Making The RIGHT Decision

Most of the choices we made in life are based on the input, knowledge and information we have about certain things. If we know only a little, then we will make our choices based on that little knowledge that we have.

Actually, it is not just about having enough or not enough information, but also in our ability to filter and select the “right” information well. A lot of information today can be easily gotten by just googling through the Internet. But sometimes with too much info one can also get confused easily too.

Therefore, to be able to select what is relevant (and of course correct) and what is not, we need skills. A truly smart person will not only rely on the info from Internet alone, but will also use it to point towards people who can tell them more about a certain topic or issue.

This is important as people in general behave and make decisions in a particular way depending on what information and knowledge they already have.

Even though most organizations and governments make decisions based on a consensus among them, but there is always a leader. And this leader often “influences” the rest of the members to make a decision that he or she prefers. In fact, it would be hard for a leader to lead if he does not like the decision himself, so there has to be a lot of “negotiations” before a “compromise” solution is arrived at.

But what if the leader is no good? What if the leader has limited access to information or not knowledgeable, relying only on what other people tell him (especially those who are close to him), and then making decisions solely based on that? What if all the information he gets is all wrong or distorted?

Of course wrong information can lead to wrong decisions. Wrong decisions make people angry. But how would you know if the decision you have made is wrong?

Very simple actually. Just look around you, listen to what people are talking about. If you notice that people in general react badly, demotivated, retaliating or showing dissatisfaction and unhappiness, then the decision you have made is probably wrong !

And if you are very sure that a mistake has been done, then a good leader will not hesitate to admit, apologize and promise the people that it will not recur. He or she will immediately unchange or redo the mistake (wherever possible) while they are still in power, not wait till the end of the world ! Leaders have to take full responsibility on the decisions they've made - be it right or wrong.

But sometimes people also react badly even to a good decision. How can this happen? May be the people cannot understand why that decision was made. If this is the case, then the leader must have the guts and courage to explain clearly why such action needs to be taken.

Unfortunately, we sometimes have leaders who do not practice transparency. What more when they fail to notice or know that there are actually people out there who are reacting badly – as a result of his bad decision.

Some leaders might be fed by "butt-lickers" with info that these people react badly to them because they (the people) are not smart enough (to understand why and how the decision was made).

This gives the leader a "false" idea that the decision they made is correct, so they keep on repeating the same mistakes over and over again. People get angrier and angrier, yet the leader seems to think that everything is all right and going on just fine.

What is worse is when a leader simply does not lead. He or she is slow to respond to any issue that comes up believing it to be minor and which would simply go away if he ignores or “sweep it under the carpet”. But they fail to see that denial or ignorance only helps it spread like cancer because nothing is done by anybody to prevent it.

Then when the problem becomes too big to handle, instead of assessing the issue and deciding what to do, the leader strikes out with punishment measures. And then literally, strikes out.

In general, most people will accept any decision a leader makes as long as he can reasonable justify it. But what they will not accept is when the leader is unable to justify the action and giving reasons or excuses that insult the intelligence of people. And it is never a good idea to insult people you owe your position to.

At the end, we find ourselves in a position where we have to watch in horror as mistake after mistake is done. It is a bit like watching robbery happening in front of us and feeling powerless to stop it. Except that it takes a while to realize that in fact you can stop it. Because if you don’t, the victim may one day actually be YOU.

In short, a good leader will learn from a bad decision he made and not repeat it. At the same time, he should not ignore these problems in the hope that they will go away...

“Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation.” [William Arthur Wood]

PARACETAMOL & ASMA

Sumber: "Kerap ambil paracetamol boleh asma", Berita Harian - 23 Sept 2008.

Pengambilan kerap paracetamol boleh meningkatkan risiko seseorang itu mengidap asma sehingga hampir tiga kali ganda, tetapi ubat penahan sakit lain tidak menunjukkan kesan sama, menurut kajian.

Penyelidik menganalisis kekerapan penggunaan ubat penahan sakit itu pada lebih 500 orang dewasa yang mengidap asma dan 500 penduduk sihat di beberapa negara Eropah.

Hasil kajian menunjukkan risiko mengidap asma meningkat dengan penggunaan paracetamol sekurang-kurangnya sekali seminggu.

Lebih lima juta penduduk Britain mengidap asma, termasuk 1.4 juta kanak-kanak dan penyakit itu menyebabkan 70,000 kemasukan ke hospital dan 1,400 kematian setiap tahun.

Sebahagian pengidap penyakit itu memilih paracetamol kerana sensitif kepada aspirin atau ubat anti-radang bukan steroid seperti Nurofen.

Kajian diterbitkan kelmarin dalam European Respiratory Journal. Salah seorang penulisnya, Dr Seif Shaheen, dari Kolej Imperial London, berkata: "Bukti epidemiologi semakin banyak yang menunjukkan kaitan antara paracetamol dan asma."

"Sejak tahun 2000, beberapa penerbitan melaporkan kaitan ini. kami juga menunjukkan kelaziman asma lebih tinggi di negara yang mencatatkan kadar jualan tinggi paracetamol."

Penyelidik percaya pengambilan kerap paracetamol menurunkan paras "antioxidant glutathione", yang ditemui dalam saluran pernafasan dan hidung, bahan yang melindungi paru-paru dari pencemaran udara dan asap tembakau serta kesan membahayakan unsur lain.

AGREE TO DISAGREE

In any arguments people will normally be willing to do just anything or whatever necessary to get their messages across, trying to get others agree and concur with them. 

Sometimes they may get successful and sometimes not.   We may have heard this saying before. “No two persons are exactly identical. No two minds think alike. Not even identical twins. Differences are bound to exist.” 

And that’s actually what make each one of us special !   But what happens when another person does not share our views? Can we agree to disagree? Is it the end when both sides cannot agree? What happens next? Do we just walk out?   

Many times this phrase was used to end an argument. Sometimes, no matter how heated that argument might be, when a person says “Let’s agree to disagree” we see voices and aggressiveness immediately tone down.   

I have seen numerous examples of the effectiveness of “agree to disagree” in debates, meetings, discussions, gatherings and so on. It’s something like an agreement for a win-win situation. Actually, when people on opposing sides can accept each other with different views, then both sides win.   

Personally, I feel that if the issue is not a halal-and-haram or life-and-death matter then we should go ahead carry the attitude of agreeing to disagree. Some people call this sportsmanship or being sporting. But of course, there will be people who may agree and disagree with me.   

It is hoped that one day we can look into each other’s eyes and discuss matters with a high level of maturity without feeling offended. The saying of “do unto others what you want others do unto you” always helps me.

We can argue and disagree but we can shake hands after that.   Well, we are destined to live and work with one another. We are citizens of the same country... and the same planet earth! Why choose to make life difficult? Be merry and thankful that we have people around us who argue with us to make life more interesting.   Can you imagine a life without argument?  

(Original article : “Can we all just agree to disagree?” by Andrew Yap – The Star 18 July 2008)

Women's Favorite E-mail of the Year

I received this article thru email from a relative in KB. Strictly for men only, enjoy guys! ... 

A man was sick and tired of going to work every day while his wife stayed home. He wanted her to see what he went through so he prayed:

'Dear Lord: I go to work every day and put in 8 hours while my wife merely stays at home. I want her to know what I go through. So, please allow her body to switch with mine for a day. Amen !'

God, in his infinite wisdom, granted the man's wish.

The next morning, sure enough, the man awoke as a woman. He arose, cooked breakfast for his mate, and awakened the kids. Set out their school clothes, fed them breakfast, packed their lunches, drove them to school.

Came home and picked up the dry cleaning, took it to the cleaners, and stopped at the bank to make a deposit, went grocery shopping.

Then drove home to put away the groceries, paid the bills and balanced the check book. He cleaned the cat's litter box and watered the plants.

Then, it was already 1300 hrs. And he hurried to make the beds, do the laundry, vacuum, dust, and sweep and mop the kitchen floor.

Ran to the school to pick up the kids and got into an argument with them on the way home.

Set out milk and cookies and got the kids organized to do their homework. Then, set up the ironing board and watched TV while he did the ironing.

At 1630 hrs he began peeling potatoes and washing vegetables for salad, breaded the chicken chops and snapped fresh beans for supper.

After supper, he cleaned the kitchen, ran the dishwasher, folded laundry, bathed the kids, and put them to bed.

At 2100 hrs he was already exhausted and, though his daily chores weren't finished, he went to bed where he was expected to make love, which he managed to get through without complaint.

The next morning, he awoke and immediately knelt by the bed and said:

'Lord, I don't know what I was thinking. I was so wrong to envy my wife's being able to stay home all day. Please, Oh! Oh! Please, let us trade back. Amen !'

The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, replied:

'My son, I feel you have learned your lesson and I will be happy to change things back to the way they were. You'll just have to wait nine months, though. You got pregnant last night.'  

Kuang kuang kuang … ! ;)

WHAT Is A Company Profile

A Company Profile is an important aspect in a company's marketing plans. In simple terms it can be viewed as a Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) of your company. Having a well written profile helps the company to engage and attract the right customers or supporters for its business.

For media attention, a business needs an intriguing profile to entice editors or reporters to gain an understanding of the company's mission, products, services, personnel and uniqueness.

To acquire financing, a comprehensive company profile should be submitted with a business plan to feature unique qualifications of the company or personnel, that aren't generally outlined in a business plan.

Without a well-written company profile, a company may not be attracting the best candidates when posting job descriptions, or even suppliers and vendors to help them grow.

These 3 steps will help you craft a commendable company profile that is true to your vision, perception and even beliefs.

PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION IN LAYMAN’S TERM

A basic profile should include the name and address along with the general information about the company such as key personnel, descriptions of the company's products or services. 

It would be a good idea to include the mission and philosophy of the company along with the business plan which gives a fair idea to the client as to what he can expect; one can also include welfare activities, if any, that the company undertakes. All these should be presented in a manner that laymans, as well as industry personnel, can easily comprehend. Why?

Because, a reporter might be looking for relevant businesses for a story they are preparing. Naturally, including your company could possibly bring great 'free exposure' to your intended market (if it's a positive story, of course). But if the reporter -- or anyone else who is googling the product/service you provide -- cannot figure out what you offer, your profile won't help sell your products, nor entice media to interview your company personnel.

This does not mean you cannot include high level industry information, just be sure to also include some easy-to-understand layman terminology in your description.

INFUSE SOME PERSONALITY

People relate to people. So add something from a human perspective. A great company profile should be filled not only with descriptions of products or services, but also some sense or personality of the business' culture. 

Adding information about the company's purpose, community support or mission (not one of those trite mission statements, though) can add human personality to a profile, thus adding interest to the reader.

The language used should be as far as possible jargon free for easy comprehension, even if you deal in highly specialized work as it enables better dissipation of information. While highlighting the achievements one can cite client comments and also mention the employees who have performed above average (eg. excellent worker of the month) as it shows your commitment and dedication to client satisfaction.

CLAIM YOUR UNIQUE ASSETS

Last but not least, special care should be taken to mention your uniqueness as to why a client would like to do business with you. This can be done by explaining a founder's unique route to the company's development, or mention the special awards and honors a company has won, a good rank in a survey, the donations or any special service or volunteering it's employees provide the community. 

All these will contribute to your overall persona as it gives the reader some grasp of how the company is unique, special or different from others in it's same category.

Elaborating a bit on the educational qualifications and credentials, training or experience of the employees excites customers and helps them identify the company that fits their own beliefs and criteria.

Being generic and obtuse in your company description makes it really hard for any readers to understand why they would want to do business with a company or buy products/services that sound like any others.

Above all else, be direct, honest and interesting, since plenty of bland, boring and hype-filled profiles already abound. Make sure your company profile is able to differentiate your business with clear positioning to stand apart from the crowd.

RAMADHAN Al-Mubarak

Ramadhan adalah bulan impian bagi semua insan Muslim. Di bulan mulia ini terdapat pelbagai keistimewaan luar biasa yang tidak pernah kita temui di bulan-bulan lainnya. 

Sepuluh hari pertama bulan ini dipenuhi dengan 'rahmat' (keberkatan), sepuluh hari pertengahan dihiasi dengan 'maghfirah' (keampunan) dan di sepuluh hari terakhir diberkati dengan 'itqun min an-nar' (kebebasan dari api neraka). Pejam-celik pejam-celik kita kini dah pun berada di fasa kedua, yakni 10 hari kedua Ramadhan 1429H.

Bulan Ramadhan telah dimuliakan Allah s.w.t. dengan menurunkan al-Quran sebagai panduan hidup bagi manusia (Surah al-Baqarah, ayat 185), iaitu pada malam Nuzul al-Quran, 17 Ramadhan pada tahun Kenabian Muhammad s.a.w. atau bertepatan dengan 6 Ogos 610 Masihi. Tatkala bulan ini menjelma, semua pintu syurga dibukakan, semua pintu neraka dikuncikan, dan diikatkan semua syaitan, (Hadis riwayat Muttafaqun `Alaih). 

Bulan ini pula dikenal dengan 'bulan bonus' bagi umat Islam di mana dalam bulan inilah Allah s.w.t. melimpahkan pahala berlipat ganda dan menghapuskan dosa-dosa masa silam bagi sesiapa sahaja yang melaksanakan ibadah puasa dengan penuh keikhlasan dan ketakwaan.

Puncak keistimewaan luar biasa bulan ini adalah apabila diturunkan satu malam, Lailatul Qadar (malam kemuliaan) sebagai Malam kemuliaan yang lebih baik daripada seribu bulan (Surah al-Qadr, ayat 3). Sesiapa sahaja yang berpuasa pasti amat berhasrat untuk menjumpainya. Bila kah Lailatulqadar itu muncul?

Lailatulqadar ini diyakini akan muncul pada sepuluh hari terakhir bulan Ramadhan, terutamanya di malam-malam yang ganjil. Perkara ini dapat kita semak dari sebuah kisah Siti Aisyah r.a: Bila telah masuk sepuluh terakhir dari bulan Ramadhan, Rasulullah s.a.w. mengikat kuat kainnya (menambah kesungguhan ibadatnya), menghidupkan malam (dengan banyak berzikir dan bermunajat), membangunkan keluarganya (untuk ikut bertaqarrub kepada Allah) (Hadis riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim).

Kesungguhan Rasulullah melakukan ibadat pada malam sepuluh terakhir bulan Ramadhan dapat kita semak dari hadis berikut, seperti diceritakan Siti Aisyah r.a.: Beliau (Rasulullah s.a.w.) beribadat hingga menjelang subuh (Hadis riwayat Muslim).

Apa sebenarnya terdapat pada sepuluh hari terakhir bulan Ramadhan itu sehingga Rasulullah begitu tekun meningkatkan kuantiti (bilangan rakaat) dan kualiti (kekhusyukan dan tawaduk) ibadatnya di malam-malam tersebut?

Tekun dan khusyuknya Rasulullah beribadat pada malam sepuluh terakhir bulan Ramadhan tidak terlepas daripada keinginan baginda untuk menemui malam Lailatulqadar, iaitu malam yang lebih baik daripada seribu bulan. Perkara ini amat jelas terakam dalam ayat berikut: Sesungguhnya Kami turunkan ia (al-Quran) pada malam kemuliaan (Lailatulqadar). Tahukah kamu apakah malam kemuliaan itu? Ketahuilah bahawa malam kemuliaan itu adalah lebih baik dari seribu bulan (83 tahun 4 bulan) - (Surah al-Qadr, ayat 1-3).

Lailatulqadar adalah malam kemuliaan yang memiliki nilai lebih baik daripada 1,000 bulan. Sesiapa sahaja yang beribadat di malam itu adalah lebih baik nilainya dengan beribadat selama 83 tahun empat bulan. Usia purata manusia yang hidup di akhir zaman ini sangat jarang yang mencecah angka 70 tahun, apatah lagi 80 tahun dan seterusnya. Bahkan usia Nabi Muhammad adalah 63 tahun sahaja. Berapa lamakah usia kita?

Pernahkah kita terfikir untuk mampu beribadat kepada Allah selama 83 tahun? Mungkinkah ia berjaya dicapai? Rasanya sangat sukar untuk melakukan perkara itu, mengingat keadaan dalaman kita (iman yang sentiasa turun naik) dan pengaruh luaran (kecenderungan berbuat maksiat dari pelbagai aspek kehidupan yang kita hadapi setiap masa).

Pendek kata, Lailatulqadar adalah malam yang bernilai lebih baik daripada 1,000 bulan. Ia sentiasa datang di setiap sepuluh terakhir dari bulan Ramadhan. Kesempatan emas ini janganlah kita biarkan berlalu begitu sahaja. 

Kepada semua para sahabat ku, Selamat Menjalankan Ibadah Puasa, semoga ibadah kita ini diredhoi dan diterima oleh Allah SWT. InsyaAllah. TAKBIR !

The DEFENDER 110 Land Rover

It doesn’t conform to today’s idea of a car. Which makes the Defender all the more intriguing. THE 2007 Land Rover Defender 110 High Capacity Pick-up (HCPU) is a Beast!

The single cabin two-seater is cramped, it’s loud and noisy, it bounces like a rubber ball, it’s got a turning circle of a semi-trailer and I am totally, absolutely head over heels in love with it! Never have I driven any vehicle that has given me a purely minimalist driving pleasure than that of the Defender 110.

Loud and proud: The more things change, the more things stay the same. That applies to the Defender, which can trace its lineage back to the Series 1 Land Rovers of the late forties and fifties.

To describe the Defender as basic is an understatement. It has none of the regular luxuries that people take for granted nowadays. The moment I drove the Beast up the driveway, the first comment I got was from my five-year-old nephew was why it was so loud.

My father who retired as a major in the Territorial Army, added, “Forty years ago, we were driving around in these things and 40 years later nothing has changed!” Indeed, the more things change, the more things stay the same.

The Defender can trace its lineage back to the Series 1 Land Rovers of the late forties and fifties. It was during these formative years that Land Rovers gained a reputation for reliability and longevity, not to mention gutsy robustness. The cargo bed is more than 2m and is made almost entirely of aluminium.

So much so that it has been the vehicle of choice with the British and many Commonwealth armed forces for many years, and in most cases still the preferred vehicle.The current choice of vehicles with the Malaysian Armed Forces is still the Defender in its various forms.

The British Special Air Service (SAS) has been using Land Rovers as their long-range desert patrol vehicle since they abandoned the American Jeeps and Chevy trucks after World War II. Ironically the US Army Rangers have also picked up the Land Rover Defender as their desert patrol vehicle, calling it the Ranger Special Operations Vehicle.

So as the choice vehicle of many armed forces around the world, will the Defender translate that success into the civilian world or will it feel like a tired old Cold War Warrior, as it should. Not for those wanting leather-lined luxury for sure. What you get is manual wind-up windows, vinyl seats and a rear sliding windscreen. Of course, for us civvies we get air-conditioner and a CD player, hardly standard equipment for your regular military issue Defender.

You can have any colour interior as long as it’s black. The use of black plastic is extensive throughout the cabin, easier to clean than walnut wood grain if you get mud and muck on it. With vinyl seats, you can even clean it with a bucket of soapy water. The straight-up almost vertical seating position takes getting used to. It’s what Land Rover calls “Command Driving” position delivering an elevated view of your surroundings as well as an elevated superiority complex as you tower over the tallest Japanese SUVs and twin-cab pick-ups.

The utilitarianism is extended into the engine compartment in the form of an all-new 2.4 litre four-cylinder common rail turbodiesel engine derived from, get this, a Ford Transit van. This is, however, no ordinary van engine; it’s been tweaked to produce a maximum power output of 122bhp at 3,500rpm as well as a highly respectable maximum torque of 360Nm at just 2,000rpm.

All that torque at such low rpm means one thing — excellent payload and towing capacities. The Defender HCPU has a maximum towing capacity of 3,500kg if the trailer is braked, good enough for a decent-sized trailer boat or a horse float. Unbraked trailers are limited to only 750kg, more than enough if all you want to tow is a couple of dirt bikes.

The engine has also been specifically tuned to tolerate the variable quality high sulphur diesel commonly found in our country and other developing nations. The turbodiesel is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox; unique because I haven’t seen any other vehicle in the Defender’s price range that has a six-speed manual shifter.

It’s a long shift gearbox, and it feels like you’re arm-wrestling Arnie, particularly “Reverse”, which is a long way away on the extreme left and up. Two 4WD modes, low and high, are also available to cope with the various stresses and loads. An anti-stall device is also fitted to keep the engine well fuelled when working under heavy loads and low rpm.

Being permanent 4WD, you don’t have to worry about when to switch it on. It’s there as and when you need it. I took the Defender down a dirt track, which I think I was not supposed to be on, to test its 4WD capabilities. The track was nowhere near as tough as the Rainforest Challenge. It was mainly soggy, with deep-rutted clay that had a layer of slippery wet leaf litter. There were also some boulders strewn around parts of the track, which the Defender straddled with ease without even scraping the bottom of its undercarriage. That jungle track was no match for the Defender.

While the Defender rules the off-road, it may be a tad bouncy for asphalt. Crashing into PJ’s deepest potholes and ruts will cause it to bounce and shake like a hyperactive puppy, but only for a mere moment. The Defender quickly recovers itself and goes along its merry way.

The coil spring suspension does a great job in isolating much of the shock away from the cabin. The craters and speed bumps that demolish many a regular car’s suspension and rims are once again no match for the Defender. With all the flash floods that we are currently having, the Defender’s wading depth of 50cm makes it an ideal flood escape vehicle.

Add to that, the optional Safari snorkel and the Defender will venture into much deeper waters. Royal Marines specify that their Defenders must be able to operate fully submerged on beach landings. The Defender HCPU has a cargo bed length of more than 2m and is made almost entirely of aluminium. In fact most of the Defender’s body panels are light, strong and rustproof. Land Rover has been using aluminium since the first Series 1 trucks, as after World War II, steel was still being rationed and hard to come by.

The 2007 Land Rover Defender HCPU is not for everyone. Its inherent load bearing, towing and off-road capabilities are legendary amongst the 4WD fraternity. What Land Rover has done with the 2007 Defender is to drag a product conceived after the throes of World War II, into the 21st century and made it relevant to today’s requirements for a tough, no-nonsense off-road vehicle that is much sought after by many of the world’s armed forces and civilians alike.

At RM146,860 (OTR without insurance), it is a pretty penny to pay for a rudimentary 4WD pick-up truck. But if I did have the spare change .... hmmmmm.

The original article was written by LAI VOON LOONG - The Star, September 7, 2008 entitled "The Beast returns".

ASTHMA - the gender issue

I read this article in The Star 7 Sept 2008, entitled "Gender in Asthma". Thought of sharing with others who did not have the chance to read it from the newspaper. Well, first and foremost it says that currently about 20 million people in the US have asthma, and it cuts a path across gender lines. During childhood, asthma is found to be more prevalent and more severe among males.

But after puberty, the opposite is true: There is more occurence in female, and women face the higher risk of severe cases. For many boys, in fact, asthma symptoms taper off as they reached puberty, while for girls that’s often when the problems (asthmatic attacks) first emerge.

Nobody has determined why this flip-flop exists, but intriguing theories circulate. A study published recently in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine touches on some of them.

One school of thought: Changing levels of the hormones progesterone and estrogen make women more susceptible to attacks, while rising levels of testosterone among boys exert a protective effect.

A second: Anatomical differences drive the disparity. Women, for example, are known to develop smaller airways in proportion to a given lung volume than males do.

A third: Exposure levels to outdoor environmental triggers have an influence on the shift.

Boys who start to feel better after being on asthma medication for years can now be more comfortable about getting off their medications. – US News and World Report / Premium Health News Services.