Revenge of the Half Breed!

It started a wee bit slow and then the action mounts as a young Steve McQueen takes on the baddies who killed his white father and native Indian mother. Karl Malden even had his tobacco pouch made from the treated dried breast skin of his native mother!

Max Sand changed his name to Nevada Smith to hunt down his parent's killers. He even went to jail to get one of his man. The most memorable scene were at the swamp prison when ladies of the night came in to the men's dormitory to partake of sex. The swamp escape was equally exciting.

That Nevada Smith let Karl Malden to live at the end of the film symbolises the changing of the man into a civilised forgiving man.

Good, watchable fare.

Easter Joy

Easter Parade featuring the music of Irving Berlin, is a formulaic movie meant to stir the good feelings in all of us.

When his dancing partner, wanted to go solo, Don (Fred Astaire) chose a new dancing partner, Hannah Brown (Judy Garland) and promised to make her a star by the next Easter Parade. Catchy music and songs coupled with the wonderful tap-dancing of yesteryears.

An enjoyable fare especially with Judy Garland gracing the silver screen!

Senior Citizens are the Biggest Carriers of AIDS

Believe it or not!

Senior citizens in all countries are the leading carriers of AIDS.

Look what do they carry:

Hearing Aids
Band Aids
Roll Aids
Walking Aids
Medical Aids
Monetary Aids for their kids!

Biblical Shots

Bethlehem
Red Sea
/>Fish and LoavesLot's wife
Meggido-Armageddon

I have taken these pictures from my sister's blog.

Compliments to Jemsen for those biblical shots.

The captions for the pictures describe them.

A Tougher H2 for Bursar

This was extracted from the online of The STAR today (June 27)

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Equity Research expects a more challenging second half year for the Malaysian equity market as much of positive market news has been factored into stock prices, said vice-president and head of Asia equity research, Lorraine Tan.

“The markets have already factored in improvements in corporate activity in 2010, so we expect a more challenging second half.

“At this juncture there is risk to the 2010 corporate earnings outlook, should rising interest rates, tax rates and a weak US dollar continue to dampen US consumption and slow Asia and Malaysia’s export recovery,” she said at a briefing on the S&P’s mid-year equity market outlook.

Tan said key risks in the second half for the region included higher inflation due to a weak US dollar and excess liquidity, and weaker-than-expected global economic recovery.

“The risk of rising Treasury yields and inflationary pressures drives our current preference for the financial and materials sectors and we also see mid-term strength for the energy sector, although the latter has well outperformed other sectors in the recent rally and may be subject to profit-taking,” she added.

However, S&P has raised its end-2009 forecast for the benchmark KL Composite Index to 1,150 points and announced an end-2010 forecast of 1,300 points, in its mid-year market report.

This implied an 8% rise from the June 5 level of 1,069 points in the second half and a potential gain of 13% in 2010, the report said.

S&P economists have also lowered their 2009 gross domestic product (GDP) forecast for Malaysia to around -3.5% to -3.3% year-on-year from -1% previously.

“This estimate is better than the Government’s official projection of the economy to contract by 5% to 4%, on expectation of a quarter-on-quarter improvement in the GDP following greater stability in commodity prices and the benefits of regional stimulus,” S&P added.

The research house said it continued to prefer stocks of companies “that are either adequately capitalised, have positive cashflows and/or have a low risk of seeing further capital raising exercises.”

So keep your eyes on these stocks.

SapuraCrest Petroleum Bhd,
RHB Capital Bhd,
Top Glove Corp Bhd,
Lafarge Malayan Cement Bhd,
Genting Malaysia Bhd,
Tanjong plc
Tenaga Nasional Bhd.

Worth a Go?

Value Investing in KLSE has put up another recommendation.

I am not sure what is the current position of the share in terms of appeal since property shares are not as attractive as other more defensive stocks.

Be that as it may,it's good reading. Let me quote it in verbatim.

" This is another stock which I've recommended but it didn't go up much.Those who bought it at RM 1.60 in April 09 is making some quick 20% return @ current price of RM 1.76 plus RM 160 dividend.

Mah Sing Group involves in construction, management, and development of residential, commercial, and industrial properties in Malaysia. The company also involves in the manufacture, assembly, and sale of a range of plastic molded products in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Around 80% of its revenue originates from property development and another 20% from its plastic division.Currently,Mah Sing is in net cash position.In times of turbulence,”Cash is King”.
By comparison to other property developers,its landbank is small.Moreover,it does not have revenue from property investment unlike Sunway and IGB.It does not have a REIT as well.

With current financial strength,Mah Sing is well positioned to:

1) Buy cheap lands in M’sia and other countries. Take note that Mah Sing has not venture overseas unlike SPSETIA,GAMUDA and GUOCOLAND

2) Eat up competitors to enhance landbank because good lands are limited

3)Increase J.V projects and benefit from current low construction cost

4)Capital repayment and buy back shares if Mah Sing does not have any future plan which I doubt

If you check its shareholders, Tan Sri Leong owns around 40%,Capital Group 9.7% and Amanah Saham Bumiputra owns 14%.

What intrigue me was Amanah Saham Bumiputera has been accumulating Mah Sing ’s shares in an aggresive mode.Could there be insider news?

Currently,Mah Sing declared 16sen dividend for the year.This stock has little probability to fall to RM 1.25 level again due to high percentage of institutional owners which are actively investing in this company

Risk of investing in Mah Sing:
1) Weakening property industry outlook
2) Bad capital deployment strategy

Weighing its risk and reward,Mah Sing is a good buy at around RM 1.76."

Eerily Enjoyable!

'Tis one medieval whodunit!

An engrossing movie set in the middle ages at an Italian abbey. It was the time when the Franciscan order and the Holy Inquisition were at odds, mostly over the extravagances of the Papacy. A dark and brooding film, it reflects the mood of the times

Great piece of story-telling, though. Once again, Sean Connery shone throne as William of Baskerville, an ancient Sherlock Holmes. Along with his assistant (a very young Christian Slater), William trounced through the hidden libraries,catacombs and labyrinth of an old monastery,looking for clues to a series of strange deaths at the abbey.

To many, the book by Umberto Eco could have been a tad tedious but the movie was quite exhilarating. The story was translated well onto the screen. However,a little thinking is required to fully enjoy this movie.

Kudos to the director and cast for such a beautiful rendition on film! A must-see.