Article on Entitlement

An objective article on the subject...

http://www.thedailystar.com/news/stories/2005/07/02/gen1.html

Spoiled Children in America

20/20 Episode

Last weeks 20/20 really struck me as a strange occurrence on how far we are willing to go to spoil our children. In summary, parents are buying kids implants and plastic surgery as graduation gifts! I understand if certain folks have major insecurities based on this issue but it is clear that many of these kids do not have any major breakdown issues. Here is the 20/20 story online from last week.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=875821

Kids Today

I must admit that the current generation of kids sure have great lives. As more of the population grows into the middle class category, we have more disposable income to spend on our children. Kids have always had wants but I think these days we as parents feel like we should give them everything to make up for the things that our parents couldn’t afford to buy us when we were younger. With that being said however, by spoiling our children are we truly doing them a favor or sheltering them from the harsh realities of life that they will have to face sooner or later?

Good Intentions

First off I would like to state that I think parents’ intentions are perfectly sound. Parents are trying to do the right thing, but in doing so are there consequences that we have not fully thought through? Also I would like to state that I do not have kids yet and I know many parents will say that I won’t know until I become a parent. I can imagine that it is hard to say no when your kids throw a fit at Toys R’ Us or give you those guilty eyes. This does not mean that my ideas have any less merit, on the contrary an objective look at what we are really doing may help think outside of the box a little bit.

Look in the Mirror a Reflection

All of us have undoubtedly looked at someone else’s kid who was acting up in some spoiled manner and silently cast negative judgments on their parents. It is always tough to step back and ask ourselves could this parent be us someday. One of my biggest fears is to raise a child and to have others in this world ask “who raised this kid” and have the finger pointed right at me. I think that would be very shameful and a huge embarrassment for any of us. Remember children are a reflection of us as parents.

Humble Beginnings

It is important to take a step back and remember our humble beginnings. Many of our families were immigrants to the United States who had to fight for everything they had. Every penny did matter and speaking broken English they somehow achieved the American dream of owning a car, a home and getting their children through University. Toys like GI Joe’s, Lego’s, Transformers or Nintendo’s were typically bought only when they were on clearance and way out of style or not at all. If you got these toys they also lasted a very long time for most of your childhood.

Building Character

Looking back many of us have a sad story to tell, but one theme rings true through all of this; growing up with little made us stronger, more independent, driven and above all appreciative of all that we have now earned by our own two hands. The question we need to ask ourselves is would we be the same people we are today if we were handed everything? I argue that we would completely exhibit the opposite qualities. Those qualities that we treasure within us that have given us the drive to persevere and the appreciation of the fruits of our labor will be non-existent.

The Easy Road

What are we without these qualities? We fill the world with dependant kids who grow up not knowing how to fend for themselves. These kids always have a safety blanket called mommy and daddy and never quite grow up. These kids take advantage of their parents’ hard earned money and coast through life for long periods of time and avoid real life as long as possible. On top of all of this they complain why their lives aren’t where they want it to be and yet they think that they are entitled to everything.

Entitlement

One thing I notice with this generation is that the sense of entitlement is outrageous. Kids feel that since their friends have a certain item that they are also entitled to the same items. Why is this the case? This is the result when you hand everything to your child their whole life and then they have no concept of earning. Instead of appreciation your child has a false sense of entitlement.

A Time For Change

So what can we do to turn this around? Ultimately this is a self correcting problem as spoiled kids grow up and dig their own graves. As much as we don’t want it to be, money is the key to survival and eventually circumstance will drive this. Even wealthy parents eventually run out of funds and spoiled kids will burn through their savings quickly and be back to square one. When their world comes crashing down it will be a very difficult road but things will adjust. What goes up must come down, like real estate, stocks anything.

I would like to put forth don’t let it get this point where things come crashing down. Teach children early how to save, work and earn everything they have. Teach them to see beyond themselves and always teach them to appreciate everything that they have. Living through example is the best and show them people that are less fortunate. It will be hard to hold back but in the long run I feel that we will have a better generation of children that appreciate everything they are given.

Closing Thoughts

With all this being said, kids don’t need a Nintendo DS, Xbox and a Wii. They don’t need 50 Barbie dolls, the Bratz or whatever else they are into. Granted it is a mistake to not buy them anything at all, children will simply steal and that would not be positive. We must give our children a way to earn these toys; through good behavior, rewarding grades or for chores. etc. The bottom line is I think it is ridiculous to spoil your kids and even more ridiculous to buy them plastic surgery and implants. Let’s make a change in the next generation of children and that begins one child at a time.

Maid Jailed For Serving Up Urine

Only in Hong Kong!

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyid=2007-07-25T125949Z_01_PEK203379_RTRUKOC_0_US-HONGKONG-MAID.xml

Slowdown in Real Estate Market and the Bay Area

In case those of you don't know about my Real Estate blogger here is my recent take on the Bay Area real estate market. My real estate blogger is always available on the right link or direct at http://alanlwang.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/.

A frequent question I get about Real Estate are related to the "housing bubble" and here are my thoughts on the subject.

I came across an interesting article about risky real estate projections in the nation inching downward in the next couple of years. The irony is that you will see these were the hottest markets only 2 years ago!

Here is the link to the article:

http://realestate.msn.com/Buying/Article2.aspx?cp-documentid=5124615&GT1=10233

They name a few major markets as the riskiest; Riverside, Phoenix, Vegas, Sacramento, Roseville, Long Beach, San Diego, Miami and locally Oakland, Fremont and Hayward.

Buying Real Estate on Speculation Not Facts

You will notice that Real Estate is viewed as a profitable investment during boom years. When these booms occur everyone follows their friends and jump in based on hype rather than facts.

Sacramento/Roseville - During the boom huge speculation happened in the Sacramento area and folks bought investment properties out there based on this hype. Now that the market has slowed down with few government jobs in that area what is there to sustain real estate values? Rentals do not sustain these high prices and subsequently prices have come tumbling down.

San Diego, Vegas, Phoneix, Miami - Again these were hot hot markets that were all based on speculation from outsiders many from the Bay Area.

Oakland, Hayward, Fremont - Oakland is a tough neighborhood and such areas are less desirable and will suffer in downturn. Hayward has the fault line there and it is neither close nor far from the main cities of San Jose and San Francisco. Parts of Fremont do very well, such as Mission area and areas such as Warm Springs which are closer to the Bay Area. Not to mention 880 is a horrid mess during rush hour, these are all cons to these areas in Alameda County.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that by investing close to where the jobs and population reside is the right real estate decision. Homes in the Southbay/San Francisco have the companies of the Silicon Valley and population to justify the prices. The fact is that we have more people than homes available, the laws of supply and demand justify the prices of homes. In addition, buying homes in areas with good school districts or new home appeal also help you sustain value during a downturn.

There is a reason the majority of the valley did not show up on this list. We live in an area of many primary home owners that buy to live not rent. We also have more on the sidelines just waiting to achieve the American dream. In addition, job employment is steady which helps fund a home purchase. Given these facts, the Bay Area is in good shape to sustain values and ride out this downturn. Remember real estate is a long term investment and should always be viewed this way.

49er Training Camp Tickets Free!

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https://www.signup4.net/public/ap.aspx?EID=TRAI17E&OID=130

Man Arrives At Wedding 1 Year Early?

Something that I could see myself doing!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/07/11/wedding.early.reut/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular

Return of Worf!

Funny picture for you Worf fans out there!

NBA Store Issue Remedy

In all fairness they did reply promptly to my e-mail and at the least offered a remedy, here is the letter. This issue is closed for me.

Dear Alan,

Thank you for your reply. Thank you for the clarification regarding our associates. I again apologize for this abnormal issue with the processing of your order. I understand your comment regarding the orange Warrior's jersey, it certainly is bright. I did not mention this in the last reply due to the low availability of the item. It is currently out out stock in the size you originally requested in the other color. The offer for 20% off a item has been noted in your account. You may use this at any time by referencing the note from 7/7/07 and your customer number, XXXXXXX. Please let us know if we can assist you further. Thank you for visiting the NBA and WNBA Store.

Sincerely,

Customer Service Team Lead

The NBA Online Store Sucks, Cancelled My Warriors Jersey After 2 Months!

I cannot believe the experience that I have just had with the online NBA store and I wanted to e-mail you to get this off my chest. They are a monopoly which is why this feedback will probably go ignored. But by the end of today, I will have filed a complaint with the supervisor of NBA.com, posted this article on my blog, e-mailed NBA.com, e-mailed Amazon.com, e-mailed the local paper, e-mailed the local sports talk radio station and sent this to the corporate offices. I am extremely angry and it’s rare to ever see me ever this upset, so this must have been a REALLY bad transaction.

BACKGROUND

In May of 2007 the Warriors were in the middle of their playoff run in the first round and I said to myself I need a jersey! So naturally I go online and I am hesitant on buying any specific players’ jersey because of shaky futures after this season. My thoughts were that Jason Richardson would most likely be traded and Baron Davis with his track record of injuries was questionable to remain. I did the math and I decided not to spend $70 on a replica jersey and go in for the long haul and buy an authentic Jersey customized with my name on it that will last many years to come. It was my hope to even wear this jersey when my corporate team went to playoffs.

The grand total with express 2 – 3 day shipping came out to be $224.64. This is no small chunk of change but for the Warriors I was willing to do it!

The next step was to convince the wife and she graciously allowed me to do so. Warrior fever was in the air and I got approval.

Simple Purchase Process:

Desired Goods -> Cost Analysis-> Executive Approval -> Buy Online -> Procure Product -> Ship to Home

You figure you want to give someone some business so this should be simple right? I don’t think so!

TIMELINES

5/4/2007 – I placed an order for my authentic customized jersey. Here is the receipt of my order.

Immediate Notes:

The NBA Online Store receipt tracker is the worst communication vehicle I have ever seen. Being in the Software industry I think I know a good tool when I see one and this isn’t even close.

- Contradictory Statements - The receipt says it’s “Shipped on May 4, 2007” but then sets the delivery estimate at May 22, 2007 – May 28, 2007.

Being a reasonable person I knew that I should most likely trust the delivery estimate and not the May 4, 2007 date. But a part of me still held out hope that NBA.com could make this product that fast in time for round 2! Like all of us that make online purchases, I checked the front door and the receipt daily, but no jersey and no updates.

- I called in sometime at the end of May to take off the expedited shipping because the Warriors were out of playoffs so I was no longer in a hurry. The operator told me that this product was already invoiced and they could not make any changes, but I could call back for a credit when I got my product. That would mean I would have to receive the product first though!

6/19/2007 – Over 1 and a half months later still no jersey. I called the online NBA number and they said they don’t know what happened to this order and that they would open a ticket and look into it.

7/3/2007 – I get this e-mail below that my order was cancelled!

Cancelled item on your NBA/WNBA Store order‎
From: CUSTOMERSUPPORT@THESTORE.NBA.COM
You may not know this sender. Mark as safe Mark as unsafe
Sent: Tue 7/03/07 4:08 PM
To:

Dear,
We were unable to ship the item(s) below from order XXXXXXXX
due to lack of availability from the manufacturer. We apologize
for any inconvenience this may have caused you. If we can be of
assistance in selecting an alternate item, please contact us at
1-866-746-7622 or internationally at 1-715-261-9588. You may
also visit our website at store.nba.com. Thank you for
your continued business.

Sincerely, NBA/WNBA Customer Service

7/5/2007 – I call in to check on my order and that is the explanation I got above. They did refund the money but I did not get any alternative! I still have no jersey and I am told they can’t get their hands on one!

SUMMARY

This transaction was extremely upsetting because of the lack of accurate communication, the lack of urgency on client orders, broken processes and no ability to remedy the situation. The facts are that I waited for 2 months while my expectations were that I would have had a jersey in my hand at the latest in 24 days. What is really irritating is that I had to be the one driving and inquiring where the heck my product was. The system was lost and did not feedback to the client! Not surprising since it appears that no one knew, not the phone operators, not the tool and definitely not the system. At the end of all of this I had no solution, no jersey, no option for a jersey and a shoulder shrug and a black hole from the supervisor. So here I am now 2 months out, money returned that I was happy to spend and no jersey for next season or my corporate basketball league. All I have is this letter to share with you all. Thanks a-lot NBA.com, your service sucks.

Sometimes Justice is Served

I was driving up 101 northbound to work today when I caught a speedy rice rocket in my rear view mirror. It was coming up fast behind me and I noticed it was a white Acura Integra with all kinds of awkward body kits. That meant it was probably a LS trying to make up for the lack of it being a GSR. This car pulled up behind me signalling right but suddenly veered left with a SUV in close proximity. I had to hug the right lane and accelerate to avoid this vehicle hitting both of our cars. He veers into the carpool lane and takes off. Notice when I say “he” that is singular for only one person. At this moment I began to think what we all think in these situations, where is a cop when you need one. At that very moment the highway patrol came out of nowhere in the carpool lane. He tailed the SUV very tight and actually I wasn’t convinced the SUV had more than one person unless there was a baby seat. The SUV signalled out of the lane and the chase was on. The sirens and lights went off and before I knew it the Integra was off to the side getting pulled over. I did everything I could to not laugh out the window and applaud. For those of you who deal with bad drivers around you, take heart, sometimes justice is served once in awhile!

The Right Way to Hot Pot

Many of you have undoubtedly had Hot Pot or Shabu Shabu in many places. We are all familiar with the buffets at Hot Pot city where you can boil and BBQ at the same time. Let me say upfront, there is a reason Hot Pot City is so cheap and all you can eat. You sacrifice quality for quantity. I say if you are Hot Potting then Hot Pot, if you want BBQ go BBQ (Palace BBQ)!

If you are looking for high quality Hot Pot then Inner Mongolian Hot Pot or Xiao Fay Yang in mandarin is the way to go. For you lamb lovers you will not find higher quality lamb slice anywhere else. On top of that the spicy soup broth is made perfectly to go with lamb, but we have found the beef slices and all other meats to be of the same quality as well. Each portion of meat is $5 so budget carefully. Now this is not a cheap eating option! We had 4 people eat and we ran the bill to $100, but then Frank and I went and ate $70 worth of food between the two of us.

The real eating happened when they had Tuesday night buffet special for $16.99 for 1.5 hours. My nephew and I were able to pound down 12 servings of lamb in 2 hours because we overstayed our welcome. We went back the following weekend with 4 boys and pounded down 18 servings but we were unable due to time to do anymore. We just asked for refills as soon as they arrived we ordered more. I think the ideal number is 2 people during these buffets. We went way beyond our monies worth here! For those of you that are wondering yes there are vegetables, tofu but why fill up on that! =)

Inner Mongolian Hot Pot is just the best hot pot there is. The Tuesday special is supposed to come backing July so keep an eye out! Get there at 6PM to avoid the line or you will wait from 1 - 2 hours for a seat. It’s expensive if you just eat regular but I’ve seen folks just do lamb to get their monies worth!

http://www.xfy.com.cn/

Kwik E-Mart In Mountain View!

Folks if you aren't doing anything right now get your butt down to the Kwik E-Mart in Mountain View! They re-did the whole 7-eleven and I'm not sure how long the characters will be there but this theme will run all month. I got myself some Buzz Cola and a special edition collectible Slurpee cup. This is just too cool. Whomever came up with this idea needs a BIG promotion. Now let me know if anyone finds some Duff Beer! I hear all these items are sold at all 7-11 locations.

URL Link!

http://www.7-eleven.com/kem_san.asp

Left to right: Me, Bart, Lisa and A-Pu