懷才不遇的感覺，往往掩蓋了人的視野；沮喪、憤怒、抱怨，阻斷了面對現實的行動力。不過，你真的具有你認為無法發揮的才能嗎？你真的夠努力嗎？你有把握住每一個稍縱即逝的機會嗎？希望看完這篇文章會有些啟發吧!

總是懷才不遇 – 伯樂在哪裡?

「機會是留給準備好的人，」醫學、哲學家巴斯特（Louis Pasteur）說。

“… Never reserve anything. Pour out the best you have, and always be poor. Never be diplomatic and careful about the treasure God gives. This is poverty triumphant …”            — from My Utmost for His Highest, June 26

Such powerful words make me think how many things have gone wrong in my past while I was not paying attention.

真相往往是令人難過, 只有時間才能證明對錯. 作決定的時候我感覺到在內心裡的鬥爭和怯懦. 但作了個傷心的決定之後, 我真的希望我所作的決定是錯的 …

綿 綿 — 陳 奕 迅
曲 : 柳 重 言    詞 : 林 夕

和 你 也 許 不 會 再 相 擁
大 概 你 的 體 重    會 抱 我 造 夢
從 前 為 了 不 想 失 約    連 病 都 不 敢 痛
到 哪 一 天    才 回 想 起    我 蠢

和 你 也 許 不 會 再 通 宵
坐 到 咖 啡 酸 了    喝 也 喝 不 掉
從 前 為 你 得 無 聊    寧 願 休 息 不 要
談 論 連 場 大 雨 你 窗 台 漏 水    不 得 了

從 來 未 愛 你    綿 綿
可 惜 我 愛 懷 念    尤 其 是 代 我 傷 心 的 唱 片
從 來 未 愛 你    但 永 遠 為 任 何 人 奉 獻
從 沒 細 心 數 清 楚    一 個 夏 雨 天
一 次 愉 快 的 睡 眠    斷 多 少 的 髮 線

和 你 也 許 不 會 再 擁 抱
待 你 我 都 蒼 老    散 半 里 的 步
前 塵 就 似 輕 於 鴻 毛    提 及 心 底 苦 惱
如 像 自 言 自 語 說 他 人 是 非    多 麼 好

從 來 未 愛 你    綿 綿
可 惜 我 愛 懷 念    尤 其 是 代 我 傷 心 的 唱 片
從 來 未 愛 你    但 永 遠 為 任 何 人 奉 獻
從 來 沒 細 心 數 清 楚    一 個 夏 雨 天
一 次 愉 快 的 睡 眠    斷 多 少 髮 線

從 來 未 愛 你    只 喜 愛 跟 一 顆 心 血 戰
亦 懷 念 那 些 吸 不 透 的 香 煙
從 來 未 愛 你    只 喜 愛 共 萬 人 迷 遇 見
從 來 沒 細 心 數 清 楚    一 個 夏 雨 天
一 次 愉 快 的 入 眠    斷 多 少 髮 線

(很想告訴自己懷念的只是回憶，只是一些瑣碎的綿綿片段，而不是你。只是我總無法把你從回憶中分別出來。)

The article “Passionate oenophile finds niche” is found on Financial Post. It comments on the profit margin for importing wine — 15% margin. For example, $1.2 million revenue would be making $180,000. Not too bad of return of investment.

Link to article: http://www.financialpost.com/small_business/story.html?id=1141948

Oh, by the way, “It’s never easy, he said, to run a block-building business. Buying wine in France, in particular, is not unlike doing business in China — it takes patience, lots and lots of it.” … priceless!

“Prepared by economist Hugh Mackenzie, the report finds the top 100 chief executive officers of publicly traded corporations averaged more than $10 million in pay apiece in 2007, the most recent full year for which figures are available. … The top earner, according to the report, was Michael Lazaridis, head of Waterloo-based BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd., who pocketed more than $51 million.”

Not too surprising I suppose

Link to this article: http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/560634

I Also found a YouTube video online on this matter.

On my way to Blue Mountain yesterday (Thank you again for Dora’s invite and Carmen’s transportation arrangement), I was reading an article “Cosmetic sales an eye-opener” (See link below) Toronto Star that I got from McDonald’s. This was totally surprised me that “Shoppers already has a 20 per cent share of Canada’s $1.3 billion prestige cosmetics market … With plans to open up to 50 stores across the country, the company [Shoppers] is aiming to capture up to $500 million in annual sales, supplementing its existing 1,080 drug stores with $9 billion in annual sales”

The link to this article: http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/560638

Wow! This is impressive but I also heard that cosmetic industry is very closed and competitive. I’d like to know now about how Shoppers get into this market.

This is the new commercial from Sirius Radio. Great ad! I was touched while I was watching it! Great job!

Year 2009 is the year of challenge! This is the time to truly show what we are capable of. We need to be focus, to be consistent, and to be forward-looking. Things may not turn out as expected; however, the important attitude is to face them and get on them. Nothing is better than archiving your goals with your friends and family together.

To everyone, I wish you all have a wonderful year! Our future is in our hands!

Some attentions has been caught on my Facebook. So what is my so-call *secret* NYE dish? This is a secret dish because I haven’t finalized what to bring to tonight’s housewarming/NYE party at my friend’s place in Mississauga. The party will begin soon so I found it doesn’t hurt to unveil the secret: seafood and chicken fettuccine with home-made alfredo sauce.

Yes, the alfredo is home-made! This is the first time I made alfredo myself. I usually pretty easy going with food; however, tonight this is new year’s eve and I am more than happy to cook for friends. Nothing is better than good food and good company, right?

The recipe for the alfredo is not too complicated and pretty straightforward. It can yield 4 cups of sauce.

• 5 cups Heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup Chicken broth
• 1/8 lb Butter
• 2 Tbsp. Garlic – chopped
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1 tsp. White pepper
• 6 Tbsp. White wine
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese – shredded

In a sauce pot over medium heat, cook the garlic and butter until soft. Add the heavy cream, wine, salt and pepper and reduce until a thin sauce consistency is achieved. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.

Notes that whipping cream bubbles over very easily. Keep an eye on it. If it begins to boil over, reduce the heat.

Making this sauce takes approximately 20 minutes. I will update this post by putting pictures of how the dish looks Bye for now!

This is a rather interesting but not too surprising article on Toronto Star this afternoon. The article title is “The year the cellphone changed forever” (see below). It primarily talks about Research In Motion (RIM) in 2008. Blackberry is known as the flagship of RIM. In 2008, RIM got its foot into a totally new arena by launched two products: the Flip and the Storm. These smartphones target new customers, namely consumers; while the Bold is still keeping the traditionalists excited.

Consumer market is a very tough game and dangerous arena. RIM’s analysts have two diverted views: RIM enters a population depending market which first RIM has to reduce its gross margins of its products. Thus, RIM operating model needs to be adaptive and sensitive this new market. Relationship with network provider is also a key successful factor in this game.

So at the end, who wins in this arena? Consumers: we always win!

Link to the article: http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/559896

(picture credit: theStart.com)