An article in today's Straits Times, Recruit column illustrates this point. A sales girl is quoted as saying that some of her colleagues would lunch where they can get the cheapest meal even though it may be far away. But this sales girl doesn't mind spending 50 cents to a dollar more, if she can save 20 to 30 minutes of walking time, so that she get back faster to serve customers- and make more sales.
This is the kind of staff who will progress well in her job.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Sunday, July 30, 2006
A farmer has to sell his robotic sons.
A Chinese farmer grows robots. It's strange, he does it by himself and they've become his sons.
The China Daily said Mr. Wu Ylu, 44 was forced to sell his beloved home-made robots to pay off debts after his house burnt down.
All 25 robots were made of wire, metal, screws and nails found in rubbish tips, with some able to serve tea, light cigarettes and push rickshaws. "The cleverer they became, the deeper the emotional link I felt … I began to call them my sons," Wu Yulu was quoted as saying.
Mr. Wu does not have a formal education. He was one of five children in the family, and his parents could not support his education after he graduated from primary school in the mid-1970s. This was, however, no deterent to Mr. Wu who persisted to work on his dreams.
He took cue from nature. He was fascinated by the human body movements and in his spare time from farming, he collected everything that could be used in those movable things.
He loved to play with robots but had not heard of the word 'robot' when his imagintion to build moveable objects took flight.
Despite obstacles of accidents and disabled robots, Mr. Wu pressed on and the final blow forcing him to sell his robotic sons is a cruel twist to a fascinating story.
Mr. Wu is a genius of perseverence.
The China Daily said Mr. Wu Ylu, 44 was forced to sell his beloved home-made robots to pay off debts after his house burnt down.
All 25 robots were made of wire, metal, screws and nails found in rubbish tips, with some able to serve tea, light cigarettes and push rickshaws. "The cleverer they became, the deeper the emotional link I felt … I began to call them my sons," Wu Yulu was quoted as saying.
Mr. Wu does not have a formal education. He was one of five children in the family, and his parents could not support his education after he graduated from primary school in the mid-1970s. This was, however, no deterent to Mr. Wu who persisted to work on his dreams.
He took cue from nature. He was fascinated by the human body movements and in his spare time from farming, he collected everything that could be used in those movable things.
He loved to play with robots but had not heard of the word 'robot' when his imagintion to build moveable objects took flight.
Despite obstacles of accidents and disabled robots, Mr. Wu pressed on and the final blow forcing him to sell his robotic sons is a cruel twist to a fascinating story.
Mr. Wu is a genius of perseverence.
A New Zealand politician plays race card
A prominent New Zealand politician was accused of racism on Saturday after a speech in which he said immigrants who did not accept the country's "bedrock values" should not be allowed to stay.
The leader of the conservative opposition National Party, defined the values as "an acceptance of democracy and the rule of law, religious and personal freedom and legal equality of the sexes".
Diversity in society was fine, but there could be too much of a good thing, he said told an immigration consultants' conference on Friday, likening it to drinking red wine.
The shadow prime minister refused to specify who he was referring to and the country's Race Relations Commissioner passed it on saying he would leave the debate up to the public.
It is unhelpful for racial harmony when a politician makes a statement with negative racial undertones.
The leader of the conservative opposition National Party, defined the values as "an acceptance of democracy and the rule of law, religious and personal freedom and legal equality of the sexes".
Diversity in society was fine, but there could be too much of a good thing, he said told an immigration consultants' conference on Friday, likening it to drinking red wine.
The shadow prime minister refused to specify who he was referring to and the country's Race Relations Commissioner passed it on saying he would leave the debate up to the public.
It is unhelpful for racial harmony when a politician makes a statement with negative racial undertones.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Pakistan increases nuclear buildup
Washington, D.C.,-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a US thinktank has said Islamabad was building a reactor about 105 miles southwest of here that could generate plutonium for up to 50 atomic bombs a year.
The report said that the new reactor could be finished within a few years, and the expansion would represent a 20-fold increase of Pakistan's existing capabilities.
The US government urged Pakistan not to expand its nuclear weapons program.
Pakistan has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and International observers reacted with alarm after the Washington Post on Monday reported the reactor's existence. But Pakistan says that there would be no arms race with rival India, which is also armed with nuclear weapons.
Pakistan and India, who have fought three wars since independence from Britain, carried out tit-for-tat nuclear detonations in 1998 that provoked a global storm of protest.
A pending nuclear cooperation agreement between the Bush administration and India would give New Delhi access to sensitive U.S. nuclear technology in exchange for agreeing to more stringent safeguards over its civilian nuclear reactors.
Pakistan has criticized the deal, which requires approval from Congress, as one-sided, and demanded similar access to U.S. atomic technology.
South Asia may be heading for a nuclear arms race with worrisome consequences. It was Pakistan's disgraced nuclear scientist Dr. A.Q.Khan who who headed Pakistan's nuclear program for some 25 years and was forced out for selling nuclear technology to Iran, Libya, and North Korea.
The report said that the new reactor could be finished within a few years, and the expansion would represent a 20-fold increase of Pakistan's existing capabilities.
The US government urged Pakistan not to expand its nuclear weapons program.
Pakistan has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and International observers reacted with alarm after the Washington Post on Monday reported the reactor's existence. But Pakistan says that there would be no arms race with rival India, which is also armed with nuclear weapons.
Pakistan and India, who have fought three wars since independence from Britain, carried out tit-for-tat nuclear detonations in 1998 that provoked a global storm of protest.
A pending nuclear cooperation agreement between the Bush administration and India would give New Delhi access to sensitive U.S. nuclear technology in exchange for agreeing to more stringent safeguards over its civilian nuclear reactors.
Pakistan has criticized the deal, which requires approval from Congress, as one-sided, and demanded similar access to U.S. atomic technology.
South Asia may be heading for a nuclear arms race with worrisome consequences. It was Pakistan's disgraced nuclear scientist Dr. A.Q.Khan who who headed Pakistan's nuclear program for some 25 years and was forced out for selling nuclear technology to Iran, Libya, and North Korea.
Too much of sun kills
What's it with the sun these days!
The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that as many as 60,000 people a year die from too much sun, mostly from malignant skin cancer.
The bulk of the deaths are from skin cancers caused by excess exposure to the sun's harmful rays, ultraviolet radiation, says WHO.
UVR also causes sunburn, triggers cold sores and ages the skin, according to its report, the first to outline the global health burden of sun exposure.
Simple measures, such as covering up when in the sun, could cut the deaths.
The WHO report in this regard, while warning the dangers of too much exposure to the sun, should also as forcefully bring out the message about the depletion of the ozone layer, causing this deadly problem in the first place. The international community needs to wake up and take decisive and urgent action to stop polluting the air with green house gases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that as many as 60,000 people a year die from too much sun, mostly from malignant skin cancer.
The bulk of the deaths are from skin cancers caused by excess exposure to the sun's harmful rays, ultraviolet radiation, says WHO.
UVR also causes sunburn, triggers cold sores and ages the skin, according to its report, the first to outline the global health burden of sun exposure.
Simple measures, such as covering up when in the sun, could cut the deaths.
The WHO report in this regard, while warning the dangers of too much exposure to the sun, should also as forcefully bring out the message about the depletion of the ozone layer, causing this deadly problem in the first place. The international community needs to wake up and take decisive and urgent action to stop polluting the air with green house gases.
Celsius: A drink too good to believe
This sounds almost too good to be true: A soft drink that can actually help a person lose weight. No exercise required, just enjoy the drink and lose weight. This is something too good to be true. Against a backdrop of sagging sales of carbonated soft drinks, enter Celsius soft drinks from Elite FX.
The drink, called Celsius, is manufactured by a Florida company and is now hitting shelves in Maine, Portland .
Well, we are now moving away from the no-calorie soda to the negative calorie sodas. The Celsius in its early evolutionary stages is still a revolutionary act in the diet soda market that exists from the 1960s. Certainly the pursuit of weight loss is nothing new. But wouldn't this be quite an achievent when you can sit on your couch, watch your favourite TV program and lose weight by sipping Celsius.
The secret of Celsius, said Janice Haley of Elite FX, is in the natural ingredients, which include green tea, ginger and B vitamins.
Haley explained, "The way Celsius works, it raises your metabolism by 12 percent.
Not so fast cautions exercise physiologist Dawn Strout who is skeptical. While she said she doesn't discredit the claims, she doesn't believe there is any quick fix to weight loss. She said she believes in raising metabolism naturally.
So be careful, heed this Celsius claim only with a grain of salt.
Friday, July 28, 2006
A cure for poverty
While surfing around, Pascal Zachary's 'A capitalist cure for poverty' caught my attention.
It is a catchy title. Zacharay illustrates an example of how global capitalism alleviates poverty by creating job opportunities for the poor. Far from from its developed and high-cost shores, a US company is setting up an electronics factory in Kuching, on the island of Borneo in East Malyasia. Many would argue that clearing up the rain forest to give way to put up a factory providing employment to the tribes deep in the jungle has negative consequences, notwithstanding the short term benefits.
Charity is not what is at work here, it is the opportunity provided for the impoverished workers living in the surrounding vicinity to earn a decent wage and provide for their family.
C.K. Prahalad, a business consultant and management expert, postulates that the goal of the corporate world should be to 'eradicate poverty' rather than just to alleviate poverty. This a noble and lofty ambition which so far the World Bank and other lending agencies together with the support of the philanthropists have yet to achieve.
Prahalad talks of the poor as an untapped market. He presents his own, very simple, solution to poverty: Give the poor decent products at affordable prices. In short, treat the poor as consumers. Companies who do, he argues, will find "the fortune at the bottom of the pyramid."
The phrase, which is the title of Prahalad's latest book, refers to the world's wealth pyramid. Out of six billion people, one third are relatively wealthy and one third are absolutely poor, living on a $1 per day or less. Prahalad says these people, plus two billion more who live on between $1 and $2 per day, make up the "bottom of the pyramid,"(BOP). Prahalad says this the BOP approach.
Traditionally, businesses have always wanted to increase their profits and those that provided for the poor have also gouged them, extorting extra-high profits as a "reward" for going through the trouble of dealing with them in the first place.
Sceptics and the downtrodden will eagerly await to see what the multinational corporations do next.
It is a catchy title. Zacharay illustrates an example of how global capitalism alleviates poverty by creating job opportunities for the poor. Far from from its developed and high-cost shores, a US company is setting up an electronics factory in Kuching, on the island of Borneo in East Malyasia. Many would argue that clearing up the rain forest to give way to put up a factory providing employment to the tribes deep in the jungle has negative consequences, notwithstanding the short term benefits.
Charity is not what is at work here, it is the opportunity provided for the impoverished workers living in the surrounding vicinity to earn a decent wage and provide for their family.
C.K. Prahalad, a business consultant and management expert, postulates that the goal of the corporate world should be to 'eradicate poverty' rather than just to alleviate poverty. This a noble and lofty ambition which so far the World Bank and other lending agencies together with the support of the philanthropists have yet to achieve.
Prahalad talks of the poor as an untapped market. He presents his own, very simple, solution to poverty: Give the poor decent products at affordable prices. In short, treat the poor as consumers. Companies who do, he argues, will find "the fortune at the bottom of the pyramid."
The phrase, which is the title of Prahalad's latest book, refers to the world's wealth pyramid. Out of six billion people, one third are relatively wealthy and one third are absolutely poor, living on a $1 per day or less. Prahalad says these people, plus two billion more who live on between $1 and $2 per day, make up the "bottom of the pyramid,"(BOP). Prahalad says this the BOP approach.
Traditionally, businesses have always wanted to increase their profits and those that provided for the poor have also gouged them, extorting extra-high profits as a "reward" for going through the trouble of dealing with them in the first place.
Sceptics and the downtrodden will eagerly await to see what the multinational corporations do next.
Success according to Emerson
What is success? Here is what the famous American intellectual Ralph Waldo Emerson said:
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one's self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived -
This is to have succeeded.
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one's self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived -
This is to have succeeded.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Sound career advice from Napoleon Hill
THE TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO NEVER GET AHEAD ARE THOSE WHO DO ONLY WHAT THEY ARE TOLD AND THOSE WHO WILL NOT DO WHAT THEY ARE TOLD.
It’s hard to say which would be more discouraging: drifting from job to job because you’re always the first to be laid off, or laboring in monotonous obscurity at the same job.
The first results from not doing what you are told to do, the second from doing only what you are told to do. You can "get by" for a time following either approach, but you will never get ahead. Personal initiative is more important in today’s enlightened, high-tech workplace than it was during the Industrial Age, when the ability to follow orders was a critical skill.
As technology makes many supervisory functions obsolete, every one of us is expected to do more with less, determine what needs to be done, and do it. Don’t wait to be told. Know your company and your job so well that you can anticipate what needs to be done-then do it! Stop explaining and start doing!
This positive message is brought to you by the Napoleon Hill Foundation at
http://www.naphill.org.
It’s hard to say which would be more discouraging: drifting from job to job because you’re always the first to be laid off, or laboring in monotonous obscurity at the same job.
The first results from not doing what you are told to do, the second from doing only what you are told to do. You can "get by" for a time following either approach, but you will never get ahead. Personal initiative is more important in today’s enlightened, high-tech workplace than it was during the Industrial Age, when the ability to follow orders was a critical skill.
As technology makes many supervisory functions obsolete, every one of us is expected to do more with less, determine what needs to be done, and do it. Don’t wait to be told. Know your company and your job so well that you can anticipate what needs to be done-then do it! Stop explaining and start doing!
This positive message is brought to you by the Napoleon Hill Foundation at
http://www.naphill.org.
Diet seesaw swings back to carbs
The most effective way to lose weight is through a high-carbohydrate, low-glycemic index diet, according to a world-first Australian study.
The theory behind low GI diets is that rapidly digested, high GI carbohydrates cause fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels, contributing to hunger and preventing the breakdown of fat.
Lowering the GI level of the diet effectively doubled the fat loss -- an effect strongest in women.
Popular staples such as natural muesli, poached eggs, pasta, meat, and chicken get the green light under the plan.
Foods with a low GI include breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran, wholegrain and sour dough breads and Basmati or Doongara rice.
Foods with a high GI include potatoes and white bread.
"High carb, low GI is the best of all in terms of total heart health because it delivers the best fat loss and reduces cholesterol level," said University of Sydney nutritionist Joanna McMillan-Price. "Our findings suggest dietary glycemic load, and not just overall energy intake, influences weight loss and blood sugar levels."
The theory behind low GI diets is that rapidly digested, high GI carbohydrates cause fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels, contributing to hunger and preventing the breakdown of fat.
Lowering the GI level of the diet effectively doubled the fat loss -- an effect strongest in women.
Popular staples such as natural muesli, poached eggs, pasta, meat, and chicken get the green light under the plan.
Foods with a low GI include breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran, wholegrain and sour dough breads and Basmati or Doongara rice.
Foods with a high GI include potatoes and white bread.
"High carb, low GI is the best of all in terms of total heart health because it delivers the best fat loss and reduces cholesterol level," said University of Sydney nutritionist Joanna McMillan-Price. "Our findings suggest dietary glycemic load, and not just overall energy intake, influences weight loss and blood sugar levels."
Arrogant till the very end
Former Iraqi Persident Saddam Hussein, defiant and without remorse, has told his trial he wants to be shot not hanged if he is given a verdict to die.
Shooting was the appropriate means of execution for a military man like himself, he said.
Saddam and the seven others have been on trial since Oct. 19 for the deaths of Shiite Muslims after a crackdown in the town of Dujail, which was launched after an assassination attempt there in 1982. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty for Saddam and two other defendants, including Sadam's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim.
Here the trial's timeline from BBC.
Dr.Mahathir tries his hand in business
The former prime minister of Malaysia Dr.Mahathir has decided to go into making Japanese bread as he believes bread from that country as being of high quality.
Dr.Mahathir is the chairman and controlling shareholder of a firm operating a business called "The Loaf" serving bread and pastries. It opens its doors in the resort island of Langkawi in Malaysia on Saturday.
Dr.Mahathir owns a 51 percent stake in a company called M&M Consolidated Resources Sdn Bhd, which is investing three million ringgit ($817,000) in the venture. A Japanese partner owns the remaining 49 percent stake.
Dr Mahathir, who is also adviser of Langkawi Development Authority, said the island had some first-class hotels and restaurants but as a world-class resort, it had not been aiming for high-end food.
M&M Consolidated managing director Jiro Suzuki said the bakery would initially offer 60 types of bread and 15 to 20 types of pastries, which would increase to 100 and 30 respectively by end-2007.
He said in two to three years, the company would be looking at opening more outlets or expanding via franchising in high-class resorts in Phuket, Bali, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Ultimately, it plans to have outlets or franchisees in Tokyo, London and New York, offering bakery products that are as good as those offered in these cities.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
A supermodel returns
Here's the supermodel Kate Moss,32 as seen on Sydney Morning Herald.
The modeling industry is always looking for young talent to market their latest fashion and set new trends.
Supermodel Kate Moss and her antics have been praised by fashion powerhouse KARL LAGERFELD.
It is said that these models can wear anything and look good.
As age takes these sizzling beauties on, many of them have moved beyond the glamour of the catwalk to become brand ambassadors of beauty and personal products or are involved in worthy social causes.
Supermodels do return.
Forcing CEOs to step down
Oil giant BP Chief Executive John Browne ended speculation about his retirement on Tuesday, saying he would go as planned in 2008.
BP has a retirement age of 60, which Browne will be in 2008. Browne said he would stay beyond his birthday but go by the end of 2008.
Browne is one of the UK's best paid executives, although his package, worth around $10 million (5.4 million pounds) last year, is modest compared to that of U.S. oil major chief executives like Exxon Mobil's Lee Raymond who took home $49 million last year, before retiring.
The whole question of BP’s chief executive having no option but to stand down at 60 is calling for a rethink of companies’ retirement policies in the boardroom in an increasingly competitive, globalised economy.
In the case of BP, this rethink requires a change of the UK legislation that is forcing their employees to accept the 'golden handshake' and stand down while the world's industrial leader US and the emerging giant China do not practice such forced retirement.
BP has a retirement age of 60, which Browne will be in 2008. Browne said he would stay beyond his birthday but go by the end of 2008.
Browne is one of the UK's best paid executives, although his package, worth around $10 million (5.4 million pounds) last year, is modest compared to that of U.S. oil major chief executives like Exxon Mobil's Lee Raymond who took home $49 million last year, before retiring.
The whole question of BP’s chief executive having no option but to stand down at 60 is calling for a rethink of companies’ retirement policies in the boardroom in an increasingly competitive, globalised economy.
In the case of BP, this rethink requires a change of the UK legislation that is forcing their employees to accept the 'golden handshake' and stand down while the world's industrial leader US and the emerging giant China do not practice such forced retirement.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Camels to protect Jordan's heritage site
Wadi Rum is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in south west Jordan. It is the largest wadi in Jordan.
The dramatic landscape of dunes and massifs, home to Lawrence of Arabia makes Wadi Rum one of Jordan's most precious heritage sites.
A tourism project to save the desert environment of Wadi Rum in southern Jordan is seeking to make camels the sole means of transport. The aim is for these hardy animals to gradually take over from the four wheel drives and other vehicles which currently bring visitors to the zone respecting the natural habitat.
This project aims to protect the bedouin culture which has remained the traditional force in this ancient land.
The dramatic landscape of dunes and massifs, home to Lawrence of Arabia makes Wadi Rum one of Jordan's most precious heritage sites.
A tourism project to save the desert environment of Wadi Rum in southern Jordan is seeking to make camels the sole means of transport. The aim is for these hardy animals to gradually take over from the four wheel drives and other vehicles which currently bring visitors to the zone respecting the natural habitat.
This project aims to protect the bedouin culture which has remained the traditional force in this ancient land.
Tour Mumbai slums if you aren't faint-hearted
This tour comes not only as a fad for the western tourist, happily it is also putting some money in the pockets of Mumbai's slum dwellers and in the process highlighting their plight.
From a tiny office perched above a photocopying shop in Colaba, the suburban metropolis of this jam-packed city, a young Briton, Chris Way is offering an uncommon tour.
The 31-year-old from Stourport, in Worcestershire, sends small groups of tourists on walking tours of the slums.
Mr Way has started his tours at a time when there is a sudden Western fascination with Mumbai's slums, fuelled by the bestselling novel Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - soon to be turned into a Hollywood movie starring Johnny Depp - in which an Australian bank robber who has escaped from prison hides out in them.
There is little privacy in the slums, and every open doorway lets onto a family's entire home. So Mr Way is careful to stress that his tours are not designed to invade the slum-dwellers' privacy. Tourists are asked not to take photographs except in particular areas where the locals have agreed, and not to hang about in some places but to walk straight through.
The walking tours takes through some extraordinary scenes: winding streets like subterranean tunnels where the houses on either side touch overhead and the light never enters; warehouses piled to their wooden rafters with tens of thousands of empty metal cans and other items.
One of the most startling discoveries on Way's tours, is 'Dharavi,' a place with a reputation for grinding poverty, is actually home to a thriving economy, with an annual turnover of £350m. There are even textile businesses that export cloth to the US. There are Americans who have no idea the cloth for their T-shirt was dyed in a fetid slum in India.
Mr Way's Indian business partner Krishna Pujari says "This is a place of thriving legitimate business. "This is what we want to show, that the common perception in India, that Dharavi is just a place of criminals, is wrong."
Indeed many of the residents in the slums are hard-working and decent people while the environment of the slums could also pose threats from criminal elements.
Mr. Way who makes most of his money from coventional tours says, "the slum tours are about more than making money from a tourist attraction. For one thing, 80 per cent of the profits go to a charity that helps slum-dwellers. We want to help change perceptions, both in India and internationally."
Mumbai the commercial capital of India is also a city of slums. It's not possible to spend more than an hour or two in the city without seeing one from the outside. Even in the wealthiest neighbourhoods, across the street from plush apartment blocks you will find a slum.
From a tiny office perched above a photocopying shop in Colaba, the suburban metropolis of this jam-packed city, a young Briton, Chris Way is offering an uncommon tour.
The 31-year-old from Stourport, in Worcestershire, sends small groups of tourists on walking tours of the slums.
Mr Way has started his tours at a time when there is a sudden Western fascination with Mumbai's slums, fuelled by the bestselling novel Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - soon to be turned into a Hollywood movie starring Johnny Depp - in which an Australian bank robber who has escaped from prison hides out in them.
There is little privacy in the slums, and every open doorway lets onto a family's entire home. So Mr Way is careful to stress that his tours are not designed to invade the slum-dwellers' privacy. Tourists are asked not to take photographs except in particular areas where the locals have agreed, and not to hang about in some places but to walk straight through.
The walking tours takes through some extraordinary scenes: winding streets like subterranean tunnels where the houses on either side touch overhead and the light never enters; warehouses piled to their wooden rafters with tens of thousands of empty metal cans and other items.
One of the most startling discoveries on Way's tours, is 'Dharavi,' a place with a reputation for grinding poverty, is actually home to a thriving economy, with an annual turnover of £350m. There are even textile businesses that export cloth to the US. There are Americans who have no idea the cloth for their T-shirt was dyed in a fetid slum in India.
Mr Way's Indian business partner Krishna Pujari says "This is a place of thriving legitimate business. "This is what we want to show, that the common perception in India, that Dharavi is just a place of criminals, is wrong."
Indeed many of the residents in the slums are hard-working and decent people while the environment of the slums could also pose threats from criminal elements.
Mr. Way who makes most of his money from coventional tours says, "the slum tours are about more than making money from a tourist attraction. For one thing, 80 per cent of the profits go to a charity that helps slum-dwellers. We want to help change perceptions, both in India and internationally."
Mumbai the commercial capital of India is also a city of slums. It's not possible to spend more than an hour or two in the city without seeing one from the outside. Even in the wealthiest neighbourhoods, across the street from plush apartment blocks you will find a slum.
World trade talks collapse: what next?
World Trade Organization's trade talks in Geneva have collapsed amid serious differences between the US and EU countries.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an international, multilateral organization, which sets the rules for the global trading system and resolves disputes between its member states.
Ministers from the G6 group – Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, the European Union and the United States – had been talking to reach a deal on how to boost trade in farm and industrial goods .
The main sticking point was the refusal of the rich countries to cut huge subsidies they give to their farmers and open up their markets for fair trade.
It is estimated that the EU and US still spend $100 billion per year on farm subsidies that undercut producers in poor countries. All rich countries promised was a re-packaging of existing domestic support rather than real cuts to the amount of money going to rich farmers and corporations.
The WTO trade talks aim to boost the global economy and lift millions out of poverty worldwide by lowering trade barriers across all sectors, with particular emphasis on clearing obstacles to increased exports from developing countries.
Poorer countries resent what they see as the high-handedness of the rich countries for their refusal to give a fair deal to others in this globalized world economy.
It's apparent that many countries are being pushed into the global economy faster than their citizens or their political cultures can adapt. They need time, and support, to accommodate the stresses of participating in a rule-based global economy.
EU Commissioner Mandelson also held out little hope the failed talks could be resurrected, saying many of the WTO's 149 members would have "lost a great deal of faith and confidence" in the process.
In the long run, the collapse of the talks would lead to less open markets and leave developing countries worse off, he added.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an international, multilateral organization, which sets the rules for the global trading system and resolves disputes between its member states.
Ministers from the G6 group – Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, the European Union and the United States – had been talking to reach a deal on how to boost trade in farm and industrial goods .
The main sticking point was the refusal of the rich countries to cut huge subsidies they give to their farmers and open up their markets for fair trade.
It is estimated that the EU and US still spend $100 billion per year on farm subsidies that undercut producers in poor countries. All rich countries promised was a re-packaging of existing domestic support rather than real cuts to the amount of money going to rich farmers and corporations.
The WTO trade talks aim to boost the global economy and lift millions out of poverty worldwide by lowering trade barriers across all sectors, with particular emphasis on clearing obstacles to increased exports from developing countries.
Poorer countries resent what they see as the high-handedness of the rich countries for their refusal to give a fair deal to others in this globalized world economy.
It's apparent that many countries are being pushed into the global economy faster than their citizens or their political cultures can adapt. They need time, and support, to accommodate the stresses of participating in a rule-based global economy.
EU Commissioner Mandelson also held out little hope the failed talks could be resurrected, saying many of the WTO's 149 members would have "lost a great deal of faith and confidence" in the process.
In the long run, the collapse of the talks would lead to less open markets and leave developing countries worse off, he added.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Singapore lays to rest one of its illustrious sons
The late Mr Lim Kim San, one of Singapore founding fathers and a former Cabinet Minister was laid to rest after a funeral service at the Mandai Crematorium on Sunday morning.
From the eulogies that came from Singapore leaders it is clear that Mr. Lim Kim San has made a monumental contribution to Singapore's early development, most notably his foundation for affordable public housing which stands tall among the city state's several proud achievemnets.
Mr. Lim Kim San also initiated the Master Plan for Singapore water supply, which led to the collection of surface run-offs from unprotected catchments to make the state less dependent on Johor water.
Mr.Lim has earned praise for his uncanny ability to judge people, their character and motivations. Indeed he has played a pivotal role in the selection of some of the current generation of leaders for his party that has helped to mainatin the highest level of integrity and efficiency for Singapore.
As the founding generation of Singapore continue to pass on, it may be worth for the younger generation of this country, born into affluence and spoilt for choice, to recognize that the same values of industriousness, integrity and strong leadership responsible for success achieved, is relevant and still important to face new challenges and win over the global competition.
Energy drinks is making a resurgence
Originally associated with the extreme sports phenomenon, energy drinks have managed to endear themselves to mainstream consumers, much like sports beverages. Whereas sports drinks were once a hallmark of serious athletes, the on-the-go consumer has embraced them as a convenient alternative to soft drinks.
Energy drinks are defined as beverages bearing a specific claim to boost energy or stimulation.
Energy drinks are now a booming industry.TaB Energy is the Coca-Cola's low-calorie energy drink. It is a caffeinated energy drink and some people call it the 'pink power' because of its distinctive pink colour can. Weight-conscious celebrities are seen to be using them.
The world's most popular soft drink, the coke has gone full throttle to produce another energy drink 'Full Throttle.' Full Throttle is also a graphical adventure game, originally developed in-house and released by LucasArts and the the 'full throttle' of the Coca-Cola would certainly have a cool appeal of a younger audience who can't have enough of the game.
With the 'red bulls' and several other brands pounding their way into the mainstream beverage market, there is no shortage of choice for thrill seeking customers.
According to the Mintel market research group, the combined sales of sports and energy drinks in 2005 was $1.83-billion (U.S.), up 130 per cent from 2004, making it the fastest-growing edge of the beverage market.
Energy drinks are now available in most gyms as well as in popular bars.
In the run upto 2008 olympic games in Beijing, Dairy Australia is helping companies in China on how to add a boost to their dairy products to meet a growing demand for energy drinks.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Virtual reality: High technology fiction.
I am revisiting a topic, posted here before as virtual reality.
One of the areas where the impact of virtual reality or VR is strongest is in business. Business is everywhere and all around us, from our groceries, to fashion and entertainment, from medical tehnology to tourism and communications.
VR will allow a customer at home to 'visit' a supermarket, see what is there to buy and place the order by computer.
We are living a sonic lifestyle and what we can do or achieve is limited by our imagination.
Research has shown that the feeling of pain produced during medical treatment can be reduced through sophisticated virtual reality helmets, the patient just has to wear the VR helmet and play computer games.
Some scientists are working on a computer that will test and record the human telepathic ability. Hopefully this can shed some light on what is going on in the paranormal world.
One of the areas where the impact of virtual reality or VR is strongest is in business. Business is everywhere and all around us, from our groceries, to fashion and entertainment, from medical tehnology to tourism and communications.
VR will allow a customer at home to 'visit' a supermarket, see what is there to buy and place the order by computer.
We are living a sonic lifestyle and what we can do or achieve is limited by our imagination.
Research has shown that the feeling of pain produced during medical treatment can be reduced through sophisticated virtual reality helmets, the patient just has to wear the VR helmet and play computer games.
Some scientists are working on a computer that will test and record the human telepathic ability. Hopefully this can shed some light on what is going on in the paranormal world.
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