Top 30 Happiest Facts of All Time..

Here's one way to be happy, for free.
Check out these Top 30 Happiest Facts of All Time..

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/the-happiest-facts-of-all-time?p=3&&r=true&z=3C67EG#responses

My GNC story ...

my year's supply

my daily supply

a new addition

It has been quite a few years since I embarked on this journey of supplements ...never a believer before until one day, when we come of age, and the memory lapse became more pronounced, I decided to take matters into my hands and tried gingko - nothing venture, nothing gain :) Didn't think much of it until I bumped into an HPite whom I haven't met for years. I paused for a moment & a few seconds later, I recalled his name ! That was the moment of truth ! Since then, I swear by it :) From then on, the repertoire has increased from gingko to a whole fridge full with a year's supply on tap for the whole family of 4 with me dishing out a cocktail of 8-10 tabs daily :)
Came across articles about the placebo effect - decided to err on the side of moderation & now on an alternate day routine.
So far, they seem to serve us well - can't be assured of a balanced meal given our varied schedules, hence the next best bet is to take supplements :)
The list consists of :
* multi-vitamins (2 tabs) - for general health to supplement daily intake of vitamins
* salmon oil (1 tab) - decided on salmon oil as general fish oil may not mean you're getting the much needed omega
* gingko biloba (1 tab) - need it to help me recall your name or face when I see you on the road :) if it takes a little longer, please do not put pressure as the effect may have diminished a bit after years of taking it :)
* glucosamine chondroitin (1 tab) - to fend off joint pains - preventive measure - so far so good :)
* vitamin C (1 tab) - to boost immunity - the last time I was down with cold was a year ago - touch wood, immunity still good..
* masquelier's french pine bark (1 tab) - promised to be the strongest anti-oxidant - preventive measure
* calcium (2 tabs) - to prevent/delay osteoporosis - an inevitable process
* a new addition, spirulina (1 tab) - "conned" into buying it - haven't started on it yet
* another new recommendation, immu flora - lactobacillus acidophilus - great for the stomach bowels - preventive measure - haven't started on it yet :)
Mmmm...the above costs >S$2K a year for 3 pax besides the annual / bi-annual health check-up...keeping health in check is indeed a costly affair ...
Only time will tell if it is all just expensive urine ...so far, thank God...we're good...of course, one must not forget the age old much-needed exercise to stay fit...
In the meantime, stay healthy, be happy, and take time to smell the roses :)

History of My Pills..

Hello OBGs,
This is a short history of my pills..
No, not that contraceptive kind lah (Ramesh, wipe that smirk off your face..)

You see, I had a chance meeting with our OBG Kia Chiang over a cuppa Old Town Kopi, and we got to talking about how the pills we pop into our bodies kind of reflect our ..ahem..age. Do they really reflect our "seniority", and do they indeed tell a person's personality, just like the songs on your iPod?

Here's mine:
1. In the 1990s, Garlic pills from VitaHealth - for general health. Includes wheat germ, which I like because it is supposed to lower cholesterol
2. From 2005 onwards, Fish Oil from Blackmore - for those grey cells
3. From 2005 onwards, Glucosomine from Kordel - for those joints
4. From last year, Norvasc from Pfizer - for BP control

Photos above provide the evidence that goes with this story.
So, do these pills really work? Or are they, like Kia Chiang says, "A total waste of money..dont' buy from GNC!"

I told him that they seemed to work for me - last flu was a while back, IQ still 100+ (maybe), walking on the golf course, and BP in check.

What's your own story on this topic, folks?
Share your views lah. Put your comments below, in the blog..

Found! One of our OBGs..

Lee Tiang and Pat,
In an effort to help your "search" of some of our oldies-but-goodies (see Pat's list below), and after much investigative effort, guess who I have found loitering around the  Upper Thomson Road? This guy is a real OBG, for sure..

Have you all found anyone else from the list below? If yes, do post them here. They may have retired in the Bahamas, sipping mai-tai in Hawaii, riding horses in Cairo, or in this case, landing a hole-in-one. Just post a comment on this blog about them so that we can track them..

"Please do pass on the contact details (ie email, hp) to Lee Tiang so that she can try to reach them. If you know of anyone else who may belong here, please do nominate the names. Lee Tiang will help to vet their eligibility :
Paul Chan
Lionel Lim
Chung Choon Leong
Jansen Ek
Julian Wong
Ong Peng Siang
Philip Chua
Maylena Leong
Jimmy Tan
Charles Tan
Amos Leong/Susan
Leong Han Kong
Lee Yih Neng
Leslie Ong
Seet Cher Hung
Loh Yann Teck
Leslie Lay
Gregory Cheong
Mervin Beng
Piti Pramotedham
Ganesh Ayyar
Victor Cheng
Steve Ting
Lam Wai Ying
Steve Yeung
Mary Ong
Wong Kah Heen
Wang Mee Leng
Wong Ka Vin
Loretta Song
Vincent Lee/Felicia
Tan Kwang Meng
Wong Heng Chew
Mathia Nalappan
Loh Sien Chi
Serene Lim
Serene Tan

9 March 2012 "makan" at Penang Place

Dear all

It was another great gathering of sorts ..to reminisce on the good old times. Those present were : George, Chin Hu, Adrian, Melvin, Lee Tiang, Pat, and new comers like Chin Seng, Tuck Choon, Simon, Nancy & Melvin's wife, Kate.

Food was excellent...nasi lemak, char kway teow, prawn noodle, ju er eng chai, lobak, chendol...slurp...yummy...

Some thoughts came up on recruiting "new" members into the fold, forming a mini-HP Sales Alumni (HPSA) and have an annual get-together - only the list vetted & approved by Lee Tiang will get the invite so as to ensure that they are familiar names/faces & share a common past :)

Lee Tiang has been appointed the post of "executive secretary" for HPSA & shall now flesh out the rigour of the recruitment for some 40-50 names that were thrown up. For a start, she has initiated the "go dutch" lunch collection which now has a kitty of $33.50. It will go towards our next durian gathering :)

Mmm....this will give HPA a run for the money ...without the fuss...

mmm...yummy...tucking into a good meal..simply delicious

Eh..Nancy...one of the longest HP Sales Mfg team member..

Chin Seng...joining the get-together..

Smile...for the camera...click !

Ahem...Simon was in deep thots..wonder what it was...

George & Simon were having a serious discussion...

And they finally agreed on something...ahem...

Melvin & Kate were brought into the fold...

They seem to agree ....

And hey...let's take a picture to show solidarity...

From left (standing) : Adrian, Chin Hu, Chin Seng, Tuck Choon, George, Simon, Melvin

From left (sitting) : Kate, Pat, Nancy, Lee Tiang

Another shot...as suggested by the camera man...

FBI releases file on Steve Jobs..

For those of us who track Steve's footsteps, here's some additional insights..

FBI releases file on Apple’s Steve Jobs

The FBI, noted for its dossiers on Martin Luther King, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and countless others, released its file on late Apple Inc.  co-founder Steve Jobs Thursday. The document is pretty benign, revealing only that he experimented with drugs during the early 1970s, and that the famously difficult Jobs wasn’t always nice to everyone.

In 1991, Jobs was being considered for a post on President George H.W. Bush’s Export Council, an appointment that would not have required Senate confirmation. The FBI was asked to do a background check, the file said. A large number of people who worked with Jobs at the time or knew him in some other capacity were asked to comment on his character and suitability for a political position.

“Several individuals commented concerning past drug use on the part of Mr. Jobs,” the file said.  Jobs was said to have “experimented with marijuana, hashish and LSD” during the 1970-1974 period, but was not believed to have used any illegal drugs in the five years prior to 1991.

“Several individuals questioned Mr. Jobs’ honesty,” the file said, “stating that Mr. Jobs will twist the truth and distort reality in order to achieve his goals.”

http://blogs.marketwatch.com/thetell/2012/02/09/fbi-releases-file-on-apples-steve-jobs/?siteid=bnbh

The full FBI file (3.9 MB):http://i.mktw.net/_newsimages/pdf/jobs-steve-fbi.pdf

Steve Jobs - have you read it?

Friends,
If you have not read the book on Steve Jobs (by W Isaacson), I would suggest you grab it on your next trip to the bookstore, or on your next long flight out of Changi. Given our IT background, almost every page is a page we can relate to. The new chapters on iPod, iPhone and iPad (not seen in earlier books on him) are riveting, esp his one-liners on Bill Gates. And of course, his ultimate fight against cancer.. which will give us all a gentle tap on our shoulders, reminding us of life's fragility.

"Shark Tank" - reminds me of the ole days

Folks,

If you have not watched this TV series called "Shark Tank" yet, find the time to catch an episode or two. It's quite a blast watching these "neophytes" pitching to 5 big "sharks" - all wildly successful individuals from IT to Retail - for their investment money. It never fails to remind me of the sharks of our times like:
- Vasenwala of Ngee Ann Poly
- Dr Joe Chen of Seagate
- one or two from our VARs network, who shall remain nameless

and many more..

The show will also bring back those stomach-churning moments when, after our presentations to customers, we walked off empty-handed, or triumphantly with a huge PO!

Keep a lookout for that bald-headed shark..
Melvin, this show will be of great interest to you, given that you are not just one of the sharks already, but you are actually living it, everyday ..just like that bald-headed shark, but with way more hair, of course.

(Shark Tank is on Starhub Ch 407 every Monday, with plenty of repeats. Actually, the Brit version is just as good, called Dragon's Den)

From Adrian's (secret) blue-file..

Folks,
At last, the contents of Adrian's blue-file is being slowly revealed, Wikileaks-style..
To ensure that he does not end up being extradited to Sweden, he has very smartly blanko-ed the sales targets out so that Digital Equipment Corp (aka DEC) sales reps do not get their grubby hands on it.

For those who find this info disturbing or disorientating, you ain't seen nothing yet. Wait till Adrian finds the time to scan all the contents in his blue-file. We indeed have our very own Julian (aka Adrian)  Assange livning in Ang Mo Kio..

12 Men that touched you..

"These 12 men touched us.. And that's why we worked for them.."

No, these are not the words of a new Joan Collins book.
These men ruled our adult working world. Some of us worked in more than one of them, or in some part of their organisational creations. They are really "IT oldies but goodies". I remembered the author of this BusinessWeek article saying that it was a once-in-a-lifetime event getting all 12 of them together in the studio.."this photo was not photoshopped!", he declared.

Can you imagine who would be in this photo if taken today or in 10 years' time?
Page, Brin, Zuckerberg, et al

(Mel, you wanted a copy, so here it is..)