India Determined To Lead The 'Asian Century'

In a keynote address on 'A look at India's trade partnerships' at the Asia Society Corporate conference being held in Mumbai, the Minister of State for Industry Ashwani Kumar declared that India will lead the 'Asian Century.'

"As we enter the 21st century, a confident India, seeks, as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated, a 'new paradigm of international cooperation relevant to an emerging multipolar world," said Kumar, a lawyer and former additional solicitor general.

China and India are the economic powerhouses in Asia. The size of populations in both these countries coupled with their rapid economic growth makes the Indian Minister's statement credible.

According to a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the "Indian economy is expected to be the second largest in the world by 2050 in purchasing power parity terms, after China. According to another forecast, India could achieve a per capita income of $30,000 by 2047 assuming a dollar-rupee exchange rate based on purchasing power parity.

But, the Minister also warned, "while we bask in glory of our national accomplishments, we must not allow our the 'frenzy of the forces of change' to distract us from a vision centered on those who live on the margins, nor must we fail to cherish diversity in our unity."

Should Anyone Do Ethical Hacking?

Before I answer the question let us understand hacking.

Hacking, according to my understanding, is the process of gaining access to another person's computer or network illegally.

According to The Economic Times, "We are talking about ethical hacking, which is the need of the hour, to protect all online transactions from the wrath of viruses. Here’s on the potential of the career Ethical hacking is different - in terms that it is not about randomly downloading ready-made tools from the internet and using them to attack computer systems. Ethical hacking is a scientific approach of understanding the tools, techniques and methodologies used by malicious hackers, thereby evaluating and mitigating the enormous threat posed by them. In other words, it is studying the vulnerability of a computer system and designing a security system, which is non-hackable."

My first impression of the term 'ethical hacking' is like setting a thief to catch another thief. But I suppose there is more to it than meets the eye. We live in a complex world and money is the supreme driving force of life. Without technology that has created this intense competition, our frantic lives would come to a stand still.

In this fast-changing times any company, big or small , has vast streams of information flooding each day. Your company can only survive by creating distinctive value; i.e, by generating new possibilities for customers. You live or die by your ability to uncover new possiblities. When you are in the grip of unrelenting competition, especially in the virtual world dominated by computers and their software, law enforcement agencies are having to grapple with more sophisticated forms of skullduggery.

According to The Economic Times article, an Ethical hacker is a person who has to ‘hack’ into the mind of malevolent hackers and identify vulnerabilities that they can exploit. Ethical hackers use the same tools, techniques and methodologies that a typical hacker will employ in, but there is one big difference, an ethical hacker is paid by an organisation to break into its systems, with its permission.

An ethical hacker does not break into anyone’s systems without authorisation. This is the only good news that emerges from this contradicting profile; ethical hacker. Ethics meaning right coduct and hacking refering to unauthorised entry into computers. It seems to me that some where down the line we have now glamourised the term 'hacking' and I'll have to sign off for now without having a conclusive answer to the question that I posed.

Indian Govt. To Announce Full Float Of The Rupee

According to this article, full float of the rupee would facilitate conversion of the Indian currency into foreign currency and vice versa -- a move that would help attract greater investments. At present, the rupee is convertible on current account, basically for trade purposes.

We will have to see what steps are involved in the covertibility and how it helps the business sector.

A TV Show To Seek Out American Inventors

ABC is going to put up a reality type of TV Show like the hugely popular "the Amecican Idol". This show is to be called American Inventor.

American Inventor follows the American Idol formula. The premiere episode, and next week's as well, focuses on the highs and lows of the audition process: seven cities, hundreds of applicants, four judges, two minutes to pitch, and three "yes" votes to move on to the next round. Twelve final contestants will receive $50,000 each to develop their inventions, and the audience will get to cast votes for the final winner, who'll receive a $1 million prize.

Simon Cowell, the sharp tongued 'American Idol' judge is the producer of 'American Inventor', will be operating behind the camera and will not sit as a judge. But you can bet, there will be a judge who'll perhaps be equal to Simon in dishing out cutting remarks on to the folks; just normal people who will come up innovative and even weird ideas to pull off an invention.

Oatmeal and tofu as good as pills

.A small study suggests that a rigid diet is as effective as pills in lowering cholesterol, although sticking to it may not be easy.

Those interested in lowering their cholesterol should probably acquire a taste for tofu and oatmeal, said study co-author David Jenkins of the University of Toronto.
The study was published this month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

How To Make A Million By Selling Pixels.

Online marketing is booming. 'Pixel advertising,' is emerging as a very lucrative medium for people across the globe.

All you need to do is start a Web site and sell 'pixels' to companies for online advertising or marketing campaigns.

Here's proof that it can be done.

Pixel advertising gained popularity in the last quarter of 2005 when Alex Tew, a British student, created a Website called The Million Dollar Homepage, and solicited advertisers to buy ad space measured in pixels on the homepage.

The price was set at $1 per pixel, and there were 1 million pixels of space available. In about four months all the ad space was sold out.

In order to succeed you need to create the awareness of your marketing campaign and make it worth for companies to advertise on your site.

Here Is What A Simple Idea Achieved

THE MAN WHO DIPPED A CHUNK OF ICE CREAM IN CHOCOLATE AND CALLED IT ESKIMO PIE MADE A FORTUNE FOR THE FIVE SECONDS OF IMAGINATION IT TOOK TO CREATE THE IDEA.


We are just beginning to understand the mysterious ways in which the mind works, but successful people have long known how to use the power of creative vision to their advantage. Many "new" ideas are really nothing more than a new combination of two well-known products or ideas. Nevertheless, great fortunes have been built upon such combinations when they are supported by a clever name and marketing campaign. There is a definite process that you can use to tap into your imagination. In his book A Technique for Producing Ideas, James Webb Young identified five steps: 1. Gather the appropriate information. 2. Work the information over in your mind. 3. Incubate the idea in your subconscious. 4. Recognize the "Eureka!" stage when the idea is born. 5. Shape and develop the idea for practical application. The technique works. Give it a try the next time you’re searching for a creative solution to an old problem.

This positive message is brought to you by the Napoleon Hill Foundation. http://www.naphill.org/.

Water Woes

A tap drips in England, despite most of England and Wales receiving only a third of their average rainfalll, which has kept reservoirs in Sussex and Kent especially low.














Welcoming some 11,000 participants from 120 nations to the 4th World Water Forum, the Mexican President Vincente Fox said that urgent actions are needed to guarantee the present and future supply of water for all humanity.

Water usage has increased six fold during the 20th century, twice the rate of population growth.

According to WHO/UNICEF 1.1 billion people do not have access to adequate supply of drinking water and 2.6 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation. In addition, seven million people die every year due to water borne diseases.

These are apalling statistics not acceptable when we know that the world has sufficient drinking water.

More needs to be done at national and interantional levels to overcome this problem which is affecting the poorest of the poor.

According to a water progress report at this forum, it seems that in some parts of the world 30 to 40 percent or more of water goes unaccounted for, through water leakages in pipes and canals and illegal connections.

The picture above does speak loud.

Queen Elizabeth Pays A Visit To Singapore Family After 34 Years

Queen Elizabeth II, who is in Singapore for a three-day state visit, has been given a ceremonial welcome at the Istana.

Here at the invitation of President SR Nathan, the Queen is visiting Singapore following her trip to Australia, where she opened the 18th Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

One family in Singapore is especially excited to see her. When Queen Elizabeth II visited Mr Thomas Pung in 1972, she was offered a drink in a glass. That glass is now a priceless family heirloom for his family. Then a bachelor, Pung and his mother greeted the monarch in their one-room flat in Toa Payoh 34 years ago.

Mr. Pung represent the typical Housing Development Board upgrader, who moved from a rented flat to a flat of their own. This time the Queen was met by Mr. Pung , his wife and children.

According to organisers, the Queen is interested to see Singapore's development over the years, especially in the area of public housing.

The neighbourhood was abuzz with excitemnet with young and old flocking out to get a glimpse of the queen. They were not disappointed as she stopped by and many of them took pictures. The Queen made their day.

Psychics try to contact Lennon

Ex-Beatle John Lennon, who was murdered over 25 years ago, is the latest subject of a pay-per-view seance in the US, arranged by the producers of a 2003 attempt to contact the dead Princess Diana.

The show made money, but was slammed by critics as hitting a new low in television tastelessness.

"People say this is disgusting, and I accept that criticism, but we're making a serious attempt to do something that many, many millions of people around the world think is possible," said Paul Sharratt, who heads Starcast Productions.

The Diana show drew over half a million US viewers willing to pay $20.27 to watch it.
The Lennon show would air on April 24, on a pay-per-view channel, and cost $13.49.

Even sceptics and unbelievers of this psychic phenomenan will find it fascinating to have a group of psychics sitting in trance-like silence around a table waiting for their connection to the spirit world. For me, I would not pay to watch such a show but still wonder how in the world do these people do it.

Robot Fishes Are Making Waves

People who know real fish can smell something fishy here. The fish with blue dots on white body was designed and developed by computer scientists in UK. The fish's battery lasts for up to five hours.

Presently these guys are swimming alongside their living counterparts in aquariums while scientists are exploring about their real-life applications.

Japanese scientists have modelled the Koi and unveiled a robotic fish that can manoeuvre its way around a fish pond with a realistic flick of its tail.

These robots can fool the fish and be put to several uses that we humans desire, but is unlikey to be available for our consumption anytime soon because it comes with a very heavy price tag; it cost 30 million yen ($250,000) to develop from a previous prototype.

Learn To Trust Your Instincts

My intention to write this piece is not to rant and rave about what is good or evil ; be it pot smoking of the younger generation or the insatiable apetite for others to make money and yet for others who believe that they only know the true path to God.


In order to be true to youself, you have to trust your instincts. Being true to yourself primarily means being totally honest with yourself.

Here is what Ralph Waldo Emerson , one of America's best loved 19th century writers had to say about trusting your instincts.

"All our progress is unfolding like the vegetable bud. You have first an instinct, then an opinion, then a knowledge, as the plant has root, bud, and fruit. Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason."

What are instincts?

Instincts are responses to environmental or external stimuli that are heriditary and unalterable, and do not involve reason. For example, if someone throws a punch at you, you arm will fly out to block it without your having to think about it.

Learning to trust your instincts does not start with trying to do anything. All you have to do is to get in touch with your instincts without repressing them. Without forcing you to do things, you have to allow your inborn instincts to guide you through life with a maximum of pleasure and a minimum of pain and suffering.

Ronaldo Blasts Pele and Platini

World Cup winning Brazilian Star Ronaldo launched an astonishing attack on two of football's legends, Pele and Michel Platini in Sunday's edition of Brazilian newspaper O Globo.

The overweight and under-fire Real Madrid galactico branded Pele, commonly regarded as the greatest player ever, as an “ opportunist” and hit out at European legend Platini as “jealous”.

Ronaldo's outburst comes after his latest failing on the football field. He started Saturday's vital league match at Valencia on the bench but came on in the second half only to have a penalty saved.

After a scathing attack on the world's soccer greats, Ronaldo somewhat ironically added: "“All I want is for people to treat me with respect and that is not what is happening."

Ronaldo perhaps doesn't realize his fame and money wouldn't buy him the respect that he so desparately craves . He is in the public eye and is a role model for hundreds of thousands of young people. So he has got to live up to it. He should be grateful for any sincere advice that he gets instead of shooting the messenger. He has got to work both in training and off the field to regain his lost form. For the love of the game that has made him famous and successful and for the millions of soccer fans, we hope he does the right thing. It would be better if he can keep his mouth shut and let his boots do the talking.

Singapore on track to be Asia's infocomm industry leader

The Infomm Development Authority (IDA) is the heart of the new econmoy. It's vision and ideas for using knowledge, technology and communication is poised to make Singapore an innovation hub.

The IDA's International Advisory Panel says Singapore is well positioned to become Asia's infocomm industry leader.

Mr N.R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies, says: "Singapore is in a unique place to leverage the hardware strength of China, and the software strength of India whereby Singapore can be the system integrator, and thereby enhance its per capita revenue productivity."

The other key advice that panel members highlighted is for Singapore to concentrate on core technologies instead of diversifying in too many areas, and for Singapore to upgrade its education system and create a business environment suited for start-ups.

The International experts identified three areas that can help Singapore create a competitive edge over its competitors. They are:
1- Exporter of technology
2- Trusted secure hub for regional disaster recovery
3- Outsourcing

Business From The Dead

A graveyard in the Afghan city of Khost, where the bodies of Taleban and foreign Arab fighters killed by US bombing in 2001 were laid to rest has become a shrine to local people.

Sick people come to the shrine and pray and they feel better. Some people pay a tribute by leaving money to their fallen heroes who died while praying. People are flocking here from different parts of Afghanistan and even from Pakistan.

A trader in the top photo sells salt at the graveyard, which some people believe will cure them of their illnesses.

Diamonds Are Forever

The diamonds on the left are the types of diamond that has made Antwerp in Belgium, the largest diamond trading centre in the world.



The Surat City in India is also famous for diamonds. Nearly a third of the Surat population of 3.5 million work as diamond-cutters and polishers.

Diamonds have taken such a hold over this city's imagination that even potato chips (seen on top right) are sold here under the brand name Diamonds.

In the world of fashion, ceremonies and functions, diamonds will remain one of the most sought after items. So would would the humble potato chips. Just as you would choose your diamond ring, you can choose the type of chips that you want; plain salted, lime or spicy and even in packs of your favourite colours .

Singapore Is Building S$92M Airport Hotel

According to a statement from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore last Friday, it has awarded a Changi Airport site for lease to L.C. Development Ltd. to build and operate the city-state's first airport hotel.

The airport hotel will be a 9-storey building with up to 350 guest rooms. It will be equipped with amenities and facilities such as a swimming pool, restaurants, meeting and conference rooms, spa lounges as well as a health and fitness club. The airport hotel will be physically linked to the new Terminal 3 which is expected to open in 2008. Hotel guests will also be able to reach Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 via an elevated People Mover System that will link all the three passenger terminals. In addition, there will be easy access from the hotel to the Changi Airport Mass Rapid Transit station, to facilitate guests heading to other parts of Singapore.

World's Largest Crossword Puzzle

Breaking the 1996 Guinness record, this crossword hangs on a full seven feet by seven feet of wall space and has 28,000 clues for over 91,000 squares. Its a challenge that can take months, even up to a year, to complete. A 100-page clue book, with no repeats, provides the hints. For the lone wordsmith, it folds for lap or tabletop solving. The puzzle grid and 4- by 4-foot answer grid are printed on sturdy paper stock. Crossword can be tacked or taped to the wall. Comes with a storage box. (2 lbs.)

The price USD 29.95 on Hammacher Schlemmer.

Oprah Winfrey Reveals Secrets of her Success

Newsweek has profiled twelve women, looking at the influence of the growing number of women rising to the top in the 21st century.

Winfrey Oprah is on top of the list.

Born into a poor Mississippi family in America, she has become one of the most successful women in the world.
In an article "How I Got There"she decsribes her passion that has made her one of the most successful media entrepreneurs.

Oprah is most famously known for her award-winning-talkshow. She is much more than a talk-show host. She is also a successful journalist, actress, producer, magazine founder, philantropist and more as you will see on her website.

In an interview Oprah said:

"I grew up with the American public, and everybody knows I worked hard for my success. When I started, my goal was just to have a job. I was 19 and I couldn't believe I was on TV. My first job paid $10,000 a year. I wanted to "make my age," and when I was 22, I was making $22,000."

She went on to say:


"I think that the show's been successful because I'm always aiming for the truth. I relate to the core of everyone's pain and promise because I've known pain and promise. I understand that the common denominator in the human experience from the thousands of people that I've talked to is that everybody just wants to be heard. Having that understanding and that connection has really given me wings to fly because I know that I can talk about anything to anybody with a sense of respect and integrity.

I'm very conscious and cautious about what I do in my personal life and what I put out into the universe through the airwaves because I realize I'm speaking to millions of people in 118 countries who all have their varying ways of interpreting what I have said."

Microsoft Unveils a Mini Laptop

Microsoft's origami project after months of abuzz has unveiled the ultra mobile PC at the CeBIT technology trade show in Hanover, Germany.

The Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) is a cross between a multi-function mobile phone and a lightweight tablet computer and features a touch-sensitive screen. Lighter than two pounds with a seven-inch touch-screen, the new "ultra-mobile" PCs (UMPCs) use microprocessors and run a modified version of Microsoft's Windows XP Tablet PC edition.

"We believe that (ultra-mobile PCs) will eventually become as indispensable and ubiquitous as the mobile phone today," Microsoft vice president Bill Mitchell said at CeBIT.

Advice From Two Lifetime Entrepreneurs

Here are words of wisdom given by two successful entrepreneurs in an interview at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai; Sabeer Bhatia and Yogesh Patel who were both in town to announce the formation of VoiFi Technologies Corp., a company they have set up jointly.
.

Yogesh Patel:
"My advice to young Indian entrepreneurs who want to get ahead would be: Make sure, first of all, that the team is good. Without that, nothing is going to happen. Make sure they follow through and not give up the first time they see a sense of failure, because that will come along. If you look at all the things that failed in 2002, the companies that survived are the ones that are shining right now. You need to make sure you have lasting power and the markets will change."


Sabeer Bhatia:
"Entrepreneurship is about making a difference. It's not only about making money. There are lots of ways to make money – you could go buy land, building apartments, open coffee stores -- all legitimate businesses. Those are interesting, but it's not what a hi-tech entrepreneur does. A hi-tech entrepreneur thinks of creating products that have never been created before. Of offering a combination of services to the end user in such a manner that, over time, there is a potential to make profit.

I have been a lifetime entrepreneur. The advice I would give them, first of all, is believe in yourself. Hire the best quality people. They cannot do it on their own. No one can win a war on one's own; a general is only as effective as his army. So, make sure you build a great army. It needn't be the largest army in the world, but it has to be the most effective army. Find people who believe in what you're doing."

Singapore To Open School For Dropouts

A new school to cater to dropout students will open in Singapore by January next year.

The new school named NorthLight School will enhance vocational programme with a strong emphasis on social emotional needs.

Every year, there are about 1,200 students who drop out of school, or about 2.6% of the cohort. The NorthLight School will provide a useful learning experince for these kids over a 3-year vocational programme.

The school will place a strong emphasis on socio-emotional needs and character development to avoid the high drop out rate of 60 percent that vocational centres currently experience.

Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said: "It will place emphasis on developing emotional resilience and instilling essential life-skills such as taking responsibility and managing relationships. These will take up a greater share of curriculum time."

At NorthLight parents will be more involved in the students learning process that is designed more to day-to-day life activities. Students can also look forward to a 10 week-long industrial attachment .

Singapore Company Charged With Copyright Violation

PDM International Pte LTD, a design consultancy company was charged in court on Thursday with three counts of copyright infringement.


This is the first private company to be charged under the amended Copyright Act since it came into force on January 1, 2005.

This company is alleged to have used 51 copies of unlicensed software to gain a commercial advantage.

The total market value of the illegal software programs, which include works belonging to Adobe, Autodesk and Microsoft, is estimated to be worth $50,000.

This case came to light through the efforts of the Business Software Alliance.

"We continue to run a hotline where we receive information, and we also have a web reporting facility where informants can contact us about the use of unlicensed software at the workplace. We are getting a steady stream of such information, and there are a number of cases presently under investigation. Whether they will go through to a court case or not, we'll have to wait and see," said Tarun Sawney with Business Software Alliance's Anti-Piracy.

An Undersea Walk in Goa, India

This is a picture taken by the undersea walkers at Baina Beach Goa.

Here are the two undersea walkers. A weighted belt is put on each so as to help balance underwater, and once you are neck-deep in the water, a helmet weighing 40 kg is lowered on to your head.

This is the offshore platform from where you'll be lowered into the 3 metre deep sea to experience the 20 minute muddy-water-walk and it will cost you Indian Rupees 1500.

Nintendo Makes Gaming For Oldies

HAAAA! This is welcome news for us, the oldies club.

A new brain-training game from Nintendo will help retirees like Isamu Shishido from Japan who sometimes forgets names and even his own telephone number. But now the 67-year-old says he's found a product that could sharpen his thinking: the new brain-training game from Nintendo.

The ailing maker of Super Mario and Pokemon games has scored a hit by courting Japan's burgeoning grey market with "Brain Training for Adults" - a number and puzzles game that Nintendo says can stimulate the brain.

The game, played on the company's hand-held DS console, is part of an effort by Nintendo to broaden its customer base amid falling profits.

Brain Training puts players on a daily regimen of number games, word puzzles and reading exercises.

Nintendo spokesman says that they are surprised people who never liked computer games are getting hooked.

This is a good strategy to revive a business and create additional growth in a country that has a huge greying population.

Lead Without Selling Your Soul

Says former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. She says leadership comes with a price, which is why it is so important to have a strong internal compass.

In a candid address at the Global Business Forum in Sydney this week, Fiorina talked about the principles of leadership.

Claiming leaders are made, not born, she said there is nothing more draining than witnessing a person compromise to achieve a goal.

"Principles are important. When you come to those moments and you are about to compromise - don't," Fiorina said.

"Do not sell your soul. There are plenty of opportunities to sell your soul in life and if you do, nobody will ever pay you back.

"Keep your soul and be in control of your own choices, that is what life is about."

More on Fiorina's interview here.

Widow Of Christopher Reeve Passes Away

Dana Reeve, the widow of the late "Superman" actor Christopher Reeve, died Monday of lung cancer at the age of 44, seven months after being diagnosed .

Dana Reeve was a celebrated singer and actress.

She won worldwide admiration for the support of her late actor-husband, who was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident in 1996 and died in 2004.

She became the Chairperson for The Christopher Reeve Foundation after her husband's death and she fought for better treatments and possible cures for paralysis.

Dana Reeve said in November that she was able to keep her spirits up because she "had a great model. … I was married to a man who never gave up."

A statement from the Board of Directors of Christopher Reeve Foundation read:
"We are extremely saddened by the death of Dana Reeve, whose grace and courage under the most difficult of circumstances was a source of comfort and inspiration to all of us.

Dana will always be remembered for her passion, strength and ceaseless courage that became her hallmark. Along with her husband Christopher, she faced adversity with grace and determination, bringing hope to millions around the world."

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton described Reeve as "a model of tenacity and grace" and an "inspiration to us."

"Despite the adversity that she faced, Dana bravely met these challenges and was always an extremely devoted wife, mother and advocate," they said in a statement Tuesday.

She was a woman with an incredible heart, a woman with a strong passion to help in the causes she believed and an unflinching optimist.

Her lung cancer and now her departure has brought the issues of cancer to the American radar screen, seeking answers. She never smoked in her life. As we know, passive smoking, i.e., inhaling other peoples smoke can be equally as dangerous as far as the risk of leading to disease is concerned.

The world needs more good people to step out and help in such causes as what the Reeves have done, to fight against disease, and make the world a safer place to live in.

How A Minister Converted An Atheist

The following conversation between a student and a religious minister shows how by removing the cobwebs in our thinking, by proper communication and clear thinking, we can reach the right conclusion.

Student: I am an atheist. I don't believe in God.
Minister: Alright. So you are an atheist. Can you explain to me the God that you do not believe in.

Now the student has to think as he cannot give a reflex 'yes' or 'no' answer. After a little while the student began to describe the God he did not belive in. He gave the minister a very clear picture of the God he rejected.

When he finished, the minister replied: If that is the God you don't believe, I don't believe in him either. So we are both atheists.

The minister continued: But we live in this universe- what do you make of it, its formation, its meaning?

Before the student left, he discovered that he was not an atheist at all, but a very good theist.
He did believe in a God.

The Artistic Use Of Language

The artistic use of language depends upon the ' fertililty of ambiguity'- so writes Dr. Wayne Dyer in his book "The Sky's The Limit." The fertility of ambiguity is the abilty to reveal some truth, show some beauty, in lots of different ways to all kinds of different people.

The same is true of a great painting, photograph or any other work of art.

Describing the thought process, philosopher Martin Heidegger wrote :
muliplicity of thought is the element in which all thought must move in order to be strict thought. He used this image to illustrate the point. To a fish, the depths and expanses of its waters, the currents and quiet pools, warm and cold waters are the elements of mutiple mobility. If the fish is deprived of the fullness of its element, if it is dragged on dry land, then it can only wriggle, twitch, and die.

Therefore, we must always seek out thinking, and its burden of thought, in the element of its multiple meanings, else everything will remain closed to us.

Singapore Investors Increase US Patents

The number of US patents granted to Singapore ivestors has almost tripled in the past five years to 3,913 at end-2005 - up from just 1,370 at end-2000 and a meagre 427 at end-1995.

These figures were taken from the US Patents and Trademarks Office by NUS Entrepreneurship Centre.

In South-east Asia, Singapore has almost 28 times more patents per 10,000 people than Malaysia, with 0.04, and about 15 per cent more than South Korea with 0.96. But Singapore still lags research giants such as the US, with 3.18 patents per 10,000 people, and Japan with 2.91.

In sheer numbers of patents held, the US and Japan are way ahead of the rest of the world. US-based inventors were granted 96,394 US patents in 2004 alone, while those in Japan received 37,616 patents.

Family Of Separated Twins To Help Another Twin

This family from South Korea whose conjoined daughters have been separated through surgery, now want to help another conjoined twin in Russia to achieve the same happy outcome.

The Russian twins, Veronica and Christina, were born last year with the lower parts of their torsos joined. They live with their mother in a small town, Chernogorsk, in the Siberian republic of Khakasia. Doctors have concluded that the twins are joined only by skin and muscle and do not share spines or internal organs. That makes surgical separation a relatively easy possibility.

Mr. Min, the father of the separated Korean Twins, plans to travel to Russia with his wife, Jang Yun-kyung, and their daughters in April to deliver money to help the children's 18-year-old single mother pay for the surgery, which will probably be done in Moscow. He said he has contributed 4 million won ($4,120), and hopes to collect 20 million won in total through a Web site, Pure Sarang Jihye, which he set up in December to publicize the Russian twins' plight. He said that amount would pay for the surgery and a year of care for the children after they are separated, but he admits donations have been slow so far.

One problem is Mr. Min has not been able to establish contact with the Russian mother to render his help. Hopefully he can get it done soon. It is admirable for a person to go out of his way to help a needy family, giving hopes for a promising future to two young children.

The Future Of Work

THE FUTURE OF WORK
How the New Order of Business
Will Shape Your Organization,
Your Management Style, and Your Life
by Thomas W. Malone (nonfiction)

Published by Harvard Business School Press
ISBN: 1591391253
Copyright (c) 2004 Thomas W. Malone

In "The Future of the Work"renowned organizational theorist Thomas W. Malone, codirector of MIT’s landmark initiative “Inventing the Organizations of the 21st Century,” shows where these things are already happening today and how—if we choose—they can happen much more in the future. Malone argues that a convergence of technological and economic factors—particularly the rapidly falling cost of communication—is enabling a change in business organizations as profound as the shift to democracy in governments. For the first time in history, says Malone, it will be possible to have the best of both worlds—the economic and scale efficiencies of large organizations, and the human benefits of small ones: freedom, motivation, and flexibility.

I have read parts of this book in an email book club. The book is about new ways of organizing work and how technology is making it possible. Mr. Malone talks about a business revolution that is taking place now. The new revolution promises to lead to a
further transformation in our thinking about control: Where does
power come from? Who should wield it? Who is responsible? Once
again, the result will be a world in which people have more freedom.
A world in which power and control in business are spread more
widely than our industrial-age ancestors would have ever thought
possible. A world in which more and more people are at the center of
their own organizations.

Imagine organizations in which bosses give employees
enormous freedom to decide what to do and when to do it.
Imagine electing your own bosses and voting directly on
important company decisions. Imagine organizations in
which most workers aren't employees at all, but
electronically connected freelancers living wherever they
want to. And imagine that all this freedom in business
lets people get more of whatever they really want in
life--money, interesting work, the chance to help others,
or time with their families.

This is a very interesting book worth exploring in greater detail.

Singapore To Develop A New Digital Superhighway

By 2015 Singapore will be transformed into the first totally wireless and wired country in the world . The ultra fast network is to provide speeds of 100 megabytes to 1 gigabyte per second when surfing the Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure, dubbed the new digital superhighway.

This was disclosed by the Information, Communications and the Arts Minister Lee Boon Yang when he told the Parliament, "The new network will change the way we work, live and learn. It'll sharpen our business efficiency and spark off many new opportunities for entrepreneurs.

With this ambitious project Singapore will compete with Japan and South Korea who have also undertaken similar projects to become a global hub and a knowledge city.

Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition

The Singapore Management University has launched its third biennial Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition, named after Singapore 's Minister Mentor, acknowledged as a thinker and a global visionary.

This competition provides a platform for undergraduates and students from universities across the world, to pit their business acumen against each other vying for a total of US$69,000 worth of cash prizes. Participants have to convince the judging panel that they are committed and have the resources to achieve their business ideas and turn them into reality in the business world.

This is an excellent opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to try out sound business ideas. They can also network with potential investors and venture capitalists to secure funding.

Rosa Parks Death Drives Up Prices At Cemetry

Rosa Parks who fought against racial bias by refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus to a white person, is a civil rights icon in US history.

She was an ordinary person and lived and ordinary life, but had the conviction of an extraordinary character to stand stand upto to what she belived was wrong in her society. Her simple act of defiance has left an enduring legacy for civil rights movements worldwide.

The civil rights pioneer died on October 24, 2005 and was buried in Detroit Cemetry on October 31, 2005.

The price to get a spot in Detroit’s Woodlawn cemetery has jumped thousands of dollars since civil rights icon Rosa Parks was entombed there , angering some relatives who say it cheapens her legacy.

The idea of exploring a person's death is disturbing, but it also raises compelling questions on how society persues materialistic ends relentlessly. Instead of exploring the human potential to live the most productive life, it now looks like some of the living are providing to get a close up with Rosa Parks in death at a price which probably would deprive her to rest in peace.

Mr. Bush Visits Farm University in Hydrabad

According to the Indian online news service The Hindhu , The US President was treated to a slice of the Indian rural life when he visited the Ancharya N G Ranga Agriculture University in Hydrabad. Hydrabad is historically famous for its rice cultivation.

Mr. Bush accompanied by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhar Reddy was shown an exhibition of a wide variety of friuts, vegetables, pulses and organic crops. The President spoke with farmers who were delighted to have the world's most powerful person in their midst.

With the rapid development of Information technology, maufacturing and service industries , India has shed much it's historical dependence on agriculture. But still most of the important industries are centred around the cities and about two-thirds of the Indian workforce is in agriculture in the vast landscape of rural India.

Farming is the primary activity in much of the rural areas and villages and high level visits from world leaders draws attention and focus on intiatives of coorperation to boost agricultural exchanges and lift more people out of the poverty trap.

US Probes Into Online Music Pricing

The US Justice Department has opened an investigation into possible collusion by four global music companies over the setting of online music prices, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The companies involved are EMI, Universal Music, Sony BMG and Warner Music, according to the Journal. The investigations come as the music industry grapples with how to compete in online music sales as sales of CDs decline.

At issue is the pricing levels charged for music downloads and, specifically, whether the labels have colluded over price fixing. Related to this are the licensing renegotiations with Apple. While Apple has favoured a fixed 99 cent charge per track, the labels have been keen to pursue variable pricing, charging as little as 19 cents for some songs but more than 99 cents for new releases by major artists.

What Draws US Presidents To Hydrabad, India

Apart from New Delhi, the seat of the Indian government, Hydrabad is the only other city that has drawn in two US Presidents in six years. Three south Indian cities were hoping to host President Bush , but it was Hydrabad that became second time lucky. President Clinton visited Hydrabad in 2000.

The pace of economic growth especially in the fields of IT may be the reason attracting global leaders to Hyderabad. Hyerabad is the new face of India. It is the face of India's globalisation. It is the face of modernity. President Bush may have chosen to visit Hyderabad because America regards Hyderabad as an emerging global city. The state has been also an ideal investment destination for many global companies, especially from the US.

Hydrabad is also known for its pearls, palaces and mouth-watering cuisine. And of course the city excels in IT, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. So it is the most happening place in India.

After President Bush's visit, it has been announced that United States is opening a consulate in Hyderabad. This will be the fourth US consulate in India, after Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. Thousands of young people from Hydrabad are going to the United States every year on job and student visas. They have to go to Chennai to get the visas. Now, it will be possible for the people of this state to get the US visas from the consulate in Hyderabad.

Digitizing A Million Books?

Information age will take a huge leap forward when Google completes the scanning of biblical proprtions according to this article. It is an effort to digitize the entire book collections of the New York Public Library and Harvard University libraries, among others.

The goal of Google Book Search is to make all offline books -- currently invisible to Google's eye -- searchable. This means physically scanning hundreds of millions of pages bound between the covers of an estimated 18 million books, recognizing around 430 languages and all sorts of fonts, making the results available for text searches, and replicating the traditional library browsing experience when it's all done.

A similar but smaller project is the Million Book Project by the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Expectations are that the Million Book Project will accomplish its goal of digitizing one million books by 2007.

As of November 2005 -

Over 600,000 books have been scanned: 170,000 in India, 420,000 in China, and 20,000 in Egypt. Roughly 135,000 of the books are in English; the others are in Indian, Chinese, Arabic, French, or other languages. Most of the books are in the public domain, but permission has been acquired to include over 60,000 copyrighted books (about 53,000 in English and 7,000 in Indian languages).

This mammoth effort is going to create an 'online book lovers paradise.' Greater access to information will truely realize the knowledge economy and bring tremendous benifits to the lower societal levels trapped in poverty. Democracy will take new new meaning when an informed electorate can exercise the peoples will in countries that are struggling to bring about such change.

Internet Giants Boosting The Mobile Data Market

Google and Yahoo are on the run to add internet search and data services to cell phones. The mobile market is growing and analysts predict there is huge potential to expand business in the mobile space.

SonyEricsson, the world’s No. 5 mobile phone maker, is arranging to pre-install Google’s search features and blogging software on three new phone models.There have been several major deals. Last week, Yahoo and AT&T launched a Nokia phone with Yahoo Go Mobile, a service that gives users the ability to access their Yahoo mail, photos, address book, calendar, and Yahoo Messenger instant messages. Motorola said it was putting Google’s search bar in a visible position on its mobile phones.

Web access via cellphones has not been a relatively easy experience upto now, but with Yahoo and Google making ambitious efforts in the mobile market, things will be different. We can check and reply email, find out directions and places and much more. How much better will be the new mobiles than the BlackBerrys, I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Qatar Tennis Open: Tradition Wins in Tennis

When you look at the images from the Qatar Total Open
it is heart warming to see sports not only take the biting fierce competive spirit but the competitors are also able to soak in the more relaxed feeling of the country's culture as seen from the photos below.

Social Networks: Profit and Risk

Social networks like MySpace is a huge attraction for all sorts of people to meet, chat, share photos, exchange intimate information and become firends. The risks of of putting out your personal info and losing your privacy is also been realised with phony characters taking advantage of unsuspecting youth. These days social networks are taking action to protect their clients pivacy from predators and scam artists.

With millions of users connecting with each other, social networks is an good opportunity for business marketing.

The popular website of fashion DailyCandy was founded in 2000 at the height of the internet bubble. There are many others that have followed suit and the trend seems to be growing just like the explosive growth of internet companies before the bubble burst in 2000.

DailyCandy, which describes itsef as "the ultimate insider guide to what's new, hot, and undiscovered," is the brainchild of Dany Levy, a 33-year-old onetime New York magazine editor. It has 11 daily city editions and a vibrant e-mail newsletter, and its trend-setting editors have steady gigs on the Today show to talk about the next hot sneaker or spa service.

Buzz machines like DailyCandy have become all the rage among corporate buyers looking to connect with the hordes of young people living and spending online.

Web entrepreneurs and teen portals are aplenty now and buyer loyalty is a very fleeting experince. But this should not discourage good businesses to be born in the web and dot.com millionaires to be made provided there online business is always value-adding and interesting to a generation of customers seeking beauty and gratification instantly. Online shopping will pick up to be a revolutionary trend.

Singapore scientist elected to US National Academy of Engineering

A Singapore scientist has been named as a Foreign Associate to the prestigious US National Academy of Engineering.

Professor Miranda Yap was elected for her outstanding achievements in education, research and management in the field of mammalian cell culture.

She is the Executive Director of A*STAR Bioprocessing Technology Institute, as well as a Professor at the National University of Singapore's Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department.

It is an honour for Professor Miranda and a proud achievement for Singapore. She is the first female elected to the academy and worthy role model for young researchers in Singapore, making Singapore a R&D hub and a knowledge-based industry centre.

Congratulations to Professor Miranda.

Franchising Rules

According to an artice in The Australian, just because a business becomes a franchise doesn't mean it will work.

Franchising has long boasted that it is the most successful business model, with fewer bankruptcies and more profitable businesses than any other form of small business.

Franchising is an innovative way to do business. But it is better to get in the curve up when the business is growing with plenty of potential to expand.

The Six Rules Jack Welch Lives by:

Here are the six rules that Jack Welch , the influential General Electric (GE) boss from 1981 to 2001, lived by. He remains highly regarded in the business circles still.

* Control your destiny or someone else will.
* Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it
were.
* Be candid with everyone.
* Don't manage, lead.
* Change before you have to.
* If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't
compete.

National University of Singapore Graduates Get Jobs Faster

Singapore graduates are creating new records. They are getting jobs faster and earning higher salaries than their counterparts in the previous three years.

According to a National University of Singapore survey, nearly all (98%) its graduates found jobs within 6 months. Eight in 10 did it in less than three months. But many have also decided to set up their own businesses or join small start-ups.

Students who have been on the NUS Overseas Colleges Programme are paid an average of $2,900, $400 more compared to other NUS graduates. Companies who hire them say this is because these graduates can hit the roads running. Also, they have an international experience and a global mindset which can value add to the workplace. Other NUS graduates are also earning higher salaries - on average, about $125 a month more than those the year before. Bachelor in Law graduates commanded the highest mean gross monthly salary of $4,083, followed by medical graduates, at $3,911. On the whole, professional degree holders earned an average of $2,750, an increase of 3% compared to 2004.

Consumers Slow To Pick Up Wi-Fi Services

As reported on BBC, a study has found that most people are not taking advantage of the freedom offered by laptops with wi-fi built-in.

There are over 10,000 wi-fi hotspots in the UK but not everyone is aware of them.

The survey found that 15% thought there were not enough wireless locations for them to use the technology. Just 11% used laptops in hotels, 7% on trains and 3% in coffee shops, compared to 55% who used them mostly at home.

From these statistics it appears many consumers are missing out on the opportunities provided by the commercial Wi-Fi services and are available in places such as Internet cafes, coffee houses and airports around the world.

According to Wi-Fi Hotspots Directory, Singapore has 619 Wi-Fi locations in the city with another 63 in the Changi International Airport.

Wi-Fi is compatible with gaming consoles and handhelds, allowing online games that can be played at any access point.

The presenent trend is to treat wireless internet affordable to all. Where traditional wired broadband networks required massive investment, new technology means wireless networks can provide similar levels of service, at a fraction of the cost. With this, there are already fears that the rise of Voice Over Internet Protocol (Voip) calling - where net-connected computers can make cheap phone calls - will damage profits.

Although the free Wi_Fi services have not picked up dramatic growth as yet , it is an unavoidable first step reaching out to consumers at all economic levels just like the what the mobile phone has done. So, this is the time to brace for new opportunities to enhance the quality of personal life , increase business and commerce, and entertainment including gaming that is bound to revolutionize a new social behaviour.

Singapore Pays Tribute to Mr. S Rajaratnam.

Today Singapore bade farewell and laid to rest one of its founding fathers - the former Deputy Prime Minister and senior statesman, Mr S. Rajaratnam who died last Wednesday due to heart failure.

He was given a state funeral at the Parliament House, where Mr. Rajaratnam has given so many speeches after this island state's tumultuous separation from Malaysia in 1965. He was one of the founding members of the Peoples Action Party, which has ruled and transformed Singapore to what it is today.

Mr. Rajaratnam was the first and longest serving foreign minister of independent Singapore. He skilfully steered Singapore's foreign policy and tirelessly worked to enhance Singapore’s prestige among the nations of the world. He did this admirably well, winning many friends on the international stage of diplomacy.

He was a firm believer in multi-racalism and it was he who penned the Singapore Pledge (below), leaving behind a lasting legacy.

"We, the citizens of Singapore
Pledge ourselves as one united people
Regardless of race, language or religion
To build a democratic society
Based on justice and equality
So as to achieve happiness, prosperity & progress for our nation"

Mr. Rajaratnam was a thinker, a lover of books and was a voracious reader. He used reasoning and persuasion to win over opponents to his side.

Judging by the steady stream of national leaders and common people who turned up to pay their last respects and pay tribute to him, it is clear that Singapore has lost one of the most illustrious leaders of the Founding Generation.

Business Jets In Asian Air Show in Singapore

Gulfstream USA's corporate and business jets are on show at the Asian Aerospace 2006 held in Singapore from 21 Feb to 26th Feb 2006.

Asia is becoming a huge market for the aerospace industry with major players looking to take advantage in China and India among the huge growth centres.

Airbus and Boeing are demonstrating more fuel efficient carriers for the commercial sector. This year's aerospace show has more than 930 exhibitors from 43 countries.

Gulfstream which has sold 16 business jets in the Asia Pacific region in 2005, sees huge potential for the demanding business travellor. Business and corporate jets save travelling time for the top business mangers, who can arrive at their destinations fresh and well rested to continue their business. The private jets can also be used as a mobile office. Since you can never recoup lost time, the private business jet can now be considered as a business tool which definitely gives a competitive advantage in a fiercely business world.

Aamir Khan's Rang De Basanti

On Wednesday night I watched Aamir Khan's film Rang de Basanti. The film is about life in Delhi and covers the trials and tribulations of the city.

Rang de Basanti' is a film about awakening. About standing up for ones beliefs. Where the spirit of rebellion transcends time and age. A young idealistic English filmmaker, Sue, arrives in India to make a film on Indian revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and their contemporaries and their fight for freedom from the British Raj. Owing to a lack of funds, she recruits students from Delhi University to act in her docu-drama. She finds DJ (Aamir Khan), who passed out five years back but still wants to be a part of the University because he doesn't think there's too much out there in the real world to look forward to. Karan (Siddharth), the son of Industrialist Rajnath Singhania, who shares an uncomfortable relationship with his father, but continues to live off him, albeit very grudgingly.

The film grips your attention for what is wrong with Indian society, especially corruption which they say is part of their society's DNA. There is lot of crazy fun and light-hearted moments applicable to rebellious youth. It also brings about a climax which gets the viewer sitting on edge.

A Visit To The Bugs'ingham Palace

This visit was perhaps long overdue for me, partly because I was a frequent visitor to the island that housed this palace or Butterfly Park, the Sentosa which is the popular entertainment theme island of Singapore. I used to take my family on weekends to sentosa and hit the beach, our most favourite spot. It was easier and cheaper for us to take a bus which took us right inside Sentosa.

So, finally time was right for me pay a visit to the butterflies. I later realized the pollen filled air that my hosts enjoyed so much was perhaps not very helpful for my son, who is very sensitive to allergens. All in all, the visit was good and we had a fun visit, ending our day at the Musical Fountain, which put up a spectacular feat of display using water, laser and fire. Best of all it was free entertainment. It was a pity that we did not have a camera with us, but I'll try to post in Flickr some photos taken with a phone camera.

The Bridge JOB

American baby boomers may be looking for that kind of job, what the economists call the bridge job, a new category of employment.

Economists use this term to describe part-time or full-time jobs typically held for less than 10 years following full-time careers. According to a 2005 working paper from the Center on Aging and Work at Boston College, one-half to two-thirds of workers take on bridge jobs before fully retiring--one reason the number of workers 65 and up is expected to increase 117% by 2025.

Revamping the retirement system requires a shift in attitudes and changing of rigid bureaucratic rules.

Bird Flu Strikes India

Avian influenza has struck India. After the Maharashtra government on Saturday confirmed that the recent deaths of chickens in Nandurbar and Dhule districts of North Maharashtra were caused by bird flu, eight people were reportedly admitted to a government hospital at Navapur, with suspected bird flu.

It is estimated that around 40,000 to 1,00,000 chickens in the poultries of Nawapur have been affected by bird flu. Avian influenza is caused by a strain of viruses of which H5N1 is the most lethal. These viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds carry the disease across borders and health agencies across the world are gearing up to counter a possible pandemic.

Avian influenza is highly contagious and usually results in the death of domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks and turkeys, once infected. Bird flu has infected humans in some countries and killed around 90 persons since 2003 in various parts of Asia and Europe.

Officials in India say there is no cause for alarm and they are taking measures to put a preventive plan in place and authorities have cordoned off a three-kilometre radius area where the cases are reported.

Infections of humans, mostly through contact with infected poultry, result in symptoms typical of common human influenza — fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches — to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases and other life-threatening complications.

Security Overshadow Dubai Purchase Of P&O

Last week Dubai Ports World, (DPW), based in the United Arab Emirates, announced that it would purchase London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. (P&O). The deal gives DPW control over commercial operations at six US shipping terminals- New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.

This fact has caused a small but growing number of US lawmakers to press the White House and the Treasury Department to review their decision on the grounds that Arab control over American ports could jeopardize national security.

The purchase worth $6.8 billion dollars which gives a controlling stake of six US ports to a Dubai company has now become the subject of controversy and a national security debate. Although Dubai is a US ally in the combat of terrorism after 9/11, there are opponents of this administration as well as sceptics within the ruling party who strongly believe that the US should not allow its ports to be managed by Dubai which still has links to the terror groups in the middle east.

Dubai has beaten Singapore's Port Authority, (PSA) to take over P&O, but they still have to win over US lawmakers and public opinion who feel nervous that by allowing a Dubai company to manage their ports, it could compromise their security, giving the terrorists a gateway into their land.

End of the world in 1,000 years?

This eery headline is from Rediff.com, and they say:

"To stay alive, we have to meet a deadline.

• If man does not stop burning fossil fuels, by the year 3000, rising oceans will drown many countries and cities, and temperatures will have risen by as much as 15 degree Centigrade.
• Global warming could quadruple by 2100. Abrupt climate changes will become routine.
• Ocean water will become less acidic, throwing the marine ecosystem out of gear and resulting in catastrophic results for the earth."

These are the findings of a study called Climate Change on the Millenial Timescale by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research for the United Kingdom's Environment Agency.

We started off with homo sapiens , our ancestors with limited intelligence who habituated mother earth before we took over as the most intelligent and most wise successor. Unfortunately, it is the same intelligence that has also made us the most self-centred and narrow-minded which also leads us to the opposite end of being the most stupid of all ,when you think of the warmongering and horrendous consequences of our own actions.

Here, I am talking about global warming . Scientific research suggests that we are rapidly moving in the direction of ireversible damage, considering the green house gases that we continue to pump into our atmosphere. United States, one of the biggest pollutors in the developed world says they are addicted to oil and they cannot give up their gas guzzler SUVs nor agree to cut green house emissions as agreed by most of the international community as per the Kyoto Protocol aimed at cutting down the cardondioxide emissions.

For the world's largest economy, it seems it is 'business as usual' and if we continue down this road, scientific predictions are that the most intelligent human species may perish as a result of its own actions. I hope this is a false outcome but history does show that we are woefully slow in bringing dramatic change to our social behaviour.

Singapore Honours The First Social Entrepreneur

Mr. Jack Sim who founded the World Toilet Organization has won the first Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award. As owner of a building materials company, Mr. Sim's inspirational idea to put more thought in the design and proper usage of toilets was recognized by the Switzerland-based Schwab Foundation For Social Entrepreneurship.

Mr. Sim beat three other finalists to win a trip to the World Economic Forum and the Annual Global Summit For Social Entrepreneurs to be held in Switzerland next year.

Addressing the award ceremony, the guest of honour, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, said ComCare Enterprise Fund, which provides seed funding for viable businesses with a social objective has todate approved $4.8 million for 48 approved projects. He urged the business community to look for opportunities with voluntary welfare organisations and charities as these organisations seek opportunities in the business area.

Hats off to Mr Sim for your innovation that is now recognized as a model for singapore. Poor toilet condition is a world wide problem and more than half of the world population have no proper sanitation.

Animation And Gaming Industry In India

According to the National Association Of Software And Service Companies, NASSCOM India, Newsreport issue No 51of January 2006, Indian animation and gaming industry is expected to show significant growth in the near future as global outsourcing takes off. A special study conducted by NASSCOM on the Indian animation and gaming market has found that the country could emerge as a significant destination for such outsourced work in the years to come.

According to the NASSCOM study, the global animation business was estimated to touch US$ 55 billion in 2005 and will grow to US$ 75 billion in 2009including segments such as entertainment (including TV broadcast, fully animated movies, direct-to-DVD and VFX), e-Education and web designing, with the entertainment market generating close to 73 per cent of the overall revenue during 2005.

The gaming industry, on the other hand, comprising the video console, PC, wireless/mobile and on-line gaming segments, achieved revenues of around US$ 19 billion in 2005. The sector is expected to witness exponential growth.


The NASSCOM study indicated that the mobile gaming segment would grow the fastest, increasing its overall share of the market from 16 per cent in 2005 to 28 per cent in 2009.

Presently the Indian animation market is dominated by the entertainment and film industry.
Mobile gaming so far is dominating the Indian gaming market. But India is making the right moves in these sectors to become a true global player

Kennedy and Cronkite

While scanning the internet for interesting reading material, I came across a book "About Why business people speak like idiots". The excerpts to this book bring out some interesting historical perspective giving a powerful example of an incident that has etched into the psyche of the American memory, thanks to a broadcast journalist by the name of Walter Cronkite. What you read in the 'Cronkite' example is just the opposite of how the idiots do it; without any double-speak or jargon, he connects with a nation to share in their grief.

Here is the excerpt that I selected.

"What has been called the 'most moving and historic' passage in broadcast history - and it's hard to say otherwise - was a sharp departure from the rehearsed and stiff television of its era... News of the shooting broke an hour earlier, and there were unconfirmed reports that President Kennedy had been fatally wounded. Cronkite himself had delivered that momentous news, breaking into the soap opera As the World Turns. But it was this segment that got inside of everyone watching. Decades later, it has the same effect. There's no doubt that Kennedy's death would have moved the nation no matter who reported it, and others did, nonstop for days, but Cronkite's broadcast is the one of record. Why?"

Walter Cronkite choked up on the most important broadcast of his career. It gave the whole audience a license to share their grief. Cronkite went on to become a legend in broadcast news. These are the rare moments when humanity rises above their party affiliation , ideological or religious differences to grieve or celebrate the life of a person who has made his mark and left a lasting legacy.

Even as we salute the advancements made possible by globalization, we are saddened that the gap between the rich and the poor continue to increase. In the mixed up world that we live today, greed, corruption, poverty, religious intolerance and terror has become an alarming problem.

Well, coming back to the book; I get the feeling that this book talks about an epidemic applicable especially to business but generally to other sectors as well. Today much of the world is dominated by the free market system of capitalism based on intense competition.. It seems business people cannot talk or give out a report without disclaimers or sugar-coating what they have to say. Go on and look into company accounts or attend an annual general meeting and you'll know the kind of deceptive and hard-to-understand lingo that is used . In order to impress an audience the idot, when he has nothing worth saying will talk about the "value proposition, ecosystems and generate concepts " that will create fog in the mind of the listener.

It is no wonder that Enron, the worlds biggest energy giant named by Forbes magazine consecutively as"America’s Most Innovative Company" for six consecutive years, became the largest corporate bankrupcy in US history causing millions of dollars of loss to shareholders and investors.

Some Tips On Achieving Financial Independence

This article from rediff.com refers the reader to the book 'Rich Dad Poor Dad', by Robert T Kiyosaki wherein he writes; that the sources of money can be divided into four quadrants. One is employment, the second is entrepreneurial- or self-employment, the third is investments, and the fourth is business.

Well, you have to live well. Make choices that will help you to achieve financial goals.

You are financially independent when your lifestyle is sustained by passive income, that is income which comes to you automatically without you having to work in any way for earning it. How could this happen?

Here are the tips.

• Assets create income and liabilities deplete income. Choose assets over liabilities as far as possible .
  Invest 10% or more of your gross income to create financial independence for yourself. This is an important step.
• Of your savings, put 15 to 20% in life insurance, 10% in post office instruments or a provident fund, 25% , you can buy mutual funds, shares or anything else of choice. Choose something that allows you some liquidity and yet appreciates quicker than the more conservative investments. Be aware that risk and return are positively correlated. Higher the risk, the higher the return.

The thumb rule is to put only as much money in these that you can put away without feeling the pinch into your day-to-day living expenses.

EU Probes Airline Price Fixing

In many countries 'price fixing' is illegal where firms agree to sell commodities at a common price or at a certain minimum price.

U.S. and European officials have raided airlines in US and Europe in an investigation of possible price-fixing of freight shipments by passenger and cargo airlines.

The European Union's executive arm and the U.S. Justice Department conducted searches of some leading passenger airlines' cargo operations in Europe and around the United States, and other airlines were asked for information related to the probe.

"The Commission has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated (a European Union) treaty, which prohibits practices such as price fixing," the European Commission said in a statement.

It is against the law in most countries for companies to collude to set prices or divide territory. It is standard practice for antitrust authorities in Europe, the United States and other countries to coordinate simultaneous raids on suspects in cartel cases.

Some of the world's biggest airlines including American Airlines, British Airways Plc, Air France KLM, Lufthansa and several others have been asked for information related to alleged cartel activity.

International cartels deprive the consumers of fair competition which is essential in a free market. Such price fixing which is considered a criminal offence can be prosecuted under antitrust laws of many countries. In a global economy, the long arm of the law has got to reach far and wide to keep the crooks at bay.

Fries Under Fire

All this while McDonald's had said its fries were free of gluten and milk or wheat allergens and safe for people with sensitivities to those foods.

This has suddenly changed and Mcdonald's has quietly added "Contains wheat and milk ingredients" this month to its Web site's french fries listing. Last week, the fast-food giant acknowledged that its french fries contain more trans fat than previously advertised. While for most people it may not matter, it is a big deal for people who are sensitive to wheat and dairy derivatives which are used as flavour in the preparation of fries.

A heathy eating campaign that former President Bill Clinton has just started for public schools in order to combat obesity among young children will focus on the nutritional value of foods; burgers and fries no doubt will be included.

The schools will get help in improving the nutritional value of the food served in cafeterias and vending machines, increasing physical activity, providing health lessons and promoting staff wellness.

"What we want to do is to create a national recognition program shining a spotlight on schools that have done a good job, with concrete, innovative steps to create healthier learning environments for children and healthier work environments for staff," President Clinton said.

e- Community Centres Boost Rural Communities

e-Community Centres (CeCs) or telecentres are providing access to the rural communities to reach out to the wider world. In the Asia Pacific region where major farming communities live, the resources of information and communication technology are set bring far-reaching changes to the community life and their way of doing business.

In a province in Mindanao, Phillipines a high school student uses this e-centre to call her mother in Saudi Arabia and it cost her less than the bus fare for the 13 kilometre ride to reach her home.

The telecentres which look like cyber cafes provide facilities where, for a minimal fee, the public can access various information and communications technology (ICT) services such as web browsing, email, voice service, and fax service. These centers serve as community libraries, points of access to distance education, business service centers, local, regional and international news services centers, and portals for various government services. The e-centers, have enriched the learning experience of students in the area who previously had access only to antiquated library materials.

The e-center has also had a significant impact on local businesses. Business people, who once had limited contact and little access to markets , can now arrange efficient domestic and overseas transactions through the CeC. In fact, locally-made baskets made by the indigenous Teduray tribe, are being sold internationally through the Internet. Thanks to technology, product information on these baskets is posted in the local government unit’s website.

According to UNESCAP Report over 60% of the people in the Asia-Pacific region live in rural areas. The rural population tends to be poor, neglected and marginalized groups of society. In comparison to urban areas, the accessibility and availability of information and communications technology (ICT) is significantly lower in rural areas. Government and the private sector do not invest much in infrastructure development for ICT in rural areas, as it is not cost-effective. But modern communication and technology is changing the rural landscape, albeit perhaps rather slowly but with profound changes in the offing. With the awakening of the sleeping giants China and India, propects for an economic boom are greater in this region.

Some Useful Info For Small Businesses

Based on the wiki model, this site smallbusiness.com does provide some very useful information. It is gives a wide array of user contributed information, from starting a business to marketing, accounting, human resources and legal issues.

It is an intersting concept to share knowledge which can be used to help other people in getting started or inspiring the motivation to focus and do well. With the opportunities that come about, thanks to the power of the wide reach of internet, how-to-do information is in no short supply and if it can contibute to your understanding or inspire you, then it is worth your time to have a look.

Million Dollar Experiment

Here is a Million Dollar Experiment which is a financial exercise intended for personal and financial development.

The author states that the goal of this experiment is to attempt to use the power of intention to manifest $1 million for each person who chooses to participate. It is 100% free, and there are no costs of any kind. You can even participate anonymously.

It sounds interesting. To let the power of intention and intution be the driving force for motivation and to stay the course can be quite powerful. It is an exercise to tune the mind and for the universe to do the rest. What you invest is only your time to think with clarity and focus and pick up clues as they flash in your mind. The author states, "there's no downside other than investing a fraction of your time each day in holding the intention."

Integrity & Success

Integrity is characterized by upright character, sound moral principles and honest behaviour. For a person to be truly successful, these traits will have to be inculcated very early on in life.

If a person is dishonest at any level, is scheming and has the desire for something for nothing, it will lead the person to cheating and robs the individual of good character.

Enduring success depends on one's integrity. Do not sacrifice your chances for enduring success by yeilding to ill-gotten gains. Once you have sacrifised your character, you have lost all.

Giant Crabs May Invade Britain

According to this news and discovery item of Ananova , Environmentalists warn that Britain's waterways are set to be invaded by giant exotic Chinese crabs.

They say the mitten crabs, which can grow to the size of a dinner plate, could overrun canals and rivers. They also say that there could be a population explosion at any time.

This type of crabs are considered a delicacy in China and Japan when eaten raw and are already present in some British rivers including the Thames, Humber and Tyne.

One solution for the expected population explosion could be, export the crabs en masse to the countries of Far East, where the raving exotic food lovers could feast all year round. It certainly would be good business.

Sultan Loses To His Brother

This article in the UK Times Online states that the Sultan of Brunei, one of the world’s richest men, has failed in his attempt to have Prince Jefri, his younger brother, jailed in Britain in a family feud over £8 billion.

The Times reported that Prince Jefri Bolkiah won a key victory in the High Court last week in a five-year battle that has exposed the extraordinarily extravagant lifestyles of the brothers.


Prince Jefri, 51, has been accused by his brother Sultan Hassanal, 59, of embezzling £8 billion from the Brunei Investment Authority (BIA) during his 13 years as Finance Minister of the oil-rich country on the northern coast of Borneo.

Click on the 'article' above as well as Asiaweek.com article to read about this story which Asiaweek titled "Paradise Lost."

Asiaweek wrote, "Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei rules his tiny realm from the world's largest residential palace built on the edge of the Borneo jungle. The gold-domed Istana Nurul Imam has 1,788 rooms, which makes it bigger than the Vatican and on a par with Versailles."

Brunei also known as Negara Brunei Darussalam or Sultanate of Brunei has a population of 372,361 (July 2005 est.) according to the World Factbook.

Cartoons Being Used To Settle Scores

When the cartoons over which there is a fire storm raging across most of the muslim world were first published in Sept 2005, apparently there was no hoo-ha then. Perhaps emboldened by this meek no-reaction, the Denmark paper printed more of the same some ten days back recently, I guess, to push the envelope further and test the level of the bar of muslim tolerance. The publishers who reprinted these cartoons in other countries, too, believe that they have the right of expression, which is the hallmark of the free world; such a right and its implementation has kept their countries away from the grip of tyranny and dictatorships. This is necessary to uphold public scrutiny in the affairs of the state, good governance and to maintain checks and balances between the different branches of the government while holding them accountable to the citizens from whom they derive their power. Drawing caricatures of the muslim prophet does not enhance or help any of the issues mentioned here, other than dare the publishers right to do so. The consequences for doing so have not been taken to account, certainly the publishers would have least expected the passion and violence that this incident has unleashed across some parts of the muslim world. All muslims are offended by the cartoons but many don't agree that burning of national flags or torching of embassies is the way to register their dismay and protest.

I read in a newspaper that Financial Times in an editorial last friday said, " Freedom of speech is among the most invaluable of our liberties. But it is not absolute; It would not, say, include the right to cry 'fire' in a crowded theatre. But there is something dishonest, too, about the way arab leaders defer in these matters to reactionary clerical establishments that they rely on to legitimise their autocratic rule."

When the Danish Embassy in Beirut was burnt down, there was speculation that the Syrians may have a hand in it. State sponsored protests in Iran reflect the defensive stance of a government determined to devleop nuclear power against the will of the UN nuclear watch dog , the International Atomic Energy Agency. From United Kingdom, all across the middle east, to Pakistan, Afghanistan, to Indonesia and New Zealand; the extremists have come to the fore front to demonstrate radical forms of protest and violence. Whenever an incident like this occurs, the moderate muslims are blamed for not speaking up and making their voices heard. Unfortunately in this instance the wrath of fury and passions are running so wildly high that unless the muslim religious and political leaders come out to calm the frailed nerves, the moderate majority would be marginalised once again.

Final Word: To try to still justify reprints of this cartoons in the name of freedom of expression is to justify the misuse of the highest value that the free world so cherishes unlike the monolithic muslim middle east that Financial Times pointed out and which the US and the West have supported for far too long. Cooler heads need to prevail over the extremists to put this incident behind us and move on.

Freedom Of Expression Versus Respect For Religion

Regardless of one's religious affliliation, virtually everyone in the democratic west has individual liberty, political and religious freedoms. These are among their most cherished heritages .

In Denmark, a small town newspaper has drawn cartoons of the muslim prophet.The majority of the 5 million Danes are lutherian christians while a small minority are muslims. Other Eurpoean countries have reprinted these cartoons and there is a huge outrage among the muslims, affecting diplomatic relations with some muslim countries, boycott of Danish goods while others are protesting with fury.

If individuals are to live in peace and harmony, freedom of expression should not be used as an excuse to degrade any religion. It serves no other purpose other than to provoke ill-feelings and incite hatred. When the French jumped on to this bandwagon reprinting these insulting cartoons, it is worth to remember the famous philosopher Voltaire. In the 18th Century, his advocacy of freedom of speech and religion, along with attacks on the Church and the French nobility, resulted in two prison terms in the Bastille and years of exile from France. So there was a huge furore then and I wonder if anything was learnt from that experience.

In a free world, you do require a free press. But the press does carry a social responsibilty. From time to time we should look at ourselves objectively and ask, "Should we do something because we can do it or should we do it because it is right to do so?" If you choose the former, then there are unacceptable consequences. When action is taken on the latter, it can enrich our lives and help us to live in peace and harmony.

Tradition Marches On in Singapore's Chingay Parade

Just returned after watching Singapore's Chingay Parade. Originally started in 1973 in Singapore as an annual Chinese festival marking the Chinese New Year celebrations, it has now become a multicultural event with Malay and Indian performances alongside the Chinese festivities. Every year it seems to become more grand and more colourful. Reflecting harmonious unity in diversity, these street dances are from Malay, Indian and Chinese cultural institutions and schools together with glittering lights and spectacular floats in this night-time parade. There were floats from other countries too adding an international flavour to this event.

Although you now don't hear the fire crackers that was reminiscent of the early festivals which originated from Penang in Malyasia and then came over to Singapore, you do have some amazing performances among the beat of drums and cymbols, colourful costumes and dragon dancers still reflecting its originality. The balancing act on a 30-foot pole swinging from side to side was the best performance that I witnessed as I walked along the Orchard lined which was lined with curious onlookers, tourists and enthusiastic children singing and clapping to the beat of the drums and to the steps of the cheerleaders. At its finale it became a cracking street party and onlookers were were urged to join and participate in the fun.

This is a refreshing experience depicting the cultural diversity that exist in a society that has achieved excellence in national progress and social development from very humble beginnings just over three decades ago. As you see the dragon dance snake through amid the towering buildings welcoming the year of the dog, even the cannines are happy and smiling from cheek-to-cheek confirming that this country has done exceptionally well.

Million Dollar Fish Head Battle

Here is a Singapore success story born out of a simple idea. In the early 1950s, an Indian cook in Singapore came up with the idea to use fish heads that were not eaten but usually thrown away . His idea to cook fish heads has created what is now famously known as the Indian fish head curry. Despite the name, you'll be surprised to know that it is not an Indian but regional creation using Indian spices and flavour. It seems, in India they do not eat fish heads as a meal in the same manner they do here.

The "Banana leaf Apolo" in Little India which is the Indian cultural district in Singapore has the fish head curry as it's premier dish. It is not only an irresistable moderately spicy dish for locals here, but also a must-stop point for tourists to saviour this dish. True to it's name, food is served on a big green leaf and rice and veggies are scooped onto it, the waiters don't even need to wash the plates. But the majestic fish head comes in a big bowl, it's eyes and meat shining bright.

According to this article the battle to woo fish head curry customers in Little India has become spicier among the few competitors serving this famous dish. The owner of Apolo Mr. Chellapan is opening another posch outlet after giving his existing flagship 'banana leaf apolo' a two million dollar renovation revamp.

FOR a man who used to make a measly one dollar a month, Mr S Chellappan has come a long way.

As a young boy from Tamil Nadu, India, he initially worked, without pay, as an odd-job labourer at a boarding house.

'I worked in exchange for my meals and lodging. I got a dollar each month as tips for cleaning the place. ' he said.

This is an amazing rags-to-riches story, not only creating a world class brand "the banana leaf apolo" but in the process lifting the once discarded fish head to the front lines of the food industry here. All this out of a simple idea and a lot of hard work.

People Versus Banks

"This is a staggering thought. We are completely dependent on the commercial Banks. Someone has to borrow every dollar we have incirculation, cash or credit. If the Banks create ample synthetic moneywe are prosperous; if not, we starve. We are absolutely without apermanent money system. When one gets a complete grasp of the picture,the tragic absurdity of our hopeless position is almost incredible, butthere it is. It is the most important subject intelligent persons caninvestigate and reflect upon. It is so important that our presentcivilization may collapse unless it becomes widely understood and the defects remedied very soon.
"-- Robert HemphillCredit Manager of Federal Reserve Bank, Atlanta, Ga. http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Robert.Hemphill.Quote.CA66"

Banks have almighty power and if they are overtaken by greed and mismanagement, it is a frightening prospect for they can destroy business and livelihoods just as effectively as they create and prosper them.