Selective Reasoning

Selective reasoning....

My cause is more important than yours. I hurt more as a victim than other clamaints.The masses cannot do this due to breach of institutional and constititional laws, but the most powerful in the land can do anything.

We have to accept collateral damage for the greater good of our nation. Read: We can sacrifice the small fry to protect the big man, me, the one in power.What happens in state election outcomes does not apply to the national level, due to state issues.

What happens in state election outcomes will be echoed at national level elections, it is a warning sign.

Research can produce engineered outcomes, as long as we do not detail the sample size, pre-existing conditions, test limitations and who really sponsors the activity.I shall dish out my advice which is good for you, but I will not in practice follow what I say to you when I face the same situation.

To distract the masses within your own disrupted nation, make negative accusations of foreign leaders and nations in what you have already done yourself as a leader.Ensure your own top level renumeration and get rid of dispensible people who actually do the work to cut costs, as to meet the agreed indicators for getting more incentives for yourself.

Socio-political victors rewriting history, forgetting specific parties who helped them win and destroying any evidence of help from the perceived opposition.

Twisting the positive intents of people you want to destroy, while over stacking and exagerating your own postive virtues and achievements. This can include unfairly belittling people you do not like and basking in your own bizzare personal glory.

Biting the hand of the one who feeds you. Even dogs do not stoop so low, or at least those I have come across.

Not realising that it takes both hands to work in a marriage - and forgetting that magical moment when the romance started.

#yongkevthoughts

The Past Twelve Months

CHRISTMAS  2018

Reflecting beside the lapping waves of a remote bay…….

It has been a year different from others, but yet rewarding and eye opening.

I have had an opportunity, albeit unexpected, to look more into my inner self,

clear the decks of past practices, letting go of temporal distractions and

enhance my appreciation of life.

The mind and the heart synchronized better, like the stars in an alignment to

reaffirm and learn more important things.

Time is relative and the passing of time by itself, a man made concept.   I got more in tune with my biological clock.  I realized how much more our body can heal itself, how our potential is much unutilized, to avoid inflammation (in the widest meaning of the word) and to savour oxidation  ( in all implications of the word).

Some things are never done and seem repetitive in a cyclic process, but it does

add to the transformation.   Other things are done once and we move on.   Some things will never be and others yet can be “Why Not?”

To break free, I woke up to stop accumulating things that add to bother, diversion, hesitancy and clutter.   Yet I acknowledged why I had been attracted to such things.   A want or a need has to be fed, but once I cut off the want, I am liberated to do other things.

Cyberspace and physical reality merged more on all fronts  - work, business, down time and social time.   The ease with which virtual reality offers can be a two edged sword, as there is nothing more refreshing than meeting up face to face and chatting vocally.

I appreciated more the removal of clutter.   I value more the ability to be independent, to be more patient, to be cognizant of higher things.

Society, with a larger population and more demands put upon it, can have its seams breaking down in lowered standards and practice of ethics.   I watched with bewilderment the blatant disregard in how corporations mistreated customers, how individuals in business and politics just took care of the very selfish needs of themselves  - and how compliance requirements are disregarded when they should not be.

I continue to observe the greater intensity with which, in my own country, excessive drinking, drug addiction, rude driving, uncontrolled gambling with the dice and a coddled and dependent mentality can wreck havoc and malfeasance for my society and community.   I acknowledge the dangerous addiction with smart phone apps and social media.

Yet there have been magical moments of being able to catch up with friends and relatives from far and near…….London, Hong Kong, Zurich, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Auckland, George Town, Brisbane and Melbourne.   It was a wedding, it was a dinner and drinks, it was shopping, it was a home meal, it was a car ride.

I never take for granted the cool breezes coming form the ocean where I live.  I accept with a renewed gratitude that there is still a shared sense of community where I choose to reside.   I treasure the option of meeting new people.   I do not take for granted the cocoon supported by reliable friends.   I have tried new culinary dishes  - maybe more by consuming them than cooking them.  

I am more eager to try natural food to feed my body than swallow manufactured tablets and the hype of fake news nutrition.    The way that moderation has not been practiced is more observed by me, whether it is in the shopping malls, reactions of negative people, the manner some people carry on their shoulders and in my not using all of my capability and capacity.

There have been iconic moments this past year……walking along the river at Port Macquarie at dawn, spending time with beautiful souls, missing the company of significant individuals, being able to try diverse cooking and more.   Challenges have been taken by the bull’s horns, outcomes enjoyed like with a doggie on my lap and the passion not reduced for life.

Kindly yours,

Kevin Yong

The State of the Barista Coffee Business

There are single origins and blends. Is the Australian retail coffee sector waiting for a shake up, more innovation and a less fragmented industry framework?

It is reported there are at least 650 micro coffee roasters for a nation with a population less than that for the greater Tokyo region.

The retail coffee business is said to be only growing at 5 per cent per annum. More players are entering an already crowded field that is crying out from a possible bubble. Some apply social media to enhance marketing and presence in a competitive field.

If you are a barista cafe owner, do you still depend on early morning turnover and the brunch margins? Labour costs make you think twice of offering cuppas at midnight, like they do in Asia. The multi business model of having a licensed bar on your rented premises is attracting customers, but it depends on which market you are operating in.

Coffee beans are a commodity in world trade and are subject to the vagaries and volatility of supply and prices. The question of minimum pay for workers in cafes, especially those working part time and on a casual basis, can raise its ugly head. For the business operator, there is a constant and hawkish need to monitor margins and costs.

It can be said that if you do well in three important things at your cafe, your regular customers can be relied upon. Your coffee has to stand out in bean taste, espresso texture, coffee varietal, body, serving temperature, crema consistency and roast freshness. You need to have an addictive food item, savoury or sweet, on your cafe display shelf or menu. And you need one engaging personality based in your cafe to close the deal.

Running workshops on creating coffees, holding community catch ups and offering different styles for cold and warm weather are useful options, but require resources with which sole proprietors can ill afford.

The strength of the barista business can be its weakness. 

We love the fact that many in the coffee business at street level can shape their own parameters - unique, focused, hipster or down to earth.

Having coffee can be like in the perfume business - reflect on the aroma, the elegance, the reliability, the special moment. Once a particular offering captivates you, you as a customer will return for more.

At the same time, how a barista prepares
from the same blend (say Campos or White Horse) can result in different nuances on the tongue. This also echoes the different skills in making the cuppa.

It has been beneficial for serious coffee lovers in Australia for the market to break away from straitlaced processed coffee from the supermarkets, commercial fast food like chains and bland ground bean blends. The significant influence and inspiration from Italian espresso making is much appreciated. 

Are consumers tending towards consuming more bold coffee on a daily basis? Will there be more negative health pronouncements
for your customers having their fourth cup for a single day? Is there an opportunity for more cooperation by the disparate spectrum of players?

#yongkevthoughts

#baristacoffee