As the festive mood sets in, (if it hasn't yet), I should be inching my way to Bukit Mertajam and vegetating there for a while. Apart from keeping my 70-year old father-in-law company (he reads MalaysiaKini hourly), I will 'see' my children since the window I'll be staring at will not be the one attached to my laptop.

My daughter is 16 and my son is going on 24. I will ponder what sort of world they will live in. Simple things like, will they go to work on time (unlike the errant habit of most staff in companies now). As it is, my son sleeps after midnight and wakes up after lunch. Will they listen to their elders? How do you scold them if you have to? Is the staged barking of Hell's Kitchen's Gordon Ramsay the only type they know. Or have they heard enough bitching on reality shows to give a damn to the same in real life? Is our world really a better place now compared to my early days. Is their idea of success a race to the finish line? Is fame the only game in town?

They know the lame censorship of profanities on TV has grown into a pictionary-style guessing game allowing them to make up more F words. Their internet-liberated minds and Facebook "I'll show you who's boss" traits also let them download great 'uncensored' TV shows like 'House of Lies' which started on Jan 8. Simple as pimple: just go to KickAss Torrents.

Ouch! Is being chained to the computer day in and day out a good thing? Especially for my arm which seems to be falling apart these days, save for Mobic. And Dr. S. Pasupathy.

But then, some us are made differently. We fight the fights to survive or thrive.

Which is why I admire leaders like Maxis' Sandip Das and Celcom's Dato’ Seri Shazalli Ramly; they will lock horns as competitors but they know the rules of grace. One will never know where the other is coming from. A true duel of smarts, brushing aside little battles to focus on the bigger war, breaking rules made by themselves, racing to the finishing line and winning before even getting there. I could go on and on. Malaysia's telco industry is a haven of learnings, a minefield of repeated mistakes made good and where the real marketing battles are mired. Though there's no blood on the streets, I can assure you nobody is taking anyone for granted.

These are my friends and they are part of my life and work. Just as thousands more who have endured my annoying tenacity, perhaps wit and certainly sacarsm. Heroes like The Star's Datuk Vincent Lee, Media Prima's Dato Amrin, Quah Seng Chit and my father-in-law.

I fear only one thing as the year draws on: those who's sole purpose of existence is cost-cutting. They do not dream, they do not dare and they do not know how to die, let alone how to live. I suppose one can't have everything!

BTW, does anyone know if Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is a CIA agent?

Happy Chinese New Year to all Malaysians.

"It's brand new year baby!"