On the brink...

Finally, after a year or so, I had finished reading Joseph Stiglitz's 2 books on globalisation. The first one "Globalisation and its Discontents" talks about why globalisation had so far failed to live up to its promise of delivering growth and improvements in standard of living around the world. In fact, quite the opposite has happened in many parts of the world. The second book " Making Globalisation Work" then talks about some of the main areas of reforms that needs to be made in order to move globalisation on the right track, including a global reserve system, policies to tackle global warming, trade policies and intellectual property frameworks.

I seldom read, that's a fact and it is not something that I am proud of. But I must say that these 2 books had really opened my naive and ignorant brain somewhat. I do not claim to have the intellectual capacity to be able to critique the policies or ideas that the author had, but I think there are some pretty sound and logical principles that were surfaced (according to my understanding).

1. Humans respond to incentives - to get them to do the right thing, the right incentives must be present.

This sounds perfectly logical, but it is not so easy to implement in real life. Till this day, there had been far too many policies that looked good on paper, but actually failed to provide the right incentives for people to respond in the appropriate manner. The worst policies are actually those which provide the incentives to do the OPPOSITE. The usual reason for this would be too myopic a view on a certain issue, or a certain indicator, for example only inflation, or debt repayment, as compared to the health of overall economy.

2. Globalisation can work - the devil's in the details (management).

In theory, globalisation can and should work. However, what had failed so far is not globalisation itself but its management per se. What is happening right now is that political globalisation lacks way behind economic globalisation, resulting in perverted incentives or opportunities for quick individuals/corporations to make a quick profit at the expense of others. Combining point 1 and 2, this means there is an urgent need to relook at various areas from trade to finance to environment and work out details in policies and contracts that would provide the right incentives.

3. A global phenomenon requires global response, global coordination.

This idea is perhaps the most evident throughout the whole of the second book. It is perhaps the most important idea of all and there are signs of such things happening. It is simple enough to understand, if each and everyone (country) think only about themselves, each would pursue policies that would benefit himself and overall, at best it might not benefit everyone. At worst, it may lead to detrimental effects for everyone. This is blatantly not the way to go when the actions of someone sitting in a comfy office in Wall Street can ultimately lead to my bonus being cut :( It's time to stop being myopic and/or xenophobic. It's time to think global, and to take an interest in global affairs, including the way international affairs are being conducted. And the first step towards achieving that is really to learn more about global affairs.

I really do feel that the world has reached a crossroads of sorts in a lot of areas, areas like global warming, terrorism, international trade, etc etc. The decisions that we will make in the next 5 to 10 years would determine the direction the whole world would take for the long term future. Would our future generations look back on this period and lament our inability to learn from our mistakes, or praise our generation for the bold moves that we took?

"All it takes for evil to succeed is for a few good men to do nothing."

Best of luck Cole!

I'll be the first to admit that 'Goal King Cole' didn't really quite catch on with me, given that in the first season that I started following United, Cole was missing chances left right centre, with the last game of the season against West Ham especially galling. But nothing can take away the fact that he was nothing short of sensational from 97/98 onwards. The following season saw the arrival of Yorke and that partnership was still the best strike partnership I had ever seen in all these years at United. Both of them were not the fastest, most skillful or strongest strikers ever but somehow both of them had a bit of everything and something more - the understanding. So as yet another of my childhood United heroes hang up his boots, should I also move on?

Taken from the BBC

The highs and lows of Andrew Cole

By Nabil Hassan

Andrew Cole's retirement from professional football this week may have been relatively low key, but his career was anything but.

You just have to look back at his career stats to realise that 'Goal King' Cole was a little bit special.

Only Alan Shearer has scored more goals than him (260) in the Premier League, with Cole notching 187.

Very few are more decorated than him with the Nottingham-born 37-year-old boasting a medal haul that includes five Premier League titles, two FA Cup trophies, the Champions League and the League Cup.

Cole - to put it in simple terms - won it all.

And he was not a bit part player either. His partnership with Dwight Yorke in the 1998-9 season was perhaps the most important ingredient in a United team that won a historic treble.

That season Cole and Yorke were untouchable, the hottest partnership in English football and were revered across Europe.

In all, Cole scored 93 times for the Red Devils, and went on to record 289 career goals.

But for all the success domestically he failed to take that form on to the international stage with Cole making only 15 appearances for England, scoring just once.

Cole talks to BBC Sport and looks back at the highs and lows of his 19-year career that started at Arsenal and ended at his home-town club Nottingham Forest.

BEST MEMORY

"It is hard to pick out one but I'd have to say that winning the treble at Manchester United...I don't think anything is going to top that. It was a special season."

BEST GOAL

"I've scored so many and a lot have been special so it would be difficult to say one.

"But maybe the goal that won us the championship (against Tottenham in 1999 on the last day of the season) in the treble-winning season would be up there."

BEST MANAGER

"Sir Alex Ferguson. He was the only manager who could always get the best out of me.

"I would like to believe that if I go into coaching I will learn something from him."

BEST FANS

"I loved the Manchester United supporters, they were great to me and I also played at St James' Park and they were incredible…I couldn't choose between them."

BEST PLAYING PARTNER

"It would be hard to choose between Dwight Yorke and Peter Beardsley. They were different players but brilliant in their own way."

BEST PLAYER

"There were so many I couldn't pick one, but Eric Cantona would be up there.

"I never feared any opponent but played against some great players like Paolo Maldini and Des Walker in his heyday."

BIGGEST REGRET

"I left Manchester United too early. I was only 30 and could have played on there and that is the only one that wrangles with me."

PLAYING FOR ENGLAND

"I played 15 times so I don't see that as a regret. It didn't work out, but lots of people play a lot for their country but never win a thing domestically. I've done just that and I have no axe to grind."

HANGING UP THE BOOTS

"It was an easy decision to make. I had made my mind up in September to retire from football.

"I went to Nottingham Forest to play as many games as possible and that wasn't happening. I knew I couldn't play all of them but I was only a bit-part player and after everything I have achieved in the game I wasn't going to do that for anybody."

THE FUTURE

"I still love the game, I haven't fallen out of love with it and that is why at some stage I want to return to it. I am doing my coaching badges and my intention is to put in what I've taken out.

"I'm enjoying a bit of break at the moment and having some time on my hands, but I can only do nothing for so long."

Inside North Korea (part 1)

If you watch all the way to Part 7, you will be amazed.

It really reinforces my belief that bullshit, if repeated often enough, and with enough conviction, will become the truth.

Christmas Carol for everyone!

Latest Christmas carol for 2008, pretty neat eh?

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town.

It's hitting you once,
It's hitting you twice
It doesn't care if you've been careful and wise
Recession is coming to town

It's worthless if you've got shares
It's worthless if you've got bonds
It's safe when you've got cash in hand
So keep cash for goodness sake, HEY

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town!

Finance products are confusing
Finance products are so vague
The banks make you bear the cost of risk
So keep out for goodness sake, OH

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town.

Live the pain...

歌名：会呼吸的痛 歌手：梁静茹 所属专辑：崇拜

在东京铁塔 第一次眺望
看灯火模仿 坠落的星光
我终於到达 但却更悲伤
一个人完成 我们的梦想
你总说 时间还很多
你可以等我
以前我不懂得
未必明天 就有以后
想念是会呼吸的痛
它活在我身上所有角落
哼你爱的歌会痛
看你的信会痛 连沉默也痛
遗憾是会呼吸的痛
它流在血液中来回滚动
后悔不贴心会痛
恨不懂你会痛
想见不能见最痛
没看你脸上 张扬过哀伤
那是种多麼 寂寞的倔强
你拆了城墙 让我去流浪
在原地等我 把自己捆绑
你没说你也会软弱
需要依赖我
我就装不晓得
自由移动 自我地过
我发誓不再说谎了
多爱你就会抱你多紧的
我的微笑都假了
灵魂像飘浮著
你在就好了
我发誓不让你等候
陪你做想做的无论什麼
我越来越像贝壳
怕心被人触碰
你回来那就好了
能重来那就好了

Dangerous...

Something to remind myself :(


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