My Dad's Expensive Toys

My father has loads of high-tech toys. I am referring to home entertainment system that I have seen since I was young till today. This weekend, I just decided to take a look and list down some of the items he has stacked in the living room.

For those who do not know, I have always been complaining that my father buys and keeps too many things, making our house looking like a junk yard.

Some of these equipment are new, some have been there since I was young. These are arranged in order of brand :

(1) Denon LA-3450K
(2) Enzer E5228 DVD Player (in Kitchen)
(3) Harman Kardon AVR 8500 System
(4) JVC T-G90 Radio Tuner (No links found)
(5) JVC QL-G90 Record Turntable (No links found, but should be same as the one used here)
(6) National NV-788 VCR (in Kitchen)
(7) Panasonic NV-HD680 VCR (No links found)
(8) Pure Evoke-2 Digital Audio Broadcast & FM Radio Receiver
(9) Sony MDS-JE780 MiniDisc Player/Recorder
(10) Technics SL-P500
(11) Technics ST-G7 Tuner (Black)
(12) Technics RS-TR979 Tape Deck

Oh and there are also the numerous TV sets, 3 and 5 mega-pixels digital cameras, video-camcorders, portable MD recorders and walkmans around the house somewhere which I didn't have time to hunt them down and write down their models...

New Wine Place

Was walking along Railway Mall just now after dinner and came across a brand new wine drinking place. It is called Wine Wise (web-site still under construction).

It runs the usual business of letting you sit down and drink various wines from Australia (mainly from Adelaide and Darwin) and catch up with friends. It has a nice Ranch-like ambience with furniture made out of wooden crate-like materials.

So what is different about this place ?

First of all, the wines are kept in barrels with a tap.
Wine-tasting is free. When you find a wine that you like, you can purchase them in bottles of 375ml or 750ml and have it there.
Or you could bottle it and take it away.

Now, here comes the interesting part. You bottle and cork the wine yourself (with the help of the staff of course) and even customize labels if you want.

Prices are very, very affordable ! Trust me ! The most expensive wine so far is the Premium Port which is $36.23 for a 750ml bottle.

I have asked for permission to take a quick photo of the place . Pardon me for the poor quality taken very hurriedly from my camera-phone.
But it is good enough for you to see the layout of the place.

World War 3

Recently, my office is like a warzone and lowly soldiers like me are usually caught up in between and hope that we do not suffer too much collateral damages.

Battles are fought along various fronts. Multiple, simultaneous battles are on going. Sometimes, for reasons unknown.

*~*~*~*~*

Battle Front HOD :

Fought at the managerial level, this is the mother of all wars in recent history. Finance (F) vs Sales & Marketing (S&M).

Cause of war - For reasons of keeping the S&M HOD's authority and actions in check, F HOD is using the excuses of new auditors to impose multiple restrictions and changes of policies. Quoting that the auditors ear-marked these issues in the latest audit.

Battle gound - On the surface, S&M HOD is pretending to comply to some, hoping to lure F HOD. At the same time both are trying to get their boss to side them.

Outlook - This battle looks to last for the medium term. Hoping to lure F HOD to fire off all ammunitions, S&M is preparing counter attacks and will hope to bury F HOD in difficult terrains and to catch F HOD off-guard. In the longer term, F HOD is lacking in the war experience and unless S&M HOD stumbles big time, it is likely that S&M HOD will win - It is just a matter of time.

In the meantime, small flies like us hope to stay out of the way and that weapons of mass destruction is not launched in an attempt of final showdown leading to kamikaze.

*~*~*~*~*

Battle Front BackOffice :

Between the Accounts, Marketing, and Logistics. This is a skirmish that is already joining Battle Front HOD. With logistics being drawn into the fight.

Cause of war - For reasons that are not very obvious. Speculations has it that due to personal laziness and plain irresponsibility to work, several finance transactions were unforgivably late. And in an attempt to cover ass, fingerpointing leads to escalation of confrontation, resulting in a skirmish that just fits nicely into the objectives of both parties involved in Battle Front HOD.

Battle gound - More work is produced for innocent parties. Documentation requirements for financial transactions are modified. Logistics, that are already swamped with work and inefficiencies, are drawn in and more work is likely to be thrown their way. Hopefully not, otherwise more inefficiencies may result.

Outlook - This battle is definitely going to merge with Battle Front HOD. This is the uniting force for S&M division against the F division. With M battalion joining the fight with S&M HOD already, if F division causes more problem for the S battalion, the S battalion may join forces with S&M HOD (even if the S battalion is at loggerheads with S&M HOD).

In the meantime, S battalion is trying very hard not to get involved, but it seems stray missles are being "misfired" into S battalion's ground. If these missiles are proved to be targetted and not misfired as is declared, a new element joining in the battle may ensue.

*~*~*~*~*

Battle Front Fracture :

This is between the S&M HOD and S and M battalions internally. This is all due to the jackass PM platoon, who was hired by S&M HOD.

Cause of war - Apparently, S&M HOD loves PM platoon so much that is blind to all the inefficiencies, incapabilities, mistakes and blatant cheating that has happened. S&M even tried to defend the PM platoon. The main issue is not about the illicit love betweent the 2, but the ineffectiveness of the PM platoon doing economical and social damages to the S battalion in their operations towards customers.

Battle gound - On the surface, S battalion is not going to wage and outright war with S&M HOD + PM platoon. This is not going to do any one good, except harm and damages to all parties involved. But if the PM platoon continues not to deliver and the S&M HOD continues to be blinded by love, S battalion might finally be forced to revolt in a "fight or die" situation.

Outlook - This battle is definitely extremely long term. Present under-currents in the tripartite relationship is extremely strong. With several sactions and embargoes going on between S battalion and the PM platoon, it is just a matter of time before this silent rebellion is going to be broguth to light and quelled by S battalion, even if it means going against their commander-in-chief, the S&M HOD.

Being a member in the S battalion, I am trying very hard not to be too obvious in my daily work, but if my own efficiencies are going to be compromised, I will do what I am trained to do.

Bet with a Friend - Part 3

My friend almost won his McDonald's meal from me.

21-Feb-05
Open : 1.20
High : 1.22
Low : 1.17
Close : 1.20


Whew.. haha..

Horny Business

Changed the stock horn of my car few weeks ago. From a pathetic sounding horn that even pedestrians will ignore to a dual-tone Stebel Magnum 2 horn that is 139 dB if you stand right in front of my car.

Woo.. what is 139dB ? How loud is it ? Click here to get a comparison.

So I have changed my horn from this to THIS

Where Animal Fur Coats come from

Happen to come across this link. For those of you out there who have animal fur as clothing/accessories, please download and view the full 16 minutes of video.

http://my.so-net.net.tw/sirwang/fur.wmv

Warning : Large File - 16MB
Language and Subtitles : Chinese Only
Audience Rating : PG - Includes Violence. Contents may offend or disgust viewers.

My New Investment Target - Reckitt Benckiser

Have been involved in the stock market for a while. For those who do not know, a little history of my "investment story".

I got involved in investment around the year 2000 to 2001. Had some bonus and some savings and wanted to invest. That period was the tech-bubble, just before it burst.

Being the average guy and not knowing a lot about stock market and investing, I took the most-advised approach - Financial Advisor and Mutual Funds.

So I used my CPF to buy a few funds. Technology, European, Singapore, and Asia Funds. After 3 years, only about 2 made some profit, the rest made losses. And huge, especially the technology one.

Then I tried to use my CPF to buy blue chip stocks. 1 made huge loss, the other made average gains.

So, overall, I made losses.

Then I spent time to read about value investing. Glad to say, since then, my gains have recovered all the losses I have made in the beginnning.

From now onwards, I hope to gain more and make up for lost time and money.

*~*~*~*~*

Reckitt Benckiser. Most probably none of you have heard about it. But their products are abound in Singapore. Let me name a few and see if it rings any bells :

Dettol
Lysol
Air Wick
Haze
Harpic
Vanish
Fybogel
Bonjela
Veet

Find these in your house ?

I still need time to take a look at their past performance and their financial standings. But I am having a good feeling of this company. The $6 million question is then "At what price should I buy their stocks ?". Their current trading price per share in the NYSE is about $31.


That, my friend, is for you to decide and for me to find out....

Next time you like a certain product, look at the company that makes them, and see if it is a worthwhile investment. Beats listening to analysts and getting "hot tips" from friends and magazines.

Optra In Bangkok

Read this in MyCarForum. Looks impressive as a police car.
Maybe I should get one of those lights on my car as well. Ha ha.

Wondering thoughts of a Drunk

Noticed that I am starting to drink more alcohol recently. I guess partly to blame is the Perth Swan Valley trip that I had.

Now, I am sitting in my hotel room in Indonesia, drinking beer and playing online Wolfenstein.

Later this evening, I will be attending a customer's wedding dinner. (Guess that explains why I am still here in Indonesia on a Friday evening.) Time and again to be asked when is my turn.

Being alone in a hotel room is no fun. Other than watching movie after movie on HBO, Star World and Star Movies, and surfing the net, there is not much to do except to think and let my mind wonder.

Thinking about what is going on in my life now. What have I achieved and accomplished ? What have I planned for my future ? Where do I see myself in 10 years time ? How will I retire ? How will I die ? Where will I die ?

I guess before I can answer those questions, I have to ask myself these : What do I want to achieve ? What do I want to be ? How do I want to live the rest of my life ?

I can't think now. Room's too quiet. A Japanese man with a girl was trying to open my door. Air-con's too cold. Drank too much beer. Need to pee.

Semb Corp News

Yesterday at about 6pm Singapore time (I was in Indonesia at that time, still am now), I got an SMS from a long-lost acquaintance asking whether I have SembCorp shares.

I do not have any and replied so.

The reply was cryptic : "Lucky you. For more details, read the newspaper tomorrow."

I thought some fraud took place. Or Semb Corp is going to release some financial news that he is not allowed to say.

This morning, was reading online version of TST. Semb Corp CEO died of stroke while entertaining guests.

And how did the market react ?



Apparently, the market thought death to him was better for SembCorp ??????
With High and Low of 2.6% spread, not bad a profit for a day.

Maybe, my friend should have told me I am unlucky not to own their shares.
So you see, whether a piece of news is good or bad for share price, depends on whose side has more believers. Apparently today, more people believed this is not-bad a news.

*shudder*

I wonder what would happen when I die

Bet with a Friend - Part 2

Halfway through the timeline of the bet.

Today, closing for Chartered is 1.12.
Well, another 0.12 increase anytime from now till 31st May 2005, my friend would have won.

I am keeping my fingers crossed...

Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day.

Everyone, well almost, was asking me who I will be going out with, and how I will be spending my Valentine's Day.

After work today, walked into a not-so-popular restaurant near my house to eat. At least, a restaurant that does not have a "Valentine's Day Set Dinner".

However, the tables were still divided mostly for couples. Only a few tables could sit more than 2 - for families.

Could feel the inquisitive looks from people all around me. I am definitely not the typical VD couple.

CNY and then VD. One after another. Continuous barrage of where is my girlfriend, when will I be married. Even suggestions from my father to join SDU or other private matchmaking agencies.

Makes me wonder whether life is really all about finding a partner and then breed. Then what is the difference between people and animals ?

Love ? - Animals are loving too. Seen them on Discovery Channel
Monogamy ? - We have culture and religion that condone multiple partners

The only difference between People and Animals - Animals do not proactively destroy the habitat they live in. We, on the other hand, pollute the environment with our man-made chemicals, actions and machines ; we are the plague that will eventually render Earth inhabitable...

But I digress...

Next year.. Next year... I will try to escape CNY, again...

New Year Resolutions - 2005

Happy New Year and Happy Lunar New Year to All !

Past few days has been busy. Every Lunar New Year, I will be busy cleaning my parent's house. Yes, those who has seen will know. And as usual, I slept only at about 4am after the cleaning was over.

Then on the first day of the New Year, my relatives came to visit.
On the second day, I went out to friend's place.
On the third day, many people were back to work but I was still enjoying my holiday.
Also had a wine drinking (remember the wines from Perth ?), cheese and snacks eating session till the wee hours of the morning.

It is also "customary" for people to have New Year resolutions. So in keeping with tradition my resolutions for 2005, now that I am sober, will be :

(1) To start a simple exercise regime so that I can be more healthy, and that I can trim down some more fats so that I can eat more of my favourite food !

(2) To be nicer to friends and less sarcastic

Looks like I do not have much to wish for ? I guess most of the things I am doing now are more or less what I want and thus, there is no need to change those. Maybe resolve to do them better.

Driving Theory vs Real-Life - Part 2

Had a long thought about the previous post on me skidding in Perth.

After thinking long and hard, only one thing comes to mind : Be mentally prepared everytime you are behind the wheel.

What my father and all other defensive driving instructors said is true. Mental preparation is the only way. Once the skid happens, there was no time to switch from chatting with friends in the back-seats to handling the skid. Instincts kicked in - and human instinct is to press harder on the brakes when the vehicle doesn't slow down, and try to steer away even when the tyres do not have traction.

The only way to react correctly is :

(1) Mental Preparation to overcome incorrect basic instincts ; or
(2) Repeated training such that normally incorrect instincts are rectified. That means lots of time and lots of burnt rubber.

And defensive driving is always about anticipation. That will put you in the correct mental frame of mind to handle situations. Read somewhere that it takes just 3 seconds to "Zone out" or go into "Auto pilot" mode and will take longer to get back into the correct mental state and back to have the same reaction-time as an alert driver. If anything happens during that "tuning back" stage, the driver is totally clueless.

And some people say I am "tense" behind the wheel.


*-*-*-*-*


Once I am back to Singapore, had to adjust back to my own car. Hit the wrong stalk for signal, sending 10-days of dirt gathered on my wipers to be smeared all across the windscreen. *silly grin*

Also had to adjust back to the brakes of my own car. This morning, I had to adjust back to the driving pattern of Singapore.

After 10 days of driving in Perth, I am used to switching lanes casually once my signals are on. I am used to people giving way and not cutting into my lane.

What a difference is this morning on my way back to work, with a car going faster after I put on my signal to change lane. *sigh*

Driving Theory vs Real-Life

I had a chance of experiencing a car skid on a highway. Luckily there wasn't any cars around, and I did not hit anything. It happened like this :

I was driving around the city, when one of my passenger commented that why I always try to beat the traffic lights (the amber light). So right at the next light, I was travelling around more than 60km/h (I believe it was still less than 70km/h) on a 3 lane road. I was on the left most.

Traffic lights turned amber. I hit the brakes. Was already quite near the junction. Felt the hard deceleration, heard tyres screeching, and the next thing was the tyres lost traction, and slided to a little to the left and still kept going forward.

I have passed the traffic stop line, light was still amber, released the brakes and accelerated to past the traffic lights.

I looked at the rear view mirror. Skid marks on the road looks no more than 5 metres.

I knew there was no ABS on the rented wagon. I knew perfectly well in theory, how to brake with and without ABS (The pumping action needed manually in hard braking without ABS). I knew perfectly well in theory how to handle a skid.

I can control vehicle during a "test brake" session. I did not have a "test skid" practise. Those sessions were with mental preparation.

This time, it was real, as I did not expect the vehicle to skid. It was real, because I didn't expect the tyres to loose traction so easily. It was real, because I forgot to lift my foot out of the brakes. Had I not seen that I have passed the stop line and the light is still amber, I wouldn't have accelerated. I believed I would have held on to the brakes and tried to steer.

Now that is the difference between real life "panic" and mentally prepared practise session.

Motorcar Racing

Was chatting with KOP while driving to visit the Wave Rock. With long stretches of roads and no cars in sight for several kilometers in a row, the talk of speeding and cars came up.

I was saying how car racing is not about speed on straight roads. The challenge and the excitement is in the corning and doing it at very high speeds, with other racers around trying to overtake one another.

So, I got my hands onto racing techniques of 2 drivers :
(1) Michael Schumacher
(2) Rubens Barrichello

And their driving techniques at taking corners on 3 different tracks.

Take note that the cars they are driving is manual gears but has no clutch. Similar to the Daytona driving gears that you might have played at the arcades.

Note that Schumacher uses both legs (Right on Accelerator, Left on Brakes) while Barrichello uses only his left leg.

Suzuka Track :





Montreal Track :



Silverstone Track :




No wonder Schmacher is still the world champion.

Journey to Wave Rock

Today, did the whole drive from Perth to Hyden, to visit the attraction called Wave Rock. Drive was about 350km to Hyden, passing by a few Shires along the way.

Went via Brookton Highway and stopped by Brookton Town. Population just about 1000 people :



Then on to Hyden (Population 400, or thereabouts, as I am sure these numbes are about 1 or 2 years ago). Reached the tourist attraction called wave rock at about 3pm :



[Edited : 18 Oct 2005 - Removed Photos]



Then went up the Wave Rock. This area is Hyden's water catchment area :



View from up there :



Then went to the otherside, to a rock called Hippo's Yawn. Because the rock looks like you are looking into the mouth of a Hippo :
[Edited : 18 Oct 2005 - Removed Photos]

Nearby Hyden is the town called Corrigin. There is an airstrip there. Being a typical Singaporeans, who only has seen airports, I turned in to look.

I almost drove on the air-strip because there was no signs, no fences, no tower, no security whatsoever. Just a flat piece of land for small planes to land and take-off :




Then left the place at about 4 and started to head back. Took the other route (via York) and saw the famous Rabbit Proof Fence :



And the fence looks like this :



And the Yard Trap looks like this :

Swan Valley Winery Tours

Spent yesterday driving and visiting several wineries at Swan Valley. Some of the wines were great, and we bought slightly more than a crate. Some photos of me and grapes :
[Edited : 18 Oct 2005 - Removed Photos]


And then back to South Perth for another Pizza Dinner by the bay :

And later at night, went to visit Point Zero - The reference in which all distances from Perth is measured from. Also the location of the first General Post Office building :

Rockingham

Wanted to see this place called Garden Island and Penguin Island. So headed down to Rockingham. The night before, I found out that the Garden Island is used as the Aussie's Submarine Base and only part of the island is open to public - Only for those with their own boats, as there was no public ferry to Garden Island.

Consulted several maps, one had a causeway on it, the rest did not.
This is what we saw at the causeway to Garden, which is open only to Authorised Navy personnels :



Then headed to Penguin Jetty, hoping to go to Penguin Island to pet some dolphins and stuff :
[Edited : 18 Oct 2005 - Removed Photos]

We were there too late. Next ferry to Penguin island leaves at 3pm, and we have to be back on the last ferry island out at 4pm. Those Aussies and their working hours. So tourist unfriendly...

Food and Money

Had dinner at the famous Fish and Chips place in Fremantle :



Nice place, nice food - Ate till I almost dropped.

And somewhere, we saw this guy driving on the road :



I wish I could say the same for my car too.

More Beach and Sunset Photos

Been going around the beaches taking more photos. Mostly at Cottesloe Beach :
[Edited : 18 Oct 2005 - Removed Photos]