muacKx kok!!! so touched! ^.^)v
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Bank Error in Your Favour
When Richard went to the ATM, he got a very pleasant surprise. He requested £100 with a receipt. What he got was £10,000 with a receipt - for £100.
When he got home, he checked his account online and found that, sure enough, his account had been debited by only £100. He put the money in a safe place, fully expecting the bank swiftly to spot the mistake and ask for it back. But the weeks passed and nobody called.
After two months, Richard concluded that no one was going to ask for the money. So he headed off to the BMW dealership with the hefty down-payment in his pocket.
On the way, however, he did feel a twinge of guild. Wasn't this stealing? He quickily managed to convince himself it was no such thing. He had not deliberately taken the money, it had just been given to him. And he hadn't taken it from anyone else, so no one had been robbed. As for the bank, this was a drop in the ocean for them, and anyway, they would be insured against such eventualities. And it was their fault they had lost the money - they should have had safer systems. No this wasn't theft. It was just the biggest stroke of luck he had ever had.
- now pause and think , what would be your stand and reasoning? -
I don't know anyone who, on picking the 'bank error in your favour - collect £200' card in Monopoly, returns the cash to the bank on the grounds that it is not really theirs. In real life, however, we might expect an honest person to do just that. But how many people would? Not that many, I'd guess.
It is not that people are plain immoral. Indeed, we make quite fine discriminations in such cases. For instance, if people are accidentally given too much change by a small, independent business, they are more likely to point out the mistake than they are if it is made by a large corporation. The principle seems to be that it is wrong to take advantage of the mistakes of a fellow human being, but big businesses are fair fame. This is probably in part because we sense that no one is really harmed by the error of a corporate entity, and the lost to them is insignificant compared to the benefit to us. In a strange way, then, our willingness to take the money is fuelled in part by a peculiar sense of justice.
But even if we do conclude that this is a form of justifiable theft, it is theft nonetheless. The fact that it is the result of an accident, with no intention to steal, is irrelevant. For example, imagine you mistakenly take someone else's bag at the luggage reclaim and subsequently find that it contains many more valuable items than were in your own. If you then make no efforts to return it, the accidental nature of the initial acquisition does not justify the later, very deliberate, decision not to do anything about it. Similarly, you would be rightly annoyed if someone took something of value which you had accidentally left unattended, reasoning that it was your fault not being careful enough.
Richard's thought that the bank could well afford the loss is also spurious, for if that justifies his actions then it also justifies shoplifting. Shops are also insured and a small theft will barely dent their profits.
The reason why Richard was so easily persuaded by his own arguments is that, like all of us, he is prone to self-serving bias in his thinking. Reasons that justify benefits to ourselves seem more persuasive than those that don't. It is very difficult to disable this bias and think impartially. After all, why would we want to do that?
the above coloured text are extracted from a book - manually. Oh man, I think its an excellent book that challenges your beliefs and all. Forces you to question yourself on some of the ideals you have in/about different aspect of life. simply great! I'll extract another interesting section out of the book and advertise abit for it - when I'm free-er of coz =P
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Always check your child’s homework =)
After it was graded and the child brought it home, she returned to school the next day with the following note:
Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.
I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit.
I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room,and that several people were fighting over who would get it.
Her picture doesn’t show me dancing around a pole. It’s supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith
Friday, March 27, 2009
Still Life
眼泪 只准在眼眶打转
就像海浪 抱著海岸
拥抱不等于拥有天堂
最后 再爱我一个晚上
地久天长 天大的谎
爱到了最后碎成碎钻 碎成了星光
以后 难免会想起他吧
如果偶然 只是偶然
为什么遗忘那么难忘 那么那么难
最后 我只剩下了一半
身体一半 灵魂一半
永远找不到另外一半
Wonders of Photoshop
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some are scary.. some are cute.. some, are scarily cute. bLeah~
Nevermind
Nevermind..
that i dreamt again..
that I almost wanted to slam the phone down upon hearing the word 'fear'..
that i've been feeling so sour these days..
that i actually have two quizes next week to prepare for..
that i have instead partied half the week away..
Nevermind..
coz it completed ystd's dream - haha.
coz I have made a decision to stay out of pure sales for the time being.
coz I got to eat chocs and my fav ruffles!
coz I got to relax and have fun! (and burn some calories? lol)
coz i got to go sentosa, play tennis and chill!
. let loose . enjoy .
Thursday, March 26, 2009
(hearts)
these two days have been a emo day.. no, i meant since ystd night.. after sleeping for 3 hours of advance rest time, i had problem continuing the night's sleep.. so after lazing for quite some while, i decided to be productive, and started reading mobile email..
actually, i've only read two emails, and that got me feeling really terrible. 一言难尽… i was so sad.. and started feeling so miserable and emo.. i think i had accidentally caused myself to have a bad night of sleep too. i had two dreams in a matter of 6 hrs of sleep after that 3 hrs of waking time. two. brRrr* the first was a heart wrenching dream, it was simple, so simple a hug and a shoulder to lend... and the latter was an absurb dream but saddening dream. lol~ my definition of saddening is wide.
yeah, and it is still causing me to feel so very emo till now, of coz, i cant be showing that on my face. but feeling wise, hmmm, i know what i need to quench that weird feeling of /..\ ... i know what, but also what not. maybe that's why feeling even more 心酸…
here's an emo song..
很想再提起从前 依偎缠绵
他用淡淡的笑脸 拒绝我所有语言
很想再提起从前 心口难开
让沉默为我表白 我是万般的无奈
（词：那英 曲：张宇）
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
i'm sö excited can! i'll be going sentosa nxt week - hopefully! though i'm not exactly that free, but i dö wanna embrace the sun, enjoy abit of the sands and waters, and relax! hope it'll be made possible >.<
Todäy was a happy day too! After rushing so much of the report, i finally sent the complete copy (less the abstract and appendix) to my prof and upper study to vet! yay! 不愧我昨晚赶到凌晨五点，plus all the other late night sleeps, the banning of myself frm msn for close to 3wks, and no fb chatting for 1 plus wk！ although i still have stuff to do, quizes tö study, and discussions tö prepare nxt wk, at least i'm releasëd frm much of the torment! =D
so upon my submission this aft, i went out to meet my fair lady, and fli too. it was great catching up after söooÖ long, but it made me realise how different i am frm them; they the great spenders in brands like lv, prada, channel, and me the kid who doesnt even know what is serum.
hmm, somehow, i was stimulated to think about what i actually want. in the past, i hate sales. anythg that requires me to thicken my skin to ask strangers/friends to purchase/fill form - i hate it. it totally disgusted myself having tried such works for a day or two. but now, why am ï even enticed to join the land banking industry? afterall, its still sales.. why have my principles gone to? and wat abt my dream ambition of being an air stewardess? over the years of changing and growing, i seem to have forgotten/lost faith in my dreams. and today, i found my flame once again upon chatting with a stewardess frïend. however, i was told that SIA has froze the hiring since the last batch in jan.. but i was reminded of the joy of flying ard.
so what career path do i actually want? if any of are reading this now, u may like to question yoursëlf too. and i thought, and i pondered. and i realised, that i can become a butterfly attracted to the 'flowery' life of a business/sales person. but i would not want to jump into that kind of whirlpool too early in life. given a choice, i wld love the chance to travel ard for a couple of years, then settle down for some 9~5 job, then prolly into the sales line. I know that i am still not ready for that kinda life. beyond it and i'll hopefully be my own boss. hahaha
time to wake up.
given such a market times..
given my calibre..
given the reality of monetary needs..
do i have a choice?
can i still have a choice...?
Continue Reading...
Todäy was a happy day too! After rushing so much of the report, i finally sent the complete copy (less the abstract and appendix) to my prof and upper study to vet! yay! 不愧我昨晚赶到凌晨五点，plus all the other late night sleeps, the banning of myself frm msn for close to 3wks, and no fb chatting for 1 plus wk！ although i still have stuff to do, quizes tö study, and discussions tö prepare nxt wk, at least i'm releasëd frm much of the torment! =D
so upon my submission this aft, i went out to meet my fair lady, and fli too. it was great catching up after söooÖ long, but it made me realise how different i am frm them; they the great spenders in brands like lv, prada, channel, and me the kid who doesnt even know what is serum.
hmm, somehow, i was stimulated to think about what i actually want. in the past, i hate sales. anythg that requires me to thicken my skin to ask strangers/friends to purchase/fill form - i hate it. it totally disgusted myself having tried such works for a day or two. but now, why am ï even enticed to join the land banking industry? afterall, its still sales.. why have my principles gone to? and wat abt my dream ambition of being an air stewardess? over the years of changing and growing, i seem to have forgotten/lost faith in my dreams. and today, i found my flame once again upon chatting with a stewardess frïend. however, i was told that SIA has froze the hiring since the last batch in jan.. but i was reminded of the joy of flying ard.
so what career path do i actually want? if any of are reading this now, u may like to question yoursëlf too. and i thought, and i pondered. and i realised, that i can become a butterfly attracted to the 'flowery' life of a business/sales person. but i would not want to jump into that kind of whirlpool too early in life. given a choice, i wld love the chance to travel ard for a couple of years, then settle down for some 9~5 job, then prolly into the sales line. I know that i am still not ready for that kinda life. beyond it and i'll hopefully be my own boss. hahaha
time to wake up.
given such a market times..
given my calibre..
given the reality of monetary needs..
do i have a choice?
can i still have a choice...?
Friday, March 20, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
healthy living starts from me!
lol~ yeah, i feel so healthy these two days.. went to bed before midnight ystd (tho i took some time to sleep), and jogged and played tennis today! so happy! exercising (adequately) does makes a person happier =)
well, today was an interesting day.. saw & chatted with some the pple i seldom see in sch, in hall, and even when i'm jogging! lol~
yes jogging! i'm going to cut down abit more! and with all these exercise, i shld be able to have a better sleep tonight =3
i wanna get some sleep!
argh! been lying in bed for close to an hr but why am i still awake? I've been fèeling tired and lathergic the whole day but i juz cant sleep for the night! roar! seriously why do i have this stupid problem of insomia esply when i least want it to happen?! argH!
gööd night to all, again! =E
Continue Reading...
gööd night to all, again! =E
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Grads among worst hit (!!!!)
Out-of-work degree holders doubled in number last year.
Graduates are hurting the most among the growing pool of jobless Singapore residents battered by the economic crisis. The number of out-of-work degree holders more than doubled last year to 14,800 in December, from 6,200 a year earlier.
They joined an expanding group of unemployed residents - comprising Singaporeans and permanent residents - whose numbers rose from 56,100 in September to 69,900 in December last year.
As a result, the resident unemployment rate worsened further. It rose to 3.7 per cent in December, from 3.3 per cent in September, according to the 2008 labour market report released by the Manpower Ministry yesterday.
Analysts like Nanyang Technological University (NTU) economist Choy Keen Meng blame the rapid rise of unemployed graduates mainly on the financial sector.
The sector, which employs many degree holders, has been downsizing and laying off workers since the global financial fallout erupted in September last year.
The National Trades Union Congress' assistant secretary-general Ong Ye Kung added that struggling companies were also retrenching corporate staff such as their administrative workers, who appeared to be seen as non-essential to the company's survival.
'I've noticed companies are hanging on to those who add directly to the company's bottom line, such as those on the production line or engineers,' he said.
The surge in white-collar layoffs began towards the end of last year. Half of the 7,500 workers retrenched in 2008's final quarter were professionals, managers, executives and technicians: PMETs.
This has stiffened the competition that fresh graduates face. Said DBS economist Irvin Seah: 'They are fighting for the same jobs and fresh grads are at a disadvantage compared to those with experience.'
Read the full story in today's edition of The Straits Times.
25 random things about S’pore youth
i caught the following article in yesterday's ST papers, and i'd like to share it here if you readers have missed it and are keen on a laugh =)
Worldwide, randomness has reached a tipping point - and you can blame Facebook. The social networking site has got millions generating a list of their innermost quirks called, somewhat unimaginatively, ‘25 Random Things About Me’.
In the past six months that I’ve lived here, I have worked with, observed and come to respect one native group more than any other.
Youth.
So to my friends and family back in the United States, here in Facebook lingua franca, is a list of ‘25 Random Things About Singapore Youth’:
1) They speak to me softly in perfect English, then turn around and scream in Singlish to their friends.
2) They SMS with a speed and frequency that makes my own thumbs sore from sympathy pains.
3) They admit they are apathetic, and speak about it passionately.
4) They complain about the lack of culture on their school campuses, then immediately go back to studying.
5) They wear their emotions and intentions on their chests in the form of T-shirt sayings. A few of my favourites: ‘Little Miss Giggles’, ‘I SMS Your Mum’ and ‘Are We Having Any Fun?’
6) They are extremely quiet in class, but downright chatty one-on-one.
7) They love David Beckham. They lust after George Clooney.
8) Apparently, procreation is not their forte. At this point in their lives, they could not care less.
9) Marriage is not yet on most of their minds. Instead, they say they want to keep getting red packets of some kind.
10) Romance is not an art many young males here have mastered. I recently overheard two young women complaining that their boyfriends had surprised them on Valentine’s Day with gifts - a schoolbag and an external hard drive.
11) They are incredibly, falsely, modest. They know they rock. Just don’t tell them to their face. They’ll look at you like you insulted their mother.
12) They are way too polite. I asked a young woman to take my picture in front of the Merlion. After she snapped the shot, she thanked me - apparently for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to capture me on film.
13) Speaking of photos, they pose for them everywhere. I recently saw a group of students smile for multiple pictures with their taxi driver at Clarke Quay. He was smiling too. The meter was running.
14) A few engage in ’serious blogging’, but most just blog about their friends and pets and upload pictures of last night’s dinner.
15) They are very productive during classes - at catching up with friends on MSN Messenger and updating their Facebook status.
16) They remain sceptical of their country’s growing global status, often asking me ‘Why would you want to come here?’
17) They already express nostalgia for days gone by, at the ripe old age of 17.
18) The few young men who have long hair seem to be teased mercilessly by friends, and hit on frequently by strangers.
19) They catch catnaps at the most unlikely locations - bus stops, campus canteens, even the school library.
20) Their eyes have a tint of worldliness to them, especially the young men who have been through national service.
21) They passionately watched something called ‘The Little Nyonya’ until recently, but not all will admit it publicly.
22) They think it is funny that Singapore has a professional basketball team.
23) They love their parents, but they definitely do not tell them everything.
24) They love to dance …
25) But it does not mean they have rhythm.
This list may be random, but they make modern Singaporean youth truly an enigma - a mystery I cannot help but gawk at and adore.
Dr Reimold, 28, is a Fulbright research fellow serving as a
visiting scholar at Nanyang Technological University.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Crisis of Credit Visualized
A good video for people (like me) who has got just vague ideas on what is going on in the current economy worldwide. Take just some minutes to enjoy this fabulously-presented video =)
Saturday, March 14, 2009
train travel
looking at this and this now gives me an urge to go on this - a backpack tour on the SE continent via train travel! wahahaha! so exciting right? lol~ anyone keen? ^.^)v
i seem to be on a holiday mood lately. bLeah~ >.<
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