Tuesday with Worries

There is a heArt-warming book by Mitch Albom ttitled "Tuesdays with Morrie" which I recommend all mGf to read. If today you don't want depression, go to the bookshop nearest you; do me a quick-as-lightning review; then I can sit back and relax while posting up thy GOoD-sent review for coming desiderata.english as Desi is getting very tired, Not that "tired of being tired"-ness mitochondria complained about. But yesterday's news began to have mito-c's defined tiredness creeping back onto me. See if it's doing the same to thee on this Tuesday with Worries:

From the NEW STRAITS TIMES
Monday September 5, 2005
Page 1 headline:

FEELING THE PINCH
MORE MALAYsians concerned about rising prices

25% Find it difficult to cover their living expenses
40% Not too happy about economic conditions

“The situation is not critical, but the balance overall is sgowing a negative picture. There’s a sense of people tightening their belts.” –- IBBRAHIM SUFFIAN (Center for Opinion Research programme director)


Besides the front-page quoting four sources expressing dismay and alarm, The Goooode (for once!) Olde NST - reliable consumerist that it is occasionally- also ran two full pages of the subject of concern to JoePublic on pages 4&6.

Those who miss’d the paper yesterday can borrow it off Desi’s, but be prepared to meet me at Haridas’ tonight at 8pm – 10pm when I get an update economic picture from this down-to-earth “economist”. I don’t kNOw if you can still recall, I sounded similar alarm bells months ago – based on some "reliable" feedback, including from Haridas’s report of declining business1 of some 50%, over a longer working hours2!

Page 4 leads off with headline:

Rising prices top concern

""**Kuala Kumpur, Sun. – What is the main concern of Malaysians? It is certainly not terrorism, nor the haze.
Most people. A survey reveals, are worried about rising prices.
And many are discovering the meaning of frugality.
@1While most feel confident that the economy is doing well, about one in two Malaysians are worried they will not be able to cope with inflation.
@2The rising cost of living is the top concern of almost two in five people, according to a survey on consumer sentiment by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research.
That’s four times more than in April, when just one in 10 were worried about inflation.**"" (ends quote from news report)

The report, now paraphrased here, went on to say the Center polled more than 1,000 people, a sample structured to be representative of peninsular Malaysia. The survey has a 3.1 percent margin of error.

Just an important quote:
"To supplement their incomes, Malaysians will probably have to get second jobs or work longer hours, said Uday Jayaram, head of broking in Malaysia for Australian financial group Macquarrie Securities.
"It's a necessary economic adjustment. Malaysians will have to bite the bullet."

What worrries Desi is that second report on Page 4, headlined:

Cutting back on necessities to splurge on luxuries

Briefly, a 29-year-old civil servant said she was careful on spending on groceries. and buying clothes and shoes during sales. She, however, saves to buy an Apple's cool IPod, costing anything from RM1,200 to RM2,200, which is equivalent to her monthly pay.
She's not the only one. "Consumers have been cutting back on necessities but only so that they can splurge on extras and luxuries, according to a street poll by the New Straits Times.

DESIDERATA: Go spend RM1.20 on buying an old copy (maybe you can get it from thy neighbour for 1/2 prcie!) to educate yourself more, don't just rely on Desi's, cos he could be mis(S)-reporting!

Just a word of advice: You put more faith on a proper survey (which the Merdeaka Center presumably has done!) than on a street poll, OK? -- because I know in journalism world, such polls are very prone to bias, filtering out "unwelcome" comments, just running reports that fit into the Editor's inclination. Got my drift? (Just for the record, I served some 10 years in mainstream media, now freelanicng in non-stream, but I may be Xtream!

SPECIAL NOTE TO:

@1 and @2. I detect a contradiction is the first sentence, read along with the next. How can one report "...most feel confident the economy is doing well..." and in the same breath, write "...one in two are worried they will not be able to cope with inflation..."? Desi's perplexed, dumbfounded, or is my Ingerris not up to mark? I think I have to review my decision yesterday to continue with Desiderata.English on Sundaes! Write me to add your two sen worth. RM1 coins are NOT WELCOMED OR ALLOWED! However, you can shout AUSD worth!:) See, SweetSpirit, to answer your Q. why I'm late today -- Desi's in teAsing mood, or mode, or whatever ...:)