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How nice if .........
How nice if Bill Clinton were to run again as the next VP of the US. I believe he may have not inhaled but I think he brings better views and directions to the US compared to the Bush Administration. Seems that his dearest actually commented this when asked by David Letterman whether Bill could serve as her VP. The former first lady shot down the idea as the U.S. Constituition forbids a U.S. President from holding office for a third time. By the way, I stand firm to say that Hillary will be the next President of the United States. My second participation at a Merdeka processionI am sure many of you out there never had a chance to actually take part in any of the processions before. I guess I was lucky when I took part in one some years back (yes....some years back in a marching procession in 1985 representing my school at the Esplanade, Penang). Guess, that was many years ago. Fast forward, I woke up today at 515 am and headed out to Rapid Penang's bus stop near my apartment. When I got there, the drivers were all getting ready to start duty and guess what, I was the only one....it took me less than 10 mins to reach Weld Quay and onwards via the ferry. From then, I could see all walks of life heading towards the same direction as I was heading. Actually, it was quite a last minute thing. I just started work as a communications specialist for a multi-national company in Penang and I guess I was told about this by my boss earlier in the week. Guess it came about yesterday when we were told to be there to snap photos and videos of the event. I am very fortunate. I see folks of different racial background and nationality heading to Penang's procession of 50th anniversary at Padang Kemerdekaan Pulau Pinang. My thoughts? I guess I was a bit overwhelmed when I get to see so many folks of different races coming together as one. I believe it's important that these racial divide or even political divide should be set aside on such an important day. I see many State Assemblymen standing together when celebrating this event. After all, only two opposition members are within the Penang State Assembly. I saw YB Phee Boon Pho whom I have known for many years and I actually walked up to him to shake his hands. He was very surprised to see me there and asked whether I have "decided". I guess that will be a magic question when the election comes. I have an important task to do - helping a friend win the next round. Lets see how it goes. I guess I did the right thing. I came to this event to see my colleagues do the march past. In return, I get to be inspired that I live in this beautiful nation, Malaysia. I guess when our founding father shouted "Merdeka" 7 times, he had only one thing in mind. Nation building and nation progressing beyond a sleepy town way back in 1957. I am inspired...Negaraku...Happy Birthday Malaysia.
You should read this article - by Mr Quah. Well written and fitting for a day of celebrations! A major PR Boo BOO in the making?What is more shocking to hear is that Monster.com could have lost millions of its users' data to hackers that broke into their site earlier this month. Apart from not handling the mishap well, this has led to a shocking revelation that Monster.com could have compromised much of their data to the hackers and leaving the details unannounced in a proper manner to the general users. I am sure Monster.com represents the major powerhouse of jobseekers' information in the US. Somehow, somewhere, this news continues to spiral out of context and surely causing more concerns for members who have their resumes.
I am sure many job boards may have information that is pertinent to users using their services. I am sure if you are a jobseeker, you must make sure that your information is not compromised by a hacker or sold to the highest bidder. Hence, in Asia, we have many job sites. Do make sure you have yours in a secured ones. Otherwise, your information could be floating somewhere in Russia or elsewhere and getting calls from unknown persons soliciting your support for products or services. You wouldn't want that to happen, would you?
So give as little information as possible. If a job board ask for your credit card information etc. that you think will cause you immediate financial risk, don't sign up. The business model for membership is free. Otherwise, ask them for a response as to whether they have any security policies to govern such hacking incidences.
Read what Monster's CEO has to say:
"I want to be clear and I want to be frank: there is no guaranteed fix," Iannuzzi said. "I wish I could say...there will be absolutely no way that the Monster site can be compromised. I cannot ever make that promise, and no Internet company can." Read more here
Funny isn't it?
Sadly, this is how Malaysian Parliment is remembering their national day..Divided and continue to harp on petty issues. A thought or two for these folksWhile the country celebrates its 50th Anniversary, I am sure many of us are probably planning our holidays, joining the celebration at Dataran Merdeka as well as probably sleeping in late tomorrow morning. Somehow, my favorite blogger actually alerted me to read his site....I felt really sad when he actually managed to catch a picture of two old ladies in the heart of Penang city. As politicians continue to debate on what it means to be a Bangsa Malaysia and the opposition drumming the roll of a Malaysian Malaysia, lets not forget the homeless and underprivileged in this country. There are no statistics rendered to substantiate the claims that there are many now in this country, but it is worth the while to sit and remember them as what they are - a Malaysian. In any society, they are considered the "unseen" and "forgotten" ones. I will like to see more topics being put up by political parties to address this issue. Homeless people are Malaysians. They deserve the right like everyone of us to vote. But, are their plights being heard or seen? I am sure many will say a resounding no. Mr Quah - Kudos to you. Your blog seems to be the most meaningful for the day. Shame again to all the other politicians still debating who is more Malaysian than the others.
WOW!We went out for dinner tonite at a club near Tanjong Bungah. Strangely, we were greeted with a new menu that profiles drinks. Lots of yummy but we kinda figured the price would probably make us take a pass. We took a look and saw this: AK47 - Rm6.50 Tequilla Sunrise - Rm5.90 Margarita -Rm6.30 LindermanWine - Rm6.30 Gosh, in my closest memories, I believe the prices above are considered the cheapest we have ever since. Carol and I ordered a Margarita each and we then ordered a glass of wine and Cinzano Sweet. Gosh! An excellent and affordable dinner at a prestige club. If you wish to know where this place is, write to me at jeffreychewgimeam@gmail.com Now back to my State of Denial book. Extra! Extra! Read all about it !I have decided to borrow a book from the club library after our dinner. We will come to dinner part in the next posting. Anyway, I have been very frustrated with the outcome of the Iraq War Conflict. I have always been a great fan of Bob Woodward and I decided to pick this book up for some light reading. US is undergoing major turbulence in its foreign policies and also the current administration is walking towards its sunset days. Seriously, I believe US will probably have a woman President by November 2008. The confusion as well as the state of Iraq continues to be under seige. As we speak, the current Prime Minister of Iraq has not been successful in curbing violence in his own country and many politicians in the US have somewhat lost their directions. This book promises no holds barred. Details of major figures trying to oust certain individuals from the corridors of power and the art of "politicking" at its best. Bob gives a true insight of what is happening and why US is finding it hard to withdraw from Iraq. Hope you will try to catch this book in the bookstore. Malaysian Malaysia or Bangsa Malaysia?Forgive my ignorance , but I think both phrases connects me to one picture - a nation of one people irregardless of race or relligion. Seriously, in 48 hours time, we will be celebrating our nation's Independence Day. Hence, it's never a secret to say that each and everyone of us love this country dearly. I may not be the "flag waver" freak but whenever I hear NegaraKu playing in the background, I know it's my beloved country's national anthem. I will definitely hold my heart and aspirations to the struggles of this country.
Fast forward - today politicians tend to equate Bangsa Malaysia or Malaysian Malaysia to a certain political party. Yes - the very fact is that each political party is trying to upstage each other whenever elections draw near. I am sure many Malaysians would agree with me that as we celebrate our national day, we will celebrate it as a nation of one. How come politicians tend to harp on issues as such? I think whichever political party that focuses on "peace" and "security" will deserve my vote. I am sure you would agree with me, wouldn't you? Since the media is a place to disseminate news, lets be real to say this. Opposition stand no chance of forming any government let alone setting up a coalition of parties to govern this country. But what scares me is this. The tone and the underlining messages that leaders are continuing to aspire and spit out are fast becoming macam "coffee shop" talk. Show proof of the support by the Sun and let the people be the judge. If criminals have a chance to defend themselves, show proof that they are guilty until proven innocent.
I have a theory though. Star and other papers have affliations to some political parties whereas the poor Sun with innovative marketing idea of giving away the papers for free is not allign to anyone. I fear that such provocative statements by Ministers will add more insecurity and distrust amongst the rakyat thus invoking more "racialistic" sentiments that are reaching greater heights of alarming proportion.
Have anyone seen Wag the Dog? It's about a President's campaign to boost his rating in the USA. He hired some tukang "politik" to wag the issues up with some Hollywood spiced up plot. This tukang politik (political strategists) drummed up news of a impending war in the Baltics...now are we reaching that point when "trivial issues" now become "major issues" when the country is about to celebrate its independence? Surely and eventually, the rakyat (public) will join in the chorus line in singing this tune. Now, it's up to the Sun to stand up to its convictions and its stand of what the paper stands for. Journalism with responsibility is vital in this country now. Have they infringed any of this before? If yes, Mr Minister, please pick on them. Otherwise, there are more monkeys in this blogger's world than you can also pick on.
Stop this kind of behavior! PCH 1068...The day didn’t end up the right way yesterday. My car was bumped into by a careless motorcyclist who had a pillion rider with him. Both were not so decent guys but at least I kept my cool until….”sorry boss I don’t have a license story” Seriously, the bumper was heavily dented on the right side. Luckily, I showed empathy and that was my usual side of me according to Carol. Too much empathy may have got into my way of deciding to demand for a compensation straight away but I decided to keep my mouth shut and hear the 2 boys out. Seriously, many road drivers in Malaysia run into a risk of meeting an accident, facing situations like this and walking away in $$$$ pain.
Now and then, our government continues to conduct checks on motorist. I doubt the checks are effective judging from my experience yesterday. That brings me to the point that many Malaysians do not have a valid license to drive a car or even ride a motorbike. Seriously, the 2 boys pleaded to me about their predicament. Now, having said that, they were rather young for their age. I know it’s going to cost me at least Rm150 to fix the bumper. Somehow, it was raining the entire day and accidents do happen. I decided to just “close one eye”. Doing that means I am infringing on the law and letting a traffic offender off the hook. However, it could well mean a half month’s pay and the motorcyclist’s withdrawal of his license to ride a vehicle for a long period of time = loss of income.
What I wish to do before I am 50One of my wish is to complete my DBA before I reach the age of 50. One place that I can pursue that - USM. It offers flexible program for both part-time and full-time student. It's now time. I plan to at least take the DBA in 2009 and complete the program by 2013.
S.U.B.B. 3See you at the ballot box - Part 3
I truly liked this article that appeared today in the Sun. “Why did Gerakan join Barisan Nasional in 1974” I am not here to promote any views of Gerakan or anyone but just to share with you thoughts that purely provoked me. The country back then just emerged out from one of its darkest hours in 1969. The country was still facing fragile peace and racial issues continue to plague almost everyone in the country.
At this very moment, we need a government that values each and everyone in this country to be a part of nation building. Everyone can play a part in nation building regardless whether he is Malay, Chinese, Indian or others. If we continue to drive ourselves by the fact that we belong to a certain political party, the dream for a Bangsa Malaysia will remain as what is it – A DREAM!
The next coming months will see more of politicking going on by both parties – the government and opposition. I trust both will carry out their activities as one Malaysia. Forget about the division we have as a race but play the game based on issues such as security, economy as well as nation building. I will vote for the party that talks about what they do for the country and the issues that surround this country have to dealt with delicately. Otherwise, we will see our dream shattered as a nation. If you would ask me where my vote will be cast, I will say only this – I will walk with others who will walk for the people and with the people Today and tomorrowTomorrow - I will start work at a new place....but guess what ... Carol has a new hairdo. Short and sexy  Bonuslink vs Tesco's ClubcardFamily and I rushed over to Tesco to get some weekly groceries and guess what! We were greeted by signs that Tesco has now got its own loyalty card, Clubcard. Incidentally, since Tesco started its operations in Penang, we have been using Bonuslink to gain points. However, one of the many loyalty cards tend to offer points whenever purchases are made.For instance, Rm1 will gain you 2 points at Tesco's purchases. Now, lets see what you can get after racking up at least 7000 points..... Gosh, you will need to spend at least Rm3500 to get a stylish water container that cost Rm110. I guess loyalty cards tend to be this. Giving points so that members will be loyal to the vendor whenever purchases are being made. Now, for the case of Tesco Clubcard - its introduction was a surprise, really! I guess if you happen to walk along the aisle at Tesco, you will probably noticed that Tesco is pushing really hard for its generic branding to be accepted by the consumers. I believe Malaysians earlier were a little apprehensive about this. However, with the current slowdown of the economy and the rising cost of goods and services especially imported and branded products, generic will SELL. Hence, I believe this loyalty card program by Tesco will definitely be very captive. Someone in Tesco Malaysia probably had this "foresight" to launch this program simply because rather than relying on a third party which does nothing much to promote Tesco, Tesco now has the ability to run their own program with better offerings. Hence, for now it's Rm1 for 4 points. Talking about giving Bonuslink a run for their money. From the marketing point of view, loyalty programs do not generate much redemption because the points are usually higher. However, users in this program seem to have better information than others when it comes to consumer spending such as sales and offerings. Of course, Tesco can also extend better discounts and promises of higher volume to its vendors if they decide to piggy-back on their program. Now, with that in mind, Bonuslink needs to relook at its strategic directions. Running a loyalty program with so many wannabes in town calls for a "blue ocean strategy" For Tesco, it's an added "blue ocean" value. Not that their revenue is dependent on this program but it allows users the ability to receive information faster than non-members of Tesco. So what leaves Bonuslink? A better thought of strategy with better point redemptions as well as more consumer based product/services offerings. Tesco - they will be able to tap into the non-traditional crowd that only buys products without using Bonuslink. Now with Clubcard - they will reach deeper into the pockets of many consumers. Good nite ya! My sincere appreciation to all at KDU PenangToday is actually my last day at KDU Penang. Attended the commencement for students from various schools representing the School of Business as the Head of Department. Many have asked me why I have decided to move on? Is it because I did not enjoy what I did? Sincerely, it has been a short stint at KDU but I must admit the thought of leaving the very people I admire most in such a short time brought some reservations especially building up new friendship and ties with many at KDU. I guess I enjoyed my stay at KDU. Not because it's a place of education but because of the students and the lecturers. Of course, there were times I wished things were much different as I would want it to be. Nevertheless, it's one of those decisions that I need to take as my career and personal goals differ at some point of time. Hence, good luck to all at KDU. My sincere thanks to Mark Felix - you have been a great lunch partner and a comedian at times. Peggy - for being a great marketing person and a good friend; Mr Fong - for the wisdom you have shared with me; Ewen - for the cheery smiles at times of gloominess....CK - the cool and smiling architect and educator and not forgetting Jasamine -the familar face that brings smiles to everyone and lastly , Carmen - at least today I understand why many lecturers and educators love what they do...I saw some tears during the commencement. I too had some when Carmen's student , Fiona, made a touching speech. Wish I can mention all of you the rest but seriously, I wish to thank the Principal of KDU Penang- Dr Chong - for believing in me when the whole world seems to turn its back on me. I shall miss you all. Maybe one day - I shall return. J Another great candidate for the coming election - S.U.U.B. 2My contribution to S.U.B.B - see you at the ballot box! Sometime back, I wrote a blog about this gentleman. It has been an on and off meeting with him. Way back in 99, we befriended each other during one of the many campaigns I was involved in. Nevertheless, since then, I met him again at his workplace and somehow today, he has announced his candidacy to run for the elections. My sincere and warmest regards to him for taking this step. No doubt many would not but he has my fullest respect in doing so. Good luck Hon Wai....I will walk with you...and many more who have taken the step to speak up and be counted. Handphone Throwing CompetitionMay I suggest this? Pick a handphone and start throwing it and see how fa it goes? Why? There was a contest in Finland where contestants will decide on the handphone of their choice and they will throw their handphones and winners were judged on the "artististic and aesthetics impressions". The event originally started in a small town in Finland. It has spread to places like Canada, Austria and the US. I am sure it will make its way into Malaysia. After all, Malaysia has many "tai koh tai" (handphone users). What better ways than to show off some skills in throwing their handphones and seeing which one land the furthest. Besides that, it's much better to have such activities going on to test the skills of handphone users in throwing the units rather than yakking away on the phones for hours..ahahhahahaha Duran Duran's latest "Night Runner"This is the latest single from the upcoming Duran Duran's album. This album promises a different Duran Duran sound. Lots of collaboration with the maestro of the american funk - Justin Timberlake as well as Timbaland. I am excited with this latest sound...... Manchester City lost!Arsenal beat Manchester City 1-0 Wow! World's Biotech Hub in Melaka.Again, WOW! Can't help getting excited about the latest news about Malaysia's push into the Biotech world. However, can't blame myself for being very inquisitive - check out the information of the company that is setting up this kind of setup in Melaka. Did some homework and presto! Check out the credentials of the company that is taking up this Rm1.3 Billion intiative! I wish more business students will learn how to check up on company's information and use such information to do paper research as such. Wow! 3 year old company with a turnover of USD530K and 7 employees working. Strangely, I am not making any assumptions here but one has to think harder as to how this company is going to make Malaysia into a biotech hub. I pray it's not another boo-boo in the making, if you know what I mean. Enjoy your weekend folks. S.U.B.B.SUBB - See you at the Ballot Box. After the announcement of the dropping of 27 charges against the famous "Sultan of Klang", I am very sure many Malaysians have realized that it's time to head back to the ballot box and do what is right. Somehow, the entire judiciary and legislative (especially those in Parliment) have failed to show integrity and honesty in executing their line of duty. Somehow, it's feeling like a blow by blow kind of situation
Maybe the so-called State Assemblyman of Klang is thankful that all these charges have been dropped. Nevertheless, I am certain that all loyal Malaysians will make their own judgement from here. Seriously, it's time to go back to the ballot box. BN, DAP, PKR, PAS and others - see you all at the ballot box. May the force be with you. Seriously, the rakyat have gotten very tired. One consolation tonite. A repeat of Manchester City's tom yam execution of Arsenal again? I think if that happens, it will confirms the fact that Manchester City is a team to reckon with this season |
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