King of the Birds, Lord of the Skies

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, May 2, 2007

Love Letter

My Dear Wife,

I bless you for the time we have and used to share. I realize that sometimes the years slip by so quickly that we hardly even noticed. We become so caught up with all the demands of life & our grown-up responsibilities that we occasionally forget to pause & celebrate some of the milestones along the way. I certainly think that we have some achievements worth celebrating, like the first time I met you in the lecture hall 8 on that wonderful 21st day of July 1994, or that fourth day of May 1995 when you agreed to be my girlfriend, ... atlas there's so many to remember.

Let's not forget to honour the time & energy we have invested in our relationship. We really have come a long way, my sweetheart. Let's celebrate the fact that, through it all, we're still together, still in love & committed to our marriage & our lives together. Let's rejoice over our victories from the past, & let's look forward to our challenges in the future.

Because I Love You,
Your Husband.

Alert! The Stock Mkt Will Crash in 7 Days!

"ALERT: The Stock Market Will Crash in 7 days!"

I am just kidding! Really. I typed that in jest. Even if I have the financial crystal ball with me, I’ll deny everything; before & after.

But jokes aside, wouldn't it be great if we have a week's warning before every stock market crash? I would really appreciate that kind of warning. Having said that, thought I cannot warn you EVERY time the markets rise or fall accurately, I can try raising enough red flags to prevent big losses, and possibly, help you turn potential bad investment and mediocre profits into colossal investment gains.

The rest is up to you. Now check out my new "disclaimer' below:

Investing in stocks & shares can result in the loss of some or all of your investment. Including selling your Condo, and then your HDB, then your car and motorbike, maid, goldfish, Osim chair, your Man-U posters, even your that 2 little rascals… Never risk more than you can afford to lose or overdraft. Past performance is no guide to the future stupidity you embark. Consult a financial advisor if unsure or blur. I hereby disclaim all liabilities with reference to loss of limbs, lives, or “loo-wee”. Do your own due diligence cos your mom and dad cannot be doing that for you forever. Keep within trading limits of gains and losses and you will keep your sanity.
From: Eaglevestor

Military Coup!

coup /ku/ [koo]
Meaning: a sudden and decisive change of government illegally or by force
(Courtesy of: dictionary.com)

Threats of a coup in Turkey are not empty bluster. Some might be talking about a country that’s hoping to become a member of the EU in the not-too-distant future, but history informs that the military has forced four governments from power since 1960!

Now some might argue that it’s quite reassuring that the generals are on the side of the secularists - better to have democratic freedoms compromised than to have Turkey slide the way of Iran, perhaps. Though history tends to show that the people will eventually have their way, whether the ruling powers like it or not.

But either way, as the recent coup in Thailand shows, regardless of how well-meaning their political interventions may be, the military are not great economic tacticians. The Thai stock market is among the cheapest in Asia at the moment, but investors still remain reluctant to dive in after several ham-fisted attempts by the replacement government to manage the economy.

However, none of this is to say that emerging markets are bad investments. Fact is: They account for 80% of the world’s population & 50% of GDP growth, yet just 8% of stock market capitalisation. Economic growth is running about three times as fast as the developed countries, while inflation is largely under control - certainly by historic standards.

All this shows why excitement about the long-term case for emerging markets is justified. However, “markets around the world have already priced in this sketch of economic perfection.” Up until yesterday, Turkey was the 11th best-performing stock market in the year-to-date. That’s despite the fact that political upheaval has been threatening for some time.

The massive investment appetite for assets once deemed risky is evidence of a global credit bubble - too much money is chasing ever-diminishing returns. However, the difficulty is always in predicting when such a bubble will burst - and where it will hurt the most when it does. I still recommends diversifying your holdings in emerging markets, which sounds like a reasonable starting point to me - and Asia in particular looks like a good place to start.

Investing in stocks & shares can result in the loss of some or all of your investment. Including selling your Condo, and then your HDB, then your car and motorbike, maid, goldfish, Osim chair, your Man-U posters, even your that 2 little rascals… Never risk more than you can afford to lose or overdraft. Past performance is no guide to the future stupidity you embark. Consult a financial advisor if unsure or blur. I hereby disclaim all liabilities with reference to loss of limbs, lives, or “loo-wee”. Do your own due diligence cos your mom and dad cannot be doing that for you forever. Keep within trading limits of gains and losses and you will keep your sanity.
From: Eaglevestor

Resolve to Keep Happy

"Your success and happiness lie in you... Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties."

Helen Keller, 1880-1968,
Blind/Deaf Author and Lecturer

Circumstances: Friend or Foe?

This is my all time favourite quote. I probably heard it 100 times already, and it's still my favourite.

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.
- George Bernard Shaw