In the mood for some blues.
Willow weep for me
Willow weep for me
Bend your branches green along the stream that runs to sea
Listen to my plea
Hear me willow and weep for me
Gone my lovers dream
Lovely summer dream
Gone and left me here to weep my tears into the stream
Sad as I can be
Hear me willow and weep for me
Whisper to the wind and say that love has sinned
Left my heart a-breaking, and making a moan
Murmur to the night to hide its starry light
So none will see me sighing and crying all alone
Weeping willow tree
Weep in sympathy
Bend your branches down along the ground and cover me
When the shadows fall, hear me willow and weep for me
Oh, Weeping willow tree
Weep in sympathy
Bend your branches down along the ground and cover me
When the shadows fall, hear me willow and weep for me
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Family Finance
I was checking this website I discovered - Raising Kids - and found this section as a follow-up to my earlier post. It's about balancing your budget for your family and provides useful tips. Read it here.
This is written in the UK context but I believe most of the tips do apply globally too.
Two parts caught my eye. "How to raise a millionaire" contains quotes from some of Britain's best-known entrepreneurs about how their childhood experiences contributed to what they've become today. For example:
Untie your apron strings
'My mother was determined to make us independent. When I was four, she stopped the car a few miles from our house and made me find my own way home across the fields.'
Richard Branson
Encourage creativity
'You'd come home and there'd be some wooden boxes in the back garden, with a rug over them wired up to look like it was rippled, and a sheet pinned to the apple tree. My dad would go, 'Just sit there for a minute, son, before you go in to do your homework.' And there you were on a flying carpet.'
Sir Paul Smith
Be tough
'My mother had absolutely no time for self-pity. I'm the same...move on. Get on and do it, because nobody else is going to do it for you. I think that whole culture has been instilled in me. I am responsible for my life. There's no point whingeing about it, get on and make of it what you will.'
Dragon's Den Deborah Meaden
The other part "Talking to children about money" shares how you can help 4-9 year-olds realise they can't have it all and that money doesn't grow on trees, or in Caitlin's context, "if you need money, just get it from the bank".
Austerity drive
With prices increasing for almost everything, especially food and fuel, it's time to seriously and consciously take measures to save.
What I'm working on these days:
1. Go to the market/supermarket only once or twice a week. Try to make a complete list of what I need to buy. This saves fuel and parking costs from going to the shops/market too often just to pick up one or two items.
2. Buy only what I need, stick to the list. I used to be greedy and buy food (especially dry/frozen goods) that I 'plan' to cook 'some day'.
3. Don't stock up too much food just because it happens to be on sale, especially when I don't have extra cash to spare.
4. Don't buy clothes or reading material I don't need just because it's on sale or just because I 'feel like it'.
5. Read newspapers online. Since I'm already paying a monthly flat rate for Internet usage, maximise my reading online. Re-read old books and magazines that I already have which have been collecting dust for so many years.
6. Eat out less or buy less ready-cooked meals. It's cheaper to cook your own meals and it's healthier too. Plus you save on fuel and parking and don't pay the taxes that come with the bill and other hidden costs for the nice decor, aircon, and extra unhealthy items like cold drinks and dessert.
7. Cook just enough for everyone at home. Try not to have leftovers. Or cook a large portion, enough for freezing it for another meal.
8. Turn off the lights, fan and TV when not in use. Use air conditioning only when it is unbearably hot.
9. Clean the floors, windows and bathrooms and iron clothes myself instead of paying part-time cleaners to do it every week.
10. Reduce credit card usage. Stick to cash only to ensure I spend within my budget.
11. Withdraw enough cash to last a few weeks or a month to spend within budget. I tend to overspend when going to the ATM too often. The bank also charges a service fee for using the ATM for more than a set number of times a month.
12. Set aside a sum every month to save using a system we've learnt from T. Harv Eker.
13. Buy new toys for Caitlin only on her birthday and Christmas. (This is hard to do...all parents love their kids and tend to give in most times sooner or later). Buy used (but in good condition) books for her. Think of creative, low-cost ways for family activities like going swimming more often, visit the park, instead of going to the mall (extra expenses for fuel, parking, meals, snacks, books, toys, amusement centre, movie theatre).
What I'm working on these days:
1. Go to the market/supermarket only once or twice a week. Try to make a complete list of what I need to buy. This saves fuel and parking costs from going to the shops/market too often just to pick up one or two items.
2. Buy only what I need, stick to the list. I used to be greedy and buy food (especially dry/frozen goods) that I 'plan' to cook 'some day'.
3. Don't stock up too much food just because it happens to be on sale, especially when I don't have extra cash to spare.
4. Don't buy clothes or reading material I don't need just because it's on sale or just because I 'feel like it'.
5. Read newspapers online. Since I'm already paying a monthly flat rate for Internet usage, maximise my reading online. Re-read old books and magazines that I already have which have been collecting dust for so many years.
6. Eat out less or buy less ready-cooked meals. It's cheaper to cook your own meals and it's healthier too. Plus you save on fuel and parking and don't pay the taxes that come with the bill and other hidden costs for the nice decor, aircon, and extra unhealthy items like cold drinks and dessert.
7. Cook just enough for everyone at home. Try not to have leftovers. Or cook a large portion, enough for freezing it for another meal.
8. Turn off the lights, fan and TV when not in use. Use air conditioning only when it is unbearably hot.
9. Clean the floors, windows and bathrooms and iron clothes myself instead of paying part-time cleaners to do it every week.
10. Reduce credit card usage. Stick to cash only to ensure I spend within my budget.
11. Withdraw enough cash to last a few weeks or a month to spend within budget. I tend to overspend when going to the ATM too often. The bank also charges a service fee for using the ATM for more than a set number of times a month.
12. Set aside a sum every month to save using a system we've learnt from T. Harv Eker.
13. Buy new toys for Caitlin only on her birthday and Christmas. (This is hard to do...all parents love their kids and tend to give in most times sooner or later). Buy used (but in good condition) books for her. Think of creative, low-cost ways for family activities like going swimming more often, visit the park, instead of going to the mall (extra expenses for fuel, parking, meals, snacks, books, toys, amusement centre, movie theatre).
Monday, June 2, 2008
Aches and pains
Am I depressed or burnt out or unhealthy or lack of exercise or just ageing? I've been getting aches at various places lately, although I know some are from previous injuries from being too active outdoors. This prompted to me Google and I found this quite informative.
Body Aches May Signal Depression
Counseling May Be Better Than Drugs for Those With Unexplained Physical Ills
By Sid Kirchheimer
WebMD Health NewsJuly 20, 2004 -- Why is it that so many people with depression are never identified as having the condition, while about half of those who are diagnosed fail to improve with medications proven to be effective? New research shows the explanations may be in their initial symptoms.
Depression is a mood disorder diagnosed by tell-tale symptoms such as fatigue, lethargy, or poor sleep. But depression may manifest itself in physical aches and pains that offer no obvious cause, such as unexplained chest pain, muscle ache, trembling, or hot flashes.
To continue reading this article, find it here.
Body Aches May Signal Depression
Counseling May Be Better Than Drugs for Those With Unexplained Physical Ills
By Sid Kirchheimer
WebMD Health NewsJuly 20, 2004 -- Why is it that so many people with depression are never identified as having the condition, while about half of those who are diagnosed fail to improve with medications proven to be effective? New research shows the explanations may be in their initial symptoms.
Depression is a mood disorder diagnosed by tell-tale symptoms such as fatigue, lethargy, or poor sleep. But depression may manifest itself in physical aches and pains that offer no obvious cause, such as unexplained chest pain, muscle ache, trembling, or hot flashes.
To continue reading this article, find it here.
Too tired of this issue to say too much
I just read this piece of news and it makes me sick and tired.
The Star, Monday June 2, 2008
Malay students affected
PETALING JAYA: Increasing the quota for non-bumiputras for Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships without increasing the actual number of scholarships has drastically affected the bumiputras, the Umno Youth Education Bureau said.
Its chairman Ahmad Ikmal Ismail said while the bureau agreed with the Government to give more scholarships to non-bumiputras, it did not agree with the way it was done.
“The quota for non-bumiputras has increased from 10% to 45% but the number of total scholarships has remained at 2,000.”
Ahmad Ikmal said this meant that scholarships were being taken from the bumiputras to be given to the non-bumiputras.
“We object to this move because it now means that 700 scholarships for bumiputra students are gone,” he said.
Ahmad Ikmal said a better way would be to use the New Economic Policy concept to increase the number of total scholarships. He said this was to ensure that the bumiputras were not affected and the non-bumiputras would get even more opportunities.
Scholarships should be given based on merit regardless of race, NEP or not. What happens if there is less than 55%of Malay students who deserve the scholarship? Would the government then provide the remaining to their cronies' children? Or would they distribute it to other races who deserve it? Increasing the total number of scholarships would also mean taking more from taxpayers. Clean up the mess in the education system and produce good students first before talking about scholarships!
The Star, Monday June 2, 2008
Malay students affected
PETALING JAYA: Increasing the quota for non-bumiputras for Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships without increasing the actual number of scholarships has drastically affected the bumiputras, the Umno Youth Education Bureau said.
Its chairman Ahmad Ikmal Ismail said while the bureau agreed with the Government to give more scholarships to non-bumiputras, it did not agree with the way it was done.
“The quota for non-bumiputras has increased from 10% to 45% but the number of total scholarships has remained at 2,000.”
Ahmad Ikmal said this meant that scholarships were being taken from the bumiputras to be given to the non-bumiputras.
“We object to this move because it now means that 700 scholarships for bumiputra students are gone,” he said.
Ahmad Ikmal said a better way would be to use the New Economic Policy concept to increase the number of total scholarships. He said this was to ensure that the bumiputras were not affected and the non-bumiputras would get even more opportunities.
Scholarships should be given based on merit regardless of race, NEP or not. What happens if there is less than 55%of Malay students who deserve the scholarship? Would the government then provide the remaining to their cronies' children? Or would they distribute it to other races who deserve it? Increasing the total number of scholarships would also mean taking more from taxpayers. Clean up the mess in the education system and produce good students first before talking about scholarships!
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