Sunday, February 25, 2007

Funny Videos

I found this video really hilarious. Can you guess what it is??

OUCh @#$% THAT HURT!!!


And watch this one - differences between men and women. This might not be safe for the office. How to shower like a man.

Funny Videos

I found this video really fun. Can you guess what it is??

OUCh @#$% THAT HURT!!!


And watch this one - differences between men and women. This might not be safe for the office. How to shower like a man

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Funny Videos

I found this video really hilarious. Can you guess what it is??

OUCh @#$% THAT HURT!!!


And watch this one - differences between men and women. This might not be safe for the office. How to shower like a man.

Friday, February 23, 2007

My new Western Digital Hard Drive just died

Arghhh... I bought a new HD to help store my stash of tivo movies. I purposely got a Western Digital hard drive - despite the fact that Seagate is being produced here in Singapore and is cheaper. I had no previous trouble with WD- and going by my memory, WesternDs' standard was great.

However, it apparently isn't. Google Western Digital and you'll find a sizable portion of unhappy users - one of them being me.

It started off this morning when I was trying to access my portable hard drive. Everything was going well until it crashed. Suddenly, my XP run computer couldn't detect the data - all the two partitions on my hd were totally unreadable.

The thing is barely one month old.

I should have realized there was a problem when last week- it was making a clicking sound.

I had also disabled caching to allow for trouble-free fast removal of the storage device. But to no avail.

Trust me - don't buy WD.

My new Western Digital Hard Drive just died

Arghhh... I bought a new HD to help store my stash of tivo movies. I purposely got a Western Digital hard drive - despite the fact that Seagate is being produced here in Singapore and is cheaper. I had no previous trouble with WD- and going by my memory, WesternDs' standard was great.

However, it apparently isn't. Google Western Digital and you'll find a sizable portion of unhappy users - one of them being me.

It started off this morning when I was trying to access my portable hard drive. Everything was going well until it crashed. Suddenly, my XP run computer couldn't detect the data - all the two partitions on my hd were totally unreadable.

The thing is barely one month old.

I should have realized there was a problem when last week- it was making a clicking sound.

I had also disabled caching to allow for trouble-free fast removal of the storage device. But to no avail.

Trust me - don't buy WD.

My new Western Digital Hard Drive just died

Arghhh... I bought a new HD to help store my stash of tivo movies. I purposely got a Western Digital hard drive - despite the fact that Seagate is being produced here in Singapore and is cheaper. I had no previous trouble with WD- and going by my memory, WesternDs' standard was great.

However, it apparently isn't. Google Western Digital and you'll find a sizable portion of unhappy users - one of them being me.

It started off this morning when I was trying to access my portable hard drive. Everything was going well until it crashed. Suddenly, my XP run computer couldn't detect the data - all the two partitions on my hd were totally unreadable.

The thing is barely one month old.

I should have realized there was a problem when last week- it was making a clicking sound.

I had also disabled caching to allow for trouble-free fast removal of the storage device. But to no avail.

Trust me - don't buy WD.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

God help us

Darn it. I lost another pair of sunglasses again! Its another RayBan too. Damnit. Those things are expensive. Problem is they never ok on top of my head and I always worry that they'll fall off. My eyes are fairly sensitive to bright light so I need to wear them when I walk outside- but when I'm indoors- i usually take it off and put them on the table or somewhere... yeeerrkkk... and promptly forget about them.

That's the problem with my memory I can usually only focus on one activity at a time. When I get distracted by something else, I forget about the secondary stuff- like car keys and sunglasses. And voom- they've off to the Bermuda Triangle. This is esp so when I'm under stress and tired.

Bugger. I really hate that.

I narrowed the possible locations down to a few places. Hopefully I'll retrieve them. But this just puts a big dint in my day.

God help us

Darn it. I lost another pair of sunglasses again! Its another RayBan too. Damnit. Those things are expensive. Problem is they never ok on top of my head and I always worry that they'll fall off. My eyes are fairly sensitive to bright light so I need to wear them when I walk outside- but when I'm indoors- i usually take it off and put them on the table or somewhere... yeeerrkkk... and promptly forget about them.

That's the problem with my memory I can usually only focus on one activity at a time. When I get distracted by something else, I forget about the secondary stuff- like car keys and sunglasses. And voom- they've off to the Bermuda Triangle. This is esp so when I'm under stress and tired.

Bugger. I really hate that.

I narrowed the possible locations down to a few places. Hopefully I'll retrieve them. But this just puts a big dint in my day.

God help us

Darn it. I lost another pair of sunglasses again! Its another RayBan too. Damnit. Those things are expensive. Problem is they never ok on top of my head and I always worry that they'll fall off. My eyes are fairly sensitive to bright light so I need to wear them when I walk outside- but when I'm indoors- i usually take it off and put them on the table or somewhere... yeeerrkkk... and promptly forget about them.

That's the problem with my memory I can usually only focus on one activity at a time. When I get distracted by something else, I forget about the secondary stuff- like car keys and sunglasses. And voom- they've off to the Bermuda Triangle. This is esp so when I'm under stress and tired.

Bugger. I really hate that.

I narrowed the possible locations down to a few places. Hopefully I'll retrieve them. But this just puts a big dint in my day.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Travelling in New Zealand

I went to NZ for a skiing holiday back in 2003. It was great - good clean fun. Skied on most of the major mountains in Queenstown. Wouldn't mind going back there again and staying there for a few years.

I found this travel blog. For those interested in going to NZ for a holiday, check it out.

http://blogs.smh.com.au/trampaboutnz/



Just be careful when you're driving there- quite a lot of the roads are unsealed- meaning they are just gravel or dirt roads- if you brake suddenly, you could crash. Several asian families unused to the road conditions there- have met horrible accidents.

Travelling in New Zealand

I went to NZ for a skiing holiday back in 2003. It was great - good clean fun. Skied on most of the major mountains in Queenstown. Wouldn't mind going back there again and staying there for a few years.

I found this travel blog. For those interested in going to NZ for a holiday, check it out.

http://blogs.smh.com.au/trampaboutnz/



Just be careful when you're driving there- quite a lot of the roads are unsealed- meaning they are just gravel or dirt roads- if you brake suddenly, you could crash. Several asian families unused to the road conditions there- have met horrible accidents.

Travelling in New Zealand

I went to NZ for a skiing holiday back in 2003. It was great - good clean fun. Skied on most of the major mountains in Queenstown. Wouldn't mind going back there again and staying there for a few years.

I found this travel blog. For those interested in going to NZ for a holiday, check it out.

http://blogs.smh.com.au/trampaboutnz/



Just be careful when you're driving there- quite a lot of the roads are unsealed- meaning they are just gravel or dirt roads- if you brake suddenly, you could crash. Several asian families unused to the road conditions there- have met horrible accidents.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Share trading/ investment

Share trading and share investment are like cars. One is a sports car- the other is a sedan. Both basically are designed to take you to your destination. Its really up to you- as to how fast you want to drive.

Take share trading for example- that's like buying a sports car. Sports car look cool don't they? My fav would be the Lotus Elise. It just looks sexy cool.

However, they come at a cost. First off- its not really for a family. Second, they usually drink a lot of petrol. Third, their maintenance cost is high compared to a sedan.

That's the way with share trading too - it often requires you to maintain a high degree of concentration, and you often, spend a lot more money acting on stop losses and brokerage fees.

But they go fast... super fast. Making 5% a day not per annum is possible. But what's the cost? Higher risk. If you are planning to drive your sports car at 200km down the road- you stand a greater degree of crashing and killing yourself especially if you don't know what you are doing. Similarly, if you take highly leveraged positions, and don't act stop losses - you're going to become bankrupt and owe people a serious load of money - in other words, you've crashed and ended up in E.R.

Share investment are similar too- but in this case, you're taking a slightly slower approach, which might take a bit longer to get to your destination, ie. rich land. In this case, you're driving an ordinary sort of car... drinks less fuel... needs less maintenance, and can accommodate your family lifestyle. So you're spending less time looking at your shares, etc... But like buying a sedan, you have to be quite careful that you don't buy a crap car. That's not much point in dumping your cash in a small crappy stock, and when it goes down, you say "buy and hold" ... no, no. Similarly, if you have a car and its got serious mechanical issues- you might as well sell it quickly before you spend a fortune repairing the damn thing.

Yet, at the same time, you can also drive your sedan quite fast. The average car's speedometer goes all the way up to 200km. Try driving at that speed in your back road. You can of course drive it safely at a high speed on the highway too. But again, you still have to use your judgement- you can't drive at 100km/h if you're stuck in a traffic jam. Whizzing in and out at that speed is going to get you killed.

In both sides, you still need to exercise prudence and caution. You can double or triple your money in this. People who placed their money in good stocks when the stock market was depressed usually made a fortune.

The adage remains the same- don't lump all your eggs in one basket. Never put more than 10 - 15% of your capital into any one stock. Never try and search for that "magic bullet"- otherwise you'll end up getting shot. You're not God, you can't foresee the future 100% all the time. No mortal can. But you can limit your risk. If you limit your risk, you'll last longer, if you last longer, it will give you more opportunity to make money.

If you succeed in this balancing act, you'll end up to your destination. Making a sizable pile of money, and not having to keep up with a 9- 5 grind.

That's my goal... occasionally I forget the rules- and the market canes me. Just suck it up, and move on.

Share trading/ investment

Share trading and share investment are like cars. One is a sports car- the other is a sedan. Both basically are designed to take you to your destination. Its really up to you- as to how fast you want to drive.

Take share trading for example- that's like buying a sports car. Sports car look cool don't they? My fav would be the Lotus Elise. It just looks sexy cool.

However, they come at a cost. First off- its not really for a family. Second, they usually drink a lot of petrol. Third, their maintenance cost is high compared to a sedan.

That's the way with share trading too - it often requires you to maintain a high degree of concentration, and you often, spend a lot more money acting on stop losses and brokerage fees.

But they go fast... super fast. Making 5% a day not per annum is possible. But what's the cost? Higher risk. If you are planning to drive your sports car at 200km down the road- you stand a greater degree of crashing and killing yourself especially if you don't know what you are doing. Similarly, if you take highly leveraged positions, and don't act stop losses - you're going to become bankrupt and owe people a serious load of money - in other words, you've crashed and ended up in E.R.

Share investment are similar too- but in this case, you're taking a slightly slower approach, which might take a bit longer to get to your destination, ie. rich land. In this case, you're driving an ordinary sort of car... drinks less fuel... needs less maintenance, and can accommodate your family lifestyle. So you're spending less time looking at your shares, etc... But like buying a sedan, you have to be quite careful that you don't buy a crap car. That's not much point in dumping your cash in a small crappy stock, and when it goes down, you say "buy and hold" ... no, no. Similarly, if you have a car and its got serious mechanical issues- you might as well sell it quickly before you spend a fortune repairing the damn thing.

Yet, at the same time, you can also drive your sedan quite fast. The average car's speedometer goes all the way up to 200km. Try driving at that speed in your back road. You can of course drive it safely at a high speed on the highway too. But again, you still have to use your judgement- you can't drive at 100km/h if you're stuck in a traffic jam. Whizzing in and out at that speed is going to get you killed.

In both sides, you still need to exercise prudence and caution. You can double or triple your money in this. People who placed their money in good stocks when the stock market was depressed usually made a fortune.

The adage remains the same- don't lump all your eggs in one basket. Never put more than 10 - 15% of your capital into any one stock. Never try and search for that "magic bullet"- otherwise you'll end up getting shot. You're not God, you can't foresee the future 100% all the time. No mortal can. But you can limit your risk. If you limit your risk, you'll last longer, if you last longer, it will give you more opportunity to make money.

If you succeed in this balancing act, you'll end up to your destination. Making a sizable pile of money, and not having to keep up with a 9- 5 grind.

That's my goal... occasionally I forget the rules- and the market canes me. Just suck it up, and move on.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Share trading/ investment

Share trading and share investment are like cars. One is a sports car- the other is a sedan. Both basically are designed to take you to your destination. Its really up to you- as to how fast you want to drive.

Take share trading for example- that's like buying a sports car. Sports car look cool don't they? My fav would be the Lotus Elise. It just looks sexy cool.

However, they come at a cost. First off- its not really for a family. Second, they usually drink a lot of petrol. Third, their maintenance cost is high compared to a sedan.

That's the way with share trading too - it often requires you to maintain a high degree of concentration, and you often, spend a lot more money acting on stop losses and brokerage fees.

But they go fast... super fast. Making 5% a day not per annum is possible. But what's the cost? Higher risk. If you are planning to drive your sports car at 200km down the road- you stand a greater degree of crashing and killing yourself especially if you don't know what you are doing. Similarly, if you take highly leveraged positions, and don't act stop losses - you're going to become bankrupt and owe people a serious load of money - in other words, you've crashed and ended up in E.R.

Share investment are similar too- but in this case, you're taking a slightly slower approach, which might take a bit longer to get to your destination, ie. rich land. In this case, you're driving an ordinary sort of car... drinks less fuel... needs less maintenance, and can accommodate your family lifestyle. So you're spending less time looking at your shares, etc... But like buying a sedan, you have to be quite careful that you don't buy a crap car. That's not much point in dumping your cash in a small crappy stock, and when it goes down, you say "buy and hold" ... no, no. Similarly, if you have a car and its got serious mechanical issues- you might as well sell it quickly before you spend a fortune repairing the damn thing.

Yet, at the same time, you can also drive your sedan quite fast. The average car's speedometer goes all the way up to 200km. Try driving at that speed in your back road. You can of course drive it safely at a high speed on the highway too. But again, you still have to use your judgement- you can't drive at 100km/h if you're stuck in a traffic jam. Whizzing in and out at that speed is going to get you killed.

In both sides, you still need to exercise prudence and caution. You can double or triple your money in this. People who placed their money in good stocks when the stock market was depressed usually made a fortune.

The adage remains the same- don't lump all your eggs in one basket. Never put more than 10 - 15% of your capital into any one stock. Never try and search for that "magic bullet"- otherwise you'll end up getting shot. You're not God, you can't foresee the future 100% all the time. No mortal can. But you can limit your risk. If you limit your risk, you'll last longer, if you last longer, it will give you more opportunity to make money.

If you succeed in this balancing act, you'll end up to your destination. Making a sizable pile of money, and not having to keep up with a 9- 5 grind.

That's my goal... occasionally I forget the rules- and the market canes me. Just suck it up, and move on.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Cheetah Cheats Woman

Read this online... what I also found bemusing was the zoo officials statement: The Cheetah had betrayed the Pet Lover's trust.

Hmmm... what next?

1. Man jumps out of window - but gravity betrays his trust.
2. Girl plays with fire- but combustion betrays her trust.
3. Man jumps off Niagara Falls, but waterfall betrays his trust.
4. Boy hugs bull - but bull betrays his trust.
5. Man swims with Great White Shark - but shark betrays his trust.
6. Man eats junk food 24/7 but Cholesterol betrays his trust.
7. Heroin Addict overdoses - but heroin betrays his trust.
8. City Woman wanders into forest to embrace nature. But Nature betrays her trust.
9. Soldier plays with bomb but bomb betrays his trust.
10. - insert your's here -

Anyhow read on... unbelievable. Truly a candidate for the Darwin Awards. The other funny thing is the cheetah's name - "Bongo". lol.

Cheetahs Maul Woman to Death at Zoo in Belgium

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

BRUSSELS, Belgium — An animal lover was mauled to death by cheetahs after entering their cage at a zoo in northern Belgium, authorities and zoo officials said Monday.

Karen Aerts, 37, of Antwerp, was found dead in the cage, Olmense Zoo spokesman Jan Libot said. Police said they ruled out any foul play.

Authorities believe Aerts, a regular visitor to the zoo, hid in the park late Sunday until it closed and managed to find the keys to the cheetah cage.

"Karen loved animals. Unfortunately the cheetahs betrayed her trust," Libot said.

One of the cats that killed Aerts was named Bongo, whom the woman had adopted under a special program. She paid for Bongo's food, Libot said.

Animal rights group GAIA called for the immediate closure of the zoo, located 55 miles northeast of Brussels, saying it was unsafe for both visitors and the cats.

Rudy Demotte, the Belgian minister responsible for animal welfare, sent a team to investigate.

Cheetah Cheats Woman

Read this online... what I also found bemusing was the zoo officials statement: The Cheetah had betrayed the Pet Lover's trust.

Hmmm... what next?

1. Man jumps out of window - but gravity betrayed his trust.
2. Woman plays with fire- but combustion betrayed her trust.
3. Sailor swims to America - but the sea betrayed his trust.
4. Boy hugs bull - but bull betrays his trust.
5. Man Swims with Great White Sharks - but shark's teeth betray his trust???
6. Man eats junk food 24/7 but Cholesterol betrays his trust.
7. Woman feeds Wild Tiger - Wild Tiger eats Woman.
8. City Woman wanders into forest to embrace nature. But Nature betrays her trust.
9. Man climbs mountain without harness. But mountain betrays his trust.
10. Man keeps Man-eating Lion in his bedroom. ... ahhhh....


Anyhow read on... unbelievable. Truly a candidate for the Darwin Awards.

Cheetahs Maul Woman to Death at Zoo in Belgium

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

BRUSSELS, Belgium — An animal lover was mauled to death by cheetahs after entering their cage at a zoo in northern Belgium, authorities and zoo officials said Monday.

Karen Aerts, 37, of Antwerp, was found dead in the cage, Olmense Zoo spokesman Jan Libot said. Police said they ruled out any foul play.

Authorities believe Aerts, a regular visitor to the zoo, hid in the park late Sunday until it closed and managed to find the keys to the cheetah cage.

"Karen loved animals. Unfortunately the cheetahs betrayed her trust," Libot said.

One of the cats that killed Aerts was named Bongo, whom the woman had adopted under a special program. She paid for Bongo's food, Libot said.

Animal rights group GAIA called for the immediate closure of the zoo, located 55 miles northeast of Brussels, saying it was unsafe for both visitors and the cats.

Rudy Demotte, the Belgian minister responsible for animal welfare, sent a team to investigate.

Photos of Interest


My 2 year old nephew Euen and me at the Victorian VW Club Show on a pleasant Summer day.

Cheetah Cheats Woman

Read this online... what I also found bemusing was the zoo officials statement: The Cheetah had betrayed the Pet Lover's trust.

Hmmm... what next?

1. Man jumps out of window - but gravity betrays his trust.
2. Girl plays with fire- but combustion betrays her trust.
3. Man jumps off Niagara Falls, but waterfall betrays his trust.
4. Boy hugs bull - but bull betrays his trust.
5. Man swims with Great White Shark - but shark betrays his trust.
6. Man eats junk food 24/7 but Cholesterol betrays his trust.
7. Heroin Addict overdoses - but heroin betrays his trust.
8. City Woman wanders into forest to embrace nature. But Nature betrays her trust.
9. Soldier plays with bomb but bomb betrays his trust.
10. - insert your's here -

Anyhow read on... unbelievable. Truly a candidate for the Darwin Awards. The other funny thing is the cheetah's name - "Bongo". lol.

Cheetahs Maul Woman to Death at Zoo in Belgium

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

BRUSSELS, Belgium — An animal lover was mauled to death by cheetahs after entering their cage at a zoo in northern Belgium, authorities and zoo officials said Monday.

Karen Aerts, 37, of Antwerp, was found dead in the cage, Olmense Zoo spokesman Jan Libot said. Police said they ruled out any foul play.

Authorities believe Aerts, a regular visitor to the zoo, hid in the park late Sunday until it closed and managed to find the keys to the cheetah cage.

"Karen loved animals. Unfortunately the cheetahs betrayed her trust," Libot said.

One of the cats that killed Aerts was named Bongo, whom the woman had adopted under a special program. She paid for Bongo's food, Libot said.

Animal rights group GAIA called for the immediate closure of the zoo, located 55 miles northeast of Brussels, saying it was unsafe for both visitors and the cats.

Rudy Demotte, the Belgian minister responsible for animal welfare, sent a team to investigate.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Arghh

Yet another fiasco on the share market today. Why the hell did I even get back in. What on earth possessed me to buy back in- when I was already totally out in the black last week????

I know. I forgot about the trade and worried about the money. This might seem a bit strange to hear. But in trading you worry about the trade - the charts and act accordingly - the price is secondary.

You can't go into a trade and say to yourself- I'm going to sell when I make $5000 or $1000... hey its good to set targets. But the most important thing that should preoccupy your mind is the chart and the direction of the trade.

If you're in doubt- get OUT. Sell.

Instead, I started focusing on the cash... how much money I would lose if I sold. And when the trade went sour- I hesistated and "hoped" that the trade would improve. This is share trading anymore - its just gambling. Hopeing that my luck would improve... hoping for a favorable company announcement or broker's report.

To put the cream on an awful day. I bought into KS Engineering. Then my broker told me that it was after SunPower... I looked at Sunpower, and yawned. 27 - 28... It didn't dawn on me that if SunPower was the target for KS, it would be good to - at least - put down some money into SunPower.

Then I went for lunch... well not really lunch- I went to meet an Uncle. He talked and then he spent 20 minutes smsing his friend whilst I looked on... on boredom. By the time I got back home SunPower had climbed to 30. I looked on stupidly. By the close of the day it had hit 37.

What was really bad- was that I lost my composure- my cool - my chi... it really freaked me out. I couldn't get over it for many hours.

But that's the danger- if I allow these sort of setback to screw with my brain- then I am bound to screw up my next trade because I am no longer thinking in a rational and coherent manner.

And that really sums up the whole week- I just lost it and I allowed the price to get to me. I did not install any stop losses- I just thought good thoughts.

Rule 1 of a trader.

1. Protect your capital. Don't squander it on foolish ill-thought trades.
2. Protect your profits.
3. At all times- seek to minimize your risk profile- esp. in a bear market or in a volatile market - or when the market is way overbought.
4. Have stop -losses. You need to protect your capital. Get out of a trade if its going badly.

I think I;m sitting on paper losses totally $10,000 now, maybe more. I feel totally shit. I now have the unpleasant task of eyeing balling the charts - and trying to exit them.

Still I have only a small percentage of my capital riding on the stocks at the moment. I should be able to ride out the storm.

Oh god. That's not the point though. I should have minimized my losses on the day itself. Why didn't I learn my lesson?

But taking a loss is very very hard. And that is well traders- good ones- keep their losses to a minimum and act swiftly on their stop losses.

Now I need to avoid the temptation of averaging down which can be like throwing more money out of the window.

Arghh

Yet another fiasco on the share market today. Why the hell did I even get back in. What on earth possessed me to buy back in- when I was already totally out in the black last week????

I know. I forgot about the trade and worried about the money. This might seem a bit strange to hear. But in trading you worry about the trade - the charts and act accordingly - the price is secondary.

You can't go into a trade and say to yourself- I'm going to sell when I make $5000 or $1000... hey its good to set targets. But the most important thing that should preoccupy your mind is the chart and the direction of the trade.

If you're in doubt- get OUT. Sell.

Instead, I started focusing on the cash... how much money I would lose if I sold. And when the trade went sour- I hesistated and "hoped" that the trade would improve. This is share trading anymore - its just gambling. Hopeing that my luck would improve... hoping for a favorable company announcement or broker's report.

To put the cream on an awful day. I bought into KS Engineering. Then my broker told me that it was after SunPower... I looked at Sunpower, and yawned. 27 - 28... It didn't dawn on me that if SunPower was the target for KS, it would be good to - at least - put down some money into SunPower.

Then I went for lunch... well not really lunch- I went to meet an Uncle. He talked and then he spent 20 minutes smsing his friend whilst I looked on... on boredom. By the time I got back home SunPower had climbed to 30. I looked on stupidly. By the close of the day it had hit 37.

What was really bad- was that I lost my composure- my cool - my chi... it really freaked me out. I couldn't get over it for many hours.

But that's the danger- if I allow these sort of setback to screw with my brain- then I am bound to screw up my next trade because I am no longer thinking in a rational and coherent manner.

And that really sums up the whole week- I just lost it and I allowed the price to get to me. I did not install any stop losses- I just thought good thoughts.

Rule 1 of a trader.

1. Protect your capital. Don't squander it on foolish ill-thought trades.
2. Protect your profits.
3. At all times- seek to minimize your risk profile- esp. in a bear market or in a volatile market - or when the market is way overbought.
4. Have stop -losses. You need to protect your capital. Get out of a trade if its going badly.

I think I;m sitting on paper losses totally $10,000 now, maybe more. I feel totally shit. I now have the unpleasant task of eyeing balling the charts - and trying to exit them.

Still I have only 30% of my capital riding on the stocks at the moment. I should be able to ride out the storm.

LOL.

Who am I trying to kid?

But taking a loss is very very hard. And that is well traders- good ones- keep their losses to a minimum. Stop Loss.

Spore market update

Despite a roaring day at Wall Street, the market here hasn't really responded. Duh.

Except for the outstanding performance of Capital Land which rose by 25 cents, most of the reaction today is muted.

So it looks as if the traders are all clearing their books and preparing for the Chinese New Year sell down.

Aztec - a company that sells modems, computer phones, etc.. looks like its going to go past 40 cents - and down to 38 by the looks of things.

Genting is also down again to 93 cents.

Considering that the market had risen so high in the last 8 months, I'd say its due for a big correction.

Virtually everyone is talking about a CNY pullback- it could be a self- fulfilling prophecy.

Spore market update

Despite a roaring day at Wall Street, the market here hasn't really responded. Duh.

Except for the outstanding performance of Capital Land which rose by 25 cents, most of the reaction today is muted.

So it looks as if the traders are all clearing their books and preparing for the Chinese New Year sell down.

Aztec - a company that sells modems, computer phones, etc.. looks like its going to go past 40 cents - and down to 38 by the looks of things.

Genting is also down again to 93 cents.

Considering that the market had risen so high in the last 8 months, I'd say its due for a big correction.

Virtually everyone is talking about a CNY pullback- it could be a self- fulfilling prophecy.

Arghh

Yet another fiasco on the share market today. Why the hell did I even get back in. What on earth possessed me to buy back in- when I was already totally out in the black last week????

I know. I forgot about the trade and worried about the money. This might seem a bit strange to hear. But in trading you worry about the trade - the charts and act accordingly - the price is secondary.

You can't go into a trade and say to yourself- I'm going to sell when I make $5000 or $1000... hey its good to set targets. But the most important thing that should preoccupy your mind is the chart and the direction of the trade.

If you're in doubt- get OUT. Sell.

Instead, I started focusing on the cash... how much money I would lose if I sold. And when the trade went sour- I hesistated and "hoped" that the trade would improve. This is share trading anymore - its just gambling. Hopeing that my luck would improve... hoping for a favorable company announcement or broker's report.

To put the cream on an awful day. I bought into KS Engineering. Then my broker told me that it was after SunPower... I looked at Sunpower, and yawned. 27 - 28... It didn't dawn on me that if SunPower was the target for KS, it would be good to - at least - put down some money into SunPower.

Then I went for lunch... well not really lunch- I went to meet an Uncle. He talked and then he spent 20 minutes smsing his friend whilst I looked on... on boredom. By the time I got back home SunPower had climbed to 30. I looked on stupidly. By the close of the day it had hit 37.

What was really bad- was that I lost my composure- my cool - my chi... it really freaked me out. I couldn't get over it for many hours.

But that's the danger- if I allow these sort of setback to screw with my brain- then I am bound to screw up my next trade because I am no longer thinking in a rational and coherent manner.

And that really sums up the whole week- I just lost it and I allowed the price to get to me. I did not install any stop losses- I just thought good thoughts.

Rule 1 of a trader.

1. Protect your capital. Don't squander it on foolish ill-thought trades.
2. Protect your profits.
3. At all times- seek to minimize your risk profile- esp. in a bear market or in a volatile market - or when the market is way overbought.
4. Have stop -losses. You need to protect your capital. Get out of a trade if its going badly.

I think I;m sitting on paper losses totally $10,000 now, maybe more. I feel totally shit. I now have the unpleasant task of eyeing balling the charts - and trying to exit them.

Still I have only a small percentage of my capital riding on the stocks at the moment. I should be able to ride out the storm.

Oh god. That's not the point though. I should have minimized my losses on the day itself. Why didn't I learn my lesson?

But taking a loss is very very hard. And that is well traders- good ones- keep their losses to a minimum and act swiftly on their stop losses.

Now I need to avoid the temptation of averaging down which can be like throwing more money out of the window.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Spore market update

Despite a roaring day at Wall Street, the market here hasn't really responded. Duh.

Except for the outstanding performance of Capital Land which rose by 25 cents, most of the reaction today is muted.

So it looks as if the traders are all clearing their books and preparing for the Chinese New Year sell down.

Aztec - a company that sells modems, computer phones, etc.. looks like its going to go past 40 cents - and down to 38 by the looks of things.

Genting is also down again to 93 cents.

Considering that the market had risen so high in the last 8 months, I'd say its due for a big correction.

Virtually everyone is talking about a CNY pullback- it could be a self- fulfilling prophecy.

Teeth Grinding

I grind my teeth at night. Apparently a lot of people suffer from this problem too. It might seem funny, however there is a downside. Prolonged grinding will wear down the teeth- and may even cause fractures. I cracked two of my molars this way. Now I have to wear a design splint- like a tailor made mouth guard- when I sleep at night, to prevent further problems.

Read this. And if you know of someone who suffers from this problem- let him know about it.

Understanding Bruxism

What is bruxism? Bruxism (pronounced BRUK-sizm) is the technical term for forcible grinding and clenching of the teeth. It usually happens at night, during sleep, although some people grind their teeth during the day as well. People who suffer from bruxism may also bite their fingernails or pencils, or chew the insides of their cheeks.

How common is bruxism? About half of US adults grind their teeth at night, and about 20% (over 40 million people) grind their teeth in a destructive way. Most people who grind their teeth are over 25 years old, and the disorder affects women and men about equally. Children also grind their teeth, but usually in response to discomfort caused by colds, ear infections or allergies. Most cases of bruxism in children resolve on their own without causing tooth damage or other problems.

What causes bruxism? Bruxism can have a variety of causes, but the most common are probably emotional factors such as daytime stress, anxiety, anger, pain and frustration. Certain sleep disorders can trigger grinding of the teeth as well. People who are competitive, aggressive, and rushed may also be at greater risk for bruxism. Lastly, alcohol and some types of medications may worsen tooth grinding.

Why bruxism can be a serious problem: When you chew your food, your deliver a force of about 175 pounds per square inch (psi) to your teeth. But when you grind your teeth at night, there's no food to absorb the impact, so the force on your teeth can be 300 psi or more. That's enough to cause permanent damage to your teeth, including cracked and chipped enamel, hairline fractures, and even wearing down of the teeth to the gumline. The enamel may become so worn that the inside of the tooth (called the dentin) is exposed. If bruxism isn't treated, it can lead to gum damage, loss of both natural teeth and restorations, and other more complicated jaw-related disorders (such as temporomandibular joint disorders). Over time, your teeth may become sensitive due to exposed dentin, and your jaws may even move out of proper balance. Grinding your teeth can also cause a wide variety of other symptoms including soreness and fatigue in your jaw and facial muscles, and earaches or headaches-especially when you wake up in the morning. There is no known cure for bruxism. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce or stop your grinding and even ways to limit further damage and pain due to grinding.

Learn more about bruxism: For on-line sources of information on bruxism, try visiting:

Dental Health: Teeth Grinding (Bruxism) - by WebMD
Most people probably grind and clench their teeth from time to time. Occasional teeth grinding, medically called bruxism, does not usually cause harm, but when teeth grinding occurs on a regular basis the teeth can be damaged and other complications can arise.

Child Rapist Wins Compensation over Prison Food

I found this quite bizarre. I bet that his victims haven't received a single cent in compensation. But then again- only in Australia - punish the innocent, reward the guilty.

On other news I went to the SMU fun fair. The students were selling a lot of great stuff. I bought two t-shirts for $25. The Malay dude was selling them for $28 for two, but when I didn't have change- he gave it to me for $25. I think elsewhere I'd have to pay double the price.


*********************************************************

February 12, 2007 - 8:09AM

A child sex-offender has won a discrimination case against the Queensland government because he was denied food prepared in accordance with Muslim religious laws and fed vegetables, nuts and tinned meat.

In a ruling the government fears could trigger an avalanche of claims from other prisoners denied special dietary requests, the Supreme Court found Sharif Mahommed, who was sentenced to eight years imprisonment in 2000, had been discriminated against.

He will be allowed to keep $2000 in compensation and not pay for tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills spent to defend his case, The Australian reports.

Mahommed is now out of prison and said he suffered stress and lost weight while behind bars because he was denied fresh halal meat.

He blamed prison authorities for their "lack of knowledge in understanding my religious beliefs, poor training skills, coupled with a no-care and negative attitude to inmates in general", the court was told.

© 2007 AAP

Teeth Grinding

I grind my teeth at night. Apparently a lot of people suffer from this problem too. It might seem funny, however there is a downside. Prolonged grinding will wear down the teeth- and may even cause fractures. I cracked two of my molars this way. Now I have to wear a design splint- like a tailor made mouth guard- when I sleep at night, to prevent further problems.

Read this. And if you know of someone who suffers from this problem- let him know about it.

Understanding Bruxism

What is bruxism? Bruxism (pronounced BRUK-sizm) is the technical term for forcible grinding and clenching of the teeth. It usually happens at night, during sleep, although some people grind their teeth during the day as well. People who suffer from bruxism may also bite their fingernails or pencils, or chew the insides of their cheeks.

How common is bruxism? About half of US adults grind their teeth at night, and about 20% (over 40 million people) grind their teeth in a destructive way. Most people who grind their teeth are over 25 years old, and the disorder affects women and men about equally. Children also grind their teeth, but usually in response to discomfort caused by colds, ear infections or allergies. Most cases of bruxism in children resolve on their own without causing tooth damage or other problems.

What causes bruxism? Bruxism can have a variety of causes, but the most common are probably emotional factors such as daytime stress, anxiety, anger, pain and frustration. Certain sleep disorders can trigger grinding of the teeth as well. People who are competitive, aggressive, and rushed may also be at greater risk for bruxism. Lastly, alcohol and some types of medications may worsen tooth grinding.

Why bruxism can be a serious problem: When you chew your food, your deliver a force of about 175 pounds per square inch (psi) to your teeth. But when you grind your teeth at night, there's no food to absorb the impact, so the force on your teeth can be 300 psi or more. That's enough to cause permanent damage to your teeth, including cracked and chipped enamel, hairline fractures, and even wearing down of the teeth to the gumline. The enamel may become so worn that the inside of the tooth (called the dentin) is exposed. If bruxism isn't treated, it can lead to gum damage, loss of both natural teeth and restorations, and other more complicated jaw-related disorders (such as temporomandibular joint disorders). Over time, your teeth may become sensitive due to exposed dentin, and your jaws may even move out of proper balance. Grinding your teeth can also cause a wide variety of other symptoms including soreness and fatigue in your jaw and facial muscles, and earaches or headaches-especially when you wake up in the morning. There is no known cure for bruxism. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce or stop your grinding and even ways to limit further damage and pain due to grinding.

Learn more about bruxism: For on-line sources of information on bruxism, try visiting:

Dental Health: Teeth Grinding (Bruxism) - by WebMD
Most people probably grind and clench their teeth from time to time. Occasional teeth grinding, medically called bruxism, does not usually cause harm, but when teeth grinding occurs on a regular basis the teeth can be damaged and other complications can arise.

Child Rapist Wins Compensation over Prison Food

I found this quite bizarre. I bet that his victims haven't received a single cent in compensation. But then again- only in Australia - punish the innocent, reward the guilty.

On other news I went to the SMU fun fair. The students were selling a lot of great stuff. I bought two t-shirts for $25. The Malay dude was selling them for $28 for two, but when I didn't have change- he gave it to me for $25. I think elsewhere I'd have to pay double the price.


*********************************************************

February 12, 2007 - 8:09AM

A child sex-offender has won a discrimination case against the Queensland government because he was denied food prepared in accordance with Muslim religious laws and fed vegetables, nuts and tinned meat.

In a ruling the government fears could trigger an avalanche of claims from other prisoners denied special dietary requests, the Supreme Court found Sharif Mahommed, who was sentenced to eight years imprisonment in 2000, had been discriminated against.

He will be allowed to keep $2000 in compensation and not pay for tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills spent to defend his case, The Australian reports.

Mahommed is now out of prison and said he suffered stress and lost weight while behind bars because he was denied fresh halal meat.

He blamed prison authorities for their "lack of knowledge in understanding my religious beliefs, poor training skills, coupled with a no-care and negative attitude to inmates in general", the court was told.

© 2007 AAP

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Teeth Grinding

I grind my teeth at night. Apparently a lot of people suffer from this problem too. It might seem funny, however there is a downside. Prolonged grinding will wear down the teeth- and may even cause fractures. I cracked two of my molars this way. Now I have to wear a design splint- like a tailor made mouth guard- when I sleep at night, to prevent further problems.

Read this. And if you know of someone who suffers from this problem- let him know about it.

Understanding Bruxism

What is bruxism? Bruxism (pronounced BRUK-sizm) is the technical term for forcible grinding and clenching of the teeth. It usually happens at night, during sleep, although some people grind their teeth during the day as well. People who suffer from bruxism may also bite their fingernails or pencils, or chew the insides of their cheeks.

How common is bruxism? About half of US adults grind their teeth at night, and about 20% (over 40 million people) grind their teeth in a destructive way. Most people who grind their teeth are over 25 years old, and the disorder affects women and men about equally. Children also grind their teeth, but usually in response to discomfort caused by colds, ear infections or allergies. Most cases of bruxism in children resolve on their own without causing tooth damage or other problems.

What causes bruxism? Bruxism can have a variety of causes, but the most common are probably emotional factors such as daytime stress, anxiety, anger, pain and frustration. Certain sleep disorders can trigger grinding of the teeth as well. People who are competitive, aggressive, and rushed may also be at greater risk for bruxism. Lastly, alcohol and some types of medications may worsen tooth grinding.

Why bruxism can be a serious problem: When you chew your food, your deliver a force of about 175 pounds per square inch (psi) to your teeth. But when you grind your teeth at night, there's no food to absorb the impact, so the force on your teeth can be 300 psi or more. That's enough to cause permanent damage to your teeth, including cracked and chipped enamel, hairline fractures, and even wearing down of the teeth to the gumline. The enamel may become so worn that the inside of the tooth (called the dentin) is exposed. If bruxism isn't treated, it can lead to gum damage, loss of both natural teeth and restorations, and other more complicated jaw-related disorders (such as temporomandibular joint disorders). Over time, your teeth may become sensitive due to exposed dentin, and your jaws may even move out of proper balance. Grinding your teeth can also cause a wide variety of other symptoms including soreness and fatigue in your jaw and facial muscles, and earaches or headaches-especially when you wake up in the morning. There is no known cure for bruxism. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce or stop your grinding and even ways to limit further damage and pain due to grinding.

Learn more about bruxism: For on-line sources of information on bruxism, try visiting:

Dental Health: Teeth Grinding (Bruxism) - by WebMD
Most people probably grind and clench their teeth from time to time. Occasional teeth grinding, medically called bruxism, does not usually cause harm, but when teeth grinding occurs on a regular basis the teeth can be damaged and other complications can arise.

Child Rapist Wins Compensation over Prison Food

I found this quite bizarre. I bet that his victims haven't received a single cent in compensation. But then again- only in Australia - punish the innocent, reward the guilty.

On other news I went to the SMU fun fair. The students were selling a lot of great stuff. I bought two t-shirts for $25. The Malay dude was selling them for $28 for two, but when I didn't have change- he gave it to me for $25. I think elsewhere I'd have to pay double the price.


*********************************************************

February 12, 2007 - 8:09AM

A child sex-offender has won a discrimination case against the Queensland government because he was denied food prepared in accordance with Muslim religious laws and fed vegetables, nuts and tinned meat.

In a ruling the government fears could trigger an avalanche of claims from other prisoners denied special dietary requests, the Supreme Court found Sharif Mahommed, who was sentenced to eight years imprisonment in 2000, had been discriminated against.

He will be allowed to keep $2000 in compensation and not pay for tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills spent to defend his case, The Australian reports.

Mahommed is now out of prison and said he suffered stress and lost weight while behind bars because he was denied fresh halal meat.

He blamed prison authorities for their "lack of knowledge in understanding my religious beliefs, poor training skills, coupled with a no-care and negative attitude to inmates in general", the court was told.

© 2007 AAP

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Beat the Bullet

Every week I usually hear someone complaining about the govt here. Hmmm... they usually have a point. I used to really dislike things here in Singapore too. But then when you see the chaos that's around the world- you might have cause to think twice.

How many nations in the world can women walk the city streets safe at night- not even Sydney can boast that. In many parts of Europe, there's total anarchy and the police are helpless to stop it.

Then you think of Africa. In places like Rhodesia, another former British colony. Look at it now. They've chased out the white minority and put in place a bunch of ex-terrorists (aka freedom fighters).

I read this article. Take a look at it and wonder why there isn't more of an uproar over it.

From the New York Times, 1 January 1982, then noting that the socialist government of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe wasn’t being quite socialist enough:

Mr. Mugabe’s socialist Government came to power nearly two years ago in the former white-ruled Rhodesia, promising an ambitious resettlement program. So far, only about 6,000 families have been resettled out of about a million people who qualify for the program. (1982)

Now see Zimbabwe 2007

SUPPORT for Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Mugabe, is eroding due to a hyperinflation crisis that is being blamed for doctors’ strikes, electricity blackouts and an outbreak of cholera.

The price of meat, cooking oil and clothing has increased by 223 per cent in the past week, according to a survey by Zimbabwe’s central bank. The annual inflation rate is now racing at 1200 per cent.

Doctors at government hospitals have been off the job for seven weeks, demanding pay increases of 9000 per cent. The Government has fired them and threatened arrest, but the strike has now spread to nurses.

Meaning we complain about a 2% hike in the GST... Putting into perspective, Singapore really has beaten the bullet.

Beat the Bullet

Every week I usually hear someone complaining about the govt here. Hmmm... they usually have a point. I used to really dislike things here in Singapore too. But then when you see the chaos that's around the world- you might have cause to think twice.

How many nations in the world can women walk the city streets safe at night- not even Sydney can boast that. In many parts of Europe, there's total anarchy and the police are helpless to stop it.

Then you think of Africa. In places like Rhodesia, another former British colony. Look at it now. They've chased out the white minority and put in place a bunch of ex-terrorists (aka freedom fighters).

I read this article. Take a look at it and wonder why there isn't more of an uproar over it.

From the New York Times, 1 January 1982, then noting that the socialist government of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe wasn’t being quite socialist enough:

Mr. Mugabe’s socialist Government came to power nearly two years ago in the former white-ruled Rhodesia, promising an ambitious resettlement program. So far, only about 6,000 families have been resettled out of about a million people who qualify for the program. (1982)

Now see Zimbabwe 2007

SUPPORT for Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Mugabe, is eroding due to a hyperinflation crisis that is being blamed for doctors’ strikes, electricity blackouts and an outbreak of cholera.

The price of meat, cooking oil and clothing has increased by 223 per cent in the past week, according to a survey by Zimbabwe’s central bank. The annual inflation rate is now racing at 1200 per cent.

Doctors at government hospitals have been off the job for seven weeks, demanding pay increases of 9000 per cent. The Government has fired them and threatened arrest, but the strike has now spread to nurses.

Meaning we complain about a 2% hike in the GST... Putting into perspective, Singapore really has beaten the bullet.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Feelin totally wasted

Oh no... another one of those days. Was totally tired by the end of the day. I thought of going to see "Last King of Scotland" but the thought of seeing several hundred thousand people being butchered by a nutcase African dictator didn't appeal to me; I was already mildly depressed.

I thought of getting some dinner- but fell asleep again. Its now 8pm. I'm having reverse breakfast again. Won't go to bible study... most of the adults there are married and have noisy demanding kids.

I think I'll call it an early night.

Feelin totally wasted

Oh no... another one of those days. Was totally tired by the end of the day. I thought of going to see "Last King of Scotland" but the thought of seeing several hundred thousand people being butchered by a nutcase African dictator didn't appeal to me; I was already mildly depressed.

I thought of getting some dinner- but fell asleep again. Its now 8pm. I'm having reverse breakfast again. Won't go to bible study... most of the adults there are married and have noisy demanding kids.

I think I'll call it an early night.

Beat the Bullet

Every week I usually hear someone complaining about the govt here. Hmmm... they usually have a point. I used to really dislike things here in Singapore too. But then when you see the chaos that's around the world- you might have cause to think twice.

How many nations in the world can women walk the city streets safe at night- not even Sydney can boast that. In many parts of Europe, there's total anarchy and the police are helpless to stop it.

Then you think of Africa. In places like Rhodesia, another former British colony. Look at it now. They've chased out the white minority and put in place a bunch of ex-terrorists (aka freedom fighters).

I read this article. Take a look at it and wonder why there isn't more of an uproar over it.

From the New York Times, 1 January 1982, then noting that the socialist government of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe wasn’t being quite socialist enough:

Mr. Mugabe’s socialist Government came to power nearly two years ago in the former white-ruled Rhodesia, promising an ambitious resettlement program. So far, only about 6,000 families have been resettled out of about a million people who qualify for the program. (1982)

Now see Zimbabwe 2007

SUPPORT for Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Mugabe, is eroding due to a hyperinflation crisis that is being blamed for doctors’ strikes, electricity blackouts and an outbreak of cholera.

The price of meat, cooking oil and clothing has increased by 223 per cent in the past week, according to a survey by Zimbabwe’s central bank. The annual inflation rate is now racing at 1200 per cent.

Doctors at government hospitals have been off the job for seven weeks, demanding pay increases of 9000 per cent. The Government has fired them and threatened arrest, but the strike has now spread to nurses.

Meaning we complain about a 2% hike in the GST... Putting into perspective, Singapore really has beaten the bullet.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Feelin totally wasted

Oh no... another one of those days. Was totally tired by the end of the day. I thought of going to see "Last King of Scotland" but the thought of seeing several hundred thousand people being butchered by a nutcase African dictator didn't appeal to me; I was already mildly depressed.

I thought of getting some dinner- but fell asleep again. Its now 8pm. I'm having reverse breakfast again. Won't go to bible study... most of the adults there are married and have noisy demanding kids.

I think I'll call it an early night.

Don't go to Graduate School!!!

Google filed papers to regulators that revealed how much YouTube's founders and initial investors made when they agreed to be acquired by Google last year. Google paid $1.65 billion in stock for the popular video-sharing site.

Google shares worth $345 million went to YouTube co-founder and CEO Chad Hurley. Another founder, Steven Chen, got $326 million.

The third co-founder, Jawed Karim, quit the company early on to go to grad school, but still collected Google shares worth $64 million

I wonder whether Jawed is kicking himself in the pants as we speak. Then again, if he learnt anything from Grad School - it'd be to take the money and run.

$64,000,000.00 is still nothing to sneeze at. Thank God he got that much. Imagine if he had given up all his Youtube shares early on to pay for his grad school tuition. Ow! THAT WOULD HURT!!!!

I wonder what Steven Chen and Chad Hurley plan to do with the money?

If it was me- I'd stash 10 million away in an offshore bank account in several reputable banks and in a range of currencies- including gold and silver.

Then I'd part off another 100 million to a good managed fund - run by a team of experienced traders.

Hmmm... I'd give at least 33 million to charity...

Maybe buy properties around the world...

But definately I'd find a home where I can relax in peace and security. There's always a price to fame.

Don't go to Graduate School!!!

Google filed papers to regulators that revealed how much YouTube's founders and initial investors made when they agreed to be acquired by Google last year. Google paid $1.65 billion in stock for the popular video-sharing site.

Google shares worth $345 million went to YouTube co-founder and CEO Chad Hurley. Another founder, Steven Chen, got $326 million.

The third co-founder, Jawed Karim, quit the company early on to go to grad school, but still collected Google shares worth $64 million

I wonder whether Jawed is kicking himself in the pants as we speak. Then again, if he learnt anything from Grad School - it'd be to take the money and run.

$64,000,000.00 is still nothing to sneeze at. Thank God he got that much. Imagine if he had given up all his Youtube shares early on to pay for his grad school tuition. Ow! THAT WOULD HURT!!!!

I wonder what Steven Chen and Chad Hurley plan to do with the money?

If it was me- I'd stash 10 million away in an offshore bank account in several reputable banks and in a range of currencies- including gold and silver.

Then I'd part off another 100 million to a good managed fund - run by a team of experienced traders.

Hmmm... I'd give at least 33 million to charity...

Maybe buy properties around the world...

But definately I'd find a home where I can relax in peace and security. There's always a price to fame.

Hmmm

Another crap day, lost more petty money. This time it was on the Noble Group which my mentor recommended to me. Bought it at 1.21 and was sitting pretty when it hit 1.24.

Today it went down to 1.19, my mentor got his stake out and I followed suite. Shortly after, the company announced it had bought a mill in Brazil (and didn't know when it will turn a profit), the market liked the news tho and took it back up to 1.21. Shit, lost $2,000 there.

The problem is that the market has gone up significantly (100%+ in some cases) for many of these companies in the past 6 months - 1 month!! Ausgroup, FerroChina, Genting, AzTec and so on... there really isn't much volume supporting the bastards and if they fall- they're gonna fall hard. 20 - 50% falls would be no surprise.



Check out that chart for AzTec. Its gone up 100% since Jan 1, 2007.

Its really not the time to be fully invested.

Hmmm

Another crap day, lost more petty money. This time it was on the Noble Group which my mentor recommended to me. Bought it at 1.21 and was sitting pretty when it hit 1.24.

Today it went down to 1.19, my mentor got his stake out and I followed suite. Shortly after, the company announced it had bought a mill in Brazil (and didn't know when it will turn a profit), the market liked the news tho and took it back up to 1.21. Shit, lost $2,000 there.

The problem is that the market has gone up significantly (100%+ in some cases) for many of these companies in the past 6 months - 1 month!! Ausgroup, FerroChina, Genting, AzTec and so on... there really isn't much volume supporting the bastards and if they fall- they're gonna fall hard. 20 - 50% falls would be no surprise.



Check out that chart for AzTec. Its gone up 100% since Jan 1, 2007.

Its really not the time to be fully invested.

Don't go to Graduate School!!!

Google filed papers to regulators that revealed how much YouTube's founders and initial investors made when they agreed to be acquired by Google last year. Google paid $1.65 billion in stock for the popular video-sharing site.

Google shares worth $345 million went to YouTube co-founder and CEO Chad Hurley. Another founder, Steven Chen, got $326 million.

The third co-founder, Jawed Karim, quit the company early on to go to grad school, but still collected Google shares worth $64 million

I wonder whether Jawed is kicking himself in the pants as we speak. Then again, if he learnt anything from Grad School - it'd be to take the money and run.

$64,000,000.00 is still nothing to sneeze at. Thank God he got that much. Imagine if he had given up all his Youtube shares early on to pay for his grad school tuition. Ow! THAT WOULD HURT!!!!

I wonder what Steven Chen and Chad Hurley plan to do with the money?

If it was me- I'd stash 10 million away in an offshore bank account in several reputable banks and in a range of currencies- including gold and silver.

Then I'd part off another 100 million to a good managed fund - run by a team of experienced traders.

Hmmm... I'd give at least 33 million to charity...

Maybe buy properties around the world...

But definately I'd find a home where I can relax in peace and security. There's always a price to fame.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Tired

After the trading day was up I was so tired I fell asleep in my chair.

I didn't even find the energy to go get dinner. So I got the faithful cereal out and had a reverse breakfast.

Just too tired to go out and eat. Besides its too melancholic having dinner by myself, esp. after today's trading fiasco.

So here's a photo of my "office" at the moment. I've taken over the lounge room - cos the LCD hasn't been mounted on the wall yet.

Hmmm

Another crap day, lost more petty money. This time it was on the Noble Group which my mentor recommended to me. Bought it at 1.21 and was sitting pretty when it hit 1.24.

Today it went down to 1.19, my mentor got his stake out and I followed suite. Shortly after, the company announced it had bought a mill in Brazil (and didn't know when it will turn a profit), the market liked the news tho and took it back up to 1.21. Shit, lost $2,000 there.

The problem is that the market has gone up significantly (100%+ in some cases) for many of these companies in the past 6 months - 1 month!! Ausgroup, FerroChina, Genting, AzTec and so on... there really isn't much volume supporting the bastards and if they fall- they're gonna fall hard. 20 - 50% falls would be no surprise.



Check out that chart for AzTec. Its gone up 100% since Jan 1, 2007.

Its really not the time to be fully invested.

Tired

After the trading day was up I was so tired I fell asleep in my chair.

I didn't even find the energy to go get dinner. So I got the faithful cereal out and had a reverse breakfast.

Just too tired to go out and eat. Besides its too melancholic having dinner by myself, esp. after today's trading fiasco.

So here's a photo of my "office" at the moment. I've taken over the lounge room - cos the LCD hasn't been mounted on the wall yet.

Arghhh

Argghhh... should have stayed in bed today. Got up at 8am... and thought it'd be a great idea to short Genting (Gen Int.) - the casino operator. The chart looked weak, the Dow was a bit lacklustre. Hmmm... should be a down day.

Hmmm... things seemed to be going ok, then all of a sudden one big buyer took out the levels of 1.00 and 1.01 - over 6 million dollars in less than six seconds. Bang!

Oh SHIT. Fortunately, my broker quickly covered my position without me needing to speak to her. We already had a pre-existing agreement.

No point mopping about it. Genting is also now part of the STI Index. So I guess we can expect more institutional support at these levels.

And if any hot news comes out on Gen- it will no doubt have a viagara effect.

Bad trade. Stay away. I'm not touching that baby anytime soon.

So far, I'm up this year- had wins on Chartered, Ausgroup, FerroChina... Could have made more on Ausgroup- I sold at 61, its now 78+. Same with Ferro. I'm still very cautious and expect the market to take a dive pretty soon. So I'm taking profits whenever possible.

Arghhh

Argghhh... should have stayed in bed today. Got up at 8am... and thought it'd be a great idea to short Genting (Gen Int.) - the casino operator. The chart looked weak, the Dow was a bit lacklustre. Hmmm... should be a down day.

Hmmm... things seemed to be going ok, then all of a sudden one big buyer took out the levels of 1.00 and 1.01 - over 6 million dollars in less than six seconds. Bang!

Oh SHIT. Fortunately, my broker quickly covered my position without me needing to speak to her. We already had a pre-existing agreement.

No point mopping about it. Genting is also now part of the STI Index. So I guess we can expect more institutional support at these levels.

And if any hot news comes out on Gen- it will no doubt have a viagara effect.

Bad trade. Stay away. I'm not touching that baby anytime soon.

So far, I'm up this year- had wins on Chartered, Ausgroup, FerroChina... Could have made more on Ausgroup- I sold at 61, its now 78+. Same with Ferro. I'm still very cautious and expect the market to take a dive pretty soon. So I'm taking profits whenever possible.

Tired

After the trading day was up I was so tired I fell asleep in my chair.

I didn't even find the energy to go get dinner. So I got the faithful cereal out and had a reverse breakfast.

Just too tired to go out and eat. Besides its too melancholic having dinner by myself, esp. after today's trading fiasco.

So here's a photo of my "office" at the moment. I've taken over the lounge room - cos the LCD hasn't been mounted on the wall yet.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Arghhh

Argghhh... should have stayed in bed today. Got up at 8am... and thought it'd be a great idea to short Genting (Gen Int.) - the casino operator. The chart looked weak, the Dow was a bit lacklustre. Hmmm... should be a down day.

Hmmm... things seemed to be going ok, then all of a sudden one big buyer took out the levels of 1.00 and 1.01 - over 6 million dollars in less than six seconds. Bang!

Oh SHIT. Fortunately, my broker quickly covered my position without me needing to speak to her. We already had a pre-existing agreement.

No point mopping about it. Genting is also now part of the STI Index. So I guess we can expect more institutional support at these levels.

And if any hot news comes out on Gen- it will no doubt have a viagara effect.

Bad trade. Stay away. I'm not touching that baby anytime soon.

So far, I'm up this year- had wins on Chartered, Ausgroup, FerroChina... Could have made more on Ausgroup- I sold at 61, its now 78+. Same with Ferro. I'm still very cautious and expect the market to take a dive pretty soon. So I'm taking profits whenever possible.

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Large LCD TV 40 inch

I just bought a 40 inch LCD TV... it was like on a spur of a moment. I was having lunch with my friend SengPo at FunanCentre when I noticed that Harvery Norman there was having a moving store sale. They had the Samsung LA-40S71BX with a free hi-fi home theatre system and 3 year warranty. Plus Free Delivery and installation. They claimed the original price was $5000. I bought it for $3,000.

I thought it was a great deal until I learnt that in Australia - it was going for $2500. When I compared prices with other models- the cost grew remarkably. HN Spore is selling the F series (Samsung LA-40F71BX- 1920x1080p; 4000:1 contrast) for $6000 but in Australia its going for about $3500!!!! - a huge difference. WHOA!!! Dunno why though.

I felt a slight sting when I found that out... but at the end of the day I made $3400 net profit from a day trade on the SGX- so that should cover it. :)

Update: I did a bit more searching and found that its not such a bad buy afterall. cnet gave a very positive review on it- and said it wld appeal to those pple who use their lcd tv as their monitors- cool. And said the main fault point was the lack of an HDTV box- but I dun really care cos I dun watch hdtv.

Large LCD TV 40 inch

I just bought a 40 inch LCD TV... it was like on a spur of a moment. I was having lunch with my friend SengPo at FunanCentre when I noticed that Harvery Norman there was having a moving store sale. They had the Samsung LA-40S71BX with a free hi-fi home theatre system and 3 year warranty. Plus Free Delivery and installation. I bought it for $3,000.

I thought it was a great deal until I learnt that in Australia - it was going for $2500. When I compared prices with other models- the cost grew remarkably. HN Spore is selling the F series (Samsung LA-40F71BX- 1920x1080p; 4000:1 contrast) for $6000!!! but in Australia its going for about $3500 - a huge difference. Dunno why though.

I felt a slight sting when I found that out... but at the end of the day I made $3400 net profit from a day trade on the SGX- so that should cover it. :)

Friday, February 02, 2007

Large LCD TV 40 inch

I just bought a 40 inch LCD TV... it was like on a spur of a moment. I was having lunch with my friend SengPo at FunanCentre when I noticed that Harvery Norman there was having a moving store sale. They had the Samsung LA-40S71BX with a free hi-fi home theatre system and 3 year warranty. Plus Free Delivery and installation. They claimed the original price was $5000. I bought it for $3,000.

I thought it was a great deal until I learnt that in Australia - it was going for $2500. When I compared prices with other models- the cost grew remarkably. HN Spore is selling the F series (Samsung LA-40F71BX- 1920x1080p; 4000:1 contrast) for $6000 but in Australia its going for about $3500!!!! - a huge difference. WHOA!!! Dunno why though.

I felt a slight sting when I found that out... but at the end of the day I made $3400 net profit from a day trade on the SGX- so that should cover it. :)

Update: I did a bit more searching and found that its not such a bad buy afterall. cnet gave a very positive review on it- and said it wld appeal to those pple who use their lcd tv as their monitors- cool. And said the main fault point was the lack of an HDTV box- but I dun really care cos I dun watch hdtv.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

I love stingrays

In recent news, Terri Irwin, widow of the famed Croc Hunter, told people to "love stingrays", describing them as "cute little pancakes".

Hmmm... Paaaancaaaakes..... ahhhhhhhh..... yummmm!!

Haha, they might be pancakes to Terri but I eat them everyday with curry. There's this Malay Food Canteen near my home which serves really great and cheap food! They also serve curry pan... I mean stingray.

Great stuff- taste a bit sweet and sour too! You gotta give it a try!

I love stingrays

In recent news, Terri Irwin, widow of the famed Croc Hunter, told people to "love stingrays", describing them as "cute little pancakes".

Hmmm... Paaaancaaaakes..... ahhhhhhhh..... yummmm!!

Haha, they might be pancakes to Terri but I eat them everyday with curry. There's this Malay Food Canteen near my home which serves really great and cheap food! They also serve curry pan... I mean stingray.

Great stuff- taste a bit sweet and sour too! You gotta give it a try!

Letter writing

Spent the afternoon searching for good letter writing paper at Takashimaya. Boy what a waste of time that was. Didn't find anything suitable and ended up paying for "something" which wasn't what I had in mind.

I was after writing pads - blank pieces of good quality paper- that had a seperate backing sheet with lines on them. So when you write you can get your sentences magically straight. Cool, huh? But found nothing there.

Then at "crappy" Peace Centre Shopping Mall- I went to my usual stationary shop run by this tai-tai - and found EXACTLY what I was looking for - at a fraction of the price I was willing to pay!!! Amazing!! Thank you Peace Centre!!!

Now to improve on my calligraphy... hope to be able to write like those 18th century writers one day- that'd be cool!!

ShareTrading

A good trader will have the good sense to figure out the general trend, the feel of the market. In a good bullish market, you can buy a shit stock at a terrible price, hold on, and yet make some profit on it. But when the market turns bearish, you can buy a good stock at a cheap price and still end up losing money.

Lose money? So what if you hold on. If you have the capacity to hold on, you'll make it good in the end. That's usually a good saying. And it works so long as you have shares in companies with strong fundamentals (ie companies that always make increasing profits).

But when you buy stocks that are overrated - with cash you don't own- it usually leads to disaster.

Worse if the companies you own- have a dodgy heart- ie they have crap management and are unprofitable.

But in goodtimes, such things don't "really" matter, just wait for the market hype to heat up and you can offload them to the next sucker... Welcome to capitalism 101.

At the moment, the market here in Singapore is rip roaring great. But its gone up by massive amounts since last year. We've seen increases of 40% - 100% on just the main counters- the big stocks like DBS, Capitalland, UOB, not to mention Genting and ChinaEnergy.

Chances are that a big pause or correction is to take place. It will probably bounce back - I just hope to be totally out of my positions and being totally ready to pick up the solid stocks at discount prices.

This last 7 days I sold two of my stocks- I didn't hold them for very long- Ausgroup and Chartered. Ausgroup is a logisitics company for mining stocks in Australia. And Chartered produces computer chips (for Microsoft's Xbox). I sold Austock at 61 cents- afterwards a broking house issued a very positive report on them claiming that they were worth 80 cents. Austock rose as a result- and its now at 76 cents. I didn't get back in that ride, pity.

I think the market here is just eager for good news and will buy with frenzy anything that smells good. It should last for the moment. In the meantime, it gives opportunities for traders like me to make a quick buck.

I love stingrays

In recent news, Terri Irwin, widow of the famed Croc Hunter, told people to "love stingrays", describing them as "cute little pancakes".

Hmmm... Paaaancaaaakes..... ahhhhhhhh..... yummmm!!

Haha, they might be pancakes to Terri but I eat them everyday with curry. There's this Malay Food Canteen near my home which serves really great and cheap food! They also serve curry pan... I mean stingray.

Great stuff- taste a bit sweet and sour too! You gotta give it a try!