Is The Glass Half Full or Half Empty

We all know the above title suggest that a optimistic person will say that the glass is half full while the opposite, pessimistic, will say its full empty.

Before i start off with my post. Would like to share with you all this humorous article on this proverb applied by people from different professions and walk of life.

The government would say that the glass is fuller than if the opposition party were in power.

The opposition would say that it is irrelevant because the present administration has changed the way such volume statistics are collected.

The philosopher would say that, if the glass was in the forest and no one was there to see it, would it be half anything?

The economist would say that, in real terms, the glass is 25% fuller than at the same time last year.

The banker would say that the glass has just under 50% of its net worth in liquid assets.

The psychiatrist would ask, "What did your mother say about the glass?"

The physicist would say that the volume of this cylinder is divided into two equal parts; one a colorless, odorless liquid, the other a colorless, odorless gas. Thus the cylinder is neither full nor empty. Rather, each half of the cylinder is full, one with a gas, one with a liquid.

The logistician would suggest that the you should change a glass, as it is too big.

The seasoned drinker would say that the glass doesn't have enough ice in it.

**********/// \\\**********

From the above article & proverb, keep in mind that for the same thing, there can be numerous perspective. I shall move on to a 'game' which is taken from the book Dear Mr Buffett. It is regarding the Financial psychology of judgement and decision making.

I have gave you $100, and I'm going to give you 2 option:

1. Give you another $50,
2. Flip a coin; Head: Give you another $100, Tail: Give you nothing additional

Most people will go for option 1, since is certain that i will not risk any of my money and yet get more money.

Consider another scenario
I have gave you $200, and I'm going to give you 2 option:

1. Take away from you another $50,
2. Flip a coin; Head: Take away another $100, Tail: Take away nothing additional

Most people now will consider flipping the coin, to avoid the certain loss of$50. Are you the 'most person' i mention in both scenario? Don't worry I'm one of them..

Now the explanation:
For both scenario, you will get $150 if you choose option 1. If you choose option 2, you will get either $200 or $100. You will get same result for both scenario, nothing changed.

But what have changed? Our behavior... People will choose the sure $150 (scenario 1) when they stand to gain. But they will flip the coin(gamble), when they stand to lose. Even if it means getting a potentially worse off result. The feeling seems to be that they should do something to avoid the loss rather than doing nothing and let it go.

**********/// \\\**********

Now another example which i experience personally. Pretty similar to the above example.

It is got to do with the sale of Oakley Sunglass (I happen to sell some of them)

Retail price for Radar: $350 (illustration)
Blogger online selling price: $300
My asking price: $250

Hmm if the buyer(usually friend) get from the blog shop, he saved $50. But if he get from me, another $50. Wah! he saved $100!!

Now i add in another info. My cost price is $150.
"Hmm he is earning from me $100!!" (thoughts of buyer).

Does this thought happen to you? The negative thought of me, earning the $100 from the buyer, have offset the positive thought, the buyer would will have saved ($100).

Don't worry if you are this buyer, cause I'm one.

To Be Continued
C Cube

Pay day Break Down

Most of my readers here had know that i have started working in Capella other than Ritz. Offering at $7/hour compared to Ritz $6.50/hour. However issue is meal break are being deducted from our 'voucher'. So how to compare which hotel is offering a better deal in monetary terms?

Did a small calculation of both hotel. Ritz pretty straight forward, $6.50 multiply by no. of hours worked. However for the Capella, its quite a headache. Asked the coordinator regarding how the meal breaks are being deducted? The answer is 1 meal per shift. So how many hours are there in a shift? Also would the start work time affect the deduction of meal?

E.g.
A shift of 6hours.
Start work at 9am, End at 3pm. No of break: 1 (Lunch)
Start work at 11am, End at 5pm No of break: 0

Working Hour Chart

Click to enlarge

Decided to come out with a chart, stating all Start Work Timing and and All Working Hours. Correspond to them is the End Work Timing. So based on all the start work timing and end work timing, one by one, I review and see how many meal break will i land into.

Non Highlighted: No break
Light Blue: 1 Break
Darker Blue: 2 Break
Purple: 3 Break

Comparison Table

Click to enlarge

Using the data from the Chart, i came out with Table to compare the rates. From both of them, there is a pattern on the No. of breaks.

6-8hours: 0-1 Break
9-15hours: 1-2 Breaks (Not possible for 0 break)
16-19hours: 2-3 Breaks (Not possible for breaks, lesser than 2)
20< hours: 3 Breaks (Not possible for breaks, lesser than 3)

Min, Max Column: As we know there is possibility for different No. of break for a given working hour. So I came up with the Max/Min possible difference you will have when comparing the 2 rates.
%(max) column: The possibility of you getting the max amount

So whats the findings?

1. Add up min and max (absolute value), you will get $3.50 (Amt for Break). Except for 8th and 15th hour
2. For 8th and 15th hour, you will have both min/max higher (Both earn more)
3. If you work 1 hours after them, you will suffer $2.50 lesser (Another break comes)
4. You need 5 hours to break even the 'loss'
   

My Chart & Table isn't really complete. Forget the existence of half an hour, which is commonly experienced while working. Also my calculation did not included the meals being forgo/excuse by mangers. E.g. Forgo meals during rush hours.


Conclusion:
Above are just figures i crunched out because I'm bored. But still, working at different places shouldn't judge by their pay rates. There are more in finding a nice place to work.


Since When We Overpay and Under Deliver
C Cube

Digital Fortress Cracked Open!

Digital Fortress

Started reading Dan Brown's book which made him famous, the Da Vinci Code (not really due to the interesting plot, but rather his criticism faced by Christian communities. Anyway i find his other books better)

Order of his books i read: Da Vinci Code (2003), Angle and Demon (2000), Deception Point (2001) and lastly the Digital Fortress (1998).

Find that his story plot is always spanned within 1 day. Characters always running around or busy with a certain event, which he describe in great detail (to me). Unlike Robin Cook's novel which span across weeks or month. Best, Matthew Reilly which can have flashbacks of event decades ago or "One year after event"...

Just when i thought i finish his series of novels, then announced of his new novel, Lost Symbol. Again involved the same novel character from Da Vinci Code and Angle & Demon, Robert Langdon.. Publishing on 15 Sept 2009! My brother said he will be keen to read his next book (in fact, he finished reading Dan Brown Series earlier than me...)

Expecting it to be first published in Hard Cover, I will have to wait a few more months for its paperback to be published before i can lay my hands on them..


Currently reading, Dear Mr Buffett. What An Investor Learn 1269 Miles From Wall Street. A present from Wilson for my birthday. OH GOSH! The book is quite technical and at corporate level!! Debating about treating employee's stock option as an expense and hedge funds (read till here currently). Mentioning alot of powerhouse in Financial Sector, while i don't even know who are our national athletes, in the sports, which i had enthusiastically participated for half a decade.

Totally out of my range, can't even grasp what they talking. Now just taking their debate, word for word. But don't worry Wilson, for you i will finish the book even if i don't what the shit they are talking about.. I prefer Economic Books (*hint)



F*** who pulled out my bookmark AGAIN!!
C Cube

Know-Your-Expense: Month of June and July

Yes again to bored you guys with my boring break down of my own expense. Really bored for this whole week, totally no work at all!! haha!.

Managed to sort out my expenses for both June and July, and make comparison with April and May. But it doesn't reflect the my expense behavior as a whole, as I'm currently enjoying my 4 months long holiday. Will try to continue for another few months to see the difference between expense behavior over holiday and schooling.



Added in "Average" for all the entities (in red), using it more like a benchmark against the particular entity. "Average" will tell me how much i could allocate aside for future planning.

MISC:
Seems that when you are busy doing NOTHING, we tend to spend money on more miscellaneous stuffs. However noticed the spike in July and June, could be contribute by my visit to treat my leg injury. Was thinking of visit the Chinese physiotherapist once a month, especially during intense training period.

Meals:
Amazingly i set a new record of lowest amount spent on meal, $60.90, thanks to zero consumption for breakfast! Most probably this figure is achieved due to the increase in working days i have.. A 12-16 hours shift = 3 meals avoided.

An increase for "Dinner" could be explained in the followings

1. More Work = More Cash = Pamper my stomach
   
2. Sick of economic rice after 2 months (especially June)
3. Working Shifts mainly in Morning and Afternoon, explained why Breakfast and Lunch dropped
   

Transport:
Same explanation: Travel to work..

Bills:
Mainly Insurance Policies, decided to cut one of the term plan which i deem as overvalue for my current lifestyle.

Starhub Bill, forget to cancel of the sports channels after TDF

Leisure:
Seems like i had quite a few gatherings for July, Birthdays


Thanks for reading my 'cents'less breakdown. Will most probably review this on end of Sept again.


Money Cents (Sense)
C Cube

Asics Kayano 15

Previous Shoe: Mizuno Inspire 4
Current Shoe: Asics GEL-Kayano 15

Got my Mizuno on 18th OCt 2008, either i changed my shoe too early or i run alot. Anyway my plan for my Mizuno will be for track work while Asics will be more for long distance.

Mizuno wave run registration is opened, freaking $45 (early bird $38 after 15% discount)! More expensive than Standard Chartered ($42) and AHM ($30). Therefore decided to pass this 16km running event, and forgo the 30% off Mizuno footwear.

Did my maths:
$112 after 30% of $160 Mizuno shoe (based on how much i paid for the Inspire 4)
$38 after 15% of $45 race fee
$150 in total which is $10 less than initial price. Although we get a Mizuno goodie bag and 16km training run

What if i offer someone who signed up and don't intend to use the discount voucher? How much should i offer?

30% discount would translate to $50 voucher (Actual is $48). For every increment of $10 offered for the voucher with be a deduction of 6% off your 30% voucher.
e.g.
$20 offered, paid $132 for shoe (in total), enjoy only 15% off (approx)


So finally after doing all these maths, my conclusion is not to pay anything more than $20 for the voucher and provided that someone is willing to let it go at $20 or not to use the voucher. But i think the odds are low.

Coincidentally, i saw this posting in Togoparts. This guy posted this Kayano shoe going for $100, claiming that he only used it for a walk and find that its too small for him.

Few considerations why i still decided to go with this '2nd' hand shoe, with the risk that he might be lying.

1. Its the latest model which is up in market a few weeks ago.
2. If he did used it for a few runs, it will be pretty obvious for me to see the wear on it
   
3. If it looks brand new, but sign of trying it. No issue, $100 is still a 50% discount of a 200+++ shoe!
   
4. I have no psychological issue with 2nd hand shoes.. I wear socks
   

So overall I'm pleased with the new shoe, except the gel colour. It matches Wilson's tri suit colour, but doesn't match any of my ideal sports apparel.
Only issue i might face is the sizing, it might not be as roomy as my Mizuno.


Motivated to run!
C Cube