blading

YY got his first blades and he was able to stand up and move around at first try. he’s a natural ! QQ is more human and wobbles on wheels

On hols !

lotsa luv from BT…watch tis space for more updates ! KK, here we come !

Your stripper style

You are bold and outrageous and know exactly what you want. When it comes to having fun, you are the first and fiercest in line. A Punk Rock Girl changes her clothes as often as she changes her moods, and looks best when wearing her own original creations. Your hair and makeup are edgy and “in your face.”

你是哪類型的麵包 ??

so accurate!

你是哪類型的麵包 ??

1. 你是一個很堅持己見的人？
a. 是 → 2
b. 不是→ 4

2.你看到行乞的路人會流下淚？
a.是 → 3
b.不是 → 6

3. 你是一個注重物質生活的人？
a. 是→ 7
b.不是 → 5

4. 你希望另一半是一? 蚍秶[開朗的？
a. 是 → 9
b. 不是→ 3

5.你喜歡明亮的顏色？
a.是 → 13
b.不是 → 8

6. 你是一個有責任感的人？
a. 是→ 15
b.不是 → 5

7. 即使面對陌生人也容易侃侃而談？
a.. 是 → 12
; b. 不是→ 8

8.你覺得自己的個性比較怯懦？
a.是 → 14
b.不是 → 19

9. 你喜歡熱鬧的氣氛嗎？
a. 是→ 7
b.不是 →10

10. 對於任何一件事，常能保持客觀立場？
a.. 是 → 11
b. 不是→ 12

11.曾有人說過你的脾氣很差？
a.是 → 【年糕】
b. 不是→ 20

12. 你的脾氣還不錯？
a.是 → 19
b. 不是→ 20

13. 你希望另一半是個心地善良的人嗎？
a. 是→ 14
b.不是 → 17

14. 你是一個很有責任感的人？
a. 是 → 【海盜飯團】
b.不是 → 18

15. 你討厭複雜難懂的事？
a. 是→ 13
b. 不是 → 【米麵包】

16. 別人常說你缺乏毅力？
a. 是 → 【紅龜糕】
b. 不是 →【壽司埢】

17. 你是好惡分明的人？
a.是 → 【粽子】
b. 不是 → 【蘿蔔糕】

18. 你不輕易相信陌生人？
a. 是→ 17
b. 不是 → 16

19.你對自己喜愛的事會投很多心血？
a.是 → 【三角飯團】
b. 不是 → 【米麻糬】

20. 曾經有人對你說，你的生活太嚴謹？
a. 是 → 【海盜飯團】
b. 不是 → 【湯圓】

*~ 解 析 ~*

【你是米麵包】
優點：為人善良、思想單純、真誠不做作、善解人意便是你最大的優點喔！
缺點：做事經常缺乏主見、而且又顯的不夠機靈，因此很容易被人利用。
速配情人類型：聰明、善良的人和你最速配！
如何活的精彩：一直讓步並不能為你解決問題，適度的反撲，才能讓別人開始尊重
你。

【你是米麻糬】
優點：個性隨和，對外來的批評總聽聽就忘。
缺點：過度樂天的個性很容易使你喪失辯別是與非的能力，而且變成散漫的人。
速配情人類型：常將笑容掛在臉上的情人和你最契合。
如何活的精彩：容易? w於現狀的你，想要擁有美好人生的話，就該積極去開創與奮

【你是海盜飯團】
優點：認真、負責、而且認定目標就會很堅持，是你最大的優點。
缺點：有著超高理想的你，喜歡將責任往身上攬，但不是每件事都能負荷的了。
速配情人類型：幽默、風趣的情人可以調合你嚴謹的個性。
如何活的精彩：學會放鬆、信賴家人及伙伴，因為唯有團結的力量才能邁入成功。

【你是粽子】
優點：為人率直、滿腹學識、對自己有自信、有領導能力是你的優點。
缺點：說話太過直接，常在無意間刺傷人。
速配情人類型：脾氣好、欣? 鄑A的人。
如何活的精彩：任何事都要成功，都必須配合天時、地利、人和，凡事不能太強求。

【你是紅龜糕】
優點：有創意、富群眾魅力、熱心助人。
缺點：做事只有三分熱度，常無法確立一個明確的未來。
速配情人類型：思慮周密、懂的照顧人。
如何活的精彩：要確實凝定明確的奮鬥目標，並妥善運用你的創意來實踐。

【你是湯圓】
優點：開朗、幽默、口才好、反應快，是你最大的優點，也是你廣受歡迎的主因。
缺點：缺乏恆心、毅力，只喜歡周旋於新鮮有趣的新事物上。
速配情人類型：樂觀、開朗，可以和你一同遊戲人間的人。
如何活的精彩：有點小聰明是不夠的，如何讓自己成為有智慧的人，是你要學習的人 生課題。

【你是蘿蔔糕】
優點：聰明、學者力強，懂的如何發揮自我的潛能。
缺點：心腸軟，經常在別人的游說下，放棄自己的堅持，而逢迎別人。
速配情人類型：口才好、反應快、開朗。
如何活的精彩：改變容易心軟的態度，並運用你的才智選擇益友。

【你是三角飯團】
優點：對自己的生活的堅持與品味，而對美感與藝術極有天份，這是你最大的優點。 缺點：不擅表達內心情感，遇到困難容易亂方寸。
速配情人類型：外型和生活品味都能與你匹配的人，才是你最想要的情人類型。
如何活的精彩：了解現實殘酷、醜陋是必要的，若與現實完全脫節，容易醉生夢死。

【你是年糕】
優點：內心善良、異性緣佳的你，懂的如果運用自己人脈達成願望。
缺點：自視甚高的你，遇到不如意的事會大發雷霆，情緒管理欠佳，是你最大的缺
點。
速配情人類型：體貼、包容性強的情人。
如何活的精彩：想要受到幸運之神的眷顧，就開始釋出善意的微笑，以及親切的態度 吧。

【你是壽司埢】
優點：包容力強、能屈能伸的人，再大的挑戰也難不倒你，韌性十足。
缺點：容易吃虧上當。
速配情人類型：伶俐、處世圓融的情人，才能幫你抵擋一些損友。
如何活的精彩：很能吃苦耐勞的你，趁年輕時盡情發揮你的能力，老來才不會徒傷
悲。

 

在我们一生之中，或多或少面对一种遗憾；有些人会让我们感叹遇到太晚；不是对方错过了自己生命中的纯真年代，就是未能赶上对方精彩飞扬的人生。

Livia took the What’s is missing in your life? quiz and the result is Powerful Vision

You have the natural ability to perceive something not actually visible, as through mental acuteness or keen foresight. However, you have lost touch with it. You can achieve great things if you find your own powerful vision.

Chavez nationalizes iron, steel companies

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced that the government would nationalize several iron and steel companies in the country to pave way for a large “socialist” state-run enterprise.

“There is nothing to discuss. We’ve been on this for a long time,” Chavez said in a televised address, ordering the beginning of “a process of nationalization to create an industrial complex,” but without providing details of the venture.

Chavez named Matesi, Consigua, Ceramicas Carabobo, steel tube maker Tavsa, as well as Orinoco Iron and Venprecar, subsidiaries of Venezuelan-owned International Briquettes Holding (IBH), which exports iron briquettes.

The announcement is the start of a “transition” so that these companies can become the “solid platform of socialism,” he said.

“Venezuelan workers are going to give a lesson to the world on how the working class has been resuscitated to make a revolution!” he told industry workers in the western state of Bolivar.

The workers stood and sang the national anthem.

Since 2007, the Venezuelan government has moved ahead with the nationalization of a wide range of companies from telecommunications, electricity, cement and oil sectors.

Two weeks ago, the Chavez administration expropriated 39 oil service providers, some backed by foreign capital, after the government passed a law extending the state’s control over all activities related to the industry.

According to the government’s official journal, Venezuelan Petroleum (PDVSA) and affiliated firms took “control of operation and the immediate possession of institutions, documentation, goods and equipment” of the 39 firms.

Many of the firms were subsidiaries of foreign businesses.

Venezuela’s National Assembly passed a law on May 7 that “reserves for the state, the goods and services connected to primary hydrocarbon activities.”

“We will start to recover assets that will now belong to the state, as they always should have,” Chavez said at the time.

Chavez earlier Thursday pressed for his country’s energy industry to wrest free of outside interests, symbolically seizing an American gas facility appropriated by the government earlier this month.

Chavez declared that “a new stage” had begun for his country as he strolled through the PIGAP II gas compression facility operated by the Oklahoma-based Williams Co.

Latin America’s largest energy-producing nation, Venezuela announced it would take control of Williams’s operations in early May when the Chavez government seized the assets of 60 local and foreign-owned oil firms.

樂觀指數100% – 超級樂天派

happy go lucky !

樂觀指數100% – 超級樂天派

凡事都不在乎，總是說小事一件不值得去計較，不過並不是神經大條喔！事實上你也是有踏實的一面的，是能夠隨性、隨緣地過生活的「智慧生活家」啦！

let go – and let’s go!

I like this line : let go – and let’s go! In my own words, I will be a better person today than I was yesterday.

dun juz move on, learn from ur mistakes too !

“Get over it. Get on with your life.”
Sally Field

Each of us makes mistakes, lots of them to be more accurate. In spite of our best efforts to avoid mistakes, our lives are filled with untimely decisions, erroneous moves and flawed judgment. Try as we might to avoid making mistakes, we’re only human. And that means we keep on making them, one right after another.

There are things we wish we wouldn’t have done, words we wish we never had spoken. We would give almost anything to take them all back and rewrite the past. But we’ve already made the mistakes, we’ve already spoken the words… and there’s nothing we can do to undo what’s already been done.

Except let them go.

“Never let yesterday use up too much of today.”
Will Rogers

Don’t we all wish we could somehow steer our way clear of making any mistakes whatsoever? Of course we do, but let’s face it, that’s not the way it goes. If we’re going to get out on the playing field and give life our very best shot, we’re going to make mistakes. And keep making them. But that’s OK, as long as we don’t dwell on them.

Whenever we make a mistake, we can do one of two things. We can get up, get better and get going again, putting the mistake in our rear view mirror or alternatively, we can allow the mistake to haunt us forever.

“By simply letting go of each and every thing that has held you back and held you down in the past, you put the past to bed once and for all.”
Greg Hickman

Way too often we allow our prior missteps and blunders to hang over us like a dark, daunting cloud, looming ever larger with each passing day. Unable to let go, unable to move on, we become scared and indelibly scarred.

Filled with regrets and overcome with grief, we live and relive the past over and over again until we can focus on little else. We pray for the anguish and pain to just go away, but it lingers on and on.

Why are some things in life so tough to get over? Why does the hurt keep coming back time and time again? While each of us is different and handles adversity in our own way, all of us possess feelings; powerful emotions that can overwhelm us if we’re not careful. These feelings come into play each and every time we make a mistake. And make no mistake, some mistakes really, really hurt.

“Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: I’m with you kid. Let’s go.”
Maya Angelou

Like it or not, we’re never going to outgrow making mistakes. Wished we could, but we won’t. So the next best thing is to learn how to let go – and get on with our lives. Not an easy task to be sure, but one that must be mastered if we’re ever going to move our lives forward. That means leaving our past where it needs to be left… and that’s in the past.

Each day brings with it a clean slate, a new opportunity to start fresh, to begin anew. We need to emphatically embrace the spanking new day with all the enthusiasm, energy and excitement we can muster. And stop looking back at what has occurred in the past.

We need to let go and even more importantly, we need to get going. Why should we wait one minute longer, mired in the past, when a magnificent, beautiful, bountiful future awaits on the horizon? We shouldn’t and we won’t. We just need to turn the page and get on down the road.

So let go – and let’s go.

The Bottom Line: Forget about your past problems and focus every ounce of your energy on making today a day you will never forget.

Up to 5,000 jobs to go in ABN Amro, Fortis merger

Dutch lender ABN Amro said Tuesday that up to 5,000 jobs would be cut in its merger with the Netherlands banking branch of Fortis after the two were nationalised last year.

“The number of posts will decrease by between 4,000 and 5,000 by 2012,” ABN Amro spokesman Jeroen van Maarschalkerweerd told AFP. The cuts were aimed at making savings worth between one and 1.3 billion euros (1.8 billion dollars).

ABN Amro and Fortis’s Dutch banking operations together employ 30,000 people, most of them in the Netherlands, and have combined sales of 8.0 billion euros, according to the Dutch government.

Van Maarschalkerweerd said the merger would see the elimination overall of between 5,500 and 6,500 full-time jobs but would also lead to the creation of 1,500 posts.

Fortis, a Belgian-Dutch venture hard hit by the financial crisis, was broken up last year when most of its Dutch operations were nationalised, as was ABN Amro.

The merger, which now needs the approval of the European Union’s executive commission and the Dutch central bank, is to be headed by former Dutch finance minister Gerrit Zalm, who is now executive director at ABN Amro.

Fortis’s insurance operations in the Netherlands, which were also nationalised in October, are managed by a separate company, ASR Verzekeringen.

The sale by the Belgian state of 75 percent of Fortis’s Belgian banking operations to French bank BNP Paribas was completed on May 12 following shareholder approval and a green light from the European Commission.

Livia just took the “What kind of boy should you be with?” quiz and the result is Romantic Boy

Livia just took the “What kind of boy should you be with?” quiz and the result is Romantic Boy.

You need a guy like Romeo, someone that will tell you how beautiful you look, or how your smile gives him chills. You’re the kind of girl that wants flowers just because, and needs to be reassured how much you’re needed often. Stop dating the bad boys! They’ll only break your heart when you expect so much from them!

AmEx to cut 4,000 jobs in global restructuring

US credit card giant American Express announced Monday that it was to shed some 4,000 jobs as part of an 800-million-dollar restructuring of its global operations.

The job cuts would lead to the elimination of about six percent of the company’s current worldwide workforce, and the company also planned to scale back investments and slash operating costs.

The move comes after AmEx last month reported a 56 percent drop in quarterly earnings from a year ago to 443 million dollars, or 31 cents per share, amid rising write-offs of credit card debt.

American Express said the job cuts, which will go into effect this year, would allow them to shave 175 million dollars off their budget, while reducing investments on marketing and business development would save another 500 million dollars.

The rest of the savings would come from cutting 125 million dollars from operational costs, chairman and chief executive Kenneth Chenualt said.

“While we have remained solidly profitable at a time when some parts of the card industry were incurring substantial losses, we continue to be very cautious about the economic outlook,” Chenualt said in a statement.

“We believe these efforts will put us in a better position to remain profitable and free up some additional resources that will be reinvested in the business to make sure we can take competitive advantage of opportunities as the economy begins to rebound.”

American Express is a leading credit company which was founded in 1850 and now operates in 130 countries around the world.

Livia just took the “What kind of boy should you be with?” quiz and the result is Romantic Boy.

You need a guy like Romeo, someone that will tell you how beautiful you look, or how your smile gives him chills. You’re the kind of girl that wants flowers just because, and needs to be reassured how much you’re needed often. Stop dating the bad boys! They’ll only break your heart when you expect so much from them!

Livia just took the “Are you more than just friends?” quiz and the result is There’s serious potential.

- – There’s something brewing here, like a tea of hormones and tight jeans. You might have even had this discussion before: One of you mentioned this “silly” thing a friend said, you both laughed, but you still thought “Maybe my others are seeing something I’m not?” Be careful… or not, that depends. But either way, come clean before it gets any weirder.

Livia just took the “Where will you meet your true love?” quiz and the result is The Beach.

wah ! droolicious encounter den

You will meet your true love at the beach. Relaxing, getting a tan, swimming, whatever you’re doing then you’ll see him/her! There will be fireworks at that moment!

小时了了,大未必佳

juz thot YY tis to remind him not to b arrogant nor complacent

no distance is too far

things r going well atm

i realised tat i haf been painting a bleak pict of late

but my frens, things r reli going well atm for mi after we trashed out our differences on expectations

in fact we r closer as frens den b4

matter of time before sg gets H1N1 case

The Ministry of Health (MOH) says it is a matter of time when Singapore will see an Influenza A (H1N1) case.

An MOH spokesman, who was responding to media queries on Malaysia confirming its first H1N1 case, said Singaporeans should not be surprised by this development.

The spokesman added that the Malaysian health authority had informed its Singapore counterpart that there were no Singaporeans and also no passengers connecting to Singapore onboard the flight taken by the confirmed Malaysian case.

He said the infected person in Malaysia is reported to be in stable condition and will likely recover fully — as in many other cases elsewhere — because he had sought medical treatment as soon as symptoms appeared.

The spokesman added that prompt treatment will lead to full recovery, unless there are other underlying medical conditions.

He also said the only way to avoid infection is for people to maintain a high standard of personal hygiene and be socially responsible by staying at home if they are unwell and wearing a mask if they are on the way to see a doctor.

it’s the end

of a turbulent rship

and the beginning of a great frenship

sometimes, it’s juz healthier to restart

親切隨和是你的特點

Livia 剛玩完了 測測你的主動性~ 心理測驗，結果是 親切隨和是你的特點

你的溫馴使人與你一起時感到舒暢，但有時你會過份遷就別人，而缺少了自己的主見，即使喜歡上某人也只會在一旁默默等待。渴求一份有成就的愛情，就需要積極點行動了~

phone use

Three quarters of Singaporeans said they will not cut back on their mobile phone use during the downturn. That’s because, going by a survey result, the mobile phone is quite an indispensable social tool.

Half of those surveyed in India and China will propose to their partner over the phone. But it’s a no—no for nine in 10 Singaporeans, according to a survey by Microsoft Windows Mobile.

However, when it comes to break—ups one in 10 thinks it’s okay to do it via phone messaging.

The survey also found that most people use their phones everywhere. 65 per cent of Singaporeans use it even when they’re in the toilet. Meanwhile, nine in 10 will answer calls when having a meal with someone.

But one instance where Singaporeans prefer not to be disturbed is in bed during intimate moments. 93 per cent will not take that call. That’s the highest across six Asian cities. For example, one in five Taiwanese will answer the phonecall.

One in 10 respondents has also shot a voyeuristic picture or video with their phones.

The survey also found that about half of all respondents used their phones to flirt with someone who is not their partner nor their spouse. That’s the highest percentage compared to similar surveys done in India, China, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia

Livia 剛玩完了 2009哪個星座桃花旺? 有危機? 心理測驗，結果是 雙子座

愛情桃花：雙子座在3月和7月的桃花運特別強，單身的人很有可能會遇見真命情人，且有機會演出從朋友轉為情人的劇碼，不妨注意一下身旁的好朋友；已有愛侶的雙子，若彼此感情發展成熟，為了免於夜長夢多，可以在年初時就開始準備步入禮堂了，今年工作互動中可以找到志趣相投的良伴，在出差旅遊途中也有浪漫邂逅，不過，感情在九月之後將面臨考驗，彼此之間若無法建立某種程度的互信就可能分道揚鑣，好在你有一票朋友幫你打氣，療傷止痛，很快你就會有新桃花出現，或許之前的分手反而是一種精神上的解脫。

first gay american idol- go!

Adam Lambert wears eyeliner and diamond stud earrings, sings like a dream and has won a rare standing ovation from tough-minded judge Simon Cowell.

With three weeks to go before the “American Idol” final, Lambert, 27, is favored to win the No. 1 U.S. television talent show and become, possibly, the first gay or bisexual singer to be handed the “Idol” title by millions of Americans.

Lambert, praised by “Idol” judges for taking risks with songs like Cher’s “Believe”, has never publicly confirmed his sexual preference, nor has he denied speculation about being gay — a striking contrast to 2003 runner-up Clay Aiken.

When photos showing him kissing other men and dressed in drag circulated on the Internet last month, Lambert said simply: “I have nothing to hide. I am who I am.”

Lambert ended in the bottom two for the first time on Wednesday night, but viewers have so far shown little sign of caring about his ambiguous sexual orientation.

An army of “Glambert” fans cheer him on, vote for him weekly and have made him the favorite to win.

“Some people are saying, wouldn’t it be amazing that in the same year that the first African-American president took office in the U.S., we also elected the first gay and/or bisexual ‘American Idol’,” said Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University in New York.

“I don’t think that’s comparable. Rather than being surprised, I am thinking ‘Wow, have we really got this far without having one yet?’”

Gender-bender stars are nothing new in the music business — Elton John, Prince and the androgynous Boy George. Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell are openly lesbian, and while TV stars like Neil Patrick Harris have come out as homosexual, Hollywood awaits its first huge gay male star.

“American Idol” may just give it to U.S. music fans. The show has become a cultural phenomenon in the United States in the last eight years and is as much a popularity contest as a talent show. The audience that averages 26.3 million viewers weekly has shown an openness to embrace everyone from 8 to 80 years old — and it’s the viewers who vote to decide who wins.

Aiken, the 2003 runner-up, dodged questions about his homosexuality for five years before publicly acknowledging in 2008 that he was gay.

Lambert, who donned a white silk suit and diamond ear studs for the show this week, is more flamboyant in his dress, vocal style and performances than most — if not all — contestants.

“Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi called him “confusing, shocking, over the top, theatrical — but I like it!”

遺忘了彼此，卻還有血色殘陽映照的影子

背影

Livia 剛玩完了 12星座的悲傷都寫在哪裡？ 心理測驗，結果是 背影

總是很難從他們的神色辨別喜怒哀怨，似乎早就帶上了一層面具，籠罩著，許多年。成了生命的一部分，摘不下來，他們其實是無害的，卻也總是假情假意的，根本失去了真誠的可能。也許，唯一還有跡可循的，就是背影。只可惜，生命中的那些背影，漸漸淡了，漸漸散了。只留窗前的背影，沒有快樂，凝視窗外的背影，更是永遠悲傷。分不開的悲傷，分不開的背影，也是分不開的人。雙子和瓶子太虛偽或者太傻，頭也不回地離開，沒有任何表情，甚至殘忍的微笑著離開，卻留給別人一個意味深長的背影。遺忘了彼此，卻還有血色殘陽映照的影子。

 

單身快樂指數40分

 

wah seh!  the magic words again : 陰影 !

Livia 剛玩完了 單身也可以很快樂嗎？ 心理測驗，結果是 單身快樂指數40分

如果要快樂就要釋放過去，通常選到這個配色的人，過去有一些陰影，所以你現在很恐懼單身，因為你覺得單身就代表寂寞孤單，可能以前小時候或失戀的陰影，讓你現在會緊緊抓住一個人，所以單身的話，你不會那麼快樂。

 

不要讓你的愛心泛濫

不要讓你的愛心泛濫

基本性格：選擇什麼也不做的你，是完全的奉獻型。一見到陷入困境的人，你就會不自覺地想為他做點什麼。這種充滿愛心的做法是很值得提倡的，但有時對那些對方一個人就可以解決的問題，你就不要硬去插一腳了。難道你不覺得太過熱心也會令人反感嗎？戀愛性格：只要是戀人想做的事情，你都會不遺余力地給予幫助。你是那種會把戀人看得比自己的夢想更重要的人。但是，什麼事情都插手並不一定是好事。有時候，只采取旁觀的態度也是必要的。

back to basics

 

back to sq one

activity level

 

fitness is something i haf been taken for granted since teens

fitness is a fringe benefit from youth

but nw tat i m getting older, i do feel the need to increase and maintain a higher activity level

Popular cereal is a drug, US food watchdog says

 

Popular US breakfast cereal Cheerios is a drug, at least if the claims made on the label by its manufacturer General Mills are anything to go by, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said.

“Based on claims made on your product’s label, we have determined that your Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug,” the FDA said in a letter to General Mills which was posted on the federal agency’s website Tuesday.

Cheerios labels claim that eating the cereal can help lower bad cholesterol, a risk factor for coronary heart disease, by four percent in six weeks.

Citing a clinical study, the product labels also claim that eating two servings a day of Cheerios helps to reduce bad cholesterol when eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, the FDA letter says.

Those claims indicate that Cheerios — said by General Mills to be the best-selling cereal in the United States — is intended to be used to lower cholesterol and prevent, lessen or treat the disease hypercholesterolemia, and to treat and prevent coronary heart disease.

“Because of these intended uses, the product is a drug,” the FDA concluded in its letter.

Not only that, but Cheerios is a new drug because it has not been “recognized as safe and effective for use in preventing or treating hypercholesterolemia or coronary heart disease,” the FDA said.

That means General Mills may not legally market Cheerios unless it applies for approval as a new drug or changes the way it labels the small, doughnut-shaped cereal, the FDA said.

General Mills defended the claims on Cheerios packaging, saying in a statement that Cheerios’ soluble fiber heart health claim has been FDA-approved for 12 years, and that its “lower your cholesterol four percent in six weeks” message has been featured on the box for more than two years.

The FDA’s quibble is not about whether Cheerios cereal is good for you but over “how the Cheerios cholesterol-lowering information is presented on the Cheerios package and website,” said General Mills.

“We look forward to discussing this with FDA and to reaching a resolution.”

Meanwhile, the FDA warned in its letter that if General Mills fails to “correct the violations” on its labels, boxes of Cheerios could disappear from supermarket and wholesaler shelves around the United States and the company could face legal action.

According to General Mills, one in eight boxes of cereal sold in the United States is a box of Cheerios. The cereal debuted on the US market in 1941.

posting by email

 

wow!  wat a cool feature…esp when i m travelling

so easy to upload picts and other attachments too

but can’t mark the category of the posting leh

climbing

 

been slacking tis week since sat

juz did my 66 up and 66 dwn.  can’t increase the intensity leh so i tried to increase the pace instead

super shacked!

cannot b complacent nor lazy at tis stage…muz press on

Life is Short

my first posting by email !

middle ground

 

i like tis term tat marie coined, we shall seek middle ground for sustainability of the rship

and i realised the gist of the prob lies in us not having a common understanding.   i m frustrated when we play by his rules as i m a ctrl freak

nw i realise tat from now on, we need to play by MY rules else he can go fly kite

cloudy in good weather, occasional showers

 

i tink the nick cloud is xtremely befitting

and he has termed our rship as passing cloud

tink i haf enuff cloud tok wif karen liao

and i should stop being clouded

false hopes

 

not a couple den pls dun behave like one

i hate ppl whose actions and speech r inconsistent

i dun do such things as gifing ppl false hopes so i can’t stand ppl doing such things too

i may b fickle but at least i m responsible

baby steps

i haf taken baby steps to resolve 2 matters amicably

juz need to wait and see wat happens next

BK in bedok

has become spageddies !

tis used to be one of my fav restaurants though i can’t rem wat were my fav food coz i haben been there in past 10 yrs !

krispy kreme in hk

 

is no more!

so sad !  i told YY and QQ the bad news too.  so the last time we ate at Krispy Kreme at Central is reli THE last time

i wanted to post QQ’s pict from krispy kreme here. unfortunately, fb is having some probs

0544 hrs

i woke up suddenly tis morn and it felt kinda late so i thot i muz haf slept thru my 4 alarms

i was very surprised to see tat it was onli 0544 hrs and my first alarm at 0600hrs hasn’t even rang

你是我一见就爱上的人, 你说的话让我越陷越深.

from my idol’s High High High

你是我一见就爱上的人,
你说的话让我越陷越深.
我有点怕,
你的爱情不真,
ya makin me hot,
怎么教我忍.

being headstrong

 

he has realised tis of mi

and also my false pride.  many a times, i haf been at the losing end coz of it.  as marie puts it, wana act cool den better b reli cool and not end up all bothered and not achieving wat i want

there r times when my stubborness overrides my good sense and i m fully aware of it

in fact i m the one who explains y i won’t b rational and sensible and do wat is best for us

i noe it drives him up the wall but tis is mi and i m totally candid abt it

i m unreasonable, wilful and horribly headstrong

天下的妈妈都是一样的

 

QQ only knows 2 lines to tis song so she goes into a loop…programming error !  haha

but it was v v sweet and heartwarming when she called mi one evening juz to sing tis to mi

another major milestone in a mother’s life

live and let live

 

after all the advice tat was given to mi and examining of my many flaws and how i haf handled many situations, i decided to take action

i haf decided to change my ways, rather my approach to handling certain matters

i noe i m very high handed in my dealings.  i dun reli gif ppl chances and dun treat ppl as humans sometimes by being very hard and unfeeling

being a gemini, i go for extremes.  for other casual acquaintances eg. vendors and other ppl i haf biz or personal dealings wif, i m the opp.  i always try to use the RM approach to get things done instead coz i discovered tat i can still get things done while remaining very very nice and both parties will feel good afterwards.  it’s a win win situation, i feel.  i guess i haf mellowed over the yrs

back to the subject at hand.  when it comes to matters close to the heart, i m totally unrelenting

i haf decided to try settling 2 matters in a more amicable matter.  i haf taken the initiative, hopefully the other parties will take the bait and not force my hand coz i will still revert to my old self if i feel tat tis is not getting the results i want.

toking

 

i totally confused him wif tis word though we haf done a lot of toking….haha

he’s rite, nobody has bothered to listen so much and tok-ed so much abt both pleasant and unpleasant experiences

as always it takes 2 hands to clap

u get a good listener and u open up and share and vice versa

but it’s not sharing tat’s special coz frankly if u choose to, u can tell anything to anyone

it’s how the other person process the info and present it back to u objectively by stripping away the fluff and emo.  marie does a great job at tis.  she is always able to get the facts separate from the ’story’ tat i try to tell her

i actualli found a male version of marie in tis aspect….haha….no wonder we click

painful

 

no it wasn’t heartbreakingly hard but it was hard juz the same

it was an emo draining task for mi as i nbr expected myself to haf to resort to tis measure

i couldn’t hold back my tears after the call, good thing karen was ard to distract mi and cheer mi up

tis is SO hard !  i guess tat’s y i haf been putting it off.  i kept hoping the prob will go away by itself but alas, i haf to do wat is rite for the kiddos no matter how hard it is.  i haf to protect their rights

峰回路转

 

juz when i thot it’s the end, suddenly he opens out his heart again

i see no happy ending in sight, in fact i haf no inkling when and how it may end.  perhaps a natural death is befitting

the fact tat we haf a v v weak foundation is apparent

and differences r aplenty do not help too

the only consolation is we can comm and we work thru each misunderstanding doggedly

transitional frens

 

tat is something we both suspect

the sense of foreboding is heightened as the deadline of our frenship draws near

frankly i duno where tis frenship will b 1 mth from nw even

some ppl r juz transitional frens, to fulfill a purpose at a certain period of ur life

天配

 

reli got such things meh?

means match made in heaven

and once u miss, will need to wait one cycle ie. 10 yrs for it to happen again

frankly if u miss the one, i dun tink u will ever haf another chance

communication

 

can make or break a rship

muz b 2 ways

it takes 2 hands to clap.  one party initiating doesn’t mean the other party will reciprocate

Australian zoo evacuated after orangutan escape

 

11 May 09

 

An Australian zoo was evacuated Sunday when an orangutan escaped after using a branch to scale an electric fence around her enclosure, zoo officials said.

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Adelaide Zoo said patrons were evacuated as a precaution when 27-year-old Karta, described as “extremely intelligent”, breached the electric fence on Sunday morning.

Zoo curator Peter Whitehead said Karta got as far as a boundary fence but was still some distance from the public before seeming to realise she was in the wrong place and returning to her enclosure.

Whitehead said although the primate showed no aggression during her 30 minute escapade, she was secured inside her night den before the public were readmitted.

“She was probably secured by the time we got most of the people out of the zoo,” he told Sky News.

the true story of the 3 bears

A far more accurate account of the events of that fateful morning…

 

Baby bear goes downstairs, sits in his small chair at the table.

He looks into his small bowl. It is empty.

‘Who’s been eating my porridge?’ he squeaks.

 

Daddy Bear arrives at the big table and sits in his big chair.

He looks into his big bowl and it is also empty.

‘Who’s been eating my porridge?!?’ he roars.

 

Mummy Bear puts her head through the serving hatch from the kitchen and yells, ‘For God’s  sake, how many times do I have to go through this with you idiots? It was Mummy Bear who got up first. It was Mummy Bear who woke everyone in the house. It was Mummy Bear who made the coffee. It was Mummy Bear who unloaded the dishwasher from last night and put everything away.

It was Mummy Bear who swept the floor in the kitchen. It was Mummy Bear who went out in the cold early morning air to fetch the newspaper and croissants. It was Mummy Bear who set the damn table. It was  Mummy Bear who walked the bloody dog, cleaned the cat’s litter tray, gave them their food, and refilled their water..’And now that you’ve decided to drag your sorry bear-asses downstairs and grace Mummy Bear with your grumpy presence, listen carefully, because I’m only going to say this once…. ‘I HAVEN’T MADE THE F*****G PORRIDGE YET!!!’

climbing

 

reli guilty tat i haf not moved ie. exercised at all for past 2 days

esp when i heard tat my climbing partner has upped his training from 100 up and 100 down to 160 up and 160 down. wow!

so i decided to haul my lazy bones and fats up & dwn some stairs

for a start, i did 60 up and 60 dwn

nuthing to scream abt but it’s juz better den nuthing

love hate

 

there is no hatred without love

meebo me

 

dear blog readers, do watch out for my greeting as u read coz i will msg my readers

“10 Things I Hate About You (1999)”

 

i was totally dumbfounded when i read tis tdy. 

thanks for sending tis, karen, i luv tis piece.    it’s so bittersweet but mostly sweet.

 

Extracted from “10 Things I Hate About You (1999)”… 

I hate the way you talk to me,

And the way you cut your hair.

I hate the way you drive my car.

I hate it when you stare.

I hate your big dumb combat boots,

And the way you read my mind.

I hate you so much it makes me sick; it even makes me rhyme.

I hate it, I hate the way you’re always right.

I hate it when you lie.

I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry.

I hate it when you’re not around, and the fact that you didn’t call.

But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you.

Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.

invisible car !

 

art student turns car invisible with paintjob

 

己所不欲勿施于人

 

 i tink tis sentence is a paradox in itself

dun gif ppl wat u dun want

but how do u part wif something u want?

pacing

 

tis is one impt technique i learnt on fri

as my fitness level is so low, i tend to push myself very very hard to quickly finish the climb.  the result, i pant like mad and may even need a long break in bet before i finish the climb and my sweat is like water dripping from an open tap

pacing means to take very controlled steps at a deliberate s…l…o…w and but consistent frequency

slow and steady is better den shacking out and will get mi to my destination in better shape

it helps tremedously.  i dun sweat so profusely and my breathing is very controlled wifout mi panting and experiencing any shortness of breath

and the pacing will help curb the onset of altitude sickness, another one of my biggest worry

equipment

 

the thot struck mi tat i usually train wifout any load except for towel.  i haf been so pampered tat i dun even carry my bottle

and my usual attire is singlet/tube and shorts

i cannot even begin to imagine climbing while being layered with warm clothing like a dumpling

i do understand tat attire is secondary but these changes will affect the climbing conditions greatly

mount kk

 

i noe i haben done enuff training

so i m gonna train much much harder for the days leading up to the climb

target is 100 storeys up and 100 storeys dwn tat my fellow climber set as benchmark for mi to achieve

did i mention he runs 6 km before the 100 up and dwn?

http://www.climbmtkinabalu.com/climb1.html

http://www.climbmtkinabalu.com/climb2.html

shall start wif my block first and try the beloved AH steps next

Kenyan women to sex-starve men — for politics

 

Women’s activist groups in Kenya have called for a seven-day sex ban on the country’s men in an attempt to shock the political class into overcoming bitter feuds and working together.

“This is a national boycott to show that the women of this country have resolved to push for reforms,” Rukia Subow of Maendeleo ya Wanawake of the G10 umbrella of Kenyan women’s organisations said late Wednesday.

The activists argued that the country’s egocentric male leaders should have no time for matters of the flesh when the east African nation is ensnared in economic and political trouble.

The grouping even said it would pay prostitutes to join the strike.

“We want an urgent solution to the political problems facing this country,” Subow said, urging the wives of quarrelling coalition partners President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to support the movement.

The premier’s wife, Ida Odinga, said she supported the strike body and soul.

“This should not be seen as a punishment to men, it is a measure that is aimed at drawing their attention to the real issues,” she told AFP.

Patricia Nyaudi, executive director of the Federation of Women Lawyers, argued the initiative was more than just a media stunt and was aimed at promoting a stronger sense of sacrifice.

“Let people not end up trivialising this issue. It is a serious one and needs attention. The idea is to deny ourselves what we consider essential for the good of our country,” she said.

Raila accused Kibaki of stealing the December 2007 presidential election, prompting protests that spiralled into a cycle of tribal violence and killed around 1,500 people.

The two rivals were pressured into a power-sharing deal by an international mediation but lingering tensions, petty disputes and individual appetites have crippled the coalition government and fuelled wide popular discontent.

AWARE drama

 

The new executive committee (Exco) of Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) has been given a vote of no confidence, almost six hours after the extraordinary general meeting at Suntec City started.

The vote of no confidence was passed against the new Exco with 1414 votes to 761 votes.

Later, the motion to remove the new Exco from office was passed, and the motion to elect a new president was also passed.

Ms Josie Lau and her exco have stepped down.

Former president Dana Lam was elected as the new President.

The old guard of AWARE had tabled a vote of no confidence in the new Exco after the new Exco was voted in at an annual general meeting at the end of March amid much controversy.

Auditing firm Deloitte was tasked to count the votes at Saturday’s meeting.

Only ordinary members are allowed to vote. AWARE has 3,000 members, up from some 300 members a month ago.

The new Exco said it wanted to bring AWARE back to its “original cause”, as it alleged that the Old Guard was steering AWARE into becoming a single purpose organisation, overly concerned with promoting lesbianism.

It was dramatic marathon session which started at 2.40pm.

One Malay Muslim woman said she was not comfortable with an—all Christian and all—Chinese group representing a secular group like AWARE. And members of the Christian faith stood up and said the action of the new Exco set back constructive dialogue between Christians and secularists in Singapore.

Over 90 per cent of the people who spoke up said they were against the encroachment of religious values on a secular space.

“Race, religion were never an issue. We welcome women of all races, culture, religion and come and serve on the subcommittee,” said former AWARE president Lau.

But clearly, the crowd was not won over.

“We are here because we were deeply troubled by how this executive committee came to power. We are here because we are deeply troubled by the usurpation of civic space, and the lack of respect for the values of pluralism, democracy that this new executive committee has demonstrated,” said one member of the audience.

“AWARE is about inclusiveness, AWARE in helping women, helps everybody, male and female. And whatever their sexual orientation can be, it does not matter, because they are first and foremost a person. A human being and that’s what AWARE is about,” said another.

Emotions ran high and at times, Ms Lau called on security guards to escort members of the Old Guard out, though the order was not eventually carried out.

The new Exco had disallowed Channel NewsAsia from bringing its cameras in when the meeting started, but at 4pm, Channel NewsAsia’s reporter managed to walk in unopposed as security guards were busy trying to control agitated members of the crowd.

And many members of AWARE were also twittering and updating their blogs from the venue.

Meanwhile, there may also be a financial dispute at issue.

Under the constitution, the exco is not allowed to spend more than S$20,000 and if they do, they must consult members.

The exco that was voted out declared they had spent S$90,000 in the last month since they took power some two months ago.

An outraged member of AWARE said the money could be put to better use.

“I am concerned, in fact saddened, to see the amount of money spent on this event that could have been directed to better causes,” said one AWARE member.

They said such “cheque book” mentality is unacceptable in a non—governmental organisation (NGO), where every cent counts.

Members said the new Exco has to be individually accountable for that money spent, so there is a high chance there could be a lawsuit coming up.

I will love you under any circumstances

 

this is so sweet

 

mi and my cutie

 
 

无话可说

 

didn’t expect tis day to come so soon.  i will take it in my stride

tis is a choice and i respect the decision

Lots

 

oops!  juz realised i missed out the l in the url so it was a broken link  

try tis !  i got a feeling tis will b accurate!

http://ilife.i-cable.com/webapps/interactive/lots/lots.html

blocking

 

ever since andie made the comment tat it’s very childish to blk ppl, i haf decided to stop doing tis to any new persons

but tat doesn’t stop mi from giving single syllabus answers and being curt

气一个人是很累的

 

no, no, it’s not mi who made tis stmt

i totally agree.  it’s mentally and emotional draining not to mention xtreme unhealthy for our systems to bottle up anger

Livia just took the “What type of person are you?” quiz and the result is You are an Artist.

 

 

You are the famous and talented artist.

Your ability to express and show the world what is truly important and sentimental makes you one of the most honest people around, although you may not realize it.

Your talents are strong, and you have your very unique flair added to the world. People all around enjoy being around you.

hurt

 

wat can take the hurt away?

it is always risky to bare ur emotions and make urself vulnerable

liking a person and being a doormat tat can b walked all over are 2 different matters

当理性压抑了感性,任性的挥霍有期限

 

the wilful one is mi but i luv myself too much to put up wif nonsense being thrown in my face

i agree to disagree but i will not tolerance insolent tone and manner tat is degrading to mi.  i haf no interest in the contents of the conversation if the person is not even going to bother to speak nicely to mi

Swine flu cases pass 100, vaccine promised

 

1  May 09

U.S. authorities are pledging to eventually produce enough swine flu vaccine for everyone but the shots couldn’t begin until fall at the earliest.

Worries about the spread of the virus mounted Thursday as the nation’s swine flu caseload passed 100, and nearly 300 schools closed in communities across the country. Federal officials had to spend much of the day reassuring the public it’s still safe to fly and ride public transportation after Vice President Joe Biden said he wouldn’t recommend it to his family.

Clinics and hospital emergency rooms in New York, California and some other states are seeing a surge in patients with coughs and sneezes that might have been ignored before the outbreak.

Scientists were racing to prepare the key ingredient to make a vaccine against the never-before-seen flu strain — if it’s ultimately needed. But it will take several months before the first pilot lots begin required human testing to ensure the vaccine is safe and effective. If all goes well, broader production could start in the fall.

“We think 600 million doses is achievable in a six-month time frame” from that fall start, Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Craig Vanderwagen told lawmakers.

“I don’t want anybody to have false expectations. The science is challenging here,” Vanderwagen told reporters. “Production can be done, robust production capacity is there. It’s a question of can we get the science worked on the specifics of this vaccine.”

Until a vaccine is ready, the government has stockpiled anti-viral medications that can ease flu symptoms or help prevent infection. The medicines are proving effective.

Reassurances from top health officials didn’t stop the questions from coming.

An estimated 12,000 people logged onto a Webcast where the government’s top emergency officials sought to cut confusion by answering questions straight from the public: Can a factory worker handling parts from Mexico catch the virus? No. Can pets get it? No.

And is washing hands or using those alcohol-based hand gels best? Washing well enough is the real issue, answered Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He keeps hand gel in his pocket for between-washings but also suggested that people sing “Happy Birthday” as they wash their hands to make sure they’ve washed long enough to get rid of germs.

Although it is safe to fly, anyone with flu-like symptoms shouldn’t be traveling anywhere, unless they need to seek medical care.

The swine flu outbreak penetrated over a dozen states and even touched the White House, which disclosed that an aide to Energy Secretary Steven Chu apparently got sick helping arrange President Barack Obama’s recent trip to Mexico but that the aide did not fly on Air Force One and never posed a risk to the president.

So far U.S. cases are mostly fairly mild with one death, a Mexican toddler who visited Texas with his family — unlike in Mexico where more than 160 suspected deaths have been reported. Most of the U.S. cases so far haven’t needed a doctor’s care, officials said.

Still, the U.S. is taking extraordinary precautions — including shipping millions of doses of anti-flu drugs to states in case they’re needed. The World Health Organization is warning of an imminent pandemic because scientists cannot predict what a brand-new virus might do. A key concern is whether this spring outbreak will resurge in the fall.

The CDC confirmed 109 cases Thursday, and state officials confirm 22 more. Cases now are confirmed in New York, Texas, California, South Carolina, Kansas, Massachusetts, Indiana, Ohio, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Maine, Colorado, Georgia and Minnesota.

After struggle, Chrysler succumbs to bankruptcy

 

1 May 09

The first sound of the gavel in Chrysler’s bankruptcy case might as well be the bang of a starter’s pistol.

The nation’s third-largest automaker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday with an ambitious plan to emerge in as little as 30 days as a leaner, more nimble company. And Chrysler’s first hearing in a New York courtroom Friday morning may offer the first clue as to whether a quick, “surgical” bankruptcy is actually possible.

After months on government life support, Chrysler is pinning its future on a top-to-bottom reorganization and plans to build cleaner cars through an alliance with Italian automaker Fiat. In return, the federal government agreed to give Chrysler up to $8 billion in additional aid and to back its warranties.

On Friday morning, bankruptcy court Judge Arthur Gonzalez is scheduled to hear the case’s first motions, which typically will allow the company to continue paying workers and basic utility costs as it restructures.

Eventually, Gonzalez will have to sort out the key issue that made bankruptcy necessary: the creditors that hold $6.9 billion of the Chrysler’s debt.

Four of the largest banks holding 70 percent of the debt agreed this week to a deal that would give them $2 billion. But a collection of hedge funds refused to budge, saying the deal was unfair and would only return a small fraction of their holdings.

President Barack Obama on Thursday chastised the funds for seeking an “unjustified taxpayer-funded bailout” after Chrysler and his auto task force cleared the company’s other hurdles. Along with the Fiat deal, Chrysler adopted a cost-cutting pact with the UAW this week.

“They were hoping that everybody else would make sacrifices and they would have to make none,” Obama said. “I don’t stand with those who held out when everybody else is making sacrifices.”

One lender, OppenheimerFunds Inc., said it rejected the government offer because it “unfairly asked our fund shareholders to make financial sacrifices greater than the sacrifices being made by unsecured creditors.”

The White House said Chrysler could come out of bankruptcy in 30 to 60 days. Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult to complete such a large bankruptcy so quickly.

But John Pottow, a University of Michigan professor who specializes in bankruptcy, said the government’s level of involvement is much greater than in a typical corporate bankruptcy.

“If you have the president of the United States who wants something to happen, I think anything’s possible in bankruptcy protection,” he said.

In the meantime, Chrysler said it will close all of its plants starting Monday and they will remain closed until the company comes out of bankruptcy. At least three Detroit-area factories sent workers home Thursday after suppliers stopped shipping parts over fears they would not be paid.

“A lot of us are scared,” said Steve Grabowski, 33, who has worked at a Warren, Mich., parts stamping plant for seven years and was sent home Thursday. “We knew something like this was going to happen, but we didn’t think it would be so soon.”

Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli announced he would step down when the bankruptcy is complete and take a post as an adviser with Cerberus Capital Management LP, which will give up its 80 percent ownership of Chrysler under the automaker’s plan. Vice Chairman Tom LaSorda, who once ran the company when it was owned by the German automaker Daimler, said he would retire.

Chrysler’s bankruptcy filing is the latest step in a drastic reordering of the American auto industry, which has been crushed by higher fuel prices, the recession and customer tastes that are moving away from the gas-guzzling SUVs that were once big money makers.

The administration has sunk about $25 billion in aid into Chrysler and rival General Motors Corp.

GM faces its own day of reckoning on June 1, a date the administration has set for it to come up with its own restructuring plan. GM has announced thousands of job cuts, plans to idle factories for weeks this summer and has even offered the federal government a majority stake in the company as it races to meet the deadline.

Like at Chrysler, debt may be the stumbling block. GM has asked its unsecured bondholders to exchange $27 billion of debt for a 10 percent stake in the automaker. The creditors balked, saying that would leave them with just pennies on the dollar and that they deserve a majority stake if they give up their claims.

When Chrysler emerges from bankruptcy, the United Auto Workers union will own 55 percent of the automaker and the U.S. government will own 8 percent. The Canadian and Ontario governments, which are also contributing financing, would share a 2 percent stake.

Under the deal, Chrysler would gain access to Fiat’s expertise in small, fuel-efficient vehicles. The U.S. automaker eventually wants to build cars that could get up to 40 mpg, far more economical than its current fleet focused on minivans, Jeep SUVs and the Dodge Ram pickup.

In exchange, Fiat would initially get 20 percent of the company, but its share could rise to 35 percent if certain benchmarks are met, and Fiat said Thursday it could get an additional 16 percent by 2016 if Chrysler’s U.S. government loans are fully repaid. Fiat would also gain access to the North American market through Chrysler factories and dealerships.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said he planned to spend time meeting Chrysler’s employees and touring its plants over the next few weeks.

He said Fiat was preparing for Chrysler to “re-emerge quickly as a reliable and competitive automaker.” Fiat also plans to reintroduce brands like Alfa Romeo in North American markets.

The Fiat deal and bankruptcy cap a disastrous time for Chrysler.

Chrysler lost $8 billion last year and its sales through March were down 46 percent compared with the year-earlier period, leading some auto industry analysts to question whether Chrysler can survive even in bankruptcy.

But company executives told reporters Thursday that Chrysler vehicles with Fiat’s fuel-efficient technology should reach showrooms in 18 months.

Vice Chairman Jim Press said Chrysler has cut expenses to operate profitably at a lower sales volume, and he said it would be able to take advantage of Fiat’s distribution network to sell more vehicles globally.

Chrysler’s LaSorda said in court papers that the automaker started to think about potential alliances as early as fall 2006, when Chrysler was still owned by DaimlerChrysler AG.

In the spring of 2007, LaSorda began negotiations with Nissan-Renault that went through several iterations, and Chrysler also started talks with GM in June 2008. The two companies even studied how much could be saved through a combination, but by November the worsening U.S. economy forced GM to focus on its own liquidity problems.

LaSorda named a number of other carmakers that Chrysler approached, including Toyota Motor Corp., Volkswagen AG, India’s Tata Motors, the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Russia’s GAZ, Mitsubishi and Honda Motor Co., as well as a number of Chinese automakers. He said it had also approached some suppliers and parts manufacturers.

Despite the turmoil with Chrysler and GM’s looming deadline, Obama urged consumers to keep buying cars.

“If you are considering buying a car, I hope it will be an American car,” he said.

As pay falls, CEOs get more perks

 

1st May 09

 

U.S. companies remain generous with the perks they give to CEOs, including some that are unfathomable to the average American worker: chauffeured cars, bodyguards, club memberships and free travel in company jets.

The median value of these and similar perks rose nearly 7 percent in 2008, according to an Associated Press analysis of regulatory filings from 309 companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500. The increase came even as overall CEO compensation fell 7 percent to $7.6 million.

Perks rose despite a public backlash against such benefits, which many investors and lawmakers deem excessive. They argue well-paid executives should cover the costs of life insurance, charitable donations and financial planning themselves, especially as companies struggle with falling profits, slumping stock prices and massive job cuts.

Even some compensation consultants are saying enough is enough.

“Those are things the average person, the average Joe, doesn’t have, so we’re saying, don’t give them perks,” said Paul Dorf, a managing director at pay consultant Compensation Resources Inc.

But plenty of companies are keeping the spigots open. Occidental Petroleum CEO Ray Irani, for example, received $400,000 worth of financial planning, part of a $30 million pay package in 2008. To put it another way, that $400,000 in financial planning is more than the total annual household income of the vast majority of Americans. Occidental spokesman Richard Kline said the comprehensive financial planning helps Irani to “keep his complete attention on the company’s business.”

The median value of perks — which is the midpoint at which half of the executives received more and half less — was $170,501 in 2008, up from $159,586 the year before. Only three CEOs in the AP survey received no perks in 2008.

And perks made up a bigger percentage of total compensation, rising to 2.25 percent in 2008, up slightly from 1.95 percent, the AP’s analysis found.

The biggest earner of perks in 2008 was Johnson & Johnson CEO William Weldon. His perks package was worth $3.9 million, about 16 percent of his $23 million in overall compensation. Included in his perks package was a $3.6 million payment to a retirement plan, about $154,000 in personal flights on the company jet and about $26,000 for a car and driver.

Only one CEO saw his entire compensation paid in perks in 2008: Richard Fairbank of Capital One Financial Corp. ($68,344). He received a car allowance, insurance, health care and home security.

Some companies went beyond that. Cablevision Systems Corp. offered top executives free cable TV, free high-speed Internet service and use of the company travel department to book personal travel. Defense company Halliburton Co., meanwhile, has two separate programs to match charitable donations and yet another that boosts political giving.

Fort Worth, Texas-based XTO Energy gave $3.4 million to Baylor University to help build a new sports complex. It was the second installment of a total $6.8 million pledge made in 2007 to supplement now retired CEO Bob Simpson’s own $3.2 million donation to his alma mater.

XTO’s generosity extended to an unnamed school that Simpson’s children attend. It got a $775,000 donation in 2008, the fourth installment of a $3.1 million gift. A company spokesman did not return a call for comment.

On the other hand, some companies are increasingly using so-called perk allowances, basically cash that executives can dip into at their liking for the perks they want. For example, Tyco International CEO Edward Breen was given a $70,000 cash perk in 2008 while Reynolds American Inc. CEO Susan Ivey got $29,000 in cash to replace an old executive perks program.

While plenty of companies were still willing to dole out generous perks, compensation advisers say there has been a slight pullback in certain benefits that seem to incite the most public outrage. Ira Kay, director of compensation consulting for Watson Wyatt, called perks a major “irritant” to shareholders.

Some companies are changing their perks policies. Verizon Communications Inc. will no longer offer free jet travel to CEOs once they have retired, starting with its current chief executive. Past CEOs can still fly for free.

“Companies are looking for stuff that isn’t central to their pay programs,” said David Swinford, chief executive of the compensation consulting firm Pearl Meyer & Partners. “Optics are very critical right now.”

swine flu

 

has not detered mi from pork

anyway, it has nuthing to do wif consuming pork

in fact an interview on news tat cited biz of buk kut teh and pork selling stalls being affected brought on my craving for bak kut teh

and i’m lucky to haf satisfied my craving

juz say wat u want and u WILL get it !

cub

 

YY reads my mind !    i was totally taken back by his request tat mirrored wat i want