Monday, October 31, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
on Bonuses
Having just come from my company's conference where the staff agreed that they understood the situation if the company does not pay a bonus if it's not making a profit, it bemuses me when I see a headline like this :
Why is it that private corporations can and do link their bonuses to company profits but these GLCs can't ? What comes next ? A bail out utilizing public funds ?
Why am I paying taxes for shit like this ?
Why is it that private corporations can and do link their bonuses to company profits but these GLCs can't ? What comes next ? A bail out utilizing public funds ?
Why am I paying taxes for shit like this ?
Friday, October 21, 2011
France vs New Zealand All Blacks - deja vu ?
France vs New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup - it brings back memories.
I remember the first rugby match I ever saw live on TV. It was 1999 and I was in England together with my family. My brother and I were staying at a B&B run by a 50-ish English woman. Lovely house in the suburbs of London. I distinctly remember that she decorated her walls with many, many miniature pictures of her family and friends.
My interest in the Rugby World Cup had been piqued when we bumped into a group of South African fans who were in England supporting their team. So when I got the chance, I decided to watch my first rugby match on TV. It happened to be the semifinal where France were playing against the New Zealand All Blacks. Having walked all day, I fell asleep in the first half and woke up at half time to face a slightly irritated landlady who asked me to go sleep in my room upstairs. New Zealand were already leading 24-10 at that stage.
As soon as the chance presented - 5, 10 minutes ? - I slipped back down, headed to the kitchen, and turned on the smaller TV set there. Volume down, of course. I ended up watching the greatest comeback victory in Rugby World Cup history. Funny how things work, sometimes.
I remember the first rugby match I ever saw live on TV. It was 1999 and I was in England together with my family. My brother and I were staying at a B&B run by a 50-ish English woman. Lovely house in the suburbs of London. I distinctly remember that she decorated her walls with many, many miniature pictures of her family and friends.
My interest in the Rugby World Cup had been piqued when we bumped into a group of South African fans who were in England supporting their team. So when I got the chance, I decided to watch my first rugby match on TV. It happened to be the semifinal where France were playing against the New Zealand All Blacks. Having walked all day, I fell asleep in the first half and woke up at half time to face a slightly irritated landlady who asked me to go sleep in my room upstairs. New Zealand were already leading 24-10 at that stage.
As soon as the chance presented - 5, 10 minutes ? - I slipped back down, headed to the kitchen, and turned on the smaller TV set there. Volume down, of course. I ended up watching the greatest comeback victory in Rugby World Cup history. Funny how things work, sometimes.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Catriona & Cedric - a Comparison
A comparison of how the brother looks compared to the sister when she was young.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Gym Nation, near Queensbay Mall - Photos !
I was wondering when I'd get a chance to upload photos of Gym Nation, so finally, here it is.
Friday, October 7, 2011
an Apple a day ... Steve Jobs
I remember reading John Sculley's autobiography (don't ask), Odyssey, over 2 decades ago. Other than a general idea that the book was Sculley's version of history, I really only remember one thing; Steve Jobs recruiting Sculley (who was President of PepsiCo) to work for him by asking :
"Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world ?"
What a challenge !! How many people would be able to resist trying to meet that challenge ?
Much has been written about Steve Jobs and to say that he has changed the world would not be hyperbole. Just fact.
And as much as his products leave outsized footprints in their industries, there is one lesser known Steve Jobs product. One he made personally.
I remember reading the full text of his Stanford commencement speech in 2005 which was circulated to me in an e-mail. What he said rang so true, I kept that speech on my hard drive. It's still there today.
So Steve, I didn't buy your Apples (couldn't afford it) but I got your Pixars and I definitely got that Stanford speech.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
9
It started off as a compromise decision on what movie to watch. Since both father and daughter wanted to watch a movie on a weekend some 2 weeks ago, I decided to pop this one in so that we could watch it together. It was one that I had been holding off for some time because it didn't look like the cuddly, huggy type of movie that my girl usually gets to watch.
With the Kung Fu Panda franchise so strong, I thought that '9' would go the way of some of the movies she's watched lately i.e. fun, but doesn't ignite the imagination come story time. So when '9' popped up at story time, there was a tinge of surprise. And now, it's #1 with a drawing.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Hiding in a Corner ...
Trying to get a child to read books in today's iphone/ipod/ipad culture isn't easy. Not to mention YouTube and cable television. Cartoons, movies and video games are so much more enticing to a child. And you have to admit that having a child sat in front of the TV/PC/iPad is so much more convenient for a parent.
And so we struggle on.
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