People Management ...

Been a team lead for several months now. It has been really hard for me to lead a group of people, more so because these people have their individuality intact and honestly, I am not a people-person. But thank goodness I have a supervisor who cares enough to show me by not leading but making me understand that there is "No Free Lunch". He said that respect is given because it is deserved and NOT COMMANDED by any position or by the bearer. He has only one rule:

SET AN EXAMPLE AND YOUR SUBORDINATES WILL FOLLOW...

Which actually makes sense. Why? Go figure...

An Insult to One's Intelligence... Sad sad thing

Below is article of Mr. Chip Tsao (first time I've heard of him), a writer for a very respectable magazine...
Read on and learn something...

The War At Home March 27th, 2009

The Russians sank a Hong Kong freighter last month, killing the seven Chinese seamen on board. We can live with that—Lenin and Stalin were once the ideological mentors of all Chinese people. The Japanese planted a flag on Diàoyú Island. That’s no big problem—we Hong Kong Chinese love Japanese cartoons, Hello Kitty, and shopping in Shinjuku, let alone our round-the-clock obsession with karaoke. But hold on—even the Filipinos? Manila has just claimed sovereignty over the scattered rocks in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, complete with a blatant threat from its congress to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary. This is beyond reproach. The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter. As a patriotic Chinese man, the news has made my blood boil. I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture. I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China. Grimly, I told her that if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day. With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings. Oh yes. The government of the Philippines would certainly be wrong if they think we Chinese are prepared to swallow their insult and sit back and lose a Falkland Islands War in the Far East. They may have Barack Obama and the hawkish American military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher. Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout “China, Madam/Sir” loudly whenever they hear the word “Spratly.” They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout, “Long live Chairman Mao!” at the sight of a portrait of our Great Leader during the Cultural Revolution. I’m not sure if that’s going a bit too far, at least for the time being.

http://hk-magazine.com/feature/war-home#comment-2675.

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It's quite sad and disappointing. I was hoping that this article will spark a more mature, intelligent and sensible talk about the Spratlys. But all I got is dirt and cheap street talk, slapstick. He just insulted his own intelligence...

Next please.

Hale and Toads

I got stuck in the muck again. The ticket was there and why did I not check on it! How stupid... This day could not be more perfect... From morning until evening, all I have were hale and toads.. Just right. More than just right.

The Horse in the Year of the Ox...

2009 year of the ox predictions for the Horse (1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990) should be prepared as his luck would go to both extremes in the year of the Ox. Lucky stars shining on him in 2009 would be able to help him achieve success in his career, however some unlucky stars are also shining that could bring him tragedies and difficulties. These difficulties he should all pass before he will be able to taste the fruits of his hard work.

One lucky star that has influence on his work and career is the lucky star Jiang Xing. This star represents bravery, stamina and persistence in achieving success. This star also signifies better social status and leadership skills, which would benefit the Horse who is involved in the upper management, disciplinary teams and key positions in large corporations. They can expect satisfactory performance this year.

The star Di Lie could bring the Horse major problems, but with the help of influential people he would be able to face all the problems and solve them. Another star, Di Jie signifies moving. This could mean a new house for the Horse, a new real estate or new furniture.

Bai Fu is a star that signifies animal bites, Horses who have pets or who are working closely with animals are advised to take extra caution. Another interpretation for the star Bai Fu is a woman without sense who might bring great annoyance to the Horse.

One star that means good luck in wealth and career is the star Jin Gui. However the Horse and his family members might suffer poor health and injury on limbs and some teeth problems. Overall, the Horse can expect to make progress in the year of the Ox, as he can also look to have some changes in his environment. However, special attention should be given to his own physical and mental health and he also need to take care of his family members.

PISCEAN HORSE

Piscean Horses get swept up in the opinions of others. They like to know what other people think of them and can be quick to make changes others see fit.

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THE OX in the Year of the Ox:

The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. As one might guess, such people are dependable, calm and modest. Like his animal namesake, the Ox is unswervingly patient, tireless in his work, and capable of enduring any amount of hardship without complaint

People born in this year are also said to be stubborn, narrow minded, and with low public relations skills.

Interesting combinations, I must say. These and lots more are sure in store for us in the Chinese Year of the Ox 2009. So let’s see what other things are coming for the Ox as well as those in the other animal year.

Continuing with our discussion of the Ox, the male Ox can look forward to a better year in 2009 compared to their female counterpart, as far as the romance department is concern. The female Ox can only expect for short term romances, and she even have to take initiatives at times. On the other hand, with the star Tai Yin shining on them, which represents females with influence to help them out, the male Ox can expect to have better luck on love, and is likely to meet someone he likes.

Aside from the love factor, Tai Yin is also known as a Star of Wealth which means that it can influence his luck on wealth positively. So if the male Ox is working under a female supervisor, he can expect more support and recognition, with a better chance of progress and development in career. But while Tai Yin signifies progress, it is slow yet steady. This means that the Ox should not be pushy or rush his way, if he does, his luck might go the other way.

Another lucky star shining on the Ox (1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 2009) in 2009 is Guo Yin, which is an authority star is also known as the seal of the General. This can be interpreted that his progress and developments will be recognized and achieved with much authority.

Unfortunately, unlucky stars are also shining upon the Ox. These stars are Guan Suo, Gou Shen, Di Sha and Tian Sha which could cause annoyance because of poor interpersonal relationships and some disputes. Guan Suo, for one, represents financial disputes and blackmailing. These unlucky stars can cause turbulence to the Ox’s otherwise beautiful career path for the Year of the Ox 2009. It is advised that he should work on and improved his interpersonal relationships skill, as this is his weakest department, and the area he is likely to go wrong.

PISCEAN OX

Sensitivity influences the toughness of the Ox to produce a delicate personality, with unlimited creativity and perspicacity. Piscean Oxen are artistic and would rather work behind the scenes than be a visible member of the team.

Back to Work...

Got back to work today. My wound still throbs painfully once in a while but it's tolerable. My team welcomed me warmly and they kept on asking where I'd been. Just told them that they'd surely not going to want to be where I got stitched... They smiled but you know they still had a lot of questions to ask judging on the looks on their faces. Luckily, they did not pound me with their questions, instead they gave me space... I heard someone said "yehey! Escalations will be worked on...". Yup, I'm working... Working again.

excision of multiple fibroadenoma...

I just had an operation last Friday, Jan. 2, 2009, my surgeon Dr. Juanito Dy called the operation as excision of multiple fibroadenoma. The ultrasound image displayed above are the "things" taken out. The ultrasond machine only saw 5 adenoma or growths but when my surgeon opened up my chest, he saw 6, the sixth is just about .02 cms, comparatively small compared to the others taken out, the reason why it was not detected by the ultrasound machine.

Are you wondering if it was painful? Yes, it was. He injected anesthesia 4 times before I went numb. But then when he snips the growths out of my other tissues, I still feel a stabbing pain surge through my chest, before I knew it I had tears flowing at the corners of my eyes, but I was not crying. The pain was just sharp. I was awake the whole time, I tried to sway my attention away from the pain. I opened up a conversation with Dr. Dy, in the background I can hear scissors snipping away something, seems like I am hearing cloth being cut... but then I kept on talking. The operation just took a little over an hour... Finally it was over. I got 31 stitches. I'm amazed I was still able to stand when just a while ago, I saw myself bled.

This whole thing actually made me realize something. I am nothing compared to those people who had stage 4 C's, sure there's Cobalt and chemo, but then there is more to it... Life indeed is a mystery. You thought you had it all figured out but then suddenly it all comes in a rush and you get left with nothing but cold feet.

I also realized that I am still blessed, the people who matter to me love me. I still have a lot to thank for.

One thing more... I'm waiting now for the lab results for the adenoma. Hopefully, it's not what I am afraid it would be.

Hopeless

I may hurl jokes. I admit I make pranks just for the heck of it. But I don't belittle people... It's a mortal sin.

Before you say the other person is a moron, measure your intelligence first. How come he understood "it" right away and you didn't?

Before you say you are a "guy", shrug off your being a girl first. Isn't babbling a girl's trait?

Before you speak, make sure your mouth does not smell like a sock that has been worn for a week. It all boils down to the "intelligence". The mouth is just under the nose, but why is it that you were not able to smell the stink? Brain malfunction?

I can just guess. Hopeless me. A simpleton. Arghhh!

85

Are You in Love?

Your Love Score Is: 85

It's truly love. You have an amazing partner and a wonderful relationship. Your relationship isn't perfect, but you know how to work with each other to make it better. You both listen to one another, give freely, and do your best to make things work. While you have ups and downs like any other couple, you're good at getting through the bad times together. And although you find it easy to love your partner, you understand that lasting love doesn't come easily. You are both willing to give this relationship everything you have. And luckily, that's all it takes to make it work.

A letter each day ...

Yes, indeed... I have resumed my correspondence in the hope that I could obliterate what I feel in haste. With where I am, I tarry. With where I am, I could be found again.

Holding hands ...

Maayo pa sila... I guess all I can do now is wait.

Inner Blood Type ...

What's Your Inner Blood Type?

Your Inner Blood Type is AB!

Your personality is hard to define - you're very unconventional. And even if your personality could be defined, it would be completely different next week! Outgoing and shy, sensitive and thoughtless, you tend to have a very split personality. This makes you unpredictable. You can be a total angel - and a total devil. You are most compatible with: everyone! Famous Type AB's: Jackie Chan and Marilyn Monroe

US economic meltdown, another 'Depression' in the making... from an American point of view

I am really surprised by the somewhat complacent attitude that people have towards the recent Wall Street meltdown, and collapse of many parts of our financial systems. People now clearly see that Wall Street is in trouble, but I don't think that people yet see that the next shoe to drop will be for the crisis to hit main street. As the stock values continue to slide, companies will first stop hiring, and then they will begin to lay people off. As people lose their jobs, fewer and fewer people have money to buy things. As they spend less, companies make even less money, their stocks slide further, and then more people are laid off. This is the terrible spiral we are about to enter, and it will be almost impossible to predict how far down it goes before it hits bottom. I can, however, predict how I see the crisis unfolding.

The government, and the people, now are seeing that we have a very significant problem. The approach that the government is taking, with the support of the people, is to solve the problem by throwing money at it, and moving the country to a socialistic system. For example, when the economy first started to slide, the government's first response was a stimulus package that sent money out to everyone. This was silly. We have a terrible national debt, and our economy got in trouble due to too much spending and not enough savings. So what do we do? We encourage everyone to spend more. When this did not fix the problem, and in fact made the problem worse, the next thing we did was to start bailing out companies in trouble. At the same time as we are bailing out failed companies with failed management, that same management was receiving obscene bonuses and other compensation. Now we learn that much of the $1 Trillion bailout package will be used to buy equity in the failing banks. This is by definition socialism . . . government ownership of public companies. As the financial system continues to fail, there is now talk of another stimulus package.

It is clear that our approach to the problem, which was caused by too much spending and too much credit, is to throw more money at it. Presently, our National Debt is funded primarily by foreigners. Over 60% is held by foreign entities, much of it by countries like China, which might not actually be our friends. I imagine that very soon these entities will realize that we are in danger of not being able to service our debt and deficit, and that the only way for us to continue to operate is to monetize the debt (print money to pay it off). Just as we saw panic selling in stocks recently, we will see panic selling in treasuries. The US government will no longer be able to fund its operation and debt obligations, and they will do what they have always done . . . print more money. As this happens we will experience hyperinflation at a level unseen in our history.

I believe that this will lead to a new Great Depression, and the human suffering in the new Great Depression will be far worse than the last Great Depression. The reason is that in the last depression, there was some manner of social order in the country. If a man was hungry, he might try to steal your chicken in order to feed his family. He would probably not riot, burn, and pillage a shopping center. If we look at the response of people to various events in the last few years, we see that it does not take much to set people off into rioting and pillaging mode.

So, what should we do? Well, I have more or less given up on the government doing the right thing, so I think we as individuals need to be as prepared as possible. I am not a crazy survivalist. I think it is silly to buy a generator, or store food in the back yard. I think that there are some rational things that you can do. First, as a working person, are you doing a job that is really needed by society? It is like a huge game of musical chairs . . . when the music stops, will you have a chair? I believe that in any scenario, society will need and pay nurses, teachers, policemen, and those that manufacture needed goods like food, energy, or medicine. I think that if I were a salesman at Best Buy, a car salesman, worked at a health club or other such things, I would be concerned. If you work somewhere that offers goods or services which are not absolutely necessary, I would try and retrain and find a "mission critical" job as quickly as possible. The second advice I would give is to drastically reduce spending, and if you are in debt, get out of debt as quickly as possible. Downsize in what you are spending. Save more, give more, and re-evaluate what you consider to be a necessity. I would do things now like cancel cable TV, fire the maid, stop the health club subscription, stop manicures, mow your own grass, stop buying electronic gadgets, and re-evaluate plans for your children's college . . . can they attend a local university, and live at home?

I am not trying to frighten people, but based on my analysis, I am concerned that the economy has crossed the tipping point, and things will get much worse before they get better. Be prepared, and refocus on the things that matter . . . family, faith, and friends.
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Author is unknown but you can check out http://old-photos.blogspot.com/, author just use the initials PJM ...

New Days ...

Such blatant irony ... But then, it's how the cycle goes... So, why is everyone holding back?

Laughter for the Heart

I was trying to look for something on the net when I found something that really made my day. You might want to brighten up your day too... here's the link: http://psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/kids_thoughts_on_love ... Enjoy reading!

A not so ordinary year ...

I was not actually expecting it will work and stay on for this long. I just made sure that I did my best with all the things I do... making sure that I do things out of what I feel and not expect anything in return. I am just living my life the way I want to live it. And with that I have more joy...

You are right, I have changed. When it was just me, it was all about me. My time, my effort, my concerns, my thoughts, etc. are all for me. But I love the way I am now because I have a lot more to offer.

Yes, I have changed. I don't usually laugh at small things. Now, things that remind me of you make me smile. Things that remind me of you are small things but they are powerful enough to lift me up when I feel trashy.

It's been a year now... It could have been another year. It could have been an ordinary year. Thanks to you, it has been extraordinary.