Monday, February 25, 2008
Parents at Genting
My parents are now enjoying themselves at Genting and I'm now Lord of the house... muahahahha..... That means making sure windows are closed, lights are off, culinary are washed......
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Quote of the day
"One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth
must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again."
- Abraham Maslow
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Career 2008 & Education 2008 (28 Feb - 2 Mar)
The next Career 2008 & Education 2008 will be held at Suntec Exhibition Hall 601-603 from 28 Feb to 2 Mar 08. I couldn't get a sense of what type of jobs are available, nor what kind of educational programes will be promoted at the event. However, I think it may be good to go down and take a look to see what's available there. They also have several seminar sessions available, some of which appear quite interesting. Do let me know if anyone is interested to pop by, perhaps we could go down together.
Saturday, February 09, 2008
See where you fit-in in the finance industry
I was looking around the website and came across Goldman Sachs' website which provides a short quiz to help identify which role might be suitable for you in the finance industry. If you are considering joining the industry, this would be interesting to try : Goldman Sachs Quiz
Results for me are:
1. FICC and Equity Strategies
2. Goldman Sachs Asset Management
3. Technology
Aren't you curious to find out what yours are?
Results for me are:
1. FICC and Equity Strategies
2. Goldman Sachs Asset Management
3. Technology
Aren't you curious to find out what yours are?
Friday, February 08, 2008
How to maximise your cash when buying petrol
I found this post on one of the facebook walls, and thought its quite interesting. Try it out and let me know if it saves you some cash buying petrol. hahahaha!
----------------------------
No one should drive but if you must here is some very good information that originated from someone who is in the petroleum business.
I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline....Here in California we are also paying higher, upwards of $3.50 per gallon. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon.
Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.
Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening ... your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.
When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapours that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapour return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapour. Those vapours are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.
One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.
Another reminder is if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up as most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.
Hope this will help you get the most value for your money. Anyone cares to figure out how much we can save?
----------------------------
No one should drive but if you must here is some very good information that originated from someone who is in the petroleum business.
I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline....Here in California we are also paying higher, upwards of $3.50 per gallon. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon.
Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.
Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening ... your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.
When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapours that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapour return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapour. Those vapours are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.
One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.
Another reminder is if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up as most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.
Hope this will help you get the most value for your money. Anyone cares to figure out how much we can save?
Recession? Where to put your money now?
I came across a rather interesting article by CNN Money which advises how one can profit (in the long-term I assume) from all the nose-diving stock prices we see these days. I've extracted the summary of the market survival guide below for a quick glance in-case you do not have the time to read the full article.
There's another statement in that article that I thought was particularly good and hits the proverbial nail on the head for investing (of course, trading is similar but also has many other different rules) :
Basically, it means choose good stocks to buy, but also always becareful to keep your captial liquid, otherwise, you'll not have the resourses to that advantage of opportunities when they appear.
Well, do read the article if you have the time, I think its pretty good. :)
----------------------------------------------------
Market Survival Guide
1. Keep costs down
In the new era of low returns, it's important to keep fees down to build a winning portfolio. Buy index funds and ETFs, and don't pay for Wall Street's often unreliable advice.
2. Go for dividends
A big gift of today's rocky market is a surge in dividend yields. If you want income for life, grab solid but beaten-down names right now. Two good bets: pharma and utilities.
3. Take a chance on battered stocks
Sure, it takes courage, but the best investors pounce when sectors are bloodied and expectations in the cellar. Two reviled sectors: banks and homebuilders.
4. Look abroad
Diversification is the foundation of a strong portfolio. One way to get there is with a big allocation in international stocks. But true diversification is tricky. We'll tell you how to do it right.
5. Be smart about bonds
You need fixed-income investments for ballast, but the trick is staying ahead of inflation. The three picks for an inflation-racked world: munis, TIPs, and CDs.
There's another statement in that article that I thought was particularly good and hits the proverbial nail on the head for investing (of course, trading is similar but also has many other different rules) :
"As an investor, you face two challenges in today's tumultuous market: First, you
have to choose bargain stocks while recognizing that the overall averages are
still extremely pricey and have plenty of room to fall. Second, you must
assemble a portfolio that will protect you from the claws of inflation, while
keeping plenty of funds in cash so you can grab the beaten-down buys when they
appear."
Basically, it means choose good stocks to buy, but also always becareful to keep your captial liquid, otherwise, you'll not have the resourses to that advantage of opportunities when they appear.
Well, do read the article if you have the time, I think its pretty good. :)
----------------------------------------------------
Market Survival Guide
1. Keep costs down
In the new era of low returns, it's important to keep fees down to build a winning portfolio. Buy index funds and ETFs, and don't pay for Wall Street's often unreliable advice.
2. Go for dividends
A big gift of today's rocky market is a surge in dividend yields. If you want income for life, grab solid but beaten-down names right now. Two good bets: pharma and utilities.
3. Take a chance on battered stocks
Sure, it takes courage, but the best investors pounce when sectors are bloodied and expectations in the cellar. Two reviled sectors: banks and homebuilders.
4. Look abroad
Diversification is the foundation of a strong portfolio. One way to get there is with a big allocation in international stocks. But true diversification is tricky. We'll tell you how to do it right.
5. Be smart about bonds
You need fixed-income investments for ballast, but the trick is staying ahead of inflation. The three picks for an inflation-racked world: munis, TIPs, and CDs.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
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