Sam's blog

Moving

2010-02-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

As some of you might know, I'll be getting married sometime April this year. Also as some you already know as well that I've moved over to Bangkok.

So in the spirit of moving, I've decided to move this blog over to another blog site: samuelcharis.blogspot.com. Reason being is that since we've started a blog for our wedding, it'll be interesting to carry on from there so that Charis and I both can update the blog about us. (Also then I'll just need to update that blog instead :P).

So this is the end for this site, will keep it alive though cause I would want to keep the links that I've collected all this while :)

Till we meet again.

Guess what?

2009-06-23T07:21:00.001-07:00

In His time

2009-02-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

...we remember

Fitness time

2008-10-22T06:38:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again where I exchange

and

and

for this

and

Choice of effort

2008-10-19T05:51:00.000-07:00

Effort is a choice, at least make it on purpose:

1. Delete 120 minutes a day of 'spare time' from your life. This can include TV, reading the newspaper, commuting, wasting time in social networks and meetings. Up to you.

2. Spend the 120 minutes doing this instead:

Exercise for thirty minutes.
Read relevant non-fiction (trade magazines, journals, business books, blogs, etc.)
Send three thank you notes.
Learn new digital techniques (spreadsheet macros, Firefox shortcuts, productivity tools, graphic design, html coding)
Volunteer.
Blog for five minutes about something you learned.
Give a speech once a month about something you don't currently know a lot about.

3. Spend at least one weekend day doing absolutely nothing but being with people you love.

4. Only spend money, for one year, on things you absolutely need to get by. Save the rest, relentlessly.

If you somehow pulled this off, then six months from now, you would be the fittest, best rested, most intelligent, best funded and motivated person in your office or your field. You would know how to do things other people don't, you'd have a wider network and you'd be more focused.

Let me try pulling this off.

Taken from here

me

2008-07-17T08:54:00.001-07:00

| View | Upload your own

Extraordinary ordinary lemon

2008-06-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

In a post several weeks back it was about the all magnificient Coca-Cola.
Now it's the lemons.

Eliminate fireplace odor, Get rid of tough stains on marble, Make a room scent/humidifier, Neutralize cat-box odor, Deodorize a humidifier, Clean tarnished brass, Polish chrome, Freshen the fridge, Brighten dull aluminum, Keep rice from sticking, Refresh cutting boards, Keep guacamole green, Make soggy lettuce crisp, Keep insects out of the kitchen, Clean your microwave, Deodorize your garbage disposal, Remove unsightly underarm stains, Boost laundry detergent, Rid clothes of mildew, Whiten clothes, Remove unsightly underarm stains, Boost laundry detergent, Rid clothes of mildew

Taken from rd.com

Balancing

2008-06-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

"Our tendency as men is to compartmentalize that which we shouldn't and not compartmentalize that which we should"

Busy

2008-05-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said "We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from conservative values.

But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.

So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.

"Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.

"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6 or 7 days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work."

"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that small still voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, VCR, DVDs, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical, contradictory music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."

"Fill their coffee-tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk-mail, sweepstakes, mail-order catalogues and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes."

"Even in their recreation let them be excessive. Have them return from the recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out to nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead."

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions."

"Let them be involved in soul-winning, but crowd their lives with so many causes that they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."

It was quite a convention in the end. The evil angels went to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.

Has the devil been successful in his scheme?

You be the judge.

How about this definition of BUSY: Being Under Satan's Yoke

Satan's goal is to take our minds away from Christ and steer us towards the cares of the world. God wants us to enjoy life, but He must be first. If we are too busy for God, then we are too busy!

authour unknown

Today's a gift, that's why it's called the present

2008-05-25T06:14:00.000-07:00

"If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. - Steve Job

Meaning in life. Living life to the full. Living without regrets. Live your dreams. Live don't merely exist. They all mean the same thing. I guess there comes a point in your life where you take the back seat, open both your eyes, mind, heart and review your life thus far. Each person would have a different interpretation of what it means to really live. Just scourging the net you see different thoughts from various people.

- Become the change you want to see
- None of us are promised tomorrow
- We only go around once in this silly, messed up world. So, give it your best shot while you're living
- Go out and do the things that you love to do and do it now instead of pushing it till tomorrow if you can do it today
- Take control of your life, and have fun
- Means i dont sit round an wait for things to come to me...i go get it or do it
- Don't take life for granted and enjoy the most you can in life because before you know it it is gone. And there is only memories left
- Trying new things and taking chances
- Be not the passerby watching the parade but be the main cast of the parade
- Living life from the outside in rather than the inside out
- Live like you were dying
- Take the risk, what's the worse that could happen

All I want is to wake up each day and to know that I'm making a difference.
It's not about me. Never was.

Today I Will Make a Difference by Max Lucado

Today I will make a difference.

I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts.

I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful.

I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters.

I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark.

Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me.

Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom.

I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant.

I will drink each minute as though it is my last.

When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever.

While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving.

Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures.

I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on.

Victoriously.

No failure is fatal.

It’s OK to stumble… I will get up.

It’s OK to fail… I will rise again.

Today I will make a difference.

Extraordinary ordinaries

2008-05-14T07:47:00.001-07:00

Uses for coca-cola: clean a toilet bowl, remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers, clean corrosion from car battery terminals, cook, loosen a rusty bolt, bake a moist ham, remove grease from clothes, clean rust in a bathtub, clean milk stains from clothes, make barbecue sauce, prevent an asthma attack, relieve constipation, prevent diarrhea, condition hair, fertilize azaleas or gardenias, clean eyeglasses, clean tarnished pennies, strip paint off metal patio furniture, get rid of fruit flies, boost a compost bin, prevent flatulence, relieve an upset stomach, kill slugs or snails, mousse hair, sooth a jellyfish sting, clean blood stains from clothes, soothe a sore throat, neutralize skunk odor.

Everyday objects with a twist

p.s. we've got Penang now in Choice of Food.

Unending eating for 7 days

2008-05-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Was just thinking, if I were to eat all that I've mapped out here I would probably name my restaurant:

On the other hand, many more undiscovered food in Melaka. Help me out by sending me some links, for the good of all mankind! (in Melaka)

Wish I had this while I was in Melaka

2008-05-04T09:12:00.001-07:00

It was a dilemma, it still is. What's for dinner? Where to eat? Can't think of a place! Well, I've started this small side project to help me decide on where and what to eat the next time a choice needs to be made (which explains the lack of blogtime on this blog ;)).

Introducing: Choice of Food

So far I've only done for part of Melaka. Still in a trial stage, so do feel free to suggest on any improvements needed. The idea is to add a little everyday and one day it'll just be filled with food reviews that will help people such as you and I to decide on where's the next place to chow.

Note: Do check out Melaka> Personal Experience. There're places to eat that even I didn't know about! Hope the other bloggers don't mind me linking them up :)

A box of ingenuity

2008-05-02T10:48:00.001-07:00

"Keep doing what you've been doing, keep getting what you've been getting."

Gotta keep thinking out of this box.

A man fell asleep while reading a book. Although he slept for many hours, when he woke, he noticed that the sun had hardly moved in the sky. How did this happen? Answer

A woman in a cast stepped out of a car in front of a building and was immediately surrounded by flashing lights and screams. What was going on? Answer

Picture from Friday Reflections

Five-minute continuous writing

2008-04-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

Instructions:

Write for five minutes without stopping
When you can't think of anything else to write, keep you pen or pencil moving until something else comes to mind
Don't worry what it looks like. Get your thoughts down on paper.

This was an exercise that I did during a Stephen Covey corporate training. It may seem like a simple exercise but somehow it helped me tremendously in unclogging my thoughts and mind. It started with random thoughts which slowly evolved to discovering my inner thoughts and desires. As I review the written words line by line, I come to realize and understand what I would want to achieve, my very purpose in life. The "why" to all that I do or want to do.

As R. Kiyosaki puts it, "Discover your why, the what and how will eventually follow"

Just something that I highly recommend anyone to do from time to time.

If Futurama was real

2008-04-28T09:13:00.001-07:00

(click picture for larger view)

Never have I imagined what a cartoon would look like in real life. Picture created by Dylan Marvin.

They've even got an untooned version of Homer Simpson!

On a separate thing, some pretty amusing commercial photos here

You know you're getting fat

2008-04-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

You know you're getting fat when you drive over those yellow bumpy stripes on the road (or meaningless brick roads), your cheek wobbles.

It starts with words

2008-04-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

Words that inspires
Words that makes you think
Words that excites
Words that shifts your paradigm
Words that encourages
Words that lifts your spirits
Words to quote to others
...Words, will remain words till it is translated to action. It's a choice.

"Nothing can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"What is important to another person must be as important to you as the other person is to you" - Stephen R Covey

"99% of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses." - George W. Carver

"Imagination is everything. It's a preview of life's coming attractions" - Albert Einstein

"What we think or what we know or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do" - John Ruskin

"In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths." - Proverbs 3

Behold my personal challenge

The best things in life are free

2008-04-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

Weekends

Holidays

Singing birds on the trees

Laughter

Friendship

Hugs

Good music on the radio

Sleeping in on a rainy day

Cool mountain breeze

Stargazing on a clear moonlit night

Warm sunrise

A word of encouragement at the right time

A kind word

An act of kindness

Cool sand between your toes

A good joke

Good memories

A beautiful sunset

Magnificent sky

A baby’s smile

The choice to be happy

Freewill

A leisure stroll through the park

Spectacular scenery

A breath of fresh air

(Feel free to add)

Jefferson's Decalogue

2008-04-15T07:54:00.001-07:00

1. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
2. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.
3. Never spend your money before you have it.
4. Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.
5. Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and cold.
6. We have never repented of having eaten too little.
7. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
8. Wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
9. Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
10. Be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit troubles.

Thomas Jefferson Smith, 1825

Stickman fun

2008-04-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

Have fun creating your own stickman animation with Pivot Stickfigure Animator.

Confession: Animation above not created by me. Taken off pbase.com.
The above software is free though ;)

Paradigm Shift

2008-04-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

"All the significant breakthroughs were breaks with old ways of thinking" - Thoman Kuhn

A weekend away keeps you sane someway

2008-04-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

Time to have some fun now :)

(Haven't done this for awhile now)

3 simple concepts to getting employed, and having fun at it

2008-04-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

Too many people are worried if there’s a job out there for them. Too many people are worried if they’ll ever get employed. Too many people are worried what if they don’t like the job.

One of the greatest satisfactions in life is to do what you love to do. Ask any of the most successful people around the world why they like their work and they’ll most likely reply. “What work?”

What they probably meant by that is that they do not consider their job a work at all! They’re having the time of their life, doing something they love to do, creating something that they whole heartedly believe in and doing it with fervor. Furthermore I don’t think they’re really bothered on whether or not they’re getting paid to do it.

However dream jobs are hard to come by which is why I like the concepts that I’m going to share.

Inspired by the hedgehog concept by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great:

1. Talent.

It’s been said that each one of us has been given a talent or a gift that unravels the purpose for your life, and sharing it with the world. True in a way. Looking, what were you good at? What do you have that’s so natural to only you where you see others struggle? When you do it, you think to yourself “I feel like I was born just to do this”. In fact perhaps you can be the best in the world when you apply that talent. Be honest with yourself on what you can or cannot do. The better you understand yourself the more insights you have on your talent. Be careful to note that talent does not mean intelligence, motivation or any personality traits. It’s a natural ability to do something exceedingly well.

2. Passion

You are totally passionate about doing this. You’re willing to sacrifice your time, money, resources to do it. You simply just love doing it. You’re purely enjoying the process for its own sake. You wake up every morning looking forward to throw yourself in doing it. You really believe in what you’re doing.

3. Economic

Now imagine you are well paid for what you do. Let’s be honest not everything you’re totally passionate about and have a raw talent for actually pays you for it. However a better understanding of your key strength will enable you to recognize the kind of jobs that pays well for those concepts mentioned above. Do research, learn more about your talent/gift, your dream, talk to people about it.

“Find something that you love to do and you’ll never have to work another day of your life”

Effective signboard

2008-04-09T04:01:00.001-07:00

The secret of becoming rich...eventually

2008-04-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

Or at least make it look like you're rich

(picture from funnyearth.com)

The serious secret: Earn more money or spend less money. That's it.

"If I were rich I would...(click)"

How to change the world

2008-04-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

I think everyone who blogs goes through this phase where they can't figure out to write about after taking a long break of the blogging community.

So let's just start on why would I want to continue on with it.

Well there are a couple of reasons:

First and foremost, I guess is I remembered I had fun doing this when I was doing this.
It's such a waste of blog name, especially you have a blogspot named after your own name (haha, too bad other Samuel Yau's out there!)
It really does help me in putting my thoughts and learnings into perspective. Thinking back on what you've been through and experience, reflecting.
It's a perfect place to practice writing! A word of advice; for those who are about to start or already started working, the art of writing is a skill that no one can do without. The world's oyster belongs to the ones who is able to articulate his thoughts into action.
Finally, it just felt right to continue on. Let's just see how long can I keep up with this! Spur me on! Who knows the words or the pictures I share here can go a long way.

A nice post on how to write like a blogger by S. Godin.

On a lighter note, I just got back from a weekend holiday with 5 guys and 2 girls! Good to be reminded of fun times.

(I doubt this picture will change any world)

Boom!

2007-02-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

That was what happened to my computer early last week (which explains the lack of new posts and the long silence yet to come)

Don't worry, be crappy

2007-01-28T19:50:00.000-08:00

"An innovator doesn't worry about shipping an innovative product with elements of crappiness if it's truly innovative. The first permutation of a innovation is seldom perfect--Macintosh, for example, didn't have software, a hard disk (it wouldn't matter with no software anyway), slots, and color. If a company waits--for example, the engineers convince management to add more features--until everything is perfect, it will never ship, and the market will pass it by."
- Guy Kawasaki on The Art of Innovation

I always feel the only way for a company to innovate is firstly, break a rule.

"Do something that disrupts a fundamental tenet of your market or industry" said Thomas Ordahl

Jeff Bezos of Amazon didn't just add 10% or 15% more books than the 250,000 titles stocked in the average Barnes & Noble bookstore or any other Borders Bookstore. He went for 2.5 million titles!

So in the state of describing "Don't worry, be crappy", below are several ads which I personally enjoyed whom I believe didn't shy away from crappiness (at all!)

For more ads go to Epica Awards

My first job

2007-01-25T08:34:00.000-08:00

My first real job, got it on my first attempt interview, to the only company I applied to. (Had several Engineering offers and an apprenticeship thingy with Zang Toi's restaurant/food business but hey it's Pringles company, how can I say no). Up to now I still have no idea of what I'm getting myself into. An Engineer doing some sort of sales? To find out more about my job, click here (just replace the country with Malaysia).

Well practically it's something that I've always wanted to learn about. I still have my dreams of business but I figure hey I'm still young, get the experience and the much needed capital then bootstrap a business when I'm ready for it.

So here I go.

When I got the offer letter the guy painted me this picture.
"This is not going to be an easy job depends on you. It requires you to travel a lot. A lot of responsibilities would be laid on you doesn't matter you're a fresh grad or with experience. You've got to work hard. I don't want you to have the picture of this huge corporate company with executive chairs and all. You have to get your hands dirty. And did I mention you need to be mobile?"

And right after that.

"Felix (the other guy who got the job) since you've got some experience in the industry, we're sending you to Melaka!"

Me: (Imagine the irony if they did send me back to Melaka!)

"Samuel since you're a fresh grad, we're sending you under a more experienced person. You're going to Kuantan! You'll be at least 6 months there starting this Feb. All the best"

Think he also mentioned that a group of us will be responsible for all of P&G's products on the entire East Coast. Still in a surreal state of mind.

But..

Kuantan?! The last time I was in Kuantan was way way back. I vaguely remember what Kuantan looks like. So a quick search on the net on the words "Kuantan" and I get this pictures.

Of course the next picture we see it all over Malaysia.

Ok, Kuantan's not that bad now.

So Kuantan people (or those who've been there) tell me is the real Kuantan? Enlighten me then.

Anyhow the moment I accept the offer, I'm instantly shipped off there. So visit me!

24

2007-01-24T19:53:00.000-08:00

24 hours

24 karats of gold

24 is the number of frames per second at which motion picture film is usually projected

24 bits for true colour images

24 the tv series

24 is the number of ribs in a man

I just turned 24!

And so a funny thing happened on the eve of my b'day. I used Deric's phone to call Chern Wai (since this Maxis dude gets RMXXX to use a month, capitalize on it!) to ask him where he was.

Me: Hey, where are you?
CW: I'm looking for a place to buy cake. (thinking it was Deric)
Me: Cake?
CW: Yalah. Most of the shops are already closed.
Me: Oh k, get a nice nice one!
CW: Sure.

As for me who wasn't expecting anything to happen at all, discovered it all by a simple phone call and simply playing along.

Lesson learned: When you see Deric calling you on your phone, it's most probably not him.

Thanks all for the birthday wishes and the "surprise" celebration ;)

In the waiting

2007-01-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

“In solitude the mind gains strength and learns to lean upon itself.”
- Laurence Sterne

“Language has created the word “loneliness” to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word “solitude” to express the glory of being alone. “
- Paul Johannes Tillich, The Eternal Now

“Solitude is painful when one is young, but delightful when one is more mature.”
– Albert Einstein

“I lived in solitude in the country and noticed how the monotony of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.”
- Albert Einstien

"But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."
- Isaiah, NKJV

For further reading by Brian Kim

What's in a face

2007-01-14T20:18:00.000-08:00

(Click the picture to know further)

Crushed resolutions

2007-01-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

So it's yet another new year. 2007 to be exact. How many of you still remember what your new year's resolution for 2006 was, raise your hands. Hmm.. I see a couple of hands. Now how many of you that remembered your resolutions actually managed to complete and achieved those targets that you set? None?!! one?! haha.

I vaguely remember mine. One of it was to keep fit and lose a couple of pounds. Achieved? Nada. In fact I gained a couple of pounds. My aunty commented that she saw my size changed (horizontal addition) before Christmas and 2 days after the new year started.

We all start of every new year motivated to do something significant. We have big dreams, high hopes and a positive mind. So let's try something different instead, keep things small first then let the dreams slowly grow.

Came across this site, Despair Inc. : Demotivator Calenders

At least it helps in dealing with disappointment. haha. Not a very motivating new year post eh?

15 seconds

2007-01-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine once asked me this question:

"What would you say if you had 15 seconds of air time on an international TV? You've got the whole world watching and listening to you. All the leaders of the world, every man and woman, boy and girl. What would you say?"

Honestly I have no idea. I could say something motivational. I could mention a philosophy. I could tell the Good News. I could tell a joke. I could critique politics. I could do an advertisement. I could sing. I could dance. I could just be silent. 15 seconds is all you got in an entire lifetime. Think of it I really have no idea what to say.

A stupid idea or a work of genius

2007-01-02T18:32:00.000-08:00

A stupid idea which makes millions of dollars is a work of genius but a stupid idea that doesn't benefit remains just another stupid idea.

Bean bags, Customized love songs, oversized bows, santas with real beards, divorce rings, beverage boutique, designer crutches, selling old baby clothes, hair salon just for geeks, selling something you know nothing about, dogs sleepover hotel, telling nun jokes.
All of these were but a fool's dream till it was put into action and became a work of a genius.

What are you thankful for?

2006-12-10T10:18:00.000-08:00

(Open in a series of new tabs or windows)
*Declaration: Photos are collected from various blogs and websites which I forgot where are they from and words used are just fiction and not real soooo please don't sue/kill/torture/do-anything-bad to me :D

Do leave a comment or two on what you are thankful for this year.

Point of view

2006-11-28T03:49:00.000-08:00

One thing I've learned in Marketing is that you always have to look from the other person's perspective. You'll be amazed at what they're looking at.

Joshua Johnson mailed me this a couple of days ago:

A series of interesting findings

2006-11-28T01:13:00.001-08:00

I've just downloaded and read through P&G's 2006 Annual Report, and I must say it's quite impressive. The more I read about them, the more respect I have for this company. I just realized it's not very clever of me to write on your blog that you're thinking of starting a burger business when you're applying for a high stake job (they could be reading this even as we speak!). Oh well, it's just a contingency plan. Better to be prepared for anything right?

On a lighter note, I just love marketing humor/glitches:

Coors put its slogan, "Turn it loose," into Spanish, where it was read as "Suffer from diarrhea."
Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick," a curling iron, into German only to find out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not too many people had use for the "manure stick".
Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign: Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.
The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem-Feeling Free", was translated into the Japanese market as "When smoking Salem, you will feel so refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty."
When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the beautiful baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the label of what's inside, since most people can't read English.
An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of "I saw the Pope" (el Papa), the shirts read "I saw the potato" (la papa).
In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into "Schweppes Toilet Water."
Pepsi's "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave," in Chinese.
When Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the company mistakenly thought the spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the ads said that "It wont leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."
The name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la. Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs had been printed that the phrase means "bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax" depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 Chinese characters and found a close phonetic equivalent, "ko-kou-ko-le," which can be loosely translated as "happiness in the mouth."
Also in Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came out as "eat your fingers off."
When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." After the company figured out why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to the Caribe.

Did you know that the Red and White Santa Claus that we see now on the TV and the streets was an image created by the Coca-Cola Company? Before Coca-Cola came up with their ads, all Santa Claus were either Black/White or Green/White. Though I don't believe in the jolly old Santa, I do admire the marketing genius of the jolly old company.

(The image that made Santa red and white)

Findings taken from Aha!Jokes and BuildingBrands

Coming to the wedding near you

2006-11-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

From my previous post 79% (the last I saw it) voted for me to be a wedding singer.

Oh my goodness! This is absurd!

Reality check: The majority of the time I "practice" singing is in the shower. The only proper breathing exercise I do is when I choke on some food that's stuck down my throat!

On the other hand, I'm seriously considering starting a burger business. Start small due to limited resources then grow to franchise it, that's if if P&G turns me down. Haven't really applied to many companies yet, just targeting those that appeals to me now.

Oh, speaking of P&G it ain't that easy to get a job there. It seems I have to sit for some maths and english test then endure a whole day assessment/interview, that's if I pass the paper test first. They did send me a practice test to get use to the format of the paper test. It's not that hard, could answer all the maths question correctly just the comprehension part that got me a little thinking. Want to try it? Perhaps the only thing that's making it hard is time constraint! You've got about a minute to answer each question. Just have to make sure my mind doesn't fall asleep EARLY Saturday morning. Pray for me! :D

Thought of the day: I've been meeting up with my friends and asking them about their working life, It seems those who spent some time relaxing and taking time off after graduating (at least 3 months or more) tend to get a higher paying job and higher job satisfaction compared to those who rush off to work the moment after graduating. Hmm... I wonder...

Choices

2006-11-18T02:01:00.000-08:00

Oh well, keeping a blog alive isn't as easy as it sounds. With so much else going on, you wonder what can you say here that will make a difference.

Since I just moved back home to KL leaving behind my second home in Melaka, I've been contemplating what my next move should be. I always wanted to start a business but the lack of capital (not good to start a new business with a huge debt) and lack of experience has caused me to look elsewhere for it and soooooo ... get a job! The way I see it I think the business part will only come in several long years down the road.

This are me options:

P&G called me up one fine day telling me I've passed their online test which I didn't know was a test by itself and asked to come on by their office and sit for further assessment and all. Oh yah, P&G is the company behind brands like Gillette, Pantene, Pringles, SKII, Pampers, Whispers, Febreeze, Oral-B, Clairol and a whole lot more! All the brands of which the products and I use and love, well except for Pampers and maybe Whispers :P. Anyway, it's for a management training program thing that they're having where only a selected few are chosen to join their workforce which if I pass would be great! It's like going for classes and training but getting paid for it!

I've been playing around with several burger recipes out of frustration of dry fast food burger patties and up to now I'm liking what I can cook up now (fast and easy as well). Imagine juicy mushrooms blended with cheese bursting out from the middle of patties with every single bite! That's the way burgers should be like!

So what do you think? (remember it's just for fun)

Pollock

2006-11-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

Draw your own Pollock.

Everyone could use a little motivation

2006-10-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

Marketing strategies 2006

2006-10-15T02:18:00.000-07:00

Been reading, studying market trends, doing customers analysis, and those other start-a-business stuffs. Learned a couple of things which I think were pretty interesting. Among them:

People buy categories, not brands.
Advertising is dead. PR is the new way to build a stronger brand. (at least for launching a brand)
A business plan is an excellent way to find out if your ideas are viable.
Giving too many choices is a bad thing.
Bad ideas never die.
Addition is the glamorous side of marketing, subtraction is the moneymaking side.
Simplicity beats complexity all the time.
Keeping customers happy is not enough.
Traditional marketing is not enough.

Once I had a camera

2006-10-15T01:49:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, not too long ago I had a camera. Back in those days it was the greatest digital camera available to man, now a relic. Of course with the availability of a digital it meant only one thing, endless picture taking! Lots of it, any picture! Behold, a fraction of those that I call priceless pictures (It'll just cost one life...mine :P):

(I'm so dead. haha)

Step 1: The Mission

2006-10-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

The first thing that a business requires is of course a mission statement. As mentioned before I want the business that I'm working on to be people focused. Which is why unconventionally I'm looking at it from the marketing point of view, starts people and ends with people. I've also decided to add a sub-mission statement which I think most businesses in Malaysia is lacking, that is a social mission.

In me opinion, a business is perhaps the most powerful force in soceity. With that in mind, the business has a responsibility for the welfare of soceity as a whole.

Let's start with the people then, help me out with a couple of things below:

example: If you knew Burger King gives a partial of its profit to build schools in rural areas, would you switch from McDonalds to Burger King or at least eat more at Burger King?

Leaving Legacy

2006-10-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

Rememeber the site that I mentioned earlier, the one that's inspired by a funeral? It's done! Wanted to do a lot more with it but skills and resources were limited so I did it with blogspot. It's been up testing a couple of days and I've been getting some pretty potitive feedback. So now with great pride let me introduce you to:

A snippet from the site:

It’s hard when you lose someone. It’s even harder when it is a loved one. We reminisce of the times spent together. We remember the footprint that was left by them on our lives. An inspiration, a hope, a dream, memories.

This site aids to remind us of the lasting testimony that we would want to leave behind.

How is it done then? Be creating something like what you see below to remind you daily of the things you are striving for.

I'm hoping one day, I'll be able to have a .com site and allow a program to auto create one just like the above. One day...one day. As for now, I've decided to reduce the time I spend on the computer online and use the time for writing the business plan. It would be a nobel idea if I were able to create a business based on interactivity of visitors to this site and get certain feedback on what the business should be like. It'll be like every person that visits here would be "partners" in creating this business. haha. Just an idea.

Creating a great working place

2006-09-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

So I've started writing my business plan for a food franchise. All I can say is, it's hard! It will be so much easier to get a job and just work.

One of the good reasons I think by having a blog is you remember what you type in it. It's like; you yourself are your best student by telling people of what you have just learned.

This is what I learned today on creating a great working place:

1. The work is challenging and interesting

2. There is a high level of trust and support
Demonstrated when the managers do not criticize people for making mistakes.

3. People felt that they were in the know.
Companies that have wide open communication in all directions and everybody feels they were active participants in every thing that was going on.

4. Employees feel that their boss care about them as a person.
Boss practices consideration, courtesy, and kindness at all times

5. Employees know exactly what they were suppose to do, and to what standard and to what time

6. Employees feel that there are opportunities for advancement based on
hard work and excellent performance rather than on politics and
personalities.

Ultimately a great working place is where the people feel terrific about themselves, a high morale environment where people are enthusiastic about coming to work, a boss that is positive supportive and at the same time result oriented and of course a place where everybody can laugh together.

Great morale, high productivity, high levels of creativity and a loyal staff.

Other articles on a great working place:

Site overhaul

2006-09-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

So I decided to give this page a new look based on one reason and one reason only: The old one looked horrible on 1024X768 or lower. My screen's set to 1280X1024 so it looks great. Oh well, looks more organized now anyway.

Oh yeah, check out Selling Nothing. It's been give a facelift and concept changed, looks more fun now.

How?

2006-09-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here's the scenario:

You're the host of a social gathering party, however you only know half the people on the guest list. The rest of them you're meeting for the first time. You are then introduced to almost everyone that you don't know.

Here's the million dollar question:
You try to start a conversation with someone but you have no idea whether you have been introduced to him! If you remember being introduced, you can say something like,

"I'm sorry, I did not get your name earlier."

Or if you're meeting him/her for the first time. You can introduce yourself straightaway.

BUT if you can't remember if you've already been introduced to him/her, what would you say to not offend him/her?

*A million dollar would be given to the one who can come up with the best answer.

Top 10's top 10

2006-09-23T00:17:00.000-07:00

Something about the words Top Ten that makes people even more interested. My Top 10 of Top 10's.

Blink

2006-09-22T03:18:00.000-07:00

Have you read "Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking" by Malcolm Gladwell? It's a pretty interesting book. Basically the book tackles the issue of how the mind it capable of making very quick (in a span of a few seconds) judgments based on a little information or for some instances the first impressions.

For instance in the book Malcolm gave an example of a study where a class to students were given a ten-second videotape of a teacher - with the sound turned off - and found that they had no difficulty coming up with a rating of the teacher's effectiveness. The tape was cut back to five seconds, the ratings remain the same. Then those snap judgments were compared to the evaluations of the teachers effectiveness made by the students after a full semester. The result: It was the same.

I've been surfing random blogs for quite awhile to understand who, what, why and how do people blog. One site which allows me to surf random blogs at 20second each is Blog Soldiers. After awhile of surfing I discovered that there are certain blogs that I will stop and read its content while others I would ignore the blog, do my own thing (most of the time I'll be watching a movie at the same time) for the 20 seconds to be up then move on to the next site. How long does it take for me to decide whether to read on or not? I would say maybe 1 or 2 seconds.

Confession: It may be shallow but true, one first-glance deciding factor of whether the blog would appeal to you is by looking at the picture of the blog owner. (Forgive me)

Let's have a go. These are randomly selected blogs. Open it all at the same time and tell me how many of it did you stop and read?

1 min

2006-09-22T03:13:00.000-07:00

Think I've got too much that I want to do at the same time. I'm currently working on another site inspired by a funeral. Something that's more real and down-to-earth and perhaps something that brings a deeper meaning to life than previous ones.

Selling nothing: Major Revamp time!

2006-09-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

Selling Nothing is going for a revamp. The idea and concept is the same just the way it is sold and how the image is placed is going to change. Was a bad move in making size the factor selling nothing. So look out for the improved version coming real soon.

Selling nothing: Day 5

2006-09-20T00:16:00.000-07:00

Nothing sold: $300

The thing is starting to hit off, I got about 4000+ in traffic in the past 48 hours. Woohoo! More publicity is being done. Been sending out articles and press releases to various free services which gladly posted something about nothing.

To make things a little more interesting I've added a participate option for bloggers like you and me to be a part of this experiment. It's pretty simple. All you have to do is copy the html that's on the participate page and add it to your blog which will then be converted into a banner such as the one you see at the side here. Once you've done that, you go back to the participate page and register yourself as a participant.

What then are the incentives? This is it: you'll be rewarded for your effort in playing a part in making selling nothing known to the world! Of course I can't reward every single person, just a selected handfull chosen at random. (The reward thing can only be given if I actually do manage to sell more of nothing online). Read more from the partipate page

Selling nothing: Day 4

2006-09-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

Nothing sold: $200

I've sold $200 worth of nothing! That's RM740! woohoo!

And guess who bought it? Yup, that's right...me. Which means I've paid www.sellingnothing.com $200 from my own pockets. Ouch, that's fasted money which I've spent at the same time it's also the fastest money that we've made.

I figure who better to start the ball rolling than the person who started it. Also hopefully it would act like an example for visitors to understand the site better. I've got another order coming in! It's happening, it's happening!

It cost $5 to eat a Big Mac in Switzerland!

2006-09-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

It just shows how powerful McDonalds has become that the Big Macs are used to analyze purchasing powers in different cities around the world. Malaysia might not be on the list but all Malaysians know that a Big Mac here cost about RM4.50, which is approximately $1.19. As a Malaysian, I think it cost a little too much for below-average burgers.

Selling nothing: Day 3

2006-09-18T02:21:00.000-07:00

Nothing Sold: $0

I'm not too worried about not selling nothing on sellingnothing.com yet (ironic isn't it). Some friends gave some feedbacks and suggestions. Several amendments needed to be made therefore I've decided to tone down the publicity for awhile. It's hard especially if you're doing an online experiment/venture and you rely a lot on the webmaster guru. (Deric's doing his internship so he's only free at night).

Meanwhile I'm having quite a fun time telling people about it especially when you see the baffled faces when you tell them you're selling nothing for something. You should try it!

Thinking Spots

2006-09-18T01:43:00.000-07:00

DId you know that only one out of a hundred ideas happens at work?

I've been thinking about this and I always wonder is there some specific place or a specific kind of environment that would trigger more creative ideas compared to other place. I'm sure you've heard of the Mastercard "Priceless" ads. Guess where was the idea birth? In the shower.

An article by Lucy Kellaway of Financial Times stated from a survey that bath and shower are top creative venues. So too are the train and the car. The golf course is meant to be good as well, as is the gym. In fact most places are fine for ideas - up a mountain, in bed, on a beach, in an art gallery, etc. However one thing that wasn't mentioned was the office. I wonder why...

From what I've gathered there aren't really specific spots that will trigger creativity, however there are certain elements in the environment that'll help in producing creative juices. Want to know what it is? Simple, a place where you can think uninterrupted. Once you've found that place keep going to that place. By thinking that you've found your thinking spot it gives you a mental edge that you'll for sure manage to think of ideas or solutions in that spot! (When you think hard enough that you've got it, most probably you will)

Want to know where most of my ideas come from?

"THE THRONE OF SAMUEL"

Other places of where people go to think.

Three best places to think

A guide to better thinking by Marksanborn.com

Selling nothing: Day 1

2006-09-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

Nothing sold: $0

Been a little busy with my other activities so haven't had much time doing the publicity part of telling people the existence of this site and convincing people to buy nothing(which is hard cause most people simply couldn't grasp the logic of it). All hopes not lost yet, it's just the beginning.

I've been getting a tad more positive feedbacks then I expected, most people think that it really might work and they've gone off telling their friends about it. So there's hope!

Anyway so far the only logic that I could think of that will make this thing work is:

Visitors see site,
Visitors like site,
Visitors buy,
Visitors see that people are buying,
More visitors visit,
More visitors buy.
And the cycle continues...

What do you think? :D

The biggest internet experiment of all time!

2006-09-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

This idea came to me when I woke up from sleep one day. I have been thinking a lot about earning some cash to pay for my bills, my student loan and my daily expenses. However since I graduated from Univerity , I never liked the idea of working a 9-5 job and squeezing all my brains and energy out to make someone else rich. So here I am trying out wacky radical ideas before I get too old to do it.

Allright back to the experiment. It's pretty simple yet illogical and mindboggling in a way which makes it even more interesting: sell nothing over the internet!

I've read that there are people paying a substantial amount of money for Bottled Air from Wales or even Spring Water from a certain mountain. So I figure if people would actually go for something like that why not buy nothing?

So on this day, 15th September, Selling Nothing is born. Check out the site and if you like it tell people about it! www.sellingnothing.com or you can just click the picture.

The way I see it, it's going to be exciting times ahead.

Competitive advantage: Lesson

2006-09-14T01:29:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to create a business but it seems that almost everything that you can think of has either been done or too costly to begin with. How to find a competitive edge then?

"Differentiate your products. No, nothing's unique anymore; just slash your costs. Sorry, everyone's doing that. Invent new markets instead. Hug your customers, that's the ticket! Get real, you wuss -- it all comes down to squashing your competitors like bugs."

How now then to create an edge for your business? Several pointers brought to my attention by BusinessWeek online and John Moore of Brand Autopsy.

1. Experiment fearlessly
It's true that some of the worlds greatest inventions were discovered by accident. Be bold be confident! Look at what the Koreans and Japanese are doing with the auto industry. Sometimes I feel it pays to be confidently wrong then to be not confident at all.

2. Don't just get bigger, get unique
Michael Porter, business strategy clairvoyant from Harvard Business School, adds the following money quote in the article. “There is no best auto company, there is not best car. You’re really competing to be unique.”

3. Why compete? Create new markets!
Niches are nice, but inventing a new market is a whole lot better.

4. Obsess about customers, not rivals
It's true when it's said to stop looking at your competition but focus on your customers instead. Let them worry about you then you worrying about them.

5. Give as good as you get
"More than a decade ago, James F. Moore noted in his book The Death of Competition that huge, cooperative networks of companies such as the IBM, Intel, and Microsoft troika in computing, or Toyota and its close-knit supplier network, were overtaking individual companies as new competitive forces. Now a lot of companies are taking an even bigger leap forward. They're tapping into the cooperative crowds that create things like open-source software, eBay's massive marketplace, and Skype's peer-to-peer Net phone network."

6 Get personal
"With personalization, you have infinite ways to differentiate" says Prahalad, whose 2004 book The Future of Competition, co-authored with Venkat Ramaswamy, urged companies to "co-create" products with customers.

7. Stay hungry
Competition never ends.

The paper

2006-09-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

A man approached JP Morgan, held up an envelope, and said, "Sir, in my hand I hold a guaranteed formula for success, which I will gladly sell you for $25,000." "Sir," JP Morgan replied, "I do not know what is in the envelope, however if you show me, and I like it, I give you my word as a gentleman that I will pay you what you ask."

The man agreed to the terms, and handed over the envelope. JP Morgan opened it, and extracted a single sheet of paper. He gave it one look, a mere glance, then handed the piece of paper back to the gent. And paid him the agreed-upon $25,000.

The Paper:
1. Every morning, write a list of the things that need to be done that day.
2. Do them.

A million ways to a million dollars (updates)

2006-09-11T03:27:00.000-07:00

It's been almost two weeks since the experiment went live. Jason Mok, the guy who developed the script on which the experiment is based on told me that at least 1700 people have visited the site. So far we've got 178 ideas and still counting. The downside of it is that the majority of the ideas originated from Malaysia, which I was hoping to go global with it.

Anyway, the list is still open for people to add on ideas (the ideas will be sorted up once added). Among my favourites so far:

Solar powered cooling gel
Dare: Challenge someone to give you a million dollars if you tattoo the word "loser" on your forehead
Paint the numbers one to a 1000 on a nice peace of kanvas and sell it off at $1000 a piece
Work hard in UK, live like a beggar and save 143,000 pounds then come back to malaysia
Start a pure meat franchise. Burger buns that consist of meat. Meat on everything inside! *For pure meat lovers
Create a pet dogs dating service
Free phone calls. Just need to listen to some ads before the call is made

Interested to find out more? Just click here.

A good money plan

2006-09-11T02:59:00.000-07:00

(only for those who can make it to Melaka, Malaysia)

Another day to go

2006-09-10T03:14:00.000-07:00

Another day to go to the launch of the biggest internet experiment of all time, if all goes according to plan. We should be done by today...yup. today.

Uncommon money makers

2006-09-07T22:24:00.000-07:00

Three months of unemployment and still counting. This means I have another three more months before my parents stop supporting me financially. The pressure is on. The latest online venture that we have been working on was suppose to be up by now, but due to unforeseen circumstances we were forced to delay it. Anyhow, hopefully it will be up by the end of the week. Stay tuned. This is gonna be one experiment that will take the world by storm!

While waiting for it, read on below on how several kids are making their money unconventionally.

1. How this 18 year old kid made a $30 Million dollar a year industry

http://www.lovesac.com/

At age 18, Shawn Nelson was watching TV on the couch when he decided "a huge beanbag thing" might be more comfortable. He bought 14 yards of vinyl, cut it into a baseball shape, and spent three weeks filling it with anything soft he could find.

The finished LoveSac was 7 feet wide, and everyone who saw it tried it out and loved it. When neighbors started placing orders, Nelson decided to start his company almost as a joke. With free help from his friends, he made the LoveSacs in his parents' basement and sold them at trade shows, events and even the drive-in.

No one fully expected LoveSac's success not even Nelson himself. He says being committed to solving any problem is vital to his and any entrepreneur's success.

2. Making money from being pregnant

http://www.fetalgreetings.com

When Holly was pregnant a few years back in 1999, she looked for a unique way to tell her friends and family of her pregnancy. Making phone call after phone call to every cousin, aunt and uncle was a daunting task, but she still wanted to share her news with everyone. She hunted through stores and on the Internet and all she could find were birth announcements. Thus, Holly's idea for Fetal Greetings was born. She wanted to create cards where a little embryo baby could make the announcement of the upcoming birth for her.

In June of 2000, Holly took her business online

3. Poop scooping Millionaires

Matthew Osborn

http://www.pooper-scooper.com

The most noted pioneer in the poop-scooping business is Matthew Osborn, who runs Pooper-Scooper.com. He never knew that this business would one day make him a millionaire. Osborn got started back in 1987 when he opened Pet Butler in Columbus, Ohio. "I had been interested in small-business ideas since I was a kid," he says. "My friends thought it was an interesting but far-out idea, and many of them just couldn't grasp the concept. They all said, 'People aren't going to pay you for that.'"

The business slowly took off, and despite the dirty work, Osborn says he enjoyed satisfying the customers and working outdoors in some of the nicest backyards in Ohio. However, it wasn't all fun and games. "I didn't enjoy driving around in my little Honda Civic with hundreds of pounds of dog poop in the back," he says. "It sort of gave me nightmares until I was able to buy pickup trucks for the business."

Matt Boswell

http://www.petbutler.com

While Osborn may have put poop scooping on the map, Matt "Red" Boswell is taking it into the future. Boswell owns the Texas-based Pet Butler. He recently moved the business out of his house and into a 1,200-square-foot office just north of Dallas. Today, Pet Butler is the largest pet waste removal service in the country, and serves about 3,000 clients.

Boswell explains that at an average of just $10 per visit, nearly anyone can afford Pet Butler's services. "Rarely is Pet Butler considered a luxury service by those who use us," he says. "Most consider Pet Butler a mandatory and highly valued staple for their yard maintenance needs."

"We've got some huge goals," Boswell says. "It's an industry that's untapped. We plan on becoming the Microsoft of dog poop."

4. Making $2 Million a year from a broken arm

http://www.showersleeve.com/

David Reynolds, a contractor by trade, had broken his arm while remodeling a bathroom in 1998. Keeping the cast dry proved to be very difficult, and when he tried looking around for a product to help, he was unable to find anything that was both effective and affordable. That's when the light bulb went on.

After doing a patent search for such a product and finding nothing, Reynolds, an inventor since childhood, designed a plastic covering with an adjustable fastening mechanism on one end to keep arm and leg casts dry. He enlisted the help of his longtime friend and fellow contractor, Marty Ceccarelli, to build Mar-Von LLC and the brand.

Today, the products are sold via wholesalers and distributors and on their Web site

5. A $4 million dollar a year business from an ugly website.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/

Joel Boblit parlayed nostalgia for his childhood toys into big-time business when he discovered how much Transformers - robot action figures whose popularity has continued since the 1980s - were being sold for online. He launched BigBadToyStore.com in 1999 shortly after graduating college, while he was reliving fond memories of trading his favorite childhood toys - GI Joe, Masters of the Universe and Transformers. The biggest challenge in those early days? Boblit admits: "Being teased by my friends."

Joel made $4 million dollars in sales in 2005, so the strategy seems to be working.

Ercepts above are taken from http://www.nichegeek.com/

On a lighter note

2006-09-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

Doc, A sofa with removable covers and integrated/patented mechanism which transforms the sofa into a bunk bed. It furnishes the day area and with a simple movement transforms into a practical ready made bunk bed with integrated supporting ladder and protection guard.

Steve Irwin, 1962 - 2006

2006-09-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

Caricature drawing by Dan Johnson

I remember watching some of his documentaries a couple of years ago. First thought: siau! (meaning crazy in Chinese). However it brought a new and exciting breath of life to the world of animal documentaries. Radical in a way but effective. His Aussie antics certainly charmed millions, at the same time educating them. His programs has certainly brought greater awareness and better understanding of the animals we share this earth with.

So a tribute to a man who has indeed made a difference. He shall be missed. Photo Gallery.

How to have a great day

2006-09-05T00:49:00.000-07:00

I got off from the wrong side of the bed. I am just having a bad day. I think the weather is affecting my personality today. Etc.

Ever had those days that everything was going right for you? Or those days that everything went haywire? I had. I do not believe there is something called luck but on the other hand I believe you get what you think you will get. If you decide for yourself that you want to be happy. Most probably you will be. An optimistic person would most probably attract the positive personalities of the people around you. If you decide and focus on scoring an exam without doubting, I am sure you will do much better than when you decide in your mind that you are gonna fail. And the list goes on.

I was browsing randomly on the net reading several interesting articles where I came across this.

He listed down 14 items which influenced him to having a great day!

Have a good night sleep and wake up early.

This past few weeks I have been waking up in time just for lunch~ knowing well ahead that I could have gotten a lot things done if I had woken up a couple of hours earlier. But even if I did I would not get enough sleep if I had only slept 3-4 hours. Another reason to wake up early: it is always nice to wake up to the cool weather in the early morning than the hot blazing afternoon sun.

DECIDE to have a GREAT day!

It is all up to you (Of course God has a hand in it). Even that you have been given freewill to choose. You have the choice to assign any meaning you wish to any event that occurs in your life. You have the choice to decide the reactions you make to the circumstances in your life. It is ultimately your choice.

Be thankful for what you have.

I am thankful that I've got a roof over my head, food to eat when I am hungry, and warm clothes to wear. I am grateful for wonderful friends (though some can be “cruel” at times, but still great friends. Haha). Grateful that I can read and write! Grateful for hands and legs to jump around and be playful!

Gratitude will always help us remember that there are more important things out there than money. It will make you feel “rich” in a non monetary sense, which in turn will add to your true happiness.

Plan your day out.

Making a list of what you want to accomplish throughout the day really helps in getting the clutters of your life all straightened up. I've done it, now the hard part is keeping to it.

Visualize how you want the day to go.

I have always been a person who visualizes situations, events, people's response, etc. I have to see myself doing the things which I am about to do before actually doing it. It helps in getting rid of nervousness and gaining self-confidence.

Read something inspirational.

Something like this or this

It is like a mental boost for your mind and soul.

Blast that music.

Oh yeah. Those feel good music that makes you want to sing a long, dance and shout!

Exercise.

I have discovered that ever since I stopped exercising for some time I find myself getting tired very easily. It is easy to say that you need to exercise, but actually doing it…argh! Another reason to exercise: it produces endorphins, lots of it or as I call it the feel good natural drug.

Sing in the shower.

I found out that the good thing about singing in the shower is that no one can complain about it. Another plus point is that you sound a lot nicer when you are singing in the shower.

Put on your best clothes.

Ever had that experience that when you wear certain clothes it makes you feel more elegant or perhaps more manly or womanly. It is said clothes make the man. To a certain extend I find that true. There is no denying that when you look good, you feel good and people feel good around you.

Eat a hearty breakfast

They said the most important meal of the day is breakfast. I can't blame them, after 6-8 hours of not eating (because you are sleeping!) you are bound to work up and appetite. Also a good healthy breakfast gets you on the move in the morning when you're most productive. I am never a breakfast person. The only breakfast I get is the most a cup of milk or juice.

Don not turn on the TV

What? why? That's because everytime you start watching TV, 30mins, 45mins, an hour, 3 hours ... and so on flies by without you knowing it. It totally disrupts your flow. Another point that must be noted is that the TV as informative as it may be is full of negativity. That's where you learn of the bad news happening around the world, the greed and jealousy from soap dramas, the anger and vengeance from most cartoons etc. You see where I'm getting at?

Greet everyone you see with a big smile.

Smile and the world smiles with you. It's true, when you smile the other person can't help it but smile back, it's human. You learn it as an infant. At the same time when you see the other person smile it makes you feel good as well. So don't be shy in giving your smiles away. It's free anyway.

Go above and beyond the call of duty.

As many has tested, the best feeling in the world is when you help someone to feel good. So do more than necessary. Go the extra mile. Offer to help. Offer to take on more responsibilities. Take pride in the work you do.

That's it. I am sure it does not take much to make a great day. As long as you start it off right, the rest would follow pretty easily. When you feel great, and you make others feel great, your day will just be plain great.

I'll be trying to make everyday a great day, who's with me?

All in one site

2006-09-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

This is perhaps the best/most useful/creative site I've come acrossed on the internet:

Popular URL'S .

And the geeks shall rule the world

2006-09-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

Think about it. Who are the richest people in the world?

Try searching the internet without Google.

Ever been to those computer/technology conventions?

Who do you think hired those supermodels to promote their geeky gadgets?

The Lord of the Rings is perhaps the most popular book in the geek circle...till the trilogy came and swept the Oscars. Suddenly Elves became cool and Hobbits became a fashion statement.

Comics are a geeks best friend. Till the X-Men, Spiderman, Batman, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen made its debut in the big screens.

Rappers and athletes pimp up their Hummers with Xboxes or PS2's

Napolean Dynamite became a cult hit.

A survey done in the UK showed that women prefer gadgets to clothes.

Ten Reasons Why You Should Date a Geek

How To Totally Fake Being A Geek. Yeah, even supermodels tell interviewers that they used to be geeks in high school.

I'm 6.701% a geek. (That's even after I cheated to make me geekier). How much of a geek are you?

Things to eat before you die (series 2)

2006-08-29T00:12:00.000-07:00

The more I look up on food to eat, the more the list becomes a list of the food that I, me, myself want to eat before I die. So many to choose, so little time. As for now, a man can only dream. I live to eat or I eat to live, that is the question.

Let’s start! Same concept as the last time, vote on what you’ll eat and what you’ll not. Missed the first series? No, problem just click here.

Oysters

Oysters have long been given a reputation as an aphrodisiac (a natural Viagra), that it was said that there was an Emperor of Rome ate at least a hundred a day to please his concubines. Emperors are said to have sent slaves to the shores of England to gather them, and they were considered to be worth their weight in gold at the time. That dashing lover-man Casanova was even said to have eaten five dozen first thing every day to maintain his you-know.

Oysters can be eaten raw, smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed, broiled (grilled) or used in a variety of drinks. Preparation can be as simple as opening the shell, while cooking can be as spare as adding butter/or salt or can be very elaborate.

Kangaroo

Originally the favoured food of Australian Aborigines and a stand-by of white settlers during the colonial period, kangaroo fell out of cookery fashion in the 20th century (along with other bush foods) with the arrival of cheap and ever-available mutton and beef. However, it made a comeback in the mid-1970s when a renewed sense of national identity sparked an interest in Australian culinary culture.

Kangaroo meat is high in protein, low in fat (about 2%), and about 40% of that fat is long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid - considered healthy. Kangaroo meat is stronger in flavor than the meat from other animals, is very tender, and will keep for longer than other types of meat due to the low fat content, but it can easily become dry if cooked improperly due to the low fat content. Experiment with the likes of Aussie kangaroo pie, kangaroo kebabs, kangaroo stew and the ever-popular kangaroo fillet steak

Venison

Venison is the term for the meat of deer, moose, elk, caribou, and antelope. Venison may be eaten as steaks, roasts, sausages and ground meat. Organ meats are sometimes eaten, but would not be called venison; rather, they are called humble, as in the phrase "humble pie."

Sorry Bambi lovers.

Guinea pig

They may be sweet as pets but they also happen to be savoury in some parts of the world, namely South America where they were first domesticated by the Inca in modern-day Peru. Fifteen centuries later these family pets/ready meals remain an Andean delicacy, which when fried or roasted form the traditional dish known as cuy. Peruvians get through something like 22 million of the fluffy rodents annually, which are said to taste of rabbit and have less fat and more protein than chicken, pork or red meat.

“Aww, look at it. So cute.” (*slash)

“Burp. Yummy.”

Moreton Bay bugs

Imagine eating cockroaches or fried ants? Yucks! Don’t worry, the Moreton Bay bug also known as the Bay lobster aren’t really bugs at all. It’s a species of slipper lobster found throughout the waters of Australia's north coast. It is a relatively expensive delicacy served in many restaurants in Queensland.

A mouth-watering treat with sweet succulent flesh that is reminiscent of lobster, it adapts well to a variety of cooking styles and has become one of Australia's best-loved seafoods. Barbeque it along with some shrimps, that’s the best way to go.

Alligator

Most commonly found lurking in the swamps and streams of the southern US, the alligator was originally hunted by the first Floridians for its hide and meat. Formally a protected species it's also a game animal. Its lean, mild meat - the best stuff comes from the tail - is said to taste of a combination of pork, chicken and rabbit. Get into the Cajun spirit and try alligator dishes such as gator jambalaya, fried gator or gator tator salad. I had it during a holiday trip to Gold Coast, Australia. They served it popiah style and I must say it’s rather chewy.

Petai

Petai is a famous green bean used in Malay home cooking. It grows in long pods on a very large tree of the Legume family, Parkia speciosa. The beans are very pungent.

It’s most often seen it cooked in fried chili paste with dried anchovies. It is also eaten raw dipped in some kind of spicy chili paste. Petai is believed to have a beneficial effect on the kidneys and urinary tract. I imagine this is due to the dark brown foul-smelling urine you will pass the day after a petai meal.

Of course I just call them fart ammos. You’ll know why when you have them.

Odoks.

Odoks, simply meaning fried one day old chicks which have been pre-marinated. It taste like chicken (duh), the only difference is that you can eat it in one bite. There are only two ways to eat it. Guts in or guts out.

Frog Legs

Frogs' legs are one of the better-known delicacies of French and Chinese cuisine. It is also eaten in other regions, such as the Caribbean, the region of Alentejo, in Portugal, and the Midwest and southern regions of the United States

But a Chinese fellow like me would just love it stir fried and mixed with other light spices, and eaten off the bone.

Slurpees

I can’t help it, I love this stuff.

In 1965 the slush drink was first created by the ICEE Company. Two years later 7-Eleven licensed the process and started selling it as the Slurpee. They're a convenience-store delicacy of ice and the purest, most evil food colorings and artificial flavors available to mere mortals. Slurp till your brain freezes! Sweeeeet.

My latest experiment

2006-08-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

According to "Millionaire next door" by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko, there are roughly 3.5 million Millionaires in the United States alone.

What's the experiment about then? I'm convinced that there are a million ideas/methods/ways to earn a million dollars. It's just waiting to burst out! So let's have a little fun and add on your million dollar idea here.

(Would like to thank Jason Mok for helping me with the script of the required function, thanks!)

Smart cash

2006-08-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

(For Malaysians only)
The secret of becoming rich and staying rich: Live within your means.
Well of course if you can bring up your level of financial stature wouldn't it be better?

So an announcement:

Financial planning seminar by Benny Ong and Co.

Benny Ong is a financial consultant for businesses and personal finance management from Singapore. He'll be accompanied by several of his business associates. An excellent opportunity to get some sound advice on money!

Topics:
Cultivating Wise Saving and Spending Habits
Using Credit Without Incurring Debt
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Investments
How to Be Truly Rich

Date: 16th September, Saturday
Time: 2-5pm
Venue: City Community Church
Cost: Free but space is limited.

Those interested just drop me a notice.

10 reasons why I think people read blogs

2006-08-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Something really interesting
Something really wise
Something really funny
Something really stupid
Something really inspiring
Something really insightful
Something that they really need to know
Something about themselves
Something about their friends
Something about him

more on why would people read blogs here

Business Inspirations, Chapter one

2006-08-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Jerry Colangelo

Jerry Colangelo had always dreamed to make it big in sports. He received 66 scholarships offers from all around the country for basketball and received 6 offers from major leagues baseball franchises by the time he was 18.

Still wondering who is he? Hint: He’s a multimillionaire who started something that most people dream about almost everyday. Also he’s the owner of two successful sports franchise. He’s the author of “How you play the game”. Still blank? Read on then.

Jerry Colangelo chose to attend University of Kansas because Wilt Chamberlain (was the best basketball player in the country) attented there, thereby having the best chance to win the NCAA Championship.

Things didn’t go according to plan. Wilt Chamberlain left Kansas to join the Harlem Globetrotters. With Jerry’s dream dashed, he returned home to attend Illnois State. Unfortunately, he was not allowed to play basketball for a year, NCAA rules. To support his family, he worked for City of Chicago Heights in the sewage department. What a humbling experience for a well-known athlete.

Due to injuries, he was forced to give up the dream of ever becoming a professional basketball or baseball player.

With his dreams shattered, Jerry turned to the world of business. He went into a tuxedo renting business with an old friend. He poured everything he had into the business. Working long hours, putting back all profits back into the business, all to no avail. His venture failed. At 26 years old, he was broke with no future plans, struggling to support his wife and kids, it was a low point.

That’s when Jerry began to look for answers beyond his own strength. All the while he had been handling everything life throws at him by himself, by his own strength. He recalls, “I was so busy doing my thing, trying to build my business, that I didn’t have a good picture of where I really needed to be in my life.”

Jerry’s wife was attending a small Baptist church and Jerry started going with her. It was through his wife that he began to understand that he couldn’t do it himself. His faith began to change him: his priorities, attitude, relationships.

One day Jerry was cleaning up his wallet when he came across a business card, crumpled and worn given by his father-in-law. He remembered him mentioning to Jerry that he should meet this man. At that time Jerry was only making $50 a game from playing semiprofessional basketball league at night. With nothing to lose Jerry called the number. His name was Dick Klein.

Dick ran a one-person shop and was swamped with work. He then hired Jerry to help in the business that’s when Jerry found out that Dick’s real passion was to start a NBA franchise. Jerry soon discovered he was learning everything about the business side of sports from the ground up. From that one simple call to Dick Klein, Jerry Colangelo capitalized on the privilege and opportunity of birthing the Chicago Bulls, one of the most successful sports franchises in basketball.

From there on the rest is history. He became the General Manager of the Phoenix basketball team (now known as the Phoenix Suns). With his solid faith in Christianity he reorganized the importance of community from a personal and professional viewpoint. The Arizona Republic voted him Arizona’s most influential sports figure. He became owners of the Phoenix Suns and Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks.

Jerry’s story is not about financial success or winning, it’s a story about significance.

“Over the years, I learned that things happen for a reason. I came to understand that it is God’s plan, not mine. He has given me the a platform to bring together businesses, municipalities, social organizations and charitable organizations to address all the needs of the community. My position gives me an opportunity to have more of an impact. I want to do as much as I can within reasons to make as much impact as I can”

20 great resources on Entrepreneurship

2006-08-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Came across this site. Features articles, personal blogs, if fact almost everything that might interest not only the business minded but also knowledge seekers.

What people want

2006-08-22T00:03:00.000-07:00

The same thing everyone else is having, but different.

A menu where the prices aren't all the same.

More attention than the person sitting next to them.

A slightly lower price than anyone else.

A new model, just moments before anyone else, but only if everyone else is really going to like it.

A seat at a sold out movie.

Access to the best customer service person in the shop, preferably the owner.

Being treated better, but not too much better.

Being noticed, but not too noticed.

Being right.

By Seth Godin

To have the last piece of chicken on the dinner table

To eat anything without putting on weight anywhere

Green lights at all traffic lights along your way

To be heard

Murphy’s law didn’t exist

More than 24 hours a day

Hit down more bowling pins than your peer, but not too much

Saying the right thing at the right time

Able turn back time

To belong

by Samuel Yau

Things to eat before you die (Series 1)

2006-08-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

I’ve been getting feedback that this blog is full of serious "boring" stuffs. So to please the masses I’ve decided to post something that most of us (I think will) like and something which I feel sooooo passionately about: food.

I remember watching a bbc tv documentary on food to eat before you die so let’s do something different shall we. Let’s find out further what’s nice and what’s not in the exciting world of food. Shall we begin?

1. Cornish Pasty

A Cornish pasty is a type of pie, originating in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is an oven-cooked pastry case traditionally filled with diced meat—nowadays beef mince (ground beef) or steak—potato, onion and swede (rutabaga). It has a semicircular shape, caused by folding a circular pastry sheet over the filling. One edge is crimped to form a seal. Our Malaysian version of it is called curry puffs. Will you eat this?

2. Caviar

Caviar has long been regarded as a luxurious, expensive delicacy since as far back as the Roman Empire. It comes from the roe of various species of sturgeon - most notably the beluga as well as sevruga and oscietra - traditionally fished from the Caspian Sea.

3. Haggis

A Scottish steamed pudding which was a popular dish for the poor, who ate the parts of the sheep that would otherwise have been thrown away - namely, heart, liver and lungs, which is then minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt. This is then mixed with stock and boiled, traditionally in the sheep's stomach lining, for several hours. Now that’s place a new meaning to eat till your guts spills out.

4. Jerk Chicken and Pork

Jerk is a taste of the sun-kissed Caribbean and is ideally sampled on a postcard-perfect beach under a palm tree. This barbecue style goes back 1,200 years to when the Arawac Indians, the island's original inhabitants, used chillies, spices and garlic to rub into their meat and cook it slowly over a hot, wooden grate known as a barbicoa.

5. Tapas

Spanish tapas are traditionally bar snacks, served to accompany drinks. A tapa is a small serving. It is said that the tradition of the tapa was begun in the region, starting out as a way of keeping flies off of bar customers drinks. They can be as simple as some cheese or iberian ham, or elaborate creations that with a few, make a meal in itself. Traditional tapas include olives, seafood, meatballs, sautéed mushrooms, chorizo, vegetables and the tortilla, or Spanish omelette. There’s this restaurant in Bintang Walk in KL called Sentidos tapas which serves excellent tapas but be prepared to pay a bomb for it.

6. Roast Beef

Remember watching movies featuring jolly old England like Robin Hood or A Knights Tale? There’s always a huge slab of Roast Beef served in front of the King in one of his huge feast/regular dinners.

"There's no greater meal than a roast dinner. It has to be served to perfection, which means rare, very rare - with the cow practically standing in the field! Roast beef, when done well, is one of the nicest things in the world."

Maggie Robins

7. Octopus

Octopus means 'eight feet' and it's these feet, or tentacles, which, along with the lower body, are the delicacy of this somewhat intellectual creature of the sea. Tough and chewy, the octopus needs to be tenderised once caught, which involves a bit a hard graft; pounding it with a mallet or 'massaging' it with sea salt are two of several techniques. If you're not too exhausted to eat, enjoy octopus raw, boiled, pickled, sautéed or deep-fried. Of course the best way to eat it is raw, do as the Japanese do

8. Durian

Crowned the king of fruits.

“It's an extreme-looking fruit with a tendency to provoke extreme reactions in would-be eaters. Native to South-east Asia, this much-maligned tropical fruit is characterised by a hard outer husk, covered with sharp, prickly thorns. To add to its odd looks, it's also notorious for emitting a pungent, 'distinctive' odour from its edible, yellowish flesh.”

But once it’s in your mouth…simply satisfying. (Shame on you Malaysians who despises this fruit)

9. Paella

Hailing from Valencia in Spain, paella is the Catalan word for 'pan'. Paella is both the dish itself and the shallow metal pan in which this complex rice dish is cooked. There are lots of regional variations, but the staple ingredients tend to be vegetables, meat or seafood, saffron and olive oil. Rabbits and snails sometime make their appearance, too. Gargantuan paellas are often prepared in Valencia to mark special occasions, such as festivals or rallies. The largest paella recorded was made in 1992 and spanned a 20-metre width, weighing 30,000 kilograms, as recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.

10. Balut

Well this wasn’t on the list of the documentary but I feel it should be. A delicacy of Asia and especially the Philippines, China, Cambodia, and Vietnam, a balut is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. I did try it on my trip to the Philippines. Too bad it was just those mildly developed ones. One day before I turn 60 I’ll take another trip there and have one of their big ones. Mark my words. I will eat balut again!

So that’s the end on series one. I recommend reading this blog post just before you go for your dinner. What’s your food to eat before you die? (hey, maybe if we get enough feedback I can write another post on what Malaysians want to eat before they die. Haha)

Angry illusion

2006-08-19T01:01:00.000-07:00

Click the picture in a new window for a larger view. The one on the left displays an angry face, the one on the right shows a calm face. Now walk about 3 metres away from the scrin and see what happens. Illusion by Matthew Roddy.

What do you see written in the image above? Anything?

hint: you have to squint your eyes to see it. From here

(Now this is not an illusion)

I love my iPod

2006-08-19T00:23:00.000-07:00

Allright! I admit I don’t own an iPod or anything from Apple as a matter of fact. I’m just intrigued with the iPod phenomenon. You see the Apple iPod appeal cuts through all engineering jargon with its powerful emotional advertising. Steve Jobs once said that people are not really interested in those gigabytes or terabytes; they want to know if they can have a pink one or a blue one—one that suits their personality.

He continued on to say that some time in the future Apple products will be so good that you’ll want to lick them. (licking an “apple”?)

It’s been medically proven that emotions stimulate the mind approximately 3000 times faster and rational thought. It’s then a boggling question why does the majority of advertisements still focus on the logical/rational side of the consumer?

“People rationalize buying decisions based on facts but people
make buying decisions based on feelings”

People may argue that we live in a rational world but let’s face it nothing could be further from the truth. Think about it: what did you do when you saw that steaming juicy hot dog while waiting for someone? Your cup of iced cold lemon tea on a Sunday afternoon? Your first date? Those mega sales in shopping malls?

It’s said that rational thought leads consumer to be interested but it’s the emotional feeling that sells. Nike shoes are as reliable as other shoes in the market of the same class (Now this is where a Nike enthusiast will start bombing me). But people would pay top dollars for a pair of Nike shoes that makes them have a sense of pride or “feel satisfied”. Take a look at one of Nike’s ad “Power to your feet”.

Mountain Dew (soft drink), Roxy (surf culture fashion), Volcom (skateboarding), and Nokia (cell phones) are other examples of emotionally driven youth-oriented brands. Recent consumer surveys show that, in most cases, 20% of the decision to make a purchase is logical and 80% is emotional

“The single biggest motivator in buying is not data, nor is it facts, it’s emotional response. Humans buy when they feel comfortable, when they feel they can trust you, when the process feels natural and reassuring, and when they come to the feeling that buying will make them feel good.”

Capturing the mind thought is hard enough but to capture the heart, now that’s another story.

(some stuffs taken from 22 immutable laws of marketing in asia and MarketingProfs)

The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint

2006-08-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

I think this is a rule everyone who uses Microsoft PowerPoint for presentations should follow. It doesn't matter if you're giving a business plan presentation or a simple marketing project assignment. It's a must follow guideline!
Guy Kawasaki, a respected venture capitalist made it well known here. It's pretty simple 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30 pt font size. (And to think I made at least 15 slides for my Final Year thesis presentation).

On another note, for those who likes browsing pictures:
xcavator is a site where umm... just visit the site. I found it to be fascinating indeed.

Give me some hope!

2006-08-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

This website was created to get Mcdonalds attention due to the reason that McD's will be giving out toy hummers together with its happy meals. Disgruntled hummer anti-supporters, interesting sign boards for us.

You can make one of your own here.

On a lighther note:
I thought I had the entire collection of Calvin and Hobbes until I found this.

Introducing the "corporation"

2006-08-17T02:15:00.000-07:00

Borned with big dreams, high hopes and a sense of humour. Introducing Still-nameless-for-now Sdn. Bhd. with its partners Billy, Deric and me. (T.Seong was feeling a little left out so we let him in for the photograph, haha.)

Another two more weeks to go to the launching of our very first experiment/venture (it's up there in the blog title box). Still remaining optimistic eventhough Deric is sick now. We're indeed hoping that this experiment of ours will not only prove the hypotheses of the assumptions but we're hoping that it'll too bring in some income, at least enough to pay the bills. So to you who is reading this: something new, exciting and mind-boggling is coming your way. Be prepared!

Advertising in Asia

2006-08-17T00:32:00.000-07:00

Which one would you go to?

Just words:
Feel good by helping others. “Do unto others what you want others do unto you”. It’s so simple.

Curious cat

2006-08-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

“There’s something fishy going on inside this funny hole. I can smell it.”

“I need to go deeper. It smells like it’s coming from the end of the tunnel.”

“I can almost reach it…”

“Wait a minute, it .. it … it…stinks!”

“It stinks so bad in here that my poo smells sweet!”

“Lemme out! Argh! I’m stuck!”

“That’s it…I’m a goner”

“Air…need air….oxygen…poo…”

“Twinkle twinkle little star…how I wonder what you smell…up above the world so high….you’re just glad you did not die….”

I'm lovin' it!

2006-08-16T02:56:00.000-07:00

"Find something that you love to do and you'll never have to work another day of your life."

Simple truth backed by Brian Kim and Paul Graham

Maybe should consider a job in making elephant dung paper.

Classic Showdown: Engineer versus Marketer

2006-08-16T00:39:00.000-07:00

During university I took a subject which focuses on engineers and the society surrounding it. I couldn't help but made fun at certain "facts" about engineers. According to soceity, engineers are square, boring, study freaks, no-social-life sort of people. It's a shame what other people thinks of you whenever they ask what did you major in in your studies.

Marketers on the other hand are the total opposites of engineers. Flexible, creative, study-only-what-they-need-to people.

Anyhow it would be fun just to compare the two:

Now an engineer would somehow look like what you see on the side (in reality it would most probably be a man. I had only two girls in my class of a hundred!). An engineer would most probably laugh hysterically at this joke:

"Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body.

One said, "It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints." Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections."

The last said, "Actually it was a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?''

A marketer would look like one of those in the picture at the side of this. All dressed up in fancy clothes with a face brimming with confidence. A marketer joke would somehow look something like this:

"A couple was spending a romantic night celebrating their wedding anniversary that ended in the bedroom.

The next morning her friend asks the wife, "How was it?" She answers, "Well that’s the downside or marrying a marketer.”.

”We didn't actually do anything but he sat on the bed all night telling me how good it was going to be!"

(It's only a fictional humorous perception of what I think they are, so don't get angry)

The two characters are directly contradicting one another. It sometimes seems impossible how the two can actually work together or understand one anothers lingo especially in these times where all successful industries call for all marketers to think like an engineer and all engineers to have a mind of a marketer.

All I know is this generation of consumers wouldn’t buy a product solely designed by an engineer (because it would look square and boring) nor would they buy something that looks-nice-at-first but detested by its functionality. Where would the balance strike? Or is a balance required in the first place?

I can only imagine if the balance is struck:

It’s gonna be sooooo cool!

Other articles that might interest you if you liked this by Miss Rogue and Abhijit Nadgouda

Advantages of being unemployed (by choice):

2006-08-15T23:30:00.000-07:00

Came across this picture on flickr while searching for “unemployed”.

One thing I’ve learned by not finding a job is that by choosing not to do something that you’ve been doing your whole studying life, your mind is opened to numerous money making opportunities. Matthew Haughey certainly liked it. In Malaysia, no job = no income. No income = no food, no water, no electricity, etc. Even Jeff Skrysak even has an article devoted to surviving unemployment. In such desperate situations you’re forced to be creative and begin to see opportunities where others see nothing.

In my desperate attempt to make a living a non-career way, I decided to start several ventrures starting by "selling nothing" (it'll be out soon). Well it’s just an experiment to test out several theories but if it brings back the bacon, why not?

So in the words of Bob Black, “Why work?”

It begins

2006-08-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

My very first attempt to start a blog! Why now you say? Well I guess I’m just trying out new things on the net, and it starts with this.

Now the thing is, what am I to write about? I certainly can write about my ventures into the business world or I can write several articles that might enlighten some into a more fulfilling life. Anyhow, I’ve decided to keep my options open. Whatever will be will be.

And so it starts…