Just now I read a CNA article where an economist said that inflation is easing. I was thinking, "Did this guy ever read the local news?".
Just this week (or last), there was an article that was describing the rise in price for some of the foodstuff in our supermarkets. The minimum rise I saw was 15 cents. So what inflation easing?
I think this person forgot that we import most of our foodstuffs and products. Therefore when our currency weakens, imported foodstuffs become more expensive. Note that foodstuffs occupy about 23% of our CPI basket. Yes, oil prices are down but our electricity prices are still sky high until next Jan. I still see inflation rate for November and December hitting above 6%.
Inflation easing? Yeah right... It's barely easing, and not as much as what some previously predicted.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Removing obstacles
Topic(s):
Self Improvement
I quote from Scott Adams:
I'm slowly becoming a convert to the principle that you can't motivate people to do things, you can only demotivate them. The primary job of the manager is not to empower but to remove obstacles.
After reading this quote, I've realised that I do follow its principals. Long before, I believe that the word "empower" is the most overused word. I believe that centrally, the management needs to know what is the direction and way to go. After which, they should remove obstacles blocking that direction in order for the organisation to move forward.
Empowering usually does not allow the company to move in 1 direction. Too many cooks spoil the broth. In the end, you'll find that you're making detours to your destination. Or worse still, you find that you've reached the wrong place.
Confirm the direction that you're going to take, and steer others towards it by removing or avoiding obstacles blocking that path.
I'm slowly becoming a convert to the principle that you can't motivate people to do things, you can only demotivate them. The primary job of the manager is not to empower but to remove obstacles.
After reading this quote, I've realised that I do follow its principals. Long before, I believe that the word "empower" is the most overused word. I believe that centrally, the management needs to know what is the direction and way to go. After which, they should remove obstacles blocking that direction in order for the organisation to move forward.
Empowering usually does not allow the company to move in 1 direction. Too many cooks spoil the broth. In the end, you'll find that you're making detours to your destination. Or worse still, you find that you've reached the wrong place.
Confirm the direction that you're going to take, and steer others towards it by removing or avoiding obstacles blocking that path.
Much ado about Mac malwares
Topic(s):
Technology Ramblings
Recently, the debate of Microsoft vs Apple has been rekindled again. Now the subject is on malware. As usual, the Microsoft side says see, Mac can have malware, so its not fundamentally secure.
The funny part is how do you know if the OS is fundamentally secure if you have not used it in the first place?
I use both Microsoft and Apple machines and I am not a fanatic for any of them. However, I have to agree that out of the box, Apple machines (Mac) are much more secure than the Windows machine, at least pre-Vista. I've not used a Vista machine yet so I'm unable to comment on it.
Why is the Mac fundamentally secure? The reason is that it truly allows delegation of authority to the normal user account. In layman terms, that means that if you're using a non-administrator account, it allows you to install programs using a normal user account by asking you to key in the administrator password once. This works for all the programs for the Mac.
One thing I always gripe about Microsoft is that they have so many versions of the same operating system, but only the more expensive ones have the basic security needed. For example, only Windows XP Professional allows the Power User accounts. Even then, if you need to install software, you'll still need to re-login as an administrator for most programs. The normal Windows XP Home does not even have this basic security. It's either a normal user or an administrator, and some programs do not work in the normal user account.
Now back to the topic of malware. Recently there has been news the Mac has malware. I was wondering... So? The malwares for the Mac actually either:
I mean come on... Any operating system will have malware for the above 2 points, even UNIX systems. Nowadays, malwares exist everywhere. They no longer target the OS, but they target the user. Yes... The weakest link. The gullible user. Persuade them to install some software and walla, you'll get your backdoor.
The bottom line is that to guard against malware, it has to start with the user. Do not blame the computer. It's the user who needs to educate themselves on the dangers of the Internet. The operating system can only do so much, and 99% of the reason why users get viruses and malwares is because of the user's carelessness.
I've been messing around with computers for more than 10 years, and I've never gotten a virus or malware for at least 10 years.
By the way, my Mac still does not have anti-virus installed.
The funny part is how do you know if the OS is fundamentally secure if you have not used it in the first place?
I use both Microsoft and Apple machines and I am not a fanatic for any of them. However, I have to agree that out of the box, Apple machines (Mac) are much more secure than the Windows machine, at least pre-Vista. I've not used a Vista machine yet so I'm unable to comment on it.
Why is the Mac fundamentally secure? The reason is that it truly allows delegation of authority to the normal user account. In layman terms, that means that if you're using a non-administrator account, it allows you to install programs using a normal user account by asking you to key in the administrator password once. This works for all the programs for the Mac.
One thing I always gripe about Microsoft is that they have so many versions of the same operating system, but only the more expensive ones have the basic security needed. For example, only Windows XP Professional allows the Power User accounts. Even then, if you need to install software, you'll still need to re-login as an administrator for most programs. The normal Windows XP Home does not even have this basic security. It's either a normal user or an administrator, and some programs do not work in the normal user account.
Now back to the topic of malware. Recently there has been news the Mac has malware. I was wondering... So? The malwares for the Mac actually either:
- Requires the hacker to have physical and login access to the machine, or
- Requires the user to install some software in the machine
I mean come on... Any operating system will have malware for the above 2 points, even UNIX systems. Nowadays, malwares exist everywhere. They no longer target the OS, but they target the user. Yes... The weakest link. The gullible user. Persuade them to install some software and walla, you'll get your backdoor.
The bottom line is that to guard against malware, it has to start with the user. Do not blame the computer. It's the user who needs to educate themselves on the dangers of the Internet. The operating system can only do so much, and 99% of the reason why users get viruses and malwares is because of the user's carelessness.
I've been messing around with computers for more than 10 years, and I've never gotten a virus or malware for at least 10 years.
By the way, my Mac still does not have anti-virus installed.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Surprise announcement from OPEC? It will only worsen the situation
Topic(s):
Economic Ramblings
Read recently that OPEC is going to make a surprise announcement on Dec 17. There are only 2 surprise announcements I can think of:
Either case, will it help to shore up the oil price? Yes. Temporarily. However like I said earlier, they cannot fight against the world. US lost half a million jobs in November alone. Car makers are cutting models, closing plants. Shipping almost came to a standstill. Orders for the O&G industries are being canceled. Singapore itself might have the worse decline in her short history for the 1Q 2009.
In the best case scenario, this effect will only provide a base for the oil price. In the long term, the whole world will learn to wean themselves away from their addiction to oil. Public transport infrastructure will be improved to discourage car ownership. Green energy will be the new buzz word.
Withholding supply to shore up prices will only work when the consumers have the ability to pay. That's the key. Now with companies closing down every week, banks being seized every quarter, whatever OPEC can do will only hasten the downward spiral. In the end what happens? Consumers will consume less, and they will hasten their revenue decline.
For those countries which are very dependent on oil revenues, they will not obey the quota once they realised they are earning lesser and lesser by the week.
Actually, the best OPEC can do right now, is to trim their quotas accordingly with no big surprises. Allow the companies to survive this tough period so that the consumers will start to consume again. If this is not done, consumers will just stop consuming. Period.
Humans are adaptable, which is why economics science has been unable to do any accurate forecasting. Situations can change drastically within a span of a month. This is what this crisis has taught me.
OPEC should start to take heed of what's happening now. Old methods do not work anymore.
- The cut in oil is double the estimates by "analysts"
- Russia or some other country has joined OPEC
Either case, will it help to shore up the oil price? Yes. Temporarily. However like I said earlier, they cannot fight against the world. US lost half a million jobs in November alone. Car makers are cutting models, closing plants. Shipping almost came to a standstill. Orders for the O&G industries are being canceled. Singapore itself might have the worse decline in her short history for the 1Q 2009.
In the best case scenario, this effect will only provide a base for the oil price. In the long term, the whole world will learn to wean themselves away from their addiction to oil. Public transport infrastructure will be improved to discourage car ownership. Green energy will be the new buzz word.
Withholding supply to shore up prices will only work when the consumers have the ability to pay. That's the key. Now with companies closing down every week, banks being seized every quarter, whatever OPEC can do will only hasten the downward spiral. In the end what happens? Consumers will consume less, and they will hasten their revenue decline.
For those countries which are very dependent on oil revenues, they will not obey the quota once they realised they are earning lesser and lesser by the week.
Actually, the best OPEC can do right now, is to trim their quotas accordingly with no big surprises. Allow the companies to survive this tough period so that the consumers will start to consume again. If this is not done, consumers will just stop consuming. Period.
Humans are adaptable, which is why economics science has been unable to do any accurate forecasting. Situations can change drastically within a span of a month. This is what this crisis has taught me.
OPEC should start to take heed of what's happening now. Old methods do not work anymore.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Finally got the Maestro CC-150 Hard Foam Guitar Case
Topic(s):
Guitar
After hunting around for a hard foam classical guitar case at my usual haunts, I've finally settled down to the Maestro CC-150 Hard Foam guitar case. For some reason or another, classical guitar hard foam guitar cases are almost extinct in Singapore. I cannot even find a single hard foam guitar case for the classical guitar except in Maestro.
Initially I thought Yamaha at Plaza Singapura sells the hard foam guitar case for classical guitar. Upon asking them however, they said that the Gator GL-Dread hard foam guitar case is not meant for the classical guitar. If you wish to use it for the classical guitar, you'll need to put in some thing to keep the guitar in place. Darn...
Thereafter, I spied this Maestro CC-150 hard foam guitar case from a catalogue I got from Maestro at the start of the year. I was wondering if the price will drop during December, but I think this hard foam guitar case is too popular in Singapore. It still costs $99.90 and I happened to get the last one in the shop.
Basically the hard foam guitar case is quite solid, and much lighter than the hard case I bring around. In fact, it is so light that I had to double check that my guitar is in the case. My Yamaha CG201S still moves slightly when it is in the case but it is quite minimal. It's much better than the guitar cases I saw previously, when I have to wedge something in-between to stop it from moving too much.
One thing I like about the CC-150 is that I can carry it around like a backpack. I've been looking for such a guitar case for a very long time. The hard case is causing me to have a workout everytime I bring it out and I do admit that I'm getting old. :) My strength is not what it used to be. Wearing my guitar case like a backpack frees my hands for other stuff. This is especially important if you use the public transport.
There is a outer pocket that allows you to put your file. The outer pocket is quite big and I could fit both my file, and my small umbrella. Although the straps look like they are double sewed, I will still not advise putting too heavy stuff in the guitar case.
One important point to remember is that no matter what, always bring your guitar along when you are buying a guitar case. :D
Now for some pictures of my new guitar case. :)
CC-150 side view
CC-150 front view
CC-150 backview with straps
CC-150 interior, with guitar
Initially I thought Yamaha at Plaza Singapura sells the hard foam guitar case for classical guitar. Upon asking them however, they said that the Gator GL-Dread hard foam guitar case is not meant for the classical guitar. If you wish to use it for the classical guitar, you'll need to put in some thing to keep the guitar in place. Darn...
Thereafter, I spied this Maestro CC-150 hard foam guitar case from a catalogue I got from Maestro at the start of the year. I was wondering if the price will drop during December, but I think this hard foam guitar case is too popular in Singapore. It still costs $99.90 and I happened to get the last one in the shop.
Basically the hard foam guitar case is quite solid, and much lighter than the hard case I bring around. In fact, it is so light that I had to double check that my guitar is in the case. My Yamaha CG201S still moves slightly when it is in the case but it is quite minimal. It's much better than the guitar cases I saw previously, when I have to wedge something in-between to stop it from moving too much.
One thing I like about the CC-150 is that I can carry it around like a backpack. I've been looking for such a guitar case for a very long time. The hard case is causing me to have a workout everytime I bring it out and I do admit that I'm getting old. :) My strength is not what it used to be. Wearing my guitar case like a backpack frees my hands for other stuff. This is especially important if you use the public transport.
There is a outer pocket that allows you to put your file. The outer pocket is quite big and I could fit both my file, and my small umbrella. Although the straps look like they are double sewed, I will still not advise putting too heavy stuff in the guitar case.
One important point to remember is that no matter what, always bring your guitar along when you are buying a guitar case. :D
Now for some pictures of my new guitar case. :)
CC-150 side view
CC-150 front view
CC-150 backview with straps
CC-150 interior, with guitarFree Apps in AppStore
Topic(s):
iPhone Tips
People might be wondering why I dedicate a post to it. Reason is because I find that there are too many untrue rumours that are spreading around, so I would like to put the record straight with this post.
There are many free applications (apps) in the iPhone AppStore for the iPhone 3G. Even the apps that requires payment cost maybe at most USD9.99. Even a meal in a restaurant will cost more than that.
To access the AppStore, you will need to do the following:
Finding free apps in the AppStore on the iPhone 3G:
The AppStore under iPhone v2.2 firmware is much better now, and it makes it easier to find Top Free, and Top Paid apps. You can also now view all the screenshots of the app which the author has provided.
So to all those who spread those untrue rumours, let it stop now. iPhone 3G has many free apps, and I've known of some people who downloaded more than 128 free apps on the iPhone.
There are many free applications (apps) in the iPhone AppStore for the iPhone 3G. Even the apps that requires payment cost maybe at most USD9.99. Even a meal in a restaurant will cost more than that.
To access the AppStore, you will need to do the following:
- Register for an account in the AppStore. You can opt not to put your credit card information when you register for the account.
- Login to the account using your iTunes.
Reason is so that when you sync your iPhone, your account will be synced to your iPhone, and you'll only need to enter your password when you wish to download any app in your iPhone.
If you wish to enter your account ID and password everytime you download any app in the iPhone, skip this step and ensure that you're not login to your account when you sync your iPhone with iTunes. - Sync your iPhone 3G with iTunes.
Finding free apps in the AppStore on the iPhone 3G:
- Tap on AppStore on your iPhone 3G.
Recommended to use Wi-Fi, as the iPhone 3G will automatically block you from downloading apps that are greater than 10MB, unless you are using WiFI. - Tap on Featured.
There are 2 tabs under Featured, New and What's Hot. You will sometimes see free apps under these tabs. - Tap on Categories.
Since the iPhone v2.2 firmware, when you tap on every category, there is a tab called Top Free. It makes finding free apps much simpler to use. - Tap on Top 25.
This is by far the most popular feature. By tapping on Top Free, you will be able to see the Top 50 apps in the AppStore.
The AppStore under iPhone v2.2 firmware is much better now, and it makes it easier to find Top Free, and Top Paid apps. You can also now view all the screenshots of the app which the author has provided.
So to all those who spread those untrue rumours, let it stop now. iPhone 3G has many free apps, and I've known of some people who downloaded more than 128 free apps on the iPhone.
Do not award to lowest bidder??
Topic(s):
Singapore Ramblings
Today's newspaper talk about someone from NTUC saying not to only award tenders based on the lowest bid.
My take can be summarised in 2 words, Like real.
Not only do Singapore tenders favour the lowest bid, they try to word it such that they can squeeze in anything under the sun.
If Singaporeans are wondering why there is no innovation in Singapore, look no further. Want the cheapest, want the best, want everything.
Yeah right...
My take can be summarised in 2 words, Like real.
Not only do Singapore tenders favour the lowest bid, they try to word it such that they can squeeze in anything under the sun.
If Singaporeans are wondering why there is no innovation in Singapore, look no further. Want the cheapest, want the best, want everything.
Yeah right...
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Pegging of pay to pay with bonuses??
Topic(s):
Singapore Ramblings
Today's papers just highlighted one important point about CapitalLand's CEO pay. According to 2007 annual report, Mr Liew earned S$1.15 million in base salary in 2007, and was paid S$5.35 million in bonuses. That means a total of $6.5million for 2007.
Does this number 6.5million look familiar? Yes... It's one of the pay that our top government officials is pegging their pay to.
I think there is seriously something wrong with this pegging formula. I will understand if they peg the pay to their base salaries, but pegging of pay to their base salaries + bonuses??? If our dear government is really good, I won't mind them having a 12 months year end bonus based on their base salaries. However, if Singapore economy is not growing, then why on earth should they still get million dollar salaries. I'm sure Mr Liew will not be earning more than 3million dollars for 2009 if the current climate persist for 2009.
From the post I've written here, their decrease of pay is just a few $100,000. Our top government officials will soon be earning much more than the private sector in 2009! Why? Because they pegged their pay to pay with bonuses, and not to their base salaries! Here we're talking about negative growth for the year 2009. Negative growth and they have a pay of $3million dollars?
I still like to bring out the example of Goldman Sach's CEO. Salary from USD68 million to USD 600,000.
That's a pay cut, and that's true leadership.
Does this number 6.5million look familiar? Yes... It's one of the pay that our top government officials is pegging their pay to.
I think there is seriously something wrong with this pegging formula. I will understand if they peg the pay to their base salaries, but pegging of pay to their base salaries + bonuses??? If our dear government is really good, I won't mind them having a 12 months year end bonus based on their base salaries. However, if Singapore economy is not growing, then why on earth should they still get million dollar salaries. I'm sure Mr Liew will not be earning more than 3million dollars for 2009 if the current climate persist for 2009.
From the post I've written here, their decrease of pay is just a few $100,000. Our top government officials will soon be earning much more than the private sector in 2009! Why? Because they pegged their pay to pay with bonuses, and not to their base salaries! Here we're talking about negative growth for the year 2009. Negative growth and they have a pay of $3million dollars?
I still like to bring out the example of Goldman Sach's CEO. Salary from USD68 million to USD 600,000.
That's a pay cut, and that's true leadership.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Oil producing companies know that they are walking a tight rope
Topic(s):
Economic Ramblings
Everyone seems to be surprised that OPEC did not cut production last week. Not me though... That's because OPEC knows that they are walking a tight rope. For those people who think that just by witholding supply will drive up the price, well... I can say thank god you're not in the government sector dictating policy.
OPEC knows that if they cut too much too fast now, they will risk intiating a destruction of demand. Once initiated, it will be extremely difficult to arrest. Now companies are unable to get credit to produce goods. If the price of oil is artificially propped up, what will occur is that the companies will make even lesser goods, triggering a downward spiral in demand. OPEC might find themselves having a higher price, but selling less of the oil because of the drastic drop in demand.
OPEC could be waiting for the winter season to come to better judge the effects of removing the 1.5million barrels of oil. If prices continue to fall, which I expect they will, they will initiate a cut in December. Will this reduction help in the oil prices? No way... There's little you can do when there is a global recession. Can you work against the whole world? I don't think so. By cutting the production, they're only causing themselves to earn less revenue.
Based on what I can gather, it seems that the household savings rate for the United States has shot up from 0.4% in 2007 to 1.8% in 2008! Just this small jump is enough to throw the global economy into a recession. And guess what? The household savings rate will still be rising. The demand destruction is real! No longer can other countries rely on the good old US to keep buying.
And now, they have absolutely no solution because they are unwilling to find ways to excite domestic consumption.
Long ago, I've liken this current crisis similar to the Great Depression. My view is still the same. What's the great depression in essence? A global recession. Sounds familiar?
OPEC knows that if they cut too much too fast now, they will risk intiating a destruction of demand. Once initiated, it will be extremely difficult to arrest. Now companies are unable to get credit to produce goods. If the price of oil is artificially propped up, what will occur is that the companies will make even lesser goods, triggering a downward spiral in demand. OPEC might find themselves having a higher price, but selling less of the oil because of the drastic drop in demand.
OPEC could be waiting for the winter season to come to better judge the effects of removing the 1.5million barrels of oil. If prices continue to fall, which I expect they will, they will initiate a cut in December. Will this reduction help in the oil prices? No way... There's little you can do when there is a global recession. Can you work against the whole world? I don't think so. By cutting the production, they're only causing themselves to earn less revenue.
Based on what I can gather, it seems that the household savings rate for the United States has shot up from 0.4% in 2007 to 1.8% in 2008! Just this small jump is enough to throw the global economy into a recession. And guess what? The household savings rate will still be rising. The demand destruction is real! No longer can other countries rely on the good old US to keep buying.
And now, they have absolutely no solution because they are unwilling to find ways to excite domestic consumption.
Long ago, I've liken this current crisis similar to the Great Depression. My view is still the same. What's the great depression in essence? A global recession. Sounds familiar?
Resolve MacBook Charging Problem
Topic(s):
Mac(Leopard) Tips,
Mac(Tiger) Tips
Just recently, I have encountered a problem where my MacBook refused to charge its battery. When I plug in the power, the Mac OSX just gives an indication that it is connected to a power source (a plug icon), but it does not indicate that it is charging. The normal red light that the connector gives when charging, and the green light when it is no longer charging no longer appears. In fact, there is no color.
This is quite problematic for me because this means that I have a battery but it cannot be charged! Luckily, I manage to resolve it with 1 simple step:
That's it... After cleaning it with a piece of tissue, my MacBook started charging again, and the light indicators are working now.
This is quite problematic for me because this means that I have a battery but it cannot be charged! Luckily, I manage to resolve it with 1 simple step:
- Clean the power connector and the area where the connector connects to the MacBook, with a piece of tissue
That's it... After cleaning it with a piece of tissue, my MacBook started charging again, and the light indicators are working now.
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