Driving Forces

Even if you can identify the driving forces of change, most of the time, they cannot be estimated or measured. This makes risk management notoriously complex.


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Not Sunkist. It's Sonkiss

I have been buying these at the 'Shop n Save' not knowing that they aren't Sunkists until a newspaper article printed a story on the Chinese imitation 'Sunkist'. I had thought the supermarket mixed the Chinese ones with Sunkist because it had wanted to price them the same.

Actually these Sonkiss oranges are quite good. They could really pass off as Sunkists. I know what you are thinking. No, they are not fake oranges.

Mitch Albom, "Have a Little Faith"

The Christians has left a big vaccum, and the Lord seems to have used a Jew, married to a Christian to write, "Have a Little Faith".

Some highlights:

"At I Am My Brother's Keeper, there were no dues, no drives, no singles nights. Membership grew the old-fashioned way: a desperate need for God"

"Why still serve God?" He smiled weakly. "What else can I do? It's like when everyone was turning away, and Jesus asked the apostles, 'Will you go, too?' And Peter said, 'Where can I go Lord'

I remember this one very well. An important bit missing here, which goes, "...you have the words of eternal life'. How many times facing the pressure to choose right over wrong, I have prayed this.

"No." He sook his head. "You can't work your way into heaven. Anytime you try and justify yourself with works, you disqualify yourself with works. What I do here, every day, for the rest of my life, is only my way of saying, 'Lord, regardless of what eternity holds for me, let me give something back to you. I know it don't even no scorecard. But let me make something of my life before I go..'"

Not possible to keep and balance a ledger with God. The only appropriate response is worship.

Each of us must find and leave room for faith. Taking your life into your own hands is no way to live. You will never be happy. Such people are not ready for heaven.

Judging Others

God's grace, always mysterious is at work. We do not judge unless we presume to understand how his grace works. At best, we can only get the direction right but never the distance or the network effects that he has created. What we need is to have faith.

As we approach Christmas, we celebrate that Amazing Grace.

Comparing Christmas

Good to spend Christmas in Singapore. Last year we were in Dubai and Christmas there was meaningless. Even during Eid, it wasn't as bright, colorful and joyous as our Hari Raya Puasa.


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USD

Oops! The USD strengthen with stocks. A reversal of the pattern since Lehman fell. Wonder if the market is signaling confidence in the Fed ability to withdraw liquidity. Concomitant bonds prices are softening.


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Taylor Swift?

Just discovered who she is. Got the lead in from a friend's child on Facebook. Discovered that my niece is also a fan. Went to look at a couple of her musical videos on YouTube. Not bad. Now I am wondering were her songs used in the Twilight series?