#$%^&*

I think I am crazy coz if I was sane I would be doing all I could to live longer.

I know that I should lose weight. I should exercise. I should reduce / no salt or I die.

Havent done anything much recently.

Now feeling like my stomach is bloating again.

Was OK, maintaining 98 to 100kg then go up and up. Now 103kg. The maintaining part was depressing. No matter what I did nothing happened...and the Lactul pushed my sugar level sky high. Having diarrhea every little while, so stop taking Lactul..sugar still high.

Being depressed before that.
Dont know why but by afternoon I am sleepy and cant concentrate much.
Lazy.

I dont seem to have will power.
Need a person to push me, every day...wife tired and busy..

Haiz... need a pick me up.

Hospital bed

A friend posted on FB with a picture of him on a hospital bed... and the first thing that came to my mind was that the beds are comfortable. Nice and firm. Bed sheet tight. So far the pillows were also nice. Wish they had a comforter (the long pillow that you hug) coz I like that..lol.

When I was doing a endoscopy recently I even suggested to the doctor for a comforter pillow..lol..maybe to get my mind off the procedure coz I close my eyes and hug myself while the procedure was going on. I dont even want them to talk aloud of what they see...and the doctors are telling me see thia and that (there is a TV like screen where you can see your insides). Nope, not for me.

Been in hospital before..wonder if its because the bed is actually comfortable or because I was sick that the bed was comfortable.

My only grouse was the clothes to wear..very difficult to find my size...lol..

Marketing

I am amazed that many companies, NGO's, institutions of all sorts say that they are marketing oriented/based. All whom I have spoken to are not.

In order to understand marketing one needs to understand the philosophy of business over time. We started as hunter/gatherers, learnt to plant, then domesticated animals and had more than required. So we bartered and soon came the creation of money and we transacted. When the Industrial Revolution came, our philosophy was based on production..make, make, make. Guess what..we became very good at production..so now we started looking at the product. Then came the 1930s and the world market crash. This was the era of sales. After that came marketing and now its societal marketing and beyond.

In Malaysia we are still stuck in production (consumers favor products that are highly available and affordable - cheap, cheap..), product (consumers favor products that offer the most quality, performance, innovation - best in the world you know), or sales (consumers will only purchase products that are promoted to them - push, push, push) philosophy. Maybe there are 1 or 2 companies that actually do marketing but the joke among many is that if your job title is "Marketing Executive," you are a salesman (hey..I was one).

So what is marketing? For me, marketing is

... the determination of the needs and wants of the customer 

and the fulfillment of those needs and wants through a rigorous process 

at a profit to the company.

Marketing has three important components for me. The first is knowing the needs and wants (yes, they are different) of your customer (who they are, etc etc). If you don't know what they need or want, or worst still, you assume that is what they need and want...your business will face problems (of course there are certain external and internal marketing environmental criteria that may make your company grow but at the price of a disgruntled customer - such as growth in birth rate will increase demand for baby products and even though your company is the shittiest company for baby products, you will still make money).

The second part is whether can you fulfill those needs and wants. Do you want to? Do you have a process that can do so for your company? For me, not all customers are kings/queens..some I dont want.

Profit became a dirty word, especially after the Enron scandal. Nevertheless if a business (even a not for profit organization has to make profit!) doesn't make money, how can it continue?

Sales on the other hand is pushing what we have, so that we gain a profit, whether people want the product or not. I have had people who told me that they started a business because they were a good cook. Nothing about whether the customer needed or wanted the product.

The insurance industry tells me it has a wonderful marketing program, but its at best just sales. I am not putting down sales..it is required, but it should not be hidden behind the meaning of marketing. Lets call a spade, a spade. I want an insurance for the cost of burial and its associated ceremonies. All I get is "We have this and that life insurance." Not what I want.

Marketers will hear what the customer wants, go back and see how to get what the customer wants (4Ps) and offer that, if they want those customers, and believe they can make a profit out of it. BTW, I really do want an insurance to cover the cost of death - coffin, burial, food/drinks, prayers over certain period of time - cost a bomb!

In marketing, everything starts and ends with the customer.
Is this practiced in your business?

Want to do your PhD?

I get a lot of students emailing me or even sometimes come to see me, saying they want to do their PhD.

Really?

I usually go on a tirade as to why one should not do a PhD. Some agree and don't come back after that. Some continue to listen and ask what to do. I tell them, and they do..and surprisingly come back. Others just disappear.

So why shouldn't you do a PhD?
1. You have other commitments - wife, kids, business, job..you name it.
2. You think its like doing a MBA!  ROTFL
3. You think your supervisor will hold your hand and help you do all the work.
4. You think you will make more money.
5. You know there is a grant..you sure..what if there is no grant?
6. You still want to live as if you are making more money than your supervisor (have you counted the cost..can you live frugally?)
7. You want to be a lecturer...and its a requirement..what..you mean I must love it too?
etc
etc
etc


I always ask my students, is it fun?

Is doing a PhD fun for you? If its not, then why are you here?

Is reading obscure, bombastic, hard to understand journals fun for you? If its not, then why are you here?

Do you find doing research fun? If its not, then why are you here?

Do you want to do something for the people and find this work fun? If its not, then why are you here?

I had fun doing my PhD (and still having fun now).
Are you having fun?

So what to do next.....read and find something of fun for you and then lets talk.

small things..

U know, if for small things u cant do, what more for larger matters. 

Cant get rubbish collected on time (makes me wonder what is being done with the waste???); cant catch dogs that have been let loose and even bitten people (what programs are there???); cant even get ah long posters/ads/buntings down; cant close down illegal gambling places; cant get proper and cheap public transport; etc; etc; etc; but can have big offices and lots of staff.

Have you ever 'turun padang' to see what actually happens? Do you know what the 'rakyat marhaen' wants..not what the big bosses need (PR coverage etc). 

Perhaps you do, but this rakyat (citizen) doesn't know. More importantly this citizen doesn't see any physical proof of serving the people.

live..

Laughed while chewing and choked, could feel I was not breathing, a few slaps on my back and cough(s) cleared the obstruction..wow..the feeling of unable to breathe..

It also reminded me that we will all die..so live life now..not as if you are dead already..

Nun

We got a t-shirt for my wife and.. I am waiting for mine (larger size than expected.. me and not the t-shirt)..

The t-shirt is emblazoned with a golden Arabic letter 'nun' that was used to identify 'Nasrani' or Christians as how they are called in Iraq, and with the words in Bahasa Malaysia, Saya ni, Nasrani (I am a Christian). The t-shirt was meant to display solidarity with the Christian being persecuted in Iraq, to stand up and declare we are Christians.

I am a Christian.

Amen.

All this hoopla on FB

Sigh
FB is no longer fun...

It seems its just a place for keyboard warriors... people with little or no knowledge of the issues at hand.. extremely emotional.. certainly not that rational.. running their own agenda without thinking of the effect of their hastily written words..

Not that I want to write much anymore on FB.. especially with a lot of persons who suddenly seem so pious and somehow or rather easily misunderstand basic English.. but with great fervor attack anyone who has a perceived different view from themselves. There is no thought on the matter at hand. Its as if brutes are on the large, just out there to cause trouble and mayhem, believing they are immune to persecution.. and it looks like that, even though I hope it is not.

Many are just clueless and follow the crowd. Herd mentality. And clueless people don't provide any good input. Many are not even aware of any other conflicts outside Gaza, Muslim killing Muslim.. what more Muslim killing Christians. Others are so fixated on Kiki and just cant seem to shake it off, thus looking up old cases of other similar cases but by other races...  Its just another opportunity to rage.. and rage like a bull let loose... not knowing or caring what it destroys, kills, or maims... including itself.

So many fake pictures on FB from the current issues...
Just so many...
Think first before posting. Is it real? Is it good? Will it do good?
On another side of the story, I still have nightmares over the so called growth on people.. which turn out to be a photoshopped photo of a person plus the seed pod of a water flower. Nightmares. Why put it up on FB for?

FB also seems to be the place for 'outsiders' to ply their trade. Groups like Perkasa, Isma for instance. Pages like Anti Sabah dan Sarawak and the like. Wow. Sometimes you wonder did these people even think before they write anything on FB? I have made police report before... of course nothing has been settled. I know of others who have made police reports. Also nothing has happened.

Plus a lot more negative issues on/of/caused by FB!

So be very aware of what you do on FB.

Maybe its time to switch off FB for a while...

2nd Borneo Research Education Conference 26-27 Aug 2014

I am one of the BREC 2014 Conference Convenors and I hope that you will take time to read the attached brochure and to consider attending, and for lecturers to be reviewers. Please feel free to pass this information to others.

For more info:
Contact | Ms Stella Chua
Organising Secretary, BREC 2014
Tel: +60 82 260 955
E-mail: brec@swinburne.edu.my

Need to Plan

I teach this... but I am guilty of not doing this... in many times and instances particularly my health.

Lets look at the basic.

Question 1. Where have I been? 
Everywhere. Eating everything.

Question 2. Where do I want to go?
A longer life than what I have been told, so that I can stay healthy and well for my family.
(I know it must be quantifiable, achieveable etc... but thats for me to know... dont want to share yet).

Question 3. How do I get there?
Apparently according to the doctors its straight forward.
a. no more particular meds which means I must control my food intake
b. control food intake
c. exercise daily
d. pray

So now I know my situation and it is clear.
Now to do.
Then evaluate what has been done. Do corrections if not done.

I do need some form of personal support, but that has to be worked out.


So if you want something for your life, plan then do. Dont just talk. Too many people talk - dreamers... but never do. It will take time. There will be failure.. but there will be improvement.

I have to believe that because I want to see my children grow up. Amen.

Sad

It really tears me apart when i m criticized and ostracized for being truthful and at the same time trying to help. It takes a lot out of me and takes time to heal. Basically spoils my week or month or more!

I know I am the kind of person that is oblivious to the finer niceties when dealing with people. Nevertheless in this case I did say that "in the current form," and then I gave suggestions on how to improve the work instead of just throwing the whole thing away. I also suggested to do certain changes and the work would be acceptable.

The next moment I get a litany of negativity from other person(s) involved. 
WOW!
Even after explaining, the negativity continues.
WOW!
And explaining till my phone battery dies... and the litany continues.
WOW!

Now I am SAD!

Some (nearly daily) headaches I face on the road..

Sometimes I wish I was a policeman.. boy would there be a lot of people being caught... but each day I am the one trying to catch myself from swearing and losing my control.. and gaining higher blood pressure due to these drivers.. here are some of my nearly daily dealings.

If you drive just a bit after 10th mile there is a traffic light. Here are some photos for you to see.

Anything wrong?
To the casual observer or someone who is not used to this place, it looks just fine. But its not. These trucks are coming out from a factory and cutting right through as cars move from the left to the right. By the way, there is no traffic light from the right to the left!

Then of course there is always this. The motorbike guy that must drive in the middle of the road at 40km/h without a care of anyone, and you cant overtake because the oncoming traffic is so heavy.

And what is this all about? There are signs all the way to this site, showing that there is work being done and that cars can go by the side.
Nooo. Not in Sarawak. I must drive straight ahead and let all the other oncoming cars wait. I must drive on asphalt and not on gravel. So many times I have seen/experienced such drivers. Just speed on and you get out of my way.. how can my car go on the gravel road, its just a huge 4 wheel drive.
Or the direct opposite.. I must drive very slowly and gingerly so that my car will not get dirty. I have even seen this auntie stop after this and walked around her car. For what? Because it got dirty? That's why you stay in the car, so that you don't get dirty and the car will (please note I used the word will, your car will get dirty). So when its dirty, go get it washed, preferably not right after this roadworks.

Sigh.

Sadly there are many more inconsiderate actions. Sadly.

Call for Papers for Asian Journal of Business Research

CALL FOR PAPERS

BUSINESS IATROGENESIS

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: AUGUST 2015

Iatrogenesis is “preventable harm resulting from medical treatment or advice to patients” (Wikipedia). Clearly, this concept applies to non-medical domains. In this vein, we define ‘business iatrogenesis’ as net reduction in organizational efficacy induced by efforts to solve a managerially identified problem. Under this proposed definition, net reduction in organizational efficacy relates to entities such as revenue, profit, market share, customer satisfaction, product value, competitive advantage, and ethical status; efforts to solve relate to words and/or deeds; and a managerial identified problem could be intersubjectively certifiable or imaginary.

An upcoming special issue of Asian Journal of Business Research will be dedicated to ‘business iatrogenesis’. The many diverse topics suitable for the special issue include, but are not limited to, the following possibilities as they relate to business practice:

• Helpful and harmful incentives for action
• Faulty feedback loops between action and outcome
• Potentially problematic psychological mechanisms, such as self-deception, excessive optimism or pessimism, magical thinking, and blindness to contrary evidence
• Adopting business fads based on limited anecdotal evidence
• Premature self-cannibalization of products
• ‘Feature creep’ for hi-tech products (i.e., new product features wanted by few customers that needlessly complicate product use)
• Control systems that encourage useless/destructive rather than constructive action
• Productive and counterproductive responses to forecasts of discontinuous change
• Harmful interactions caused by different managerial actions
• Negative byproducts of regulatory interventions
• Recovery from faulty prescriptions for action

The review process will be double blind, with multiple referees evaluating each manuscript. Prospective authors can find manuscript guidelines at http: http://www.magscholar.com/ joomla/index.php/manuscript-requirements. Please submit an electronic version of your manuscript (in Word, WordPerfect, or pdf format) as an e-mail attachment to mhyman@nmsu.edu. Manuscripts describing empirical (qualitative or quantitative), theoretical, or case studies are welcome.

Pose any questions about manuscript suitability to the lead guest editor.

GUEST EDITORS

Michael R. Hyman, Distinguished Achievement Professor of Marketing, New Mexico State University (mhyman@nmsu.edu; http://business.nmsu.edu/~mhyman);

Jeremy J. Sierra, Associate Professor of Marketing, Texas State University (js204@txstate.edu);

Susan D. Steiner, Chair and Associate Professor of Management, University of Tampa (ssteiner@ut.edu).

IBBC 2014

Dear colleagues,

On behalf of IBBC2014 conference committee, it is my pleasure to invite you to participate in the 6th International Borneo and Business Conference 2014 (IBBC 2014). This event is organized by Faculty of Economics and Business, UNIMAS and Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), 20 - 21 August 2014, Riverside Majestic Hotel, Kuching, Sarawak. For details, please visit our conference website: http://www.feb.unimas.my/ibbc.   

IBBC 2014 continues its tradition of bringing together participants from local and international universities, private and government institutions or agencies and various industrial sectors to exchange their experiences and ideas. The theme of IBBC 2014 is "Global Business and Economic Transformation".  In conjunction to the recent developments in the business and economic environments, the theme is chosen to solicit active and dynamic discussions on issues pertaining to global climate change, global economic and financial crises and their impacts on the business and economic climates in the Borneo as well as the global world. The conference accepts working papers on accounting, banking & finance, e-commerce, entrepreneurship, marketing, corporate governance, tourism & hospitality, regional economics, development economics, environmental economics, fiscal & monetary issues, as well as Islamic finance and economics, and any other business and economics studies.

You are invited to submit your paper or abstract at https://www.easychair.org/account/signin.cgi?conf=ibbc2014 . The first page shall contain the title of the paper, and information about all authors, such as name, address, e-mail, phone, and fax. The body of the paper must not have any author identification and must begin with the paper title, abstract, JEL classification codes, key words and conference category (choose on from: (a) economics, (b) business, and c) finance).

All entries will be reviewed by our internal and external conference reviewers. At least one of the authors of accepted papers must register as conference participant. Selected papers will be considered for publication in the International Journal of Business and Society (SCOPUS). Besides, all registered papers (deadline applies) will be included in the IBBC 2014 Conference Proceedings CD (with ISBN number). The best paper in each of the following conference categories:  (a) economics (b) business and c) finance presented at the conference will be awarded on a competitive basis.

Important Dates:

Abstract Submission

2nd May 2014 

Submission of Full Paper

30th June 2014 

Early Registration

30th May 2014 

Last Registration

1st August 2014 

I would appreciate if you could forward this message to your colleagues and friends. 

Best Regards,

Dr. Rossazana Ab. Rahim

IBBC2014

Email: arossazana@feb.unimas.my