Whoo hoo. I got myself a copy of the Harvard Business Review for the December 2007 edition. It’s really amazing how understandable the articles are. But with a rather steep subscription rate US$169 for one year or 12 magazines — and we’re not counting in yet the shipping cost. Sure, right now seem to be the most opportune time to get it given the weakening US dollar. But Tengy made mention of special rates of subscription I can have when I’m serving my MMC. Which of course makes me hope that they carry the HBR.
(I’m already using the acronyms. Love much.)

If they don’t carry it — and I strongly suspect they don’t — I think I’ll just the The Economist and maybe Der Spiegel. Yes, my pushing my luck with the latter I know.

The cost of oil has risen to hit the US$100 per barrel mark — which is heavily expected of course.
I think the volume of articles and news coverage over the last few months of 2007 were fluid enough for us to get the flow of things. Oil is an expensive commodity and in some places like Malaysia and Venezuela, it’s still more affordable than water. You can say oil in these countries flow like f*ck.
My apologies for being crude with words sometimes.

An article in the HBR caught my attention — and if you must now, namely you Tengy, this copy is glossy, not some cheap paper reprint done at Ayer Rajah — is the one on page 60, written by Tarun Khanna.
And if you have been a fan of Khanna’s work as I have, then you know the article is surely about China+India. The two superpowers of Asia, mostly economically. China is of course upgrading her military, but it’s probably not until some more decades for China to be on par with the world. But with an army numbering in the millions, it’s hard to pick out potential sometimes. And if the PLA don’t work for them, there’s always Shenzhen.

I went out with my family for dinner this evening. Apparently we still are in limbo abotu where to go. So we’re pretty much unsure. And tired.

But we went down to Beach Road — which is like Singapore’s OC really (insert laughs) — and had our dinner. Proving that good food doesn’t need to cost a lot and be at some fancy restaurant, we had a very satisfying meal.
And headed for Suntec after that when a particular college swarmed the unsuspecting shoppers with hordes of their kind.

I know — freeeeaaaaky.

We went by cabs for all the journey there. And my parents used the rain as the excuse. That wasn’t what they said when it was a thunderstorm and we still took a train to Orchard Road.

Oh before that, like way back in the afternoon, I went to Biopolis to see my sister’s workplace. It’s so cozy and warm and really compact, in a good way of course.
There was no one in the office or the lab, so my sister showed me around her work bench and her office space. It’s really adorable. And the whole place feels so professional. It’s quite a big company really. Though Tengy will have a million and one things to comment on. Go ahead, Tengy — I’m not listening. Talk to wall perhaps Tengy. Neither one will feel hurt.

New Hampshire is set to host the next caucus on Monday. And after the disastrous caucus failure in Iowa by Senator Clinton (D-NY), I really pray she makes it to the top in New Hampshire. Because I think that failure there too will signal a disturbing shift in the campaign effectiveness.

Make me crinkle my nose
Where ever it goes
I always know.
sdl2.