The Learning Performance

Does fish feel pain? Here is a story produced verbatim. This constitutes Part 1. There is a point to this story to follow.

"By Rajeev Syal in London
February 10 2003

Anglers rest easy. Fish cannot feel pain, the largest study into piscine neurology has concluded.

An academic study comparing the nervous systems and responses of fish and mammals has found that fishes' brains are not sufficiently developed to allow them to sense pain or fear.

The study is the work of James D Rose, a professor of zoology and physiology at the University of Wyoming, who has been working on questions of neurology for almost 30 years. He has examined data on the responses of animals to pain and stimulus from scores of studies collected over the past 15 years.

His report, published in the American journal Reviews of Fisheries Science, has concluded that awareness of pain depends on functions of specific regions of the cerebral cortex which fish do not possess.

Professor Rose, 60, said that previous studies which had indicated that fish can feel pain had confused conceptional - responding to a threatening stimulus - with feeling pain.

"Pain is predicated on awareness," he said. "The key issue is the distinction between nociception and pain. A person who is anaesthetised in an operating theatre will still respond physically to an external stimulus, but he or she will not feel pain. Anyone who has seen a chicken with its head cut off will know that, while its body can respond to stimuli, it cannot be feeling pain."

Professor Rose said he was enormously concerned with the welfare of fish, but that campaigners should concentrate on ensuring that they were able to enjoy clean and well-managed rivers and seas.

Despite the findings of Professor Rose's study, a spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which has invested heavily in an anti-angling campaign, said: "We believe that fishing is barbaric. Of course animals can feel pain. They have sensitivity, if only to avoid predators.""

Medan, the third largest city of Indonesia.

To most Malaysian, Indonesia means HAZE. You might want to follow this link for a hilarious parody of this subject matter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozHZXoq2cvE.

But Medan is something else. The traffic conditions is pure amazing. Take the worst traffic situation in KL, multiply that by factor of ten, that is just about close to what I'm talking about here. I would not be able to survive 1 KM of driving in this madden city.

Food is nice, but expensive. A bowl of noodles would you back at least RM10 equivalent.

Most glaring is the economics divides between the haves and haves-not. The haves are seemingly 99% Chinese, and they shamefully flaunt their wealth, with gigantic opulence houses, big cars and Rolex watches. No wonder they have racial tension not so long ago. For Malaysians that do subscribe to NEP, may be should try to live in Medan for a while, and see how things go there.

But, like in every cities the world over, there are gems in Medan, experiences that you can enjoy. Be open-minded, and takes things as it come.

I was posed a question by Father, the CEO on how to get his Sons, Second in Command, to work as a team, not as father-son, but professionally. Quite obviously, evidences of generation gap is glaring, and over-powering them so much so that common sense has become not so common.

It is a challenge. And the same challenge permeate almost all family business.

How often have we heard analysts mentioned that so-and-so companies are successful, and invariably, the word "professionalism" is highlighted. I think, that is the key word.

Professionalism means a few things. First of all, professionals have a winning mindset, and strive to WIN at all costs. Just look at professional athletes, the like of Tiger Woods in golf, Roger Federal in lawn tennis, and all the top performers in their respective fields.

Secondly, professionals set asides own differences, embrace the common vision and objectives, and having the internal locus to achieve what are expected of them. This is evidence in team sports like basketball, soccer, and rugby.

Thirdly, professionals knows about Team Work. None of them think that they are bigger then the team. Just like in the human body, each body part (examples, the ears, eyes, hands, legs, etc) has its functions, and must play its part unselfishly.

Fourthly, professionals improve themselves through continuous learning.

Fifthly, professionals inspire others, by leading by examples, by encouragement, by results.

Lastly but not the least, professionals run things via transparency, accountability, and integrity.

If a family business is run professionally, by professionals, the hanging dark cloud of "family business" would be dispelled and over time, become a non-issue. It will then be just business.