"Anger ruins joy, steals the goodness of my mind, forces my mouth to say terrible things. Overcoming anger brings piece of mind, leads to a mind without regrets. If I overcome anger, I will be delightful and loved by everyone."
-Charlie Crews from "Life"
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
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Stock Taking 2
If there is one thing I need to stop buying, this is it: Cuff Links!.
The last time I counted, I have 30 pairs of them - yeah right, one for each day! And the cost for them: Around $2000 in all. (The most expensive pieces here cost around $150).
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Okay, I must admit that my little collection is no match against some of my lady friends' accessories, whose LV bag alone can cost up to $2000 a piece already!
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For the unfamiliar ones, a cufflink is a decorative fastener for the two sides of the cuff on a shirt.
Cufflinks are designed only for use with link cuffs shirts (also known as French Cuffs), which have buttonholes on both sides but no buttons. These may be either single or double-length ("French") cuffs, and may be worn either "kissing," with the ends pinched together, or "barrel-style," with one end overlapping the other.
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And yes, I have 2 (actually 3) pairs of silk knot, which is an alternative fastener to a cufflink. They are also known as monkey's fists (although, technically speaking, the knot is a Turk's head, not a monkey's fist) . Despite having a lower cost than cufflinks, they are just as well regarded and just as formal.
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The problem with cuff links shirts is that sometimes you leave home without the links! That's kind of embarrassing and you will look quite wierd without them! So, for people like me who drive, I kept an extra pair in my car (just in case) :)
Friday, February 1, 2008
Stock Taking 1
As a child, I always look forward to the coming Chinese New Year. Reasons: Lots of food, ang bao, and new clothings. Sadly, for most part of my recent years, the food isn't cheap (all food bills footed by me), the ang bao received are decreasing compared to the ones I received, and ... new clothings aren't cheap.
Why?
Well, for a start, I have to pay for the mandarin oranges as well as the "bak kua", not to mention other types of goodies. Next, I prepared in the region of $800 for ang baos (some for my parents, some for parent-in-laws, and the rest for other 'outlaws') but I always received less than $800. Man...it is a money-losing business!!!
Now, as for new clothings, most of my shirts are tailor-made. On average, I arrange for 5 sets of link-cuffs shirt made every 6 months, plus a pair of black pants. On the record, I still have around 4 pairs of brand new pants in my closet!!!
Perhaps the only people that are happy during this Chinese New Year are the kids, and ... my tailor!
Why?
Well, for a start, I have to pay for the mandarin oranges as well as the "bak kua", not to mention other types of goodies. Next, I prepared in the region of $800 for ang baos (some for my parents, some for parent-in-laws, and the rest for other 'outlaws') but I always received less than $800. Man...it is a money-losing business!!!
Now, as for new clothings, most of my shirts are tailor-made. On average, I arrange for 5 sets of link-cuffs shirt made every 6 months, plus a pair of black pants. On the record, I still have around 4 pairs of brand new pants in my closet!!!
Perhaps the only people that are happy during this Chinese New Year are the kids, and ... my tailor!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Fed's Cut As Expected
Once again, our dear Federal Reserve stepped in and made a half-point rate cut, a move that Wall Street (and me) apparently liked :)
I know you know that many also know that the rate cut didn't come as a complete surprise, as the stock market had been banking on it. They just weren't sure if it would be the half-point cut, or a more cautious quarter-point. The move today puts the federal funds rate target at 3%, the lowest since June 2005!
Once the cut was announced just now, the stock markets went positive: within minutes of the decision, the Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 100 points at one point. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also rose following the report.
Well, it's positive news (at least for a while), but between this latest cut and last week's unexpected three-quarter point cut, will it be enough to rejuvenate the economy? Let's wait and see. To me, it has been more waiting and less seeing.
Interestingly, the Dow turned right around, gave back every penny of its gains, and ended the day DOWN 37 points at the closing bell! Why? Because most investors in the street aren't dumb. They know what's going on in their own neighborhoods. They see the handwriting on the wall in the headlines. And they realize Bernanke's caught between a rock and a hard place.
On one hand (the rock), the US economy is sinking very slowing, but surely. Home construction plunged 24% in the fourth quarter, the worst since 1981! The economy sputtered to a virtual standstill in the fourth quarter, crawling at the anemic pace of just 0.6% per year! And for the entire year, GDP growth was the worst since 2002, then when the economy was suffering from the aftermath of 9-11, a tech wreck, and a wave of scandal-ridden corporate bankruptcies — all at the same time!
On the other hand (a hard place), resurging inflation that only gets worse as the Fed cuts rates and pumps more money into the market. My favourite inflation hedger, Mr Gold, is my best indicator. Gold is on fire, surging another $7 just today! The U.S. Dollar Index got killed today — down 75 basis points on today's Fed rate cut alone. And then in November, we saw the most dramatic surge in wholesale prices in 22 years! Finally, import prices surged by a staggering 10.9%, signaling much, much higher inflation ahead!
This is serious!
This is scary!!
This is shocking!!!
It means that long before the Fed's rate cuts begin to have the desired impact on the economy, they're already beginning to backfire with more inflation. Do you see it now? Are you selling too? I am, and I suggest you do the same, at least for short term. Leave emotion out of the equation. Just clear your stock holdings and keep at least 70% cash, 20% Bonds, & 10% equities if you must.
Good luck, or else, good bye!!!
I know you know that many also know that the rate cut didn't come as a complete surprise, as the stock market had been banking on it. They just weren't sure if it would be the half-point cut, or a more cautious quarter-point. The move today puts the federal funds rate target at 3%, the lowest since June 2005!
Once the cut was announced just now, the stock markets went positive: within minutes of the decision, the Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 100 points at one point. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also rose following the report.
Well, it's positive news (at least for a while), but between this latest cut and last week's unexpected three-quarter point cut, will it be enough to rejuvenate the economy? Let's wait and see. To me, it has been more waiting and less seeing.
Interestingly, the Dow turned right around, gave back every penny of its gains, and ended the day DOWN 37 points at the closing bell! Why? Because most investors in the street aren't dumb. They know what's going on in their own neighborhoods. They see the handwriting on the wall in the headlines. And they realize Bernanke's caught between a rock and a hard place.
On one hand (the rock), the US economy is sinking very slowing, but surely. Home construction plunged 24% in the fourth quarter, the worst since 1981! The economy sputtered to a virtual standstill in the fourth quarter, crawling at the anemic pace of just 0.6% per year! And for the entire year, GDP growth was the worst since 2002, then when the economy was suffering from the aftermath of 9-11, a tech wreck, and a wave of scandal-ridden corporate bankruptcies — all at the same time!
On the other hand (a hard place), resurging inflation that only gets worse as the Fed cuts rates and pumps more money into the market. My favourite inflation hedger, Mr Gold, is my best indicator. Gold is on fire, surging another $7 just today! The U.S. Dollar Index got killed today — down 75 basis points on today's Fed rate cut alone. And then in November, we saw the most dramatic surge in wholesale prices in 22 years! Finally, import prices surged by a staggering 10.9%, signaling much, much higher inflation ahead!
This is serious!
This is scary!!
This is shocking!!!
It means that long before the Fed's rate cuts begin to have the desired impact on the economy, they're already beginning to backfire with more inflation. Do you see it now? Are you selling too? I am, and I suggest you do the same, at least for short term. Leave emotion out of the equation. Just clear your stock holdings and keep at least 70% cash, 20% Bonds, & 10% equities if you must.
Good luck, or else, good bye!!!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Until the Day's Out
"Measure not the work until the day's out and the labor done."
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
(1806-1861)
English poet
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
(1806-1861)
English poet
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Stay Alive!
There is a remedy for everything except death.
- A French Proverb
So stay alive and you can pull through anything. Death may be near or far, but the choice to work at something worth working is yours to take today. Stay focus and stay alive!
- A French Proverb
So stay alive and you can pull through anything. Death may be near or far, but the choice to work at something worth working is yours to take today. Stay focus and stay alive!
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