China implements Beidou navigation satellite system; World's top 4 navigation systems: GPS, GLONASS & Galileo

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China implements Beidou navigation satellite system

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China is implementing the second generation of its navigational satellite system, known as Beidou. The State Council Information Office held a press conference Tuesday to announce its Initial Operational Capability.

Ran Chengqi, the Director of the China Satellite Navigation Office introduced China’s global navigation satellite system. Beidou is independently established and operated by China. It can provide accurate, reliable all-time, all-weather positioning, navigation and timing services.


The State Council Information Office held a press conference Tuesday to announce its
Initial Operational Capability.

Ran says there are three steps in Beidou’s development. Ran Chengqi, director of China Navigation Satellite Office, said, "The first step was achieved in 2000 when the Beidou satellite demonstration system was established. It made China the third in the world to possess its own independent navigation satellite system. The second step is that the system will be able to provide services to the Asia-Pacific region by 2012. The third step is that by the year 2020, the system will be completed with global coverage."

China is implementing the second generation of its navigational satellite system, known as Beidou.

So far, ten satellites have been launched, forming the basic system. Ran Chengqi announced that from now on, Beidou will officially provide Initial Operational Service to China and its surrounding areas. Services include continuous positioning, navigation and timing.

Beidou is one of the four satellite navigation systems in the world. The other three are America’s GPS. Russia’s GLONASS, and Europe’s Galileo.

World's top 4 navigation systems

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Besides China's Beidou, there are three similar services around the world: the GPS of the US, the Russian Glonass and the EU’s Galileo.

The Global Positioning System, or GPS, was developed by the US in the 1970s and completed in 1994. It is the most widely used navigation system now. GPS provides location and time information in any weather, anywhere on or near Earth. GPS was originally run with 24 satellites, and four backup satellites have since been added. The system provides two types of signals, one for military use and the other, civil.

Russia’s GLONASS - or Global Navigation Satellite System developed since 1976, had achieved full coverage of Russian territory by 2010. Now the total number of satellites in orbit is 28, among them, 23 are in operation, 3 are under maintenance, and 2 are being tested. Though its precision is a little less than GPS, it is a strong performer with few operational interruption.

The European Union’s satellite navigation system is known as Galileo. It is the first navigation system to focus on civilian use, and aims to provide high-precision positioning services for European nations. Galileo is formed of 32 satellites and two ground operations centres. Compared with GPS, its precision level is ten times higher.

China has now developed the Beidou Satellite Navigation System, which can operate unmanned. It includes five static and 30 non-static satellites, and its locating precision reaches ten metres. It not only provides navigation, location and timing services, but also a communication service. Compared with the other systems, Beidou has a much stronger location performance.

As the Beidou Satellite Navigation System is further developed, China is now applying the system to more areas, such as the transportation of dangerous items, postal services and even car rental.

Navigation systems: GPS, GLONASS & Galileo

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Besides Beidou, there are three other satellite navigation systems in the world. They are the GPS of the United States, GLONASS of Russia, and GALILEO of the European Union.

GPS, or the Global Positioning System, was developed by the US in 1970s. It provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth.

GPS was originally run with 24 satellites, and four backup satellites have been added. GPS provides two types of signals, one for military use and the other civil.

GLONASS, the Global Navigation Satellite System, is a radio-based satellite navigation system developed by Russia starting from 1976. By 2010, GLONASS had achieved 100 percent coverage of Russia's territory. In October 2011, the full orbital constellation of 24 satellites was restored, enabling full global coverage. It displays high-level performance in avoiding interruptions.

Galileo is a satellite navigation system developed by the Europeans. It is the first civil use oriented navigation system and aims to provide a high-precision positioning service for European nations. Galileo is formed of 32 satellites and two ground operations centers. Compared with GPS, its precision level is ten times higher.

Financial Advisors Get Social

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 Raymond James Financial Advisors Get Social

Tom Groenfeldt, Forbes Contributor

Financial advisors at Raymond James are now able to use social media tools including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter through the Actiance compliance tool, Socialite. Advisors also have optional access to a library or pre-approved content and tools to measure engagement.

Mike White, marketing director at the Florida-based financial services firm, said the Actiance alliance fulfills a commitment made early in the year to provide social media tools for advisors.

Financial firms have been slow to adopt social media, he said, and they have watched to see how regulators would interpret social media communications.

“In addition to incorporating the technology and archiving platform with Actiance, we have developed guidelines, training sessions and marketing and communications support to help advisors leverage social media in their client engagement and new prospecting activities,”  added White.

In the two months since the Actiance rollout, 1,200 of the firm’s 5,000 advisors have signed up. The company offers interactive video training to show advisors how social media can be used properly.

“We know there have been a lot to mis-steps [with social media] by public figures and we want out advisors and our brand to be protected in the process.”



Early adopters at Raymond James spread across all ages; the fastest to move to social media are the advisors who are most marketing oriented, White said. As the technology becomes easier to use, the age skew is not as pronounced as it once was, he added. Grandparents are among the most active users of Raymond James online services.

White thinks advisors will use social media both to stay in communication with existing clients and to prospect for new ones.

Raymond James has several people in its 200-strong compliance group who review all social media content before it goes out, with the result that approvals can usually be done the same day content is submitted. Tweets and posts go through a workflow process to provide the firm compliance oversight while allowing advisors to offer a personal touch.

“Our understanding [of the regulations] is that we do not have to review communications ahead of time, but we are being conservative.”

White said that in addition to approved canned content the company offers Tweets and posts from its economist or stock strategist.

“One great thing about Actiance is they were relatively early to the game of social media so they understand the importance of providing flexibility and insight to the communications.” The company also reviews blogs by its advisors before they are posted, a process which White said is now at the point social media was a few years ago.

“We treat blogs as ads that have to be pre-approved.”

The Aite Group, a financial research firm, entitled a recent report on social media for financial advisors “The Bloom is off the Rose.” Roughly 7 in 10 financial advisors use social media for personal purposes and half use it for business, figures which have increased since 2009, said Ron Shevlin, senior analyst with Aite Group and co-author of this report.

Use of LinkedIn has increased for business purposes and the time spent on Facebook, Twitter and blogs has declined among financial advisors. Advisors don’t spend much time on leading social media finance sites such as Stockpickr or Wikinvest; only a third of the advisors surveyed were even familiar with them.

Advisors are seeing diminishing returns from social media, according to Aite. Reaching new prospects was cited by only 19 percent, half the percentage in 2009 while increasing revenue or fees linked to social media declined from 16 percent to 6 percent.

Just six percent of advisors who don’t already use social media plan to do so over the next year. Thirty-eight percent said it wasn’t worth their time and 34 percent just don’t like to communicate with customers that way. Nearly three-quarters said their firms have policies that limit or ban the use of social media.

Vendors had some suggestions for the best ways to use social media. Actiance told Aite Group that responding to clients’ postings, such as a new child or a new job, with an appropriate messages is effective.  Echoing what White said about early adopters eMoney Advisor noted that advisors who are good at marketing are good at using social media. Financial Social Media’s recommendations suggest why some advisors are losing interest — they recommended Tweeting three to five times per day and updating LinkedIn and Facebook at least twice a day. That suggests a substantial time commitment. Other vendors of social media tools including SocialVolt, Socialware, SocMediaFin, SunGard, ThomsonReuters and Wired Advisor had a variety of suggestions about defining an approach to marketing, listening to the market and building out social networks.

Aite concluded that many financial advisors have decided that social media is not living up to its hype.

“The absence of tangible benefits from social media is muting advisors’ perception of its potential importance,” said Shevlin. Financial firms should expand their focus beyond compliance to look at effectiveness, added Aite, offering several specific suggestions for defining messages, choosing the proper platform and improving marketing skills.

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Apple dominates Google's Zeitgeist 2011

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by Eric Mack

 

Apple dominates Google's list of "Fastest Rising Technology" searches of 2011 from the United States. 
(Credit: Screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET)

 

Google's annual Zeitgeist roundup of the hottest trends in search from 2011 is out, and when it comes to tech, Apple dominates the list.

In Google's top 10 list of fastest-rising technology searches for the United States, the top six are all Apple-related, led by "iCloud," "Osx Lion" and "Ipad 2." "Steve Jobs" also makes the list at No. 8.

Google fared a little better on its own overall global top 10 list, with "Google+" snagging the No. 2 spot. In a major milestone in the history of collective global humiliation, the top search slot for 2011 goes to "Rebecca Black." Apple also occupies three places on the overall list, with "iPhone 5" at No. 6; "Steve Jobs" at No. 9; and "iPad 2" at No. 10.



Google's list of fastest-rising gadgets for the year is a little more representative of the overall market, with Kindle Fire grabbing the search gold in that category. The iPhone 4S was the second-fastest-rising term, and the iPad 2 fills the seventh place. "Sidekick 4g," "HP Touchpad," "HTC Inspire," "Palm Pre 3," and the "HTC Thunderbolt" are some of the other devices that people spent plenty of time coveting via Google in 2011.

It's important to note that these "fastest rising" terms are based on comparing year-over-year data and seeing which terms increased their buzz the most from 2010. So since the Kindle Fire didn't exist in 2010, it had a bit of an advantage over terms like "iPad 2," which was already in the lexicon even before the Fire came onto the scene.

Finally, in Google's top 10 list of cell phone searches--overall, not using the fastest-rising methodology--the query "iPhone" sits on a pretty tall throne above all others. But it isn't completely an Apple world. Serving as a reminder that we can't all afford a top-of-the-line smartphone is the No. 5 entry on the list--prepaid budget carrier "Tracfone."

Eric Mack

Crave freelancer Eric Mack is a writer and radio producer based high in the Rocky Mountains in a "one bar" service area (for both drinks and 3G). He's published e-books on Android and Alaska, and is a contributing editor for Crowdsourcing.org and A New Domain. He also contributes to NPR, Gizmag, and Edmunds Inside Line. Eric is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. E-mail Eric.

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Best of 2011: How To Turn A Laser Into A Tractor Beam?

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Published by MIT

How To Turn A Laser Into A Tractor Beam

Physicists work out how to generate a backward pulling force from a forward propagating beam

A photon has a small momentum which it can impart to anything it hits, as Arthur Compton and Peter Lebedev discovered at the beginning of the last century. We now know that photons can be used to push anything from electrons to solar sails.

Today, Jun Chen from Fudan University in China and a few pals demonstrate the counterintuitive result that photons can pull things too. In other words, they've worked out how to generate a backward pulling force from a forward propagating beam.



Chen and buddies say this is possible when the system meets two conditions. First, it works only for beams in which the momentum in the direction of propagation is small, as is the case for beams that merely glance off an object. Second, the photons must simultaneously excite several multipoles within the particle, which scatter the beam.

If the scattering angle is just right, the total momentum in the direction of propagation can be negative, meaning the particle is pulled back towards the source and the light becomes a tractor beam.

This must not be confused with various "optical tweezer" type mechanisms in which particles trapped in a beam follow the intensity gradient of the light. In this case, the particles always reach some point of equilibrium where the intensity reaches a maximum.

Chen and co's new force works when there is no gradient. Given the chance, their tractor beam will pull a particle all the way back to the source.

That's a handy additional tool in the nanomanipulator's box of tricks. "This may open up new avenues for optical micromanipulation, of which typical examples include transporting a particle backward over a long distance and particle sorting," say Chen and co.

This is a theory paper so there's one piece of the puzzle left to fit. All they have to do now is demonstrate that their tractor beam works.

Ref: arxiv.org/abs/1102.4905: Backward Pulling Force From A Forward Propagating Beam

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Nanjing Massacre remembered!

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Photos: China Remembers the Nanjing Massacre

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Events were staged Tuesday to remember the victims of the Nanjing massacre on its 74th anniversary. Occupied by Japanese troops on Dec. 13, 1937, China's former southern capital city suffered a six-week massacre in which more than 300,000 were... Edit

The Nanjing Massacre « Talesfromthelou's Blog
talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/the-nanj...
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Nanjing Massacre: 300,000 Chinese People Killed, 20,000 Women Raped ... 

Uploaded by Sarastarlight on Nov 18, 2006
 

http://RapeofNanking.info Rape of Nanking - Nanjing Massacre. Japanse Atrocities in Asia. Part I of 2. This documentary, by Rhawn Joseph is based on 20 years research and consists entirely of archival photos and film-clips. This film begins with an overview of Japan and China at the beginning of the 20th Century, explains the mind-set of the Japanese and their God, Hirohito, and then continues with the invasion of China, the crimes committed by the Japanese (during the Fall) on the road to Nanjing, Nanjing Massacre, the rape of the Philipines, Unit 731, the Baatan death camps, Japanese denials, and the dropping of the A-bomb on Japan.

The purpose of this film is educational, and to explain the mind-set that led to a horrible crime: the torture and murder of 280,000 civilians by Japanese soldiers who took great pleasure in raping, bayonetting, beheading and burning people alive. We wish to emphasize: These crimes took place throughout Asia, and the Japanese planned the same for the White races as well, including America.

Those who do not learn from the past, are condemned to repeat it. The purpose of this film is, thus, educational. We have no hatred for the Japanese people.

This documentary is an independent production. We are not associated with and never received any financial help from the Chinese government or any group or organization. The film is completely independent. We have no political motives. We have no purpose and no other goal other than to create an interesting, provocative, educational movie that speaks to the mind and intellect, and which can speak to the heart and one'e emotions.

Credits: The English edition is narrated by Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D.. The film was produced, written, and edited by Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D. Additional Credits: Music. The musical soundtrack (all music is identified at the end of the film) was arranged and selected by R. Joseph, Ph.D., and was reproduced in this film courtesy of Arc Music Productions Int., LTD, United Kingdom; Nonsuch Records, Warner Music Group, Rhino Entertainment, New York. Sony Classical Music, New York.

Modern History Sourcebook:
The Nanking Massacre, 1937

---

The Japanese occupation of Nanking, the capital of the Republic of China, lead to one of the greatest horrors of the century . This eyewitness report was filed by a New York Times reporter.

Aboard the U.S.S. Oahu at Shanghai, Dec. 17 [1937]. 

Through wholesale atrocities and vandalism at Nanking the Japanese Army has thrown away a rare opportunity to gain the respect and confidence of the Chinese inhabitants and of foreign opinion there.... 

The killing of civilians was widespread. Foreigners who traveled widely through the city Wednesday found civilian dead on every street. Some of the victims were aged men, women and children.

Policemen and firemen were special objects of attack. Many victims were bayoneted and some of the wounds were barbarously cruel.

Any person who ran because of fear or excitement was likely to be killed on the spot as was any one caught by roving patrols in streets or alleys after dark. Many slayings were witnessed by foreigners.

The Japanese looting amounted almost to plundering of the entire city. Nearly every building was entered by Japanese soldiers, often under the eyes of their officers, and the men took whatever they wanted. The Japanese soldiers often impressed Chinese to carry their loot....

The mass executions of war prisoners added to the horrors the Japanese brought to Nanking. After killing the Chinese soldiers who threw down their arms and surrendered, the Japanese combed the city for men in civilian garb who were suspected of being former soldiers.

In one building in the refugee zone 400 men were seized. They were marched off, tied in batches of fifty, between lines of riflemen and machine gunners, to the execution ground.

Just before boarding the ship for Shanghai the writer watched the execution of 200 men on the Bund [dike]. The killings took ten minutes. The men were lined against a wall and shot. Then a number of Japanese, armed with pistols, trod nonchalantly around the crumpled bodies, pumping bullets into any that were still kicking.

The army men performing the gruesome job had invited navy men from the warships anchored off the Bund to view the scene. A large group of military spectators apparently greatly enjoyed the spectacle.

When the first column of Japanese troops marched from the South Gate up Chungshan Road toward the city's Big Circle, small knots of Chinese civilians broke into scattering cheers, so great was their relief that the siege was over and so high were their hopes that the Japanese would restore peace and order. There are no cheers in Nanking now for the Japanese.

By despoiling the city and population the Japanese have driven deeper into the Chinese a repressed hatred that will smolder through tears as forms of the anti­Japanism that Tokyo professes to be fighting to eradicate from China.

The capture of Nanking was the most overwhelming defeat suffered by the Chinese and one of the most tragic military debacles in the history of modern warfare. In attempting to defend Nanking the Chinese allowed themselves to be surrounded and then systematically slaughtered....

The flight of the many Chinese soldiers was possible by only a few exits. Instead of sticking by their men to hold the invaders at bay with a few strategically placed units while the others withdrew, many army leaders deserted, causing panic among the rank and file.

Those who failed to escape through the gate leading to Hsiakwan and from there across the Yangtze were caught and executed....

When theJapanese captured Hsiakwan gate they cut off all exit from the city while at least a third of the Chinese Army still was within the walls.

Because of the disorganization of the Chinese a number of units continued fighting Tuesday noon, many of these not realizing the Japanese had surrounded them and that their cause was hopeless. Japanese tank patrols systematically eliminated these.

Tuesday morning, while attempting to motor to Hsiakwan, I encountered a desperate group of about twenty­five Chinese soldiers who were still holding the Ningpo Guild Building on Chungahan Road. They later surrendered.

Thousands of prisoners were executed by the Japanese. Most of the Chinese soldiers who had been interned in the safety zone were shot in masses. The city was combed in a systematic house­to­house search for men having knapsack marks on their shoulders or other signs of having been soldiers. They were herded together and executed.

Many were killed where they were found, including men innocent of any army connection and many wounded soldiers and civilians. I witnessed three mass executions of prisoners within a few hours Wednesday. In one slaughter a tank gun was turned on a group of more than 100 soldiers at a bomb shelter near the Ministry of Communications.

A favorite method of execution was to herd groups of a dozen men at entrances of dugout and to shoot them so the bodies toppled inside. Dirt then was shoveled in and the men buried.

Since the beginning of the Japanese assault on Nanking the city presented a frightful appearance. The Chinese facilities for the care of army wounded were tragically inadequate, so as early as a week ago injured men were seen often on the streets, some hobbling, others crawling along seeking treatment.

Civilian casualties also were heavy, amounting to thousands. The only hospital open was the American managed University Hospital and its facilities were inadequate for even a fraction of those hurt.

Nanking's streets were littered with dead. Sometimes bodies had to be moved before automobiles could pass.

The capture of Hsiakwan Gate by the Japanese was accompanied by the mass killing of the defenders, who were piled up among the sandbags, forming a mound six feet high. Late Wednesday the Japanese had not removed the dead, and two days of heavy military traffic had been passing through, grinding over the remains of men, dogs and horses.

The Japanese appear to want the horrors to remain as long as possible, to impress on the Chinese the terrible results of resisting Japan.

Chungahan Road was a long avenue of filth and discarded uniforms, rifles, pistols, machine guns, fieldpieces, knives and knapsacks. In some places the Japanese had to hitch tanks to debris to clear the road.

From F. Tillman, "All Captives Slain,'' The New York Times, December 18, 1937, pp. 1, 10.

This text is part of the Internet Modern History Sourcebook. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts for introductory level classes in modern European and World history.

Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use of the Sourcebook.

(c)Paul Halsall Aug 1997
halsall@murray.fordham.edu 

Related post:
Japanese Occupation survivors tell their stories

SP Setia Boss Liew is Malaysian Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011

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Liew named Malaysian Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year

KUALA LUMPUR: SP Setia Bhd president and chief executive officer Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin has been awarded the Malaysian Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011.

Liew would represent Malaysia to compete for the coveted Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year award at the annual award in Monte Carlo, Monaco next year.

The award was presented at the Ernst & Young awards gala, which was launched by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed who represented the deputy Prime Minister.

According to the panel of judges, Liew stands out for his innovative thinking – embodying the true spirit of entrepreneurial excellence and commitment to continue making a difference in people’s lives.

Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, President Executive officer of SP Setia Berhad, with the Malaysian Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 award yesterday at the J W Marriot Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Liew stands out for his innovative thinking – embodying the true spirit of entrepreneurial excellence.- Star picture by Shahrul Fazry Ismail.

Liew had demonstrated keen foresight and the entrepreneurial qualities of passion, vision, determination and innovation, with an emphasis on sustainability.

SP Setia is a property developer with a strong brand name.

It posted a 30% year-on-year jump in net profit to RM327.97mil for its financial year ended Oct 31, 2011.

Revenue increased 27.9% to RM2.23bil during the  period.

The group set a new full-year sales record in FY11 of RM3.29bil, a 42% increase from the previous record of RM2.31bil set in FY10.

It was the fourth consecutive year of increase in the group’s sales and represented the second consecutive year that total group sales had exceeded RM2bil.

The group recently launched its landmark integrated green commercial and mixed residential development called the KL EcoCity.

Internationally, its recent launches included Fulton Lane and EcoXuan, the group’s maiden project in Melbourne, Australia and second project in Vietnam respectively.



SP Setia was thrust into the limelight following a takeover bid by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) at RM3.90 per share and 91 sen per warrant in September.

SP Setia, Liew and PNB had proposed to enter into an agreement to formalise the incentives and management rights relating to the management and general conduct of the business of SP Setia.

The agreement is subject to an approval by the Securities Commission.

PNB might be paying out lucrative bonuses and stock options to SP Setia’s top management in order to persuade them to stay on with the group.

Meanwhile, Ernst & Young Malaysia country managing partner Abdul Rauf Rashid said Ernst & Young believed that entrepreneurship was fundamental and vital in every economy.

“Entrepreneurs help generate employment and industry growth.

“Indeed, driving entrepreneurship in Malaysia augurs well with the Government’s Economic Transformation Programme that encourages and facilitates private sector initiatives to drive our economy to a high-income nation,” he said in statement.

Ernst & Young presented four other awards for entrepreneurial excellence that included Emerging Entrepreneur 2011 to Exabytes Network Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Chan Kee Siak; Technology Entrepreneur 2011 to ViTrox Corp Bhd chief executive officer and president Chu Jenn Weng; Woman Entrepreneur 2011 to HELP International Corp Bhd chairperson/group CEO Datin Chan-Low Kam Yoke; and Master Entrepreneur 2011 to Liew.

The four recipients as well as the overall country award recipient were selected by an independent panel of judges guided by a set of globally-benchmarked criteria.

SP Setia targets RM4bil in property sales

By THOMAS HUONG huong@thestar.com.my

Developer posts 30% jump in FY11 net profit

SHAH ALAM: SP Setia Bhd posted a 30% year-on-year jump in net profit to RM327.97mil for its financial year ended Oct 31, 2011 (FY11). The property developer attributed this mainly to higher selling prices for new launches and the stabilisation in the prices of construction materials. Revenue also increased 27.9% to RM2.23bil.

The group also set a new full-year sales record in FY11 of RM3.29bil, a 42% increase from the previous record of RM2.31bil set in FY10.

It was the fourth consecutive year of increase in the group's sales and represented the second consecutive year that total group sales had exceeded the RM2bil mark, said SP Setia in a Bursa Malaysia filing.

Liew: ‘We target 70% of our product range in Singapore to cater to local upgraders.’>

(The sales figures are based on the retail pricing of properties sold, while revenue is recognised in the accounts when the developer is paid at the point of purchase and also when construction is completed in stages.)

SP Setia has proposed a final dividend of 9 sen per share. Together with the interim dividend of 5 sen per share, total dividend for the year works out to be 14 sen per share, representing a payout of about 59% of the group's net profit.

The group's profit and revenue were largely derived from property developments in the Klang Valley, Johor Baru and Penang.

Ongoing projects which contributed included Setia Alam and Setia Eco-Park at Shah Alam (Selangor), Setia Walk at Pusat Bandar Puchong (Selangor), Setia Sky Residences at Jalan Tun Razak (Kuala Lumpur), Bukit Indah, Setia Indah, Setia Tropika and Setia Eco Gardens in Johor Baru and Setia Pearl Island and Setia Vista in Penang.

President and chief executive officer Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin said the group was aiming to achieve total new sales of RM4bil in FY12.

“This is despite factors such as the external headwinds from the economic uncertainty in Europe, and Bank Negara's guidelines seeking to further encourage prudence in bank lending,” he told reporters.

About 90% of new sales in FY12 would come from Malaysia, with the balance from foreign markets.

Liew stated that the group had strong branding, and offered an extensive range of products that cater to diverse market needs.

The group's recent launch of its integrated green commercial and mixed residential development, KL EcoCity (Kuala Lumpur), is expected to contribute strongly to sales in FY12.

Other recent launches like Fulton Lane and EcoXuan, the group's maiden project in Melbourne and second project in Vietnam respectively, are expected to also help augment sales in FY12.

Meanwhile, Liew said he was not too concerned about the recent 10% increase in stamp duty for foreigners buying homes in Singapore.

“We target 70% of our product range in Singapore to cater to local upgraders. Foreign buyers will be about 30%, so we do not think there will be much of an impact,” he said.

Liew also said SP Setia was interested in making another bid to secure the project to redevelop London's Battersea Power Station. SP Setia had submitted a 262mil (RM1.3bil) offer for the project in November that was turned down, before recently making a a second bid of 324mil (RM1.6bil) that was also rejected.

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Rules for succession to Malaysian Kings

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Rules for royal succession

REFLECTING ON THE LAW By SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

For the first time in royal history, a reigning Sultan ascended the Federal throne the second time. The Sultan of Kedah had previously reigned as Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1970 to 1975.

YESTERDAY, the distinguished reign of the Sultan of Terengganu as the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong came to an end and the Sultan of Kedah ascended to the Federal throne.

This draws our attention to the unique rules relating to the election of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong as found in Articles 32, 33, 38(2) and the Third Schedule of the Federal Constitution.

The rules are exceedingly complex and constitutional conventions have added to their richness. The salient features are as follows:

> Only the Rulers of the nine Malay states are eligible to contest or vote. The Governors of Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak are excluded.

> Voting is by secret ballot and a simple majority of five out of nine Sultans is needed to disqualify or elect a Ruler.

> Seniority (by reference to date of accession to the state throne) carries some weight but is not an overriding factor.

> Election is on a rotational basis to ensure that every Ruler (who is willing and suitable) has had an opportunity to become the Yang di-Pertuan Agong before any state occupies the Federal throne twice.

> A Yang di-Pertuan Agong cannot be re-elected to continue beyond his five-year term.

Exceptions to rotation rule: Under the Third Schedule, a Ruler is qualified to be elected Yang di-Pertuan Agong except in three circumstances.

First, if he is a minor. Second, if he has notified the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal that he does not desire to be elected.



In 1957 the Sultan of Johor, in 1970 the Sultan of Pahang and in 1975 the Sultan of Johor stood down in favour of the next eligible Ruler. In such a case, the state’s name goes to the end of the “Election List” and the next Ruler in line is offered the post.

Third, if at least five members of the Conference of Rulers have by secret ballot resolved that a Ruler is unsuitable by reason of infirmity of mind or body or for any other cause to exercise the functions of the King.

There is no verifiable record of any such resolution though it is rumoured that there was at least one such precedent.

First election: For the first election of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 1957, an “Election List” was drawn up to indicate the seniority or precedence that Their Highnesses recognised among themselves. In his book, the late Lord President Tun Suffian Hashim informs us that the list had this precedence: Johor, Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perak.

Though Johor and Pahang were high up on the List, the Federal throne was offered by the Conference of Rulers to Negri Sembilan. Johor had declined and perhaps this was also the case with Pahang.

Second to ninth elections: The Election List drawn up for the first election is not permanent and is subject to constant revision in accordance with Section 4 of the Third Schedule which provides that the state that contributed the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong should be transferred to the bottom of the list.

The state whose Ruler is elected as the current Yang di-Pertuan Agong should be omitted.

Whenever a Ruler dies or abdicates and there is a change in the Ruler of a State, then, due to the juniority of the new Ruler, his State’s name should be transferred to the end of the list.

For example, in 1958 the Sultan of Kedah and in 1959 the Sultan of Johor breathed their last. Their states were placed on the last rung of the Federal succession ladder.

If a Ruler declines or is disqualified, his State is moved to the bottom of the list. This is what happened to Johor and Pahang in 1957.

The above rules governed all elections till April 25, 1994, when the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong completed his term of office and the first rotation among the Sultans was completed.

Under section 4(3) of the Third Schedule new rules and a new election list took over.

Tenth and subsequent elections: When all states have taken their turn to grace the office of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the election list is then reconstituted in accordance with section 4(3) of the Third Schedule.

States are placed in the order in which their Rulers have occupied the office of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The Malaysian Kings thus far:

1. Yang DiPertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan: Aug. 3, 1957 to April 1, 1960 (died in office).
2. Sultan of Selangor: April 14, 1960 to Sept 1, 1960 (died in office).
3. Raja of Perlis: Sept 21, 1960 to Sept 20, 1965.
4. Sultan of Terengganu: Sept 21, 1965 to Sept 20, 1970.
5. Sultan of Kedah: Sept 21, 1970 to Sept 20, 1975.
6. Sultan of Kelantan: Sept 21, 1975 to March 30, 1979 (died in office).
7. Sultan of Pahang: April 26, 1979 to April 25, 1984.
8. Sultan of Johor: April 26, 1984 to April 25, 1989.
9. Sultan of Perak: April 26, 1989 to April 25, 1994.
10. Yang DiPertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan: April 26, 1994 to April 25, 1999.
11. Sultan of Selangor: April 26, 1999 to Nov 21, 2001 (died in office).
12. Raja of Perlis: Dec 13, 2001 to Dec 12, 2006.
13. Sultan of Terengganu: Dec 13, 2006 to Dec 12, 2011.
14. Sultan of Kedah: Dec 13, 2011.

Unique features: In an age of egalitarianism and democracy, one would have expected monarchies to wither away. But they remain robust and popular and are symbols of stability, continuity and national unity in many lands including Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The Malaysian monarchy is rather unique because of multiplicity of sovereigns at the state level and the elective and short-term nature of the royal position at the Federal level.

Another remarkable feature is that a time lapse is allowed between the end of one reign and the commencement of another.

In England, the rule is that “the monarch never dies”. On the death, removal or abdication of one monarch, the successor assumes office retrospectively to the date on which the vacancy arose.

This is not so in Malaysia where twice in 1960, once in 1979 and again in 2001, on the death of the Federal sovereign, the new sovereign’s reign commenced a few weeks after the vacancy arose.

Perhaps this is because the Constitution provides for a Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong to fill the breach temporarily till a new election is held.

On the creation of a vacancy, the Deputy King does not automatically ascend to the throne. His term is tied up with the tenure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Under Article 33(3), if the post of the King falls vacant, the Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong acts on his behalf till the office of the King is filled, at which time the Deputy King’s term expires as well.

Yesterday was a unique moment in our royal history. A reigning Sultan, the Sultan of Kedah, ascended the Federal throne a second time, the first being from 1970 to 1975. May all blessings be with our new King and his consort.

Shad Saleem Faruqi is Emeritus Professor of Law at UiTM and Visiting Professor at USM.

Learning from Putin’s reversal

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Ceritalah By Karim Raslan

 Slick but cynical power-exchange with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev outraged millions of ordinary Russians who vented their anger whenever former strongman Vladimir Putin appeared.

BECAUSE my work is now so South-East Asia-centric, I rarely follow the news from Europe closely.
Still, I think we can learn valuable lessons from the recent developments in Russia.

On Dec 4, Russians went to the polls to elect a new State Duma – their lower house of Parliament.

Although he was not running in the election, the vote was seen as a test of the popularity of strongman Vladimir Putin, who is seeking to regain the presidency of the Russian Federation after three years as Prime Minister, replacing his former trusted aide Dmitry Medvedev.

Most observers expected the United Russia Party to secure a thumping majority.

Putin’s party had, after all, engineered Russia’s remarkable economic turnaround after the fall of the Soviet Union and Boris Yeltsin’s chaotic tenure.

The brusque St Petersburg veteran was the party’s “killer app” – popular and ruthless: an embodiment of Russian machismo.

However, Putin’s return to the centre-stage wasn’t quite so well-received: the slick but cynical power-exchange with Medvedev outraged millions of ordinary Russians.

As a result, Putin’s standing in the opinion polls plummeted.At the same time, public sentiment turned ugly.

Denied access to the mainstream media, ordinary Russians vented their anger whenever Putin appeared.

On one occasion, he was booed at a mixed martial arts match – an incident captured on YouTube and viewed by millions.

Moreover, Putin’s United Russia fared even worse as voters realised that they would be enduring yet another term of massive, institutionalised corruption and abuse of power by high-handed party apparatchiks.

In the end, Putin received a stinging rebuke as his party ended up winning just 49.3% of the vote – leaving it with about 238 seats in the 450-seat Duma compared to its previous 315.

To make matters worse, allegations of electoral fraud – also immortalised on YouTube – have led to demonstrations in Moscow.

More are in the offing, leading some to wonder whether the world will witness yet another “spring”.

Putin reacted in his tough-guy way, sending police out on a crackdown and insisting that he will still run for president in March next year.

Nevertheless, United Russia’s electoral drubbing cannot help but damage his image as a popular,performance-driven autocrat.



What can we learn from Putin’s (excuse my pun) Russian reversal? First, it again shows the power of the alternative media.

Putin’s control of Russia’s newspapers and televisions may be absolute, but this stranglehold can do nothing to prevent Russians from turning to blogs and social networks to express their disenchantment.

As with the Arab Spring, Facebook, YouTube and Russia’s own VKontakte have emerged as powerful tools to mobilise the masses against autocrats.

Which brings me to my next point: style cannot trump substance, especially when it comes to reform.

Putin’s obsession with spin is legendary – witness the proliferation of photos of him doing manly things like hunting, horseback riding or scuba-diving.

The United Russia party’s website is, likewise, flashy with links to its Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Read through the speeches of Putin or his sidekick Medvedev and you will often find them extolling democracy and moderation.

Still, these carefully-crafted images cannot conceal the fact that poverty and corruption run deep in Russia despite its economic successes.

While oligarchs close to the Kremlin enjoy the high life, the number of people living under the official poverty line increased from 20.6 million in the first quarter of last year to 22.9 million this year.

Also, the abuse of civil liberties under Putin’s watch is just as brutal as anything that occurred under the Tsars or the Communist Party.

Erstwhile allies, long-time dissidents and critical journalists were silenced, jailed and, in some cases, even died under highly suspicious circumstances.

Worst of all is Putin’s stubborn desire to cling to power.

Had he stepped down gracefully in 2008 having served two terms as president, he would have been hailed as the man who revived Russia despite the rough methods he used.

As it is, he now risks being just the latest of a long line of leaders who overstayed their welcome and were toppled.

One can detect painful shades of toppled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad in Putin’s blaming of Hillary Clinton for supposedly inciting the protests.

So it’s simply not enough these days for politicians to possess the formal, outward trappings of democracy or social engagement (like Facebook or Twitter pages) if they do nothing to increase the public space and empower their people.

More importantly, they need to realise that they fool no one when they speak of the need for reform but do nothing to change the status quo.

Indeed, such disingenuousness will come back to haunt leaders.

What I find remarkable about the Russian demonstrations against electoral fraud is that most of the protestors were middle-class: urban, young and well-to-do Muscovites who theoretically should have benefitted most from Putin’s management.

They ought to have been, and indeed were, his political base.

However, after years of being lied to, frustrated or simply ignored, Russia’s bourgeoisie (now 20% of the population after the oil boom) are now emerging as the force that could bring Putin down.

Certification for Malaysian IT pros ?

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Government seeks BOFH control By Natalie Apostolou

A proposal to introduce a bill to force all IT workers in Malaysia to be certified and registered via a single industry body has sparked agitation in the tech sector.

If the proposed legislation, the Board of Computing Professionals Malaysia Bill 2011 (BCPM), is passed, Malaysia will be the first country with a law which requiring IT professionals to be registered with a board before being allowed to practice.

Under the draft bill any professional registering with the board would have to pass examinations, possess professional experience and pay registration fees.

Those against the law claim that the talent pool may shrink if such stipulations are introduced and fear that the board will have too much control over who can be registered, or certified for lucrative government tenders.

The tech community has released a “Common Voice of ICT Professionals” response to the government proposal, stating that the industry is “alarmed” and “caught most of us off-guard”.

“We have not found any information and substantiation that suggests or concludes that the formation of the Board of Computing Professionals is the right and only answer to amicably resolve all matters that the Government perceive to be issues relating to the ICT profession, if such issues indeed do exist in the first place.”

Also under the draft of the proposed bill, unregistered IT professionals will not be allowed to “practice, carry on business or take up employment which requires him to carry out or perform the services of a Registered Computing Professional”. They are also forbidden from gaining any fees, charges, remuneration or other form of consideration for any professional technology services rendered. ®



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MCA against listing IT pros under a regulatory body 

The Star 13/12/2011

MALACCA: MCA has voiced its objection against a proposed move by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to register IT practitioners in the country under a regulatory body known as the Board of Computing Professionals.

Party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said it was strongly against the proposed exercise embarked by the ministry.

“We will be made a laughing stock in the global arena if we go ahead with the proposed body. Nowhere else is there such a regulatory body,” he said after attending Kota Melaka 1MCA Medical Foundation dinner here last night.

He said the ministry should first seek feedback from IT practitioners before coming up with such a plan.
“The board is unnecessary because a code of conduct or guideline is more suitable.

“Furthermore, the fact is undeniable that most of the pioneer members of the local IT Industry are not those from IT background. Yet, they were able to soar,” he said, adding that he had expressed MCA's opposition against the board to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

On another matter, Dr Chua called on Opposition leaders, especially those from PAS, to understand the religions practised by the Chinese community such as Buddhism and Taoism before making baseless comments.

He claimed that PAS leaders had made derogatory remarks during their ceramah, labelling the Chinese as “praying to Datuk Kong and Pai Kong and later may worship King Kong”.

“MCA is willing to provide classes to PAS leaders if they don't understand the tenets and teaching of other religions,” he said.

New Bill will restrict IT users, says Pua

KUALA LUMPUR: There is no need to impose bureaucratic control over the information technology (IT) in Malaysia, said DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua.

He said the proposed Computer Professionals Bill (CPB) 2011 would restrict those using IT, despite assurances by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry that there will not be any restrictions on computing services.

He added the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Bill of Guarantees had promised “unrestricted employment of knowledge workers” and “no censorship of the Internet”.

“The information technology and computing industry has been operating without controversy, issues or impediment for the past decade.

“There is absolutely no bureaucratic requirement to restrict and control the industry, which will only bring adverse outcomes without any corresponding tangible benefit,” Pua said in a statement here yesterday.

IT professionals had raised a stink over the CPB 2011 since a copy of the Bill's draft was made available online on Thursday.

Related post:

 IT folk upset over draft Bill  Dec 10, 2011 

New Solar-Powered Classroom Brings Science to Schools in Developing Countries

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ScienceDaily (Dec. 9, 2011) — An innovative project led by a chemistry academic at the University of Southampton is using solar generators to provide IT resources and 'hands-on' science for students in developing countries.

 The solar-powered classroom. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Southampton) >

A major difficulty in teaching science subjects in developing countries, especially in rural schools, is that students are rarely able to get 'hands-on' experience of experiments. This could be partly due to a lack of equipment, chemicals and facilities but mainly because of a lack of electricity and running water.

Now, Professor Tony Rest, a visiting Chemistry academic at the University of Southampton, and Keith Wilkinson, formerly a teacher at the International School at Lusaka in Zambia, have devised a solar-powered solution based on a digital projector and low-cost solar energy panels so that students can gain access to IT and other modern teaching methods.

Professor Rest says: "The lack of electricity is a particularly serious matter for rural schools and this situation is unlikely to get better in the near to medium future. With drawbacks to petrol generators, due to difficulties in getting supplies and safety hazards, solar energy generators have become available at cost-effective prices and provide a sustainable answer as rural schools have an abundance of the basic energy source required to power them -- sunshine.



Most data/video projectors require 200-300 watt and cannot be economically sustained by solar power in rural villages. However, the advent of mini-projectors, which require about 50 watts of power, has revolutionised the situation and made battery powered projection feasible.

The solar energy generators, which consist of solar panels, batteries and inverters, can be linked to the projector for students to get practical classes via multimedia resources to show laboratory experiments and stress practical techniques.

Professor Rest adds: "These experiences can be extended to other science subjects from physics, biology and maths, to subjects involving practical elements, such as engineering, and to craft subjects, including plumbing, carpentry, and catering, where students need see how to acquire skills. By extending the breadth of subjects benefiting from the use of IT, the overall cost of using a solar energy generator is reduced. Another spin-off is that students in rural schools gain access to valuable IT skills."

The project has been developed by the 'Chemistry Aid' project, the Chemistry Video Consortium based at the University of Southampton, with support from the Royal Society of Chemistry, which has provided multimedia teaching resources.

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How To Leave An Unsatisfying Job And Pursue Your Dream Career?

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Cathy Scott, Contributor

 

How-to guides are regularly published about the process of pursuing new careers. I, however, don’t believe a guide can show you exactly how to do that. You have to first believe in yourself, and then take a risk. Otherwise, you will stay in a dead-end job afraid to step away from your comfort zone.

And for those executives able to hire others who are hoping to land that dream position, give them a chance. They’ll thank you later. I know that from first-hand ex
perience.

It was 1989 and I was a secretary for Pacific Bell. It was a steady, secure job with good benefits. I didn’t dislike it. But I didn’t feel I was making a significant contribution to society. It didn’t feel relevant.

I’ll never forget PacBell coworker Jutta Stern Stoffel (now, sadly, gone) saying to me one day as we powered out on our electric typewriters finishing paperwork for who knows what project management wanted. “In ten years,” Jutta said, “no one will care or remember the work we’re doing here.” It was because the job had become rote.

My true avocation was writing. As kids, my sister and two neighborhood friends – Cordelia Mendoza, Victoria Pynchon and Sharon Lawrence – formed a writers group, Sisters of the Pen.

It wasn’t until years later when I volunteered to help save a historic site from becoming a shopping center in San Diego’s Mission Beach that I began thinking seriously about a writing career. A handful of volunteers, including me, were regularly interviewed about our ongoing grassroots effort, including getting the measure on the ballot, and I was fascinated by reporting.

One day, when we were waiting for a politician to show up at a news conference, I asked a staffer with the Los Angeles Times how he came to be a reporter. He told me, “Go to Podunk, Iowa, cut your teeth on a small newspaper, then try and break into the dailies after that.” Then, he asked, “Do you have a degree?” I didn’t. I had gone to community college straight out of high school, but I quit after completing two years when I should have transferred to a four-year university. He told me, “You can’t be a reporter without a degree.”

About the time I’d spoken with him, PacBell offered to pay 100 percent of college tuition to employees if they majored in business. I took them up on it and, the same year my son began his first year of college, I enrolled in night classes before applying at and being accepted into a four-year university. A few years later, I finished my degree and took a buyout from Pacific Bell.

At the time, I looked at the women I worked with who were older than me and in the same clerical position. I knew that they too must have once had dreams. But somewhere along the way, they’d lost their passion. I did not want to lose mine. I wanted to be a journalist. I studied newspaper and magazine writing, dissecting and analyzing the sentences and article structure, and I bought used textbooks about how to turn facts and information into an article.



My late mother, Eileen Rose Busby, had continually told her five children we could do whatever we wanted in life. At 62 years old, she earned her bachelor’s degree, wrote about antiques for collector magazines and eventually wrote three books, all late in life. And the late Donald Pike, friends Vickie and Sharon’s father, showed us as kids that we could attain whatever we wanted in life; we just had to chase our dreams. He surprised us all when, without ever having attended law school, he studied for and passed the California Bar exam and became a lawyer (before law school was required) and eventually took a position on the bench as a judge — this from a man who was once a milkman and an insurance salesman.

As I left Pacific Bell more than 20 years ago, the words of Joseph Singh, the district manager who landed me the only buyout that year, stayed with me: “Don’t look back. Don’t be one of those former employees who come to visit once a week. Move on.”

I took his advice and never returned. I broke into the news business, writing for publications and gathering clips that landed me more story assignments and fulltime journalism gigs. It wasn’t always easy. I lived frugally, like a college student, for several years. But I was determined and driven by my passion to write.

My first break came, after freelancing for tiny publications, from the publishers of a community newspaper, the Beach & Bay Press. It didn’t pay well, but it was a reporting job, and I loved every second of it.

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After I won a top award from the San Diego Press Club, I was offered a job as business editor for the La Jolla Light newspaper, where, on assignment, I once interviewed Walter Cronkite. But I didn’t want to get stuck reporting and editing business stories. I stayed a year, and then moved on to the police beat at the Vista Press, a daily. While there, I was in the pool of reporters who covered then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s eight-hour visit to the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. I also was sent to Somalia to cover Operation Restore Hope and to Los Angeles for the Rodney King riots.

When the 50-year-old Vista Press folded, I returned to freelancing, this time for the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Associated Press, before landing a job at the Las Vegas Sun. I’d had an offer from a Tacoma, Washington, paper, but it didn’t start for two months. So, I took the job at the Sun. Three years later, rapper Tupac Shakur was shot, and my reporting parlayed into my first true crime book. After the Sun, I taught journalism and magazine writing at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Then, one Sunday afternoon, I went to PetsMart to buy cat food and came home with a puppy from Best Friends Animal Society. That was my introduction, in the year 2000, to the largest no-kill animal sanctuary and one of the largest animal welfare groups in the U.S. After volunteering for a year on weekends, I was hired to coordinate mobile adoption events, while still teaching at the university and freelance writing. Once Hurricane Katrina hit, I was invited to cover Best Friends’ animal rescue efforts on the ground in New Orleans and at a nearby Mississippi triage center. The result was articles for Best Friends Magazine and website as well as the book Pawprints of Katrina.

Many literary deals later, my eighth book, The Millionaire’s Wife, is set for release in March 2012. I feel lucky to be where I am today, but it was not without some breaks along the way, which is why I encourage higher-ups to give rookies the encouragement to move forward in their careers. For me, included in that mix of cheerleaders was a patient editor at the San Diego Business Journal who early in my career took a chance on me as he walked me through and helped me organize freelance feature stories.

Julie Hoisington and David Mannis had enough faith to give me my first fulltime reporting job, at the Beach & Bay Press. And Sally Buzbee with the Associated Press regularly gave me very cool assignments after I passed the AP’s editorial test (which I credit to taking a UCSD copyediting class). I’ve never forgotten Sally, who went on to become bureau chief of the AP’s Washington office, for giving a relatively new reporter an opportunity to be a contributor for the wire service’s San Diego bureau. And a generous Irene Jackson, a metro editor for the San Diego Union-Tribune, for more than a year regularly assigned me stories.

But not all of it was positive as I wrote for a variety of editors along my career path. Early on, an unhappy editor, Caron Golden, at the time with a regional magazine, left a huge impact. She not only gave me a talking-to, but she killed my story for not writing it the way she’d expected – a hard, but probably necessary, lesson I carry with me today.

A university teaching position made me a better editor and writer when UNLV’s Dr. David Henry offered me two classes after I applied for one (ultimately giving me four classes), and who waived the requirement for a master’s based on my years of reporting. Ironically, the very same textbook I had purchased years earlier to teach myself the business of writing was what the university gave me to use in the classroom.

The adjunct teaching position would last five years until Katrina and Best Friends drew me away.
The nonprofit, after Katrina hit the Gulf, enlisted me as a writer for Best Friends Magazine, a position that for me is much more than a career. Today, I write fulltime for Best Friends, about animals and the movement, and I cover crime in my spare time. I am where I want to be.

My advice, for those who want to leave an unsatisfying job, is don’t hesitate to pursue a new career, because it is there for the taking. That’s what my childhood friends’ father, Don Pike, and my mother, Eileen Rose Busby, taught me by example. Leaving a job with Pacific Bell to pursue a writing career is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I have never looked back, as Joe Singh so aptly advised this once-wanna-be writer all those years ago.

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