Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Canberra students discover way to save young men's lives

Talk about positive reinforcement, lol.

University of Canberra students have "found" one great way to get young men 18 -25 to eat their vegetables and fruits - with advertisements of attractive clothing-deficient young women posing with said vegetables.

In other words- sex sells. Duh...

But kinky, yah?? Posing babes with vegs... that's kinna gross if you ask me.

I don't think I'd be any keener eating a banana, tomato or celery after seeing an ad with... well you know. :)

Then again, its probably a sure fire winner with (Japanese men and) Canberra men.

Check out the news article here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/30/1992100.htm

Canberra students discover the oldest trick since Eve posed with the forbidden fruit and asked Adam, "Want a piece of me?".


Personally, I'd get the young men to attend a lecture of a couple of old geezers who have hemorrhoids problems - with picture slides. The horror of that talk would surely set them right. Same goes for car hoons- I'd strap them wide eyed in a room and force them to watch video footage of fire fighters and medics rescuing car accident victims- and watch the surgeon operate.

Bash down at SGX

The stocks on the SGX are taking a bashing today - a little surprising but something that should be expected.

Hong Kong goes up, China goes up, Dow goes up ... and Singapore SGX does the contrarian thing and goes down! lol.

A lot of people have over bought positions-  meaning they basically bought more than they should several days ago- and now - they are cutting their losses rather than picking them up - ie paying physical cash for them now.

I was fortunate not to have anything on board last week- and whatever I bought a month ago I sold before the correction - didn't make all that much however...

I bought into the market yesterday. And have bought a few more stocks today.

The only thing that worries me is if the global market slide, which is a distinct possibility given the rapid rate of ascent. If this happens, then really the smart traders has to get out quick.

Smart traders learn to manage your risk and cut their exposure to the market at appropriate times. Its like braking your car when you see a horrible looking curve in the road- not go faster.

Anyhow, I don't plan to keep the stocks for too long. Will let them go shortly when I make a decent buck. If not, I don't care, just sell and wait for the next wave.

I noticed one shitty thing about my trading life though. I always seem to be missing the bull markets. I was trading in Australian mining stocks in 2004 when the mining boom was just taking off - then stopped got recalled back to Singapore. Then in 2006 I was stuck in Australia during the frantic market bull run here in Singapore.

Its easy to make money during the start and middle sections of the bull runs - now as we reach the finale (I think) its gets progressively more risky and dangerous.

(Update: its seems - from sources - that one of the big funds is being forced to liquidate part of its portfolio - hence the big sell down.)

Another South Korean Hostage Killed

Its tragic to see the group of Korean medical workers kidnapped this war. As a guy, my concerns are more for the women though. I find it very absolutely repungnant at the thought of the women being tortured or abused by the Taliban. It just sickens me. Even more so that they went to that shithole to help the Afghans.

Apparently, the Afghans have a bizarre sense of honor - they feel disgraced that foreigners come and assist their countrymen, esp. the women and children. To avenge that shame, the men feel obliged to go and kill them. Barbarians.

Perhaps the best way is to deport the entire Afghan populace and shift them to the four corners of the earth. Leave the whole place barren and a human free zone for the next 50 years.
 



Infected

Just great. Another night spoilt by the cough. More hacking out the yellow stuff. But I will have to see a doctor by Friday if this doesn't get any better. Most likely the dude will say take panadol and get some rest and charge me $200 for the advice.

Passed by Cathay on the way today and saw (a mob gathering for) the Jay Chou mini-concert. Not really my cup of tea so I walked off quickly.

Have an appointment with my sports physio at Capitol today. ... should I cancel?

(Just called Lesile to cancel the physio. I'm going to bed early- but there's a big (and rare) Chiam family dinner tonight. I don't feel like going.... :(

Monday, July 30, 2007

Nutcase burns down Old Nutcase's Trailer

What would you do if you were made fun online?

This person, a navy tech training to use advanced missile systems, drove over 2000 miles to burn this other guy's home.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/07/27/1185339229707.html

Actually I reckon its great that the navy guy snapped now. Imagine how he would have reacted if he finished his naval weapon training - got posted onto a ship with missiles or worse, nukes.

Then - in this imaginary hypothetical - after he got duped or (thought he was duped) by a seller from China on eBay- decided to launch his ship weapons at the seller's home.

WWIII over an eBay item. lol. That would rock the history books.

WW1 sparked by the assasination of an assasination of an Archduke Ferdinard and his wife.
WW2 sparked by the invasion of Poland by Adolph Hitler's Nazi Germany
WW3 sparked by eBay item 9035782919

What next? Maybe we'll see an astronaut drive all the way across America nonstop to kidnap her lover's girlfriend. LOL. Its already happened.


Mr Coughalot

Woke up this Sunday with totally no improvement in my throat. I developed a slight cough with flam midweek. I didn't want to go to choir. ... I still went. But honestly it was hard to concentrate.

Our bass section is weak. We only have three bass singers currently including me - one of them, Mr Coughalot is a total millstone. The other just joined us and is inexperienced.

I'm afraid I sang rather poorly. I missed coming in at the right moment at times. Its just terrible.

I don't read music and with the sore throat - there's just no confidence to sing at the right levels.


It wouldn't be so bad if there were other (good) bass singers but we don't have them. We needed a bit more practice this morning. But its hard to concentrate when we have Mr Coughalot on our team.

He doesn't sing. He coughs. Badly. I suspect he has either TB or at the very least a severe case of bronchitis.

I can't concentrate with Coughalot - coughing every three seconds. Its made worse cause we are all in an enclosed small air con room for our practises.

For the love of God, why does he even join the practise if he can't sing??

Is he coming due to a misguided sense of zeal - that he feels that participating shows his love for Christ and his commitment???

I asked him that last week- I just told him straight out- look you're not well, please go home and get some rest!!!! Instead, he giggled and said he loved singing.

(But his throat is totally shot due to his cough and he can't... SING!!! And meanwhile he's spewing his germs in a small entire room!!! Can't anyone see that??? ARGHHH!!!!!)

This is totally idiotic. He's an adult of 50 years of age. Surely he has some brains to realize the total madness of his actions.)

Now, just bloody great, I (probably) caught his infection and my throat is currently raspy as a sandpaper. I don't have a cough tho. Drinking plenty of water seems to help.

Yes, by all means serving in the choir is a service to God- but if you can't sing due to illness for God sake don't turn up and infect everyone else.

(Update: I had a terrible time last night. Woke up several times - coughing, hacking away, arghh!!! Goddamn it !!! )


Sunday, July 29, 2007

Fireworks

See them go. Little imitations of God's first creation.

Watching fireworks makes me slightly sad.



Saturday, July 28, 2007

Passion Pride Prudence

Passion like fire can be a dangerous thing. I used to think that all you need is passion to succeed. That is such a romantic view - I use the word romantic in the classic sense of the word- not connected with eros.

Passion and Pride - twin sisters. A lethal combination. Both encourage each other. Both spur each other on. Their older sister, Prudence or wisdom is somewhere in the background- shouting out advice. But without her in charge, they can do whatever they like.

They can do spectacular things. But without Prudence's sound advice, their plans are doomed to failure.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Charting

Some people reckon that charting is nonesense. But in so many examples, charting works. Draw a simple line and the share price somehow retraces back to that level during panic times or boom times.

Check out this chart- its the one on Lian Beng, a construction company.

Right now, if the market does take a turn for the worse, it may come to between 45 -40. That may be a good re-entry level. Notice how the chart came back to the line during the correction in February of this year.

But then again who knows. You'd be better of speaking to someone else who bought it when it was at 12. lol.

What goes up...

Market update. The Dow, Europe, Hang Seng, have fallen by a fair bit now. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I have no strong opinion either way. I didn't short the market nor do I have any positions (meaning I am currently not holding any stocks). So I'm lucky in that sense. But its not making me any money, at least I got that part of investing right ;)

I was fortunate to sell some of the buggers a few days ago. Didn't make a helluva lot - Didn't sell during the morning rally, sold when it dipped.

Volatile volatile. Hmmm... ah ho-hum. Still feel sore that I got bumped on Ausgroup and Swiber many weeks ago. Sold them at 86 and 1.80. Look at them now.
 
I shouldn't have been so kan chong when that double top in China developed. I forgot that the panic really sets in after the double top formation not during its creation.

I just recalled that during that phase- back in 2000 - I was trading in FiberTel and TLO - Aussie stocks. Both of them doubled in value during that DT formation (Nasdaq). They only fell sharply after the completion of the DT formation.

But for me, I remember acutely the rout on the stockmarket - after the DT - during that horrible April month. I had positions that I couldn't close because there was no liquidity- no buyers. Stocks simply plunged by 20 - 40% in a few days. And just when things seemed ok - then came 9/11...

You need experience, sound advice or just plain dumb luck to make money in this market. You can build on the former- but don't trust on the latter.


Passion Pride Prudence

Passion like fire can be a dangerous thing. I used to think that all you need is passion to succeed. That is such a romantic view - I use the word romantic in the classic sense of the word- not connected with eros.

Passion and Pride - twin sisters. A lethal combination. Both encourage each other. Both spur each other on. Their older sister, Prudence is somewhere in the background- shouting out advice. But without her in charge, they can do whatever they like.

Indeed  - "Passion knows no rules, nor place, nor time." (Vatyayana) It laughs at boundaries. Its pursuit is relentless.

They can do spectacular things. But without Prudence's steady and sound advice, their plans are doomed to failure. Maybe they want to fail.

Prudence is sensible. Prudence is boring. She won't wear high heels. You won't catch her chasing the latest fashion trends. But she's everything worked out and she's comfortable doing her own thing.

She is the handmaiden to Wisdom, one of the ancients. ...



Passion Pride Prudence

Passion like fire can be a dangerous thing. I used to think that all you need is passion to succeed. That is such a romantic view - I use the word romantic in the classic sense of the word- not connected with eros.

Passion and Pride - twin sisters. A lethal combination. Both encourage each other. Both spur each other on. Their older sister, Prudence or wisdom is somewhere in the background- shouting out advice. But without her in charge, they can do whatever they like.

They can do spectacular things. But without Prudence's sound advice, their plans are doomed to failure.

Restricted

What is it with people. The minute you say something is restricted or forbidden - everyone thinks its special and wants to take a look. (My photo page just got a number of hits... .)

Makes you wonder why God placed the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden.

Bad choice God!!! I guess he must have heard it a zillion times already.

Right now I'm down with a cough + headache of some sort. Must have got it after gym yesterday- walked home in the rain - and didn't take a shower until much later.


Thursday, July 26, 2007

Passion - from rags to riches

I read this story on the business section. Its worth reading.

Main thing is - you need to have passion in what you are doing. That's the key to great success.

However, I note that he's planning to invest in South Africa... oh dear. Well, good luck to him Maybe he'll succeed where others have failed.

BusinessWeek
From Homeless to Multimillionaire
Tuesday July 24, 8:08 am ET
By Carmine Gallo

It's not every day you get the chance to pick the brain of a man whose real-life rags-to-riches story was turned into a Hollywood movie starring one of America's top actors. But the other day I had the opportunity to spend time with Chris Gardner, subject of the 2006 movie The Pursuit of Happyness, in which Gardner was played by Will Smith. While attending an unpaid internship program at Dean Witter Reynolds in 1981, Gardner spent a year on the streets with his two-year-old son. They took refuge at night in a church shelter or the bathroom of a BART subway station in Oakland, Calif. Nobody at work knew. Gardner eventually won a position as a stockbroker at Dean Witter. Two years later he left for Bear Stearns BSC, where he became a top earner. In 1987, he founded his own brokerage firm, Gardner Rich,in Chicago.

Today, Gardner is a multimillionaire, a motivational speaker, a philanthropist, and an international businessman who is about to launch a private equity fund that will invest solely in South Africa. His partner in the fund? Nelson Mandela. Not bad for a guy who, six years before founding his own brokerage firm, was "fighting, scratching, and crawling my way out of the gutter with a baby on my back."

"Passion is Everything"

Gardner is a magnificent speaker and has an engaging personality -- qualities all business professionals would crave. But what's behind his success? What is the one thing -- the one secret -- that helped him change his life? "It's passion," he told me. "Passion is everything. In fact, you've got to be borderline fanatical about what you do." Gardner says he was fortunate to find something he truly loved, something where he couldn't wait for the sun to rise so he could do it again. His advice to entrepreneurs and those seeking a career change? "Be bold enough to find the one thing that you are passionate about. It might not be what you were trained to do. But be bold enough to do the one thing. Nobody needs to dig it but you."

Gardner wanted to be "world-class at something." For him, that something was being a stockbroker. For you, finding something you are passionate about will make the difference in how engaging you become as a communicator and as a leader. If you love what you do, you'll eagerly share the story behind it with boundless enthusiasm.

Passion is not teachable. As a communications coach, I can help clients craft and deliver a powerful story, but I can't create passion. But it's passion that separates the electrifying presenters from the average ones. I'm absolutely convinced of it. As a former television journalist, I've interviewed thousands of spokespeople and personally coached hundreds of others in my current profession. Donald Trump once said: "Without passion, you have no energy -- and without energy, you have nothing." Your listeners want to be in the presence of someone with energy, a person who greets people with a smile and an abundance of enthusiasm. Passion is not something you necessarily verbalize, but it shows. When Gardner walked into Dean Witter after having slept in a subway station the night before, he only wanted to leave one impression on his co-workers. "All they needed to know is that I would light it up day after day. Passion is not something you have to talk about. People feel it. They see it just as clearly as the color of your eyes, baby."

Coffee and Commitment

I have spent the last several years interviewing inspiring leaders, and I can say without hesitation that passion is the No. 1 quality that sets them apart. In many ways, my talk with Gardner reminds me of a conversation I once had with Starbucks (NasdaqGS:SBUX - News) Chairman Howard Schultz. Like Gardner, Schultz used the word "passion" throughout our entire conversation. But remarkably, the word "coffee" was rarely spoken. You see, for Schultz, coffee is not his passion. Instead, Schultz says, he is passionate about creating a workplace that "treats people with dignity and respect;" a workplace environment that his father never had the opportunity to experience. The coffee product offers the means to help Schultz fulfill his passion. In much the same way, stock trading and commissions offered Gardner the means to fulfill his passion, which was to give his son something he never had -- a father.

Passion is the foundation of effective communication. Dig deep to discover your core purpose, your true passion. Once you connect to it, use it as fuel to build a rapport with your audience -- recruiters, managers, employees, etc. Your presentations, pitches, speeches, and all forms of business communication will be more engaging than ever. Nearly everyone has room to increase what I call the "passion quotient" -- the level of passion you exhibit as a speaker. The higher your passion quotient, the more likely you are to connect with people. Chris Gardner's passion fueled his determination in the face of overwhelming odds and obstacles. Take the time to imagine where harnessing your passion can take you.


Sorry some of parts of my blog are restricted to my contacts




Yeah, sorry. For privacy reasons from now some parts of my photo section and blog etc.. will be only viewable if you are in my contact list.

(Photo taken by someone else and from Aun's photo album - great photo tho)

With Words Unspoken...

With words unspoken
With secrets untouched
We pass by each other
Like ships at dusk.

(This is something I wrote ages ago. Its basically about passing by someone whom you know. Perhaps you like the person and maybe the person likes you but there doesn't seem to be an appropriate moment to chat. And the tension is just awkward. And so we pass by each other  - like passing ships at dusk.)

Passion - from rags to riches

I read this story on the business section. Its worth reading.

Main thing is - you need to have passion in what you are doing. That's the key to great success.

However, I note that he's planning to invest in South Africa... oh dear. Well, good luck to him Maybe he'll succeed where others have failed.

BusinessWeek
From Homeless to Multimillionaire
Tuesday July 24, 8:08 am ET
By Carmine Gallo

It's not every day you get the chance to pick the brain of a man whose real-life rags-to-riches story was turned into a Hollywood movie starring one of America's top actors. But the other day I had the opportunity to spend time with Chris Gardner, subject of the 2006 movie The Pursuit of Happyness, in which Gardner was played by Will Smith. While attending an unpaid internship program at Dean Witter Reynolds in 1981, Gardner spent a year on the streets with his two-year-old son. They took refuge at night in a church shelter or the bathroom of a BART subway station in Oakland, Calif. Nobody at work knew. Gardner eventually won a position as a stockbroker at Dean Witter. Two years later he left for Bear Stearns BSC, where he became a top earner. In 1987, he founded his own brokerage firm, Gardner Rich,in Chicago.

Today, Gardner is a multimillionaire, a motivational speaker, a philanthropist, and an international businessman who is about to launch a private equity fund that will invest solely in South Africa. His partner in the fund? Nelson Mandela. Not bad for a guy who, six years before founding his own brokerage firm, was "fighting, scratching, and crawling my way out of the gutter with a baby on my back."

"Passion is Everything"

Gardner is a magnificent speaker and has an engaging personality -- qualities all business professionals would crave. But what's behind his success? What is the one thing -- the one secret -- that helped him change his life? "It's passion," he told me. "Passion is everything. In fact, you've got to be borderline fanatical about what you do." Gardner says he was fortunate to find something he truly loved, something where he couldn't wait for the sun to rise so he could do it again. His advice to entrepreneurs and those seeking a career change? "Be bold enough to find the one thing that you are passionate about. It might not be what you were trained to do. But be bold enough to do the one thing. Nobody needs to dig it but you."

Gardner wanted to be "world-class at something." For him, that something was being a stockbroker. For you, finding something you are passionate about will make the difference in how engaging you become as a communicator and as a leader. If you love what you do, you'll eagerly share the story behind it with boundless enthusiasm.

Passion is not teachable. As a communications coach, I can help clients craft and deliver a powerful story, but I can't create passion. But it's passion that separates the electrifying presenters from the average ones. I'm absolutely convinced of it. As a former television journalist, I've interviewed thousands of spokespeople and personally coached hundreds of others in my current profession. Donald Trump once said: "Without passion, you have no energy -- and without energy, you have nothing." Your listeners want to be in the presence of someone with energy, a person who greets people with a smile and an abundance of enthusiasm. Passion is not something you necessarily verbalize, but it shows. When Gardner walked into Dean Witter after having slept in a subway station the night before, he only wanted to leave one impression on his co-workers. "All they needed to know is that I would light it up day after day. Passion is not something you have to talk about. People feel it. They see it just as clearly as the color of your eyes, baby."

Coffee and Commitment

I have spent the last several years interviewing inspiring leaders, and I can say without hesitation that passion is the No. 1 quality that sets them apart. In many ways, my talk with Gardner reminds me of a conversation I once had with Starbucks (NasdaqGS:SBUX - News) Chairman Howard Schultz. Like Gardner, Schultz used the word "passion" throughout our entire conversation. But remarkably, the word "coffee" was rarely spoken. You see, for Schultz, coffee is not his passion. Instead, Schultz says, he is passionate about creating a workplace that "treats people with dignity and respect;" a workplace environment that his father never had the opportunity to experience. The coffee product offers the means to help Schultz fulfill his passion. In much the same way, stock trading and commissions offered Gardner the means to fulfill his passion, which was to give his son something he never had -- a father.

Passion is the foundation of effective communication. Dig deep to discover your core purpose, your true passion. Once you connect to it, use it as fuel to build a rapport with your audience -- recruiters, managers, employees, etc. Your presentations, pitches, speeches, and all forms of business communication will be more engaging than ever. Nearly everyone has room to increase what I call the "passion quotient" -- the level of passion you exhibit as a speaker. The higher your passion quotient, the more likely you are to connect with people. Chris Gardner's passion fueled his determination in the face of overwhelming odds and obstacles. Take the time to imagine where harnessing your passion can take you.


Wednesday, July 25, 2007

With Words Unspoken...

With words unspoken
With secrets untouched
We pass by each other
Like ships at dusk.

Passion - from rags to riches

I read this story on the business section. Its worth reading.

Main thing is - you need to have passion in what you are doing. That's the key to great success.

However, I note that he's planning to invest in South Africa... oh dear. Well, good luck to him Maybe he'll succeed where others have failed.

BusinessWeek
From Homeless to Multimillionaire
Tuesday July 24, 8:08 am ET
By Carmine Gallo

It's not every day you get the chance to pick the brain of a man whose real-life rags-to-riches story was turned into a Hollywood movie starring one of America's top actors. But the other day I had the opportunity to spend time with Chris Gardner, subject of the 2006 movie The Pursuit of Happyness, in which Gardner was played by Will Smith. While attending an unpaid internship program at Dean Witter Reynolds in 1981, Gardner spent a year on the streets with his two-year-old son. They took refuge at night in a church shelter or the bathroom of a BART subway station in Oakland, Calif. Nobody at work knew. Gardner eventually won a position as a stockbroker at Dean Witter. Two years later he left for Bear Stearns BSC, where he became a top earner. In 1987, he founded his own brokerage firm, Gardner Rich,in Chicago.

Today, Gardner is a multimillionaire, a motivational speaker, a philanthropist, and an international businessman who is about to launch a private equity fund that will invest solely in South Africa. His partner in the fund? Nelson Mandela. Not bad for a guy who, six years before founding his own brokerage firm, was "fighting, scratching, and crawling my way out of the gutter with a baby on my back."

"Passion is Everything"

Gardner is a magnificent speaker and has an engaging personality -- qualities all business professionals would crave. But what's behind his success? What is the one thing -- the one secret -- that helped him change his life? "It's passion," he told me. "Passion is everything. In fact, you've got to be borderline fanatical about what you do." Gardner says he was fortunate to find something he truly loved, something where he couldn't wait for the sun to rise so he could do it again. His advice to entrepreneurs and those seeking a career change? "Be bold enough to find the one thing that you are passionate about. It might not be what you were trained to do. But be bold enough to do the one thing. Nobody needs to dig it but you."

Gardner wanted to be "world-class at something." For him, that something was being a stockbroker. For you, finding something you are passionate about will make the difference in how engaging you become as a communicator and as a leader. If you love what you do, you'll eagerly share the story behind it with boundless enthusiasm.

Passion is not teachable. As a communications coach, I can help clients craft and deliver a powerful story, but I can't create passion. But it's passion that separates the electrifying presenters from the average ones. I'm absolutely convinced of it. As a former television journalist, I've interviewed thousands of spokespeople and personally coached hundreds of others in my current profession. Donald Trump once said: "Without passion, you have no energy -- and without energy, you have nothing." Your listeners want to be in the presence of someone with energy, a person who greets people with a smile and an abundance of enthusiasm. Passion is not something you necessarily verbalize, but it shows. When Gardner walked into Dean Witter after having slept in a subway station the night before, he only wanted to leave one impression on his co-workers. "All they needed to know is that I would light it up day after day. Passion is not something you have to talk about. People feel it. They see it just as clearly as the color of your eyes, baby."

Coffee and Commitment

I have spent the last several years interviewing inspiring leaders, and I can say without hesitation that passion is the No. 1 quality that sets them apart. In many ways, my talk with Gardner reminds me of a conversation I once had with Starbucks (NasdaqGS:SBUX - News) Chairman Howard Schultz. Like Gardner, Schultz used the word "passion" throughout our entire conversation. But remarkably, the word "coffee" was rarely spoken. You see, for Schultz, coffee is not his passion. Instead, Schultz says, he is passionate about creating a workplace that "treats people with dignity and respect;" a workplace environment that his father never had the opportunity to experience. The coffee product offers the means to help Schultz fulfill his passion. In much the same way, stock trading and commissions offered Gardner the means to fulfill his passion, which was to give his son something he never had -- a father.

Passion is the foundation of effective communication. Dig deep to discover your core purpose, your true passion. Once you connect to it, use it as fuel to build a rapport with your audience -- recruiters, managers, employees, etc. Your presentations, pitches, speeches, and all forms of business communication will be more engaging than ever. Nearly everyone has room to increase what I call the "passion quotient" -- the level of passion you exhibit as a speaker. The higher your passion quotient, the more likely you are to connect with people. Chris Gardner's passion fueled his determination in the face of overwhelming odds and obstacles. Take the time to imagine where harnessing your passion can take you.


What makes a man

What is it about us men? We battle sabre tooth tigers to make fur coats. We face heavily armed giants with slingshots, or heavy battle tanks with stones... walk towards machine gun fire... and put a military jet engine with afterburner into a home made go-cart.

And we want to go it again.

Check out this car crash in the British tv show - Top Gear

Dow, China, and Fishhead curry

Had dinner at one of the little India restaurants - one fish head curry for 3 guys. A free flow of their wonderful briyani rice and veg. That rice and curry combo really hit the spot. Unfortunately, I got a bit sick - its not the food just me. I've done my best to eliminate carbs from my evening meal - and eating all that rice really upset my stomach.

Alright, so the DOW has fallen 200 points. (Which doesn't come as a surprise since it hit an all-time high recently). China - which again hit the ceiling - still looks a bit funny. I would expect that the Govt would start imposing capital gains tax or some other kind of tax to curb the speculative craze going over there.

But with both the DOW and possibly China heading lower - I'm out.

I'm a trader- so I don't subscribe to the buy and hold theory. So at the moment, stockmarket wise I'm doing my best impression of Nemo.

(Update ... Ekkk!!! I sold Sinomem at $1.49 this morning- it then came down slightly and then powered up to $1.57 up 5%).


*** photo of marine fish courtesy of coalfox ***




Tuesday, July 24, 2007

A Dad, His Kid, a Taxi @ KTV and a myopic student

Funny thing I saw at a KTV taxi stand. Well, I was there with my friend and his baby boy.

My friend and I had gone out for dinner- at this pretty good Chicken Rice restaurant at the corner of Short Street and Middle Road - he brought along his kid who fell asleep during the meal.

We were walking home when my friend said - bugger it- let's take a cab. He was carrying his kid asleep on his shoulder.

There was a taxi stand outside a popular KTV bar nearby - so we waited. Within a few minutes - a cab pulled over to drop off one of the KTV girls. We waited for her to get off, but as she did this mainlander student jumped straight in. Maybe he didn't see us- but I doubt it cos we were standing next to the cab.

The taxi driver stared at us in puzzlement- I rolled my eye balls and looked at my friend- who was pretty pissed off carrying his baby boy and all.

Then suddenly I hear this : "HEY @#$%er!!!!" Its my friend and Daddy's mad.

"GET THE @#$% out !!!!!!!!!!"

Then he went over to the taxi and tapped on the window, yanked open the car door, peered at the student, and said, "YOU DAMN WELL KNOW WHAT YOU DID!!!!! GET THE @#$ OUT!!!!"

Now my friend weighs about 150kg- he's six feet tall and looks like a Sumo Wrestler. And when he's mad- he looks positively terrifying. He could scare the pants off Genghis Khan.

Plus he's got his sleeping baby kid over his shoulder... lol.

Not too sure what the mainlander must have thought. But with my friend grabbing him by the shoulder, he didn't have much of an option except to get out.

For a second I could see the headlines of tomorrow's tabloid New Paper. "Lone Dad and baby boy placed in detention over taxi fight."

Thankfully, the student didn't put up a fight and was a bit apologetic.

It must have amused the heck out of the KTV car park valets, hostesses, and passers-by. I could hear them exclaiming away in various regional languages - Hokkien, Hindi, n Mandarin about how this big man armed with a sleeping baby boy threatened a fight. I'm sure they've seen fights before - but not with a dad holding his sleeping child.

For me, I just got in the cab - after my friend+kid - and told the taxi driver- "Drive."

He didn't hesistate.

My friend later told me he was just fed up of the student's rude behavior- and felt he needed a good lesson- plus he just wanted to get his kid home to bed.



Ultimate Frisbee goes to Sentosa

Start:     Aug 11, '07 2:30p
Steven is organizing another great frisbee game at Sentosa- August 11th - after lunch.
Same spot - at Tanjong Beach next to KM8 in Sentosa.

Come by with your drinks, snacks and friends. Remember the (share) rule – bring some for yourself, some for (another person). (Don't show up with one coke can in your hand).

As usual, we’ll have a big cooler with ice there...

RSVP Steven at steven@alumni.sfu.ca

You can check out the photos from our previous game on my photos page.

Monday, July 23, 2007

A black day, frisbee and a run

I got up on the wrong side of bed today. Just felt in a total black mood. Not angry. Just very sad. Didn't want to go to church. Just wanted to lie in bed.

Get up. I said to myself. Can't just stay here- I'll end up bludging the whole day away and feeling worse.

Didn't have breakfast. Got to the 11am service. And the first thing on my mind is how to make a quick getaway.

Once again at church we tried to sing the Hillsong's song "How Great is Our God" - this time with the piano instead of the organ. It sounded terrible but apparently the 8am service totally lost the plot and rioted - killing the worship leader... no, just a bad joke. They just didn't sing it.

The highlight for me is the singing of the Doxology. There's something about it that's feels like Heaven, the Presence of God. I get a bit high when I sing it :)

Then here comes the sermon. At this point, I make my getaway. Unfortunately the pastor is a terrible preacher - long winded and boring. And I was in no mood to put up with it today.

I escaped to a coffee shop around the corner and finally had some breakfast. Eggs with toast never tasted so good.

On the way out, I bumped into my fellow choir members who reminded me that we had practice this afternoon. I was in a awful mood tho and casually snarled that I hated the music and wished I didn't have to go. They looked at me in horror. I didn't repeat the comment.

I still went for choir. There were just 5 people there. The choir master chose to explain music theory. He might as well have been speaking in Klingon or Greek, I didn't understand a damn thing. To make matters worse, one of the choir members kept on coughing. He's been coughing for a whole month for @#$% sake. If he's sick, for his own sake, he should go home, get some rest, drink lemon honey tea. Not come for choir practice!!!! The crazy nutter was coughing every 30 seconds or so. I felt like getting up and going straight home. I was this close from doing so.

But I didn't want to cause a scene. And there were only three bass singers - including Mr Coughalot.

Eventually more people showed up and we began our practice.

After singing for 30 minutes or so... my attitude started to improve. I got my groove back. The music was great, afterall. And we started singing properly in our various parts.

Frisbee*- what can I say? I can't catch short passes. God knows why. I've got perfect vision, but I'm just unco. I catch worse than the girls. F@#k. Its so goddamn gender embarassing.

Anyhow its still nice to see the people. Friendly lot. Our frisbee organizer, Steven caught the catch of the day. He sprinted from across the field, slipped and slided like about 5m ... before caught the frisbee!!! Amazing. That guy is so fast he could run on water. :)

I still felt edgy tho. So I headed to the gym. Drank a chocolate protein drink, I must have been very hungry- it tasted good this time round. Had another sports energy drink - and I did my run.

It felt fantastic. Just very good to run. That's something about it- stepping on the treadmill, putting on the music, and just running - its just addictive. It feels so right. It feels so good. I ran for about 30 minutes - then I really needed to pee - but I still kept going - slowed down to fast walk for 15 more minutes... then I had my toilet break. I tried restarting the run, but my calf muscles started twitching, I could feel a nasty cramp coming. So I stopped and walked home.

It started to drizzle outside. But I was already covered in sweat. I got to run more often. I feel much better now. Thank God, I got out of bed this morning.






*We play Ultimate Frisbee in the avro 5pm - down by the Clark Quey River Point Park. You're welcome to join us. We may have a special game in Sentosa in August.

Suzanne Vega by Suzanne Vega

Rating:★★★★★
Category:Music
Genre: Folk
Artist:Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega. Her first album is a music classic. One of those sorts of albums you have to own. Simple. Deeply Meaningful. Poignant. Beautifully crafted. At times its just her and her wonderful acoustic guitar - its very minimalist, very zen.

Its worth getting just for the sake of the first song on this album. "Cracking". That guitar and her voice is so mesmerizing.

"Cracking"

It's a one time thing
It just happens
A lot
Walk with me
And we will see
What we have got
Ah...

My footsteps are ticking
Like water dripping from a tree
Walking a hairline
And stepping very carefully
Ah...

My heart is broken
It is worn out at the knees
Hearing muffled
Seeing blind
Soon it will hit the Deep Freeze

And something is cracking
I don't know where
Ice on the sidewalk
Brittle branches
In the air

The sun
Is blinding
Dizzy golden, dancing green
Through the park in the afternoon
Wondering where the hell
I have been
Ah...

For a more comprehensive review of her work : click here: Suzanne Vega Review



A black day, frisbee and a run

I got up on the wrong side of bed today. Just felt in a total black mood. Not angry. Just very sad. Didn't want to go to church. Just wanted to lie in bed.

Get up. I said to myself. Can't just stay here- I'll end up bludging the whole day away and feeling worse.

Didn't have breakfast. Got to the 11am service. And the first thing on my mind is how to make a quick getaway.

Once again at church we tried to sing the Hillsong's song "How Great is Our God" - this time with the piano instead of the organ. It sounded terrible but apparently the 8am service totally lost the plot and rioted taring and feathering the worship leader... no, just a bad joke. They just mumbled their way thru. Imagine a marathon with 120 year old geriatrics. (My church is a conservative - so.... )

The highlight for me is the singing of the Doxology. There's something about it that's feels like Heaven, the Presence of God. I get a bit high when I sing it :)

Then here comes the sermon. At this point, I make my getaway. Unfortunately the pastor is a terrible preacher - long winded and boring. And I was in no mood to put up with it today.

I escaped to a coffee shop around the corner and finally had some breakfast. Plain brown toast dunked in soft boiled eggs never tasted so good.

On the way out, I bumped into my fellow choir members who reminded me that we had practice this afternoon. I was in a awful mood tho and casually snarled that I hated the music and wished I didn't have to go. The old aunties looked at me in horror. I didn't repeat the comment.

I still went for choir. There were just 5 people there. The choir master chose to explain music theory. He might as well have been speaking in Klingon or Greek, I didn't understand a damn thing. To make matters worse, one of the choir members kept on coughing. He's been coughing for a whole month for @#$% sake. If he's sick, for his own sake, he should go home, get some rest, drink lemon honey tea. Not come for choir practice!!!! The crazy nutter was coughing every 30 seconds or so.  I felt like getting up and going straight home. I was this close from doing so.

But I didn't want to cause a scene. And there were only three bass singers - including Mr Coughalot.

Eventually more people showed up and we began our practice.

After singing for 30 minutes or so... my attitude started to improve. I got my groove back. The music was great, afterall. And we started singing properly in our various parts.
 
Frisbee*- what can I say?  I can't catch short passes. God knows why. I've got perfect vision, but I'm just unco. I catch worse than the girls. F@#k.  Its so  goddamn gender embarassing.

Anyhow its still nice to see the people. Friendly lot. Our frisbee organizer, Steven caught the catch of the day. He sprinted from across the field, slipped and slided like about 5m ... before caught the frisbee in the goal area between two defenders!!! Amazing. That guy is so fast he could run on water. :)

I still felt edgy tho. So I headed to the gym. Drank a chocolate protein drink, I must have been very hungry- it tasted good this time round. Had another sports energy drink - and I did my run.

It felt fantastic. Just very good to run. That's something about it- stepping on the treadmill, putting on the music, and just running - its just addictive. It feels so right. It feels so good. I ran for about 30 minutes - then I really needed to pee - but I still kept going - slowed down to fast walk for 15 more minutes... then I had my toilet break. I tried restarting the run, but my calf muscles started twitching, I could feel a nasty cramp coming. So I stopped and walked home.

It started to drizzle outside. But I was already covered in sweat. I got to run more often. I feel much better now. Thank God, I got out of bed this morning.

On my way out - at the Somerset MRT crossing on Orchard Road- I started running again down Orchard Road.  Right in the centre of the road. It felt so crazy. But the lights were red. The traffic was all bottled up behind me. Just me running down Singapore's main street. lol.






*We play Ultimate Frisbee in the avro 5pm - down by the Clark Quey River Point Park. You're welcome to join us. We may have a special game in Sentosa in August.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

A black day, frisbee and a run

I got up on the wrong side of bed today. Just felt in a total black mood. Not angry. Just very sad. Didn't want to go to church. Just wanted to lie in bed.

Get up. I said to myself. Can't just stay here- I'll end up bludging the whole day away and feeling worse.

Didn't have breakfast. Got to the 11am service. And the first thing on my mind is how to make a quick getaway.

Once again at church we tried to sing the Hillsong's song "How Great is Our God" - this time with the piano instead of the organ. It sounded terrible but apparently the 8am service totally lost the plot and rioted - killing the worship leader... no, just a bad joke. They just didn't sing it.

The highlight for me is the singing of the Doxology. There's something about it that's feels like Heaven, the Presence of God. I get a bit high when I sing it :)

Then here comes the sermon. At this point, I make my getaway. Unfortunately the pastor is a terrible preacher - long winded and boring. And I was in no mood to put up with it today.

I escaped to a coffee shop around the corner and finally had some breakfast. Eggs with toast never tasted so good.

On the way out, I bumped into my fellow choir members who reminded me that we had practice this afternoon. I was in a awful mood tho and casually snarled that I hated the music and wished I didn't have to go. They looked at me in horror. I didn't repeat the comment.

I still went for choir. There were just 5 people there. The choir master chose to explain music theory. He might as well have been speaking in Klingon or Greek, I didn't understand a damn thing. To make matters worse, one of the choir members kept on coughing. He's been coughing for a whole month for @#$% sake. If he's sick, for his own sake, he should go home, get some rest, drink lemon honey tea. Not come for choir practice!!!! The crazy nutter was coughing every 30 seconds or so. I felt like getting up and going straight home. I was this close from doing so.

But I didn't want to cause a scene. And there were only three bass singers - including Mr Coughalot.

Eventually more people showed up and we began our practice.

After singing for 30 minutes or so... my attitude started to improve. I got my groove back. The music was great, afterall. And we started singing properly in our various parts.

Frisbee*- what can I say? I can't catch short passes. God knows why. I've got perfect vision, but I'm just unco. I catch worse than the girls. F@#k. Its so goddamn gender embarassing.

Anyhow its still nice to see the people. Friendly lot. Our frisbee organizer, Steven caught the catch of the day. He sprinted from across the field, slipped and slided like about 5m ... before caught the frisbee!!! Amazing. That guy is so fast he could run on water. :)

I still felt edgy tho. So I headed to the gym. Drank a chocolate protein drink, I must have been very hungry- it tasted good this time round. Had another sports energy drink - and I did my run.

It felt fantastic. Just very good to run. That's something about it- stepping on the treadmill, putting on the music, and just running - its just addictive. It feels so right. It feels so good. I ran for about 30 minutes - then I really needed to pee - but I still kept going - slowed down to fast walk for 15 more minutes... then I had my toilet break. I tried restarting the run, but my calf muscles started twitching, I could feel a nasty cramp coming. So I stopped and walked home.

It started to drizzle outside. But I was already covered in sweat. I got to run more often. I feel much better now. Thank God, I got out of bed this morning.






*We play Ultimate Frisbee in the avro 5pm - down by the Clark Quey River Point Park. You're welcome to join us. We may have a special game in Sentosa in August.

One Run

A drum beats
My eyes open
Its my CD player waking me up again
I know what I need to do
No need to think
Just do
Run
I change, lace my shoes
The air is cold
The sky is dark
But the drum is beating
My Sony urges me out of the door
Its cold
Run
I start my run
There's a slight wind
I shiver and I run faster
Must go.
Cannot stop.
Run to the park
Run Back
10km
Get the pace going
Feel the heart pumping
Must keep going
Run
The music has a steady beat
It keeps me going
Up a Hill
Down another hill
I reach the midway point
Pass the tree on the hill by the park
Then my body knows it can come back
It knows whats waiting back home
Run
Hot Shower
The new cereal I got the other day
Hot Toast with butter and honey
Freshly Ground Coffee
I could run through a wall now
I'm tired, cold and hungry
My lungs feel burning
And the only thing between me and home
Is 5 more Ks.
Run
Each step brings me closer to home.
Each step brings me closer to home.
I run faster
A sense of completion
The scent of victory
My heart is beating like a machine
I've finished my run
And it makes me feel alive.







Where is Midway?

(This is something I wrote awhile back in my old blogger account... but I thought I'd add it into my multiply blog to accompany the previous post. Rereading this, its funny how things remain the same.)

Running is a terribly boring event- from one point of view. What's the purpose anyhow? You're just running to get fit. But you're also running nowhere. In the ancient past, humans had to run- to deliver stuff- messages, food, medicine etc.. It meant something. Now you're just running for the sake of  health. Our ancestors would probably laugh at us.

Listening to running music helps me run and get into that mythical zone. Its a bit like praying or meditation. Your body metabolism starts to kick in- your brain starts pumping endorphins. Your heart starts beating faster... And you are just in an amazing place.

A word of caution. Listening to your mp3 or cd player when running outside in the open is dangerous. You can't hear traffic or the fellow thats creepying around the corner. Women runners also face the dangers of sexual assault, even in busy public parks. Stay alert, be careful.

Waking up at 6 in the morning by the horrible ring of an alarm clock, gritting your teeth in bold determination- doesn't quite help. I get my hifi player to schedule a song from Last of the Mohicans soundtrack - I think its called the Deer Hunt or Promontory. It starts off with a dull slow drum beat. That's the first thing i hear in the morning. Then I put on my running gear, put on my CD walkman, and out the door I go. No fuss. No need for car keys. No traffic. Just Go!

I love running to the park near my Melbourne home- Ruffey's Park. Its about 3km there. The walk/run circuit in Ruffey's Park is about 4 km. Then its another 3km run back home. Total 10k. Ordinarily, I'd only be able to run 5 km. But by taking this run- as opposed to multiple circuits or treadmill - I push myself to run that much extra. Once I reach the half way mark, somehow the run back home - flies by. I know I'm running back. Every step is a step closer to home. I distract myself by thinking of taking a hot shower, hot breakfast, hot brewed coffee. mmm.

One Run

A drum beats
My eyes open
Its my CD player waking me up again
I know what I need to do
No need to think
Just do
Run
I change, lace my shoes
The air is cold
The sky is dark
But the drum is beating
My Sony urges me out of the door
Its cold
Run
I start my run
There's a slight wind
I shiver and I run faster
Must go.
Cannot stop.
Run to the park
Run Back
10km
Get the pace going
Feel the heart pumping
Must keep going
Run
The music has a steady beat
It keeps me going
Up a Hill
Down another hill
I reach the midway point
Pass the tree on the hill by the park
Pass the house with the rose garden
Then my body knows its now back
It knows we're going home
Run
Hot Shower
The new cereal I got the other day
Hot Toast with butter and honey
Freshly Ground Coffee
I could run through a wall now
I'm tired, cold and hungry
My lungs feel burning
And the only thing between me and home
Are 5 more Ks.
Run
Each step brings me closer to home.
Each step brings me closer to home.
I run faster
I see my house now.
Its beautiful.
Run
Everything conspires now to make me run
My Hunger
My Cold
My Need to get cleansed
My need to rest
I run
I run to that goal
Run

A sense of completion
The scent of victory
My heart is ticking like a clock
I've finished my run
And it makes me feel alive.







Market Update

Another stunning week on the market. Fortune favored the bold once again. However, the snap correction we had on Wednesday - after a sharp rise - showed how quickly things could turn.

Stop losses. When the market is this volatile- you really need to have good stop loss management. Even for investors.

The professional traders set it at 1 to 2%. For the average investor- 5% - is a figure to consider, esp when your shares have gone up 20% - 50%+

You just have to try and remove as much emotion from trading. The buy and hold strategy whilst sounding good on paper- can cause you to miss out on cashing in your profits - which is what the whole business is about. You're here to make money. Remember that! Never fall in love with the stock. If the shares start coming hard down - better cash in your chips - and wait and see.

But anyhow the market rebounded sharply on Thursday and Friday. But it certainly would have hurt if you had bought in on Wednesday.

Here's a author to read - Daryl Guppy - has written several good books on share trading - His style is not share investing but active trading. The difference is that traders follow technical analysis and less on fundamentals.

But in this sort of crazy bull market- fundamentals aren't exactly in play- more like rumor and hype. And its the sort of market that is prone to serious and fast corrections.






One Run

A drum beats
My eyes open
Its my CD player waking me up again
I know what I need to do
No need to think
Just do
Run
I change, lace my shoes
The air is cold
The sky is dark
But the drum is beating
My Sony urges me out of the door
Its cold
Run
I start my run
There's a slight wind
I shiver and I run faster
Must go.
Cannot stop.
Run to the park
Run Back
10km
Get the pace going
Feel the heart pumping
Must keep going
Run
The music has a steady beat
It keeps me going
Up a Hill
Down another hill
I reach the midway point
Pass the tree on the hill by the park
Then my body knows it can come back
It knows whats waiting back home
Run
Hot Shower
The new cereal I got the other day
Hot Toast with butter and honey
Freshly Ground Coffee
I could run through a wall now
I'm tired, cold and hungry
My lungs feel burning
And the only thing between me and home
Is 5 more Ks.
Run
Each step brings me closer to home.
Each step brings me closer to home.
I run faster
A sense of completion
The scent of victory
My heart is beating like a machine
I've finished my run
And it makes me feel alive.







Saturday, July 21, 2007

Living with a monster

The Dragon
Stay close to the monster
Under her dreadful gaze
Beneath the chest of armor
Lies her sad beating heart

=



+



*



5




4




3



2





1











I'm living with a monster. I didn't create it. I warned people about it. And I helped to fix up the horrendous mess it made two years ago which nearly destroyed my family.

Everyone tells me advice that I know its wrong. I know that if I had followed their advice - things would have ended up in disaster.

But frankly its easy for them to say such things. They won't be the ones fixing or cleaning the mess. So its easy for them to be glib about it.

Right now, lets see how things go. Take things one day at a time. In life, some problems are meant to be endured. No amount of huffing will make Winter pass any quicker.

At the moment, things look hopefully. But destruction looms around the corner.

I long for the day when my position is secured, the war is ended, and I can be free of this burden.

But is that what I've become? Just a fighter in a stupid war.


***



Market Update

Another stunning week on the market. Fortune favored the bold once again. However, the snap correction we had on Wednesday - after a sharp rise - showed how quickly things could turn.

Stop losses. When the market is this volatile- you really need to have good stop loss management. Even for investors.

The professional traders set it at 1 to 2%. For the average investor- 5% - is a figure to consider, esp when your shares have gone up 20% - 50%+

You just have to try and remove as much emotion from trading. The buy and hold strategy whilst sounding good on paper- can cause you to miss out on cashing in your profits - which is what the whole business is about. You're here to make money. Remember that! Never fall in love with the stock. If the shares start coming hard down - better cash in your chips - and wait and see.

But anyhow the market rebounded sharply on Thursday and Friday. But it certainly would have hurt if you had bought in on Wednesday.

Here's a author to read - Daryl Guppy - has written several good books on share trading - His style is not share investing but active trading. The difference is that traders follow technical analysis and less on fundamentals.

But in this sort of crazy bull market- fundamentals aren't exactly in play- more like rumor and hype. And its the sort of market that is prone to serious and fast corrections.

Something to watch out for is this that double top formation in China- if it breaks past 3800 - 3700 mark strongly- it could go down further.



 

Celebrities

There's been a massive increase in the amount paid for celebrity photos.

Check it out. Click here or on the photo which cost $4 million dollars.

I don't read the gossip magazines but I can see why. Plenty of people read them for fun and to fill in the boredom in their lives.

And no, Brad shouldn't have left Jen!!!

But its a good sign that society is getting dumber if our heroes are socialites like Paris Hilton.


Market Update

Another stunning week on the market. Fortune favored the bold once again. However, the snap correction we had on Wednesday - after a sharp rise - showed how quickly things could turn.

Stop losses. When the market is this volatile- you really need to have good stop loss management. Even for investors.

The professional traders set it at 1 to 2%. For the average investor- 5% - is a figure to consider, esp when your shares have gone up 20% - 50%+

You just have to try and remove as much emotion from trading. The buy and hold strategy whilst sounding good on paper- can cause you to miss out on cashing in your profits - which is what the whole business is about. You're here to make money. Remember that! Never fall in love with the stock. If the shares start coming hard down - better cash in your chips - and wait and see.

But anyhow the market rebounded sharply on Thursday and Friday. But it certainly would have hurt if you had bought in on Wednesday.

Here's a author to read - Daryl Guppy - has written several good books on share trading - His style is not share investing but active trading. The difference is that traders follow technical analysis and less on fundamentals.

But in this sort of crazy bull market- fundamentals aren't exactly in play- more like rumor and hype. And its the sort of market that is prone to serious and fast corrections.






Celebrities

There's been a massive increase in the amount paid for celebrity photos.

Check it out. Click here or on the photo which cost $4 million dollars.

I don't read the gossip magazines but I can see why. Plenty of people read them for fun and to fill in the boredom in their lives.

And no, Brad shouldn't have left Jen!!!

But its a good sign that society is getting dumber if our heroes are socialites like Paris Hilton.


Friendlies: Photos I wish I had taken




Thank God I'm a man. Some photos of the women I know and met. I've taken none of these photos.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Celebrities

There's been a massive increase in the amount paid for celebrity photos.

Check it out. Click here or on the photo which cost $4 million dollars.

I don't read the gossip magazines but I can see why. Plenty of people read them for fun and to fill in the boredom in their lives.

And no, Brad shouldn't have left Jen!!!

But its a good sign that society is getting dumber if our heroes are socialites like Paris Hilton.


Jesus, His Mother Mary and the Virgin Birth

Ever you ever wondered about the virgin birth of Jesus Christ? The Bible records that Mary the Mother of Jesus became pregnant by the divine power of the Holy Spirit.

However, no one told Joseph her fiance about this. Nor did God mention this to her whole village. Sure, God told a couple of shepherds and Astrologers from the East found out about the birth through astrology- a banned art, but apart from her cousin Elizabeth, no one else knew.

The Bible records that when Joseph learnt about her pregnancy, he intended to divorce her quietly. Obviously, it must have been some months into the pregnancy- and probably the  village gossip machine must have been running overtime.

The Law of Moses, the Word of God, however was very strict about this. It stipulated that the pregnant girl would be brought out and stoned to death for adultery. And Joseph was entitled to some monetary compensation from Mary's father. Read Deuteronomy 22:20 if you care for it. Horrible barbaric times. No matter how many times I read those sorts of passages, I still cringe with revulsion as some of the passages make no sense to me at all.

Harsh times.

Thankfully, one of the Angels of God appeared to Joseph to fill him in on the details.

But why did God even want to put the whole issue of Jesus' paternity into doubt? He already had enough obstacles in his way. Take note that throughout the Gospels, the enemies of Jesus taunted him with the words: "Jesus, son of Mary" not the proper title of "son of Joseph" - inferring that he was the product of an illegitimate birth.

Yet, as God's Word states- "God's power is shown in human weakness." And hence, Jesus entered the world the hard way. Not born in a palace on a bed of linen, attended by princesses but in a crappy smelly barn - overcrowded with unwashed animals - on a basket of hay. And with his parentage in controversy. Imagine the taunts he must have got as a child?

The only lesson I can draw from this - is that God wants us to be compassionate and forgiving- and not so quick to judge and condemn. The lesson of virgin birth is perhaps this- that love over law is God's way.


Some nations don't deserve independence

Read this story - three African Warlords are convicted of mass rape, murder, looting, mutilations, and the enslavement of children as soldiers.

Together they must have destroyed the lives of tens of thousands of people, including women and children.

Their sentence - 50 years in European jails in Sweden and Austria, practically Club Med in comparison to the sufferings they inflicted on their victims.

No doubt after 5 years in their comfortable jail with dvd, central heating, monthly conjuglar visits, broadband access, regular medical and dental attention, several post-grad degrees, and the required psychological counselling, they'll be set free and certified ok. They will then write a New York Times best selling book about their experiences filled with the appropriate amount of contrition - and of course railing against America- before settling in Amsterdam or Greenwich Village as highly paid counsultants on Africa.

IMHO, they should be flogged, drawn and quartered and etc.. all their followers put to the sword. Anyhow, read the article.

Sierra Leone Generals get 50 years for war crimes. Big Deal

It sickens me to read about such stories. Sierra ought to be recolonized by the European nations. In fact, all of Africa ought to just go back to being under European rule. Look at South Africa. Now free from Apartheid, thanks Bono!!!, its slowly descending to utter chaos.

The problem with Africa is not a lack of aid but a lack of good civil government, and a honest effective police force and administration. Law and order. These are the sorts of things most of us take for granted. But they are so vital to life. Ever since the African nations achieved independence, they've just spiralled downwards to total anarchy.

Any aid sent to Africa will usually end up in the bank accounts of the same corrupt fiends who caused the problem in the first place. Read here for more.


Managing Risk - Braking and Praying

This is probably one of the most important things you need to learn in life.

Managing Risk.

Everyday we take risk - we take risk with the friends we keep - the hobbies you do - where we live - how we cross the road.

In God we trust. Thats what we Christians believe in.

But God gave us all a brain. We should certainly use it.

Prayer is crucial but clearly God has give us some responsibilities. When we drive and come to a red traffic light- the first thing we ought to do is to slow down and start braking - not praying.

Have you ever met a Christian driver who started speaking in tongues, raising his hands, closing his eyes when approaching a Stop Sign?

Of course, if the brakes failed because we didn't bother sending the car in for service in the last 5 years - then we better start praying. But then whose fault is it? Don't blame Satan.

The reason why a lot of males from the ages of 3 - 30 get into accidents is cause we often believe that we are invincible, no fear, we totally ignore the risks and do stupid stuff - like jumping off cliffs into shallow pools, driving at high speeds drunk or stoned, or in my case - trying to slide down the staircase bannister at the extreme highest point at age 3, and allowing myself to be placed into my tricycle and pushed off our 50m steep driveway that leads onto a public road, etc.. God knows why I'm still alive today.

I have the misfortune to meet people who don't know the meaning of risk- who think that life is only about results- but never consider that success is not always dependent on will power, and mindless fervent praying.


Thursday, July 19, 2007

Kapalai Sipadan 2007


Special thanks to Jo for posing this shot for me. The combination of colors makes for beautiful art.

We stayed at this resort at Kapalai (near Sipadan) built on a submerged coral atoll - no beach but it has its own coral reef. Its at the North East Corner of Borneo Island, East Malaysia. One of the most happiest holidays in my life. I got to know a great bunch of people- Gem, Stephen, Arnaud, Taitti, Joseph, and Josie and we hit it off straight away. There hasn't been a month when I wonder where they are and what they are doing.

I took all these photos using my Canon IXUS40. Amazing photos for a compact point and shoot.

Choosing your Battles carefully 2

You will find yourself in situations where flight rather than fight is the option. Sometimes its hard to tell. And the fighter in you will say - "Don't be a wimp, don't give in, show them what you are made of."

But its plain silly to act that way all the time.

Knowing what to do - takes experience and maturity. It also helps if you are able to make the decision coolly, keeping down as much of your emotion as possible.

Yet at the same time- appeasing bullies - is totally counterproductive too. The more you give in, the more they demand.

When Hitler rose to power in 1933, everyone thought they could work with the bastard. Work it out. Lets find a win-win solution. So they let him break the Treaties, then they let him rearm, they they allowed him to forcefully incorporate other nations into Germany : Austria, Czechoslovakia (bite by bite), by the time they realized they had to fight Hitler- it was too late. He was too powerful- he was no longer an easy target.

Sometimes the battle is not winnable at all. My ancestors came from China- my great-grandfather took part in an uprising against the Manchus. He was a pastor, scholar and also a rebel. They lost. If he had continued his fight- he and his whole family would have caught and executed.

There's a difference between foresight and hindsight. Its always easy knowing what to do after the event- its another to make a good decision regarding the future.




Desperate times in Singapore Property

I was rather amused by this sign.

Read it: "FULLY SOLD - THANKS BE TO GOD" . (Marked in Red)

Either the developer is up to his ears in debt and thankfully that he's sold the estate. Or he's quite religious. Seeing how property prices here have gone up by 60% this year, I guess the latter.

Melbourne Morning

I used to hate waking up in Winter in Melbourne. The sky is still pitch black at 8am. The alarm clock makes me feel like I've woken up from the dead. My room is drop frozen cold.

Then I discovered the joys of oil heaters. They aren't the same as heated fans (which can be dreadfully dry) and the highly dangerous electric bar heaters (that have no safety switches) which have burnt down many homes and incinerated its occupants.

The trick is to maintain the room at a relatively decent temperature- about 16C - 18C is fine. You can do that with the oil heaters. If you turn it up any warmer - your electric bill is going to burn a massive hole in your pocket.

If you are a guy and live in a safe area - you can also try the morning run. That'll certainly wake u up. Maybe my ancestors came from the North Pole or somewhere cold- but I found that if I go running in cold weather about 2C to 5C  with just a simple t-shirt, shorts, runners, my body internal temperature compensates for the cold. The first 10 minutes - the cold is just horrible- but it just caused me to start running faster and getting hotter. And once your body system starts - you'll just feel warm all day.

Thats the trick of living in cold weather countries. You need to get your body's internal temperature to adjust to the cold weather. One reason why people can't do this- is because  they keep on piling clothes, turning on the heaters til they are blazing hot, and generally do everything possible to prevent their body from acclimatizing to the cold weather.

By no means am I advocating you run in very cold temperatures like Moscow -40C or in weather which is very windy, wet. The wind chill factor will kill you for sure, no joke.


Dayang 13-15 July '07

Man this lady really has taken some amazing photos of Dayang. And people says its just a barren reef!! Makes me want to go back there again!!!

Click on the link below:

Link

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Mutha Curry

Rating:★★★
Category:Restaurants
Cuisine: Indian
Location:Suntec City, Singapore
Had dinner there last week with relatives and friends. That's Euen my 4 year old nephew.

We had fish head curry, some kind of a horrible green curry cheese dish, nan bread, curry mutton, etc.. Overall it was ok.... so-so. But I wouldn't go there again. Its just not worth the value for money imho. The nan bread was great tho.

Better to goto Banana Leaf down at Race Course Road. The food and service there is much much better. And the rice and papadums are free flowing. The atmosphere is also much more relaxed- great for a Saturday lunch.


Choosing your Battles carefully

Everyone wants to win. No one wants to lose. But there are some battles that are not winnable. There are some battles that are not worth fighting over. And there are some battles that you shouldn't try to even fight, battles that you can win but shouldn't.

Discerning this - is  a mark of maturity.

How do you attain this?

For myself, I like to read up on history. And study the battles of old - of warriors who won battles but lost the war ...

Let's start with a lesson close to home: Japan.

From 1933 - 1945, Japan waged war against China, and then failing to defeat it - turned against the Allied nations - America, Britain, the Dutch in Indonesia, Australia... However, it just couldn't fight a long first-class war against them. The Japanese thought that they'd win the first few battles- and then their enemies would surrender rather than fight on.

 During the 1930s, the military took control of the government. There was an economic depression. The nation was in turmoil.  And young nationalists sought to alleviate the suffering of their nation- by urging a war on China. Back then, China was weak - barely united - and wracked by civil war.

Japan on the other hand had a strong military- its navy, with its powerful carrier group and highly trained crews, was even at par with the United States and Great Britain.

So Japan attacked China- one small battle led to another - and eventually they conquered a large part of the country. But China's size, poor road systems, and massive population just made it too difficult for Japan to totally conquer it. Japan even experimented with biological warfare in the hope of exterminating millions of Chinese people.

To make matters worse, Japan - at the time- was dependent on the US for steel and oil. Much of its oil was imported from America which, at the time, was a net exporter of petrol.

Japan's invasion of China shocked world opinion. Their military committed terrible atrocities there- it went out of its way to terrify the populace through mass murder, mass rape, deliberate acts of genocide thru starvation... It was hell on earth. Even after the enemy cities surrendered- the Japanese troops were allowed to go onto a  rampage of rape, murder and destruction. (In 1942, after Singapore surrendered to the Japanese, the Japanese rounded up over 50,000 civilians, killed them in cold blood and threw their bodies into the sea.)

The US and its allies choose to punish Japan through trade embargoes - and in 1941 cut oil supplies to Japan. The Japanese leadership reacted in the only way they knew how- by attacking the European colonies in Asia, and by striking the USN fleet at Pearl Harbor.

The Japanese thought that the Americans and British were weak - more interested in dances, parties and love making. And once Japan had kicked them out of Asia- they would not return.

In turn, the Americans and British seriously underestimated the Japanese. And consequently let their guard down in Malaya, Singapore, Phillipines and so on.

But the Japanese success was short lived. Though they had spectacular successes - and won great battles at the start - they failed to understand that will power and determination by itself does not win a war.

Japan - at that time-  could not compete with America industrially or technologically. The Japanese were outproduced in every field: they unable to produce better planes, ships, tanks than the Americans - and worse they were unable to quickly train and replace their elite crew when they were lost. They also could not make good the loss of oil supply from America.

Eventually, the Japanese Navy and Army was defeated in battle after battle - until the Japanese were resorting to suicide attacks using poorly trained but fanatical boys.

US long range bombers were destroying Japan's cities, destroying their war factories, and killing hundreds of thousands of civilians. The USN had a total blockade of Japan - preventing much needed food and supplies from entering.

And yet, the Japanese leaders didn't want to surrender. In fact, they armed their population  - old men, women, children with bamboo spears, suicide bomb packs - and exhorted them to make a final stand.

Their motto was "death before dishonor" ie. - no surrender. And so they were prepared to commit national suicide. If the war had carried on for another year or so- and the war taken to mainland Japan- half of the Japanese population would have been wiped out through battle, disease, starvation, and sucide. The Japanese were brainwashed into believing that the Americans would enslave them.

The Japanese believed their enemy would treat them the same as how they treated the Chinese and the other people they conquered. Ironic.



Psalm 18 for the 18th of July

This is an edited shorten version.


Psalm 18

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
 1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.

 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
       my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
       He is my shield, the horn [a] of my salvation, my stronghold.

 3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
       and I am saved from my enemies.

 4 The cords of death entangled me;
       the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

 5 The cords of the grave [b] coiled around me;
       the snares of death confronted me.

 6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
       I cried to my God for help.
       From his temple he heard my voice;
       my cry came before him, into his ears.

9 He parted the heavens and came down;
       dark clouds were under his feet.

 10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
       he soared on the wings of the wind.

 11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
       the dark rain clouds of the sky.

 16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
       he drew me out of deep waters.

 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
       from my foes, who were too strong for me.

 18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
       but the LORD was my support.

 19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
       he rescued me because he delighted in me.

 25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
       to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

 26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
       but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

 27 You save the humble
       but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

 28 You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;
       my God turns my darkness into light.

 29 With your help I can advance against a troop [d] ;
       with my God I can scale a wall.

 30 As for God, his way is perfect;
       the word of the LORD is flawless.
       He is a shield
       for all who take refuge in him.

 31 For who is God besides the LORD ?
       And who is the Rock except our God?

 32 It is God who arms me with strength
       and makes my way perfect.

 34 He trains my hands for battle;
       my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

 35 You give me your shield of victory,
       and your right hand sustains me;
       you stoop down to make me great.

  39 You armed me with strength for battle;
       you made my adversaries bow at my feet.

 40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
       and I destroyed my foes.

 47 He is the God who avenges me,
       who subdues nations under me,

 48 who saves me from my enemies.
       You exalted me above my foes;
       from violent men you rescued me.

 49 Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD;
       I will sing praises to your name.

 50 He gives his king great victories;
       he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
       to David and his descendants forever.

Share Investment lesson

Quick simple share investment ideas. Simplified.

Why do people invest in shares?

Simple, to make good profits. If you bought good quality shares - esp. during boom times - you can make at least over 20% profit in one year.

Recently, the share market gains have been extraordinary - Bank shares in Australia went thru the roof from 1996 - 2006. Check out the share price for Macquarie Bank- from $5 - to $75. Over here in Singapore you have DBS going from $15 last year to $24 currently.

Just a word of caution, DBS was at $20+ in 1997. Then following the Asian financial crisis it fell to as low at $10 - its taken it over 10 years to recover. There were also several institutions that went bust during that period too.

In Australia, many building societies went bust in the 1990s - and the investors and depositors lost all their money.

So.... on to my next point. You can also easily lose a lot of money on shares, esp. when you borrow money to buy them - or when you use non-disposable money, ie. money that you need to use soon.

So how do you choose good shares?

Remember this: buying shares should be as easy as ABCDEF.

A for Assets: what assets does the share have?

B for Boss: whose in charge of the company?

C: for Creditials: how long has the company been in operation for?

D: Direction - what is the company involved in?

As usual this part is a bit like fashion. In the 1990s, any I.T., internet or telecommunication company was all the flavor. And like fashion, they can be all the rage - you've seen it before - flares for men, Bubble skirts, huge platform shoes, etc.. It was as if everyone wanted them at one stage.

Most of the IT, internet and telecommunications stocks were making little or negative profit. Yet, they were going thru the roof. My friend bought an Aussie tech company called Sausage Software in 1999 for 10 cents. He sold it at 20 cents. It went up to $1, $3, then finally $8.00. I think it went bankrupt a year later. I took part in the float of Melbourne IT - the Aussie domain register company. I got it for $2.80. It debuted at $8.00 on the first day. I sold at $7.90. It later rose to $14. Now, its about one dollar.

Right now, anything that has to do with China and Energy is just hot now. Put look up any company that uses the words- China, Steel, Gambling, Energy - and its probably gone up 300% to 500% since last year.

It takes special skill, experience, and luck to "play" with those sorts of stocks.

But when the hype dies down, people look for earnings and fundamentals.

Basically - does the company make a profit? And if so, how much? And so people look for what is known as PE ratios (Price Earnings Ratios). Its the current price of the share / divided by the earnings per share. So if the share price is currently $10 -  and the company makes $1 per share last year - the PE Ratio is 10/1  =  PE of 10 - which is pretty good. That's like saying the company is making a 10% profit.

When there's a bull market though- many investors don't pay attention to this. Again, its like fashion. Herd mentality. Everyone must have it. It crazy. And that's how you see normal sane people street fighting over Hello Kitty Limited Edition dolls.

The majority of IT Companies like Sausage Software weren't making any money. Most of the telecommunication companies were overvalued and spending more money than they were earning. Quite a lot of them went bankupt. Share Investments can be RISKY - You need to know this. If you can't handle risk- then put the money in a fixed deposit and earn 3% a year.

In many respects, share investments is like gambling. In gambling, Blackjack, for example, you can beat the house by counting cards. A group of stats Uni students from MIT did this and made millions of dollars from the Casino. Similarly there are astute investors like Warren Buffett who carefully study the companies - and invest millions of dollars in them- and hold the stocks for years before selling- making billions of dollars.

You can read more about Buffett here.

And like gambling you also have the reckless and foolhardy - people who are reckless and tremendous risk takers or worse have no fear.

This might sound controversial- but I believe that there is nothing wrong with gambling. Its not an addiction, though it may become one. It is not going to cause you to lose your house, IF you don't bet your mortgage money on the roll of the dice.

In fact, I would regard less regard for a person who doesn't bother maintaining the brakes of his car- than for a person who goes to the casino limits himself to say 1% of his salary a month and is not addicted to it.

Its all how you deal with RISK. Now I'll talk about risk later on.

But anyhow if you haven't done any share investments. Why not just do this- read the Business section of the paper- familarize yourself with some of the business terms. People waste their lives on unprofitable things like watching hours and hours of TV, computer games, etc.. Just spend sometime educating yourself about companies and nations. Go to the library, peruse the investment book section and find something that makes sense, read it. You can read books on Warren Buffett. Or just look online for stuff to read.

Right now- everyone wants to get into China- its believed that it will become the World's Next Great Power- superseding America - and dominating the World's Economy and Politics. Well, that's what they also said about Japan in the 1980s too. Buffett bought into China Petroleum in a big way. Same idea- China needs oil, fuel. And China Petroleum seems to have a good balance sheet, management and credentials.