It’s March 2026, and just when I thought I could settle down and focus on my business after the usually gruelling annual routines of renewing permits and wrapping up the accounting records of the previous year, another disruption to my well-laid plans looms in the horizon. January of every year is predominantly about renewing permitsContinue reading “Another Year, Another Disruption”
Author Archives: Ellery
My Health Routine is My Responsibility
It’s 5am, another Monday morning. I could use another hour of sleep, but I must get up if I were to make this day and the upcoming week productive. So-called experts (i.e., rich people who have more money & time to spend than I do) say people should get up early in the morning soContinue reading “My Health Routine is My Responsibility”
No Need to Learn a New Language
Relatives and friends tell me I should learn to speak Chinese. I am an ethnic Chinese who lives in the Philippines where I am fluent in the national language, Tagalog. I also am adept in English, which is my first & primary language. But I don’t speak Chinese; I never learned to. I agree fluencyContinue reading “No Need to Learn a New Language”
Challenging the 80/20 Rule
Smartphone manufacturers say that it’s best to charge cell phones up to a maximum of 80%. Not charging beyond 80% would ensure a longer battery life of the cell phone, the manufacturers say. Liquid petroleum gas suppliers fill cooking gas cylinders up to a maximum of 80% of design capacity. They say the remaining 20%Continue reading “Challenging the 80/20 Rule”
What Did They Say?
I was a staff industrial engineer in a multinational consumer goods corporation and I was in a meeting with two (2) senior accountants. We were discussing why the budget for operating expenses was going up for the department I was assigned to. Whenever I replied to questions about expenses, both accountants would huddle and talkContinue reading “What Did They Say?”
The Un-Ease of Doing Business
I hate January. Every January of every calendar year, enterprises must renew their business permits with the cities and towns they have their offices located at. On top of the hefty fees & taxes, the process of renewal is tedious. Every enterprise must submit numerous requirements such as but not limited to securing clearances forContinue reading “The Un-Ease of Doing Business”
The Pensées By Blaise Pascal
Pensées (pronounced pahn-sáy) was nothing more than Pascal’s collection of his notes and musings, for what academics believed was supposed to be for his unwritten book about Christianity. Yet, when the Pensées was published into a book in 1670, readers hailed it as a historical masterpiece. Students of science and religion have cited the PenséesContinue reading “The Pensées By Blaise Pascal”
Lost Opportunities are Unsolved Problems
A company was stuck in a vicious cycle. The company delivered orders late. Customers did not pay right away for deliveries received, citing the tardy arrivals of their orders. The ensuing tight cashflow caused delays in purchasing and importing critical raw materials. Manufacturing could not make products on schedule. Logistics, therefore, could not deliver pendingContinue reading “Lost Opportunities are Unsolved Problems”
The Low-Key Professional
Famous people are usually politicians, business titans, military generals, artists, star athletes, and inventors. Hardly does one find a famous administrator, logistician, or accountant. Why is that? Recognition gravitates to one who leads an earth-shaking change or just happens to introduce something that resonates with just about everyone. Credit goes to the individual who introducesContinue reading “The Low-Key Professional”
Where is the ‘How’ in Fixing Problems?
Opinion-editorial writers fill newspaper columns with what they believe are wrong with the world. They cite theories and recommend what needs to be done, which may range from legislating news laws, kicking out incompetent people from political office, to reducing red tape. Absent in many of these op-eds is the how. How would what theseContinue reading “Where is the ‘How’ in Fixing Problems?”
Ellery's Essays 