Okay, it's only December 26th (going on 27th) but since everyone is making their new year resolutions, I figure it's time for mine too before I totally forget about it. A new year, a new beginning, a better tomorrow....
In 2007 I resolve to:
1. Beat the STI Index
2. Run (at least) twice a week and skate once a week
3. Join a club/regular activity
4. Lose 5kg (I probably put on 5kg this Christmas/new year heheh)
5. Present a paper at an international conference
6. Pick up a new hobby
7. Travel somewhere I've never been before
8. Improve my golf (that's probably the toughest one)
9. Blog at least once a week
10. Win some money at poker!!!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Monday, December 25, 2006
Happiness and economics
If you are looking for a good read this Christmas, check out the article "Happiness and economics" on page 33 of this weeks Economist double-issue. Basically its a rather Freakonomics-like breakdown of what drives people in today's economy and the endless chase of happiness.
Perhaps it will provide some insight and soul searching for the past year and give some guidance for the year(s) ahead. We all want to be happy don't we? =)
I was tempted to paste the entire article here but I guess I will be sued for copyright infringement, so here's an excerpt:
To clamber up the pecking order, some people slave away nights and weekends at the office. They gain in rank at the expense of their free time. But in making that sacrifice they also hurt anyone else who shares their aspirations: they too must give up their weekends to keep up. Mr Frank reckons that many people would like to work less, if only others slackened off also. But such bargains cannot be struck unilaterally. On the contrary, people compete in costly “arms races”, knowing that if they do not work harder, they will lose their standing to someone who does.
These races are motivated by more than just prestige. As Fred Hirsch argued in his 1977 book, “The Social Limits to Growth”, many good things in life are “positional”. You can enjoy them only if others don't. Sometimes, a quick car, fine suit or attractive house is not enough. One must have the fastest car, finest suit or priciest house.
Think of the scramble for schools, Mr Frank says. Only 10% of kids can go to the top 10% of schools. In many countries, wherever the schools are good, the houses will be expensive. Thus parents who want the best education for their child must overwork to afford a house in a good school district. In doing so, however, they raise the bar for everyone else.
Is mutual disarmament possible? Not without government help, Mr Frank and Lord Layard argue. The exchequer should tax earned income heavily enough to deter one-upmanship, they say.
Despite appearances, this is not a naked example of punitive redistribution—the fiscal politics of envy. Mr Frank and Lord Layard do not want to level the social order. Their aim is much more conservative than that. Their taxes would leave the pecking order intact and envy undiminished. But people would be deterred from acting on the green-eyed monster. The problem these economists want to tackle is not inequality per se. It is that people don't know their place and scramble vainly to improve it. Carlyle, who thought man should content himself with being the worthy follower of worthy superiors, would no doubt have approved.
I especially like the part about progressive tax. Given the huge influx of super wealthy into Singapore to "escape" higher taxes in their home countries, no wonder people are complaining about a new "elite" class here that are totally out of touch with the rest of society.
Perhaps it will provide some insight and soul searching for the past year and give some guidance for the year(s) ahead. We all want to be happy don't we? =)
I was tempted to paste the entire article here but I guess I will be sued for copyright infringement, so here's an excerpt:
To clamber up the pecking order, some people slave away nights and weekends at the office. They gain in rank at the expense of their free time. But in making that sacrifice they also hurt anyone else who shares their aspirations: they too must give up their weekends to keep up. Mr Frank reckons that many people would like to work less, if only others slackened off also. But such bargains cannot be struck unilaterally. On the contrary, people compete in costly “arms races”, knowing that if they do not work harder, they will lose their standing to someone who does.
These races are motivated by more than just prestige. As Fred Hirsch argued in his 1977 book, “The Social Limits to Growth”, many good things in life are “positional”. You can enjoy them only if others don't. Sometimes, a quick car, fine suit or attractive house is not enough. One must have the fastest car, finest suit or priciest house.
Think of the scramble for schools, Mr Frank says. Only 10% of kids can go to the top 10% of schools. In many countries, wherever the schools are good, the houses will be expensive. Thus parents who want the best education for their child must overwork to afford a house in a good school district. In doing so, however, they raise the bar for everyone else.
Is mutual disarmament possible? Not without government help, Mr Frank and Lord Layard argue. The exchequer should tax earned income heavily enough to deter one-upmanship, they say.
Despite appearances, this is not a naked example of punitive redistribution—the fiscal politics of envy. Mr Frank and Lord Layard do not want to level the social order. Their aim is much more conservative than that. Their taxes would leave the pecking order intact and envy undiminished. But people would be deterred from acting on the green-eyed monster. The problem these economists want to tackle is not inequality per se. It is that people don't know their place and scramble vainly to improve it. Carlyle, who thought man should content himself with being the worthy follower of worthy superiors, would no doubt have approved.
I especially like the part about progressive tax. Given the huge influx of super wealthy into Singapore to "escape" higher taxes in their home countries, no wonder people are complaining about a new "elite" class here that are totally out of touch with the rest of society.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Super Sonic
It appeared like a beautiful day for skating this morning. As I was coming back from the Fort Road area one tall ang moh guy waved and shouted out to me "Berkeley!" and I was a little freaked out! Then I realised I was wearing my "all Cal" skating outfit today which probably explains the reaction. Didn't recognise him as one of the Cal alumni though his built looked a little like DH. I learned a new trick while observing lessons at the rink: sudden spin-stop. Basically its a variation of the standard spin-stop (or y-stop, eagle-turn to some people) except that you pivot on your left toe rather than the entire left foot. So basically your left skate flips onto an eagle stance real fast, and with a quick flip of your right foot you are now rolling on backwards voila! The key is catching your balance when you flip your right skate that quickly, or else you will end up on your butt (trust me on that one)! After skating a while though, the weather started turning on me and I got to tell you that your heart just sinks when you see those bearings soaking in all that rainwater......
All that rainfall called for some emergency skate maintenance to make sure those ILQ-9 bearings don't get corroded. And yes, they do get corroded even though they are "stainless steel"! So basically I had to take everything apart and dry out the bearings with a hairdryer. Sounds easy? Well, I got stuck on the first step, luckily I had some handy tools. Apparently all that grime and water made the bearings kinda stuck in the wheels. The K2 skate tool was of no use half the time. That's where the "Sonic Pro Tool" comes in handy! Pops out all the bearings all of the time with minimal effort! And I thought I had wasted good money on that tool.....
In the process of drying and cleaning out all those bearings I found that some of them didn't spin very well. I suppose some dirt got into them, there were no signs of corrosion though. With all that grease inside the bearings its hard to tell what dirt is in there, so I had to find some way to clean them out. Tried using napkins and all, but those were completely of no use, its just too difficult to get anything out from those bearings! Now that's where the "Sonic Turbo Bearing Wash" comes in handy. Basically I threw all the bearings in there, and voila, after 5 minutes, everything was perfectly clean and shiny!!! Even all the grease was removed, it was a miracle!!!! I didn't have to do anything but throw them into the fluid and shake a little!
So now that the dirty bearings are all cleaned and dried out, time to test the spin. Somehow the bearings seem to have a little spin resistance after being completely cleaned out though, as in you can hear some metal grinding or something. Not perfect, but I guess I could use it like that. That's when I found out that just a few drops of "Sonic Super Oil" makes a hella difference! Few drops of that magic lube and the bearings spin effortlessly! I think much less lube was required than the original ton of grease that was in there when I bought those skates.....
The whole process took me almost 2 hours. Probably worth the effort but I'd pay a skate shop 5 bucks if they could do it all for me haha! Somehow though I doubt I could trust someone else to put in as much effort to achieve the same standard.....
All that rainfall called for some emergency skate maintenance to make sure those ILQ-9 bearings don't get corroded. And yes, they do get corroded even though they are "stainless steel"! So basically I had to take everything apart and dry out the bearings with a hairdryer. Sounds easy? Well, I got stuck on the first step, luckily I had some handy tools. Apparently all that grime and water made the bearings kinda stuck in the wheels. The K2 skate tool was of no use half the time. That's where the "Sonic Pro Tool" comes in handy! Pops out all the bearings all of the time with minimal effort! And I thought I had wasted good money on that tool.....
In the process of drying and cleaning out all those bearings I found that some of them didn't spin very well. I suppose some dirt got into them, there were no signs of corrosion though. With all that grease inside the bearings its hard to tell what dirt is in there, so I had to find some way to clean them out. Tried using napkins and all, but those were completely of no use, its just too difficult to get anything out from those bearings! Now that's where the "Sonic Turbo Bearing Wash" comes in handy. Basically I threw all the bearings in there, and voila, after 5 minutes, everything was perfectly clean and shiny!!! Even all the grease was removed, it was a miracle!!!! I didn't have to do anything but throw them into the fluid and shake a little!
So now that the dirty bearings are all cleaned and dried out, time to test the spin. Somehow the bearings seem to have a little spin resistance after being completely cleaned out though, as in you can hear some metal grinding or something. Not perfect, but I guess I could use it like that. That's when I found out that just a few drops of "Sonic Super Oil" makes a hella difference! Few drops of that magic lube and the bearings spin effortlessly! I think much less lube was required than the original ton of grease that was in there when I bought those skates.....
The whole process took me almost 2 hours. Probably worth the effort but I'd pay a skate shop 5 bucks if they could do it all for me haha! Somehow though I doubt I could trust someone else to put in as much effort to achieve the same standard.....
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Kurt Wenner
Kurt Wenner is probably one of the most amazing artists around! He does chalk drawings on the streets that look so real that you'd think there's stuff rising out of the ground or something! And the best part is that he's right here in Singapore now, and that's him drawing! I wonder how many people know he's in town creating a masterpiece.....Monday, December 11, 2006
California
We've be on the run
Driving in the sun
Looking out for number one
California, here we come
Right back where we started from
Well, hustlers grab your guns
The shadow weighs a ton
Driving down the 101
California, here we come
Right back where we started from
California
Here we come!
On the stereo
Listen as we go
Nothing's gonna stop me now
California, here we come
Right back where we started from
Peddle to the floor
Thinking of you more
Gotta get us to the show
California, here we come
Right back where we started from
California
Here we come!
Driving in the sun
Looking out for number one
California, here we come
Right back where we started from
Well, hustlers grab your guns
The shadow weighs a ton
Driving down the 101
California, here we come
Right back where we started from
California
Here we come!
On the stereo
Listen as we go
Nothing's gonna stop me now
California, here we come
Right back where we started from
Peddle to the floor
Thinking of you more
Gotta get us to the show
California, here we come
Right back where we started from
California
Here we come!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Surprising Report on the Ethical Food Movement
I just read this article about the ethical-food movement (i.e. organic, fairtrade and local).
The aims of much of the ethical-food movement -- to protect the environment, to encourage development and to redress the distortions in global trade -- are admirable. The problems lie in the means, not the ends. No amount of Fairtrade coffee will eliminate world poverty, and all the organic asparagus in the world will not save the planet. Some of the stuff sold under an ethical label may even leave the world in a worse state and its poor farmers poorer than they otherwise would be.
-The Economist Dec 9, 2006
The aims of much of the ethical-food movement -- to protect the environment, to encourage development and to redress the distortions in global trade -- are admirable. The problems lie in the means, not the ends. No amount of Fairtrade coffee will eliminate world poverty, and all the organic asparagus in the world will not save the planet. Some of the stuff sold under an ethical label may even leave the world in a worse state and its poor farmers poorer than they otherwise would be.
-The Economist Dec 9, 2006
Friday, December 08, 2006
His Sheep Am I
In God's green pastures feeding
by His cool waters lie
Soft in the evening walk my Lord and I;
All the sheep of His pasture
Fare so wondrously fine.
His sheep am I
Water's cool... in the valley
pasture's green... on the mountain
In the evening walk my Lord and I;
Dark the night... in the valley
Rough the way... on the mountain
Step by step
Walk my Lord and I
by His cool waters lie
Soft in the evening walk my Lord and I;
All the sheep of His pasture
Fare so wondrously fine.
His sheep am I
Water's cool... in the valley
pasture's green... on the mountain
In the evening walk my Lord and I;
Dark the night... in the valley
Rough the way... on the mountain
Step by step
Walk my Lord and I
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
News Channels
I just read this in the Economist regarding English-speaking news channels:
If there is heavy-handed government influence, viewers will notice, and switch off. "Russia Today", an English-language news channel from the Russian government, has had little impact since its launch last December; neither has Channel NewsAsia, started in 1999 by a firm owned by Singapore's government to challenge Western dominance of the airwaves.
Ouch! I think Channel NewsAsia has a pretty good well-updated website, but otherwise they appear not to be as popular in the region as they claim to be....
If there is heavy-handed government influence, viewers will notice, and switch off. "Russia Today", an English-language news channel from the Russian government, has had little impact since its launch last December; neither has Channel NewsAsia, started in 1999 by a firm owned by Singapore's government to challenge Western dominance of the airwaves.
Ouch! I think Channel NewsAsia has a pretty good well-updated website, but otherwise they appear not to be as popular in the region as they claim to be....
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Beautiful weather for skating
The weather this morning was absolutely perfect for skating!!! It has been raining almost every afternoon for the last week and a half. And unfortunately I usually can't wake up to skate in the morning, and by the time lunch is done, the sky turns dark. I woke up early today, and it was just right, not too hot, and the sky was not threatening either. Neither was it crowded at East Coast Park, cos most people are staying away for fear of the impending rain!
I did the entire trail twice, back and forth. I suppose that brings it to a total of about 20km? Okay to some of you that's no big deal, but its my first time going the distance on skates and it was a pretty darn good workout! And I thoroughly enjoyed my favorite sights on the way: the amazing view at bedok jetty, eucalyptus trees near the yacht club, catching a glimpse of some cable skiing. I used to like skating as a substitute for skiing, which is the one sport I really love. But now I think that skating on its own is fantastic, especially if you have the right scenary and conditions to go along with it. ;)
Living by the sea has its advantages and disadvantages. It takes a long time to get to work, and the commute really sucks as the train station isn't nearby. Most buses take surface streets which takes hella long to get anywhere on the other side of the island. For this reason alone many people dread staying by the east coast. The other big disadvantage is that developers are always eyeing your property! Everybody wants to buy up that plot of land and replace it with a ridiculously expensive condominium (unless u are staying in hdb of course)! And you know that once you move out and sell that land, you will never be able to afford staying in this neighbourhood anymore.....
But of course the greatest thing is that you have 10km of untouched beach at your doorstep! Okay, 10km is not a lot compared to Los Angeles, but if you are staying on an island only 40km across, it sure is paradise! Not to mention that there really hasn't been much development along the beachfront, so it does look a lot more natural than LA (though it isn't!). And with the weather changing all the time towards the northeast monsoon season, it's good to have the park at your doorstep so you can judge when's a good time to go skate. ;) Rain here normally lasts only an hour or two and are unpredictable. So if you lived further away you'd probably not even head to ECP during this season....
I did the entire trail twice, back and forth. I suppose that brings it to a total of about 20km? Okay to some of you that's no big deal, but its my first time going the distance on skates and it was a pretty darn good workout! And I thoroughly enjoyed my favorite sights on the way: the amazing view at bedok jetty, eucalyptus trees near the yacht club, catching a glimpse of some cable skiing. I used to like skating as a substitute for skiing, which is the one sport I really love. But now I think that skating on its own is fantastic, especially if you have the right scenary and conditions to go along with it. ;)
Living by the sea has its advantages and disadvantages. It takes a long time to get to work, and the commute really sucks as the train station isn't nearby. Most buses take surface streets which takes hella long to get anywhere on the other side of the island. For this reason alone many people dread staying by the east coast. The other big disadvantage is that developers are always eyeing your property! Everybody wants to buy up that plot of land and replace it with a ridiculously expensive condominium (unless u are staying in hdb of course)! And you know that once you move out and sell that land, you will never be able to afford staying in this neighbourhood anymore.....
But of course the greatest thing is that you have 10km of untouched beach at your doorstep! Okay, 10km is not a lot compared to Los Angeles, but if you are staying on an island only 40km across, it sure is paradise! Not to mention that there really hasn't been much development along the beachfront, so it does look a lot more natural than LA (though it isn't!). And with the weather changing all the time towards the northeast monsoon season, it's good to have the park at your doorstep so you can judge when's a good time to go skate. ;) Rain here normally lasts only an hour or two and are unpredictable. So if you lived further away you'd probably not even head to ECP during this season....
Friday, December 01, 2006
Global Cost of Living Index
Here is the ranking from the most accurate and updated cost of living index out there. Once again proving that Singapore is indeed a VERY expensive place to live in, so please stop saying that I'm living like a king in Asia!!!
1. Moscow
2. Seoul
3. Tokyo
4. Hong Kong
5. London
6. Osaka
7. Geneva
8. Copenhagen
9. Zurich
10. Oslo
11. New York City
12. St. Petersberg
13. Milan
14. Beijing
15. Istanbul
15. Paris
17. Singapore
20. Shanghai
28. Taipei
29. Los Angeles
34. San Francisco
38. Chicago
47. Toronto
56. Vancouver
76. Houston
84. Boston
93. Perth
102. Seattle
114. Kuala Lumpur
I think Perth or Seattle would be a nice place to retire.....
1. Moscow
2. Seoul
3. Tokyo
4. Hong Kong
5. London
6. Osaka
7. Geneva
8. Copenhagen
9. Zurich
10. Oslo
11. New York City
12. St. Petersberg
13. Milan
14. Beijing
15. Istanbul
15. Paris
17. Singapore
20. Shanghai
28. Taipei
29. Los Angeles
34. San Francisco
38. Chicago
47. Toronto
56. Vancouver
76. Houston
84. Boston
93. Perth
102. Seattle
114. Kuala Lumpur
I think Perth or Seattle would be a nice place to retire.....
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Chinese Cars
Chinese cars have become very popular in Asia lately for one reasonly only: they are dirt cheap! But when it comes to quality......
According to the latest China Automobile Customer Satisfaction Index, the number of faults per 100 cars made in China rose from 246 in 2005 to 338 this year. Four out of five cars now experience a problem in the first six months of ownership. But with average retail prices falling by $1,250 a year, producers are racing to cut costs, not improve quality. Intense competition is also forcing them to accelerate development cycles. Carmakers acknowledge that this means they are being forced to use lower quality materials and spend less time on testing. So reliability is likely to deteriorate further. -- The Economist, Nov 25 2006
The statistics are from China itself. As we all know, China is notorious for covering up stuff like inflation rate, economic growth etc, so if the authorities say the situation bad, it must be REALLY bad! The Cherry may be cheap, but it won't be worth the money if it gets out of control and becomes a squashed Cherry!!
According to the latest China Automobile Customer Satisfaction Index, the number of faults per 100 cars made in China rose from 246 in 2005 to 338 this year. Four out of five cars now experience a problem in the first six months of ownership. But with average retail prices falling by $1,250 a year, producers are racing to cut costs, not improve quality. Intense competition is also forcing them to accelerate development cycles. Carmakers acknowledge that this means they are being forced to use lower quality materials and spend less time on testing. So reliability is likely to deteriorate further. -- The Economist, Nov 25 2006
The statistics are from China itself. As we all know, China is notorious for covering up stuff like inflation rate, economic growth etc, so if the authorities say the situation bad, it must be REALLY bad! The Cherry may be cheap, but it won't be worth the money if it gets out of control and becomes a squashed Cherry!!
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Most bizarre news!
A Thai Buddhist monk has refused to reattach his penis after he cut it off with a machete during meditation, Reuters reported.
The monk, 35, reportedly severed the organ because he had an erection and only allowed hospital doctors to dress the wound. He said he had renounced all earthly cares and had "abandoned everything", the hospital chief told Reuters.
The monk, 35, reportedly severed the organ because he had an erection and only allowed hospital doctors to dress the wound. He said he had renounced all earthly cares and had "abandoned everything", the hospital chief told Reuters.
Friday, November 17, 2006
The Bush
Many ppl think George Bush is quite ignorant of foreign affairs and really makes a big mess of the whole show. I just read this in a book:
"....George W. Bush had to apply for a passport after becoming president of the United States, so he could travel overseas."
Gosh, and he became president.....
"....George W. Bush had to apply for a passport after becoming president of the United States, so he could travel overseas."
Gosh, and he became president.....
DAPS 2006
If you are wondering what I've been busy with, I just presented a paper at DAPS 2006.
Wan, Y. K. and Ng, P. H., “Numerical Analysis of Close-In Blast Effects on Reinforced Concrete Columns”, Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Design and Analysis of Protective Structures, pp. 343–351, 2006.
Wan, Y. K. and Ng, P. H., “Numerical Analysis of Close-In Blast Effects on Reinforced Concrete Columns”, Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Design and Analysis of Protective Structures, pp. 343–351, 2006.
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