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www.leokeechye.com
Howard Schultz (1953-) Starbucks Corp.
"It is possible to start from nothing and achieve even beyond your dreams."
Thurday, September 22, 2006 
Singapore Success Stories: Dr George Quek (1957-) Breadtalk Group Ltd, founded in 2000 "Youth is an advantage." -- Dr George Quek
Singapore Success Stories: Ron Sim (1959-) Osim International Ltd, founded in 1979 "Sim is my surname, and the O is actually the globe." -- Ron Sim
Mary Kay Ash (1915-2001), Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc, founded in 1963
Mary Kay Ash was the cosmetics executive who built from a mere $5,000 into $1.2 billion business empire with over 850,000 consultants in 37 countries peddling her products. Sunday, March 13, 2005
Marc Andreessen (1971-) Netscape Communications Corp., founded in 1994
Knowing the immense amount of information that remained untapped in the World Wide Web, Andreessen set out to write an easy-to-use browser, not for just computer geeks, but for any person on the street. The result is the indispensable Internet browser we now take for granted. Sunday, March 13, 2005
Heart Of Glass (Fiction) By Stephen Yeo Chapter 12 Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Chutzpah Debunking the Myths about Entrepreneurship here Are entrepreneurs born? Endowed with some mythical attributes that made them what they are. Could there be indeed a genetic predisposition to be successful entrepreneurs? Even Minister Mentor Lee was initially led to believe that genes ultimately rule. Thursday, March 31, 2005
Chutzpah What Singaporeans Lack as Entrepreneurs According to The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2001 Executive Report, Singapore scored the third lowest rate of entrepreneurial activity. In the speech addressed by then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, he highlighted four main values which Singaporeans lack as wannabes entrepreneurs. Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Nature Versus Nurture By Stephen Yeo Is it nature (heredity) or nurture (upbringing) that determines one's intelligence? Behavioural scientists are grappling with this conundrum, even today. Friday, March 25, 2005
Chutzpah What Does It Take To Be An Entrepreneur? Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew sparked off a small debate last year (2004) when he suggested that Singapore should free up its public sector scholars into the private sector. Not managers they should become but entrepreneurs, he added. Scholars Becoming Entrepreneurs? The idea struck me as not only preposterous but is doomed from the start. Sunday, March 13, 2005
Making Singapore a Great Global City By Dr Wong Wee Nam History has shown that cities grow and die. This is not a problem if a city is in big country. When it dies, a new city will grow in its place. Monday, December 13, 2004
Last Confession (Fiction) By Stephen Yeo Some people think I'm mad. That's perfectly understandable. It's hard to believe an average Joe like me could have killed 21 people within three years. Thursday, August 12, 2004
Movie Review
Nice daggers, House empty
Monday, July 26, 2004
Pinocchio's Nose (Fiction) He came bursting into the room, performing mad little hops and words rattled off him like machine gun firing. "Listen! I've done it. This is really a historic moment," he cried, grabbing his colleague's hands. "Lee Meng! For ten long years, I've finally succeeded." Friday, July 23, 2004
Movie Review
A movie that blows hot, then cold Thursday, July 22, 2004
Tomb Sweeping (A poem)
Under the April sun with its searing heat, Thursday, July 22, 2004
Military The Revolution or Delusion in Military Affairs? With the recent spectacular success of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the US forces has once again demonstrated the superiority and inevitability of RMA (Revolution of Military Affairs) -based warfare. RMA is nothing new; a decade ago in Operation Desert Storm, the US forces with their pinpoint accurate bombs, their commanders' real-time view of the battlefield, their well-coordinated branches of the armed services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) and their special operations, had already heralded a new epoch in warfare. War is never the same as before. Or is it? Friday, July 9, 2004
The E-mail in Due Course (Fiction) When I laid my eyes on that e-mail, my seated body jerked back violently. The wooden chair against the marble floor let out a disturbing squeak. Never for once, even a second, had I expected to receive one. Now that I had seen it, I could do nothing but wait. There was no escape. Saturday, July 3, 2004
An Essay
Dreams: Can they happen in this time of practicality? As I look in retrospect on the past twenty odd years of my life, I realized that dreams can come through in today's world if one's open to it. There are two hurdles to clear in order to facilitate this from happening though. The first is circumstance which I refer to as the boundaries and social situation one's in. I can dream of owning a Ferrari but can my measly pay support such a desire? Perhaps I may know the winning 4D combination for this week's draw. However, without the money for the ticket nor the way of communicating this to others, I probably won't land the prize. Sunday, June 6, 2004
Book Review
No man can possibly have read this book without being persuaded by Mill's eloquent arguments or moved by his sincerity and candor in his defense of free speech and individual liberty. While most men do not doubt the necessity of individual liberty, most, including myself, hardly knew to what purpose or on what justification liberty should be defended and encouraged. We cannot be too often reminded that drastic consequences in exchanging freedom for the so-called "the good" of society in the last century. This book review continues. Thursday, April 29, 2004
Book Review
Title: Discourse on Voluntary Servitude
In this essay, he sought to examine how men could have consented to their own enslavement to tyranny. Not tyranny that subjugates men, he realised, but men choose bondage over freedom. This book review tells more. Monday, April 26, 2004
Psychology
Freudian slip: A case of mind over mutter? In one of my earlier articles, (Straightening the Straits Times [6], I wrote: "when Ho [Ching] mentioned family jewels, I believe it was a genuine Freudian slip". But what exactly is a "Freudian slip"? Well, it certainly isn't some kind of undergarment that women hide in their closets. But it's close enough. In fact, one could argue that a Freudian slip is much like skeletons in a closet. Saturday, April 24, 2004
Economics
Totomania or expected returns?
Conventional wisdom points out that Toto bettors are ruled more by greed and unrealistic expectation of returns than anything else. Their investment decisions rest heavily on the size of jackpots than expected monetary rewards. However, the author finds evidence (at least in Singapore Toto market) suggesting otherwise and bettors do take into consideration their expected monetary returns. Though these bets do not have positive net returns, thus weak-form efficiency exists, the author finds the bettors' decision to play generates a level of sales that conforms to their original forecasts of expected return. Saturday, April 24, 2004
Economics How can Singapore remain competitive in a globalising world economy? Based on a research paper (2002) by the McKinsey Global Institute, this essay argues the importance in the role of the government in focusing on a few strategic sectors. The McKinsey paper reveals some surprising findings: 1. Much of the United States labour productivity growth jump in the period 1990-1999 was real and will continue. 2. The productivity growth jump was concentrated in only six out of fifty-nine economic sectors in the United States. Therefore, if the Singapore government choose to focus on these few strategic sectors, they can potentially drive the overall Singapore economy. Saturday, April 24, 2004
I think it's Paris, but I'm not sure... (Travelogue) By Stephen Yeo [... ahem, ahem] Yes, it should be Paris, even though sometimes it looks uncannily like Singapore. [... ahem, ahem] Yeah, I'll be darned if it ain't Paris. In case you're wondering what the hell is going on, this isn't a write-up on some stupid game show for people with irrepressible throat itch. Rather, it's a little reflection of my recent trip to Paris for the Alcatel Forum 2004. Sunday, March 14, 2004
Giants of Economics: Thorstein Veblen (1857 - 1929) By Stephen Yeo
"Conspicuous consumption of valuable goods is a means of reputability of
the gentleman of leisure." Thorstein Bunde Veblen was an unorthodox American economist of Norwegian ancestry. He is considered the founder of the "institutional school of economics", a group of economists who believed that traditional economic laws and theories had little validity. Sunday, February 10, 2004
Book Review
Title: The World's Most Infamous Killers
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
Fear Factor: The S'pore Edition - Politicophobia (The Fear of Politics) By Dr Wong Wee Nam This fear factor is reinforced whenever a person encounters an unfavourable stimulus. The threat may be physical, mental, economic or social. As long as the person deemed it a possible harm to his well-being, he will try to avoid that situation. This is a very basic survival instinct. And how does that apply to politics? Dr Wong examines. Thursday, December 25, 2003
Movie Review
Movie Title: The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
Friday, December 19, 2003
Book Review
History can never be seen in the same light again for this book has upset my long entrenched notion that history is but an incontrovertible chronology of facts and causes. If not facts and causes, what is history then? This book review examines. Tuesday, December 9, 2003
Movie Review
Movie Title: Kill Bill R(A)
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Movie Review
Movie Title: Wishing Stairs
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Extreme Liberty (Travelogue) By Stephen Yeo If there's one nation that can predict Armageddon with certainty, it must be the Taiwanese. Switch on the television during a normal weekday, and you'll be able to catch a stock "guru" confidently putting his reputation on the table for his guaranteed profit-making stock pick. Friday, October 31, 2003
Is war a necessary evil? By Stephen Yeo Imagine India launching a nuclear missile over the Himalayas into China, or Pakistan laying waste to Nepal with an atomic bomb. Think of Israel, besieged by a continent of enemies, levelling Lebanon. None of these scenarios is politically plausible, at the moment. Technically, however, all all-out nuclear war between nations has become an unsettling possibility. Many countries not only possess the much-maligned Weapons of Mass Destruction, they also have the means to deliver them. Thursday, October 23, 2003
Book Review
This is one book which, I believe, politicians would openly condemn, religious leaders decry, and moralists object; yet, the same book is what they would quietly devour, study and apply in secrecy. This book teaches statecraft - how one can secure power through deceits, manipulations and plotting. Saturday, September 27, 2003
Book Review
A timeless exploration of love, loss and life Thursday, September 25, 2003
Killing me softly with his song (Travelogue) By Stephen Yeo Undoubtedly, the Vietnamese have a killer instinct. Otherwise, they wouldn't have survived so many wars (the First Indochina War against Japanese, Chinese and mostly French colonialists, and the Second Indochina War - the American part of the Vietnam War, or simply "American War" to the Vietnamese) within such a short span of time (1945-1975). Tuesday, September 9, 2003
Book Review
Stupid is as stupid does? Monday, August 25, 2003
Book Review
Amartya Sen, winner of 1998 Noble Prize in Economic Science, in this book, not only turns decades of economics on its head by arguing that economic development and individual freedom should go hand-in-hand, to counter poverty, but also lambastes Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew's "Asian Values thesis" that promotes economic development at the expense of freedom. This book review tells more. Friday, August 15, 2003
Giant of Economics: John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946)
Who was this remarkable Keynes? This brief essay examines his life and how he came to develop his ideas. Saturday, August 9, 2003
Dark Side of the Moon (Fiction) By Stephen Yeo
"I want to live on my own." Wednesday, August 6, 2003
An Introduction to Critical Thinking Critical thinking or informal logic--its jargonish equivalence--is the process of "reading between the line". Rather than accepting literally the stuffs spooned to us, we filter out the arguments from the information, ‘X-ray’ the arguments and examine them in their skeletal logic. Why critical thinking is important? Every day, minute and second, we are relentlessly showered by information: information which we need and don’t. Television and radio are just some of the prime culprits. With the advent of Internet, things seem verging out of control. And, of course, not forgetting the incessant rumbling of those around us--employers, friends and relatives. Almost all the time, these information we received are embedded with arguments; the purpose, if you are still unaware of, is to get us to take a stance, evoke a response, make a decision and so forth. Why we should buy shoes of this particular brand? Why our government believe more foreign talents are good for our country? Why US think that bombing Kosovo is justified. (Just to name a few examples.) Or as the old saying goes:
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 C O N T A C T U S E-mail :leokeechye@gmail.com © 2010 by Leo Enterprise All rights reserved This site is conceptualised, designed & maintained by Leo Kee Chye |
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More than just a cup of coffee; it's become a way of life. Howard Schultz's vision and audacity has reinvented the simple Italian coffeehouse culture into an American national pastime, and rapidly growing into a global phenomenon. From four obscure coffee powder retailer shops in 1986, Schulz has since brewed up an incredible 10,000 strong coffee specialty bars worldwide today.
A classic rags to riches tale, George Quek who came from a humble background ventured to Taiwan in his early twenties with only $5,000 in his pocket. Twenty years on, he started BreadTalk and totally transformed the bland and banal task of bread buying into the most charming and delightful gourmet experience for consumers. 
The healthcare product maker has come a long from peddling Hokkein prawn noodles, encyclopaedias, pots and pans, electrical products, door-to-door to the current health lifestyle company, which its brand name Osim alone worth S$203 million.
Arguably, no woman has played a more important role in the advancement and empowerment of women to be their own boss than she.
More than just a little luck, brains and timing, it was Marc Andreessen's vision for a user-friendly browser that for a large part had fuelled the growth of the Internet. 
Movie Title: House of Flying Daggers
Movie Title: Windstruck
Title: On Liberty
Timeless and timeliness are what I have chosen to greet this magnificent work by a man for mankind: Timeless as in its relevance now as when it was first penned four hundreds years ago; timeliness as we continue to witness the same incomprehension he faced in his time. 
Bite-size (ahem!) information
A return that took too long
Title: What Is History?
"Kill Bill" : An overkill?
Go ahead, make a wish
The 48 Laws of Power
Title: The Tale of Kieu
Title: Stupid White Men
Title: Development as Freedom
John Maynard Keynes was without question the most influential economist of the twentieth century. Not only he turned the abstract world of academic economics topsy-turvy but also affected the bread and butter world of every day lives when economics advisors steeped in Keynesianism offer remedies for economy ailments that affect every one of us.