Yo-Yo Ma &Bobby McFerrin

Check out Interview with Frank Kern and John Reese

I want you to take a look at: Interview with Frank Kern and John Reese

In this interview Tony meet with two very successful students, Frank Kern and John Reese. Both of them are self-made multi millionaires who made their fortunes by selling products on the Internet. What’s particularly interesting about both of them is that neither had any “real” education. Neither one finished college and they both went from being broke to becoming wealthy.

And they still continue to thrive in today’s economy. So the purpose of this interview is to uncover the traits that successful people have in common. Specifically, the traits that cause them to take massive action and follow through. As you’ll see, the solution is really quite simple and available to us all.

Also, if will be GREAT if you can visit http://oneyearplan.net/Andrew to access the world elite online marketer.

Enjoy your journey.

An email to a friend who plan to visit Su Zhou

您好, 王魁

Hello I am awesome here and now working in a new job, but is quite busy. Sorry for the late reply.

I think it will be faster for me to type in English rather than Chinese, hope you do not mind. Yup, Su Zhou is a great place for travel. Of course, The Su Zhou Garden is a must that you have to go. The biggest su zhou garden is "The Humble Administrator Garden" - 拙政园。 This is the largest garden in Su Zhou, most of the people will ask you to go there, BUT i will not, because the entrance ticket is quite expensive (RMB 70) and it is just another garden and nothing special. The Humble Administrator Garden has been refurbished extensively in the past few year hence it has lost its original taste and has become a "modern" garden. (pic 5)

Few minutes away from the humble administrator garden (walking distance), you will see the Lion Groove Garden - 狮子林，this one is quite special and it is one of the favorite garden for 乾隆。The stone setting is very bizzarre and interesting. A small garden hence the entrance ticket is around RMB 30. (pic 2)

There are many others garden in su zhou, i din finish, will go next time.

In the same area, there is this very famous Su Zhou Museum, it is designed by the internationally renown chinese architect IAN PEI - 贝肄铭. It is free, and you MUST GO, otherwise you will regret, because the building design is very original. (pic 3)

Beside the su zhou museum, there is another another building (old) connceted to the Su Zhou museum, it is the prince zhong residence - 忠王府。it is just right beside the museum and it is free, now open for public to see.

In the same area, there are many su zhou back alley - 苏州小巷 (pic 4)，and canal jsut cut right throught the whole area. In the same area, there is this road, you have to walk, it is near by the humble administrator garden, there is this ancient road worth taking a stroll - 平江路。(pic 1) You have to go ping jiang road, cos it is very original, and not so commercialised, beautiful and simple for me it is great coz I dun get the chance to see ppl wash their clothes in the river side, etc etc (for you probably is sth normal). And in between the road, there is this place for you to listen to the Su Zhou Story Telling Performance - 评弹， it is located along the ping jiang road, somewhere in the middle, you can ask the local people how to go, and the show is between 1pm to 3pm, if I am not mistaken the ticket is RMB 4. This you have to go also, because it is very beautiful. I enjoy very much. Along the same area, there is this another garden call 藕园， you can go. This garden not many people go, very quiet and relaxing.

Other area can go inlcuding the popular 寒山寺，西元寺， 虎丘。 There is another one call 山塘古街， I stay at the hostel at shan tang, so it is just at the back of my hostel. You can go there during evening, it is very beautiful and wait till nite time they will on the light to beautify the whole area. But quite commercialised. If you have facebook, you can go there to see my china pic. Hope you enjoy your trip and keep in touch ya.

Cheers, Andrew

p/s: entrepreneur wanted, please join.

Guess what ads are these?

Ad 1:- Restaurant caters for vegetarian foods

Ad 2:- Product removes bad breath

Ad 3:- Hair cut product

Ad 4:- Now you can visit wildlife park, at mid night. hurray!!!

Ad 5:- Word Scramble game

Ad 6:- Shirt (can you see?)

Source:- http://www.adsoftheworld.com/

p/s: also vist http://oneyearplan.net/Andrew

AUSTRALIA

If there is a choice, I will select neither a war theme movie nor a horror movie. But I watched “Australia” with my friend on last Sunday on 28 December 2008. This is a 3 hours long movie with setting in the far outback of Australia, Northern Territory, during World War II in year 1939. Certainly there are footages of Japanese air raid in Darwin but this does not stop me from watching this movie. I watched the film because of my affection for Australia, a feeling of liking that I have during my 2 years stay in Melbourne.

The movie is impressive with scenes of breathtaking beauty especially the adventurous scene which Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman driving 1500 head of cattle across the outback in Northern Territory. I always wonder what it is like to be there, the scotching sun, the mountains aflame in red, starry night, barren landscape with cracks, kangaroos, the sound of wind swirling in the great valley, the kisses of rain, etc. The movie is real, beautiful, romantic and a truly magnificent epic to Australia. The music is exhilarating and touching.

Certainly, Nicole is gorgeous and elegant while Hugh is sexy and butch. But what attracts me more is this little aboriginal child called “Nullah”, who learns the native magic songs from his grand farther King George, which can make him “invinsible”. It is inspiring while he sings to fish, to people, to rocks, to animals. In the movie, Hugh mentioned that the ancestors of aborigine had created different songs for different elements in the great nature. It is simply amazing to see Nullah single-handedly stopping a huge herd of running amok cattle by this spiritual hymn. As the song goes, we are led into the wondrous world of wonder. It is revealing for me because many of us has been blinded by the materialistic and sensual pleasure that we have forgotten the simplest bliss from the great nature.

“… … … to return to where you come from… … …” I was stunned when King George said this line in the movie when he came to fetch Nullah for his walkabout. For me, it sounds like a warm reminder to me to remember the feeling before I was born. We are fully embraced by peace and serenity while we were being carried by our mother. But our mind is corrupted by myriad of things while we are growing up and lead us into various up and down in life.

One great thing of this movie is the portrayal of the profound beauty of Australian aboriginal art and cultures. It is beautiful and hence it taught us the importance to respect others’ cultures and civilizations but not suppression or assimilation to exterminate them. It is very important to retain every culture and it is awesome to see thousand different flower blossoms in the garden rather than just one type of flower.

p/s: please visit http://oneyearplan.net/Andrew

UNITED WE FALL

The collapse of Lehman Brother and Bear Stearns has altered the landscape of the global economy. Since then series of dramas have been staged in US encompasses the nationalization of the two mortgage giants, the bailout of the notorious Wall Street financial institutions, the recent rescue measures for the Detroit big 3 auto makers and the arrest of the former Nasdaq chairman Bernard Madoff, etc. I wonder if anyone out there actually enquiring how possibly a country like US, with double deficits, is capable of throwing out so much money to revamp its deeply battered economy. Of course they can, at least they can get the Fed to print more money and the Treasury to raise further debts from countries like China to subsidize the whole scheme.

Much attention has been focused on whether China, with its huge amount of foreign exchanges reserves, could come to rescue. Some said yes, with other no. Those who favor the idea would inevitably say it is necessary so that the world can be saved from slipping into recession. Those who are against it will probably question the benefits of such Samaritan act.

Many would argue that China’s gigantic domestic demand can cushion the slowing down of the western consumptions and look forward the “Product made in China” by the world factory to be absorbed / phased out domestically. But what we noticed in the past few months is the shutting down of many factories by stealth in the southern part of China. Had China filled the consumption vacuum created by US, I believe that the shutting down and bankruptcy cases would be reduced. In addition, there are many lay-offs in China, with substantial number of fresh graduates from university with grim hope of getting job. I have an online friend in Shanghai who has just resigned on October and found a job in November but until now he still has not started his job yet. Why? The new company has simply responded to him that the job offer letter is not yet ready; the same excuse was given for about two months. Indirectly it means he has not got the job. So he has to go around and hunt for another job.

It is a daunting task to push the Chinese spending off their RENMIBI while the unemployment rate keeps rising. People just want to hold a firm grip of whatever fortune they have now, this is more so after the 60% drop in China stock markets which has subsequently impacted on many Chinese’s saving. Chinese is simply a very different kind of people raised under a totally different systems and culture; hence it would be silly to ask Chinese to spend the way how American used to spend.

So if one keens to see China as a White Knight with “huge” (or elusive in fact) domestic demand and expect more investment activities, forget it!!!

How about throwing billions and billions on public infrastructures projects? Have to man!!! Otherwise it will be just difficult to achieve the 8% GDP growth.

But Chinese government has encountered a lot of pressures internationally including not depreciating its RENMIBI to help Chinese manufacturers sell their cheap China products competitively.

Other issue includes whether to keep buying more Treasury bill from the States since China is one of the largest holders of US Treasury bills. Capital flee is common in countries severely hit by financial crisis. That is the case in the 1998 Asian financial crisis. Korea is one of the victims of the current crisis where investors crawled back its capital and parked under much safer assets such as US Treasury bills, bonds, etc. I just wonder if this is the safe heaven because US is the epicenter of the whole financial meltdown. But where else can these investors go? I think US is the only place. No wonder the US currency keeps going up and on the other hand I believe it reduces the energy price. That is something positive. Otherwise we certainly will have another monster to combat.

If China reduces its current holdings or refuses to buy new Treasury bills issued by the States, the credit rating of such bills will drop and China will probably feel its aftereffect by having huge losses. And I also wonder if the reduction of such holding would result in the plummet of US currency. I believe no one will like to see the drop in US currency because that will imply a potential increase in energy price which many countries trying very much to get around.

Many people have predicted that the worst is over and hope that China can come to rescue. But recently China has slowly released some dismal data about its own economy. I think the full dire effect of Chinese economy will only emerge next year. Hence, the worst probably has yet to come.

China, a developing super power with its own problems to solve, now has staggering duties to discharge, to save the world. Sound like a “Hero”, but can they really SAVE the world?

p/s: visit http://oneyearplan.net/Andrew

Privatise or not?

Our government has announced recently that the privatization proposal of National Heart Institute from Sime Darby will be deferred and further study will be undertaken on this issue. This is great news for numerous heart patients nationwide. However, I really wonder what is there to “study” and why it needs to be “deferred”. Why our government can’t simply reject the proposal straight away? Why let the private sector deprives these medical benefits from the poor. Since we are a developing country and based on the 80/20 rule, 80% of the patients may not have access to good medical service once privatized, isn’t it clear that our government should continue to discharge their social responsibilities even though they claim that abovementioned privatization is to reduce the government costs.

I think not everything can be evaluated or judged from commercial perspectives. It is different from the open and liberalization of the long regulated Singapore and Malaysia sky route, which will ultimately benefit many consumers. Business is operated on a different objectives which is profit oriented. It is likely for a privatised hospital to put serving the top 20% of the rich on high agenda because it certainly brings in more revenue. It is a matter of time for the poor to be left stranded or unattended. On the other hand, government functions on a different basis that requires its social responsibilities to be discharged.

It is no point to argue that the privatization can improve the efficiency. If that is true, it implies that the government is not doing a good job.

Taking care of the health of your people is important, if the government needs them to defend, to fight and to build the country. If our country can not take care of us, who else?

Some decisions need to be processed through our mind / brain. But there are many answers we can get just by asking our HEART.

p/s: visit http://oneyearplan.net/Andrew

Deloitte here I come

ok, just accept the offer from Deloitte last friday so now I am part of Deloitte. The office is so damn far from my house that I need to move to PJ area. Hopefully, by getting into this firm, it grand big 4 name can catapult me to international job market.

Greed

Imagine a bank (we will name it “A” subsequently), has total asset value amounting to USD25 million in their balance sheet, and operate at “high leverage” level to gain huge profit for it’s shareholders. With leverage of 30 times it gives you a leveraged amount of USD750 million. It means A is pledging its USD25 million to borrow USD750 million from investors for its investment purposes. With expected rate of return of 5%, the profit will be USD37.5 million, a return on asset (ROA) of 150% which is extremely high!!!

What A intends to do next is lending out this sum of USD750 million to certain borrowers for mortgage loan purpose.

In order to get around the default risk, A approaches B to insure against these sum of loans. A agrees to pay USD3 million in the next 5 years to B for such insurance, it amounts to USD15 million in total. For A, it is good cause it has B to insure against its loans and after paying USD15 million, A still has a profit of USD22.5 million (USD37.5 million – USD15 million) while B is profitable as he makes another business which will get them USD3 million annually provided that the actuarial calculation indicated that the risk is within an acceptable range. This is the so called Credit Default Swaps (the notorious CDS).

Now C is getting jealous with the abovementioned deal and want to become part of this game so that he can benefited from this scheme as well. So C approached B and asks B to sell 1000 CDS contract to C for USD10 million. B can happily do so because it takes 5 years for B to earn the USD15 million but now B can bag in USD10 million immediately if B agrees to sell 1000 CDS to C.

And then C repackaged the CDS and securitizes it and sell to D in the market, so on and so on and so on until it reaches trillion of dollars in the market.

Now, with some spices the story goes like this. Assuming that the borrowers that A provided loans to are of sub-prime credit rating and the loose regulations enable A to lend to these group of borrowers with lower credibility. The property market is booming and the increasing price of the houses represents just the good collaterals for these loans. So people borrow money to buy house with the intention to resell later on.

However, the price can never go up forever, it will drop when the bubble burst. What happen after the burst of the property bubble the borrowers may not be able to sell the house to repay the loans, hence default begins. A loses hence turn to CDS for its insurance claims.

Holders of the CDS contract suffer since they are liable to pay out the insurance sums at the point of time when the borrowers default. It is a huge amount; hence the CDS holders collapse and declare bankruptcy.

This is properly one of the problems with AIG, financial risk is very different from the normal insurance risk that they encounter. One’s car was crashed in an accident does not mean your neighbor car’s is about to be crashed too. But financial risk is different, it is contagious, insurmountable and unstoppable, when the market crashes many parties will take the brunt of it.

As a result, if the holders of CDS can not take out the insurance money, they only left with the choice to declare bankrupt or ask uncle SAM to bail them out.

What am I talking about here? I think you know.

p/s: greed is good, take action now in here.

somemore..............

Something to add on to the landsliding tragedy, what about those pylon built on hillslope and near residential area, are all these pylons safe? What if the hillslope where the pylon was built has erosion which lead to the toppling of the pylon? Woow, better dun think further.

p/s: picture googled from the Internet, this is clearly not pylon in here. Dun know where it is so ask me no more. Hehe.

p/s: visit http://oneyearplan.net/Andrew