A passenger jet looses all of its engines and the passengers know they are going to crash. There are three women sitting next to each other in one of the rows.
The Italian woman opens her purse and begins pinning money all over her clothing. The other women ask why and she says that when the rescuers begin searching the crash site they will see the money and rescue her first.
The Jewish woman begins putting on all of her jewelry, saying that the rescuers will see the gems and rescue her first.
The black woman begins taking off all of her clothing. The two other women ask why she is undressing. She says, "Everybody knows the first thing they always look for is the black box."
King of the Birds, Lord of the Skies
Gather ye rose buds while ye may, old time is still a flying;
and this same rose that you see today, tomorrow will be dying.
CarpeDiem: Seize the Day!
- Dead Poets Society
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Market Today
The losing trend continued as US investors consolidated the previous week's strong gains. The Dow Jones closed 42 points lower, at 12,919, despite hitting a record intraday high of 12,983. The tech-rich Nasdaq was two points off, at 2,523, whilst the broader S&P 500 was 3 points lower, at 1,480.
In London, the FTSE 100 was boosted by a late rally yesterday but still failed to stay out of the red, closing 7 points lower at 6,479. Blue chip financial Barclays fell by over 2% as investors expressed doubts over its tie-up with Dutch bank ABN Amro, and pharma AstraZeneca tumbled over 4% despite an 11% rise in first-qurater profits. The Frankfurt DAX-30 also closed down 13 points, at 7,335, whilst the Paris CAC-40 was 20 points lower, at 5,917.
In Asia, the Nikkei was little-changed at 17,452 today - a 3-point fall - as investors awaited results from the likes of Canon and Fanuc, due after the close. STI did not shine much, closing at 3,374 today, 14 points below yesterday. The Han Seng was also relatively flat today, closing just 16 points higher to find 20,572.
Crude oil had climbed to $66.09 in New York and Brent spot was at $67.84 in London.
Spot gold had fallen back to $685.70 this morning, whilst silver had edged up to $13.93.
Suggestion for the day:
Play safe, please! The month of May is just round the corner. The U.S. dollar is not done with its falling. The housing woes in the U.S. are not over yet. In fact, they're getting worse. And no matter what the profit potential may be overseas, no matter what earnings report comes out, I feel strongly that your first priority NOW must be capital preservation.
That means putting SAFETY first.
That means keeping a good chunk of your core holdings in the most conservative investments you can find.
And don't say I didn't say hor, for I have said already!
In London, the FTSE 100 was boosted by a late rally yesterday but still failed to stay out of the red, closing 7 points lower at 6,479. Blue chip financial Barclays fell by over 2% as investors expressed doubts over its tie-up with Dutch bank ABN Amro, and pharma AstraZeneca tumbled over 4% despite an 11% rise in first-qurater profits. The Frankfurt DAX-30 also closed down 13 points, at 7,335, whilst the Paris CAC-40 was 20 points lower, at 5,917.
In Asia, the Nikkei was little-changed at 17,452 today - a 3-point fall - as investors awaited results from the likes of Canon and Fanuc, due after the close. STI did not shine much, closing at 3,374 today, 14 points below yesterday. The Han Seng was also relatively flat today, closing just 16 points higher to find 20,572.
Crude oil had climbed to $66.09 in New York and Brent spot was at $67.84 in London.
Spot gold had fallen back to $685.70 this morning, whilst silver had edged up to $13.93.
Suggestion for the day:
Play safe, please! The month of May is just round the corner. The U.S. dollar is not done with its falling. The housing woes in the U.S. are not over yet. In fact, they're getting worse. And no matter what the profit potential may be overseas, no matter what earnings report comes out, I feel strongly that your first priority NOW must be capital preservation.
That means putting SAFETY first.
That means keeping a good chunk of your core holdings in the most conservative investments you can find.
And don't say I didn't say hor, for I have said already!
Water as a Commodity?
The oil price headed higher again yesterday. This time the excuse was violence in Nigeria following elections of dubious democratic merit. The fear is that the unrest may delay oil production in the Nigerian delta. The price of a barrel of Brent headed over $68, while in New York, it rose to more than $65 a barrel.
But vital though it may be, oil is not the most precious commodity. At this price, alternatives become much more viable. Everything from corn-based ethanol to engines that run on lard is being touted as the new petrol.
However, there’s one commodity for which there is no replacement at any price - water.
“The global water industry combines the best underlying business model with the most inexorable future demand of any existent industry, and this fundamental fact is not likely to change”, said an analyst.
Populations are growing rapidly. They are also moving en masse from country to cities. More people need more water - for food, drink and hygiene. Wealthier, urbanized people use more water. We use way more per head in the West than in developing countries - in the US, the population has grown by just 50% in the past 30 years, but water use has tripled.
Meanwhile, supply is finite, and we are polluting supplies and using them up faster than they can replenish themselves. Nowhere are these problems more obvious - or more pressing - than in China. China, the world’s next economic superpower, is also one of the 13 countries in the world with the lowest amount of water per head. The Chinese know they won’t get far on the world stage if most of their population is dying of thirst - so they’re looking to spend $128bn on the problem by 2010.
As another analyst says: “Any company that can help solve this China crisis is looking at a bright future.”
Cheers!
But vital though it may be, oil is not the most precious commodity. At this price, alternatives become much more viable. Everything from corn-based ethanol to engines that run on lard is being touted as the new petrol.
However, there’s one commodity for which there is no replacement at any price - water.
“The global water industry combines the best underlying business model with the most inexorable future demand of any existent industry, and this fundamental fact is not likely to change”, said an analyst.
Populations are growing rapidly. They are also moving en masse from country to cities. More people need more water - for food, drink and hygiene. Wealthier, urbanized people use more water. We use way more per head in the West than in developing countries - in the US, the population has grown by just 50% in the past 30 years, but water use has tripled.
Meanwhile, supply is finite, and we are polluting supplies and using them up faster than they can replenish themselves. Nowhere are these problems more obvious - or more pressing - than in China. China, the world’s next economic superpower, is also one of the 13 countries in the world with the lowest amount of water per head. The Chinese know they won’t get far on the world stage if most of their population is dying of thirst - so they’re looking to spend $128bn on the problem by 2010.
As another analyst says: “Any company that can help solve this China crisis is looking at a bright future.”
Cheers!
Reckless Driver Finally Charged...
Reckless driver finally charged ...
Two years after test drive that left salesgirl passenger dead
Two years after test drive that left salesgirl passenger dead
ANSLEY NG
ansley@mediacorp.com.sg
AFTER a protracted investigation that took almost two years, the youth blamed for causing the death of a car salesgirl was finally charged in court yesterday with reckless driving. Regan Lee Da Wen, 26, was accused of causing the death of Ms He Xueli, 22, by driving a Mazda MX-5 convertible dangerously during a test drive in October 2005. Minutes after taking the wheel, Lee lost control of the $110,000 silver sports car along Upper Paya Lebar Road. The vehicle flew over the road divider and crashed head on with a BMW before flipping over and smashing into a van in another lane.
Lee, a warehouse supervisor, reportedly drives a Fiat Punto HGT — a high-performance car that was a gift from his father - and had no intention of buying the Mazda. He escaped unhurt in the accident but Ms He — the only child of an odd-job labourer and a bakery assistant — died in hospital. Lee, who was Ms He’s last customer for the day, was later arrested but released on $10,000 bail.
The five BMW passengers were taken to hospital with breathing difficulties and chest pains, while the van’s occupants, a couple, escaped unscathed. Lee, who will appear in court on June 18 for a pre-trial conference, faces a maximum five-year jail term if found guilty. Yesterday, his lawyer Julian Tay said his client was
“haunted” by the accident.
Earlier this month, the youth incurred the rage of Netizens and car enthusiasts after he wrote in a motoring forum that he was shopping for sports cars and could not decide between a Subaru WRX and a Volkswagen Golf GTI. Many were angry that he was allowed to drive while investigations were ongoing.
Yesterday, Lee’s indictment sparked a host of comments on several Internet forums.
“He is boasting about which sports car to buy ... Does he look like he has been ‘haunted’?” asked Flyer_king, in a sammyboy.com post.
Aside from the criminal charge, Lee also faces civil proceedings brought against him by other parties in the accident. According to lawyer Daniel Goh, who is acting for the driver of the BMW, his client is suing Lee for damage caused to the former’s car as well as injuries suffered by those in it.
ansley@mediacorp.com.sg
AFTER a protracted investigation that took almost two years, the youth blamed for causing the death of a car salesgirl was finally charged in court yesterday with reckless driving. Regan Lee Da Wen, 26, was accused of causing the death of Ms He Xueli, 22, by driving a Mazda MX-5 convertible dangerously during a test drive in October 2005. Minutes after taking the wheel, Lee lost control of the $110,000 silver sports car along Upper Paya Lebar Road. The vehicle flew over the road divider and crashed head on with a BMW before flipping over and smashing into a van in another lane.
Lee, a warehouse supervisor, reportedly drives a Fiat Punto HGT — a high-performance car that was a gift from his father - and had no intention of buying the Mazda. He escaped unhurt in the accident but Ms He — the only child of an odd-job labourer and a bakery assistant — died in hospital. Lee, who was Ms He’s last customer for the day, was later arrested but released on $10,000 bail.
The five BMW passengers were taken to hospital with breathing difficulties and chest pains, while the van’s occupants, a couple, escaped unscathed. Lee, who will appear in court on June 18 for a pre-trial conference, faces a maximum five-year jail term if found guilty. Yesterday, his lawyer Julian Tay said his client was
“haunted” by the accident.
Earlier this month, the youth incurred the rage of Netizens and car enthusiasts after he wrote in a motoring forum that he was shopping for sports cars and could not decide between a Subaru WRX and a Volkswagen Golf GTI. Many were angry that he was allowed to drive while investigations were ongoing.
Yesterday, Lee’s indictment sparked a host of comments on several Internet forums.
“He is boasting about which sports car to buy ... Does he look like he has been ‘haunted’?” asked Flyer_king, in a sammyboy.com post.
Aside from the criminal charge, Lee also faces civil proceedings brought against him by other parties in the accident. According to lawyer Daniel Goh, who is acting for the driver of the BMW, his client is suing Lee for damage caused to the former’s car as well as injuries suffered by those in it.
_
Dear friends, I got this from Mediacorp's Newspaper 'Today', 24 Apr 07.
What's your view?
The Paradox of our Time
par·a·dox/ˈpærəˌdɒks/ [par-uh-doks]/noun
1. a proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
2. a self-contradictory and false proposition.
3. any person, thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature.
4. an opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion.
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers;
wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints;
we spend more, but have less;
we buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time;
we have more degrees, but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgment;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicine, but less wellness.
We spend too recklessly, laugh too little,
drive too fast, get too angry too quickly,
stay up too late, get up too tired,
read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom and lie too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life;
we've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space;
we've done larger things, but not better things;
we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul;
we've split the atom, but not our prejudice;
we write more, but learn less;
plan more, but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait;
we have higher incomes; but lower morals;
more food but less appeasement;
more acquaintances, but fewer friends;
more effort but less success.
We build more computers to hold more information,
to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication;
we've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion;
tall men, and short character;
steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare;
more leisure and less fun;
more kinds of food, but less nutrition.
These are days of two incomes, but more divorce;
of fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers,
throwaway morality, one-night stands,
overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the show window,
and nothing in the stockroom.
Think about it.
Read it again.
Value and embrace your family, your faith, your friends, and your life dearly.
- Unknown Author
1. a proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
2. a self-contradictory and false proposition.
3. any person, thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature.
4. an opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion.
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers;
wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints;
we spend more, but have less;
we buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time;
we have more degrees, but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgment;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicine, but less wellness.
We spend too recklessly, laugh too little,
drive too fast, get too angry too quickly,
stay up too late, get up too tired,
read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom and lie too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life;
we've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space;
we've done larger things, but not better things;
we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul;
we've split the atom, but not our prejudice;
we write more, but learn less;
plan more, but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait;
we have higher incomes; but lower morals;
more food but less appeasement;
more acquaintances, but fewer friends;
more effort but less success.
We build more computers to hold more information,
to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication;
we've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion;
tall men, and short character;
steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare;
more leisure and less fun;
more kinds of food, but less nutrition.
These are days of two incomes, but more divorce;
of fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers,
throwaway morality, one-night stands,
overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the show window,
and nothing in the stockroom.
Think about it.
Read it again.
Value and embrace your family, your faith, your friends, and your life dearly.
- Unknown Author
Learn the 5 Language of Apology Part VI
After going through the 5 language of apology, here are some practical steps you can take:
Discover your primary apology language.
As you consider the five languages of apology, think about which one is most natural for you. Ask yourself: “What do I expect a person who has offended me to say or do that would make it possible for me to genuinely forgive him or her?”, “What hurts me most deeply about this situation?”, and “When I apologize to others, which of the five languages do I think is most important?”
Discover someone else’s apology language.
When you realize you’ve offended someone, ask: “What hurts you most about what I said or did?” In general, you can also ask: “Describe an apology someone once gave you that you considered insufficient. What was lacking?” and “When you express an apology to someone for something you have done that hurt him or her, what do you think is the most important part of an apology?”
Overcome barriers to apologizing.
Realize that all relationships are worth the effort to apologize. Ask God to motivate you to value your relationships enough to apologize whenever you’ve offended someone. Understand that even when the other person is most at fault in a certain situation, you can’t justify your own wrong behavior based on that fact. Be willing to apologize for your own part in marring the relationship. If you view apologizing as a sign of weakness, recognize that you have low self-esteem and seek counseling to develop a healthy self-image. Know that apologizing actually will enhance your self-esteem, because it will lead people to respect and admire you.
Don’t cheapen apologies.
Recognize that you don’t need to apologize anytime there’s any tension in one of your relationships, or anytime you simply irritate someone. Understand that apologies are designed to deal with moral failures. Don’t just assume that a stressful situation is your fault without truly thinking about it, and don’t apologize simply to avoid conflict and get an issue settled quickly. Know that a “peace at any price” mentality will only lead to simmering resentment. Don’t forgive someone too easily for seriously negative behavior that he or she should deal with; instead, hold the person accountable for it. Ask God to give you the courage you need to face issues honestly and wisely.
Adapted from:
The Five Languages of Apology: How to Experience Healing in All Your Relationships
by Gary Chapman and Jennifer Thomas, 2006
Discover your primary apology language.
As you consider the five languages of apology, think about which one is most natural for you. Ask yourself: “What do I expect a person who has offended me to say or do that would make it possible for me to genuinely forgive him or her?”, “What hurts me most deeply about this situation?”, and “When I apologize to others, which of the five languages do I think is most important?”
Discover someone else’s apology language.
When you realize you’ve offended someone, ask: “What hurts you most about what I said or did?” In general, you can also ask: “Describe an apology someone once gave you that you considered insufficient. What was lacking?” and “When you express an apology to someone for something you have done that hurt him or her, what do you think is the most important part of an apology?”
Overcome barriers to apologizing.
Realize that all relationships are worth the effort to apologize. Ask God to motivate you to value your relationships enough to apologize whenever you’ve offended someone. Understand that even when the other person is most at fault in a certain situation, you can’t justify your own wrong behavior based on that fact. Be willing to apologize for your own part in marring the relationship. If you view apologizing as a sign of weakness, recognize that you have low self-esteem and seek counseling to develop a healthy self-image. Know that apologizing actually will enhance your self-esteem, because it will lead people to respect and admire you.
Don’t cheapen apologies.
Recognize that you don’t need to apologize anytime there’s any tension in one of your relationships, or anytime you simply irritate someone. Understand that apologies are designed to deal with moral failures. Don’t just assume that a stressful situation is your fault without truly thinking about it, and don’t apologize simply to avoid conflict and get an issue settled quickly. Know that a “peace at any price” mentality will only lead to simmering resentment. Don’t forgive someone too easily for seriously negative behavior that he or she should deal with; instead, hold the person accountable for it. Ask God to give you the courage you need to face issues honestly and wisely.
Adapted from:
The Five Languages of Apology: How to Experience Healing in All Your Relationships
by Gary Chapman and Jennifer Thomas, 2006
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
