2011年7月20日星期三

Time Management

Tip 1: Carry a schedule and record all your thoughts, conversations and activities for a week. This will help you understand how much you can get done during the course of a day and where your precious moments are going. You'll see how much time is actually spent producing results and how much time is wasted on unproductive thoughts, conversations and actions.

Tip 2: Any activity or conversation that's important to your success should have a time assigned to it. To-do lists get longer and longer to the point where they're unworkable. Appointment books work. Schedule appointments with yourself and create time blocks for high-priority thoughts, conversations, and actions. Schedule when they will begin and end. Have the discipline to keep these appointments.

Tip 3: Plan to spend at least 50 percent of your time engaged in the thoughts, activities and conversations that produce most of your results.

Tip 4: Schedule time for interruptions. Plan time to be pulled away from what you're doing. Take, for instance, the concept of having "office hours." Isn't "office hours" another way of saying "planned interruptions?"

Tip 5: Take the first 30 minutes of every day to plan your day. Don't start your day until you complete your time plan. The most important time of your day is the time you schedule to schedule time.

Tip 6: Take five minutes before every call and task to decide what result you want to attain. This will help you know what success looks like before you start. And it will also slow time down. Take five minutes after each call and activity to determine whether your desired result was achieved. If not, what was missing? How do you put what's missing in your next call or activity?

Tip 7: Put up a "Do not disturb" sign when you absolutely have to get work done.

Tip 8: Practice not answering the phone just because it's ringing and e-mails just because they show up. Disconnect instant messaging.

Tip 9: Don't instantly give people your attention unless it's absolutely crucial in your business to offer an immediate human response. Instead, schedule a time to answer email and return phone calls.

Tip 10: Block out other distractions like Facebook and other forms of social media unless you use these tools to generate business.

2011年7月18日星期一

'Fast cash' a ploy to trap youth

'Fast cash' a ploy to trap youth

The lure of fast money tempts young people to take up holiday jobs, which may be ploys by adults for them to do their dirty work, said Dr Carol Balhetchet, the Singapore Children's Society director of youth service.

This is because cash is the language that youth, who live in a very materialistic world, speak today, she said. They are starkly different from those growing up a decade or up to 50 years ago.

The observation comes from experience, said Dr Balhetchet, who has counselled children and their families since 1992.

"We live in a society that is getting more sophisticated with the latest technology," she said. "Kids are getting bombarded by advertisements everywhere. Their lifestyle has changed and every day they face the questions: How to be cool, how to be popular, how to get anything you want."

Youth these days are empowered to take on work merely to be able to afford the things that are advertised on TV, newspapers and even on the sides of public buses, she said.

Earlier this month, police arrested 85 students and four adults for distributing name cards and pamphlets advertising illegal moneylending services.

The police said in a statement: "This case highlights a worrying trend of loan-shark syndicates infiltrating schools and recruiting students to work for them."

The trend appears to be increasing, with 62 young people arrested for loan-shark and related harassment activities so far this year. A total of 156 young people aged 19 and below were arrested last year, more than twice the 60 arrested in 2008.

~News courtesy of Omy~

专家研究:沉迷互联网 大脑将受损

专家研究:沉迷互联网 大脑将受损

美国与中国专家联合研究显示,沉迷互联网可能导致青少年大脑受损,从而影响认知能力,并使他们更易出现“不适当”的行为。

研究员对18名有网瘾的中国大学生进行脑部磁力共振扫描(MRI),并与另一组非网瘾学生的脑部影像进行比对后,得出上述结论。

中国青少年网瘾问题严重,去年一份报告估计,中国城市青少年网民中,约有14.1%或24 million人有网瘾。参与研究的18名19岁网瘾学生每星期有6天会上网玩8至13个小时的游戏。

对学生大脑中处理记忆、情绪、言语、视觉、听觉与控制身体动作的皮层(cortex)扫描的结果显示,相较于每天上网不到2小时的同龄学生,网瘾学生大脑皮质中几个小区域的灰质(grey matter)都出现萎缩现象,而且患网瘾时间越久,大脑受损的情况就越严重。

网瘾学生大脑深层负责在各个灰质区之间传递信息的白质(white matter),也发生了变化。

研究员指出,这些由上网成瘾所导致的脑部结构变异,会使青少年更依赖网络,并可能导致认知能力出现缺陷。随着网瘾日深,青少年的集中力、记忆力、决策力及定立目标的能力都可能受到影响,自我克制能力也可能减弱,从而更易出现不良行为。

这份刊登在权威期刊“PLoS One”的研究报告,是由来自中国科学研究院、四川大学华西医院、美国University of Florida等大学与医院的研究员联合进行。

2011年7月15日星期五

又3狮城妇女投诉上当‧刮刮乐刮走老妇养老金

又3狮城妇女投诉上当‧刮刮乐刮走老妇养老金

又有3名新加坡妇女伸诉在步出新山关卡后​​,便被刮刮乐成员强拉前往参加“付款抽大奖”,其中一名上当者是85岁的老妇,她被无良的刮刮乐集团耍计刮走1万4千余令吉的养老金。

这3名新加坡妇女被刮刮乐份子括去3万4千余令吉,她们今午在柔佛州务大臣特别助理刘德贤安排下举行新闻发布会,讲述被死缠烂打的刮刮乐集团份子带往银行提款参与“付款抽大奖”的经过。

杜月娇:单身年老仍要打工

85岁的杜月娇,单身,无儿无女,住在新加坡珍珠坊,目前年纪老迈的她,仍在替人当家庭工,赚钱维持生活。

她说,由于她有计划积存更多的钱,准备日后到新山找家疗养院养老,因此,她在新山银行开了户头。 6月2日遇到刮刮乐份子当天,她是准备把老板用支票开付的薪金存入银行。

她指出,她遇到的刮刮乐职员是一名20岁左右的年轻人,对方不但骗她去银行用存褶提出1万令吉的存款,过后还带她去银行申请提款卡,然后用第一天拿到手的提款卡,帮她提出4千500令吉。

她说,第一次提出的1万令吉,她自己保留200令吉,付给对方9千800令吉;过后用卡分3次提出的4千500令吉,她则保留30​​0令吉,给对方4千200令吉。

她指出,最终她并没有如对方所说的抽到巨奖,而是抽到3张水床。对方答应替她脱售所抽到的水床,但必须付给佣金,并嘱咐她在6月12日到新山关卡附近的商场等候,将会把卖了水床的钱付还给她。

商家民众点醒惊悉上当

她说,当天她捧着对方声称送给她的按摩器和电子炉奖品回国时,新加坡关卡人员见她年纪老迈,还通融不收她的消费税,可是当时她并不知道自己已经被诈骗,花钱换来物非所值的产品。

她说,10天后,她回到新山等对方把替她转售水床的钱还给她,等了大半天,不见对方出现,过后经商场的商家和民众点醒,她才惊悉自己上当了。

当知道被骗后,杜老太太次日便到新山警局报案。

许冬月:银行单据也被对方收去

被刮刮乐刮走8千800令吉的许冬月(56岁)说,住在新加坡兀兰的她,是在7月9日被2名年轻人带上一辆德士载到百合花园。她除了从新山的银行提出3千令吉外,过后还被该2名年轻人用车载她到新加坡,在新加坡银行转帐2千新币到其中一名年轻人的户头。

她说,对方替她转帐时,银行的单据也被对方收去,不给她留下证据。

她认为对方似乎会耍催眠术,当她遇上刮刮乐的人员后,就变得六神无主,心里也很害怕。当对方嘱咐她不得把提款和抽奖的事告诉家人时,她也一样遵守地不敢说出来。

她披露,她目前手上有一台电子炉和一台滤水机;花钱参加抽奖所得的2张玉床,由于对方表示可代她脱售,所以她没有带回新加坡。

她表示,过后和妹妹提起时,她才知道自己被诈财了。原来她的妹妹在5月22日,也和她一样在新山被刮刮乐份子纠缠上,但妹妹及时联络上丈夫,在丈夫阻止下,妹妹并没参与抽奖。

黄赛珠:误信对​​方可拿回钱

51岁的黄赛珠承认自己有起贪念,一心以为可以抽到对方所说的巨奖,而且更相信对方所言,只要没有抽到大奖,交付出去的钱都可以悉数索回。

因此,她依对方的吩咐,前后去银行提款2次,第一次是提了8千700令吉给对方,第二次则提了5千635令吉。

她说,2次提出现款时,对方都让她抄下钞票的编号。她聚精会神抄钞票号码时,对方都会在旁一直讲话,过后又表示可以代她抄。第二次她在自己抄下所提出来的钞票号码时,对方则说可以帮她扫描下钞票的号码,不必费神抄下来。

她指出,过后她发现自己抽到的不是巨奖,因此要追回钱,却遭拒绝。起初,对方本来有意要退回一半的钱给她,即只还给她7千200令吉,但她坚持要索回全部的钱,结果双方不欢而散。

仍有1万1千令吉追不回

她说,当天她成功​​取得刮刮乐一名马来成员的大马卡影印本,这名马来职员说得一口流利的华语。

她说,3天后,她到新山消费人仲裁庭准备起诉对方时,遇到另2名也是和她一样中了招并被刮了钱的消费者,于是他们一起结伴到刮刮乐公司要追回钱。

她说,她只成功追回3千令吉,目前仍有1万1千多令吉,希望能通过刘德贤的出面协助,成功索讨回来。

她说,由于参与抽奖当天她没抽到巨奖,又索不回被指是付还奖品消费税的钱,她经知道自己遇到诈骗集团,故没有取走该公司的任何产品。

“吃力不付好”
刘德贤拒再处理刮刮乐案

日前才成功替2名新加坡妇女向刮刮乐公司索回款的刘德贤指出,尽管刮刮乐集团耍计诈骗消费者的新闻,不时通过报章或电视报导,但还是仍不断有人中计受骗,许多民众还是不断为了“中奖”,而自愿付款换奖品。

因此,他表示,这是他最后一次处理刮刮乐的案件,日后他不会再处理这类吃力不付好的投诉案件。

他说,处理这类案件不但耗时,又得一再打电话,投诉人又都是新加坡人,需花费许多的电话钱。日后遇到这类投诉案件,他会嘱咐事主直接向消费​​人仲裁庭投诉。

(星洲日报/大柔佛)
http://mykampung.sinchew.com.my/node/148513?tid=9

20%玩具通不过抽检

20%玩具通不过抽检


标新局(Spring Singapore)最新一轮的玩具安全检测结果显示,在受检测的玩具中,20%存在安全隐患,例如邻苯二甲酸盐(phthalates)或铅(lead)含量过高。

当局也从今年4月起加强玩具安全管制,并向47个玩具供应商和销售商发出指令,要求业者将那些问题玩具下架。

标新局在6月和7月间对从市面上买来的200件玩具进行检测,结果发现有39件不达标。

虽然检测结果不尽如人意,但与之前两次消费者协会(Case)进行的玩具安全检测相比已有进步。去年7月和今年2月,消协两次对50件玩具进行抽检,分别有48%和46%的玩具不合格。

玩具安全敲响警钟后,标新局在今年4月1日推出消费品安全规格条例(Consumer Protection Goods Safety Requirements),对15,000多种消费品进行安全管制。当发现有安全隐患的产品后,该局会发信通知商家停卖这些产品或得回收,否则可被罚款或坐牢,或两者兼施。

虽然新条例生效后,零售商会更谨慎处理问题玩具,但还是无法完全避免市面上出现这类玩具。

新加坡玩具糖果商公会会长林清荣认为,取缔问题玩具的一大挑战是市面上有“散货”。这些玩具由非商会会员从外国购买或从市场上收购,转售给零售商,它们大多没经过质量检测。

标新局副局长陈开河也坦言,新玩具不断出现,加上不能排除未来科研发现一些新的有问题化学物,标新局会继续加强玩具安全管制,不定期地对玩具进行抽检。

~以上新闻转载自omy~