Birthdays

As far as I could remember, the only celebrity who shares the same birthday as I is Shaquille O'Neal (day and month only of course, not year).

Got a little bored today and I found out that Alan Greenspan (economist and former chairman of Federal Reserve) and Michelangelo (Renaissance artist) were also born on 6th of March.

On the same date in 1899, Aspirin was registered as a trademark by Bayer. Every year, Ghana celebrates its independence on the same date.

Click here for more or to find out about yours.

Thank Apple

Without Mac's compelling graphical interface, I suppose today's Windows wouldn't look as good (but of course, I have to add, never as good the Macs).

Quoting from Wall Street Journal's article,
"Verizon Wireless said it will allow consumers to use any compatible cellphone on its network and allow open access to the Web and third-party applications, reversing its longstanding policy."

The reason why Steve Jobs let AT&T become the sole service provider for iPhone was because the latter gave Apple all the freedom to innovate, whereas other service providers usually impose heaps of restrictions on mobile phone manufacturers. That's probably why rarely someone is totally happy about their mobile's functionalities.

With the iPhone now open to third party developments, other operators now follow suit to allow for third party innovations too. It's a spillover effect. Thanks to Apple for its iPhone, we can expect to see better phones (not only iPhone) to become better in the near future.

Once (and continually) we thank Apple for those sweet looking stuff, now we ought to thank them for these functionality spillover.

Daft

From Daft Punk hands to Daft Punk bodies: (although not as original as the former, props to the virtually blindfolded sync)

He Who Doesn't Like It Stable

It's as if every night I find something disagreeable in some news section or blog. Today, I found an author who thinks it's no big deal and that "it just wouldn't matter all that much" that Iran (and other countries, oil-producing or not) were to price oil relative to a basket of currencies rather than just USD.

According to Justin Fox, the author, this may only result in smoothing (of volatility) of oil prices. And that it won't drastically change the world nor affect the damn USD.

Follow the link below to read my comment (the 2nd one):
http://time-blog.com/curious_capitalist/2007/11/what_if_they_stopped_pricing_o_1.html
It concerns how he thinks if a certain product/commodity were to be priced relative to a basket of things would confuse consumers due to complex conversion issues. What? Do inflation (an index) confuse you guys? Can't retailers simply multiply the index by the base figure to publish prices in local currencies?

With such columnists around, I wouldn't be surprised when finally comes the day you realize how unsustainable the country's deficit is and eventually the dollar go tumbling again. Well, who knows then Iran will say it won't matter much. Chances are they will because they have already taken the precautions, like the current idea.

Shut Up Already

Quoting from an article in WSJ regarding Beijing authority's decision to freeze bank lending till end of the year (at least):

"Instead of trying to target lending levels, economists say China could try to damp credit expansion by pushing up interest rates and letting the yuan appreciate against the U.S. dollar, since both adjustments would make borrowers and lenders think twice before committing to projects. U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, regularly deliver such a message, saying a more market-oriented financial system is in Beijing's own interests."

I think, why not leave China alone? Hasn't China already upped interest rates and still see haphazard growth in the markets that could be potentially unsustainable?

Haven't we seen that by letting you free capitalist give out loans to anybody and everybody finally take its toll in your recent and ONGOING crash of the mortgage lending market?

Do you want them to up interest rates so high as to have the same effect and let the yuan appreciate? Do you even know what are the consequences? The long-term lost in market share in exporting industries? Did you know that sucks?

Chinese do things differently for fuck sake. Please THINK before giving your usual free-market-and-monetary-policy-are-the-shit commentary. It's too predictable, amateurish and textbook-ish. But most dangerously, it can be misleading.

Stiff Upper Lip

Yesterday, friends asked what happened to my lips. Well it's been like that for the past 1 and a half weeks already but they haven't seen me for quite a bit and noticed my lips seem Jay Z-thick. It looked burned and almost scaly.

Today, friends asked what happened to my lips. It's amazing how an overnight application of this papaw ointment alleviated the condition so drastically.

P.S. If you are unfamiliar with the term, papaw = papaya.

Departures

Although I've worked in this club on Fridays for not too long, although not having any strong emotional attachments yet, it's still kinda sad to see the staff leaving one by one. Actually, three left at once last week. And this week, a bouncer who's been at this job for 9 years.

I guess they are just sort of over this stepping stone. They have probably earned a day job hard enough and had prefer to focus.

While the old ones go, at least we could look at the bright side of new people coming in. But new ones don't always stay too long. That's what will make you miss the old people.

And down the road in less than 2 months from now is my graduation. I.e. time to say goodbye to fellow course mates. It's hard to leave. I'm a bit sentimental but friends say it's easier if I see it as a new beginning.

A new beginning it is then.

Well, all the best guys. Till we meet again.

It's a little depressing, but...

It's SWOT vac (Study Without Teaching vacation), the time when University of Melbourne's students have a week off to study for exams.

It's a little depressing because everyone is so busy studying. Well, given that it's most of my friends' last semester (including myself), there's no reason to fuck around.

This whole week all I got was a little retail therapy in DFO and that's about it. The rest was spent at home studying, studying, and studying. There isn't even gymming because I'm taking a break from the recent cycle (just the regime, no roids).

It just makes me wanna get through this semester as quickly as possible, so that I could start working soon. Somehow the idea of earning my own money, full time, fascinates me. And the idea of shopping for working clothes. And soon time to get a car.

But it's weird. I'm working soon yet this blog still sounds a little juvenile.