Worst month in my life!

This is one of the worst month in my whole life! I have never worked so hard before, not even for my exams or anything else, because I usually can organise my work and time very well. The bad part is that for the first time, I dread going to work. I do not mind work that keeps coming in a measured pace throughout, but if each requires you to make a super human effort to resolve it, it just saps the life out of you. Worst still if it requires you to work alone.

I have never dreaded going to work before because my work doubles up as my hobby. This month is the first time where I dread going to work almost every single day. That is definitely not a good sign for me.

Arrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Have faith in yourself

I quote from the Slice of Life:

Have faith in your abilities. The choices we make are to a great extent dependent on how much we believe we can achieve. If you have a limited vision of your success, your mind can only access options that correspond with that narrow view. So always believe that you can do better.

Be sure that you are making the decision for You, in accordance with your own desires, values, and beliefs. Don't make choices based on what you think other people want. Trying to reach someone else's goal or measure yourself against someone else's yardstick will only lead to frustration. This is unless of course when it concerns someone you love deeply... then, the decision might have to be based on what's best for that person.

Sometimes, having too much faith though will lead to arrogance. Everything is good if its done in moderation. Have faith in yourself, and you'll see that you will surprise yourself and others around you.

Inflation is up 6.6%

Singapore inflation rates since Jan 2008:
January: 6.6%

This increase is totally un-expected. I did not expect the raise of the annual values of houses could cause a 11.1% jump in housing cost! This year inflation is definitely going to be a record. I expected 5 to 5.2%.

With the current volatile climate, I could not estimate any inflation rate for this year. All I know is that this year's growth will definitely be slow. With inflation rates that might end up higher than the economic growth rate for 2008, the year of the rat is definitely not a good year for Singapore.

I do not want to say the S word but I think its fast becoming a reality here, no thanks to the government's insistence of raising the GST. This budget, I was actually looking forward to them cutting GST for all essential goods like flour, rice, etc. Why don't they do that to elevate the cost pressure?!?!?!?

Double Standards at work again!

Just saw a statement made by Mr Mah in CNA:

Mr Mah said: "We have sufficient Budget to be able to continue with our upgrading programmes. At the same time, of course, HDB will have to look at ways in which it can cut the cost, improve the methods, improve the productivity, make sure we cut down on waste."


So it's perfectly alright to raise the salaries of the ministers doing "quality" work, but for other SMEs in Singapore, they will have to look into ways to cut cost, and improve productivity. Does raising productivity include raising salaries??!!?!?!?

Standard PMI. Quality, Cost and Time are all linked. You cut cost, some things will be compromised. This is very standard, and yet, I see this kind of statements being made. I can see distinctly double standards being applied here. Ministers can raise their salaries, but SMEs must keep their salaries competitive, and yet do quality work.

So is budget surplus that good? Is it being done at the expense of our local SMEs?? I believe only "they" have the answer to that.

Finally got a Fzone Chromatic clip-on tuner

Finally managed to go to Maestro at Esplanade. Got myself a Fzone Chromatic tuner FT-800 for $28. It allows you to tune based on the vibrations from the guitar. Fairly accurate. It allows A4 tuning calibration from 420Hz to 460Hz, and flat tuning.



There is another type of tuner called the J&H JH3000C. That tuner has an additional in-built Metronome and some pitching function which I presume is for acapella. That one sells for $36. Didn't get that as I do not need that many features. I just need a quick and fast way to tune my guitar. Works like a charm. No more tuning fork for me. :p

I also had a chance to ask about the hard foam guitar case. Seems like they sell the CC-150 (Deluxe) for $99.90, that is meant for the classical guitar. It has straps behind that allow you to carry it like a backpack. However, I believe that there is a CC-1500N (Standard) which cost only $69.90, but I didn't see it anywhere. Its not mentioned in the catalogue from the shop too. Weird. If only the CC-150 is available, that means the Yamaha one is cheaper.

Anyway, won't be getting a guitar case so soon. My present one is still working, I hope. It's also good workout for my hands. :p

Whirlwind concerts have finally "ended" for now

The whirlwind concerts have finally "ended" for now. I would say I did not really screw up, except for the fact that I let the door bang against my guitar. Ouch... I would say the concert was pretty good. At least hearing from the backstage. :D

There are few things which I learned though from this concert.

1. Warm up your hands before you perform. Its critical. My hands were practically frozen before the concert started.
   
2. One should not schedule solo pieces back to back (even solos with the ensemble/small group). Possibility of screw-ups is higher because of switching between pieces.
   
3. I still think that the drums sometimes overpower the guitar orchestra. They are too loud, and can be picked up by the condenser mikes. It's hard to do miking with it because guitar is not really a loud instrument. You cannot increase the miking volume because of the feedback generated by the percussions.
   

This year feelings are similar to last year. Missed being in the main ensemble, missed being able to interact with the other guys and gals, and missed playing solo pieces. Since the last time I played Koyunbaba, I have not touched a single solo piece after that. Ditto for any small groups. I think I'm gradually getting withdrawal syndrome. :(

Even if my condition allows me to join back the main ensemble, work is gradually eating into all my available time. Its unfair if I go into a concert unprepared. Based on my current schedule, it's already tight trying to fit in Expose. Nevertheless, I will still try to schedule my time accordingly.

Ok, going off to watch L. Hopefully have some time to get a guitar tuner, and hunt around for a foam guitar case that one could carry around like a backpack (other than Yamaha). I wonder if I'm stretching myself too thin. I do not even have time to play NWN 2, which I just bought recently. I do not even want to think about what's going to happen tomorrow.

Sense of Humour

I quote from the Slice of Life:

You could think of humour as a way of existing in, interacting with, and perceiving the world. It's a pair of orange-tinted, star-shaped spectacles that you can put on in times of frustration. It immediately lightens the mood and gives you a fresh view.

Having a sense of humour doesn't mean you have to be funny. Whether something is funny or not is subjective anyway. A sense of humour goes beyond laughter. It is more profound than comedy. And it's more rewarding than merely being entertaining.

A person with a sense of humour is able to see the fun in common experiences, and the light in dark days. Having a sense of humour is being able to take the Mickey out of stressful people, demanding situations, and the ugly side of life. It is the ability to nimbly sidestep potential flashpoints. It's about disarming, then surprising. It's a weapon of the underdog.

Based on my experience in the corporate world, I would advice that there's a time and place for humour. Learn to identify when you can use it, and when you should be serious. Otherwise, you might get into trouble.

Feel Better About Ourselves

I quote from the Slice of Life:

Well, we're all good at something. We're not all geniuses, of course, but we're all born with, or have the ability to develop, the aptitude to do exceptionally well in some sphere. Some of us just haven't discovered it yet. Or perhaps we simply don't recognise it as a talent.

Some of us find it difficult to feel good about ourselves also because we talk negatively to ourselves. Some of us take criticism badly. Some of us are so insecure that we rarely venture beyond what we're used to. As a result, we become trapped, not daring to try anything new, yet wishing for things to become better.

What we can do is to look at success in small steps. Split a big task into several small tasks. Every task that is done brings you one step closer to completion. There is no need to announce to everyone on your success. What matters most is that you yourself recognise this success and move forward.

Genus 2008 Concert

More esplanade videos here.

Do not hold on for the sake of possessing it

I quote from the Slice of Life:

The old man in the story understood a fundamental philosophy for life - do not hold on to something simply for the sake of possessing it or because you do not wish others to have it. We lose things all the time. The loss may seem to us grievous and unjust initially, but loss only happens so that positive changes can occur in our lives. We should not always assume that losing something is bad, because if things do not shift, we'll never become better people or experience better things. That's not to say of course that we only lose "bad" things; it simply means that in order for us to mature emotionally and spiritually, and for us to contribute to the world, the interchange between loss and gain is necessary.


I think all of us hate losing. However, failure is the mother of success. We will not know the meaning of winning, if we have never lost before.

Singapore Budget 2008

Updated 23 Feb 2008: CPF annuity link

This year's budget is more geared towards the lower income groups. Middle income is squeezed again, as usual. More focus on local SMEs this time.

Some things that caught my eye:

PSEA Top-ups


CPF Life L-Bonus. More information on CPF Life here.

Medisave Top-ups

Growth Dividends for all Singaporeans


Diploma Bursary

University Bursary

Removal of Estate Duty

Income Tax Rebate of 20% (max $2,000) for all resident taxpayers for YA2008

Rejecting Resentment

I quote from the Slice of Life:

Why give someone the power to rob us of our peace of mind?

As Irish-American actor and writer Malachy McCourt once said, "Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die."

The quote best describes resentment. If you're truly wronged, by all means right the wrong. Otherwise, no use building up the hatred inside you.

I know... Easier said than done. I have the same problem, but still... No harm trying. It's healthier. :)

CPF Annuity Report Recommendations

Updated 16 Feb 2008: RP Interest, and CPF Life Calculator. Thanks to mudnik for pointing this out

The CPF Annuity Report is finally out. I'm writing a short summary of what caught my eye in the report. Note that this CPF Annuity is not yet cast in stone, at least at the date of my post. These are just recommendations.

Well, they have changed the name to CPF LIFE. The full name will be "The National Lifelong Income Scheme". The name does not make a difference to me though. What will make the difference is that the CPF Board will administer it, not private insurers. This at least gives me some peace of mind. It will start at 2013. It is still in essence an annuity.

At age 55, the minimum sum will be split into 2 parts. A larger part will be in the retirement account (RA), and the rest in a new refundable premium (RP) account. Both will earn interest but the interest in your RP will not go directly to you. Instead, it will be pooled together with the RP interest from other members to fund the LIFE scheme

This scheme is fully integrated to the minimum sum scheme. Therefore, to us, we'll see no difference. The amount payable at age 65 will be the same lifelong. That may be the reason why they chose the name lifelong income. If the member passed away, the un-used funds in the RP account (includes interest if any) will be refunded to the family.

You are able to choose at which age do you want to start this lifelong income (LI). The default for everyone is 80 years old. You are able to set the age from 65 onwards, in steps of 5, to 90. The earlier you choose, your RP will be of a higher proportion, and the amount you get per month will be higher. (Please take note of the clause above in bold) At age 65, your minimum sum will be 100% RP account, and no RA, and the income will be the higher. For e.g., if you wish the LI to start at 80 years old, the RA will pay a monthly income from 65 to 80 years old. Thereafter, the RP will start paying the monthly income from 80 onwards.

The pictures below shows the old system, and the new system, using a minimum sum of $67,000, LI starts at 80 years old, RA at 5% interest, as an example. The pictures also show that once you have more money in the RA after selling your property, your lifelong income will also increases proportionately.





One might ask, why did they give so many choices on which age to start the LI. Why not all start at 65, and everyone will get the highest payout. The main reason is that they took into account people wanting to leave more money to their family if they passed on. The later you start your LI, the more they will stretch your RA, and the lesser it goes to the RP. Therefore, more money will go to your family. The other reason is that if you choose Refund65, 100% will be in the annuity and the interest from the annuity will not be directly credited back to you.

There is also an option to not receive any refunds from the RP account. This will boost your monthly income lifelong. A person who chooses LI at 65 years old, with no refund, will enjoy the highest payout.

The following people are exempted from this lifelong income scheme:

• Minimum sum below $40,000 (you're still able to opt-in)
  
• Physically or mentally incapacitated (or approved by minister) from ever continuing in any employment
• Unsound mind
• Suffering from medical condition leading to severely impaired life expectancy
• Suffering from terminal illness or disease
• Receiving a pension, annuity or benefit equivalent to LI scheme, and/or either irrevocable/recoverable by CPF in event of termination

Looking at the gist of it, I can't find any reason to fault this report. It takes care of most angles, and I would say this should have been done in the first place instead of announcing that weird plan previously. The previous plan looks very slipshod.

I wonder how much of this report will be endorsed and implemented? Hmm... Seems like the CPF Board is implementing whatever MOM has recommended. In essence, this Lifelong Scheme is a typical annuity, but with a higher interest rate. Payout seems to be more than the other annuities in the market. It will start in 2013. No figures for the 12 options are yet available though. Click here for the CPF Life calculator from CPF to find out how much you can get. One thing to note that it is not indexed against inflation. Thats the drawback of this plan.

Inflation was 2.1% last year, and this year will be at least 4.3%. The 10 year SGS bond has been hovering at less than 3% for a long time. This rate, + 1% is the SMRA's interest rate. From its history, this bond rate is useless against inflation. Therefore, don't hope that the SMRA interest rate will rise due to inflation. No such thing, if you base it on history.

You can see the full report here from MOM. CPF has also released a quick-guide here.

Hokkaido Fresh Seafood Market

This Hokkaido Fresh Seafood Market is one of the places we visited in Hokkaido for my Hokkaido 8day tour. Basically, when you reach the market, you'll see ... ...


Yes. This is the main entrance to the market. For some reasons, you'll always see these 2 symbols when you're going around Hokkaido. Anyway, Hokkaido is popular for its seafood. We basically had our lunch here. The first floor is the place where the market is. The second floor is where we eat.

Some of our tour members actually bought extra seafood, in addition to the standard lunch that we were having. In this market, basically as long as its seafood, its there. Squids, Sea Urchins, Sashimi, Snails, Lobsters, Crabs, etc. I understood that some tour members actually bought crab pincers back to Singapore. I think its from here.



This picture above shows the general area where they prepare the food. There will be someone walking around. You can just order anything extra, and they will serve it to you upstairs, at an extra cost of course.

The following pictures show a small section of the market. For all seafood lovers, you'll like this place.






One thing to note is that the way they eat crabs here are quite clean. You just need a pair of scissors, and some weird contraption that will help you "scratch" all the meat out of the crab. The crab is steamed I think. A crab lover in the tour group did tell me he did not really like it, but I personally find it okay.

Hard Foam Guitar Case

Just saw a hard form guitar case at Yamaha (PS) over the weekend. Quite sturdy, with 2 straps at the back so you can carry it like a backpack. Whole case is black color, including the insides. Cost about S$90. However if I carry it like a backpack, I will become much "taller". Might not be suitable on public transport. The top part will wear off quite fast if I keep hitting it. :D Hmm...

Still not sure if I want to get it. Oh well... :p Maybe I should hunt around at the other guitar shops first when I have the time.

Darn. Once I say that, that means I'll take forever to do it. :p

Go with the flow

I quote from the Slice of Life:

We can't control things like losing a job or losing a partner. Loss is essential for growth and survival. When we experience loss or some other stressful change in our lives, we can give in to negative feelings like anger, disappointment, self-pity, self-loathing, trepidation and fear. We can allow these emotions to strain our mind, effectively crippling its ability to discover viable solutions. We can imagine the worst, and let something that may not come to pass affect our present state of mind.

Or we can go with the flow of change. Some things in our lives have to go in order to make way for better things. The Universe has a way of nudging us along when we get too lazy, complacent or comfortable. Occasionally, it gives us a big shove. The Universe knows when stagnation is making us fat and feeble. It knows when something in our lives has to shift in order for us to continue growing. It then arranges for people and events to push us towards what we were meant to be.

I guess all of us have the habit of keeping to status quo, resisting change. However, most often, when change comes, you'll learn new things in the process, and thus know a bit more about yourself, and what you can or cannot do.

Sometimes, I do get the laziness bug though. Its too hard to keep changing. Very stressful.

Why satellite based ERP will not work in Singapore

Frankly, has the person who wrote about this satellite based GPS ERP actually used a GPS before? This is based on my experience:

1. With cloud/tree/buildings cover, its almost impossible to get your GPS reading of your actual location
2. Even shooting across land, you need a straight line of sight for the best signal. Even then, if there's a thunderstorm, or some metal obstructions, your signal strength will be greatly reduced, and it becomes unreliable
3. Signal may also over-spill if the area is situated near each other. Now you understand why for some buses you cannot use your ezlink card until you reach the bus stop? That's because they are afraid of signal overspill!
   

To my understanding, up to now there's no solution to this because this is the way signals get propagated. Wonder why satellite broadband has never taken off? Why people do not use it exclusively and still rely on cables? Heck... I do not even think my wireless network is reliable.

Even then, the GPS would suck a lot of power because its constantly trying to establish contact with the satellite. It might even drain your car battery if you're stuck in an underground carpark.

GPS??? Another recommendation by people who do not even use the technology! If it does takes off, then I suggest everyone start looking at their bills very carefully, and track which area you've been to. Most probably, they might charge you if you're just passing by another flyover, or you'll get double-charged due to signal loss.

捞魚生的程序

Updated 13 Feb 2008: 油

1. 之前，大家说 ”恭喜发财， 万事如意“
2. 生鱼片，说 “年年有余， 有鱼有利“
3. 檸檬汁， 说 “大吉大利”
4. 花生及芝麻，说 “万事如意”
5. 油，说 “顺顺利利”
6. 辣椒粉及肉桂粉，说 “鸿运当头”
7. 梅子醬，说 “甜甜蜜蜜”
8. 脆餅，说 “偏地黄金”
9. 最后， 一捞风生水起，二捞步步高升，三捞生意兴隆

新年快乐！

China again denying that their weather is due to climate change!!

As usual, the weather people at China chose to deny that climate change has anything to do with their current snow storm.

Their explanation... Cold front was pushed further downwards, and together with La Nina (as usual) caused the bad snow storm.

My question is this... Does this person knows how a cold front is formed?? Fronts are formed when warm air meets cold air. What is the explanation of the cold front being pushed further south? Because the weather likes to be random? Or is it because the interior of China is being warmed up drastically due to their blatant disregard of the environment, thus pushing the cold front further south??

As usual the people like to use La Nina as an excuse. My question is... We have La Nina for hundreds of years. Why this one is so special?? Weather is random again?? Or is there an increase of intensity of La Nina due to climate change??

Ridiculous...

Why so many foreign talent??

This is the population of Singapore as of end June:

2003: 3.3669m + .7479m = 4.1148m
2004: 3.4133m + .7534m = 4.1667m
2005: 3.4678m + .7979m = 4.2658m
2006: 3.5259m + .8755m = 4.4014m
2007: 3.5831m + 1.0055m = 4.5886m

The first column of figures are Singaporeans and permanent residents, and the second column are non-residents.

As you can see, the increase of population is shrinking every single year, and this includes permanent residents. Instead, the non-residents population jumped.

What on earth are we working for in Singapore? For the non-residents?? Note that Singaporeans now include both citizens and permanent residents. How about only Singaporeans? I suspect that Singaporeans (Singapore citizens) have been shrinking for a very long time.

There seems to be no special privilege being a Singaporean. The government has always been saying that they need to pay top dollar for the best people to lead the country. Then may I ask, are they paying top dollar for people to live in Singapore, and be a Singaporean. Singapore is nothing without the people!

Budget day is coming. Frankly, judging from the government's "track record", they will always give more incentives to businesses than Singaporeans, in particular to foreign businesses. We seem to be second class within our own country! Sometimes, I think its better if we come in as foreign talent. They seem to be always willing to pay top dollar for these people, but for Singaporeans??

I await the budget day details. I don't foresee anything except maybe a cut of income tax from 20% to 18%, which does not affect the majority of the Singaporeans! In fact, this cut of income tax will in-fact help all the ministers pay less tax!! Widening the income gap again.

Ok, I'm in a bad mood today...

Exercise any time, any age

I quote from the Slice of Life:

Healthy foods and exercise are essential at any point in our lives, and particularly crucial when we're entering our twilight years. Exercise at least moderately. If nothing else, you could always walk around the neighbourhood. The body breaks down even faster due to lack of use. And don't take my word for it because I'm not a nutritionist, but richly-coloured foods that are high in fibre and low in fat are usually good - salmon, broccoli, nuts, capsicum, fruits. Make your meals visually pleasing as well as tasty!


Somehow, some people has the mentality that when one grows old, one should not exercise because you might break something. That's so wrong. There are many different kind of exercises one can take. Exercising doesn't mean you should always go for high impact sports. Taking the stairs instead of the lift, cycling, brisk walking...

I guess its whether does one wants to make an effort to exercise. Exercising does help in keeping one's body healthy. You get sick less. Exercise when you can...

Noboribetsu-Onsen Hot Springs and Jigokudani Valley

This is one of the places we visited in Hokkaido for my Hokkaido 8day tour. This place is also otherwise known as Hell's Valley, or Jigoku valley.


Upon reaching the area, you will see this gigantic statue at the T-Junction. Looks like they are taking this Hell's Valley seriously. :D



The hot spring is basically located within Jigoku valley. The small round patch of water you see in the lower part of the map is the location of the hotspring. The hotels surrounding this area draw their hotspring water from the same source. One thing you note about the surrounding area is that their drains are relatively snow-free. It might be due to the heat of this hotspring. :D


This is the sign board when you enter the valley. It was snowing moderately when I was there. The area is quite slippery so be quite careful when you're walking around the area. The area requires you to go up and down slopes, and people can fall down if you're not careful.

The area is also not as cold due to the hotspring. Sometimes, you can even feel a blast of hot air as you're walking around the area. The smell of sulphur is always around. :p

Other than watching your step, take note of the surroundings. The area is beautiful, and due to the hotspring, there always seem to be a light fog surrounding the area, giving the area a "mystical" feel.




The above pictures are the pictures of the actual hotspring. Basically, as long as the area has a hotspring, there's no snow. And it is pretty cold up there. :p







The above pictures are part of the "scenery" around Hell's Valley. Its hard to describe how serene the area is, with the mountains capped with snow, and the hotspring flowing down the valley. There are also alot of crows on top of the trees surrounding the area. Maybe the area is warmer so they choose to nest around the area. :D


According to the tour guide, the area will look different when the trees are full bloom. I would say in winter, the place is not bad too. The picture above shows one of the leaves covered with snow. Not sure why but I find it beautiful.

Usually people prefer the non-winter period because that's where you can see the trees in full bloom. Bright colors all around. Somehow, I find that the winter season also has its own qualities. Something which cannot be conveyed through pictures. In the pictures, you'll only see one color, white. When you're there, its different.

Basically, the hotels around this area have hotsprings in the hotel itself. Even within Japan, they sometimes come to the area just to soak in the hotspring. Many souvenirs depicting the "demons", can be bought around this area too. That includes chocolates and stuff. :D

All in all, quite a serene place...

Why we should not squeeze 1800 people in the MRT!

I read with interest in the recent comments by the transport operators. In particular that the train can squeeze in 1,800 people.

My questions are as follows:

1. Where did you get the 1,800 people from? Have bags, strollers been taken into account? How is it being calculated?
2. You're talking about average capacity of 1,400 people. How do you average the capacity? Do you average taking into account the empty trains that I see on the other line?
3. Have you done an experiment where you squeeze 1,800 people in the train, and see if those 1,800 passengers can remain on their feet throughout the journey where the train driver might do a sudden and emergency brake? Furthermore, have you tried asking a person standing in the middle carriage to get to the door and leave the train with 1,800 people?

Frankly, its easy to dish out statistics. However, there are several reasons why we cannot squeeze in any more passengers, based on my personal experience on the peak hour trains.

1. Strollers and bulky bags take up space in the train.
2. We're generally more passive. I've seen several people who refused to say Excuse Me when they wish to leave the train. They just stand passively behind, hoping their nudges can somehow hint to the person in front that they wish to exit the train.
3. Singaporeans are kiasu. Even though they are near the train doors, sometimes they refused to step out, and make way for alighting passengers, even when you asked to be excuse.

The design, and operation of the trains are not optimised for such conditions too.

1. The handles for standing passengers are not designed optimally for squeezing in 1,800 people, unless you think every single passenger is trained in martial arts, and have a very good sense of balance on a moving train.
2. There is absolutely no way of knowing which station you are at when you're in the train. That's the main reason why everyone crowds around the door, and that is to figure out which station we are at. We're a multi-lingual country. Not everyone understands English. What happened to our 4 languages?? Degenerated into 1? Even in Shanghai, the station announcement is in 2 languages.
   
3. In Japan or even in Shanghai, there are rail officers where they will check if anyone is leaving the train, and stop the train from leaving if they see someone trying to get out. In Singapore, its more of a get out of the train by this timing, or else!
   

If they wish to compare with Japan or any other countries, compare apple to apple. Why the MRT operators, or even the regulators do not know of these problems? That's because they never take their own trains!!

You want people to take public transport?? The first thing the government should do is to lead by example! That's the mark of first world management.

Evidence of Climate Change Is Here!

For the past year, many of the "major powers" said that climate change is a myth, in particular one "big power" in Asia. I have no idea why countries must be reactive, and not proactive in policies. The evidence is here right now. Snow storms in places where sometimes you do not even see snow, weird weather patterns, introduction of new diseases, etc. The evidence must run smack into their faces before they recognise it. What the ... ... ... Don't say is El Nino, or La Nina. Don't tell me the past decade, there are no instances of El Nino, or La Nina. The evidence now of climate change is a definite proof!

I do not know if it is politics, self-preservation or fear of change, but focusing on green technology does not derail economic growth. What that will derail economic growth is

1. Fear of Change
2. Lack of innovation
3. Lack of foresight
   

Introduction of new technology in fact addresses point 2 and 3 positively. However, most look at point 1 and refuse to move. Who says that being green will shave off economic growth?? It is the stubbornness of refusing to adapt that will shave off economic growth. Introducing a new technology leads to innovation on the existing technology, and innovation is where growth will be explosive! Look at Google, look at Apple. Innovation at work...

Incorporating these technologies might take time and money, but this will weed out weak companies, and the stronger ones will emerge even stronger!

It's no use being a millionaire, or even a billionaire, when you're stuck in a city with all power, communications and transportation link cut off!