Knowing who is for u(friend), and who is against you(enemy)

Many at times, human, being a normal paranoid, tends to think and suspect people - especially those around you. But if you think rationally, sometimes, they are the ones helping you more than an enemy! Even when they say hurtful words which makes sense!

Today, i decided to make a very 'make-or-break' move to tell my boss about my business and a software which i developed without his knowledge. This is one of the worst thing an employee can tell to his/her employer. Knowing the fact that the boss will either be upset or lost total trust on the employee.

I've got a very strong feeling/prompting from Holy Spirit to speaketh the truth and to let him know that the software I developed will greatly enhanced the current software which my boss' company is selling. Which may in turn 'kill' off our competitor and gain us the edge in the industry.

However, I could sense his disappointment in hearing the system although he mentioned that the system i developed can be an useful add-on to the current. I created this system with a strong core-belief of NON-conflict of interest with the current, therefore, i hope the Holy Spirit will speak to him and let him make the decision on whether to take my software up and work out a plan.


Thank God for the day, amen.

Being a tither and Christian

I have been a born-again since I was in secondary 1. Thank God for meeting Bro Ivan who invited me to church to know HIM. My life has been tremendously changed since. I quit smoking, and life has been blessed with an education which just happened miraculously.

However, being a christian can sometimes be tiresome and burdensome. I had a rocky Christianity walk even when i received so much grace and love from HIM. He never took his eyes from me. He speaks to me as and when especially when i am very down. Now in HIS presence and watching City Harvest Church - Pastor Kong Hee's message on First Thing Policy, i felt the conviction again which propelled me to do something that has done me so much good in the past. Which is to Tithe.

It is not easy to be a Christian, let alone tithing 10% of whatever your income is. Alot of people like me has lots of financial commitment varying from insurance policy, daily expenses, contribution to family and parents. I dont earn a lot. I am just like a normal working adult drawing an average or rather below average pay in Singapore. Many at times we wonder how will we able to survive without the 10%. In Singapore, contribute 20% of our monthly salary to CPF - which is a lawful obligation for saving for our retirement.

I am in a situation where tithing can be suicidal, I am a struggling Singaporean who got into troubles after my brother ran away with a huge debt on my family where we were forced to sell out flat(house). To make matter worst, we just signed a one-year lease for my rented house where i dont even have money to pay (based on my savings and salary) from the 6th month onwards.

I am not sharing this to be proud to be a tither. I know none of my friend read this. The purpose of posting this post is for me to come back 6 months down the road knowing tithing has OPENED heaven. Pastor Kong talks about putting God first - which i havent done that for the past decade. A back-sliden christian who has enjoyed so much blessings after knowing him not only on monetary form, to suddenly non-trusting man who stood on his own.

Without HIM, i wont be who I am today and 10 years later. HE is the reason for my being today. I decided to tithe today even if my pay is running out and not paying on the first drawing of my pay. I feel it doesnt matter when you give, as long as the conviction hits you. I want to tithe from this month on (knowing that in physical or rather 'realistically' it will only hinder me further away from buying my own flat or paying rental). I trust in His word and promise that heaven will be opened and I promise to post my testimonial once i gotten them. I know they will come, because God has never failed his promises He spoke in my life. (Only to be waivered by the deceiving devil that i am a forgotten man by HIM.

Thank God for the opportunity to tithe again and Holy Spirt for prompting me to watch the sermon on internet once again.

With thanks to God.
James Loh - a unforgotten boy in His eyes.

10 areas that create problems

hi, i am back after a few months of hiatus again. As usual. Been too busy to update this blog since i have gotten myself a new IT blog site to update.

But i always enjoy updating here simply because no one else is reading except myself. I was thinking of what to share or blog for this entry and i came across the following on yahoo news: 10 signs that you have a bad boss. The URL or link is as follow:

http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/10-Signs-You-Have-a-Bad-usnews-1758062938.html?x=0

 I have no complaints about my boss but sometimes, things can be sorted easily. Humans tend to make mistakes and for the past 2 weeks I saw my friend paying for a mistake he made a few years back. Sometimes, most mistakes actually originated from MONEY $$

I am saying Money $ because $ is not only the ROOT of all EVIL, but also the root of most problems! Do you agree? Anyway, being inspired by the '10 items' blog yahoo always post, I will come out with my own version of 10 ares in life that create problems, and possibly, HOW TO AVOID them!

10 areas in life that create problems. 

Learn to avoid them!

1. Money - Money is the root of all PROBLEMS - which leads to problem. Research shows that quarrels normally started because of money. 
2. Woman - Yes, i am not a sexist, but woman normally creates lots of problems when not properly deal with. Of course, man is always their reason why they create problem(s). Yes, menses or PMS is another reason why they are constantly at our heels at time.
3. Boss - oh man, unless you are a boss yourself! We spend most of our time in office or workplace and most of the time, the problem comes when you encounter a difficult or hard-to-deal-with boss! However, at least you are paid to have the problems, isn't it? 
4. Looks - Sometimes, a bad hair day may cost your day. You may end up scolding or annoying people who you dont intend to. The possible solution is, spend 5 minutes dolling yourself up or avoid mirror at ALL costs! The problem with human is the obsession to look at yourself in the mirror. (If you think you are innocent, please quote me wrong for the following example: When you look at a picture, who you look at first? You? Yes!)
5. Food - I don't know about you, but most of the time, food defines my day. When I had a bad meal, my mood will swing towards the wrong end. Remember, eating nice (need not expensive) food is not a crime! Whereas the opposite may make you fat! REASON: Just one bad food causes you to eat 3-5 nicer food to cover/recover your taste bud! Conclusion: Think before you eat!
6. Time - Some people rush and rush and has 1001 reasons for being busy. Time creates lots of problem for anyone who fail to plan. Remember, when you 'fail to plan, you plan to fail'!
7. Gadgets - 10 years ago, people are on pager and other slower devices. 10 years later you find most people finding it hard to keep up with gadgets. They are the most obvious problems in life because you end up spending $$$ for something that you DON'T even know HOW TO FULLY USE IT!? WTF
8. Fashion Trend - Fashion trend is no longer a female thing. Men tend to spend lots of precious time and $ and get hooked on Gmarket or similar blogshop to spend their spare cash. This becomes a problem when you are actually searching for your favourite dress during office hours! Remember this, advertisement make you buy something you dont need, spend money that you dont even have at times. A good way to minimize this is to find some sweet talker to tell you that you look great in your current dressing/shirt.
9. Friends - Do you believe this? - Our friends normally shape how we will be like. If you friends struggle to manage the above 8 items, how far are you do you think you are? Getting the 'right' friends is the most important decision. Not career or whatsoever! Choose wisely. Dr. A.R bernard once mentioned: "If you are the best in your cohort or group, LEAVE the group!" I know this sound cruel but the fact is you wont improve until you get yourself friends who are much better than you. Trust me, you will get better as time goes by.
10. Yourself - Chinese always has a saying: "The greatest enemy is YOURSELF". It's so F**K**G true! If you cant even beat yourself, how far can you go? But you may question me, how to beat yourself? It's simple, complete your next project before timeline!

The above are the things that you would most likely encounter if you are not an alien. (Perhaps aliens do encounter some of the above mentioned? Bad hair day for example? LOL)

Conclusion: Sometimes, problems exists for the obvious reason of challenging yourself. The clue to this entry is: Always look for reasons for optimism and your mood or day can be much brighter! 

10 Time-Management Tips That Work

By Joe Mathews, Don Debolt and Deb Percival

Chances are good that, at some time in your life, you've taken a time-management class, read about it in books, and tried to use an electronic or paper-based day planner to organize, prioritize and schedule your day. "Why, with this knowledge and these gadgets," you may ask, "do I still feel like I can't get everything done I need to?"

The answer is simple. Everything you ever learned about managing time is a complete waste of time because it doesn't work.

Before you can even begin to manage time, you must learn what time is. A dictionary defines time as "the point or period at which things occur." Put simply, time is when stuff happens.

There are two types of time: clock time and real time. In clock time, there are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year. All time passes equally. When someone turns 50, they are exactly 50 years old, no more or no less.

In real time, all time is relative. Time flies or drags depending on what you're doing. Two hours at the department of motor vehicles can feel like 12 years. And yet our 12-year-old children seem to have grown up in only two hours.

Which time describes the world in which you really live, real time or clock time?

The reason time-management gadgets and systems don't work is that these systems are designed to manage clock time. Clock time is irrelevant. You don't live in or even have access to clock time. You live in real time, a world in which all time flies when you are having fun or drags when you are doing your taxes.

The good news is that real time is mental. It exists between your ears. You create it. Anything you create, you can manage. It's time to remove any self-sabotage or self-limitation you have around "not having enough time," or today not being "the right time" to start a business or manage your current business properly.

There are only three ways to spend time: thoughts, conversations and actions. Regardless of the type of business you own, your work will be composed of those three items.

As an entrepreneur, you may be frequently interrupted or pulled in different directions. While you cannot eliminate interruptions, you do get a say on how much time you will spend on them and how much time you will spend on the thoughts, conversations and actions that will lead you to success.

Practice the following techniques to become the master of your own time:

Tip 1: Carry a schedule and record all your thoughts, conversations and activities for a week. This will help you understand how much you can get done during the course of a day and where your precious moments are going. You'll see how much time is actually spent producing results and how much time is wasted on unproductive thoughts, conversations and actions.

Tip 2: Any activity or conversation that's important to your success should have a time assigned to it. To-do lists get longer and longer to the point where they're unworkable. Appointment books work. Schedule appointments with yourself and create time blocks for high-priority thoughts, conversations, and actions. Schedule when they will begin and end. Have the discipline to keep these appointments.

Tip 3: Plan to spend at least 50 percent of your time engaged in the thoughts, activities and conversations that produce most of your results.

Tip 4: Schedule time for interruptions. Plan time to be pulled away from what you're doing. Take, for instance, the concept of having "office hours." Isn't "office hours" another way of saying "planned interruptions?"

Tip 5: Take the first 30 minutes of every day to plan your day. Don't start your day until you complete your time plan. The most important time of your day is the time you schedule to schedule time.

Tip 6: Take five minutes before every call and task to decide what result you want to attain. This will help you know what success looks like before you start. And it will also slow time down. Take five minutes after each call and activity to determine whether your desired result was achieved. If not, what was missing? How do you put what's missing in your next call or activity?

Tip 7: Put up a "Do not disturb" sign when you absolutely have to get work done.

Tip 8: Practice not answering the phone just because it's ringing and e-mails just because they show up. Disconnect instant messaging.

Tip 9: Don't instantly give people your attention unless it's absolutely crucial in your business to offer an immediate human response. Instead, schedule a time to answer email and return phone calls.

Tip 10: Block out other distractions like Facebook and other forms of social media unless you use these tools to generate business.

Remember that it's impossible to get everything done. Also remember that odds are good that 20 percent of your thoughts, conversations and activities produce 80 percent of your results.

Matthews has held management roles with Subway, Blimpie, Motophoto and The Entrepreneur's Source. DeBolt is a former president of the International Franchise Association. Percival works in franchise development. They are co-authors of Street Smart Franchising from Entrepreneur Press.

Source: By Joe Mathews, Don Debolt and Deb Percival.
By karenv | The Protégé Project – Thu, Jun 23, 2011

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-protege-project/10-time-management-tips-075904334.html

My self written song

5 regrets people have on their deathbeds

I'd like to link this to my previous post on decisions making. In my previously posts, I gave a conclusion and definition of REGRET.

REGRET is a memory which propels us to do better next time! (I dont think many people would commit the same mistake which leads to their regret) - James Loh

However, very often, human beings only get to face their regrets at their death beds or when they are strike with a terminal illness where they know they only live for a limited number of days.



As such, if human being can work backwards and start thinking about what they will regret over during his/her last days, would actually provide a strong reminder not to have them(regrets) on the last days where nothing can be done to change or do something about it. I read a post on Yahoo.com.sg article on 5 Regrets people have on their deathbeds and would like to share here.

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

If you notice, of the 5, none of them are related to work, career and even Money. Dont quote me for saying work and money, they are indeed important in life, but what i am trying to say here is Money should not be the priority, but family and love ones are, because we dont regret not earning enough money in our last days.

Money should not be the priority, but family and love ones are, because we dont regret not earning enough money in our last days.- James Loh

I also liked the fact that the blogger herself who wrote these mentioned:

‘Many don't realize until the end that happiness is a choice’, said Ware in her blog post.

Life and death are inevitable in life, so is SAD and HAPPY. However, Life and Death is something we cant choose, but in HAPPY and SAD we CAN!

Therefore, HAPPINESS is a choice and never a based on LUCK or SURROUNDINGS. Enjoy life to the fullest.

Source Quoted from:
1) http://www.inspirationandchai.com/Regrets-of-the-Dying.html
Ms. Bronnie Ware has worked with the dying for many years. She recently detailed the top 5 regrets that people have on their deathbed on her blog.

2) http://sg.yahoo.matchmovegames.com/news/article/5-regrets-people-have-on-their-deathbeds - Thanks yahoo for the great summary of the article.

Crossroads, House, decisions

The title of this post explicitly explains the following content that is going to appear a few moments later.

I believe everyone has their choice. To one, it could means freedom, whereas on the other hand, it means stress and decision making. Decision making is one of the worst thing that could happen to someone who hates to choose! I am sure you have met one of them in your life. For example:

"Hello dear(girlfriend), what would like to have for your dinner? you asked.

"Anything!" She replied

In actual fact, decision making normally have subsequent consequences, normally consequences in 2 distinct direction. Can either go RIGHT or WRONG. This is common sense yet many people dare not make the step to make a "180 degrees" change just to make life better.

In life, many people may do the same 'WRONG' thing over and over again. However, how many actually change the WRONG thing and decide that it is right. Of course, then again, if a wrong mistake or choice is made, sometimes there are deva

stating effect/consequence which ends us up in a state we commonly know - REGRET

No doubt i have regrets after regrets in my life. For example, why dont i study harder or become an entrepreneur at the start of my career? What didnt i buy the house when it is feasible and reacheable? Why didnt I learn to be more consistent and striving for the best with more discipline?

However, what i have learnt is the REGRET is a memory which propels us to do better next time! (I dont think many people would commit the same mistake which leads to their regret)

If you are at crossroad(s) today when reading this post, take the DARING STEP and make decision swift. Don't worry about failure or regret, because you will know that you wont regret over the same thing ever again!

By James Loh.

Poker poker poker

Has been quite a week, poker poker poker with my bao bei Roselinn. lols.


Finally got 3 million, but now, lost back to merely 1m. Hopefully my luck can turn good soon! Gambatte!

Sun Tze - Art of War

It has been an indifferent day. Started with all kinds of 'suay' (unlucky) events to moment of sweetness.

Suay - Why? I was hit by a stupid b****** who pushed the big metal trolley and knocked against my ankle, causes me to be in pain for hours and is still hurting now! (After 5 hours!) It happened at jurong point and worst part is, when Derrick was driving the vehicle, an unexpected air re-freshener fell onto my upon a sharp turn. (Count it suay or what, u decide.

As the title suggest, it has been a long day trying to learn Sun Tze's art of war. I downloaded a few Apps(free) via Iphone and it is beginning to looks good! His law or so called Art of War is never only meant for war, as many people know. It is about the logic and 'rule' in which one would need to adhere to, in order to become successful.

I hope in the next few days i would be able to suggest some here.

Left brain and Right Brain Characteristic

Right Brain and Left Brain Characteristics

Left Hemisphere Style	Right Hemisphere Style
Rational Responds to verbal instructions Problem solves by logically and sequentially looking at the parts of things Looks at differences Is planned and structured Prefers established, certain information Prefers talking and writing Prefers multiple choice tests Controls feelings Prefers ranked authority structures	Intuitive Responds to demonstrated instructions Problem solves with hunches, looking for patterns and configurations Looks at similarities Is fluid and spontaneous Prefers elusive, uncertain information Prefers drawing and manipulating objects Prefers open ended questions Free with feelings Prefers collegial authority structures
Sequential Is a splitter: distinction important Is logical, sees cause and effect	Simultaneous Is a lumper: connectedness important Is analogic, sees correspondences, resemblances
Draws on previously accumulated, organized information	Draws on unbounded qualitative patterns that are not organized into sequences, but that cluster around image

Source: http://www.web-us.com/brain/right_left_brain_characteristics.htm

Am i a left or right brainer?

Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz The higher of these two numbers below indicates which side of your brain has dominance in your life. Realising your right brain/left brain tendancy will help you interact with and to understand others. Left Brain Dominance: (5) Right Brain Dominance: (15) Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz

Silly baby and exams

It has been a long 5 days of torture to study for exams etc. I think age is catching up and i am deeply impressed by those uncles (my classmates) who can still study at a 'riped' age. LOL.

However, i thought the main entertainment i've got is my baobei and her teammate. How? Just need to watch their video and it brightens up my day again! Below are some "illustrations"



One day before my exam, i also decided to take some 'time-off' to go for a morning exercise in the likes of my fav. sports - Soccer @ balestier.

It was a last minute decision and i think it pay good dividends as now i am more awake and active to go on with the battle for tomorrow. 2 PAPERS in a day is crazy! I wonder how i survived thru last time and seriously, exams sucks! study sux as well! I dont understand why so many people love to study so much. No doubt, in poly, life is so care-free, but looking back, i remembered i told myself this:

Wah! Heng ar, my last paper ever in my life! I am a free man!

However, i decided to take a path towards securing the 'basic' education level of having a degree in singapore, and officially announced a 'Bachelor' (of ICT in this case). LOL.

Okay, time to get back to studies now! Gogogogogogogo!

How to: Configure Express to accept remote connections

The information in this posting is superseded by the following KB Article:

914277 How to configure SQL Server 2005 to allow remote connections
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;914277

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some people have been having issues when trying to make remote connections
to SQL Express. This document will hopefully clarify most of the issues
around remote connections.

First, networking protocols are disabled by default in SQL Server Express.
Thus, if someone simply installs Express and chooses all the defaults, SQL
Server Express will only be able to have connections originating on the
local machine where SQL Server is installed.

To enable SQL Server Express to accept remote connections we need to perform
the following steps:

STEP 1: Enabling TCP/IP

First we must tell SQL Server Express to listen on TCP/IP, to do this
perform the following steps:

1. Launch the SQL Server Configuration Manager from the "Microsoft SQL
Server 2005 CTP" Program menu
2. Click on the "Protocols for SQLEXPRESS" node,
3. Right click on "TCP/IP" in the list of Protocols and choose, "Enable"

STEP 2: To Browse or not to Browse

Next, we have to determine if we want the SQL Browser service to be running
or not. The benefit of having this service run is that users connecting
remotely do not have to specify the port in the connection string. Note: It
is a security best practice to not run the SQLBrowser service as it reduces
the attack surface area by eliminating the need to listen on an udp port.

OPTION A: If you want to always specify a TCP port when connecting (Not
using SQL Browser service) perform the following steps else skip these
steps:

1. Launch the SQL Server Configuration Manager from the "Microsoft SQL
Server 2005 CTP" Program menu

2. Click on the "Protocols for SQLEXPRESS" node

3. Click on the "TCP/IP" child node

4. You will notice an entry on the right panel for "IPAll", right click
on this and select, "Properties"

5. Clear out the value for "TCP Dynamic Ports"

6. Give a TcpPort number to use when making remote connections, for
purposes of this example lets choose, "2301"


At this point you should restart the SQL Server Express service. At this
point you will be able to connect remotely to SQL Express. A way I like to
check the connection is my using SQLCMD from a remote machine and connecting
like this:

SQLCMD -E -S YourServer\SQLEXPRESS,2301

The "," in the server name tells SQCMD it's a port.

So you've tried this and still get an error. Take a look at Step 3, this
should address the remaining issue.

OPTION B: If you want to use SQL Browser service perform these steps:

Note:
You will need to make this registry key change if you are using the April
CTP or earlier versions:

To enable sqlbrowser service to listen on the port 1434, the following
registry key must be set to 1

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\90\SQL
Browser\Ssrplistener

Next, restart the sqlbrowser service.

1. Start the SQL Browser Service

STEP 3: Firewall..?

At this point you should be able to remotely connect. If you still
can't chances are you have a firewall configured on the computer where SQL
Express is running. The instructions below are for Windows XP SP2's
firewall settings.

To enable the firewall to allow SQL Server Express traffic:

1. Launch the Windows Firewall configuration tool from the control
panel.

2. Click the Exceptions Tab

3. Click the "Add Programs." button and select "sqlservr.exe" from the
location where you install SQL Server Express


You should be able to remotely connect. Note, you can get more restrictive
by just specifying the port number that will be allowed (used best when
configured with Option A).

Note: If you chose to use the SQL Browser service, you must also add
sqlbrowser service executable to the exception list as it listens on udp
port 1434.

Credits to article posted by SQLexpress posted on 5 May 2005, http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlexpress/archive/2005/05/05/415084.aspx

Top 10 Reasons Small Businesses Fail

1. The math just doesn't work. There is not enough demand for the product or service at a price that will produce a profit for the company. This, for example, would include a start-up trying to compete against Best Buy and its economies of scale.

2. Owners who cannot get out of their own way. They may be stubborn, risk adverse, conflict adverse -- meaning they need to be liked by everyone (even employees and vendors who can't do their jobs). They may be perfectionist, greedy, self-righteous, paranoid, indignant, or insecure. You get the idea. Sometimes, you can even tell these owners the problem, and they will recognize that you are right -- but continue to make the same mistakes over and over.

3. Out-of-control growth. This one might be the saddest of all reasons for failure -- a successful business that is ruined by over-expansion. This would include moving into markets that are not as profitable, experiencing growing pains that damage the business, or borrowing too much money in an attempt to keep growth at a particular rate. Sometimes less is more.

4. Poor accounting. You cannot be in control of a business if you don't know what is going on. With bad numbers, or no numbers, a company is flying blind, and it happens all of the time. Why? For one thing, it is a common -- and disastrous -- misconception that an outside accounting firm hired primarily to do the taxes will keep watch over the business. In reality, that is the job of the chief financial officer, one of the many hats an entrepreneur has to wear until a real one is hired.

5. Lack of a cash cushion. If we have learned anything from this recession (I know it's "over" but my customers don't seem to have gotten the memo), it's that business is cyclical and that bad things can and will happen over time -- the loss of an important customer or critical employee, the arrival of a new competitor, the filing of a lawsuit. These things can all stress the finances of a company. If that company is already out of cash (and borrowing potential), it may not be able to recover.

6. Operational mediocrity. I have never met a business owner who described his or her operation as mediocre. But we can't all be above average. Repeat and referral business is critical for most businesses, as is some degree of marketing (depending on the business).

7. Operational inefficiencies. Paying too much for rent, labor, and materials. Now more than ever, the lean companies are at an advantage. Not having the tenacity or stomach to negotiate terms that are reflective of today's economy may leave a company uncompetitive.

8. Dysfunctional management. Lack of focus, vision, planning, standards and everything else that goes into good management. Throw fighting partners or unhappy relatives into the mix, and you have a disaster.

9. The lack of a succession plan. We're talking nepotism, power struggles, significant players being replaced by people who are in over their heads -- all reasons many family businesses do not make it to the next generation.

10. A declining market. Book stores, music stores, printing businesses and many others are dealing with changes in technology, consumer demand, and competition from huge companies with more buying power and advertising dollars.

In life, you may have forgiving friends and relatives, but entrepreneurship is rarely forgiving. Eventually, everything shows up in the soup. If people don't like the soup, employees stop working for you, and customers stop doing business with you. And that is why businesses fail.

Credits to

JAY GOLTZ, On Thursday 6 January 2011, 3:05 SGT