Saturday, October 10, 2009

President Obama won Nobel Peace Prize

This is really a surprise.  In the first place, what have he done to deserve this prize?  Yes, he did talk a lot about peace between east and west.  However, so far we just don't see the real action taken.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Make Sure Your Kids Live Better Than You

Make Sure Your Kids Live Better Than You

This is actually an article that I found in Yahoo finance. I find that it is really true and can actually adapt to Malaysia.


Malaysian mom and dad have always wanted their kids to live a better live. However, sometime it puts a pressure towards the kids. The parents will want to make sure that the kids pick up every skill they could possibly do.


Below is the adaptation:


Today's children face a far different economic landscape--one marked by stiffer global competition, an uncertain job market, easier credit, declining retirement benefits and a host of new financial products that make managing money on a day-to-day basis increasingly complex. The result: That rising standard of living is no longer the slam dunk that previous generations enjoyed.

Scary stuff, huh? Sure, but challenging too, with the potential for greater rewards--yes, that better life--for young people who are well equipped to navigate the new terrain. Whether your kids are toddlers or have toddlers of their own, you have the power to tilt the financial odds in their favor. These strategies will help.

Strategy No. 1: Explain the New Money Rules
Unlike you and your parents before you, kids today are growing up in a world in which technology has made money largely invisible. Want to buy something? Hand a piece of plastic to a cashier and the goods are yours. Need cash? Stick a card into a bank machine and out pops the dough that probably landed in your account through direct deposit of your paycheck. Since actual dollars change hands far less often these days, children don't get to learn by observation how financial transactions work, and parents miss out on everyday opportunities to teach the basics of managing money.

So it's up to Mom and Dad to explain what kids can't see with their own eyes, starting as soon as your son throws his first candy-demanding tantrum at the grocery store or your daughter asks for a magic money card like yours. "The earlier you begin talking to your children about money, the better chance you'll have to instill the values you think are important," says Philip Heckman, director of youth programs for the Credit Union National Association.

Instead of delivering formal lectures, casually drop lessons into your daily financial routines. When your preschooler accompanies you to the ATM, let him know that you're taking out money you earned at work and put in the bank for safekeeping. Verbalize your purchase considerations at the store, comparing prices and quality out loud. If you whip out the plastic to pay, explain that either the amount is being taken out of your bank account directly (if you are paying with a debit card) or you will get a bill in the mail that you must pay later (if it's a credit card). Add layers of detail and sophistication as your child gets older, explaining, for example, the concept of interest and late fees.

Look for ways to directly involve your child in financial activities, making a game of it if possible. If you talk to a child about the importance of saving money, "it just goes in one ear and out the other," says Joni, a radio producer in Atlanta. But if you give them the money saved, she says, "it's a very powerful motivator."


Strategy No. 2: Fight the Spend Trend
Saving money, of course, has always been a virtue.  One way to counter today's gotta-have-it-now mentality is to make saving money a habit early on. Start with a traditional piggy bank, preferably a see-through container. A kindergartner may not be impressed by a bank balance statement, but he will intuitively understand that a large pile of coins is better than a small one and will get satisfaction from watching it grow. That's why New York City media director Vladimir Leveque, 32, gave his son Amir, 5, an empty five-gallon watercooler bottle that the boy is filling up with loose change that his dad brings home from work each night. When the bottle is full, Leveque will use the money to fund Amir's first savings account. "I'm introducing him to the ideology of saving," Leveque says.

As your child grows older, give her money of her own to manage (see "Making Allowances" at left). Then encourage her to regularly set some of it aside for long-term goals, like a coveted toy or, for a teenager, a cell phone. Help her plan how much she'll need to save, over what time period and, as extra incentive, consider matching a portion of what she socks away. Open a savings account for her at the bank and suggest that she put some of her money there for safekeeping. The idea: "Make it easy to save and hard to spend," says Robert Manning, a finance professor at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Get the whole family involved in savings efforts too, as opportunities arise. For instance, when their three kids clamored for a pool in the backyard a few years ago, Sheri and John Hart of Dayton spearheaded a "pool plan" to save the necessary $3,500 for the aboveground model they wanted. Everyone agreed to make sacrifices: The family ate fewer meals out; John, 46, general counsel for the University of Dayton, moonlighted doing some extra legal work; Sheri, 43, postponed haircuts; the kids contributed some birthday money. If one of them whined to buy something on a shopping trip, "We just used the phrase 'pool plan,'" says John, "and they would remember why this was a looking trip and not a buying trip." When the pool was finally installed, "there was a sense of pride and accomplishment," says John. "The kids didn't miss what they gave up in order to achieve it." And the lesson appears to be sticking. His son Jordan, 17, recently used his own savings from afterschool and summer jobs to buy his first car.

Strategy No. 3: Hone Their Competitive Edge
The paternalistic, cradle-to-grave employer is so 20th century. Kids of the new millennium can expect to switch jobs several times in the course of a career, and perhaps industries as well, as technologies change, companies seek to keep costs down and global competition stiffens. While you can't know which jobs will be in demand a generation from now, you can count on workers with an enterprising and entrepreneurial bent to have an edge. "We've got to prepare our children to be flexible and self-sufficient to survive in an unpredictable job market and a changing economy," says Bonnie Drew, an executive at YoungBiz, which teaches business skills to young people.

Nurture your child's inner entrepreneur in the grade school years by helping him find odd jobs to do, like washing cars or raking yards. Encourage moneymaking projects such as a used-toy sale or a lemonade stand. They provide an opportunity, says Drew, to talk about various aspects of a business, including how to market it and set a price that will turn a profit.

Be sure also to make your own work visible, talking to your kids about your job, taking them with you to the office occasionally and maybe even giving them a task or two to do. Every couple of weeks or so, for example, Avon representative Poonkulali "Lee" Suresh pays her children Sathesh, 10, and Sabrina, 6, a few dollars an hour to help her set up tables, stamp her name on catalogues and sort out products. "This is the best way for them to understand that money does not come easily and you have to work for what you want," says Suresh, 38, who grew up in Sri Lanka and immigrated to the U.S. with her husband Suresh Kumaran, 42, six years ago.
 Strategy No. 4: Reach Higher for Education
For past generations, graduating from a good college was an almost surefire means to success. With degrees increasingly commonplace, however, future generations may need to kick it up a notch to get the same higher-education advantage.

And, yes, quality counts. A 2005 Cornell University study reports that students who attend better-rated colleges do indeed end up earning more than their counterparts at lesser institutions--and that the boost to income from attending higher-quality schools is big enough to compensate for their typically higher cost.
So try bumping up those contributions to your 529 plan (or get started now), and steel yourself to the idea of paying those tuition bills somewhat longer than you'd planned. The ultimate price tag, though, may be smaller than you think if you send your child to a top-rated public institution. In fact, the same study found that attending highly rated public colleges packed the same earnings punch as comparable private schools, making them the better investment, in the researcher's estimation.

Strategy No. 5: Give Big Kids a Hand, Too
Your role as a financial mentor doesn't necessarily end once your child is an adult. According to a University of Michigan study, people ages 25 to 34 who live on their own typically receive more than $14,000 in assistance from their parents. As the economic climate gets tougher, odds are your adult child could probably use a hand from you too.

Giving money to your kids can reduce the taxes your heirs may ultimately owe on your estate. (Only estates worth more than $1.5 million will be taxed this year, and that amount is due to rise over the next few years. The estate tax is scheduled to be eliminated in 2010, and then, unless the law is changed, it will be reinstated with an exemption of $1 million in 2011.) You can give as much as $11,000 to each child this year without paying a gift tax; couples can give up to $22,000.

If you're like most families, though, you're probably less concerned about estate planning than you are with simply providing the help your child needs now. To make sure a gift of money has the most impact, consider targeting it for a particular purpose--say, chipping in for the down payment on a first home or paying off the balance on a high-interest credit card. If you're attaching conditions, however, make your expectations clear. If you intend that the money be used for graduate school and you'd be unhappy if it were spent on a new car instead, say so in advance to avoid hard feelings, and give your child an opportunity to decline the gift.
Also consider that, however well intentioned your gifts may be, too much of a good thing can hurt your kids in the long run. Regular gifts may encourage a lifestyle your son can't really afford or send the message to your daughter that she can't take care of herself. "Parents should use their money to help their kids become independent," says Jon Gallo, co-author of Silver Spoon Kids: How Successful Parents Raise Responsible Children, "not to maintain their dependence."

In fact, the single best step you can take to help your kids prosper as adults won't cost you a dime: Be a good role model. After all, children learn most of what they know by observation. So if you rely on plastic to keep up with the Joneses and never manage to save a dime, don't be surprised if your children grow up to do the same, no matter how much you preach to them about living within their means. "It's like parents telling their kids not to smoke and then lighting up a pack a day," says financial planner Kevin McKinley, author of Make Your Kid a Millionaire. In the end, there's no substitute for setting the right example. If you haven't exactly been a paragon of financial virtue lately, there's no time like the present to start.

You can find the full article here:
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/102033/Make_Sure_Your_Kids_Live_Better_Than_You;_ylt=AtAsISU2Ny_JnFCuXXsb_tg40tIF

Sunday, September 27, 2009

RM1 bread, spoiled before expiry date

I just want to share with you the experience I have.  I bought 2 loaf of bread from a reputable Hypermarket in Penang Island and one of it spoiled before the expiry date.  This is the 2nd time it happens and I feel that the management is not looking into the matter seriously.  I don't have the photos with me right now.  I will upload it when I get my camera back.  Sometime I wonder if there is really 'quality control' at the so-call multinational hypermarket.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Article published in Ezine

My article about "Guide to Buying a Digital Camera" has been published in Ezine. Take a look at it.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Guides to buying a digital camera

There are many brands and models of digital camera in the market. However, how do you choose a right digital camera for yourself? One of the lessons that I learned recently is "DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT THE SALES PERSONS TELL YOU".

My advices on digital camera (compact) buying process are:
1. Determine the budget
2. Determine the purpose of buying the camera
3. Survey about the cameras that fits into 1 &2 above. Determine which are the cameras that suit the criteria
4. Read the reviews about the cameras that you have shortlisted.

There a lots of websites about digital camera. In the websites, you could find lots of information about digital camera. Most importantly, there are reviews about different models of camera from different brands. They have a set of standard criteria/process to test the camera and basically comparing the cameras based on the same standard. However, that's is not enough. Read about the feedback/comments from users who have bought the cameras.

1 http://www.digitalcameratracker.com
2 http://www.steves-digicams.com
3 http://www.dpreview.com
4 http://www.cameras.co.uk
5 http://www.letsgodigital.org/
6 http://www.dcviews.com/
7 http://www.trustedreviews.com/
8 http://reviews.cnet.com
9 http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/
10 http://www.photographypress.co.uk/
11 http://digital-photography-school.com/
12 http://www.infoborder.com
13 http://alatest.com/
14 http://www.dphotojournal.com/
15 http://www.pcworld.com
16 http://review.zdnet.com/
17 http://www.pocket-lint.com

5. Get the feels of the camera by actually playing with them in the shops.

Additional point:
i) More pixel not necessarily means better photo. It depends on the quality of the processor. In fact, you don't need 10M if you only use it for leisure.
ii) Make sure that camera can still produce good quality photo even at ISO400. In the auto mode, camera can automatically adjust the ISO and would reach high value. The recent camera I bought coudl not produce decent photo using auto scene selector mode.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Dead during interrogation by MACC - justice for Beng Hock?

Tragedy happened in Malaysia!! A man was found dead yesterday during his interrogation by MACC (Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission). He is an aide to one of Selangor state exco.

Please click this link to read about the news http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/108635 (in Chinese)

The Malaysian public has the right to know what happened that cause Beng Hock's death. This tragedy should not have happened in Malaysia. We live in the country with rules of law.

A blog is created dedicated to the cause. http://justiceforbenghock.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

THE TEACHING OF MATHS AND SCIENCE - Polls by Tun Mahathir

I believe many parents are interested to participate in the poll on whether you agree on the decision to teach maths & science in English.

I would predict that the poll end result will be biased to one side. The reason is very simple, those who vote online are from the cities and they will support the teaching in English(they support it). However, majority of the folks from the kampung or rural area have either limited access to internet or the use of internet among them are limited(they against it).

Personally I feel that the purpose of education is to make the students absorb and understand the subjects that they study. Therefore, the teaching using the respective mother tongue makes more sense. If the government wants to strengthen the English, pay more attention on teaching of English.

Hurry up if you want to vote, go to : http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/ (you can find the voting box on the right).

Sunday, July 12, 2009

List of Dentist in Penang

Below is the list of dental clinic in Penang:

Air Hitam
No.
Name
Address
Contact No.
Doctor(s)
1.
Chong Dental Surgery
10-A, Jalan Air Itam
11500 Air Itam, Penang
Tel: 04 828 8853

1.
FORMOSA DENTAL SURGERY
123, LORONG SELAMAT
10400 PENANG
Tel: 04-2274430
  • DR LIM KEAN BENG, DDS (TAIWAN-KAOHSIUNG)

Balik Pulau
No.
Name
Address
Contact No.
Doctor(s)
1.
KLINIK PERGIGIAN A MARINA
858K, JALAN BALIK PULAU,
MUKIM 6, TAMAN SRI INDAH
BALIK PULAU

11000 PENANG
Tel: 04-8662007
  • DR A MARINA, BDS (MYSORE)
2.
KLINIK PERGIGIAN ISLAND
79, JALAN BESAR,
BALIK PULAU
11000 PENANG
Tel: 04-8669006
Fax: 04 8669006
  • DR MANJIT SINGH A/L GURBAX SINGH, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR RAJINDER KAUR BEDI, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR MANJIT KAUR A/P HARDIAL SINGH, BDS (MANGALORE)

Bayan Baru
No.
Name
Address
Contact No.
Doctor(s)
1.
BHAR DENTAL SURGERY
1-P, JALAN SUNGAI NIBONG,
BAYAN BARU
11900 PENANG
Tel: 04-6446555
  • DR SNEH BHAR, BDS (GURU NANAK)
  • DR ONG SHAW FENG, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR TEJ KAUR A/P MAHINDER SINGH, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR AMEENNUL HUSSAINI, BDS (MADRAS)
  • DR ANNA PURANI ACHI, BDS (MANGALORE)
  • CAPT(R) DR TEK BINDER SINGH BHAR, BDS (PUNJAB)
  • DR ONG JUNG THAI, BDS (BOMBAY)
2.
HOSPITAL PANTAI MUTIARA
82, JALAN TENGAH,
BAYAN BARU
11900 PENANG
Tel: 04-6433888
Fax: 04-6432888
  • DR LOOI CHEE KHEONG, BDS (SINGAPORE)
3.
ISLAND DENTAL SURGERY
102-A, 1ST FLOOR,
JALAN MAYANG PASIR,
BAYAN BARU
11950 PENANG
Tel: 04-6437803
Fax: 04-6437803
  •  
  • DR MANJIT SINGH A/L GURBAX SINGH, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR RAJINDER KAUR BEDI, BDS (MYSORE)
4.
KLINIK PERGIGIAN A MARINA
4-E, JALAN SG NIBONG,
BAYAN BARU
11950 PENANG
Tel: 04-6437487
Fax: 04-6413790
  • DR A MARINA, BDS (MYSORE)

Bukit Mertajam
No.
Name
Address
Contact No.
Doctor(s)
1.
CHIN HONG DENTAL SURGERY
229 JALAN PASAR,
BUKIT MERTAJAM

14000 PENANG
Tel: 04-5390743
Fax: 04-5390743
  • DR LIM CHIN HONG, BDS (SINGAPORE)
2.
KLINIK GIGI SENTOSA
2658, JALAN KULIM,
PUSAT PERNIAGAAN MAJU JAYA,
KAMPUNG BARU, BUKIT MERTAJAM
14000 PENANG
Tel: 04-5391761
Fax: 04-5391761
  • DR BASKARAN A/L GOBALA KRISHNAN, BDS (MYSORE)
3.
KLINIK PERGIGIAN WOOI
15A, 1ST FLOOR, JALAN TEMBIKAI,
TAMAN MUTIARA, BUKIT MERTAJAM
14000 PENANG
Tel: 04-5390507
Fax: 04-5390507
  • DR LIM CHIEW WOOI, BDSc (QUEENSLAND)
  • DR MARTIN ARULANANDAM, BDS (MADRAS)
4.
OON DENTAL SURGERY AND SPECIALIST ORTHODONTIC CENTRE
45, JALAN ASTON,
BUKIT MERTAJAM

14000 PENANG
Tel: 04-5387502
  • DR OON CHENG KHAN, BDS (BOMBAY)

Butterworth
No.
Name
Address
Contact No.
Doctor(s)
1.
BHAR DENTAL SURGERY
49, JALAN TENGGIRI, SEBERANG JAYA, BUTTERWORTH
13700 PENANG
Tel: 04-3988919
  • DR SNEH BHAR, BDS (GURU NANAK)
  • DR SEET AI LING, BDS (SYDNEY)
  • DR TEJ KAUR A/P MAHINDER SINGH, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR AMEENNUL HUSSAINI, BDS (MADRAS)
  • DR LEE SIEW MOY, BDS (MALAYA)
  • CAPT(R) DR TEK BINDER SINGH BHAR, BDS (PUNJAB)
2.
THANG DENTAL SURGERY
3849, 1ST FLOOR,
JALAN BAGAN LUAR,
BUTTERWORTH
12000 PENANG
Tel: 04-3239277
Fax: No Fax M/C
  • DR TEOH HOCK LYE, BDS (MALAYA)

Gelugor
No.
Name
Address
Contact No.
Doctor(s)
1.
BANU DENTAL SURGERY
350-F, JALAN SULTAN AZLAN SHAH,
GELUGOR
11700 PENANG
Tel: 04-6579225
  • DR MARTIN ARULANANDAM, BDS (MADRAS)
2.
KIEW DENTAL SURGERY
723A-1, VANDA BUSINESS PARK,
JALAN SUNGAI DUA,
GELUGOR

11700 PENANG
Tel: 04-6588932
Fax: 04-6568932
  • DR SAMUEL LIM SEK YING, ISMPP (MALAYA)
  • DR KIEW HEN CHONG, BDS (MANIPAL)
3.
TEH DENTAL SURGERY
350-A, JALAN SULTAN AZLAN SHAH,
GELUGOR
11700 PENANG
Tel: 04-6583332
Fax: 04-6563857
  • DR TEH SAM MOY, BDS (SINGAPORE)

Georgetown
No.
Name
Address
Contact No.
Doctor(s)
1.
Ang Dental Surgery
No.5 , Jalan Lintang Burma, Pulau Tikus , Pulau Pinang
Tel: 04 228 1127, 04 228 1308
  • Dr. Ang Poey Eng
2.
Goh Dental Surgery
306-B , Burma Road, 10350 Pulau Tikus, Penang
Tel: 04 228 7060

3.
ENG DENTAL SURGERY
33-B, JALAN CANTONMENT,
PULAU TIKUS,
10350 PENANG
Tel: 04-2268623
  • DR ENG HENG TONG, BDS (SINGAPORE)
4.
ISLAND DENTAL SURGERY
48-B, 1ST FLOOR, LINTANG ANGSANA,
BANDAR BARU FARLIM
11500 PENANG
Tel: 04-8261254
  • DR MANJIT SINGH A/L GURBAX SINGH, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR RAJINDER KAUR BEDI, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR MANJIT KAUR A/P HARDIAL SINGH, BDS (MANGALORE)
5.
LIM DENTAL SURGERY
NO. 3,
LENGKOK BURMAH ( BURMAH CRESENT),
PULAU TIKUS

10350 PENANG
Tel: 04-2298686
  • DR GOH KEIN JOO, BDS (MALAYA)
  • DR LIM EWE LIANG, BDS (SYDNEY)
  • DR SHARON VOON LEE PENG, BDS (SYDNEY)
6.
ONG & LIM DENTAL SURGERY
185-A, CAMPBELL STREET
10100 PENANG
Tel: 04-2619119
  • DR ONG SHAW FENG, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR XAVIER JAYAKUMAR, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR LIM SUAT HONG, BDS (MYSORE)
7.
Smile 'R' US Dental Clinic
No.488 D-02-13, Midlands Park (2nd Floor One Stop Building), 10250 Burmah Road, Penang
Tel: 04 229 6998

8.
TAN DENTAL SURGERY
2-F, JALAN BURMAH
10050 PENANG
Tel: 04-2633091
Fax: 04-2621096
  • DR LIM CHIEW WOOI, BDSc (QUEENSLAND)
  • DR TAN HONG PIN, BDS (ADELAIDE)

Island Glades
No.
Name
Address
Contact No.
Doctor(s)
1.
ISLAND DENTAL SURGERY
1-M, 1ST FLOOR,
LORONG DELIMA, ISLAND GLADES (1H)
11700 PENANG
Tel: 04-6571402
Fax: 04-6571402
  • DR MANJIT SINGH A/L GURBAX SINGH, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR RAJINDER KAUR BEDI, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR MANJIT KAUR A/P HARDIAL SINGH, BDS (MANGALORE)

Jelutong
No.
Name
Address
Contact No.
Doctor(s)
1.
BHAR DENTAL & SURGERY
15-B, LENGKOK DUMBAR,
JELUTONG
11600 PENANG
Tel: 04-6585777
  • DR SNEH BHAR, BDS (GURU NANAK)
  • DR TEJ KAUR A/P MAHINDER SINGH, BDS (MYSORE)
  • DR AMEENNUL HUSSAINI, BDS (MADRAS)
  • DR ANNA PURANI ACHI, BDS (MANGALORE)
  • CAPT(R) DR TEK BINDER SINGH BHAR, BDS (PUNJAB)
2.
ONG & LIM DENTAL SURGERY
14E,
JALAN BATU LANCHANG,
(JALAN TAN SRI THE EWE LIN)

11600 PENANG
Tel: 04-2823731
  • DR ONG SHAW FENG, BDS (MYSORE)

Nibong Tebal
No.
Name
Address
Contact No.
Doctor(s)
1.
KLINIK PERGIGIAN LIM BERSAUDARA
3617, JALAN CHE AHMAD,
NIBONG TEBAL
14300 PENANG
Tel: 04-5931437 / 012 4217205
Fax: 04-5931437
  • DR LIM BOON BEN, BDS (MANIPAL)

Prai
No.
Name
Address
Contact No.
Doctor(s)
1.
KLINIK PERGIGIAN JURU
783, Jalan Tok Kangar,
Juru

783,
JALAN TOK KANGAR,
JURU,
SEBERANG JAYA

14100 PENANG
Tel: 017-4794549
  • DR MARTIN ARULANANDAM, BDS (MADRAS)
2.
KLINIK PERGIGIAN SEBERANG JAYA
41, JALAN TENGGIRI,
BANDAR SEBERANG JAYA, PRAI
13700 PENANG
Tel: 04-3903013
  • DR HARI SINGH S/O RATTAN SINGH, BDS (CALCUTTA)

Sg Nibong
No.
Name
Address
Contact No.
Doctor(s)
1.
CH'NG DENTAL SURGERY
12H-1, JALAN TUN DR AWANG,
SUNGAI NIBONG KECIL
11900 PENANG
Tel: 04-6411094
  • DR CHAN KIENG HOCK, BDS (MALAYA)
  • DR CH\'NG CHIN HOCK, BDS (MALAYA)
  • DR TEOH BOON LEONG, ISMPP (MALAYA)
  • DR OON CHENG KHAN, BDS (BOMBAY)