner said: personal, family and professional.

"The difference between social sites and business networking can be said in two words: keg stands," Weiner said.

"Or it could be bong hits!" Battelle replied. "Look at Michael Phelps."

"Well, I guess that's the difference between the East and West coasts," Weiner laughed.

Battelle continued to press Weiner for his thoughts on other companies, focusing on the Web search field. Weiner, who was once an executive at Yahoo, said simply: "I don't think the game is over, that it's [Bing] or Google and that's it."

Weiner admitted LinkedIn has lagged behind Facebook and Twitter, especially in building connections to external sites. For example, a Facebook user can "recommend" a CNNMoney article, and a Twitter user can tweet the article link to followers. LinkedIn has only recently begun cultivating such connections. (CNNMoney added a LinkedIn button to its stories last month.)

"We want to work wherever our users are, so we need to push out our connectivity," Weiner said. "We're investing in our APIs so we can get that service to our users. They want it."

Weiner also mentioned LinkedIn Signal, a product the company announced in late September that is still in beta but will go public in about a month. Signal adds Twitter-like capabilities to LinkedIn, letting users view and search status updates in real time.

Like most tech CEOs at the conference, Weiner stayed mum about thepossibility of an IPO: "You don't necessarily have to go public to get to the next level."

Monday, April 11, 2011

Water Retention

Water retention is a condition in which the body retains water, causing swelling and tenderness, especially on the extremities and around theabdomen. You may also hear water retention referred to as bloating or edema, and it has a variety of causes, from the mundane to the serious. As a general rule of thumb, you should seek medical attention for water retention if it persists for over a week, or if you are extremely uncomfortable, and pregnant women should seek prompt attention if they experience excessive swelling in the legs and ankles.

There are a number of reasons why the body might start retaining water. Many women are familiar with the water retention associated with the menstrual cycle; this water retention is caused by the release of hormones which causes the kidneys to retain water, rather than flushing it out. Water retention can also be caused by medical problems with organs like the kidneys, heart, or liver, and it has been linked with thyroidproblems as well. Finally, the body will retain water if people eat a diet which is too high in salt.

Depending on the cause of the water retention, there are a number of potential treatments. At home, people should reduce their salt intake if they experience water retention, and they should eat bananas or other foods which are high in potassium. Diuretics like cranberry juice can help the body flush out its accumulation of water, and sometimes just drinking water will help, especially if the water retention is caused by consuming too much salt.

Water retention can be uncomfortable, especially in the legs. It is important to elevate limbs suffering from water retention, and to promote healthy circulation. Tight clothing and jewelry should be avoided during periods of water retention, and sometimes icing the area can help to bring down the swelling and discomfort. Some people find that exercise also helps, as it stimulates blood flow, encouraging the body to flush out the water being retained in the extremities.

Because water retention can sometimes be caused by a medical problem, there may be cases in which medical treatment is required, to deal with the root cause of the condition. If you are being treated for a medical condition which is linked with water retention, your doctor should talk with you about when to come in for a visit, and when you receive a new prescription for any condition, it can be a good idea to ask if the medication causes water retention. By being aware of potential causes for water retention in your body, you can be more sensitive to situations in which going to the doctor might be a good idea.

Saturday, April 09, 2011

欢子-其实很寂寞

Fit my mood though.

Friday, April 08, 2011

Obama and social media

Barack Obama is a shrewd politician. At least that's the impression I get from his unique use of social media.
During his election campaign for the run of Presidency, he make full use of the social media by engaging the public through such media. He literally obliterates the boundaries between the public and private spheres as what Habermas has mentioned and uses it to his advantage as he brings the idea of Presidential candidate closer to everyone in the comforts of their house.
Now, when he seeks to get a re-election as the President, he actually make use of the social media again like FB to achieve his political will by garnering political support from his supporters. In this way, he is able to show in specific terms, how much support can he garner throughout his country. Though, it may not be in good in terms of accuracy, it certainly gives him a good gauge / feedback on the policies he might consider changing or his popularity indicator to see if he can continue with his political career.
Amazing isnt it?

Messi garner 6 million fans on FB

Imagine the imaginary lines of social distances and the physical obstacles of geographical boundaries all dissolved at once, what will happen to the relationship between celebrities and fans?
BOOM is the word.

Within seconds that Lionel Messi is alive on FB, his homepages was virtually flooded with requests to be added as friends.
No longer is the theory that distance is beautiful or celebrities are just imaginary idols who are far away, they are brought closer and personal by the social media. They are now larger than life which is the result of a "global village".
However, social media can be a medium that acts both ways.
When you are famous, it has a multiplier effects that increase your fame by n-amounts.
Likewise, if the celebrity did something wrong, within seconds the ardoration may become hatred and gets flamed for forever online with the same multiplier effects.
Scary isnt it?