We Dont Need Sex

How does the US stimulus work?

Green Dam

What so green about the Green Dam?

Sugar level of some food we eat.

Ten Things Gas Stations Won't Tell You

by Jim Rendon. Wednesday, May 27, 2009. Provided by SmartMoney.com

Two things specially noted from the article:-


a) Oil companies spend lots of money explaining why their gas is better than the competition’s. Chevron’s gas, for example, is fortified with “Techron,” and Amoco Ultimate is supposed to save the planet along with your engine. But today more than ever, one gallon of gas is as good as the next.

True, additives help to clean your engine, but what the companies don’t tell you is that all gas has them. Since 1994 the government has required that detergents be added to all gasoline to help prevent fuel injectors from clogging. State and local regulators keep a close watch to make sure those standards are met; a 2005 study indicated that Florida inspectors checked 45,000 samples to ensure the state’s gas supply was up to snuff, and 99 percent of the time it was. “There’s little difference between brand-name gas and any other,” says AAA spokesperson Geoff Sundstrom.

What’s more, your local Chevron station may sell gas refined by Shell or Exxon Mobil. Suppliers share pipelines, so they all use the same fuel. And the difference between the most expensive brand-name gas and the lowliest gallon of no-brand fuel? Often just a quart of detergent added to an 8,000-gallon tanker truck.

b) Cars run on gasoline—but not all cars need gasoline to run. In fact, 6 million cars on the road today (mostly from U.S. manufacturers and built since 1998) are “flexible fuel” vehicles that can run on E85, a fuel that is 85 percent ethanol and only 15 percent gas. When Minneapolis resident John Schafer bought a car in late 2001, he chose a Chevy Tahoe because it’s a flexible-fuel car. Since then he’s filled up almost exclusively with E85. The big difference he’s noticed: Cars using E85 get about 15 percent fewer miles to the gallon. But it’s a drawback he’s willing to put up with. “I’m committed to the technology,” Schafer says. “With E85, it burns cleaner so it won’t pollute as much.”

While E85 generally costs less than regular gas, there is some concern that it may grow prohibitively expensive as demand outpaces supply: By 2006 ethanol was not just being used in E85—it also composed 15 percent of every gallon of gas sold. Supplies of ethanol are likely to grow thin, which could drive up the price of E85. And even die-hard Schafer says he won’t buy E85 if it starts to cost more than gasoline.

Why am I still so poor?

古往今来，天将降大任于斯人也，必先苦其心志，劳其筋骨，饿其体肤，空乏其身行, 拂乱其所为，所以动心忍性，曾益其所不能。

~~ 出自《生于忧患 死于安乐》 孟子.

3 piece Chinese Words of Wisdom

壹, 贫居闹市无人问，富在深山有远亲。

贰，大道劝人三件事，戒酒除花莫赌钱。

叁，莫道眼前无报应，分明折在子孙边。

Funnies: Australians VS Singaporeans

1) When lift door opens...

Aus: The one nearest will automatically hold the
button for the rest to go in first, then he go is last.

SG: The people behind will squeeze from behind to
get to the front, shoving and pushing to block those exiting.


2) While waiting in line to pay at cashier...

Aus: Those in front with many groceries will let you
to pay first, if you got only few items to pay.

SG: Hope la... Wait in line for your turn. So what if you only queueing to pay
for 1 drink can. I got a whole trolley of groceries! Tan la.....


3) If you pushing a pram at a busy mall...

Aus: People will give way to you to get through the crowd.

SG: People will ignore your pram and squeeze through.
If your pram hit their leg, they will turn around and give you a CB look.


4) While trying to find a lot at a busy carpark...

Aus: They will let you park first if you got children in car, especially if
you got prams.

SG: Nabeh.... I come first hor. Got kids, so what? wait la, why cannot wait is it???


5) Driving along the road, trying to change lanes..

Aus: the moment you signal, they will slow down for you.

SG: The moment you signal, they will go faster beside to block your lane.


6) When calling a helpline...

Aus: "Thank you for calling Austar, your call is important to us, and we
will attend to you as soon as possible. Pls hold."and then, 5 secs, someone
answers..... " Sorry for holding, this is Ann, howmay I assist you?"

SG: " Our system is not getting a response from the subscriber's mobile
phone. Pls try again later"...... enagaged tone.. Or else, it is "All our
operators are busy at the moment, pls continue tohold and your call will be
answered in the next available order." After 10minutes.... still same msg.
Hang up lor.


7) At Macdonalds...

Aus: " G' Day, may I have your order, sir?....would that be all?...thank you
and you have a nice day. I am glad to be of serviceto you today. Ta.."

SG: Eating here, or take away????? that will be $11.70. Next pls.....


8) When u bought a dress and realized wrong size. You return to exchange..

Aus: We gladly offer a full refund with no question asked.

SG: Sorry, Goods sold are not refundable!!!


9) When u call up a service company to complain about their service...

Aus: We appreciate your feedback and our company hereby offers you a $50
voucher for your next purchase. Thank you.

SG: We will be following up on the complain and will get back to you
soonest..... After months, die of natural death.
Pretend nothing happened.


10) Your handphone is damaged and you go to a service center...

Aus: We will be glad to lend you a spare while your phone is being repaired.
If it cannot be repaired, we will gladly replace youwith a new phone.

SG: Your phone will take about 3-4 weeks for re pair. Meantime, you have no
phone, but we will call you when its ready..
How to call me when I have no hp???? funny right?

Temasek takes severe hit

By Thanong Khanthong
The Nation
Published on February 9, 2009

CEO Ho Ching's exit won't alter fortunes of the sovereign wealth fund in short term

Ho Ching's resignation as CEO of Temasek Holdings would not cloud heavy losses of about 40 per cent at Singapore's sovereign wealth fund amid the global financial market meltdown.

The Government Investment Corporation of Singapore (GIC) is also suffering similar heavy losses.

An investment analyst in Singapore said Temasek's results will be released in April and he estimated that of its US$125 billion portfolio as of March 2008, Temasek would have lost 40 per cent, leaving it with about US$75 billion left.

As for the Government Investment Corporation of Singapore or GIC, the investment analyst said it would also lose more than a third of the value of its investment portfolio.

"GIC started the crisis with roughly Singapore $550 billion in reserves. My estimate is that it has lost about $190-$200 billion of that, leaving it with about $350 billion left. This amount is equivalent to 200 per cent of Singapore's gross domestic product," he added.

"So both have lost money but their performance has not been out of line with other large funds, possibly a bit better. These are all worst-case estimates."

Ho, the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsieng Loong, announced last week that after almost seven years at the helm of Temasek, she would step down by October this year. She would be succeeded by Chip Goodyear, a former CEO of BHP Billiton Ltd, who would be the first foreigner to run the sovereign wealth fund.

Temasek Holdings was set up by proceeds from the privatisation of Singapore's state-owned firms, while GIC by international reserves of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Both represent the investment vehicles of Singapore, which has eyed for a global reach for its investment.

The transition is taking place at a time when Singapore is suffering the worst economic problems since 1960s. Temasek, racked a return of about 17 per cent a year since its inception in 1974 and March this year, is also going to face a drastic restructuring of its investment strategy.

Under her leadership, and also as wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsian Loong, Ho led Temasek to embark on audacious acquisitions in China, Asia, Europe and the United States. Temasek's buy-out of Shin Corp, previously owned by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in January 2006 sparked out a political turmoil inside Thailand followed by a military coup in September that same year.

Ho's resignation has also sparked a debate inside Singapore. Tharman Shangmugaratnam, the finance minister, preferred to handle the issue with a diplomatic term, saying that Ho's departure wasn't linked to the performance of Temasek's investments.

"Whether this is a way of making a change of someone who is related to the prime minister, this has been a point that I've dealt with since the first day Ho Ching was appointed as CEO. I was very instrumental in bringing in Ho Ching and it was based purely on merit and has nothing to do with her relationship to anyone," he said.

The investment analyst in Singapore said Ho's resignation was planned for about a year. "I don't think it has much to do with Temasek's performance. This is Singapore, favoured people are not made to resign for performance! I think Singapore leaders are more concerned over the Sovereign Wealth Fund issue. It becomes more difficult to defend Singapore's sovereign wealth fund as a non-state actor with no political agenda if the wife of the prime minister is running it," he said.

Singapore's economy is facing a severe downturn, with growth rate plunging into the negative territory. "We recently revised downward our GDP forecast to minus 2.8 per cent to reflect the likelihood that the contraction in the first half of 2009 could be deeper than previously expected," said Citi's Asia Economic Outlook and strategy (January 23, 2009). "Advance estimates for the fourth quarter of 2008 showed a contraction of 2.6 per cent from a year ago, down sharply from 0.3 per cent the previous quarter. On a quarter on quarter seasonally adjusted annualised rate, the fourth quarter GDP contracted 16.9 per cent - the worst on record."

Singapore has recently entered into a currency swap arrangement with the US Federal Reserve, which worked out the swap arrangements with selected countries including Brazil and Korea, to avert the financial crisis, data of the US Federal Reserve show.

Unlike Korea, which has drawn down the currency swap arrangement, Singapore has not yet drawn down the swap.