Ghost Month - 7th Month of Lunar Calendar

Today is the first day of the 7th Month of the Lunar Calendar. To the Chinese to day is also the beginning of the Ghost Month (鬼月). Starting 11 pm last night, the 'Hell Gate' is opened permitting all ghosts to move freely in the human world. 中元節 or 'Ghost Festival' is celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th month when elaborate foods and 'ghost money' are offered to the visiting spirits of the ancestors.



Based on my personal experience, during this month it is advisable not to bring children outside of the house or to the park after sunset. Not advisable to travel at night or to camp outdoor. Camping in the jungle is a big 'No'. According to a spirit medium, the 7th month of this year is going to be very 'fierce' especially on the 16th night and especially bad for those born in the year of Ox, Snake, Goat and Pig. The advise from the medium is, "don't go out on the 16th night, if you really have no choice, then try to wear something red to 'block' off the bad spirits".

Hehehehehe


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Some Oldies

I may not have mansion, I haven't any land
Not even a paper dollar to crinkle in my hands

But I can show you morning on a thousand hills
And kiss you and give you seven daffodils.

I do not have a fortune to buy you pretty things
But I can weave you moonbeams for necklaces and rings

And I can show you morning on a thousand hills
And kiss you and give you seven daffodils.

Oh, seven golden daffodils all shining in the sun
To light our way to evening when our day is done

And I will give music and a crust of bread
And a pillow of piny boughs to rest your head.

A pillow of piny boughs to rest your head...

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21st December, 2012

The winter solstice of 2012 will occur at 11:11 GMT on 21-12-2012, the same day the Long Count Calendar (LCC) (commonly know as the Mayan Calendar) used by the ancient Meso-American peoples such as the Maya, Aztec, Toltec and Olmec will end one great cycle of 13 Baktun (5125.26 years) and starts over again from the beginning of LCC, starting another new 5125.26-year cycle.

On that morning the sun will appear to rise into the patch of sky, refer to as the galactic centre or nuclear bulge. It is the location of the super-massive black hole at the centre of rotation for the Milky Way galaxy. In astronomic terms, the Sun conjuncts the intersection of the Milkyway and the plan of the ecliptic. This rare astronomical event happens only once every 25,800 years. We are in it, lucky or unlucky, just wait and see.

Click Galactic Alignment 2012 for more.


My friend emailed me the following interesting video.




Another 17 months to go.

Hehehehehe.

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The wild wild west

If only I could paint like Alfredo Rodriguez, a master painter of the wild wild west.





To see his other painting, just click Alfredo Rodriguez.

Another love story

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World Bourses

Dow started Monday trading at 0.5% lower as the US Congress was unable to get an agreement on the debt ceiling, pushing US closer to a debt default. Since March 1962, the debt ceiling has been raised 74 times, I see no difference this time it will be raised before August 2, the deadline.

The money printing machine is able to maintain the US market at the current high level that appeared to be artificial to me. The next issue after the debt ceiling is the QE 3 whether it will be implemented and more US$ be printed.

At its current level, Dow managed to recoup 83% of of its 2007-2009 losses. So far there is no sign of any market reversal. The possibility of a 'head and shoulder' is still there.

FTSE is able to match Dow's performance closely. However it has started to move side-way since January this year. A drop below the lower support will confirmed the 'double tops' reversal and I expect FTSE to move lower at a faster pace once the lower support line is broken.

German's export has been doing very well due to low Euro, a big thank to the debt problems of Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal that dragged down the Euro.

French CAC40 has been moving side-way in the last 19 months, that is a long time. It managed to recoup only 45% of its previous losses. I expect it to retest its March 2009 low once its lower support is broken.

Japanese Nikkei 225's performance is even worst than CAC40.

Australian currency might be strong due to its commodity based economy but the AORD index has been moving side-way since the beginning of 2010. Watch out for a 'double tops' reversal pattern.

Hang Seng is about to break its lower support. It may take the lead in moving south.

Singapore STI has broken its lower support. I take this as a very bearish sign. A break below its current wedge formation will speed up the fall.

Bursa Malaysia KLCI has set a new historical high in early July with low volume in a lethargic market. Something is not right when one compared it with the euphoric market condition during the 1993-94 bull-run. The gain is due to a few blue chips and is not broad base. Remember the 'bathtub theory', the blue chips are the last to fall.

For Bursa Malaysia, I always prefer to monitor the Industrial Index that has a better correlation with other world market indices.

Will its next down breaks the lower resistance line? If so, run for your life.

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A Leap In Logic

The Malaysian Bar says the RCI’s finding that Teoh Beng Hock had committed suicide was “unsupported by the facts and evidence”.

Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee, “It is very clear to the Malaysian Bar that full responsibility for Teoh Beng Hock’s death lies squarely and solely on the MACC."

Click 'A Leap In Logic' for further reading.

Let's kick Lynas back to Australia

Weekend in Kuantan must wear this black T-shirt

Weekend in KL I love to wear yellow T-shirt

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You wanted RCI, I gave you RCI

Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) - He was driven to suicide by aggressive interrogation

Looking at the way the RCI questioning the MACC officers during the inquiry, the picture was being painted, one would have expected the outcome. If you asked for my opinion, "No, I can't accept the finding". It is only a deduction without illustrating how the suicide was done. Rightfully before one can come to this conclusion, every points raised by Dr. Pornthip must be refuted convincingly beyond any doubt. That was not done.

A way is paved for the Teoh family to sue the MACC, get compensated in many many $$$$$$$ and then close the case. RCI has stated,"TBH was driven to suicide by aggressive interrogation" and Nazri has confirmed, "Action to be taken against the 3 MACC officers who grilled TBH (to death)." But Teoh family might not want to walk this paved way. "See you in High Court" instead.

Looking at the photo, as a layman, I think when one jumped to death, the corpse would not land side-way, unless it was done in John Wu's style.



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Face-Off

Photo from The Economist

To read more click "Political Affray in Malaysia" from The Economist


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Clean & Fair

Clean, Bersih

It is all about clean and fair election that follows international standard.




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How to be bullish.

US debt limit or 'ceiling' stood at $14.29 trillion currently, it sets the maximum amount of outstanding federal debt the U.S. government can incur by law. Hitting the debt ceiling would hamstring the US government's ability to finance its operations. On May 16, Treasury announced it would begin a "debt issuance suspension period" as a result of the United States hitting its debt limit. If Congress fails to raise the debt 'ceiling', Treasury can no longer issue new treasury bonds to raise fund to finance Government expenses that include interest payment to debtors, that will lead to a default.

Bill Gross,“The U.S. has a $60 trillion net present value liability burden and that constitutes Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security in combination. That is 4-5 times GDP and it certainly exceeds those liabilities in Greece, Portugal and Spain. Ultimately, the U.S. has a big, big problem."

Bill Gross, age 67, is a financial manager, co-founder of Pacific Investment Management (PIMCO) that manages the 'Total Return Fund', the world's largest mutual fund with assets exceeding $240 billions. PIMCO began short-selling US Treasuries in March 2011 expecting interest rate to go up when bonds and dollars started to fall.

It is really hard to imagine the market can continue to stay at this high level for such a long time despite of all the domestic problems, European debt problems, high commodity prices and other global political problems. I am looking for the formation of reversal patterns such as 'head and shoulders' or 'bouble tops'.


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Special Teams to Probe Claims

The Malaysian public expect the holders of high public office to honour their positions accorded by the citizen, by discharging their duties with moral integrity, dignity and transparency.

To read more click HERE.

MCA President," it is possible that the photo was taken from a certain angle to make it appeared that ..........."


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Athens - Mykonos - Santorini

My son has not written to me for a while in June (examination time) and

one day

:) Ya sas! (hello in greek of course)

The Parthenon

Attached photo of me (since I know you guys miss me)

(The poor father, trying to figure out which one is his son for half a day)

There was this giant path in the national gardens lined with trees in full bloom

At Syntagma Square where the riots had died down

Sculpture of zeus or poseidon that they found from the sea

Temple of Hephaestus, God of Technology, Blacksmith and Fire

Slow braised pork, which was braised for 12 hours to achieve a very very very tender texture (and very juicy too). it was soooooooooooooo good.

Seafood, seafood all the time at Mykonos

Windmills of Mykonos

Crystal clear water, white house, blue door.

Perfect for lazing around all day

A giant resident pelican

To Santorini

Santorini has been long associated with the legend of the lost city of Atlantis. what used to be a single island, a giant volcanic eruption caused the sinking of the middle of the island, forming this spectacular caldera.

The famous Santorini sunset

This post is incomplete without a song from my favorite Greek Singer Nana Mouskouri




Have a nice weekend my friends



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