Just Fancy That!

I got these from my good friend, Mr ET Gan.

Some interesting facts about ourselves …………………have fun!!

It takes your food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

One human hair can support 3 kg (6.6 lb).

The average man's penis is three times the length of his thumb.

Human thighbones are stronger than concrete.

A woman's heart beats faster than a man's.

There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

Women blink twice as often as men.

The average person's skin weighs twice as much as the brain.

Your body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.

If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.

Women would have finished reading this by now.

And the punch-line.....

Men are still busy checking their thumbs.

Wife Carrying Competition

Wife Carrying Competition is a sport in which male competitors race each other while carrying a female teammate. The objective is for the male to carry the female through a special obstacle track in the fastest time.

The sport was first introduced in Finland. It originated as a joke. It was supposed to replay the way how men courted women in bygone days by running to their village, picking them up, and carrying them off.

Carrying styles include piggyback, fireman's carry (over the shoulder), or Estonian-style (the wife hangs upside-down with her legs around the husband's shoulders, holding onto his waist).

Major wife-carrying competitions are held in Finland where the prize is the wife's weight in beer),in Monona, Wisconsin, and Marquette, Michigan.

The North American Wife Carrying Championships take place every year on Columbus Day Weekend in October at Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine.

Fancy a bit of wife carrying? Remember the Columbus Day Weekend and be in Maine to have some fun!

Woody Allen has his say too!

How witty!

Can Steve Jobs joke about sex!

Good one!

Man versus Woman

I am posting a series titled "Man versus Women". It gives you some of the famous illuminati's view of the other sex.

The first one is from Robert DeNiro.

Did you enjoy it?

The Mother of All Prayer

I have to share this great story.

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and! he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, there was a woman who swam to his side of the land.
On the other side of the island, there was nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next
day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."

"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."

"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"

"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.

So my prayer to all my readers:

My prayer for you today is that all your prayers are answered. Be blessed.

"What you do for others is more important than what you do for yourself"

I hope you will direct all your friends here to this website to share this mother of all prayers!

The Changing Faces in the Mirror

Michael Jackson is a man of many faces. For a man in the mirror, he certainly has plenty of faces to use for almost 51 years of his life.

He embarked on face changing after a purported Pepsi advertisement shooting went wrong.
This led him to even experiment with skin bleaching and ultimately to develop skin cancer.Plastic surgery, as you can see, transformed Michael and he finally became an oddity and curiosity up to his dying days. The picture of the peeling nose sent shock-waves throughout the world, apparently the result of a botched-up job.




Like him or hate him;curiosity or not;Michael will always be a legend.

Fun Farrah is No More

Reuters reported that the funeral for Farrah took place on 30 June.

Lover and actor Ryan O’Neal led friends and family in a private funeral service for Farrah Fawcett, who died last week, aged 62 after a battle with cancer.

O’Neal, the long-time companion of the “Charlie’s Angels” star, was one of the pall-bearers and gave a reading at the service at Los Angeles Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

Redmond O’Neal, the “Love Story” actor’s 24-year-old son with Fawcett, was allowed briefly out of jail where he is being held on drugs possession charges to attend the funeral service. He also gave a bible reading.

Fellow “Charlie’s Angels” star Kate Jackson, former model Cheryl Tiegs and rocker Rod Stewart’s ex-wife Alana Stewart were among the mourners. Fawcett’s Los Angeles cancer doctor, Dr. Lawrence Piro, delivered the eulogy with Stewart.

Fawcett’s coffin was taken into the church as a quartet of musicians played “Amazing Grace” and Irving Berlin love song “Always”.

Outside the downtown Los Angeles church, a few dozen fans watched as Fawcett’s casket was taken inside, covered with sprays of bright yellow flowers that seemed to symbolise and reflect the sunny smile and golden hair that made Fawcett a worldwide star 30 years ago.

Fawcett died in a Los Angeles hospital on Thursday with O’Neal and Stewart at her side after a long struggle to beat anal and then liver cancer. A personal video diary chronicling her cancer treatments was broadcast on US television in May.

Watching from the street, Karla Dishon, 47, told Reuters outside the church she had come to pay tribute to Fawcett — a star whose hairstyle she had copied as a teenager like millions of others around the world.

“All the girls did — wavy, pretty, surfer, California girl hair,” Dishon said. “She is an icon and she is a very beautiful woman, and I think it’s too bad that we lost her so young.”

But Anyone can do this!

On July,Khazanah Nasional Bhd saw the net worth of its portfolio rise by 34 per cent (RM11.1 billion) to RM44 billion in the first half of 2009, as it continues to divest more stakes in the medium term.

Khazanah, which controls a slate of blue chips in the local bourse, saw the total realisable asset value of the portfolio rise to RM85 billion, from RM69.5 billion, during the same period.

“Subject to value, we expect divestments through trade sales and reductions of our stakes in large listed GLCs to continue and accelerate over the medium term,” said managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar.

Khazanah received some RM10 billion for further capital investments in “shovel-ready” projects from the government under a stimulus package early this year.

The question is: Can anyone else have done this? Yes, almost anyone with an outfit like Khazanah,buying when the market is low with ample government funding and selling on the way up on technicals or when the market jumps ahead of fundamentals.

So, what else is new, Khazanah?

Another Master Killer on the Cards for Berjaya Sports Toto

On 25 June 2009, Berjaya Sports Toto (BST) announced that its subsidiary,Sports Toto Malaysia Sdn Bhd (“Sports Toto”), its wholly-owned subsidiary has obtained the necessary approval to replace one of its existing lotto games, name;y the Toto 6/42 Jackpot, with another lotto game under the name of “Power Toto 6/55”.

At the moment, Sports Toto offers six different games comprising three digit-type games namely Toto 4D, Toto 5D and Toto 6D and three lotto-type games namely Toto 6/42 Jackpot, Super Toto 6/49 and Mega Toto 6/52.

Sports Toto expects to launch the Power Toto 6/55 game in late 2009 once it has developed the software to accommodate this game.

The Power Toto 6/55 has a much larger matrix with a minimum guaranteed upfront jackpot of RM3 million. Compare this to its current super duper product,Mega Toto 6/52 which has a minimum guaranteed upfront jackpot of RM2 million,expect more punters to come BST's way.

Mega 6/52 is a very successful game and has created several mega jackpots since its launch in 2007. Hence, Power Toto 6/55 which has a larger matrix and higher minimum guaranteed upfront jackpot is expected to create even bigger jackpots surpassing those created by Mega Toto 6/52.

The Power Toto 6/55 game is expected to be the front runner amongst its other present lotto-type games namely Super Toto 6/49 and Mega Toto 6/52. Sports Toto is confident that Power Toto 6/55 will be well received by the public.

More dividends, higher dividends, more share distribution in specie, better door gifts?

We should see a better BST performance profile action in 2010.

Felda's Untimely Listing and MAS's Woes?

I thought this was important. It appeared on the Value Investing on the KLSE website and some of the issues highlighted may be pertinent ones for us to consider if we intend to buy FELDA shares. There was also an emotional response to PN17 MAS.

I wish to touch on some of the issues mentioned.

Is Felda's listing at this time when the market apparently appears to be moving upwards a clear sign for it to obtain good premiums? Is this a possible response to the government's new posture to downsize assistance to GLCs and Felda is one of the early birds?

Also, is this also a bid to give shares to settlers who have been really down since prices of palm oil went zilch?

The website also questioned about the status of PN17 Malaysia Airlines? The web writer felt that something drastic must be done to bring the airline around. He believes a better team based truly on merit and capability be sourced to helm the airline.The problem is how serious are these issues confronting MAS.

Even Idris Jala cannot spin magic here. Who do you have in mind if Idris should be replaced?

Liquids of Life

How cute! But how true!

The Tale of the Wooden Bowl

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now,a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.

The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and
failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. We must do something about father,' said the son.'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.

Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded,'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up'. The four-year-old smiled and went back to his work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason,neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

The moral of the story.

There is nothing like family. Parents must be given all the respect even they no longer are able to be fit enough to do the things we oftentimes assume are simple things.

Be affectionate. Truly love them.

They would not be with you forever. Cherish them.

RCE-Good Investment Stock

I attached an analysis of RCE Capital by Market Analyzer Malaysia. I have always fancied this stock though I hardly buy into it.

Here is his report in verbatim.

"RCECAP recorded profit after taxation of RM66.6 million despite the slowdown in the economy, thanks to the growing volume of loan receivables. At the closing price of RM0.62 per share as at 25 June 2009, the shares is considered undervalued after taking into account the following factors:

a) Nature of the business

Being a company with the main activity of lending money to government servants through strategic tie-up with cooperatives and recovered through monthly deductions of salaries, the company's non-performing loan has always been low for the past few years. The main source of funding is through equity of RM71 million and borrowing (including bonds)which amounted to RM932 million as at 31 March 2009; and the Company made gains through the margin. The company has obtained approval from SC to issue RM1.5 billion bonds (including above-mentioned borrowings) and thus there is a room for continuous growth of the Company's loan base.

b) Financial analysis

At the price of RM0.62, and EPS of RM0.094, the PE ratio of 6.6 is considered low. Coupled with the double digit growth for the loan receivable (77% and 40% for FY2008 and 2009 respectively) and revenue income (63% and 34% for FY2008 and FY2009 respectively), there is still an upside potential for the shares.

Historical news:

i) Credit company RCE Capital Bhd wanted to acquire a stake in Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB) from the controlling shareholder, Employees Provident Fund (EPF) - 2007 - no further news.

ii) RCE Capital Bhd aimed to penetrate Vietnam's financial market by forming a joint venture company with Southern Bank Vietnam (SBV) in Ho Chi Minh City - Plan failed to materialise.

Future outlook

The growth of the company is expected to continue and will not be hindered by the current economic recession, given its unique way of recovery of its receivables . Taking into account the above factors, the targeted price of the company should not be less than RM1.00."

Wow, if the price should be RM1.00, there is so much upside to go.

Anyway, they have yet to pay their 10 sen dividend.

Whatever the case, I would caution against dabbling too much. Best to wait for a bad market fall before committing more funds.

Elusive and Illusive All the Way

If you have seen The Sixth Sense the first time around, chances are you are unlikely to know that the protagonist is dead.

The scenes are so well enacted as if Bruce Willis's character Dr. Maurice Crowe is always talking with someone. The only person he is actually talking to all the time with is Cole, the Haley Joel Osmet character, Cole who is cursed to see dead people "all the time".
If you see it again on video with the knowledge that the Bruce character is dead, then it all makes sense. That is tongue-in-cheek- the sixth sense!M. Night Syamalam's way of putting you on for the full duration of the film. Do you feel like a sucker now?

Light at the end ...........

For many of us, especially if we are in the midst of a dicey problem, we often use the words. "I hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel."

This is an interesting picture depicting that saying.

Worth a laugh at the innovative use of computer graphics and Photoshop capability.

Tradewinds Corporation Berhad AGM

Right now, I am certainly uncertain of the value of the hotel room vouchers they gave to shareholders this morning at their AGM. If these are gratis, then it's well worth attending the AGM. If not, they are just another marketing ploy and meant to have you spend more money. I think they are all not free stays and as such of dubious value. Not really friendly.

The registration of the TWS was at Hotel Istana. It was orderly. Everyone had either a cup or two of tea or coffee. Sadly, no accompaniment of cakes, cookies or sandwiches.Everyone was given a food box. I found the following in the box.

A bottle of mineral water,
A bottle of apple juice
2 muffins
An apple
A packet of cookies.
A packet of refined sugar

I would say Tradewinds could be more generous. As a hotel chain, as they claim, the largest in Malaysia managing the likes of the Hilton chain and Crowne Plaza Mutiara et al, they definitely could give shareholders a better breakfast spread and a sit down muhibbah lunch to boot.I guess the Corporate Communications Department guys are just not sensitive enough. They have forgotten they are in the hospitality industry!

Buses-A World Apart

Just look at a bus in Japan-perhaps more of the state of the art kind on the road.

The very fact that there is a laptop for every passenger speaks well for the Japanese people. I think there is a cost to pay for all this wanton luxury which is really no problem to the yen earning people.

Now contrast this with this oddity of a school-bus in Pakistan. A chicken-cooped version, I think.
So which world do you come from? The second most developed nation of the world or the other one, which continues to be under civil strife and guerrilla war?

The pictures tell.

Sovereign Rating on the slide?

Apparently it appears to be good news.

Petronas posted a higher revenue of RM264.2 billion for the year ending March 2009 due to bigger sales volumes and a stronger US dollar. In 2008, its revenue had amounted to RM223 billion.

However, lower global prices and higher operating costs has led to a 14 per cent drop in net profit to RM52.5 billion from nearly RM62 billion before.

Given that the average price of oil this year is likely to be softer than last year's average of US$88 per barrel, its oil revenue and profit in the coming year is likely to be weaker.

According to projections by Standard & Poor's equity research, prices are likely to average US$56 this year and US$63 in 2010.

Given that Malaysia has always depended on Petronas as a cash cow — its payments last year contributed a whopping 45 per cent of federal government revenue — the revenue shortfall may be painful.

In the last fiscal year, including royalties, taxes and dividends, the oil major paid a total of RM74 billion to the federal and state governments, a fifth more than the previous year's of nearly RM62 billion.

Over the years, nearly every other economist and analyst has warned about the disproportionate importance of Petronas' earnings on government revenue and the general economy. They said that inherent addiction to easy oil money is hard to shake — and doubly harder when those managing it lack the fiscal discipline to ensure the country derives maximum returns from it.

Indeed ratings agencies often cite the shrinking oil revenue but increasing Budget deficit as reasons why Malaysia's sovereign ratings do not warrant a higher grade.

With the Budget deficit ballooning to 7.6 per cent of gross domestic product this year after the government set aside an additional RM67 billion to stimulate the economy, many questions on how the deficit — expected to swell to over 8 per cent next year — is going to be pared when despite the oil boom years, pump-priming has only engendered partial success.

Last week, Petronas revealed that from 2003 to 2008, it paid a whopping RM268 billion to the national offers or 57 per cent of all it has since its founding 35 years ago. Many questions abound why the Federal government has not managed a more balanced budget, but instead needed to run successive deficits since the last Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, is difficult to comprehend.

Because of the hefty payments to the Federal Treasury, Petronas' reinvestments have dipped over the years, and in its last fiscal year it only reinvested 21 per cent of its profits. In comparison, the oil majors managed an average 57 per cent and other national oil companies, 72 per cent.

Meanwhile content with the easy pickings, not enough emphasis has been placed on developing other areas of the economy. At the same time, much of the windfall returns from oil appears to have been channeled into the operating expenditure, which sky-rocketed from RM45.6 billion in the 1998 national Budget to RM154.2 billion in 2009.

If asked, Malaysians would be hard-pressed to say where the oil revenues have been invested since development spending that is tangible to the average person is not evident. Paradoxically, the oil producing states of Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak remain the most lacking in infrastructure.

Take the most basic: public transport. “Inefficient public transport hits you right in the face every morning when you leave your home to go to work, when you wait to take the bus, commuter train or the light rail transit or drive your car in congested smog-filled roads and highways,” the New Straits Times wrote in its editorial yesterday, noting the mess was in part a consequence of the affirmative action being carried out by the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board without due regard to the more important issues of public transportation.

So, what steps are we going to take with regards to Petronas's falling investments as well as the over dependence of the Federal Treasury on petroringgits?

Super Pen

Designer Jinsun Park from Korea has come out with a simple tool called Color Picker.

Place the pen against an object and press the scan button, the color will be detected by the color sensor and the RGB cartridges in the pen will mixed the required inks to create the target color.

Walla!




Fantabulous!

Thought Provoking

Imagine this:

One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big
advice on the door on which it was written:
“Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this
company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room
that has been prepared in the gym”.*

*In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their
colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know
who was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the
company itself.*

*The excitement in the gym was such that security agents were ordered
to control the crowd within the room.*

*The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated
up.
Everyone thought: “Who is this guy who was hindering my progress?
Well, at least he died!”.*

*One by one the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin, and when
they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood
nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched
the deepest part of their soul.*

*There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it
could see himself.*

*There was also a sign next to the mirror that said:
“There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your
growth: IT IS YOU.
You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the
only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and
your success. You are the only person who can help yourself.*

*Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends
change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when
your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go
beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only
one responsible for your life.*

*“The most important relationship you can have, is the one you have
with yourself”*

*Examine yourself, watch yourself. Don’t be afraid of difficulties,
impossibilities and losses: be a winner, build yourself and your
reality.*

*The world is like a mirror: it gives back to anyone the reflection
of the thoughts in which one has strongly believed.*

*The world and your reality are like mirrors laying in a coffin,
which show to any individual the death of his divine capability to
imagine and create his happiness and his success.*

*It’s the way you face Life that makes the difference!*

*- If an egg is broken from outside force .. life ends. If an egg is broken
from inside force , life begins. Great things always begin from our inside.*

How true!

Believe it or Not!

This must be the ultimate rip-off!

So the next time, you go shopping with that credit card of yours, scrutnize the bill or receipt before you leave the store. If not, the supermarket ghost of yester-month will come back and haunt you!

I attached the report (with some paraphrasing) below minusing the name of the so-called up market store that was purportedly involved.

So, happy reading.

They are an expensive retail market, and do double or at times triple their prices compared to others. However, the quality of their goods is excellent! No complaints. Nada!

And then the complainant was ripped-off complete with bad bad customer service.

Let's have the storyteller tell her story.

"XYZ, if you don't know already, is a very expensive clothing and supermarket outlet (they sell a typical R50 T-shirt for R150). My daughter and I had just finished lunch at a Woolies Cafe in Hyde Park, Johannesburg . Because both of us are such biscuit lovers, we decided to try the 'Woolies Cookie'. It was so excellent that I asked if they would give me the recipe. The waitress said with a small frown, 'I'm afraid not, but you can buy the recipe.'

I asked how much, and she responded; 'Only two fifty - it's a great deal'

I agreed to that, and told her to add it to my bill.

Thirty days later, I got my Visa statement, and the XYZ's charge was R485. I looked at it again, and I remembered I had only spent R49.95 for two sandwiches and about R120 for a scarf. At the bottom of the statement, it said, 'Cookie Recipe - R250.00'. That was outrageous!

I called XYZ's Accounting Department and told them the waitress had said it was 'two fifty', which clearly does not mean 'two hundred and fifty Rands' by any reasonable interpretation of the phrase. XYZ refused to budge. They would not refund my money because according to them; 'What the waitress told you is not our problem. You have already seen the recipe. We absolutely will not refund your money.

I explained to the Accounting Department lady the criminal statutes which govern fraud in the state of Gauteng . I threatened to report them to the Better Business Bureau and The Attorney General's office. I was basically told: Do what you want. Don't bother thinking of how you can get even, and don't bother trying to get any of your money back'

I said, OK, you've got my R250, and now I'm going to have R250 worth of fun. I told her that I was going to see to it that every cookie lover in the world with an e-mail account gets a R250 cookie recipe from Neiman-Marcus for free. She replied, 'I wish you wouldn't do that.' I said, 'Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you RIPPED ME OFF!' and slammed down the phone.

So here it is! Please pass it on to everyone you can possibly think of. I paid R250 for this, and I don't want XYZ to EVER make another cent from this recipe!

WOOLIES COOKIES (Recipe may be halved as this makes heaps)

2 (500 ml) cups butter

680 g chocolate chips

4 (1000 ml) cups flour

2 (500 ml) cups brown sugar

2 tsp. (10 ml) Bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp. (5 ml) salt

2 (500 ml) cups sugar

500 g Grated Cadbury chocolate

5 (1250 ml) cups blended oatmeal

4 eggs

2 tsp. (10 ml) baking powder

2 tsp. (10 ml) vanilla

3 cups (375 ml) chopped nuts (optional)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Add chocolate chips, grated Chocolate and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 180 C.

The above quantities make 112 cookies. Enjoy!"

UK-Better Sentiments?

This is a Reuters report on conflicting sentiments on the growth of the British economy.

Reporting from London on June 29, Reuters reported that Britain's financial service companies are more optimistic than at any time in the last two years, although banks remain downbeat about their prospects, the Confederation of British Industry and accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers said today.

A balance of 13 per cent of all firms polled in a CBI/PwC survey said they were more optimistic about their overall business situation than they were three months ago, marking the first quarterly increase since 2007.

In the previous survey in March, a balance of 34 per cent of firms polled said they were less optimistic.

The more bullish mood was reflected in an expectation that sales would increase, with a balance of 11 per cent of firms predicting stronger business volumes over the next three months, the highest reading since March 2007.

"Having seen business volumes tumble continuously for 21 months, some parts of the financial services sector look like they may be starting to come through the worst," said CBI chief economist Ian McCafferty.

However, the overall pick-up in sentiment masked persistent gloom in some sub-sectors. In the banking industry, a balance of 32 per cent of lenders said they were less optimistic, an improvement compared with 57 per cent in March, but still "firmly negative", the CBI and PwC said.

The downbeat banking sector outlook partly reflected worries about bad debts, with 51 per cent balance of all firms polled reporting higher loan impairments in the current quarter, and a balance of 50 per cent expecting another increase in the next three months.

"The probable impact of the recession on impairment charges and the impact of new regulation will remain a significant pre-occupation for the sector for some time to come," said John Hitchins, British banking leader at PwC.

British banks have been hit by a surge in bad debts as a shrinking economy, rising unemployment, and falling asset values leave increasing numbers of borrowers unable to service their loans.

In contrast, sentiment among life insurers was at its highest in five years, with a balance of 75 per cent of firms declaring themselves more optimistic despite weaker sales and lower profits in the last three months.

The improvement was driven by hopes of a sales recovery on the back of recent stock market rises and signs of housing market stabilisation, the CBI and PwC said.

The survey also showed that more financial sector workers are set to lose their jobs, with a balance of 28 per cent of all firms saying they expected headcount to fall in the next quarter, and 33 per cent reporting job losses in the last three months.

The survey was conducted between May 20 and June 3.

Let us wait for more current data coming through for the second quarter.

Neck to Neck

Can you imagine yourself constricted at the neck by coil-rings? Uncomfortable, don't you think?

But the Padaung or Kayan Lahwi,a group of the Karenni people, a Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority of Burma wear these rings around their necks.

Womenfolks start wearing the brass neck coils at the age of five. Each coil is replaced with longer coils as the weight of the brass pushes the collar bone down and compresses the rib cage.

Contrary to popular belief, the neck is not actually lengthened; the illusion of a stretched neck is created by the deformation of the clavicle.
Many ideas regarding why the coils are worn have been suggested. One of them is the coils might be meant to protect from tiger bites.

Kayan women, when asked, acknowledge these ideas, but often say that their purpose for wearing the rings is cultural identity (one associated with beauty).

I, for one, do not see any beauty in this. It deforms the body,is an oddity and borders on the hideous, for want of a more cultured word.

An Indian Joke

Be Positive just like this boy.

A Lady Teacher was having trouble with one of her students in 1st Grade class. Madam asked,'Boy. What is your problem?'

Boy answered, 'I'm too smart for the first-grade. My sister is in the third-grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the 4th Grade!'

Madam took the Boy to the principal's office. While the Boy waited in the outer office, Madam explained to the principal what the situation was. The principal told Madam he would give the boy a test and if he failed to answer any of his
Questions he had to go back to the first-grade. Madam agreed.

The Boy was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.

Principal: 'What is 3 x 3?'
Boy.: '9'.

Principal: 'What is 6 x 6?'
Boy.: '36'.

And so it went with every question the principal thought a 4th grade should know. The principal looks at Madam and tells her, 'I think Boy can go to the 4th grade.'

Madam says to the principal, 'I have some of my own questions'.

'Can I ask him ?' The principal and the boy both agreed.

Madam asks, 'What does a cow have four of that I have only two of'?

Boy, after a moment 'Legs.'

Madam: 'What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?'

Boy.: 'Pockets.'

Madam: What starts with a C and ends with a T, is hairy, oval,
delicious and contains thin whitish liquid?

Boy.: Coconut

Madam: What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky?

The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer, the boy was taking charge.

Boy.: Bubblegum

Madam: What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and a dog does on three legs?

The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer.

Boy.: Shake hands

Madam: You stick your poles inside me. You tie me down to get me up. I get wet before you do.

Boy.: Tent

Madam: A finger goes in me. You fiddle with me when you're bored. The best man always has me first.

The Principal was looking restless, a bit tense and took one large peg of Captain Morgan rum.

Boy.: Wedding Ring

Madam: I come in many sizes. When I'm not well, I drip. When you blow me, you feel good.

Boy.: Nose

Madam: I have a stiff shaft. My tip penetrates. I come with a quiver.

Boy.: Arrow

Madam: What word starts with a 'F' and ends in 'K' that means lot of heat and excitement?

Boy.: Fire truck

Madam: What word starts with a 'F' and ends in 'K' & if u don't get it, u have to use your hand.

Boy.: Fork

Madam: What is it that all men have one of it's longer on some men than on others, the pope doesn't use his and a man gives it to his wife after they're married?

Boy.: SURNAME.

Madam: What part of the man has no bone but has muscles, has lots of veins, like pumping, & is responsible for making love ?

Boy.: HEART.

The principal breathed a sigh of relief and said to the teacher,

'Send this Boy to IIM AHMEDABAD (Indian Institute Of Management)

I got the last ten questions wrong myself!'

The Watchseller

Not that he is old. Perhaps he is in his mid 40s.

I have seen him here for the last 20 years or so. He plies his trade at the Taman Paramount Night Market on Sundays. At other times, he can be seen hawking his wares without a licence at the SS2 morning market.

He told us a couple of times he was caught by the enforcement officers form MBPJ.

I guess his is not an easy business. He has to get up early and drive his van to his "spot" at the designated market. Then he and his wife will have to put up the tables and display all the watches, wall clocks and alarm clocks. If it rains, then business will not be good.

We go to him if we need our straps changed or to buy new batteries for our watches.

He is a very pleasant man.

Feng-shui

Mumbo jumbo? Or is it plain logic?

Yes, listen to these feng-shui masters. They have an explanation for everything. House too close to a T-junction?. Do not fret. A pakua will do the trick.

You want children? You want money to flow in? They will prescribe.

Feng-shui masters are a breed of the own. They exists just on the periphery of normal logic, clothing their explanations according to signs and symbols.

It is a classic case of either you believe him or not. If you do, you tend to follow his every word as if he is a demi-god. If not, you dispense with his advice and go on following the faculty of your logic.

To each his own, so they say.

Tired Golden Geese?

I attached a post I made about Genting and Resorts World on April 16,2007.

Seen from hindsight,all the worse fears came and now Genting and Resorts World is traded at huge discounts.

Read this post to know the issues then in April 2007.

"Both counters went ex-subdivision on 11 April 2007, amassing huge gains. Gentings added 50 sen and Resorts took in 28 sen. However, on the following two days, the mood turned nasty and they sold both counters down the river. Gentings went as low as RM8.35 and Resorts to RM3.40.

Why is there this contrasting scenario before the subdivision and after the subdivision of the shares? No facts have changed. The negative news of UK 's intention to subject betting licences to additional taxes or for that matter the uncertainty of the Sentosa Island casino licence has not changed. The market is fickle!

The only logical explanation is that those who had the extra lots wanted to dispose of them because there believe there was no longer any “up-side news”. To play safe,they will just hold a lot or two as keepsakes and locked away all the profits. Similarly, some Singapore fund-managers could have sold on Day 1 because of the good profit margins. Then, there are the jittery sellers who saw the breaching of the 1,300 level as Bursa Armageddon and have been liquidating. Other than that, there is just no good reason for the selling pressure.

Both Gentings and Resorts are solid blue-chips and should pay well in the medium term. As we take cognizance of the downsides of both counters, let us not be unduly disturbed by short-term analysis. Analyses are based on static facts but the market is dynamic. Anything can happen. To me, both counters are dynamic and resilient.

From time to time, I will make my comments on both theses counters. The important thing is to look for the new support price of both counters. It appears that the support price of Gentings is RM8.75 and Resorts -RM3.50.

Resorts had never offered an IPO to the investing public except for a restricted bumiputra public offer way back in the late 80s. At the current price level, Resorts is now going for RM3.50–dirt cheap by any standard. Good to collect for the medium term.

As for Gentings, when was the last time you could confidently buy up a lot or two? Just like Resorts, it is rather inexpensive at RM8.75. The Bursa seems to have run out of good counters at this point of time and my belief is, Gentings still possess good ‘intrinsic value’. So do not hesitate, invest in this counter.

For your information, I have seen the market collapsed during the First Gulf War and during the Asian currency meltdown in 1997. Believe me, on both occasions, the counters that rebounded the fastest were gaming stocks like Gentings, Resorts, B-Toto and Tanjong. Also during recession, these are the best defensive stocks. Dividend-wise, Gentings and Resorts have been paying fair dividends.

The world is Gentings’s and Resorts’s oyster. Good news can be created by the dynamic Gentings Group when opportunity arises. A changing scenario can impact prices again towards a northerly direction for both counters."

I believe there is still a lot of steam left in both counters for us to look at them for inclusion into our portfolio.

Not only Ostriches Do it!

What a wonderful photo. It screams out at you in the face!

The message-The denial syndrome.

Believe me, that has always been a problem with Malaysian society. When there is a problem, they will deny it at the first instance. No exception. We are ostriches with our heads in the sand.

When can Malaysia mature into a truly civil society that can come out clean on the greater issues and happenings confronting Malaysian society?

Another generation?

Solid Gold

Watching old movies is fun!

Believe me, they are so much fun to watch especially at this age. Some of the movies are at least thirty to 60 years old.

I sat through a few goldy oldies some seasons back.

Groundhog Day-wonderful movie and one of the best role to showcase the beauty and sexiness of Andie Macdowell. Such joy!

Cat Ballou-see the youthful Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin having the fun of their lives. Marvin went to win the best actor award in this movie. As for Fonda, isn't she heavenly?

Prime Cut-another Marvin movie this time showcasing an innocent young Sissy Spacek in the buff. Exciting but be careful when you eat the next sausage-you may never know what you're eating.

Julius Caesar-a classic Shakespearean play where Brando sparked as Mark Anthony. John Gielgud and James Mason gave awe-inspiring performances too!

Ferris Beuller's Day Off - A flighty movie showing the early days of Matthew Broderick and Mia Sara. Mia Sara is mesmerisingly charming. Now we know why we need to preserve youth. If only Mia will always be Mia as in this movie-never aging a day! Fun movie and a romp around Chicago in a day!

Happy Gilmore- Adam Sandler and a satire on golf versus ice hockey. Fun movie!

Gigi- Leslie Caron in her best role. Songs are wonderful especially Thank Heaven for Little Girls.

Thomas Crown Affair- A classic involving a cat and mouse between Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway-Cool and entertaining. Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!!!

In the Heat of the Night-Bigotry in the racist South. Steiger versus Poitier in a small town of Sparta. All because of a girl that went nudie in the heat of the night! Wonderful music by the fabulous Ray Charles!

These days we would give an arm and a leg just to watch truly good old movies.

Cheating the Gods!

These days,its not only the Ah Longs that are in the act.

Fruit sellers are up to their tricks as well.

The law of the jungle has really come down hard upon society in these lean times. The dark side of their characters are being 'illuminated".

Overheard at a coffee shop.

On special occasions, the Chinese community in Malaysia will hold prayers for their deities, particularly on the 15th day of the new moons. They will buy fruits as offerings to the gods.

On such days, the fruit sellers will gang up and sell the 'ugliest and almost rotting' fruits to the buyers. They placed the good fruits on top of the heap and when a customer comes calling, they will choose good ones and mixed with a few bad ones. They continue with this foul act in spite of receiving complaints.

When you are in a monopoly or in a monopolistic position, you call the shots.

So, customers are cowed to buy the fruits if they are in desperate need of them.

As they say, what goes around, comes around.

In this case,I believe the gods will soon be angry with these profiteering cheats.

So they better watch out for the wrath of the gods will soon be on them!