Picatho's causeries

In the public eyes, food shoplifting is quite common and can easily be seen at supermarkets here. Perhaps it is an eccentric behavior; it is an addiction; it is a job; it is a characteristic of barbarian; or perhaps it is a symptom of herpes simplex encephalitis.

Last Saturday, when I was shopping at the Jesco of Bayan Lepas, I was surprising to see many shapeshifters although fetching with children were getting around a counter which was stuffed with offered grapes. They were accessibly swallow the grapes right there. As if they were enjoying a free eating at a free fruit-fair!

At first, I loathed these freebooters but as I saw them made no scruple to perform the shoplifting and without concerning that it was a scurvy trick, I had condoned them. Assuming that they were just a group of people who were simply the first timer to town and who were the misfortune people of this scrubby society. On the other hand, the supermarket authority was not taking any action for such food shoplifting act. Do you hate this kind of food shoplifters?

Too many people regard this as a minor issue. Perhaps many have done it themselves at some point in their life. I think it's worth to spell out the conclusion "Food shoplifting by parents in the presence of children is a shameful act and is frequently a 'gateway' to more serious future offences by children."

2006, a year as yet unstained by human deviation, corruption and natural destruction -- a year, too, of new discoveries and achievements waiting to be made. Will the Malaysia prosper? And on the economic side, what will impact our people? What do local soothsayers predict for the new year? natural disasters extent, petrol price surges, electricity rate raises, interest rate rises, share prices sour, intro of GST, inflation and the health concerns for chicken make this 2006 to be a challenging year!

The good things -- political stability is what we are going to enjoy as no election will happen in this year; more income tax reliefs for personal such as increased child refief and lenient estimating tax payable will make taxpayers less burdened; returning of foreign investment is likely to take the hike with the attractiveness of increased interest rate and brassy shares; 50% discount on stamp duty for SMEs borrowing will give SMEs more oats; national saving of about RM16 billion to RM18 billion upon subsidy on petroleum products will drive the budgetary deficit to a lower point of GDP from 3.8% of 2005; much lower import duty on household commodities such as clothing and electrical goods will increase consumption spending and is economically beneficial; and the conservative government steering by Pak Lah who is a non spendthrift alike is likely to save something for the nation.

The bad things -- petrol price will go up due to less subsidy; relatively the cost of living would be increased in term of inflation and probably you would see the increment of electricity rate, toll charges, food prices etc. which would be a big belt for retirees; educational cost would never be justified with cheaper college fee although the gorvernment will give out the investment tax allowances of 100% on qualifing capital expenditures to higher learning institutions; overspending is supposed to spring up as young consumers are vulnerable to persuasive life such as credit cards, telephonic goods and cars that promoting consumer debts, thus putting them at risk of deficits; Medical bill will not be lighten as public hospital is going to collect charges.

The ugly things -- corruption is seemed an unfinished story; social disorder is seemed an inexorable episode; education policy continues to deliberate between mother languages and English, and social services which were all the time lacking societal governance strive to demonstrate with no outstanding manner.

Either good or bad, it is certainly hoping for happier life then the retrospective year. The budget 2006 made last year was aiming to reduce the burden of the tax paying public brought about by the increase in petrol price, improve the quality of life of Malaysians and at the same time accelerate economic activity. May Malaysian enjoy a better living? May the public outlays be scrutinized with more meanings? Inestimably I hope so.

With 2005 drawing to close. Many of us make resolutions. We have the opportunity to evaluate our accomplishments and sift through our less successful life in an effort to move in the right direction next year.

However, we often make the resolutions bulky with very much thought as to what is overloaded in our lives. Something like a year's to-do-list which has incorporated some unrealistic things. As a result, the resolutions usually achieve incompleteness. Instead of making long-listed resolutions that are almost boundless, why not try a new simple approach? Why not just making the resolutions simple enough to be targeted only for a few major wishes, such as "buy a car for RM50k-RM70k; strive for additional income of RM10k etc." It's important to articulate and justify through your beliefs when making resolutions.

I have a friend who has just started a small business but he has made his new year resolutions to include a BMW & a bungalow that's far beyond his financial ability. I assumed that he has been making his 10 years' resolution, may be.

Do consider what is working in our lives and shall be improved rather than hopping for a big leap. Don't make your already busy life more complex by compounding too many major commitments. Putting all those small things as you come across life into perspective that has to be taken for betterment and bringing them to execution by using a daily to-do-list. In such a way, you'll gradually change your life in a positive way without hassle and without procrastination.

Streamlining can be the way you can change your life. It's a simple process based on a three-point plan.

1. Systemize your attitude - create effective systems to help you functions better on a daily basis, and be willing to change your attitude to handle your daily obligations. Time management and problems solving manner are the essence;

2. Reasoning by elimination - don't clutter your life with a cache of possessions and bad relationships. Limit the things you allow to accumulate in your life. Decide to eliminate bad relationships and decide to trash worthless things;

3. Organize - get yourself, your things, your family and your business be organized. Then keep it that way everyday.

Well, I hereby wish you farewells for the 2006 and having a more meaningful way of life!

A for apple; m for man; p for pen; and a men and a pen. these were the part of pioneer English lessons I'd been taught at standard vi. I was acquainted with the phase "a man and a pen" coz during that time, man has already been symbolized to pocket a pen which is clipping onto the sleeve of shirt's pocket. In such appearance as a dude, men were fond to carry a pen.

It was nothing crucial with the usefulness of the pen, it was basically used to flash proudly for the pen. A man with a pen didn't necessarily denoted that he could pen with good writing but he would be reckoned as a gentleman who has pocketed with pen. My first pen during that time was a $2.50 Hero, a China makes. It was a fountain pen equipped with a very strong nip and was tough enough that could even be used as a dart shoot-able onto a wooden table. This particular action had became our favorite game to challenge for the strongest amongst our pens during secondary school days. We were loving pen so much and were used to polish it almost everyday in order to give it a shine.

At the end of 1960s, Parker was first being introduced into here and it had fast been recognized as a renowned pen. Those students who had the chance to pin a Parker at their pocket were so regarded as rich kids who were purportedly having a wealthy family to live with. Hero pen users were therefore been categorized as the lower groups peoples.

It is all about a man and a pen in our childhood time. Now some of us, the Hero pen users, have already gone to sell salted eggs (died). This article was penned in memory of our many late schoolmates. My blessing!

Malaysian of my age were astonished to experience Santa & Santarina as we know them today. Santa's life has diversified into more complex with commercial missions, and is not merely giving out presents to children as St. Nicholas did in the 4th century.

Santa was turning up everywhere as a benign source of beneficence during 1950. This commercial success has led to the North American Santa Claus being exported around the world. Santa was life-sized, jolly, and wearing the now familiar red suit. He appeared in magazines, in papers, on billboards, shop counters, and even at sex sites promoting businesses. I've seen many contrivances of this evolution. Santa is about to sell coca cola drinks; to promote Citibank cards by presenting you a bunch of money [today's ad at TheStar]; to sell Apple's Ipod [today's ad at TheStar].

Nevertheless, Santa's life is gleeful, he has today discarded his reindeer and accompanied by beautiful santarinas commercially [pic of holiday promotion at Everland, South Korea, as shown in TheStar today]. And many santarinas are going nude there [sorry no offend no link here]! He embodies holiday cheer, happiness, fun, and gifts-warm happy aspects of the commercial Christmas season.

Anyway, in our matured eyes, there is nothing fulsome and rowdy associated with Christmas ads. These have appealed to our better side at Christmas. They are designated to sell a product and destined to create festive environment as well. They do so by appealing to something in our souls that comes alive in a special manner during this season, displaying something nature, pure, generous and human concerned, something Christmas....

You know, today is the day Chinese celebrate "dong zhi" or the "thang yuan" festival, which rendering "the arrival of winter" meaning. And my family is enjoying our thang yuan besides the Christmas tree and under the environment of Christmas musics. Ya, we got the sensation of winter during which dong zhi and Christmas are coming together. Is that odd? Otherwise I'll call this as 2 in 1 merry Christmas Dong Zhi!

Happy Christmas Dong Zhi to you!

Nine years ago, I bought 5k MBFcap shares at RM0.88 per share for the sum of RM4,400. If during that time, I acquired gold at about RM44 per gram rather than MBFcap, I would have 100 grams of gold in hand.

The present value of my 5k MBFcap shares (being converted to 125 MBFcorp) is RM7.50; and the present value of 100 grams of gold is RM6,177. Relatively I had rugi RM6,169.50!

Nine years backs, you needed 100 grams of gold to buy 5,000 MBFcap shares. Now you only need 0.12 grams of gold to buy 5,000 MBFcap equivalent shares.

Huk! to buy share or to buy gold, my experience tells.

I think the future trend of investment is for gold coz the production quantity of gold is become lesser. On the other hand, shares will be issued more and more for the purposes of corporate funding for working capital since most of the corporations now are needing fund to roll.

Renmin Bi also becomes a favourite. It is polishing RM bimonthly in term of exchange. If I were allowed to place a further 10k of investment, I would definitely choose to kunci (lock up) 10k of Gold or Renmin Bi rather than Malaysian shares. Would you follow pace?

Christmas is upon us, new year is coming closed and the Chinese New Year is fast approaching. Like them or loathe them, the temptation of purging your wallet is the order of the day! But don't ever tucker out your saving!

For bloggers, now is a good time to "bing and leap outdoor greatly" (blog). Those of you who aren't obliged to burn the midnight oil should try to get out and about and feel the emotion of the Santa and the god of finance.

But for me, instead of eating, drinking and making merry, I prefer to jalan jalan, see the flowers, see the people, feel the nature.

By the way, I wish you a very merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous new year.