Dumb phone vs Smart phone

Nowadays everyone is talking about iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, Samsung Nexus, Samsung S3, Samsung Note, Nokia Lumia, Sony Ericsson Experia blah blah blah...

The connection? Smart phone. Amazing hearing about what one can do with a smart phone nowadays. Camera, reminder, calendar, games, e-book, email, GPS, on-the-go connectivity with social media, free calls and messaging via Whatsapp and Viber and numerous other applications. You name it, you got it.

While everyone is owning at least a touch screen phone, I am still owning a dumb phone, not even the touch screen type. Being the stingy me who is not willing to follow the latest trend, I don't really find much use in purposely buying a smart phone. I won't mind if someone sponsors me though. Let me outline the few reasons I am still staying loyal to my dumb phone.

First, I don't take good care of my hand phones, always accidentally dropping them onto the floor. Imagine how scratchy my smart phone screen will be then.

Second, for someone with poor discipline like me, on-the-go connectivity will be more of a distraction to me. I wouldn't want to spend my time 24/7 just around my hand phone. I came across a sharing which says something like 'those with clean house must be those without Internet connectivity'.

Third, though people say that you must keep up-to-date with current happenings and the best way is via FB or on-the-go connectivity via smart phone, I try not to get too attached with too much technologies. I realised that without too much of Internet, there are plenty of things we can achieve, especially reading, house cleaning, more quality bonding with family, etc.

Though I do realise that sooner or later, I can't avoid from getting a smart phone especially now that my dumb phone's battery is starting to show indications of low battery life. Will wait till then, not a priority to me as of now.

My First Mooncake

A post dedicated specially to you, triggered by home-made moon cake...

First time helping out with making moon cake, glutinous skinned lotus paste moon cake to be exact. Saw how it was made from scratch, especially since we tried hard to squeeze every precious drop of pandan juice from fresh pandan leaves. Pandan leaves which were plucked from the wild pandan bushes next door (no one live there anymore), to be precise.

Our first moon cake together... to be fair, I only helped very little, ouch!

Today I saw another side of you... your determination to complete your mission when you made up your mind to do it. I wish you showed me this in our 3 months 5kg challenge. I will be missing you in this ~ 1 month period. Nevertheless, you scored one more bonus point in my heart, elevating your status to hero perhaps? An exaggeration but you get my point...

Pouring cold water seemed to be something which I always do.  Sometimes I do wonder if I am imposing silly rules or challenges as I am known to be weird among my friends at times. But thanks for your patience in dealing with my foolishness at times. I do hope that you won't find me too dumb though I seemed to play down some of your comments.

I feel relieved knowing that I can always depend on you when I did something stupid, especially true during our Melbourne and JB trip. At work I always call the shot, so I do hope that I can relax out of office, hating to make decision whenever I can. Call me lazy if you want to, but that's what I want. Though I can't avoid calling the shot all the time, especially when I am the one planning or organising an activity.

Weird that it feels so long though in actual, we haven't even reach the one year mark yet. Forgive my ignorance but do embrace my love for nature and outdoor activities and laziness to dress up. Too bad that I am not tech-savvy too. But I do feel some shame seeing that at least you know how to make a moon cake, while I have zero knowledge in cooking. Shame shame, oops!

You are the only one who doesn't describe me as 'dominant' in the D.I.S.C. personality description but in actual fact, I do have. When I believe in a thing, I stand true to it. I may seem to be enjoying it but it doesn't mean that I concur to go with it. Hence, please do respect certain stands in life which I had clearly outlined before this?

I won't say I wish we can make it till the end as I believe that no one can see what the future had for us. But believe in Law of Attraction, and if that is meant to be, it will happen sooner or later right? Like what you'd told me, it takes two to tango. Ok... what you really told me was that it takes both parties to make this work, but I summed it up to the tango part, easier for me to remember.

Love you dear!

One of the first few photos taken together, weird that we don't really take much of these kind of photos eh?


Wonder why I am not sending a letter instead? Let's assume that this will be among my last few written correspondences before the 1 month punishment begins...

P/S: Never on Earth would I imagine myself blogging about this. I used to classify this as something too private to share even in my private blog. I just wrote it in the spur moment and it's always when I had this sudden urge to do something which I will do things on impulse. The feeling? Syok!

Books

I am hopeless when it comes to books, especially fictions. I dread going into book fair because I practically want to buy most of them, especially when they sell at such a cheap price. I will simply feel like whacking all the books back, discounting the fact that they will most likely sit on my book shelf, untouched, probably for the next 1 to 2 years time.

Now I know how those crazy shoppers can still manage to buy clothes, shoes and accessories when they already have tonnes of those, untouched at home. But come on, is it true that only girls will be attracted to cheap price for quality items? My guess is, it's human nature though some can tolerate the temptations better than others.

When I come across an interesting book, I will be totally lost in my own world. Days turn into nights within split seconds and I will be fully engrossed in my fictional world, absorbing the characters and plots into my thoughts. I let my imaginations run wild while reading, not that I have much creativity anyway. And thankfully, I manage to brush up on my English through reading.

But hey, who on earth gets the privilege to spend such a quality time with the books, without distraction nowadays? I guess only kids, students or retirees does that now. Young working adults hardly read books, as they turn to the Internet while working moms and dads got to commit themselves to work and family.

I remembered the times when Internet was not so widely available where we spend our time more meaningfully, interacting with others face-to-face during outdoor activities or even spending time doing some reading. During my primary education years, I remembered being eager to visit the library or to borrow books from friends as books are quite pricey to me back then.

Hardy Boys, Enid Blyton's, R.L.Stine, Sweet Valley.... Malay, English.... you name it, not forgetting comics! If I can borrow, I will. Such was my fascination for books, because there wasn't much to do back when I was younger then since I was in my uncle's place while my siblings were with my grandparents. It is only during weekends that we meet up and played and fought with each other, since we studied in different school.

My only regret was that I can't really read well in Mandarin. Mandarin newspapers provide a lot of interesting article for you to ponder. And I still remember the jealousy I felt when my siblings or other Chinese-educated friend talk about Chinese histories and legends. Well, you always get something when you lose something. I may not read well in Mandarin but at least I get to mingle with other races and knew their culture more than my Chinese-educated peers, so not all is lost.

The other day I came across a quote which advocates borrowing books rather than buying them. Reason? To go green by discouraging more paper printing. Well, there is always the e-book version thingy. But if you ask me, I still prefer the paper book version since I can read and flip it in any way I want. I can put it anywhere I want, and I can read, sit, lie or even squat while reading it.

When you borrow from friends or library, you are actually sharing it with the rest, fully utilising the books. And there are due dates to dictate the latest date you should return the books so that others can benefit from it too, hence forcing you to finish the books within the stipulated time. In a way, it actually speeds up your reading.

However, this is not too practical if you don't really have much time to read, like me. Some books may sit in my shelf for more than a year, still waiting for me to flip them open. And when I own books, I can still lend them to my friends, though the chances are slim as I don't have a big pool of book lover friends. So yes, I agree when they say that you fully utilise the book when you share it around, especially when you borrow from the library.

As always, there are pros and cons. Just decide which one you favour more... No matter what, book will always be my greatest teacher and the best thing is, this teacher won't nag or scold me!

Spending Your Time Alone

Do you still remember the time when you just feel like walking alone by the seaside or even your own neighbourhood, alone, without a company? Taking in the evening breeze while enjoying the sound of chirping birds flying their way back to their nests or even rustling leaves when strong wind blows them on the street?

I like it and wish to do it as often as I could. Especially when I am stressed out. But you do need a decent neighbourhood in order to do that in Malaysia. Lucky that I still have sports to channel away my occasional negativities. So what is so enjoyable about that? If you can just you imagine yourself walking with empty thoughts, or better still, not thinking at all...your body and movements on auto mode... That's what I am looking for.

It had been really awhile I haven't really done that. I wonder if Mom yearns for those moments too. Mom's schedule is pretty routine and tight. As a mom, as usual, she burns herself out for the comfort of her family, thanks Mom! But let's not deviate from what I want to share today. It's about wanting a time for your own self. It's about wanting to be alone for a change, at some point of life.

I came across this article in Positively Positive website and find that it's really inspiring and refreshing to me, as if speaking out my mind... reminding me that 'Hey, you used to do this and enjoy it a lot, you know?' As the author, Brett Blumenthal puts it, being alone is somewhat therapeutic... I couldn't agree more! But please don't get me wrong, being alone doesn't equates to being single, it simply refers to you allocating a quality time for yourself...

> Self-discovery

Being alone allows you to discover and understand yourself more. It's important to know yourself, your preferences, and your likes and dislikes, without anyone's influences. Don't just spend the time trying to understand other people while neglecting your own self.

> Greater independence and increased self-esteem

You feel independent when you are comfortable being alone, by making your own choices and decisions. You give your self-confidence a big boost, which will then shine through other aspects in your life, even in the presence of others. Now, that's what I call a kudos.

> No need to compromise

You compromise in the presence of others, wanting to please everyone or trying to make less scene of something trivial. So spending time alone allows you to indulge yourself with the things you want and love to do, without having to compromise.

> Rejuvenate your soul

Being away from others allows you to decompress and relax, breaking away from the "have to"s and focusing on the "want to"s. You get to address your own needs above everyone elses', allowing you to rejuvenate yourself and push the restart button.

>Fresh perspective

Being alone gives you time to clear the mind and weed through a lot of thoughts, getting to the heart of what YOU really think rather than being told or influenced by others. You get to reflect on what matters in life and how hear yourself out on how you feel.

> Higher appreciation for those you love

By making time for yourself to be alone, you will appreciate more the time you spend with others. It is important to find the balance between having your own time and spending time in the presence of others. Do it at your own comfort, no hard and fast rule for that.

When I say spend time alone, it refers to you being able to relax yourself, doing things you enjoy (for me, it's lying down, reading my books) and once in awhile, being able to reflect on your own life. Sort of like venturing into your inner self, clearing away any harbouring doubts. Listening to your own self. Now that's important.

HOW?

< Get up or get in early

Wake up earlier than everyone else and use it to create, produce, meditate or whatever makes you happy.

<Close your door

If possible, allocate a session which sends out the message 'My own private time, no disturbance allowed, unless really necessary'. This way, everyone will know to get out of your way during that period.

<Schedule solitude

Mark your time in your planner for spending time with yourself. Doesn't have to be long. Any time you spend alone with your own self to reboot, meditate, focus, relax, create, produce or think deeply is always better than none.

<And oh, I talk to my blog when I want to have my own sweet time too ^_6

Hmm.... now I really miss that feeling... I am a quiet person deep within though most of my close friends will say that I am noisy and irritating up to a point. But if I have the choice, I actually prefer to listen rather than talk. I guess that's why I enjoy listening to DJs babbling away in the radio station... If you haven't have your own solitary moment, do plan for one, you will find a new you soon!

CMY, if you are reading this, I think this is what we both want... some quality time to our own self. We cherish each other's company and still we prefer to have our own sweet time to ourselves as well. Hope you will enjoy your new 'nest' soon...

The 6 Affairs of The Century

Have I caught your attention yet? No, it's not the gossip of the century. Rather it's just a collection of 6 funny jokes regarding affairs or you would rather call it infidelity (sounds more elegant to me, somehow)? Enjoy...

Affair 1:

A man was having an affair with his secretary. One day they went to her place and made love the whole afternoon. Exhausted, they fell asleep and woke up at 8 p.m. The man hurriedly dressed and told his lover to take his shoes outside and rub them in the grass and dirt. He put on his shoes and drove home.

"Where have you been?" his wife demanded.

"I can't lie to you," he replied,

"I'm having an affair with my secretary - we had sex all afternoon."

She looked down at his shoes and said:

"You lying bastard!You've been playing golf!"



<Super epic crafting of lie, without lying at all, how about that?>

Affair 2:

A middle-aged couple had two beautiful daughters but always talked about having a son. They decided to try one last time for the son they always wanted. The wife got pregnant and delivered a healthy baby boy. The joyful rushed to the nursery to his new son. He was horrified at the ugliest child he had ever seen.

He told his wife:

"There's no way I can be the father of this baby!

Look at the two daughters I fathered!

Have you been fooling around behind my back?"

The wife smiled sweetly and replied:

"No, not this time!"

<Ooppss, does this mean that the truth doesn't pay at times?>

Affair 3:

A mortician was working late one night. He examined the body of Mr Schwartz, about to be cremated, and made a startling discovery. Schwartz had the largest private part he had ever seen!

"I'm sorry, Mr Schwartz," the mortician commented.

"I can't allow you to be cremated with such an impressive private part. It must be saved for posterity."

So he removed it, stuffed it into his briefcase, and took it home.

"I have something to show you You won't believe," he said to his wife, opening his briefcase.

"My God!" the wife exclaimed, "Schwartz is dead!"

<Surprise, surprise...>

Affair 4:

A woman was in bed with her lover when she heard her husband opening the front door.

"Hurry," she said.

"Stand in the corner." She rubbed baby oil all over him, then dusted him with talcum powder. 

"Don't move until I tell you" she said.

"Pretend you are a statue."

"What's this?" the husband enquired as he entered the room.

"Oh, it's a statue," she replied.

"The Smiths bought one and I liked it so I got one for us, too."

No more was said, not even when they went to bed. Around 2 a.m. the husband got up, went to the kitchen and returned with a sandwich and a beer.

"Here," he said to the statue, "have this. I stood like that for two days at the Smiths and nobody offered me a damn thing."

<Seriously, is having an affair is so common for them nowadays? But good thing that the husband is cool about knowing his wife's affair, probably because he was having one too!>

Affair 5:

A man walked into a cafe, went to the bar, and ordered a beer.

"Certainly, Sir, that'll be one cent!"

"One Cent?" the man exclaimed. He glanced at the menu and asked:

"How much for a nice juicy steak and a bottle of wine?"

"A nickel," the barman replied.

"A nickel?" exclaimed the man. "Where's the guy who owns this place?"

The bartender replied: "Upstairs, with my wife."

The man asked: "What's he doing upstairs with your wife?"

The bartender replied:
"The same thing I'm doing to his business down here."

(And who says guys don't take revenge?>

Affair 6:

Jake was dying. His wife sat at the bedside. He looked up and said weakly:

"I have something I must confess."

"There's no need to," his wife replied.

"No," he insisted, "I want to die in peace.

I slept with your sister, your best friend, her best friend, and your mother!"

"I know," she replied.

"Now, just rest and let the poison work."

 <Now, this is what they mean when they say, you don't mess around with a lady...>

Thanks for your comment my friend

I had posted this before in mid-August and to my surprise, a good friend of mine replied. Genuine comments and advices intertwined with some lame jokes of course. But I do appreciate his comments (in italic blue) as it does reminds me not to think or expect too much, thanks T! Read the original post here.

P.A.S.S.I.O.N.
(Preserver Awake Small Simple Obligation Neurosis)

An easy 7 letters word.
(Not simple at all)

Something I am searching for right now.

Be it...

In work...

In relationship...

In life...

Recently I seem to ponder a lot,

Searching for answers which I can't find,
(There are no perfect answer to what you want to find, is what you create in life that counts)

Probably I didn't search seriously,

Perhaps I've reached the junction,
(Junction with choices in life... not the End of the road right?)

Junction where I've felt stagnant,

Finding my way,

To regain whatever self-drive purpose,

Or kick in life,

Which I am lacking now.

(Change the way you live your life, the clothing, the food, the daily routine... try new things... Change of JoB the last choice if required)

Is this called soul searching?
(No, this is called daily routine)

A search for something,

Where I have a sense of belonging?
(You belong to this life & the future, definitely not the past)

How will I know if I won't feel the same again,
(You won't... as you will not know that you have changed as what you experienced during your decision making after Form 3, Science or Art class... Ha ha)

After few more years down the road?

Is this normal?
(Very normal)

Having several junctures in life,
(Very norm also)

Where you have to do some soul searching...
(Now in 7th Lunar Month can find everywhere... No need to search far, a few circling you right now)

I don't call this emo anymore,
(No, this is insane, worrying over the same thing again & again, but expecting different result)

There was this something inside me,

Which triggers all these.

Just like when I was contemplating a job transfer,
(Wanna Change... Change lah... What to lose... if you fully consider the benefits, salary must be more than current between range 15 to 40%, future room for development, location near or far, fuel & toll to cover (Rent), company background & self satisfaction & No regrets... Any new environment will have new things to learn in life... ha ha)

Where my rational mind says go,

While my heart sends me a signal to reconsider,
(Tabulate out the Pros & Cons... If Pro is 70% more than Cons then go ahead... If the other way round then forget about it...)

Where in the end I did listen to my heart,
(Sometimes don't listen to Heart 100%, follow the facts, heart only gives you some hints)

Can it be that my heart is trying to tell me something again?

I don't believe that I felt stagnant already,

It must be that I lack something,

Perhaps a drive or something,

Maybe I am searching if this is the life I want,
(You create your life while living in it...)

Something which I myself can't answer.
Being indecisive is torturing and something which I can't help.
(Facts of life)

I know that if I don't settle this,

It will surely crop up again sooner or later.

Do I need a change?

Do I have the courage?

I just need an enlightened moment,

Once I get the answer,

I know my path will be clear,
(No one will know what he/she wants in life if there is a goal to achieve in life... What is your goal??? You are asking the wrong question...)

No more vagueness.

Of course it can still change.
(To be better or worse... It is still up to your mind to set)

A plan is after all still a plan.

Soul searching still...
(Hantu Gangster)

FYI, Hantu Gangster is a another local movie directed by Namewee, our controversial local artist.

8 Signs of an Extraordinary Boss

Read this in Yahoo quite some time ago, been wanting to share this but kept on delaying it. This was written by Geoffrey James (Apr 23, 2012 article)...

1. Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield.

They see business as a symbiosis where the most diverse firm is most likely to survive and thrive, creating teams that adapts easily to new markets and can quickly form partnerships with other companies, customers and even competitors.

2. A company is a community, not a machine.

They see their company as a collection of individual hopes and dreams, all connected to a higher purpose. They inspire staffs to dedicate themselves to the success of peers and therefore to the community - and company - at large.

3. Management is a service, not control.

They set general direction and commit to obtain the resources for staffs to execute. They push decision making downward, allowing teams form their own rules and intervening only in emergencies.

4. My employees are my peers, not my children.

They treat every staff as if he or she were the most important person in the firm. Excellence is expected everywhere, from the loading dock to the boardroom. The result? Employees at all levels take charge of their own destinies.

5. Motivation comes from vision, not from fear.

They inspire people to see a better future and how they'll be part of it. As a result, staffs work harder because they believe in the organisation's goals, truly enjoy what they're doing and know they'll share in the rewards.

6. Change equals growth, not pain.

They see changes as inevitable. While they don't value change for its own sake, they know that success is only possible if staffs and organisation embrace new ideas and new ways of doing business.

7. Technology offers empowerment, not automation.

They see technology as a way to free human beings to be creative and to build better relationships. They adapt their back-office systems to the tools, like smart phones and tablets, that people actually want to use.

8. Work should be fun, not mere toil.

They see work a something that should be inherently enjoyable - and believe therefore that the most important job of manager is, as far as possible, to put people in jobs that can and will make them truly happy.

Choosing Your No.2

Been keeping myself away from FB recently and so far it seems to work though the hands itch at times. I have resumed my reading routine especially since I have quite a number of magazines piling on my desk, waiting for me to flip open and dig into their contents. Today I have come across an article from Fortune Aug 13, 2012 edition, written by Jack and Suzy Welch on "Looking for a Great No.2?" I will skip on the American politic part to the best I could.

They listed 6 qualities that you must look for before you pick your No.2 (No.2 refers to the best man available after the leader of an organization, may be referring to vice-president, deputy director, etc, you got what I mean. Let's use the term vice-president in this context, to make description easier):

> First, a vice-president must be able to be president.

From day one alone, and not eventually. It creates confidence and sends out the message that the bottom will never fall our of the system. A No.2 should be able to take over the helm from No.1 without hesitation.

> Second, a vice-president can't be a clone of the president.

There's just no point. A No.2 must have different skills and abilities from No.1's, as meaningful as they are complementary.

> Third, A second in command has to have guts.

Why? Because No.2 has the profound responsibility to look No.1 in the eye and deliver the awkward, unpleasant, and even painful messages that no one else can: "This is what people are thinking but not telling you" or "You might come off too strongly in that meeting. To some people, it probably looked as if you weren't listening". A No. 2 needs certain fearlessness, an attitude born of self-confidence and candor.

> Fourth, A VP has to project gravitas and be a signifcant presence, but cannot overshadow the president.

The leader needs to be the focal point for the organization - fully aware and in charge. Appearances matter, also related to confidence in the system.

> Fifth, The VP has to be a real partner to the President - keeping confidences and blocking attempts from below to divide and conquer.

Organization is always filled with politicking and intrigue. We can't have a VP's office that is a place to shop ideas or slip initiatives through. Even if they disagree - which they should - in public, the VP and President must stand as one.

> Finally, A No.2 should ideally help bring a critical constituency into the fold.

It sounds awfully political but there are always factions to dealw ith, from the sales force tot he techies. In business, as in picking the second most powerful person in the land, politics matters.

Jack and Suzy Welch are Reuters columnist. Jack was the CEO of General Electric for 21 years and is the founder of the Jack Welch Management Institution at Strayer University. Suzy is an author, speaker, and former editor of the Harvard Business Review.

The Story Behind US 2012 Drought

Already I am feeling wiser from reading the TIME magazine. Here is another input for US drought which can greatly affect world market since it's affecting crops such as corns, wheats and soy beans. Excerpt taken from TIME Aug 13, 2012 issue.

2012 has been the driest year for US in recent memory. Meteorologists call drought the creeping disaster because unlike hurricanes and tornadoes, droughts unfold in slow motion, day after dry day. The 2012 flash drought, though, is proving to be anything but a slow burn. From mid June to mid July, drought gobbled up cropland at an alarming rate, pushing the amount of land under severe drought from 17% to 39% of the continental US.

Bone-dry weather combined with high temperatures, sucked the moisture from the air and the soil, toasting America's breadbasket. Crops are wilting in Corn Belt states, where some farmers have already given up on a harvest. According to USDA, only 24% of corn crop is rated good / excellent whereas 48% is rated poor / very poor. Corn prices rise to $8.20 a bushel, compared to less than $7 a bushel at this time last year.

The torrid weather can't hit at a possibly worse time, when the grain stockpiles are unusually low, increasing pressure on prices. If the drought lingers, we can expect to see costlier food in US and, even worse, in developing nations where hundreds of millions already go hungry. We've seen this before. Sharp spike in food prices in 2007 and 2010 helped fuel riots and even possibly sparked Arab Spring.

While farmers are the first victims of drought, a lot has changed. For one, today's American farmers are doing well: due to high crop prices, fed by growing incomes in overseas market like China and by mandates for corn ethanol. Farmland in Midwest was going for 10 times as much per acre (0.4 hectares) as it was a decade ago. There are only ~1.2 million farmers in US now, compared with 6.8 million in 1935 but they tend to be better off than the  average American.

In fact, some farmers may benefit from the drought. Growers in the northern reaches of Corn Belt were spared from the worst, hence are able to take advantage of record prices. But even those farmers who have given up on their field, won't go under, thanks to subsidised crop insurance. 85% of all planted land in US is covered by some crop-disaster insurance. Insurance plans with harvest-price option will pay for crops destroyed by the drought at market price, which had increased due to the drought itself.

US government subsidises much of the cost of private insurance hence it will the taxpayers who will be footing a good deal of the bill. Crop-insurance companies are just not going to be able to take on these losses. How big will the bill be? Last year indemnities losses reached $10.7 billion due to drought in Texas and Southwest, so this year's even drier weather will surely cost more. Corn farmers with subsidised insurance seemed to be able to weather the weather but everyone else in the food chain will be worse off.

Livestock farmers have to buy high-priced corn to feed their animals since pastures are charred. Hog farmers, who depend on cheap corn, are hurting badly. Some ranchers even sell their cattle early out of desperation and US cattle inventory is at its lowest level since 1973. This will lower beef prices in short term as a glut of cattle reaches markets, but prices will rise as the industry struggles to rebuild itself after two crippling droughts in a row.

The cost of everything from hamburgers to cereals to Gatorade could go higher since corn is the base of US food pyramid. 50% increase in corn prices usually increases retail food prices by 0.5% to 1%.This will take several months for the processed-and-packaged-food industry to feel the heat. Still, Americans are well insulated from the increased crop price since their diets are so full of processed goods that only 15cents of every dollar they spend on food really goes to food. Most goes to packaging and advertising.

But that's not the case with developing nations, where hundreds of millions live on plain tortillas or bread and the cost of commodities really is the cost of food. The problem could be acute in Egypt, a food importer that was already suffering financially even before drought.

The effect of drought is really not to be undermined. Reduced US harvest increases prices overseas. Not to mention the global spike in food prices, which could have led to social unrest In America Latin and Middle East. It is tightening the global corn and soybeans stocks which were already tight even before the drought. Higher costs for commodity crops will cut into charity budgets, limiting the amount of food aids, even as those high prices erode the ability of the global poor to fend for themselves.

Much depends on whether this 2012 drought is just a flash. Forecasters are predicting that the drought will last until at least October, if not longer. And then there are the years beyond. While climate change has had an uncertain effect on 2012 drought - blame La Nina, the periodic ocean cooling that can wreak havoc with weather - there's general agreement that dry conditions will become ever more common in Midwest as the world warms. The creeping disaster could be here to stay.

When it comes to natural disaster, we humans have not much say in it. I guess that's why the environmentalists are busy lobbying for nature preservation efforts to contain any further deterioration of global climate change. A drought alone  - not even counting hurricanes, storms, etc - can wreak enough havoc across the globe as it directly affects food source, which is required to feed the nation. And only when a nation is fed can social stability be achieved, something which China had learnt to sustain all this while through their abundant food reserve.

Whether there will be an Apocalypse towards end 2012 is yet to be seen - I personally don't believe in it - but it shows here that everyone's effort counts when it comes to preserving the nature. Everyone on Earth has the responsibility to do their part in leaving a sustainable Earth to the next generation. I dread to think that my next of kin will have to don respiratory masks just to breathe.

So let's do our part even if it seems very minor or even insignificant, but hey, don't undermine these small gestures. So let's use reusable container instead of polystyrene, let's reduce unnecessary waste of water or energy, let's car-pool when possible, let's..... think of whichever way you can contribute to a greener world.

Bright Side to Drought

This is what I called positive thinking (though it doesn't really seemed too related). I'd read through a TIME article (Aug 13, 2012) stating the effect of US drought condition on taste of this year's produce and find it very interesting.

1. Sweeter (peaches, watermelon, cantaloupes)
Photosynthesis speeds up during hot weather, boosting accumulation of sucrose and other natural sugars.

2. More pungent (onions, garlic)
These are stacked with sulphur compounds, which condense under intense sunlight.

3. Spicier (peppers)
Capsaicin levels spike under heat stress, making it easier for them to bond with the spicy receptors on your tongue.

4. More bitter (fennel, carrots, dill)
Chock-full of terpenoids, or aromatic compounds, that become especially concentrated during drought conditions.

God is always fair. When there is a downside to an event, there will always be some blessings in disguise in it. That's where we always manage to have hope even when things don't seem rosy in the beginning, though I have to admit, drought really costs those farmers quite some yield.