Paul Newman

[In the film, The Verdict (1982, directed by Sidney Lumet, script by David Mamet), Newman plays an alcoholic lawyer, Frank Galvin, who sees the chance for redemption in what may be his final case. This speech is his summing up to the jury which comes towards the end of the film.]

"You know, so much of the time we’re lost. We say, ‘Please, God, tell us what is right. Tell us what’s true. There is no justice. The rich win, the poor are powerless…’ We become tired of hearing people lie. After a time we become dead. A little dead. We start thinking of ourselves as victims. (pause) And we become victims. (pause) And we become weak… and doubt ourselves, and doubt our institutions… and doubt our beliefs… we say for example, `The law is a sham… there is no law… I was a fool for having believed there was.’ (beat) But today you are the law. You are the law… And not some book and not the lawyers, or the marble statues and the trappings of the court… all that they are is symbols. (beat) Of our desire to be just… (beat) All that they are, in effect, is a prayer… (beat)… a fervent, and a frightened prayer. In my religion we say, `Act as if you had faith, and faith will be given to you.’ (beat) If, If we would have faith in justice, we must only believe in ourselves. (beat) And act with justice. (beat) And I believe that there is justice in our hearts. (beat) Thank you."

"Management is a moral task above all. Lives, and people’s well-being, are at stake." Stefan Stern.

Call me an entrepreneur

Madam Yan Hong (with her son) may be in Singapore because her son studies here, but she takes umbrage if you call her a peidu mama.

She is quick to remind you that she holds an EntrePass for entrepreneurs, not the long-term visit pass that most study mamas have.

The 39-year-old from Xian, the capital of Shaanxi province in north-central China, adds that she does not attend gatherings organised by study mamas here.

'Everyone just talks about their problems at those meetings. I do not feel good attending them,' she said.

Madam Yan, who has a master's degree in economics from the Central Party School, an institution which trains Chinese leaders, owned a property management company and a vocational school business back home.

In 2006, the well-spoken divorcee decided to take her son, her only child, to Singapore because she felt that the education system in China was too stressful. Besides, both her sisters had been studying and working in Singapore for 16 years.

Her son, now 12, is studying in a primary school in Bukit Batok. He topped his class last year. 'He loves it here - the school, the teachers, the environment,' she said.

But the adjustment was more difficult for her. Chinese nationals who hold good jobs in Singapore tend to look down on study mamas, she said.

She added that study mamas tend to get into trouble because they are lonely. 'One mother, one child, you feel alone and have no outlet for the stress and pressure. That is why many get into relationship problems here.'

Madam Yan, who lives in a flat in Bukit Batok, has partnered a Singaporean to start a health product chain here and they have two shops.

Last year, she invested $300,000 of her savings in two local companies, both of which are now under probe by the Commercial Affairs Department.

She is unlikely to get her money back.

During that time, counsellors from a family service centre here and friends from the church she attends stood by her.

'I am really grateful for the help Singaporeans have shown towards us,' she said. 'I hope China professionals here will try to understand study mamas better.'

Mavis Toh, The Straits Times.


"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win." Roger Bannister--legendary runner - first four minute mile

The Bar-On EQi Model

The Bar-On EQi Model of emotional intelligence is a predictor of success at work. It measures intrapersonal, interpersonal, stress management and adaptability attributes, basically the general mood of a person which ultimately predicts effective performance.

Research also links Emotional Intelligence (EI) competencies in leaders to three driving forces of competitive advantage; the ability to:
1) deliver superior products and services;
2) attract and retain the best people; and
3) create opportunities for growth and innovation to take individuals and organizations into the future.

The ultimate goal is to have a balanced assessment of intrapersonal, interpersonal, stress management and adaptability attributes. These skills are defined as follows with the subscales that are most important in a work setting:

Intrapersonal: Concerns the inner self. It determines how in touch with your feelings you are, how good you feel about yourself and your life. Success in this area means that you are able to express your feelings, be independent, feel strong and have confidence in expressing your ideas and beliefs.
--Self-Regard—Ability to accept oneself as basically good even with the negative aspects and limitations; self-assured & confident.
--Emotional self-awareness—Ability to recognize one’s feelings, differentiate between them, know why you have them and recognize how they affect others.
--Assertiveness—Ability to express feelings, thoughts and beliefs and stand up for oneself without being aggressive or abusive.
--Independence—Ability to be self-directed in your thinking and actions. To be free of emotional dependency.
--Self-Actualization—Realizing one’s own potential capabilities and trying to improve oneself; involving self in pursuits that lead to a rich, meaningful life.

Interpersonal: This scale concerns people skills. Those who do well in this area tend to be responsible and dependable. Success means you understand how to interact with and relate well with others. They inspire trust and function well as a team.
--Empathy—Ability to recognize, understand and relate to the feelings of others. Being able to read others and show concern.
--Social Responsibility—Ability to show self as a cooperative, contributing and constructive member of a group. Showing concern for others. Doing things that do not benefit you directly.
--Interpersonal Relationships—Ability to maintain mutually satisfying relationships characterized by intimacy and affection.

Adaptability: This scale concerns one’s ability to respond to a wide range of difficult situations. Success means you can grasp problems, devise solutions, deal with issues and resolve conflict.
--Reality Testing—Ability to differentiate between what you experience (feel) and what objectively exists—seeing things as they are versus how you want to see them.
--Flexibility—Ability to adjust one’s emotions, thoughts and behavior to changing situations and conditions. Able to change. Being agile, open and tolerant to new ideas.
--Problem Solving—Ability to identify and define problems as well as generate and implement potentially effective solutions.

Stress Management: This scale concerns one’s ability to withstand stress without falling apart or losing control—usually calm, rarely impulsive and coping well under pressure.
--Stress Tolerance-Ability to withstand adverse events and stress without falling apart by actively and positively coping with stress.
--Impulse Control-Ability to resist or delay an impulse, drive or temptation to act. Can be composed, level-headed and control anger.

General Mood: This scale concerns your outlook on life, your ability to enjoy yourself and others and your overall feelings of contentment.
--Optimism--Ability to look on the brighter side and maintain a positive attitude even in the face of adversity. (Focus on the future.)
--Happiness—Ability to feel satisfied with life, to enjoy yourself and others and to have fun. (Focus on the present.)

References:
http://business.usi.edu/mbea/2007/2007ABE-Kench.pdf
http://www.reuvenbaron.org/bar-on-model/psychometric-aspects.php

S'pore Is No 4 For SME Financing: Poll

SME sector here can develop new revenue streams, help to advance the economy

SINGAPORE is ranked the No 4 city for profitable small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) financing globally, according to a new research by MasterCard.

Emerging top centres of commerce for SME financing are Paris, Tokyo and Munich in MasterCard Research's ranking of 53 global cities. The global revenue opportunity for financial institutions from SME financing is estimated at $5 trillion.

The study looked at the size of the unmet SME financing need, potential for profit for banks in providing financing and the relative ease of market penetration within each city.

Cities such as Paris where there are dense concentrations of SMEs with limited access to financing from local banking systems, show the greatest profit potential.

Traditional world banking centres, such as New York, may be less ideal candidates for market expansion because there is already an abundance of existing credit providers and highly accessible credit markets. the study shows.

In the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region, Tokyo and Singapore emerged first and second respectively. They are among frontrunners in the potential size of its SME financing market, said Kelvin Mellyn, global solutions leader of payment strategy at MasterCard Advisors LLC, who headed the study.

Tokyo is in a sweet spot, with its total SME market valued at $628.6 billion, he noted. The SME sector in Singapore - valued at $176.46 billion - also presents an opportunity in developing new revenue streams and helping to advance the economy.

'Despite Tokyo's well-developed financial economy, its high ranking in the index can be attributed to the fact that SMEs currently have limited access to financing from the local banking system,' Mr Mellyn said.

Despite the current challenging conditions, there are still sizeable and profitable business opportunities available in the global SME financing sector for financial institutions, said Walt Macnee, president of global markets at MasterCard Worldwide.

Banks that can navigate the challenges and complexities of these cities may enjoy tremendous upside, he added.
Source : The Business Times, September 25, 2008.

Singapore Flyer

Feng Shui Part 1
Feng Shui Part 2
Feng Shui Part 3


"I don't have to believe in Feng Shui, but I use it because it makes me money." Donald Trump

Mum and Dad are still the best teachers

ON A recent assignment to investigate the growing trend of parents sending young kids for classes on manners, I sat in on one myself to find out what the fuss was all about. I must admit that I didn't really quite get it.

Following the publication of my article last week, I was chagrined to receive e-mail messages from parents who wanted to know where they could send their young to be professionally coached on the finer points of courtesy and social graces.

Raised by parents who believed in full-time parenting, I felt it incredulous that a certified image consultant had to be tasked to teach a classroom of children aged four to 10 how to behave – even at home.

To my amusement, the instructor, having only two hours on hand, had to condense what I had learnt over a few years into a ream of PowerPoint slides. One hour and 15 minutes into the class, all 15 of her pupils were restless and fidgety. A handful were monkeying around right from the beginning of the lesson. I could hardly blame them, and neither did their patient instructor, who never once lost her temper in fulfilling what I would say is a tall order.

I remember, quite distinctly, that it didn't take my parents only one telling-off to get me to stop dragging my chair or to close the door gently. Phone etiquette also took me some practice. Yet, when I told my full-time homemaker mother in disbelief that more parents seemed to be unable to take their children in hand, she sighed and said: "I would have sent you to manners class if we had been able to afford it."

I was flabbergasted. I'd not pretend that I was the best-behaved child on the block. But, given a chance to raise my own offspring in future, I wouldn't do anything drastically different from what my parents did.

With due respect to all image consultants, I am proud to say that my parents are solely responsible for taking me in hand. Most memorably, they taught me to say my first "thank you".

Among all my childhood memorabilia is a much-treasured black TDK cassette tape recording of my warbling from a few months to a few years old. In one particular recording, I – at two or three years of age – was delighted to receive a brand-new Sesame Street picture book as a gift from my father. Mum: "Who bought the bookfor you?"Me: "Papa!"Mum: "And what must you sayto Papa?"Me: "Thank you!"

I can only surmise how much satisfaction my parents derived from educating me, and how scared they must have been, as young, first-time parents, about screwing up. I guess some of that insecurity never goes away. After all, raising a child is an irreversible – trial-and-error –process.

The image consultant told me she had observed more dual-income parents resorting to professional etiquette trainers. So imagine my surprise when I observed that most of her pupils were taken home by a parent, not their maid.

Child and educational psychologist Lisa Pittman, whom I consulted for my article, agrees that it is ideal for a child to associate discipline with his or her own parents, not an outsider. Dr Pittman has worked with parents on modelling appropriate behaviour and manners in their children, be it in the setting of a home or counselling room.

The difference between doing that and sending the child to a professional image consultant, she pointed out, is that the parent is fully involved in the process. In other words, parenting can't and shouldn't be outsourced.

By Rachel Chan, My Paper.

What’s Your Behavioral Style?

In this age of diversity awareness and embracing individual differences, we are now aware that people do have different behavioral styles which affect how they communicate. The better you are at recognizing someone else’s behavioral style and adapting to it, the more effective you will be as a communicator and you will be less likely to have that sense of frustration you get when someone doesn’t get your point.

According to the DiSC Model of behavioral styles, there are four basic behavior styles, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

D – D stands for Dominance
Dominant communicators tend to take charge in group situations. They don’t like to be inundated with details - D’s just want the bullet-points. If a D asks what time it is, he DOES NOT want to know how to build a watch. D’s are often leaders because they make decisions without hesitation. D’s are also risk-takers. D’s can be impatient and can be perceived as insensitive. When talking with a D, get to the point, don’t waste time, and stay focused.

I – I stands for Influence
I’s like to have fun and enjoy being the center of attention. I’s will look for ways to make difficult tasks enjoyable. They are the ones who whistle while they work. I’s are very social and need to spend time chit-chatting with people before getting down to work. I’s can be a little absent-minded and can seem self-absorbed. When talking with an I, allow time for chit-chat, tell them a joke, and make it fun.

S – S stands for Steadiness
S’s like the status quo. They have a hard time adapting to change and are especially concerned with how other people feel about things. S’s are great at supporting their teammates, but can be difficult to deal with it if they feel they are being rushed. When talking with an S, focus on the feelings of other people and don’t rush them into making any decisions.

C – C stands for Conscientiousness
C’s are focused on facts and details. They want to know all the background information before they make a decision. If a C asks what time it is, he DOES want to know how to build a watch. C’s can seem indecisive because they are so cautious and afraid of making mistakes. When talking to a C, give them all of the details and allow them time to analyze the facts before asking them for a decision.

It is important to be able to determine someone else’s style relatively quickly so that you can adapt to that person. That really is the key to the DiSC Model.
(Adapted)

http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm

Reading Comprehension Skills

No matter what line of work you are in, a large part of your life may be spent reading. Between newspapers, email, websites, textbooks, user manuals, novels, and magazines there are so many words out there needing to be read. This is why reading comprehension studies are essential, especially for children. It is important to hone your skills so that you can more efficiently do your job and be informed.

For many people, too, reading can be a struggle and even intimidating. This is an obstacle that can impact everyday life. Without the ability to comprehend and assess the written word, performance can be compromised and potential for job advancement is limited. It is important to pursue reading comprehension studies to develop new skills and improve existing ones. Building confidence in reading can improve job performance and leisure time. There are many websites that present strategies for reading comprehension studies, and here is the profile of one remarkable website for people who need to improve their skills for free.
(Adapted)

http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001677.shtml

http://wps.ablongman.com/long_mcwhorter_rad_2/0,9205,1401687-,00.html

http://www.justreadnow.com/strategies/active.htm

The Most Common Errors in Essay Writing

While writing comes naturally for some people most everyone else has to make a conscious and concentrated effort to get the appropriate words on paper. It is not only the words, but also the formatting, spelling and grammatical errors that often plague the common student’s essay.

There are a number of reasons for this; however it can be easily corrected with a little bit of time and effort. After all this essay could mean not receiving the acceptance letter desired or a failing grade. It is important to ensure that anything from a letter to a full blown research paper is correct and reads well because it is a direct reflection on yourself. This article will cover the common errors of essay writing and a few tips to help alleviate those issues.

Spelling - Not Only Spell Check

Spell check is one of the most wonderful inventions ever. It helps everyone, not only students with ensuring the words on their paper are spelled correctly. Over the years we have all learned to spell, but there are those specific words that give us trouble each and every time. Many of us have become dependent on the computer for alternate words, spelling and catching grammatical errors, but we also have to remember that the computer is not 100% error proof. By this point you fully realize that different words can have different meanings as well as alternate spellings. Though spell check is a very efficient tool there are items that it simply does not catch. This doesn’t mean that spell check leaves words incorrectly spelled; it means that the word that you intended may not be the word that is included in the paper. For example words such as there and their are commonly mistaken in the context of the sentence. The computer is logical, but is not able to apply common sense to wording.

Improper Person

Almost every student has a problem with writing in the wrong perspectives at some point or another. This is a very common problem and can be addressed with a little bit of understanding. The two most common perspectives of writing are the first and third person. The second person perspective is generally not required for most college, high school or other academic papers unless otherwise specified. In most cases the third person perspective is used when it applies to everyone and not any one person specifically. First person refers to the author or the individual writing the paper. The first person perspective is commonly seen in opinion or evaluation papers, from the writer’s point of view.

Fragments and Run On Sentences

Students commonly find themselves either with a long winded sentence or one that is not a complete idea. This is a very common problem among professional writers. Generally, individuals will either have trouble with one or the other, but in some cases both issues are a problem. Spell check will catch fragments and run on sentences for the writer to correct before turning the essay in. Run on sentences are easy to spot because they are two independent sentences sandwiched together. They can be corrected by simply adding punctuation, and therefore separating the sentences. For fragment sentences it is important to express a freestanding idea in the sentence. Below are examples of both:

i) RUN ON: Logan loves to color he is a talented artist. (This would sound better if it were broken down into two – it crams two complete thoughts together.)

ii) Fragment: Such as dogs, cats and horses. (This sentence can not stand alone and make sense – what about dogs, cats and horses? What the author means is unclear.)

Not Proofreading

Proof reading is not all that fun and no one likes to do it, but it is imperative for a well written essay. As we pointed out earlier spell check does not catch every type of error that can be found in typical writing. It only takes a few minutes to read over each and every sentence ensuring that they are complete thoughts, have the correct words and make sense. Proof reading increases grades by about 10 to 20 points every single time. Most professors and teachers claim that if the students would have reread or proofed the paper before turning it in, they would have received a much better great. In many cases those extra points could mean the difference between passing and failing the entire class, or gaining entrance into a school of choice. If possible having someone else read over the paper or proof it as well can help, sometimes the author understands the concept, but the reader may not be able to understand.

The best advice in writing a good essay is to slow down and follow the guidelines to ensure a quality paper. All of the steps must be followed or it is likely that the paper will have errors and will receive a poor grade.

By Gene ग्र्ज्य्वाक्ज़

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/errors/errors.html

Vocabulary Expansion

1. Learning Considerations:-

• Conceptual meaning boundaries—this means pointing out what lexis refers to and where the boundaries are set. For instance, related meaning of words should be separated (for example—mug, cup, or bowl).

• Homonymy—knowing the different meanings of one word such as files which can be used to define putting papers together or a tool.

• Polysemy—how to tell apart the various meanings of a single word such as the word head which could mean the head of a pin; the head of a person; or the head of a group.

• Synonymy—telling apart the different shades of meaning in synonyms such as extend, expand or increase.

• Homophyny—knowing the meaning of words that sound similar such as flour and flower.

• Translation—knowing the similarities and varieties between foreign and native languages.

• Chunks of language—such as idiomatic expressions, lexical phrases, or collocations.

• Grammar of vocabulary—learning the principles behind building words out of a single word such as play, played, and playing.

• Pronunciation of foreign words—the ability to recognize and to reproduce the items while speaking.

Learning -> Guided Discovery -> Examples or Asking questions -> Meaning -> Understanding -> Semantic Processing -> Language Retention -> Fluency।

(Adapted)

http://www.freevocabulary.com/

The Secret Behind Speaking English Well

In an ideal world, nobody would have problems learning a new language. After all, the different languages of the world indicate the rich cultural history that the human beings of Earth have created over the years and being able to experience a new culture through its own language is one of the greatest experiences a person could ask for.

Unfortunately, most of us do have problems learning new languages and in the case of people that are trying to learn English this can really hamper their progress in terms of making a career for themselves in the global community. Whether you like it or not, English is the language that the global community has adopted. It is the language that is spoken in the most powerful countries of the world and it is the language that is spoken primarily at all of the different international organizations that exist. For this reason, if you want to go anywhere in the world, you are going to need to learn how to speak English well. While there is no specific secret behind speaking English well, there are some tips and tricks that will certainly make the road ahead of you a lot easier to traverse.

Dedication
The single most important faculty that you need when learning a new language is dedication. Unlike a card game or a computer game, learning a language is a multi-step process that really takes everything that you can hurl at it. You need to learn the vocabulary, the syntax and all of the idiomatic ways of saying things that the different dialects of that language might have. For this reason, you need to dedicate a lot of time to learning how to speak English and you need to make it the primary activity in your life. This is the only way to truly ensure that you will learn fluent English, because any distractions from that goal might result in you missing a couple of classes that would have taught you vital information.

Resource Use
Another thing that you should do when learning how to speak English is to make sure that you use all of the different resources you have at your disposal. While many people take classes in English, they are ignoring the internet. The internet is in fact the single greatest resource for learning languages that has ever existed. Not only are there websites that you can practice your reading skills on, but there are also downloadable audio files as well as online exercises at many websites that you can do to help yourself learn how to speak the language. Resource use is a very important part of learning a new language and if you want to make the learning process easier, using the online learning tools at your disposal is definitely a very good idea.

Optimism
As with anything else in life, attitude does play a large part in the final result of any activity that you take on. You surely know people in the different walks of life that can't seem to get anything done. Every time they try to take on a new activity, they eventually end up giving up and it gets relegated to a dusty corner of their closet. These people do not have the attitude for success and because they are mentally trying to guard themselves against defeat, they end up making defeat a self-fulfilling prophecy. Make sure that you are not one of these people. Resolve right now that you are going to learn how to speak English perfectly. Once you have that resolve in you, go out and make it a reality. That's the only way to do it.

By Amy Nutt

http://free-phonics-worksheets.com/html/free_phonics_worksheets.html